Indian documentaries shine globally, but support at home elusive

From nominations and awards at the Oscars and BAFTA to accolades at film festivals like Cannes and Sundance, Indian documentaries have made their presence felt at most major global film events in the last few years. This year, two documentaries made it to the Academy Awards shortlist – Shaunak Sen’s All That Breathes and The Elephant Whisperers, directed by Kartiki Gonsalves.Apart from these, Sarvnik Kaur’s Against the Tide bagged the Special Jury Award for Verite Filmmaking at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival, and was the only Indian film competing in the World Cinema Documentary Competition category at the fest this year.According to filmmakers, when it comes to international festivals, Indian documentaries are ahead of their fiction peers. However, these trophies from acclaimed juries don’t necessarily lead to an immediate pay-off, and documentaries still don’t get the support they need in India.


‘OSCAR NOMINATIONS HAVE INCREASED INTEREST IN INDIAN DOCUMENTARIES’
Filmmakers say that Indian documentaries have been grabbing attention at top international festivals regularly. But it is only now, thanks to the consistent Oscar nominations, that Indian documentaries are being discussed in the mainstream.
Vinay Shukla, whose documentaryWhile We Watched (on Ravish Kumar) won awards at the Toronto and Busan festivals last year, and An Insignificant Man (on Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal) won several awards at international film festivals in 2016, says, “Over the last decade, we have had some incredible filmmakers who are taking risks and telling stories with the best cinematic craft. International festivals and audiences respect and support that. ”

Filmmaker Lubdhak Chatterjee adds, “There has been a spotlight on Indian documentaries internationally for a while because of intriguing content featuring local stories that also present an innovative formal approach. If stories are told with an uncompromising attitude, they are bound to transcend geographical borders. ”


‘FESTIVAL NOMINATIONS DON’T ALWAYS TRANSLATE INTO DISTRIBUTION DEALS’
With international recognition, are documentaries commercially viable today? Directors have varied responses to this, as it depends upon the grants they receive, and the producers and investors they have on board. However, most point out that there is no support structure for documentaries in India. Pitching and mentorship labs like Docedge Kolkata – an incubation-cum-pitching forum for Indian and Asian filmmakers – help. However, there is a need for more such platforms. Lubdhak, who made a documentary with the PSBT (Public Service Broadcasting Trust), says that earlier makers used to have Films Division and PSBT for support, which is not the case now. A screening atCannes, a nomination at Oscars or international recognition translates into distribution deals from studios or OTTs in some cases, but not all. Sushmit Ghosh and Rintu Thomas, directors of Writing With Fire, recently told Deadline how they did not get a global distribution deal despite two awards at Sundance 2021. The Oscar nomination was a game-changer, though.
Utpal Kalal, whose documentary was screened at IFFI, says that OTT platforms in India often refuse Indian documentaries, claiming there is no audience. He says, “Not all good documentaries are going to be selected for Sundance, Oscars or Cannes, so we need a system in India that supports documentary investment and distribution. The international interest has always been there but there is so much that needs to be done in India. It should start with supporting filmmakers beyond festival screenings. Why can’t we have global distributors at IFFI and Mumbai International Film Festival? Even National Award-winning films don’t get distribution deals. These big Indian festivals need to reflect what they’re offering to the documentary genre and whether it is enough. Our stories are being watched by an international audience, but the Indian audience is missing out. How many people in India have watched Writing With Fire? We’re making amazing documentaries, but unfortunately we’re not able to show them to our home audience. In India, it’s almost impossible to get a theatrical release for a docu, so we’re all dependent on OTT. ”