Entertainment

Excitement for India as ‘Writing With Fire’ gets nominated in the Best Documentary Feature category at the Oscars

‘Writing With Fire’, directed by Rintu Thomas and Sushmit Ghosh, narrates the tale of Khabar Lahariya, India’s only newspaper run by Dalit women.  

The 94th edition of the Academy Awards is just round the corner, and India sees a ray of hope even in the midst of pandemic blues. When the nominations for the Oscars were announced by Tracee Ellis Ross and Leslie Jordan on Tuesday evening via the Twitter page of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, a bunch of people obsessed with cinema launched themselves into celebration mode.

Rintu Thomas and Sushmit Ghosh, the debutante directors who had submitted their documentary “Writing With Fire” was overjoyed when it was nominated in the Best Documentary Feature category.

‘Writing With Fire’ narrates the tale of Khabar Lahariya, India’s only newspaper run by Dalit women.  The nomination comes about as a golden moment for its makers. Additionally, it is a great achievement for the subject they chose for their documentary.

‘Writing With Fire’ narrates tale of fearless Dalit women journalists

‘Writing With Fire’ is about the fearless Dalit women journalists who have redefined what being powerful means. As Sushmit Ghosh has been quoted saying, it is “quintessentially the story of the modern Indian woman.”

Rintu Thomas, who is excited that the documentary has reached the Oscar nomination stage, scribbled on Twitter thus:

‘Writing With Fire’ is about the bunch of Dalit women led by their chief reporter, Meera. The Khabar Lahariya’s journey as a print newspaper and its expansion to digital space in a bid stay relevant form the crux of the narrative. The Dalit women are in the quest for news as they roam around with smartphones.

Oscars ceremony on March 27

Armed with courage and conviction, the open their probing minds seeking to expose many an aspect in the society around them, and they include topics such as the incompetence of the local police force, sufferings meted out to people in the name of caste and gender, and other injustices. While reporting and analysing such issues, they also make it a point to challenge such injustice and intimidation.

‘Writing With Fire’ competes with documentaries such as “Ascension”, “Attica”, “Flee”, and “Summer of Soul, which have been nominated for this edition of the Oscars. When the awards are announced at the Oscars ceremony on March 27, India hopes to see its own documentary being declared the winner.

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Sanjeev Ramachandran

A journalist with 23 years of experience, Sanjeev has worked with reputed media houses such as Business Standard, The Ne More »
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