India clinched two awards at the Academy Awards 2023. The mega blockbuster of the year RRR won the award in the only category that it was nominated in, best original song. Besides, Kariti Gonsalves’ ‘The Elephant Whisperers’ became the first ever Indian production to win the Academy Award.
India has had a rich but sadly extremely underrated culture of documentaries. Several stories from India have been documented by overseas production houses, many of which have gone on to win awards on the international stage!
If you liked ‘The Elephant Whisperers’, here is a list of more documentaries from India.
Jareena, Portrait of a Hijda
This documentary covers the story of Jareena, a transgender from Bengaluru. She talks to the filmmaker about her day-to-day struggle living as a transgender and also opens up about several challenges faced by the community.
The documentary takes a deep dive into understanding the lives of members of the Hijda community and understands the close-knitted nature of the same.
Gulaabi Gang
Directed by Nishtha Jain, this documentary tells the tale of Sampal Pal Devi and the members of her gang. The documentary about the vigilante band of women from rural parts of the North Indian state of Uttar Pradesh is one of the best from the non-fiction genre in India.
Inside the Mahakumbh
The National Geographic documentary tells the story of one of the biggest religious events in India. The Kumbh Mela which takes place after every 12 years in three different cities in India is one of the most crowded seasons in the country.
The documentary goes on to explain the festivities in detail and present different aspects of this mela which is attended by over 100 million people.
India Untouched – Stories of a People Apart
This documentary touches upon one of the most sensitive issues in the Indian DNA, untouchability. Directed by Stalin K, this documentary covers the stories of people from across the country who open up about the state of Dalits in today’s age.
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