Sumit Khanna’s documentary Mere Desh Ki Dharti investigates
pesticide overuse in Punjab, and its deadly impact Mumbai-based
filmmaker Sumit Khanna first embarked on the pesticides trail
when he noticed the absence of the common sparrow from the green
fields of Punjab. “Why is it, I thought to myself, that the
sparrows have stopped making the fields their home despite the
apparent presence of food? And then I discovered that the crop
is so heavily sprayed with pesticide that no bird or beast can
hope to survive in the fields,” says Khanna. This process of
discovery took the route of a 58-minute documentary film,
financed by the Public Service Broadcasting Trust (PSBT). To add
a touch of irony, Khanna titled his film Mere Desh Ki Dharti, a
popular song from a Hindi film that pays tribute to the
abundance of food, water and happiness in India. Winner of the
Best Investigative Film of 2006 at the 54th National Film
Awards, Khanna’s documentary is intelligently edited and well-
researched, highlighting how pesticid