Indian Documentary Movies

In Southern India, family disputes are settled by Jamaats—all male bodies which apply Islamic Sharia law to cases without allowing women to be present, even to defend themselves. Recognizing this fundamental inequity, a group of women in 2004 established a women’s Jamaat, which soon became a network of 12,000 members spread over 12 districts. Despite enormous resistance, they have been able to settle more than 8,000 cases to date, ranging from divorce to wife beating to brutal murders and more. Deepa Dhanraj follows several cases, shining a light on how the women’s Jamaat has acquired power through both communal education and the leaders’ persistent, tenacious and compassionate investigation of the crimes. In astonishing scenes we watch the Jamaat meetings, where women often shout over each other about the most difficult facets of their personal lives.

A narrative by Puneeth Rajkumar aka Appu which explores state of Karnataka - the land, its culture and traditions, it's social issues and even it's forests, all through his curious eyes. The film is almost Appu's own journey of discovery as he understands the rich flora and fauna of the state.

The film presents the life and work of the writer Sukumar Ray, Satyajit Ray's father. Ray made this film as a tribute to celebrate the centenary of his birth.

Weeks after the nationwide COVID-19 lockdown, seven migrant labourers, on the verge of starvation, decided to go to their village just like millions of others.

A conversation between a son and his mother about the crows she feeds everyday.

Lakshmi is a professional singer and dancer at funerals. Krishnaveni makes her living by burying and cremating unclaimed dead bodies from the rivers and streets. Sethuraku never went to school and instead took to the sea at an early age.

This special offers a rare glimpse into the Kapoors, Hindi cinema's first family, over an afternoon of conversation, nostalgia and homemade delicacies.

In a remote village in Odisha, poverty and illiteracy have fostered dependence on superstition. The villagers have mortgaged their land to the landlord Janrdhan, who forces many of them to become contract laborers and leave the village to earn a livelihood. The story revolves around two villagers, Haria and Bhamar, and Bhamar's daughter, Phoola, who become entangled in Janrdhan's greed and oppression.

'Rasayatra' presents the life and music of Mallikarjum Bheemarayappa Mansur (1910-92). Visualising the music of the maestro the film explores Mansur's love and passion for music. Using his interviews the film takes us on a journey through his life, starting from his love for music as a child to his greatest achievements. Exploring Indian classical music the film also enters the realm of the poetic meaning of the lyrics and Mansur interpretations of those. Filled with personal anecdotes it talks about his personal life and how his music never got affected by it. The film is a tribute to the music and to the man.

Based on the text written by Vijaydan Detha and Kamal Kothari, the film is set in the arid desert of Rajasthan, a setting similar to Duvidha, where two rival clans face off one another in the desert.

Is there more to a baby’s cry? The documentary dwells into the psyche of pediatric doctors and the skills they use to arrive at a diagnosis.

An intimate exploration of how everyday lives intertwine with personal and political borders in the Indian subcontinent.

Documentary about the violent events that led to the creation of Bangladesh.

A personal portrait of director Shyam Benegal, made by his collaborator, Khalid Mohammed

The second entry in Velu Viswanadhan's series of experimental documentaries. This film traces the Ganges river upstream.

This documentary celebrates legendary Bengali singer-songwriter Kabir Suman and his enduring muse, Kolkata. While showcasing a formidable body of Suman's timeless songs, which also construct the narrative of his life, the film demonstrates why he might just be world's greatest unsung singer-songwriter and how easily genius too can slip through the cracks of history.

The movie traces three real-life incidents that took place in '80s, 90s and 2000s respectively through the stories titled 'Orphan and the Convict', 'The Farmer and the Nun' and 'The Terror and the Mom'.

A desperate filmmaker drives a neurotic actress and an aging musician to a village of trauma.

A true story, interwoven with a fictional poignant love story between a Rohingya girl and an Indian Special Forces Officer. It focuses on the peril, uncertainty, betrayal and misery of life in the Rohingya refugee camp.

Film on art and life of well-known Kathakali Artist - Kalamandalam Gopi.

L, a student in India witness to the government's violent response to university protests, writes letters to her estranged lover while he is away.

Highlights Rajamouli’s influence on Indian and international cinema, with interviews and behind-the-scenes footage.

Meru is the electrifying story of three elite American climbers—Conrad Anker, Jimmy Chin, and Renan Ozturk—bent on achieving the impossible.

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A tragi-comical drama, whose protagonist is no other than a young cock, unfolds in a Mumbai apartment just like thousands of others. Grabbed by an eccentric patriarch to serve as a distraction for the family cat, the chick survived, grew up and now imposes his troublesome presence on everyone, tyrannising the entire household

This short documentary sifts through the pages of a woman's diary who has recently begun to write her memoir. As she looks back at her life and some of her memories, the film explores the ordinary act of writing and the value and meaning it may hold in mundane everyday life.

In a poetic hour and a half, director Mani Kaul looks at the ancient art of making pottery from a wide variety of perspectives.

The Unreserved is an inquiry into the lives of passengers who use the Unreserved Compartment, the cheapest way to travel across India on the Indian Railways system. The film portrays the passengers’ aspirations, efforts and opinions through conversations and personal stories.

An impressionistic biographical look at Siddheshwari Devi (1908–1977), the classical Indian singer whose voice was appreciated by the maharajas and public alike.

Footage of the investigation documentary telling about the extermination of African elephants lasted almost three years. The film crew traveled throughout 30 countries to make a route of ivory smuggling and to find out the true culprit of these crimes against elephants.

A group of sex workers and brothel youth form a film production house in the Kalighat redlight area, Kolkata, India. Despite the opposition from the conservative society, they are determined to become filmmakers, resist prostitution among the second generation, survive through the art of cinema, and aspire to transform the redlight area into a professional film colony in the post-pandemic time.

What started as a journey with friends to explore the beautiful grounds and stories of Kanavu, transcended into a beautiful dream of ours.

An in-depth look at the making of S.S. Rajamouli's magnum opus, RRR, with behind-the-scenes footage and exclusive interviews. Explores the vision, challenges, and dedication involved in creating this cinematic phenomenon.

Bomman and Bellie, a couple in south India, devote their lives to caring for an orphaned baby elephant named Raghu, forging a family like no other.

Shabnam was attacked with acid when she was a teenager. Today she is a Shero, a women's rights activist from India who is raising her daughter by teaching her the value of beauty and feminine strength, beyond social conventions.

Two friends, both Indigenous fishermen, are driven to desperation by a dying sea. Their friendship begins to fracture as they take very different paths to provide for their struggling families.

‘Free Flying' documents the journey of ‘Fly Squad' community in Kochi, Kerala. Their milestones as well as the smiles and pains along their journey – a little peek into the revolution on a skateboard.

"The Karma Killings," is a modern-day crime thriller mixed in with Indian mythology and class warfare. The documentary delves into India's most infamous serial killings and its impact on a nation. Told through the people directly involved, the film unravels the complexities of the case and goes beyond the sensational headlines to present a suspenseful and scary mystery. And has a huge twist - one of the killers maybe innocent?

In a cluttered news landscape dominated by men, emerges India’s only newspaper run by Dalit women. Armed with smartphones, Chief Reporter Meera and her journalists break traditions on the frontlines of India’s biggest issues and within the confines of their own homes, redefining what it means to be powerful.

The story of making "Lagaan," one of the millennium's seminal Indian films, is told from the point of view of production team member Satyajit Bhatkal.