Gail & Bharat (2025)
Directed by Somnath Waghmare, 80/ Marathi/ English
The Documentary film on a US-born Indian sociologist and Dalit rights activist Prof. Gail Omvedt (1941–2021) and her partner, activist Dr.Bharat Patankar. The documentary avoids academic jargon and is instead structured around their personal life, set against the backdrop of the larger Indian socio-political movements around them. Given the lack of serious documentation of Indian anti-caste struggles, this film is an important resource that will preserve their life’s work for scholars and activists. Gail & Bharat is a well-made and thought-provoking film that explores an important and timely topic. The film celebrates the shared life and seminal work of Dr. Gail Omvedt and Dr. Bharat Patankar, whose decades of activism and scholarship have been foundational to the anti-caste and social justice movements in India.
In October film has been screened in many places in the UK and Europe including the London school of Economics, where Dr.Ambedkar studies, Oxford University, Leeds University, SOAS, University of Sassex and Leaister Secular society, Pelican house London.
The film was also screened in Germany – University of Heidelberg, Subcontinent Berlin and Leiden University Netherlands.
In India Asian college of journalism, Kolhapur, Kasegaon, Satara, Islampur and Kochi Biennale.
And online going in Indian screenings.
Trailer: https://youtu.be/t1CPxb8J8qk
Mahaupasak- Yashwant Painter (2025)
Film is going to be shown at the 36th Brazil Biennale , Sao Paulo in September 2025.
This film on the life of a multi-talented personality from rural part of India Yashwant Painter, 73, an Dalit Ambedkarite painter, sculptor, writer, poet, musician, singer, and through all this an activist who is spreading thoughts of the Indian social justice leader and thinker, Dr. B. R Ambedkar across his region.
Painter, who hails from the Korochi village near Ichalkaranji, Maharashtra, spent nearly 50 years of his life establishing Ambedkarite aesthetics in public culture.
Despite his substantial contribution towards the field of art and culture, he hardly received any recognition or capital.
In Indian society, any art form gets popular only by the caste location of the person who created that art. In this situation Yashwant Painter spent 50 years without any media recognition, except from th Dalit community, continuously working on creating art for human emancipation with spreading the word of Sidharth Goutama Biddha and Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar.
His art not only creates an Ambedkarite aesthetic, he also stands as a soldier in the war against casteism in india. His music reminds us how marginalized people love Dr Ambedkar even 69 years after his death. Yashwant Painter is a man who has an Ambedkarite vision of art and aesthetics.
This short documentary feature film sheds light on his life and his overall work. His work is of great importance to understanding the Dalit history and culture in India.
Chaitybhumi (2024) Releasing on April 14 on MUBI!
Globally recognized An Immersive Documentary about Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar and Public Memory.
Chaityabhumi is a holy site that holds immense importance for the Dalit movement in India, as it is where Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar’s last rites were performed after his passing on December 6, 1956. Dr Ambedkar, often called the father of the Indian Constitution, dedicated his life to fighting the chains of caste oppression and bringing revolutionary change. He was a guiding light for the oppressed who dismantled discriminatory barriers and empowered them to reclaim their dignity and their rightful place in society.
This musical film will bring to light the history and cultural politics of how people commemorate December 6 at Chaityabhumi, Mumbai and what is the relevance of this public event in contemporary India. It explores how the Dalit community comes together to honour this day and the political implications it holds for their identity and empowerment.
Chaityabhumi was screened at Media and Communication Department, London School of Economics, Kings Collage London, Cambridge and Oxford University in the UK, Columbia University , Stanford University , Princeton University and University of Texas at Austin in the USA. University of Gottingen, Germany. In India, the film was screened at National Film Archive of India, Film Institute Pune, TISS Mumbai, IIT Bombay & Dr. Ambedkar Bhavan Mumbai, Tarq Mumbai and India International Centre, JNU, St. Stephen’s College, Delhi. Bangalore international centre- Bangalore , PK Rosy Film Festival Chennai.
Trailer: https://youtu.be/v6EbCFsmGTg
There is no caste discrimination in IITs ?
The documentary captures the gathering at Azad Maidan, Mumbai, on 5th February 2023 for the 18-year-old Dalit student Darshan Solanki, a victim of institutional murder at IIT Bombay. IIT Bombay released a report after a few days of this gathering and rejecting all accusations of caste discrimination on the campus. This documentary captures narratives of the parents’ side of the Dalit students who are victims of institutional murders.
Watch full film here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDPTRnb6nPg
Memories of Mangaon
The Film explores the memories of people from Mangoan. Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, then 29 years old, had just returned to India from Columbia University in the United States, where he had earned his M.A. and PhD. He started discussions and gatherings with the Dalit community in support of social rights. The first public gathering presided by Babasaheb took place at the Mangaon Conference on March 21, 1920 along with Chatrapati Shahu Maharaj.
Babasaheb spent two days in Mangaon Village and spoke at the conference, encouraging Dalits to start the fight against the unjust social structure. The town of Mangaon is located 20 kilometers from Kolhapur, the former capital of Shahu Maharaj’s state in Maharashtra.
Appasaheb Patil, who belonged to the Jain community and was active in the Satyashodhak movement, helped Dalits to organise the conference. He was the Patil of the village.
At the conference, Shahu Maharaj announced that ‘Dr. Ambedkar is the true leader of the oppressed classes in India’. The Conference passed a fifteen-point agenda for Dalit rights. The most important ones were the right to free education and the abolishment of untouchability.
Watch full film here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOgIxXXzE60
Long LIVE Oppressed Unity ( 2022)
In recent student elections held on the TISS Mumbai campus, the Oppressed unity led by Ambedkarite students won with a stunning victory.
Together with the Ambedkarite Students’ victories in Tuljapur and Hyderabad campuses, this has paved the way for a new alternative politics on all TISS campuses.
Though Ambedkarite politics has faced setbacks on the larger electoral front, this blue wave is something to ponder at. Our first video documents and celebrates this new wave in TISS Mumbai campus.
Jai Bhim!
Though Ambedkarite politics has faced setbacks on the larger electoral front, this blue wave is something to ponder at. Our first video documents and celebrates this new wave in TISS Mumbai campus.
Jai Bhim!
Rajgruha Stands tall (2020)
Many of Babasaheb’s followers today see Rajgruha as a holy place. The location has an unmatched cult following. On July 7, 2020, an unidentified individual broke into Rajgruha and damaged the building. We all found this to be a significant incident, and social media was flooded with responses. Adv. Prakash Ambedkar stood up and advised everyone to maintain their composure.
The Battle of Bhima Koregaon, An Unending Journey ( 2017)
History is riddled with tales of titanic battles, valiant soldiers, and astute emperors and kings, but the history of the oppressed has never been given a voice or a screen. The documentary captures the history of Bhima Koregaon and its relevance to contemporary Dalit cultural politics in the country. It tells the history of the Bahujans through the coverage of the events of this gathering.
This film has been screened at more than 80 locations in India including FTII, Delhi University, Ashoka University, Jindal University, Jawaharlal Nehru University, and multiple film festivals. The film was also screened at Columbia University, New York.
Watch full film here https://youtu.be/PDw43hJf_IY
I am not a Witch ( 2016)
‘I am not a Witch‘ is the story of a landless-homeless elderly Tribal woman from Nandurbar District Maharashtra, India. The film examines the cruel practice in Nandurbar whereby women are expelled from their homes and villages after being accused of witchcraft. We get actual facts from the account of the real-life victim Kamalabai Pavara and through the interviews with district journalists, students, social activists in the region. The film has been screened at FTII, Pune University, and Amnesty International India.
Watch full film here https://youtu.be/QG4g9pXwHSQ