‘Desi Oon' and Suresh Eriyat's dialogue with shepherds

The Hindu

7 hours ago

'Oon mera naam hai, oon oon oon; meri kahani zara sun sun sun.' (My name in Oon, oon oon oon; listen to my story.)
A tuft of raw, tangled black Deccani wool with tiny arms and a hole for a mouth bounces across the screen, narrating the story of neglect that desi oon has suffered for generations. The six-minute stop-motion animation film, Desi Oon, tells a riveting tale of how indigenous wool stands forgotten. Its compelling storytelling — depicting the intersection of ecology, dwindling traditional craft, and the threat industrialisation poses to pastoral communities — scooped up the Jury Award for Best Commissioned Film at the prestigious Annecy International Animation Festival last month in France.
The film was developed over a year by Mumbai-based Studio Eeksaurus, in collaboration with the Centre for Pastoralism, for the Living Lightly - Journeys with Pastoralists exhibition in Bengaluru earlier this year. Filmmaker Suresh Eriyat, founder and creative director of the studio, who had visited a desi oon exhibition in 2022, says it all began with listening. 'We didn't go in with a storyboard. We went in with curiosity. The richness of what we encountered — the sheep, the wool, the landscape, and the people who live in that reality — left a deep impact. What excited us most was that this wasn't just a textile story. It was a story of resilience, of ecosystems, of lives intertwined with the land.'
A woolly tale
Nearly 30 people worked on the film. Lyricist and singer Swanand Kirkire translated the essence and rhythm of the shepherds' songs and folk traditions into his lyrics and raw singing. The catchy folk tune was composed by Rajat Dholakia, without using any electronic or digital sources, carefully preserving its organic quality. And the soundscape was created by Academy Award winner Resul Pookutty.
But the star of the show was the desi oon. 'We wanted the wool to tell its own story. Wool isn't sleek. It doesn't behave. It frays, resists, coils. That unpredictability, usually considered a limitation, was something we leaned into,' says Eriyat, using real wool from Deccani sheep sourced in Belagavi, Karnataka. 'We let the material misbehave. It gave the film a certain life — something beyond what we were breathing into it.'
They made models and used specialised stop-motion techniques, a method which Eriyat describes as 'slow, tactile, handcrafted. Just like the lives and materials we were depicting'. But it came with technical challenges, as animating the wool was painstaking. 'Stop-motion gave us the language to do that with poetry, metaphor, and a kind of warmth that invites empathy, not just observation,' he says.
Embracing slowness became part of the storytelling itself. 'It echoed the tempo of pastoral life, the rhythm of herding, spinning, weaving, and of course their resilience,' he reminisces of the year they spent working on the film. 'In an era of fast content and CGI perfection, this slowness felt almost radical.'
The spirit of Balu mama
Central to the tale of Deccani wool is the story of Balu mama, a revered shepherd among the pastoralists of the region. Known for his quiet leadership, he dedicated his life to nurturing and protecting Deccani sheep. The Centre for Pastoralism and the Living Lightly team connected the studio to the shepherding communities, to walk with real pastoralists, observing their rhythm and routines, and learn their wisdom passed on orally through generations.
'Watching his followers guide hundreds of sheep across dry, rocky terrain, never raising their voice, just being present, was profoundly moving. The land listens to the flock, and the reverence both the flock and the shepherd held for Balu mama was near worship,' says Eriyat.
His approach to this collaboration hinged on respect for the craft. 'We didn't want to simplify or romanticise their lives. These communities are complex and proud. So, we took our cues from their stories, songs, silences, and humour,' he says. The metaphors used in storytelling were rooted in the land. 'A sheep wasn't 'cute' or 'comic'. It was central to their economy, their kinship system, and their survival. Even the songs and lyrics were crafted with input from folk musicians who live this life.'
' When brands co-opt without context, they flatten histories. We need to document not just products, but processes. Not just objects, but origins. And we need to tell them with the same beauty and innovation that global audiences are used to, but with our lens, our voice, our terms.'Suresh Eriyatwho believes the time is ripe for India to share her stories before they are appropriated by the world
Storytelling with craft
The Annecy award was deeply validating for the studio. 'Not because of the recognition alone, but because a quiet, rooted story from India resonated on the world stage. It showed us that truth travels,' says Eriyat.
Post the success of the film, can animation become a potent medium for storytelling for craft-led and even luxury brands? Eriyat believes it can, especially stop-motion, drawing in audiences gently, without the defensiveness that sometimes accompanies advocacy. 'It makes room for wonder, and wonder leads to curiosity. That's where change begins. Desi oon has already sparked conversations across sectors, from sustainable fashion and tourism to policy. There have been early inquiries from both luxury brands and government bodies wanting to understand how storytelling like this can be embedded into their communication,' he shares.
Eriyat believes animation can become a tool for cultural preservation, craft revival, and even rural economic development. 'We've only scratched the surface. We hope the film becomes a trigger. For young people to ask where their clothes come from. For designers to rethink the supply chain. For policymakers to look again at pastoralism not as 'backward', but as ecologically vital.'
The real success, however, will be when these communities get sustained attention and support. 'When their voices are not just preserved, but amplified on their terms.'
The writer is a sustainability consultant and founder of Beejliving, a lifestyle platform dedicated to slow living.