
Goonj: The Empty Call
In Himachal Pradesh, cannabis grows wild across the hillsides, and its derivative charas has long been part of local life despite being illegal under Indian law. Actor Naseeruddin Shah narrates this look at the debate over legalizing the plant, gathering farmers, activists, and experts who argue over what prohibition has actually accomplished. Supporters make the case that legal cultivation could recognize the region's traditional relationship with the crop while opening up regulated economic opportunity; opponents raise the usual concerns about drug policy and enforcement. The film moves through personal accounts from people whose livelihoods intersect with the illegal trade alongside more analytical commentary on the legal and social stakes. It stays focused on Himachal Pradesh specifically rather than treating cannabis policy as an abstract national question, using the state's cultivation practices as the concrete center of the argument. Shah's narration frames the material without resolving it, leaving the legalization question open by the end.