A powerful new documentary, Girmit: The Fields of Sadness, has officially premiered in Suva, shedding light on the long-overlooked stories of Indian indentured labourers in Fiji during British colonial rule.
Fiji’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, Prof. Biman Prasad, praised the film after meeting director and co-producer Shyam Upadhyay, calling it “a deeply moving and powerful film that sheds light on the untold stories of our Girmitiyas.”
“This film is more than just a documentary,” he said.
“It is a profound tribute to our shared history — a call to remember, to honour, and to educate.”
The 90-minute film captures the pain, resilience and contributions of the more than 60,500 Indians who were brought from British India to work on sugarcane plantations in Fiji between 1879 and 1916 under the indenture system. These workers came to be known as Girmitiyas, a term derived from the mispronunciation of the word “agreement.”
The documentary, produced by Rajendra Prasad and his wife Aruna, is based on Prasad’s 2004 novel Tears in Paradise. A descendant of the Girmitiyas, Prasad said the project was born out of a need to bring this hidden history to the forefront.
“I found that the history of the Girmitiyas was missing from textbooks, and then I realised it wasn’t an accident — it was deliberate,” Prasad told RNZ.
“Their labour became the backbone of the Fijian economy, yet their stories have remained largely untold.”
Girmit: The Fields of Sadness reveals the harsh realities of life on colonial plantations: gruelling labour, poor living conditions, loss of cultural identity, and forced conversions. Despite these hardships, the Girmitiyas laid the foundations of modern Fiji and shaped the country’s cultural and economic landscape.
Upadhyay, who has over two decades of experience in the Indian film industry, told RNZ compiling 40 years of history into a 90-minute film was “a huge challenge.”
“The most difficult part was sourcing original photographs and archival material. The post-production alone took more than ten months.”
The film, which had a limited screening in 2024, is now being shown in cinemas again and will soon tour internationally. The creators hope the documentary becomes a vital educational and cultural resource, sparking dialogue, pride and critical thinking among Indo-Fijian youth — and recognition of the Girmitiyas’ legacy across the Pacific and beyond.
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