A Mission To Save Aarey’s Forgotten Food Wisdom

Video Description

There are few metropolises quite like Mumbai across the world, for at its heart—amid tall skyscrapers—lies one of India's densest forests. Within this green expanse lie the Aarey Colony and Forest, home to numerous Adivasi families, the city’s original inhabitants. Here, farming, foraging, and living alongside leopards are all part of daily life. Vanita Thakre, an intergenerational Aarey resident and farmer, grows native tubers, millets, and wild vegetables (raan bhaaji) that few city dwellers have ever seen. One such marvel is the Kon or Maha Kandh, a wild yam that can weigh up to 40 kilograms and takes years to mature. These native crops don’t need fertilisers or constant care; they have evolved with the land, resilient against shifting seasons and erratic rains. For over a decade, Vanita Tai has been working with Sanjiv Valsan, a photographer-turned-environmentalist, to re-wild farmlands in Aarey with mahua, jamun, and other native trees. Together, under the Waghoba Habitat Foundation, they are reviving a culture of wild foods and indigenous knowledge, inviting Mumbaikars to discover the flavours and wisdom of the forest through foraging walks, cooking workshops, and sapling plantations. Through intimate visuals, this film tries to capture a powerful collaboration—between people and the forest, between urban and indigenous worlds. More reading: https://gfm.akshayakalpa.org/read/feature-article/the-uncertain-future-of-aarey-forests-tribal-agriculture Contact: https://waghoba.org/ #goodfoodmovement #aareyforest #foraging