Highway 44, the road not taken

A road, which connects two metro cities, has a special power to yank off the mangal soothra of women in a village situated nearby. It may sound like the storyline of a cheap thriller but there is such a village that borders Bengaluru and Hyderabad. Attracted by the novelty of this real life myth, Bijeesh Balann, who hails from Kannur, has come up with a documentary called Village of Widows: The Strange Story of Highway 44, which deals with the mystery of Peddakunta Thanda in Telangana.

It was around one year ago that Bijeesh came across a news item about this road — National Highway 44 that connects Bengaluru and Hyderabad.

“When I first read about this, I felt like I was reading a mystery novel. It was about the tragic story of a tribal hamlet named Peddakunta Thanda, in Mahabubnagar district of Telangana. According to the report, a total of 30 persons of the hamlet have been run over and killed by speeding vehicles on a bypass stretch of NH 44, while crossing the road,” says Bijeesh.

Sadly, the village has no male adult left in any of the 40 families. “It is now a village of widows. The oldest surviving male there is a six-year-old boy. In the last five years, the women have lost their husbands, and some, their children,” he says.

When he packed his bags to visit the ‘mysterious’ land, he knew it was a challenging job to find out all the authentic details.

“As it was planned as a zero budget film, we had limitations in getting the technicians. But when I shared my ideas with two of my friends, Jayesh and Abhilash, they agreed to join me. Another challenge was the language. The people there belong to Banjara tribes. All of them are labourers and have to reach Nandigam, nearly 5 km from their village. For that, they have to cross the highway.”

For that, they have to cross the highway. Six years ago, the authorities launched the bypass project with the promise that a service road would be constructed to facilitate safe passage for the people of Peddakunta Thanda .

"Unfortunately, the promise was never fulfilled. All the accidents occurred while they were crossing the road,” he says.

Most of the residents are not superstitious and do not blame any supernatural force  behind these accidents.

“They are sure that the accidents are not happening as a result of any curse, but describe it as a failure of authorities in arranging speed breakers or sign boards. The fact is that this development project has become a tragedy for the villagers,” he says.

When the accidents became a matter of routine, the widows started shifting their boys to the hostels at Nandigam, to save them from further tragedy.

Curiously enough, the bypass is a nightmare only for the residents of Peddakunda Thanda and not for those of other two nearby hamlets.

“There are two more hamlets near Peddakunda Thanda. But the victims of the accidents are from this hamlet,” says the director, who is currently doing the post production work of the documentary, which will premiere in New Delhi in February.