Searching through ancient ruins for world peace

Nearly 7,000 miles from his Valley Stream home, sitting in the Dubai International Airport, Dheebaj Khan struck up a conversation with a fellow traveler — a self-described filmmaker and documentarian — who he quickly realized was his neighbor.

“I have seen some of his work in the past, and found we have a few common friends,” Khan wrote to the Herald in an email. “Then, we chatted all the way back to New York. It was amazing to know, he lives in Valley Stream, too.”

Khan was speaking of Razaq Baloch, president of Vision Unlimited Communication, Inc., a media production company that has undertaken major advertising campaigns around the world, including in the U.S., Pakistan, Burkina Faso, India, Afghanistan and the United Arab Emirates.

“He is a well-known name in South Asia, but to my surprise … his sons attended Central and North high schools,” Khan wrote.

It’s easy to think Baloch, 50, of Valley Stream, doesn’t have a home at all. He is a frequent traveler and, by admission, a recovering workaholic. He spends months at a time overseas working on several different projects — mostly advertising campaigns and short documentaries about Asia.

The Karachi-native sat cross-legged in his Southern Drive home in October and was about to discuss his latest project — a 60-minute documentary on the ancient city of Mohenjo-daro — when his phone rang. “Sorry, I do business in three different time zones,” he said. More businessman than artist, every word Baloch speaks is carefully considered before it’s uttered.

“I used to work hard, now I work smart,” he joked.

Baloch came to New York in 1989 from Karachi and quickly became interested in broadcasting and media production — an industry practically nonexistent in Pakistan. While Baloch grew up, there was just one TV station in his area. Baloch made a name for himself as a producer in New York, but always used his skills to contribute to the industry of Pakistan — making music videos, documentaries and advertising campaigns that would add to the growing media market in South Asia. He started his own production company in 1996, got married and raised his two sons, Sahil, 19, and Rohaan, 14, in Valley Stream.

His wife, Sujata, said that she thinks their sons respect Baloch’s career, but often miss him when he travels for months. “After some time — there’s one person missing in the family,” she said. “Kids are growing up. There are things that — they need their father around, too.”

Baloch’s passion project, which he has worked on for more than a decade, focuses on Mohenjo-daro, and the people who once lived there. Baloch said that the film is steered toward a Pakistani audience, which he hopes will inform young people about the country’s rich history.

Built around 2500 BCE, the city of Mohenjo-daro — modern-day Pakistan — was abandoned and not rediscovered until the 1920s. It is widely believed to be the most advanced city of its time, with intricate civil engineering, urban planning and irrigation methods employed. The location was designated a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Site in 1980. However, Baloch wants to highlight how the site is threatened by erosion and environmental issues in his coverage.

“My fear is that in 30 to 40 years the whole city will be gone,” he said.
The Pakistani government has halted preservation work at the site several times due to lack of funding, which has allowed erosion to tear away at the ruins.

Baloch said preserving the city is important because there is still a lot to learn. There is no evidence that the people who lived there were violent, according to Baloch, which he finds fascinating.

“If our society at that time was peaceful, what went wrong?” he said.

Most of the documentaries about the city focus on the architecture, irrigation systems and mystery of its demise, Baloch said, but through his research he said he’s found evidence suggesting that people migrated to find a new water source. Baloch has visited Mohenjo-daro six or seven times while working on the project, which he hopes to finish next year and seek distribution at PBS or through social media outlets.

The documentary is just one item on a long bucket list for Baloch, who bristled at the question of his retirement. He said in light of the many conflicts in different parts of the world, he thinks his passion project is more prescient than ever. “It is very much possible to have a harmonized world, if we give up our selfishness and care for others,” he said.

You can track Baloch's documentary progress on his company website.