Gods in Shackles

Watch the Gods in Shackles Trailer

The trailer was filmed and produced by Sangita Iyer and edited by Maneesh Malhotra.

Gods in Shackles is a feature-length documentary film, an exposé revealing the dark side of the southern Indian state of Kerala’s glamorous cultural festivals that exploit temple elephants for profit under the guise of culture and religion.

By exposing the abhorrent torture suffered by India’s heritage animal,
Gods in Shackles offers hope to the thousands of endangered captive and wild elephants in India through heightened awareness that will inspire key stake holders and policy makers to enhance the living conditions of these highly social animals.

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SANGITA IYER (B. SC., M.A. PGD JOURNALISM), FILMMAKER BORN AND RAISED IN KERALA, INDIA

The Truth Behind the Glitz and Glamour

In order to appreciate the magnitude of the Temple Elephant crisis in India one has to understand the political, commercial and cultural systems that are intertwined and have played a critical role in perpetrating the exploitation of these magnificent animals. Gods in Shackles peels off these layers through exclusive evidence from genuinely caring researchers and conservationists in India who have risked their lives and come forward to expose the deep seeded systemic corruption.

The World-Famous Festival 'Trissur Pooram'

There are over 3000 festivities in Kerala between December and May, most of them displaying ornate elephants. These events culminate into the Trissur Pooram festival.

Only Male Elephants Used

Only male elephants are used in the festivals, and this tradition has contributed to the dramatically skewed sex ratio of wild elephants.

Prematurely Dead and Missing Elephants

There are 50,000 Asian elephants in the wild, and India is home to 30,000 of them. Over the last three years, more than 150 captive elephants have died due to torture and neglect.