Scion of Mysore Lancers command-in-chief makes documentary ‘Occupied’ on Israel conflict, to be screened in Bengaluru

The contribution of Mysore Lancers, the personal army of Mysore Maharaja, in helping the British to capture Israel's Haifa by winning a battle against Ottomans is unknown to many, except a few history aficionados. The reasons are unending but in an interesting turn of events, the great grandson of Rajkumar Desraj Urs has recently made a significant connection with the current conflict-ridden country, by making a hard-hitting documentary, after a century from the victory of Mysore lancers against Ottomans. Indian Documentary 'Occupied' Sheds Light on Artistic Resistance in Israel-Palestine Conflict Rajkumar Desraj Urs was a command-in-chief of Mysore Lancers during the battle with Ottomans, and was also the son-in-law to Maharaja Chamarajendra Wadiyar. Pranav Pingle, the great grandson of Desraj Urs, directed a documentary film called ‘Occupied’ and captured the stories of love, hope and creativity amid the uncertainty of life in war-hit Israel and Palestine. It took 35 days for the documentary crew led by Pranav to shoot the whole series in Israel-Palestine and the director called it a ‘lifetime experience.’ “Not very often, the risk of our lives feels worthy enough and undoubtedly, shooting occupied the war-hit West Bank was one such event.