Vignettes of defiance – I (An Interview with Sanjay Kak)

Abstract

Documentary filmmaker Sanjay Kak discusses his earlier films, the development of his politicalconsciousness and on-screen engagement with Kashmir. Documentary film in India has transformed from primarilybeing a medium for the independent state to promoteconsolidation of national identity to a critical and evenoppositional tool to depict deprivation, conflict andstruggle in society. Political documentary, in particular, isexperiencing a period of vibrancy with layered and in-depth depictions of issues that are often submerged bydominant media representations.Despite (or because of) the quality of the films and their social and political engagement, very few of thesedocumentaries are ever screened in commercial cinemahalls or by television channels. For instance