Moklani - The Last Mohanas
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Logline:
Moklani is the story of the Mohanas, an indigenous fisherfolk community on Manchar Lake, as they face the sorrow of bidding farewell to a unique heritage that has sustained them for centuries.
Synopsis:
Moklani follows the Mohana community as they navigate life on the floating homes of Manchar Lake, a place they have called home for generations. Once sustained by the lake’s clear waters and abundant fish, the Mohanas now face mounting challenges due to pollution and climate change. The film offers a window into their daily lives, highlighting their struggle to preserve their cultural heritage amidst poverty, disease, and hunger.
Central to the story is Akbar, who has lived his entire life on the lake. His choice between staying or seeking a different future symbolizes the crossroads at which the entire community stands. Then there is Hakim Zadi, whose resilience represents the strength of Mohana women—skilled in fishing, rowing, and supporting their families while balancing traditional roles.
As Moklani unfolds, it explores how some in the community remain devoted to their way of life, while others seek opportunities beyond the lake. The film provides an intimate look at the complexities of their connection to Manchar and examines how they confront the environmental and social changes threatening their existence. Through personal stories, Moklani portrays a community caught between their heritage and an uncertain future, raising the question of how long their unique way of life can endure.
Director & Producer
Jawad Sharif
Mancher & Mohana: The Connection
Imagine coming across a centuries-old tribe, living life on boats as their ancestors did, their entire existence shaped by a freshwater lake. They are Mohana—the indigenous people of Manchar Lake in Sindh, Pakistan. For generations, they have lived in harmony with nature, their lives flowing with the rhythm of the lake. From birth to death, the boats are their home, and the lake is their world.
Where did the Mohana come from?
The history of the Mohana dates back over five thousand years, to the time of the Indus Valley Civilization. Many historians believe that they are direct descendants of the people of Mohenjo-Daro, making them one of the oldest indigenous groups in the region. Known as “The Bird People” or Mir Al Bhahar—Lords of the Sea—their connection to the water has always been central to their identity. Historical texts like the Chach Nama trace their lineage, and for centuries, the Mohana thrived, living on boats and fishing in the freshwater lake that was their lifeblood.
Change of Fate: The freshwater lake is polluted
Manchar was once a paradise. The Mohana, among the richest of tribes, lived in close connection with nature. The lake’s water was fresh, brimming with life. Fish thrived in abundance, and migratory birds, traveling from distant lands, flocked to the lake for food. The birds were happy, the humans were happy, and nature flourished. The lake provided for all: plants, fish, birds, and humans alike. It was a delicate balance, a shared existence where every living thing had its place, including the boathouses of the Mohana.
But then came the touch of man, and with it, the slow unraveling of this ancient harmony. The government, in an attempt to manage water and waste, built the Right Bank Outfall Drain in the 1980s. Instead of solving problems, it brought toxic industrial and agricultural waste flowing into Manchar’s pristine waters. This polluted the lake and destroyed the delicate balance between nature and people that had been nurtured for centuries. The fish began to disappear, the birds stopped coming, and the lives of the Mohana were thrown into turmoil. Now, it is hard to say who has suffered more—nature or the people—but both are intertwined in their loss.
Today, the Mohana of Manchar Lake find themselves isolated from the rest of the world, fighting to protect the future of their children. Their homes still float on the water, but the lake they once relied on has turned hostile. The men of the community struggle to adapt, finding ways to cope with the changing environment, leaving the lake to find livelihood. But the women, bound by the conservative traditions of the tribe, remain confined to the boathouses, forced to bear the brunt of environmental degradation. The floods that now sweep through the region are the direct result of climate change, making an already difficult life even more precarious.
What ensued the disaster?
The 1980s brought devastation to the lake. The construction of the drain led to the inflow of toxic waste into Pakistan’s largest freshwater lake, poisoning it. Once, 20,000 Mohana lived on Manchar Lake. Now, only 450 remain. Their numbers have dwindled as the water has grown more toxic, killing the fish they relied on for survival. Climate change has only made things worse. Decreased rainfall and the construction of two dams on the Indus River have reduced the flow of fresh water into the lake. Fourteen of the 200 fish species that once swam in Manchar have vanished, leaving the Mohana with even fewer resources to sustain themselves.
The government, slow to recognize the disaster, took nearly a decade to respond. In 2001, work began on the Right Bank Outfall Drain-II, a new project aimed at diverting the toxic waste away from the lake and into the Arabian Sea. But even now, more than two decades later, the project remains incomplete, leaving the lake’s ecosystem—and the lives of the Mohana—in ruins.
As the lake’s water continue to deteriorate, most of the Mohana have to abandon their age-old traditions. Once, they lived on floating boats, fishing the lake’s waters and maintaining a close bond with the natural world around them. Now, their culture is slowly fading, and with it, their way of life. The story of Manchar Lake is a story of loss—not just of water and fish, but of a centuries-old way of life that may soon disappear forever.
