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SYNOPSIS Famous for his unflinching takedowns of the ruling establishment during his long-running primetime news hour, Ravish Kumar was a regular fixture, beaming from TV sets and widely shared phone videos. His primetime news bulletin characterized by solid research, verified evidence and vignette-style notes from the field, are a far cry from the new industry standard of high-decibel, polarizing, blustering TV news debates. As press freedom in India disintegrates and self-censorship becomes the new normal, Ravish struggles to stay afloat in the rising tide of his network’s financial hardships, sinking TRP ratings, and the strain of continuous downsizing. Deteriorating standard of public discourse finds Ravish at the receiving end of harassment, intimidation, morphed images, threats to his life and even violence against his family. With a growing target on his back, and the looming threat of his network’s imminent closure, Ravish transforms from a spunky troublemaker into a deeply troubled man, worried for himself, his family, and the soul of his nation. |
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ABOUT THE DIRECTOR Vinay Shukla’s internationally acclaimed debut feature, ‘An Insignificant Man’ (co-directed with Khushboo Ranka) set a new anti- censorship precedent, and went on to become the most theatrically successful documentary film in India. His short film ‘Bureaucracy Sonata’ (2011), won the HBO Best Short Film Award at the South Asian International Film Festival in 2012. His work has attracted distinguished partnerships with Sundance, DocSociety, NFDC India, Asian Network of Documentaries, IDFA, and IDFA Bertha. His work has been previously celebrated at Warsaw Film Festival, Busan International Film Festival, BFI London, Sheffield Doc/Fest, among other leading festivals in the world. |