World Through The Viewfinder

Best known for their hardhitting, women-centric documentaries—spotlighting the stark realities and brutal stereotypes around the gender—these filmmakers say it like it is, both on-screen and off it.

- Humra Afroz Khan

Nishtha Jain

Nishtha has been in the business for almost 14 years now, but her filmmaking journey can’t be described without first mentioning what is, perhaps, the biggest and most adventurous medallion in her repertoire—Gulabi Gang.

Gulabi Gang—an all-women vigilante group in the Banda district of Uttar Pradesh—piqued her curiosity when she first heard about them in 2009. “The main reason to make the film was to document this spontaneous women’s movement in one of the most backward parts of the country. A majority of the members were poor, old, unlettered, and from backward castes. Gulabi Gang was an ode to the courage, resilience, and good humor of these women.”

Founder of the gang, Sampat Pal Devi came on board and gave Nishtha the access she needed to the lives and inner workings of the gang. The film went on to win the National Award, along with several other coveted awards.

But despite all the success, Nishtha admits it’s not all smooth-sailing for documentary filmmakers. Currently working on The Golden Thread, a feature documentary on the jute textile industry in West Bengal, she feels documentary films lack funding and distribution support in the country. “There’s an acute shortage of funds for documentary films...next to nothing, actually. Films Division, which has produced many award-winning creative documentaries, is no longer commissioning films. Indian documentary filmmakers rely heavily on international film grants and TV acquisitions.”