“The Indian news industry is sinking like the Titanic before our eyes.”

Vinay Shukla documentary while we are watching The film begins with TV journalist Ravish Kumar walking through the rubble of the demolished floor of the NDTV office. This scene could serve as a stand-in for Kumar as he navigates the wreckage of Indian television media.

Part of a shrill populist media sphere, Kumar has been touted as one of the few voices worth listening to. Shukla and his team tracked Kumar from 2017 to 2019, but the channel suffered from declining ad revenue, dwindling viewership, a revolving door of Kumar’s colleagues and The company was fighting against a hostile takeover that began during the period. We see Kumar disillusioned, defeated, and mortified. We also see him doting on his daughter, arguing in good faith with abusive trolls, and distracting them.

Shukla’s film is a moving portrait of a time when television news transcended all limits of parody. Shukla likened the film to Titanic. In Titanic, an entire industry is slowly sinking into the abyss before our eyes. But to his credit, what should have been a more hysterical film turns out to be primarily meditative and introspective.

The documentary feature had its world premiere at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), its Indian premiere at the 2023 Jio Mami Mumbai International Film Festival, and the recently concluded 2023 Dharamshala International Film Festival, among others. It was screened at many film festivals around the world. Although Shukla has been in the spotlight for more than 14 months, he says he has yet to receive a “term sheet” from a streaming platform or distributor. But considering how his early films went, he doesn’t experience these pre-release struggles. insignificant man (co-directed with Khushboo Ranka) also faced a long battle with censors before its theatrical release.

In an interview with wireShukla talks about scouring hundreds of hours of footage to find stories, shaping a film that doesn’t just engage echo chambers, and more.

Edited excerpt:

Was there a particular moment when you decided to make a film about India?‘Is television media rapidly deteriorating? How did Ravish Kumar become a hero?

I remember reading a news article – I think it was news laundry A 2018 article had the headline, “NDTV liquidates 7.38% stake in subsidiary to pay office rent.” I was caught off guard by the plight of NDTV (a show I used to watch as a child). So I remember my first question was, “Why is this happening?” Who is this boisterous man who is accusing the audience? What is really going on at the NDTV office?

I met Ravish (Kumar) at a very meditative stage on air. Instead of praising his viewers, as prime-time anchors often do, he criticized them and told them how they weren’t trying hard enough. He was on TV, pleading with viewers to stop watching TV. I thought that was very unusual and a great starting point for investigating the lives of people who work in television media.

I like seeing you even in such a dark movie‘still managed to keep a sense of humor – For example, a scene in which Ravish Kumar appears distracted while cutting a celebratory cake in his office is almost like a metronome for the story.

The cake cutting scene was my homage. godfather movie. Usually when there is orange on the screen, godfather In the movie, something sinister happens soon after. The film student in me always had it in the back of my mind that I wanted to do something similar.

On my first day of shooting at the NDTV office, I encountered a cake cutting. The air was heavy and I could tell right away that someone was leaving under less than ideal conditions. People who had probably been in this job for 20 to 25 years were suddenly told to look for a new job. I understand that what is happening around the cake cutting is painful. Seeing so much cake being cut, I wanted somewhere to bring people’s attention back to the crisis in the news industry. Somewhere along the line we have become desensitized.

you‘We used to talk about how this movie was like that day on the Titanic, where the musicians were still playing while the ship was sinking. Does that mean cutting a cake is equivalent to a lifeboat?…

It’s a nice line and I think I’ll start using it as my own! I’ve met cricket journalists and film journalists who find it difficult to go against the mainstream narrative set by those in power. So often people get carried away with the politics of this movie, but when you’re looking at building a better system, the conversation is huge. I showed this movie to a friend of mine who runs a medical startup, and he said it did a great job of condensing the life of a startup. Everyone keeps saying you’re hemorrhaging a lot of cash, someone is poaching employees, and you’re just holding out because you literally believe in something. while we are watching It’s about the solitude of being an idealist, someone who chooses to believe and perseveres.

Was it hard to find fault with Ravish? – Is it to make him seem more like a human being than an ideal? Did you manage to break through?

I don’t think Ravish is ideal in this movie. It all starts with his words, “I want to give up!” Not a good way to introduce a “hero”. Many people in the West who did not know who Lavish was asked who this man was and why he was so negative. I tried to build a portrait of where Ravish is, contrasted with his musings on what television journalism is like. There’s a scene on stage where he confronts the teacher, and people have told me that they interpreted that scene to mean that Ravish knows how to get people on his side, but the teacher doesn’t. I did. “Kya aapko aisa Hindustan Chahiye tha? ” Then the audience responds:Nahi! ” He knows how to move the audience. There is also a scene where he gets angry with the producer during the broadcast. There are moments where people leave and there is a subtle commentary on Ravish as a character in the film. Anyone looking for a hero in a movie will definitely find one. And likewise, those who are looking for someone will find it.

Were you ever worried that the film might not find an audience beyond Lavish?‘Echo chamber? Did you make any specific choices about it?

No, I think my intention has always been to make the best possible film for our valued audience. If the film is on solid ground, it is strong and spreads in all directions. I can do certain things as a filmmaker and I can make certain choices. But if what I want to say only gets across to the choir, then the problem is with my message, not the people. The story must stand on its own, and the message will get across. which filmmakers want to limit their audience; Hi? We all want our movies to be seen by as many people as possible.?

I make films with the clear understanding that I want my family and friends to watch and enjoy them. I have a very close relationship with them and I don’t think we are that similar. When I talk to them, I’m training a kind of emotional vocabulary, and that’s what I’m also training while making the film. My own family goes to every movie that’s released and votes for every major political party. My litmus test is whether my family and friends will fall in love with the movie, and whether outside audiences will fall in love with it as well.

Are you looking forward to a wide release of this film in India? How do you plan to do it?

I always have hope. The film recently had its Indian premiere (at MAMI), so we plan to approach both theaters and streaming services in the future. I’ve been talking to everyone and you’re giving this movie a lot of love, but I haven’t received any offers from any platform yet. I met every streamer in town. People know about my work, streaming services looking to produce non-fiction work, and I’m the first person they call. I have a lot of friends there, but I don’t have a term sheet from anyone.

I say this as I say it to many others. This whole film distribution system through theaters and streaming platforms – we’re part of it. I don’t want to point fingers at streaming services or theatrical distributors for their problems. We need to zoom out and look at the issues across the culture. The audience also has to take some responsibility here.

Some of my colleagues like Payal Kapadia, Rintu+Sushmit.‘Movies cannot be released in India. What is your encouragement to keep moving forward in times like these?

Insanity. Filmmakers, especially Indian filmmakers, are a crazy bunch. Why should we do this? Because that’s how we feel! There is no basis or logic here. Why would you invest four or five years into a movie that might not get a wide release? You do things because you feel it’s the right thing to do.

There are many problems in this country right now.what‘I think it needs to be fixed in the short term, but are there any signs of hope?

There are a lot of people doing great work on YouTube, including cultural critics and influencers. I think YouTube is the punk rock of our time. It’s the source of a lot of great journalism and I consider it a constant source of inspiration.

I have to talk about frameworks. I think we often get seduced by the power of something and then before you know it, Ravish Kumar and he have just produced a film on NDTV. If we get caught up in one anchor, one news channel, one political party, sooner or later they will let us down. What are we doing to take care of our journalists? Why are they being offered six-month contracts? Why are we paying them so poorly and giving them Who would you expect to become a superhero? Change must be systemic.