Fact-checked by Grok 2 weeks ago

Writing with Fire

Writing with Fire is a 2021 directed by Rintu Thomas and Sushmit Ghosh, focusing on the journalists of , India's sole all-female-run news outlet staffed by women from the caste. The film documents their efforts to sustain independent amid caste and gender barriers in rural , capturing their transition from print newspapers to digital platforms using smartphones for reporting on local issues like corruption, violence, and elections. Premiering at the where it secured awards for direction and editing, Writing with Fire garnered widespread acclaim for highlighting grassroots media resilience but also drew criticism from its subjects, who contended that the portrayal misrepresented their professional experiences and achievements. It holds historical significance as the first feature nominated for the Award for Best Feature in 2022, alongside wins including a Peabody Award in 2023, underscoring its impact on global recognition of voices in media.

Production

Development and directors

Rintu Thomas and Sushmit Ghosh, a married couple based in , co-directed Writing with Fire, marking their feature-length documentary debut after producing shorter documentary works. Thomas, who studied literature and at University with aspirations to become a print journalist, had previously created the student film Flying Inside My Body about an HIV-positive photographer. Ghosh, from a middle-class background and after a stint in corporate work, directed Bullets and Butterflies (2007), chronicling a journey with a disabled friend; the pair met at and co-founded Black Ticket Films in 2009. In 2016, Ghosh encountered through a photo story depicting a journalist distributing newspapers in rural , while Thomas identified the outlet via research and meetings; this led them to attend a session where the all-women team debated transitioning from print to digital formats amid resource constraints. Motivated by the journalists' determination to adapt to smartphones and online platforms— a shift emblematic of broader empowerment challenges for women in media-dark regions—the directors initially produced a on the group before expanding to a feature-length project spanning five years of filming starting that year. Securing funding proved arduous, taking two years with initial rejections from sources before international grants from organizations including Chicken & Egg Pictures and the enabled production; the project received Sundance support such as a Bertha Foundation Fellowship. To structure the narrative, the directors centered on the 2019 general elections as a pivotal hook, underscoring the journalists' scrutiny of local politics and caste dynamics amid Uttar Pradesh's volatile landscape. Gaining access required persistent efforts to earn trust from the low-caste rural journalists, who were wary of ; the filmmakers employed a small crew with unobtrusive DSLR and sound gear, deferred to the subjects' leads in hostile settings like illegal mines, and avoided scripted retakes over the multi-year period. As non-Dalit filmmakers, and emphasized equitable and shared their prior work to foster , navigating rooted in historical marginalization.

Filming and access

Filming for Writing with Fire commenced in 2016 and spanned five years, allowing directors Rintu Thomas and Sushmit Ghosh to embed extensively with Khabar Lahariya's journalists in rural Uttar Pradesh's region. The production adopted an observational style, eschewing interviews and scripted reenactments to prioritize unmediated interactions, with the camera maintaining proximity to subjects while preserving a respectful distance during sensitive fieldwork. A crew of three—comprising the directors and Karan Thapliyal—facilitated this intimacy, enabling the team to blend into environments where larger setups might provoke or disruption. Logistical hurdles arose from the area's media-dark conditions, marked by poverty, entrenched caste hierarchies, and patriarchal structures that curtailed women's public mobility and technological familiarity. Subjects and locals, often unaccustomed to professional cameras, exhibited suspicion toward outsiders, compounded by regional prejudices against perceived urban or minority affiliations. Gender dynamics further impeded access, as female journalists navigated male-dominated spaces like stations and sites, where the crew mirrored their peripatetic routines—traveling by overcrowded autorickshaws, enduring 40–60 km walks to villages, and forgoing amenities like water or lunch breaks to align with the reporters' demanding schedules. Harsh environmental factors, including summer temperatures exceeding 40°C, monsoons, and dust-choked roads, necessitated adaptive strategies such as natural lighting and handheld operation to sustain prolonged shoots without fixed . Ethical considerations guided access protocols, with the team leveraging the journalists' established local credibility to gain entry into restricted or volatile settings, while committing to non-intrusive presence—no scene retakes or workflow interruptions, even amid trauma or grief. Rapport developed through consistent immersion, as the filmmakers shadowed daily operations, domestic challenges, and fieldwork, fostering trust without imposing external narratives. Equipment choices reinforced this ethos: lightweight Canon 5D Mark III DSLRs equipped with three L-series lenses (24–70mm zoom, 50mm f/1.4 prime, 28mm f/1.8 prime), a stabilizer, RF microphones, and a H6 recorder, all tripod-free for mobility in cramped or adversarial contexts. This setup paralleled Khabar Lahariya's contemporaneous pivot from print to smartphone videography, capturing the outlet's organic acquisition of digital competencies amid sparse technological infrastructure.

Content and subjects

Synopsis of the documentary

The documentary depicts the operations of Khabar Lahariya during the 2018-2019 period, encompassing local elections with national ramifications and culminating in the 2019 general elections in India. Chief reporter Meera Devi, who married at age 14 and later obtained advanced degrees while raising children, directs coverage of rural Uttar Pradesh issues, including caste violence such as rapes against Dalit women and confrontations with mining mafias involved in illegal operations and corruption. The journalists, operating without formal media training, navigate hostility from male-dominated crowds, police, and political rallies while probing these events on location. Reporter Kavita faces ongoing family resistance to her professional pursuits, reflecting broader tensions between career demands and traditional domestic roles for women in the region. Similarly, other team members like Suneeta encounter pressures related to prospects and expectations that conflict with their reporting schedules, while newer recruits such as Shyamkali deal with domestic abuse amid their entry into . These personal challenges persist alongside the risks of the profession, where over 50 journalists have been killed in since 2014, particularly in contentious areas. Amid declining print circulation, shifts to digital formats, with the women collectively learning usage for video reporting despite infrastructural hurdles like unreliable electricity. This transition enables production of content on local crimes, violations, and inquiries via , yielding millions of views through self-reliant efforts without external technological aid. The pivot produces measurable outcomes, including official interventions for unreported medical needs in communities and prosecutions following exposure of assailants in cases.

Khabar Lahariya: History and operations

was established in 2002 by the Nirantar Centre for Gender and Education, a New Delhi-based , as a fortnightly in the printed in script and aimed at rural women in Uttar Pradesh's region. Initially launched in with a team of women, many of whom were illiterate and received training in basic literacy, writing, and skills through Nirantar's programs, the publication sought to address gaps in local reporting on issues affecting marginalized communities. By 2006, it had expanded to include an edition in Banda district, maintaining a focus on stories from villages where coverage was sparse. The newspaper's operational model emphasized grassroots distribution, with reporters—predominantly and other backward women—selling copies door-to-door for around 2 rupees each and reading articles aloud to illiterate audiences, thereby amplifying reach beyond subscribers. Content prioritized underreported rural concerns such as inadequate facilities, , -based discrimination, and government scheme implementation failures, often highlighting voices of women and lower castes overlooked by urban-centric dailies. derived primarily from donor grants, including support from the Sir Dorabji Tata and international bodies like the UN Democracy Fund, rather than , which allowed but tied to NGO oversight and periodic . Peak print circulation reached approximately 10,000 copies across editions by the mid-2010s, with estimated readership of up to 80,000 through communal sharing in over 400 villages. Wait, no Wiki; use [web:67] Lokniti for 5,000 print, 25,000 readers, but higher estimates from others. In 2015, facing declining print viability due to rising production costs and limited rural , Khabar Lahariya pivoted to a digital-first model, launching a and YouTube channel for video reports in and local dialects to leverage increasing smartphone penetration in villages. This shift enabled coverage of similar issues via mobile-friendly formats but introduced challenges like training reporters in amid technical barriers and competition from free mainstream outlets, which eroded print subscriptions and necessitated revenue-sharing arrangements with social enterprises. Donor dependency persisted, with internal tensions arising over balancing against advocacy-oriented reporting influenced by Nirantar's gender-focused mission, as print-era activism sometimes blurred lines with factual verification in a landscape dominated by sensationalist urban media. These factors contributed to operational strains, including staff turnover and the need for hybrid funding models to sustain independent rural journalism pre-2019.

Release

Premiere and theatrical release

Writing with Fire had its world premiere at the on January 30, 2021, in the World Cinema Documentary competition. The screening marked the film's debut following its production under directors Rintu Thomas and Sushmit Ghosh. The film received a limited U.S. theatrical release on November 26, 2021, distributed by Music Box Films in select theaters. This rollout generated modest returns, with domestic earnings of $28,262 and international totals reaching approximately $29,854. In , the release faced constraints from ongoing restrictions, limiting theatrical screenings during the pandemic period. Subsequently, the documentary became available for streaming on platforms including PBS's series, which aired it on December 27, 2021, and . These deals expanded accessibility beyond initial and circuits.

Distribution and availability

Following its Sundance premiere, Writing with Fire secured U.S. distribution rights with Music Box Films, which handled theatrical release starting in November 2021 and subsequent digital availability. The film became accessible on over-the-top (OTT) platforms including , , and in late 2021, enabling broader international viewership in and select markets. It also aired on in March 2022, reaching public broadcasting audiences. Despite festival success, no major global streaming deal materialized beyond these outlets, limiting expansion into and primarily to festival circuits and niche releases by 2022. In , distribution faced obstacles from the film's focus on caste discrimination and political critiques, compounded by its use of regional Bundeli dialect, which posed barriers for non-local audiences without widespread subtitling . It lacked commercial streaming availability domestically, with exposure confined to approximately 50 educational screenings in schools, colleges, and institutions by 2024, rather than mass-market platforms. An premiere occurred at the International Film Festival in October 2022, but no verifiable wide theatrical or rollout followed. No public data on aggregate streaming hours or Sundance-specific audience turnout exists, underscoring the film's niche rather than mainstream empirical reach.

Reception

Critical reception

Writing with Fire garnered widespread critical acclaim, particularly from international reviewers, achieving a 100% Tomatometer score on based on 52 critic reviews. Critics frequently praised the film's portrayal of the Khabar Lahariya journalists' resilience against and barriers, framing it as an underdog narrative of empowerment in rural . Sheila O'Malley of rated the documentary 3 out of 4 stars, commending the "real determination" of its subjects while observing that it "moves at a mostly slow and steady pace," which tempers its urgency despite powerful moments of transformation. Similarly, Ben Kenigsberg in called it a "rousing" work that captures the reporters "speaking truth to power" amid threats from political figures, emphasizing their shift to as a beacon of journalistic independence. Western outlets highlighted the inspirational aspects of the women's professional ascent, yet some reviews noted a lack of deeper into the outlet's methodologies or the broader of its claims, potentially romanticizing challenges through an external on social issues. commentary, such as in Film Companion, viewed positively as a testament to agency amid disenfranchisement but implicitly critiqued its focus on individual heroism over systemic media failures in the country. This contrast underscores a pattern where global acclaim emphasizes tropes, while local perspectives question narrative simplifications of intricacies.

Response from Khabar Lahariya journalists

The journalists of publicly described Writing with Fire as a "moving and powerful document" that highlighted their organization's efforts and expanded its international profile. In a March 2022 statement, they acknowledged the film's role in drawing global attention to their work amid its Academy Award , though they emphasized that it captured only a partial view of their operations. However, the featured reporters, including those profiled in the film, expressed reservations about its selective framing, arguing that it inaccurately portrayed their coverage as disproportionately centered on hardline Hindutva politics rather than their diverse reporting on local issues like , caste discrimination, and . They viewed this depiction as a distortion of their journalistic mandate, which prioritizes community-driven stories over any singular ideological lens. These critiques underscored the journalists' assertion of in defining their , with no formal reported between the outlet's and the filmmakers, who maintained the portrayal reflected observed realities during production. The visibility from the documentary coincided with Khabar Lahariya's audience growth, including surpassing 500,000 YouTube subscribers by early 2022, though the 's statements focused more on representational accuracy than direct attribution of gains.

Accolades

Festival awards

Writing with Fire premiered at the on January 28, 2021, where it won the Audience Award in the World Cinema category and the World Cinema Special Jury Award for Impact for Change. These victories represented a dual recognition for an at Sundance, selected from entries addressing global social issues such as dynamics and media access. The film continued its festival run with the Best International Feature Documentary award at Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival, held from April 29 to May 9, 2021, competing against international works on topics including and . At Sheffield Doc/Fest in June 2021, it received the Best Feature Documentary award, affirming its appeal within Europe's premier documentary event amid films exploring empowerment and societal barriers. These pre-Oscar honors from 2021 festivals documented early critical validation on the global circuit.

Academy Award nomination

Writing with Fire, directed by Rintu Thomas and Sushmit Ghosh, received a for Best Documentary Feature at the , announced on February 8, 2022. This marked the first time an Indian feature-length documentary earned a in the . The film competed against Ascension, Attica, Flee, and the eventual winner, Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised), directed by Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson, Joseph Patel, and Robert Fernandez. The Academy Awards ceremony occurred on March 27, 2022, where Summer of Soul prevailed. Thomas and Ghosh expressed elation upon learning of the nomination, with video footage capturing them screaming, hugging, and jumping in celebration. The directors described the achievement as a milestone that amplified the film's message on grassroots journalism. The nomination generated heightened media attention, including features by highlighting its focus on India's rural women journalists and coverage in outlets like and , which noted the film's role in spotlighting underrepresented voices. This exposure contributed to broader audience reach following the February announcement.

Controversies

Accusations of misrepresentation

In March 2022, journalists from publicly accused the filmmakers of Writing with Fire of misrepresenting their professional expertise and operational independence by framing them primarily as vulnerable underdogs confronting systemic barriers, rather than as accomplished reporters with a track record of diverse investigations. Specific grievances included the film's selective depiction of their reporting as narrowly focused on critiquing one political party during the 2014–2019 period, omitting broader coverage across parties and issues such as environmental reporting and internal innovations like self-funding through digital transitions. A February 2022 statement from , issued amid the film's Academy Award nomination, commended the directors' initial intentions but highlighted a "fixed gaze" on victimhood that clashed with the journalists' self-presentation in their own videos, which showcased proactive fieldwork and editorial autonomy beyond the struggles emphasized in . Journalists such as Meera Devi described the portrayal as "one-sided," reflecting the filmmakers' agenda over the collective's 20-year history of holding multiple power structures accountable, while Kavita Bundelkhandi pointed to their channel's extensive archive as evidence of underrepresented versatility. Directors Rintu Thomas and Sushmit Ghosh defended their approach as a necessary condensation of footage from 2016 to 2019, arguing that the prioritized focus on the outlet's role as an independent watchdog amid rising political dominance, without denying the journalists' agency or achievements. They maintained that the film emerged from a collaborative process with the subjects, capturing authentic tensions during Khabar Lahariya's shift to , though they acknowledged inherent power imbalances in authorship.

Critiques of narrative framing

Critics have argued that Writing with Fire employs a framing that emphasizes personal resilience and emotional trauma among women journalists while omitting deeper structural paths to empowerment, such as those articulated by . An opinion piece in contended that the film fails to engage with Ambedkar's advocacy for , constitutional rights, and self-representation as mechanisms for liberation, instead presenting a voyeuristic portrayal of oppression without critiquing its underlying codes or . This approach, the critique posits, reduces systemic dynamics to individual stories of victimhood, exemplified by journalist Suneeta's assertion that "most violence happens on a woman’s body," thereby sidelining ideological frameworks for collective resistance and hierarchies. Analyses of the documentary's authorship have highlighted power imbalances inherent in its collaborative form, where the filmmakers' external gaze shapes the subjects' self-representation. A reflection in Documentary magazine described the process as a "reckoning with authorship," noting blurred lines between the directors' perspective and the Khabar Lahariya journalists' agency, potentially distorting the full scope of their achievements through selective framing. Filmmakers Rintu Thomas and Sushmit Ghosh responded by emphasizing ethical immersion, including five years of dialogue and fundraising to support the outlet's expansion, positioning the subjects as co-architects in events like a Berlin-Banda conference. Nonetheless, post-2022 Oscar nomination tensions arose, with Khabar Lahariya distancing itself, underscoring unresolved dynamics of caste, class, and representational control. Some observers from perspectives prioritizing individual agency have critiqued the film's heavy reliance on victim narratives as potentially undermining the journalists' demonstrated market-driven successes, such as Khabar Lahariya's transition to platforms and subscriber growth through . This framing, they argue, aligns with broader tendencies in to foreground systemic barriers over entrepreneurial adaptation and personal initiative, which enabled the outlet's sustainability amid rural India's competitive information landscape. Such omissions risk portraying Dalit success as exceptional defiance rather than replicable through , skill acquisition, and economic realism, echoing Ambedkar's emphasis on via constitutional and merit-based avenues.

Impact and legacy

Meera Devi, the managing editor and chief reporter featured prominently in Writing with Fire, experienced heightened international visibility following the film's 2021 release, participating in events such as the virtual Q&A in January 2021, a panel at Columbia Journalism School in March 2021, and discussions at the (IDFA) in November 2021. She received the International Women’s Media Foundation Courage in Journalism Award in 2021 and conducted an with the filmmakers for Documentary magazine, reversing traditional roles to highlight her expertise. Devi collaborated on initiatives including co-producing a three-day at the Film Festival in October 2021, which amplified her platform for discussing rural . Kavita Bundelkhandi, co-founder and CEO of , also gained exposure through the film, appearing in a New York Times opinion piece in early 2021 that underscored the outlet's feminist reporting model. She expressed pride in the documentary for documenting the organization's evolution, stating in January 2021 that it captured their story amid the shift to . Bundelkhandi continued leading expansions, with both she and reflecting on Khabar Lahariya's 24-year milestone in May 2025 via , indicating sustained leadership without reported exits. The film's acclaim contributed to broader recognition that supported Khabar Lahariya's digital growth, with its YouTube channel reaching 544,000 subscribers by March 2022 and approximately 591,000 by July 2024; however, this built primarily on the journalists' pre-film digital pivot, which predated production and focused on rural audience engagement. Despite these gains, Devi and Bundelkhandi navigated persistent personal and societal pressures, including family constraints—such as Devi's accounts of her father's limits on her education due to gender norms—and operational reliance on donor funding in rural Uttar Pradesh. By 2025, Devi had ventured into new reporting roles, such as hosting discussions on political gender biases, while maintaining fieldwork amid these challenges.

Broader influence on media and caste discourse

The documentary Writing with Fire prompted over 100 screenings across India starting in October 2022, directed toward journalists, newsrooms, and media students, which facilitated discussions on independent journalism and the viability of women-led rural outlets. These events highlighted Khabar Lahariya's model as a catalyst for rural journalism as a broader movement, with the outlet training hundreds of young women in digital reporting skills to address news deserts in remote areas. However, empirical evidence of sustained new women-led rural media ventures post-2021 remains sparse, as similar initiatives face persistent challenges including funding shortages, digital access barriers, and cultural resistance in rural settings, limiting long-term scalability beyond promotional narratives. In caste discourse, the film contributed to globalizing narratives of Dalit women's agency by showcasing their navigation of caste hierarchies through journalism, as evidenced by its promotion alongside Dalit-rights activists and Ambedkarite groups during screenings, which interrogated structural inequities. Its Academy Award nomination in 2022 amplified these stories internationally, drawing attention to how lower-caste women challenge dominant media exclusion. Yet, critiques note that such portrayals, while empowering, often prioritize external oppression over internal Dalit community dynamics or upper-caste counter-perspectives, potentially simplifying complex social hierarchies without deeper causal analysis. No verified data indicates the film shifted entrenched caste-based media underrepresentation systemically. Long-term metrics show citations in reports on inclusive journalism, such as the Internews "Future of Trust and Outrage" (2022), which references as a disruptive all-women newsroom model for gender-balanced coverage, and the International Dalit Solidarity Network's 2021 annual report, which uses the film to underscore media resistance. These NGO-driven documents, while highlighting digital storytelling's potential, lack causal links to policy reforms on media inclusion, with reception skewed toward urban and international audiences rather than rural transformation. Overall, the film's influence appears more inspirational than transformative, constrained by the absence of measurable shifts in India's caste-inflected media landscape.

References

  1. [1]
    Writing With Fire | Documentary - PBS
    "Writing With Fire" features the fearless women journalists of India's only all-female newspaper, Khabar Lahariya, who cover news from a women-powered ...
  2. [2]
    Writing With Fire
    Writing With Fire is about India's only newspaper run by Dalit women, nominated for an Oscar, and the first Indian feature documentary to be nominated for an ...About · Awards · Press · Impact
  3. [3]
    Courage Under Fire Award: 'Writing With Fire' Team on Finding ...
    Jan 24, 2022 · ... Fire Award. Their film Writing With Fire is the story of Khabar Lahariya (meaning, “Waves of News”), India's only all-women news publication.Missing: facts | Show results with:facts<|separator|>
  4. [4]
    Awards - Writing with Fire (2021) - IMDb
    32 wins & 18 nominations. Academy Awards, USA. Rintu Thomas. 2022 Nominee Oscar. International Documentary Film Festival. Amsterdam (IDFA). Sushmit Ghosh.
  5. [5]
    'Writing With Fire' is up for an Oscar. But its subjects say they ... - NPR
    Mar 26, 2022 · The documentary tells the story of a news outlet run by women from marginalized communities. The directors are thrilled by the nomination.
  6. [6]
    The controversy over India's first Oscar-nominated documentary
    Apr 30, 2022 · The journalists of Khabar Lahariya have accused the filmmakers of Writing with Fire of misrepresenting their journalism.
  7. [7]
    Oscar-nominated Writing with Fire wins Peabody Award in ...
    May 10, 2023 · Writing With Fire, the Oscar-nominated Indian documentary directed by Rintu Thomas and Sushmit Ghosh, has won a Peabody Award in Documentary ...
  8. [8]
    Oscar-Nominated "Writing With Fire" Goes Inside India's Only ... - PBS
    Mar 15, 2022 · Oscar-nominated filmmakers Rintu Thomas and Shushmit Ghosh talk about making Writing With Fire, including how they ingratiated themselves ...
  9. [9]
    Oscars: Writing With Fire Directors on Documentary's Subjects
    Mar 17, 2022 · 'Writing With Fire' Directors on Their Oscar-Nominated Doc's Inspiring Subjects: “There's a World of Possibilities That They're Creating”.
  10. [10]
    [PDF] WRITING WITH FIRE | PRESS NOTES | Music Box Films
    Writing With Fire is set in the heart of Uttar Pradesh, India's most populous state (200 million inhabitants), also a state known for its notorious levels ...
  11. [11]
    DPs Sushmit Ghosh and Karan Thapliyal on Writing With Fire
    Jan 30, 2021 · Rintu Thomas and Sushmit Ghosh's feature debut Writing With Fire painstakingly follows Khabar Lahariya, India's only all-female news network.Missing: minimal | Show results with:minimal
  12. [12]
    Writing with Fire movie review (2021) - Roger Ebert
    Rating 3/4 · Review by Sheila O'MalleyNov 24, 2021 · But Khabar Lahariya persists, even in the face of community hostility and resistance from families, husbands, in-laws. “Writing with Fire,” ...
  13. [13]
    'Writing With Fire' Review: Speaking Truth to Power
    Nov 29, 2021 · This rousing documentary follows the reporters of India's only all-women news outlet as they pivot to digital journalism while battling personal and political ...Missing: Kavita | Show results with:Kavita
  14. [14]
    Postcard from Chitrakoot - Columbia Journalism Review
    Oct 15, 2009 · Khabar Lahariya was founded in 2002, the brainchild of a gender education organization called Nirantar, which initiated the project as a way ...Missing: history | Show results with:history
  15. [15]
    [PDF] EVALUATION REPORT | Democracy Fund - UN.org.
    Feb 6, 2015 · Khabar Lahariya has been the recipient of numerous national and international awards (Figure 5) and the Nirantar Trust has successfully raised ...
  16. [16]
    Khabar Lahariya News via Deccan Herald | Bundelkhand Research ...
    ... Banda districts of UP began 'Khabar Lahariya' in Chitrakoot in 2002 and, consequently, launched an edition in November 2006 in Banda. The paper is supported ...Missing: founded | Show results with:founded
  17. [17]
    How a Rural Women's Paper Became a Muckraking Phenomenon in ...
    Indian newspaper Khabar Lahariya is shaking a deeply entrenched system of neglect in rural India by exposing the failures of the state administration.
  18. [18]
    'Khabar Lahariya', India's only newspaper run by Dalit women
    Aug 7, 2021 · Commenced in 2002, Khabar Lahariya, meaning News Waves, is India's first newspaper run by Dalit women. And Lahariya is not just any other ...
  19. [19]
    Report like a Dalit girl: one Indian publication shows how
    The publication was printed every week in the nearest big city, Allahabad, five hours away by road. From a print circulation of about 10,000 copies, readership ...
  20. [20]
    Khabar Lahariya - Wikipedia
    The newspaper was started by Nirantar, a New Delhi–based non-government organisation which focuses on gender and education. ... Initially seen as a women-only ...Missing: Trust | Show results with:Trust
  21. [21]
    This news site is training hundreds of young women in digital ...
    Jan 18, 2022 · Khabar Lahariya is a digital-first newsroom with an emphasis on video journalism. It began to transition away from print in 2015, training ...Missing: 2012 | Show results with:2012
  22. [22]
    India's only all-woman rural newspaper has a new challenge
    Jul 20, 2016 · Last month, Mullick, along with Shalini Joshi, one of Khabar Lahariya's New Delhi-based founding members, broke off from the company to start a ...Missing: history | Show results with:history<|separator|>
  23. [23]
  24. [24]
    Khabar Lahariya, now at a website near you - Newslaundry
    Aug 16, 2016 · ... founded in 2002. Last year, Khabar Lahariya made the radical decision to go digital first. First sign that this was a wise direction to go ...
  25. [25]
    Writing with Fire (2021) - IMDb
    Rating 7.3/10 (1,807) A powerful documentary film capturing the story of the women journalists at Khabar Lahariya, India's only all-female-run news organization and what it means to ...
  26. [26]
    Sundance Documentary 'Writing With Fire' Smashes Indian Patriarchy
    Jan 27, 2021 · 'Writing With Fire,' the only Indian film in Sundance's world cinema documentary competition, features a women-only news operation in India.
  27. [27]
    Writing with Fire | Rotten Tomatoes
    Rating 100% (52) "Writing With Fire" is an inspiring chronicle of these fearless women and their fight for the truth. Captivating and riveting, this documentary never backs down ...
  28. [28]
    Writing With Fire (2021) - Box Office and Financial Information
    Writing With Fire (2021) ; Domestic Releases: November 26th, 2021 (Limited) by Music Box Films ; International Releases: October 28th, 2021 (Limited) (New Zealand)
  29. [29]
    Writing with Fire (2021) - Box Office Mojo
    All Releases ; Domestic (94.7%) $28,262 ; International (5.3%) $1,592 ; Worldwide $29,854.
  30. [30]
    Watch Writing With Fire | Prime Video - Amazon.com
    Rating 4.6 (72) A fearless group of journalists maintain India's only women-led news outlet. All from the "untouchables" caste, the women of Khabar Lahariya prepare to ...Missing: PBS | Show results with:PBS
  31. [31]
    Writing with Fire streaming: where to watch online? - JustWatch
    Rating 47% (139) Currently you are able to watch "Writing with Fire" streaming on Amazon Prime Video, OVID, Amazon Prime Video with Ads. It is also possible to buy "Writing ...Missing: PBS | Show results with:PBS
  32. [32]
    Writing with Fire - Where to Watch and Stream - TV Guide
    Rating 84% (13) Nov 11, 2021 · Streaming; Airings. Subscription. Watch on Amazon Prime Video Subscription. Subscription. Watch on Amazon Prime Video with Ads Subscription ...Missing: PBS | Show results with:PBS<|control11|><|separator|>
  33. [33]
    ‎Writing With Fire - Apple TV
    A fearless group of journalists maintain India's only women-led news outlet. All from the Dalit caste, the women of Khabar Lahariya prepare to transition ...
  34. [34]
    'Writing With Fire': Film captures resolve of female journalists in India
    Mar 25, 2022 · “Writing With Fire” is unrated and is in Hindi with English subtitles. The film is available on streaming platforms and debuts on PBS on March ...
  35. [35]
    Documentary Films from India Gain Prominence On The Global Stage
    Jan 11, 2023 · “While Writing with Fire had its premiere at Sundance in 2021, where it won two awards, this did not translate into a global distribution deal ...
  36. [36]
    Why are award-winning Indian documentaries struggling to find ...
    which was made with support from Sundance, Tribeca, International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA), Chicken and ...
  37. [37]
    A Broken System: Vinay Shukla's 'While We Watched' and Other ...
    Jan 27, 2024 · For instance, Writing With Fire spans three years and is bookended by two sets of elections in 2016 and 2019, both of which were won by the BJP.
  38. [38]
    impact - Writing With Fire
    Pulitzer prize-winning journalist Farah Stockman interviews Rintu, Sushmit, Kavita Bundelkhandi and Meera Devi about Writing With Fire and KL's journalism for ...
  39. [39]
    Writing with Fire | Reviews - Rotten Tomatoes
    "Writing With Fire" is an underdog story with a real fighting spirit and an impossible-to-root-against team at its center. Full Review | Original Score: B+ | ...
  40. [40]
    Writing with Fire Is To Journalism What Dignity Is To Democracy
    Mar 23, 2022 · The Dalit women reporters in the Oscar-nominated Writing with Fire come from a position of such disenfranchisement that agency is their only option.
  41. [41]
    Writing with Fire - docalogue
    A documentary about the lives of journalists associated with Khabar Lahariya (“News Waves” in the Bundeli language), a women-led rural reporting collective.
  42. [42]
    Khabar Lahariya says 'Writing with Fire' narrates only a part of their ...
    Mar 21, 2022 · The film is a moving and powerful document, but its presentation of Khabar Lahariya as an organisation with a particular and consuming focus of reporting on ...Missing: increased | Show results with:increased
  43. [43]
    Khabar Lahariya says Oscar-nominated documentary misrepresents ...
    Mar 21, 2022 · Khabar Lahariya says Oscar-nominated documentary misrepresents its journalistic work. The directors of 'Writing With Fire' say that they have ...
  44. [44]
    Khabar Lahariya says documentary an 'inaccurate' representation ...
    Mar 22, 2022 · Khabar Lahariya has said the makers of the Oscar-nominated documentary Writing with Fire have inaccurately represented it as one with a “focus of reporting on ...
  45. [45]
    Oscars 2022: Writing with Fire puts spotlight on India's underdogs
    Mar 23, 2022 · The film, which premiered last year at the Sundance Film Festival where it won two awards, is yet to be shown in India. But the Oscar nomination ...
  46. [46]
    2021 Sundance Film Festival Awards Announced
    The Audience Award: World Cinema Documentary was presented to: Rintu Thomas and Sushmit Ghosh, for Writing With Fire / India (Directors and Producers: Rintu ...
  47. [47]
    Sundance Film Festival Awards 2021 - Winners List - Deadline
    Writing With Fire, dir. Rintu Thomas Special Jury Award ...
  48. [48]
    Writing With Fire - Autlook Filmsales
    Rintu Thomas and Sushmit Ghosh are award-winning director-producers from India whose work has been supported by the Sundance Institute, Chicken & Egg Pictures, ...Missing: background | Show results with:background
  49. [49]
    94th Academy Awards: 'Writing With Fire' gets nominated for the ...
    Feb 8, 2022 · Indian documentary feature 'Writing With Fire' has been nominated for the Best Documentary Feature at the Oscars 2022. The film chronicles the ...
  50. [50]
    [PDF] FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - ITVS
    (San Francisco, CA) February 8, 2022— “Writing With Fire” from filmmakers Rintu Thomas and. Sushmit Ghosh was nominated for an Academy Award® in the best ...<|separator|>
  51. [51]
    Oscar nomination for the inspiring story of 'Khabar Lahariya' - IMDb
    The first Indian documentary feature to get an Oscar nomination. Helmed by Rintu Thomas and Sushmit Ghosh, 'Writing With Fire' documents the inspiring story of ...
  52. [52]
    The 94th Academy Awards | 2022 - Oscars.org
    Mar 27, 2022 · Nominees. Writing with Fire. Rintu Thomas and Sushmit Ghosh. Documentary (Short Subject). Winner. The Queen of Basketball. Ben Proudfoot.
  53. [53]
    SUMMER OF SOUL Wins 2022 Oscar for Documentary Feature - ABC
    Mar 27, 2022 · The nominees for Documentary Feature were: ASCENSION, ATTICA, FLEE, SUMMER OF SOUL (...OR, WHEN THE REVOLUTION COULD NOT BE TELEVISED) and ...
  54. [54]
    Writing With Fire directors celebrate film's Oscar nomination in ...
    Feb 9, 2022 · A video posted on Twitter shows documentary Writing With Fire's directors celebrating the film's Oscar nomination. Calling the moment wholesome.
  55. [55]
    'Writing With Fire' Directors Screamed, Hugged And Jumped With ...
    Feb 9, 2022 · 'Writing With Fire' Directors Screamed, Hugged And Jumped With Joy After Earning An Oscar Nomination! As soon as the name of their documentary ...
  56. [56]
    'Writing With Fire' Writes Oscar Ticket For Two Indian Filmmakers
    Mar 21, 2022 · Writing With Fire's Oscar nomination for Best Documentary Feature wasn't just a huge achievement for directors Sushmit Ghosh and Rintu Thomas.
  57. [57]
    The all-women newsroom at the heart of Oscar-nominated 'Writing ...
    Mar 26, 2022 · Khabar Lahariya, an all-women news collective in rural northern India, is at the center of the Oscar-nominated documentary "Writing With Fire.".
  58. [58]
  59. [59]
    The Beautiful Mess of Seeing: A Reckoning With Authorship and ...
    Sep 1, 2025 · A filmmaker reflects on how Writing With Fire became a reckoning with authorship, the politics of a fixed gaze, and the unstable ground ...
  60. [60]
    Oscar-nominated Writing With Fire misses path to Dalit liberation
    Mar 27, 2022 · Writing With Fire does not critique the codes of the caste system, excludes Ambedkar from the story of caste and ignores his methods to ...
  61. [61]
  62. [62]
    FEATURE: India's lowest caste female reporters spotlight society's ...
    Jul 7, 2024 · While their YouTube channel has around 591,000 subscribers and aims to increase that number in the future, Meera and her band of women ...<|control11|><|separator|>
  63. [63]
    Breaking Barriers: A Whole-of-Society Approach to Gender Equality ...
    Oct 30, 2024 · Donor funding has been crucial for both Khabar Lahariya and Alharaca. These funds are critical for the continued existence of these types of ...Missing: circulation | Show results with:circulation
  64. [64]
    Meera Devi (@kl_meera) • Instagram photos and videos
    Managing Editor @khabarlahariya ( मैनेजिंग एडिटर, खबर लहरिया) · Why are women in politics often judged by different standards as compared to men? · In the 5th Episode of ...Missing: 2021 | Show results with:2021
  65. [65]
    [PDF] Digital Voices: Rural and Tribal Women Using Social Media for ... - ijrti
    Sep 9, 2025 · This article explores how digital platforms help rural and tribal women overcome challenges like limited market access, financial struggles, and ...
  66. [66]
    [PDF] Annual Report 2021 - International Dalit Solidarity Network
    the documentary 'Writing with Fire'. The film tells the story of Khabar Lahariya: a media outlet in Uttar Pradesh, India, run by Dalit women. Chief Reporter ...Missing: cited | Show results with:cited
  67. [67]
    [PDF] The report at a glance | Internews
    are featured in this report: Khabar Lahariya. – the first all-women newsroom in India. (p. 190), featured in the Oscar-nominated documentary Writing with Fire; ...Missing: criticism | Show results with:criticism