Witness the challenges of a gutsy journalism platform helmed by marginalised women of Uttar Pradesh in a film that documents their journey
A behind-the-scenes shot from the film. Pics Courtesy/Writing with fire
In a world driven by caste and patriarchy, Khabar Lahariya is a news portal that is run by marginalised women of India. Their lives have been chronicled by documentary filmmakers Rintu Thomas and Sushmit Ghosh in their film, Writing With Fire which will be screened at a suburban venue later this week.
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Rintu Thomas, co-director of the film, talks about what inspired her to film the lives of the reporters of Khabar Lahariya, “When we were invited to meet the reporting team of the news organisation in Uttar Pradesh, we were deeply moved — not just by their journalism, but by the radical act of being themselves in spaces that were never built to hold them. These are marginalised women navigating caste, patriarchy and a digital world, all at once — and doing it with clarity, humour and a sense of purpose. These were themes that aligned with our own interests as filmmakers.”
A journalist uses her smartphone camera to research for a story
Sushmit Ghosh, the co-director of the film, talks about the problems they dealt with, “The journey was both intense and incredibly rewarding. We spent four years filming with and alongside the journalists, often working in media-dark parts of Uttar Pradesh. In those early years, taking on a long-term project like this came with real financial risks. On ground, there was the obvious challenge of navigating spaces imbued with deep trauma and violence. The risks were real, but so was the clarity of purpose and that’s what carried us through.”
(From left) Karan Thapliyal, Sushmit Ghosh, Meera Devi and Rintu Thomas at IDFA Film Festival. Pic Courtesy/ IDFA, Amsterdam
Thomas encountered many incidents that touched her. She talks about one such experience, “I remember filming one of the journalists just after she’d interviewed with a sexual abuse survivor. She stepped away, took a breath and immediately shifted to a phone call with her daughter about her tuition fees. That moment — of holding pain, power and care simultaneously — stayed with me. It reminded me why I do this work: to witness and honour that complexity, not simplify it.”
The film was screened at multiple festivals like Dharamshala International Film Festival (DIFF) and spaces like Kochi Biennale. Ghosh talks about the awards, “It became the first Indian feature documentary to be nominated for an Academy Award and to win the coveted Peabody Award.”
Suneeta (in yellow), one of the journalists, conducts an interview
Karan Talwar, co-founder, Harkat Studio, comments about this screening, “We dive deep into journalism or positions of power. Such documentaries are not seen anywhere online. They remain hidden, and so we want to bring them to the surface.”
ON April 9; 7.30 pm
At Harkat Studio, Bungalow No. 17, Versova, Andheri West.
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ENTRY Rs 150
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