Lords of Lockdown

Anxious, out of work and without access to transport during the nationwide COVID-19 lockdown in 2020, migrant labourers in India’s metropolises decided to walk back home to their villages en masse. As news channels beamed heart-rending silhouettes of millions of men, women and children marching along national highways with their meagre belongings, it became plain that the lockdown had already drafted one of the most traumatic chapters in the nation's modern history.

Invisible Demons

A prismatic meditation on pollution in the capital of the World’s biggest free-market democracy and the most polluted and populated city, Delhi – a film about the pollution inside of the human mind.

India is Ours

Though times have changed, Ram still uses old ways of farming due to a drought in the village. His brother, Bala, goes to Bombay to earn his living. Mahadev, a Zamindar in the village, eyes Usha, the lover of Bala. Due to the drought, the crops fail in the village, and Shikh Sahib, a social worker, comes to help the farmers, and shows them new ways of farming. Ramu goes to Bombay to take a loan for cooperative farming and asks Bala to turn back to the village, but he refuses. [The film is a socio-economic study of post-independence India, blending documentary elements with narrative storytelling. The film is often described as a "simple story woven into the documentary design" and features actors like Prithviraj Kapoor and Dev Anand.]

BOMgAY

Based on the poetry of R. Raj Rao, Bomgay is a collection of six vignettes that depict the underground and complex nature of the gay identity in urban India. Part Genet, part Bollywood, this film combines acidic verse and insightful imagery to reveal the emerging gay community in the post-liberalized India of the 1990s.

Struggler

Father, Son and Holy War

Filmmaker Anand Patwardhan looks to history and psychology as he delves into the possible reasons behind the demolition of the Babri Mosque.

India Cabaret

A documentary exploring the "respectable" and "immoral" stereotypes of women in Indian society told from the point of view of 2 strip-tease dancers in a cabaret house in Bombay.

Yeh Ballet

Dancing is a passion of the rich, believes Manish Chauhan , the 21-year-old son of a taxi driver in suburban Mumbai. Yet he, like his friend, 15-year-old Amiruddin Shah daydream of becoming principal ballet dancers in big American companies.

Pancham Unmixed: Mujhe Chalte Jaana Hai...

Winner of 2 National Awards, Pancham Unmixed: Mujhe Chalte Jaana Hai, takes an incisive look into the legendary composer, RD Burman's reflective artistry and buoyant-but-also-lonely inner being. Featuring a host of close friends, colleagues and admirers, the film evokes awe, admiration and nostalgia the way most of his music does, till date.

Raja Bro

A sensitive heart-warming story of an Indian transman's acceptance, by himself and his family. Merlin, born as a girl, felt right from his childhood that he was trapped in the wrong gender.

A Rifle and a Bag

Somi is pregnant with her second child. A girl, she hopes. Together with her husband she prepares for this new phase of their parenthood. It means that their son has to go to school, but as an ex-Naxalite that is tough to achieve in contemporary India, where people like them are third-rate citizens. They lack the certificates and an opaque bureaucratic process doesn't help. Directors Isabella Rinaldi, Cristina Hanes and Arya Rothe of the NoCut Film Collective concentrate on Somi's close family ties, painting a portrait of ex-Naxalites in India. Once, Somi and her husband were communist rebels fighting for the rights of Indian tribes. However, to safeguard their family's welfare, they surrendered to the government in exchange for marginal compensation and simple accommodation.

Waves of Revolution

Film made during the repressive days of the Emergency in India documents the 1974-75 uprising of the people of Bihar in Eastern India.

Ustad Alauddin Khan

Life and disciples of legendary Indian classical musician and teacher, 'Guru' of Pandit Ravishankar, 'Baba' Ustad Alauddin Khan.

Delhi minus Umar Khalid

In light of jailed activist Umar Khalid withdrawing his petition from the Supreme Court amid repeated adjournments, journalist Ravish Kumar captures the contours of Delhi in a video letter addressed to him. What comes out is a critical piece reflecting on the cowardice and the deafening silence of Delhi on the whole matter.

Yo Yo Honey Singh: Famous

He was an ordinary boy with extraordinary dreams. This intimate documentary traces the rise, fall and comeback of Indian rapper Yo Yo Honey Singh.

Pushkar Puran

An attempt to engage with the historical, mythical and the contemporary worlds of the city of Pushkar

Making "Sacred Games"

VICE met up with the directors of Sacred Games, Netflix's first foray into originals in India. Veterans Anurag Kashyap and Vikramaditya Motwane explain their process to us.

A SON OF HIMALAYA

"Discover Dr Anil Prakash Joshi's Himalayan journey in 'A Son Of Himalaya". From rural roots to ecological visionary, witness his symphony of sustainability, GEP innovation, and the transformative power of nature's whispers.

Jeet Lengey Jahaan

Jeet Lengey Jahaan is about today's youngsters who are starving to achieve their goals in life. It shows how they get trapped into our corrupt system and face adverse circumstances and finally find themselves helpless and how they fight against it by their own ways.

Ray: Life and Work of Satyajit Ray

Clips and interviews show that the renowned Satyajit Ray was more than just a filmmaker: He was a sketch illustrator, a music composer, a children's book creator, an all around intellectual.