This film is part of Free
Rafai Fakirs, Hyderabad - No.3
Further scenes of the Muslim sect’s self-mutilation practices, filmed in late-1920s India
Overview
Warning: this film contain very explicit images of self-mutilation that you may find disturbing. This is the third of four films shot by E.H. Hunt as part of his research into the self-mutilation practices of the Rafai Fakirs, a Muslim sect in Hyderabad, southern India. This film features further scenes of extreme piercing – including through the neck - and the group’s signature eyeball gouging. Not for the faint hearted!
Edmund Henderson Hunt (1874-1952) was Chief Medical Officer of the Nizam's State Railway, Hyderabad, from 1903-31. Hunt’s papers and photographs relating to the Rafai Fakirs can be found in the National Archives.
Related
Villenour. (French India: Territory of Pondicherry) Villenour. (French India: Territory of Pondicherry)
Travelogue 1914 4 mins Silent
Gorgeously dreamlike colour images of (then) French India – present-day Puducherry
Uti 1925 Uti 1925
Amateur film 1925 15 mins Silent
Snapshots of colonial life around Tamil Nadu, plus a visit to the Toda tribe
Sir John Laing Missionary Films Madras & Ceylon Sir John Laing Missionary Films Madras & Ceylon
Amateur film 1947 18 mins Silent
Rare amateur footage of Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka
Houseboating in Waltair Houseboating in Waltair
Amateur film 1926 13 mins Silent
The Uzielli family takes to the water in Visakhapatnam, southern India
Dancers at Trivandrum Gopinath Dancers at Trivandrum Gopinath
Amateur film 1946 7 mins Silent
Kathakali performance featuring the great Indian dancer Guru Gopinath, filmed in remarkable colour by ‘envoy of the Raj’ Clarmont Skrine
Cochin and Malarax Cochin and Malarax
Amateur film 1930 18 mins Silent
Amateur film capturing life and buildings in and around Kochi, in Kerala, south-west India.
All We Imagine As Light - Exclusive Q&A All We Imagine As Light - Exclusive Q&A
Short interview 2025 28 mins
Payal Kapadia discusses her Cannes prize-winning and Bafta-nominated drama with Ashanti Omkar.
Khichdi Khichdi
Animation & Artists Moving Image 2023 16 mins
The interwoven stories of four best friends who reunite in the UK, thirty-five years after training together as nurses during their teens in Ferozepur, Punjab.
Dr XYZ: A Medical Drag Transthology Dr XYZ: A Medical Drag Transthology
Documentary 2023 15 mins
A satirical take on the healthcare service announcements of the 1960s and 70s.
Every Moment Counts Every Moment Counts
Animation & Artists Moving Image 2023 9 mins
A short animation that offers a window into the world of children’s palliative care.
Police Story: Panel Discussion Police Story: Panel Discussion
Inside Film 2024 24 mins
Panel discussion on Jackie Chan's 1985 action classic Police Story, with Chase Armitage, Sam Mak and Jadey Duffield.
China O'Brien: The Reunion China O'Brien: The Reunion
Documentary 2024 60 mins
Cynthia Rothrock, Richard Norton and Keith Cooke reunite three decades on from the groundbreaking martial arts classic.