Renowned documentarian Anand Patwardhan’s most personal film crafts an intimate portrait of his parents, whose history juxtaposes the tumultuous years of India’s independence with contemporary times. Supported by rare archival footage, family albums, and interviews, the daring filmmaker captures his family’s deep bonds with Mahatma Gandhi, Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar, and other stalwarts of the independence movement. Reflecting on the hate-filled reality of the present, the forgotten heroes’ lofty aspiration to advocate humanism, communal amity, and to build an inclusive India resonates more loudly than ever.

The screening on 29 March and 31 March will be followed by a conversation between Anand Patwardhan and M+ Curator-at-Large Li Cheuk-to in English.

Anand Patwardhan (b. 1950, India) is one of the most important Indian documentary filmmakers of our time. He has been making socio-political documentaries for over five decades, pursuing diverse and controversial issues that are at the crux of social and political life in India. While many of his films were initially banned by state television channels, the censorship rulings were successfully challenged in court. Using cinema as a tool for advocacy, he addresses pressing issues, including housing rights of the urban poor, social injustice, and militarism, and inspires positive change. Major works include Bombay: Our City (1985), Father, Son and Holy War (1994), and Jai Bhim Comrade (2011).