Village in the Sky

"India" developed out of my three journeys to Pune in 2001, 2002 and 2004. I arrived in a forgein country, and felt surprisingly familiar in the foreign. There in the streets, walking among the people, surrounded by their movements, their gestures, by the colors, the light, the beauty. Small things awakened my attention, sometimes only a short glimpse, a hand movement, the color of a sari, a temple hidden in a courtyard. It was like a long hot bath that I took there in Pune's streets - something unique and very beautiful.

Tathastu starts off with a recap of moments from Zakir's life. Starting from his early school days, the performance is a ride where the audience gets a peek at the family he was born in, the characters he grew closest to and his young years bloated with aspirations of becoming an RJ. He goes onto share a few personal learnings on stage as he tries to make sense of his journey thus far.

VICE met up with the directors of Sacred Games, Netflix's first foray into originals in India. Veterans Anurag Kashyap and Vikramaditya Motwane explain their process to us.

"Discover Dr Anil Prakash Joshi's Himalayan journey in 'A Son Of Himalaya". From rural roots to ecological visionary, witness his symphony of sustainability, GEP innovation, and the transformative power of nature's whispers.

Family memories and personal art movingly portray author and motivational speaker Aisha Chaudhary's journey with an immune disorder and terminal illness.

The local train is a sight to behold in the morning, overloaded with crowds fighting to get inside. A special compartment reserved for women appears as a temporary oasis – a haven for solitude and contemplation. Director Rebana Liz John questions the women, who reveal what it means to keep ambitions alive within an oppressive patriarchal system. Black and white imagery evocatively captures the details of the women’s experience in this world. They reflect on their lives, across generations, with humour, disappointment and defiance, forming a complex tapestry whose common ground is endurance and survival.

A sensitive heart-warming story of an Indian transman's acceptance, by himself and his family. Merlin, born as a girl, felt right from his childhood that he was trapped in the wrong gender.

'Mod' is an attempt by the filmmaker at communicating with the young men who hang out at the ‘notorious’ water tank in her neighbourhood in Pratap Vihar, Ghaziabad. The water tank is a space that is frequented by the so-called ‘no-gooders’ of the locality, a place where they play cricket, play cards, drink and smoke up. When she enters the space with her camera, the boys are curious and at the same time wary of it and her. They sometimes resist, sometimes protest, and at times, open up. As the film unfolds we get a hint of the lives the boys lead and the fragile world they create for themselves at the water tank.

Guler, a small principality near Kangra, was an artistic and cultural wellspring since it's accidental inception in the 15th century. Many greats like painters Pandit Seu, his sons Manaku, Nainsukh, and the poet Brajraj were born here. Today the whole system of patronage under which lofty endeavours were possible even in financially austere conditions is gone. And tragically even the physical landscape is submerged under a dam. The film seeks out some traces of the submerged past, through the memories of those left behind, a condensation of a bygone civilization.

Clips and interviews show that the renowned Satyajit Ray was more than just a filmmaker: He was a sketch illustrator, a music composer, a children's book creator, an all around intellectual.

Jeet Lengey Jahaan is about today's youngsters who are starving to achieve their goals in life. It shows how they get trapped into our corrupt system and face adverse circumstances and finally find themselves helpless and how they fight against it by their own ways.

An extensive, in-depth account of the making of an ultimate revenge saga through the eyes of Anurag Kashyap, the cast and the crew of "Gangs of Wasseypur".

A short film on the traditional art and craft of making the musical instruments Sitar and Tabla.

With only music and images, this film captures the grim struggle for existence of a family of unskillled labourers working on the construction of a new building.

Winner of 2 National Awards, Pancham Unmixed: Mujhe Chalte Jaana Hai, takes an incisive look into the legendary composer, RD Burman's reflective artistry and buoyant-but-also-lonely inner being. Featuring a host of close friends, colleagues and admirers, the film evokes awe, admiration and nostalgia the way most of his music does, till date.

Life and disciples of legendary Indian classical musician and teacher, 'Guru' of Pandit Ravishankar, 'Baba' Ustad Alauddin Khan.

A thought provoking short film on Indian farmers told through clay sculptures made from barren farms of the farmers who have committed suicide.

The inspiring story of a young Indian Muslim woman who trades her burka for dreams of playing on the Mumbai Senior Women's Cricket Team and how the harsh realities for women in her country creates an unexpected outcome for her own family, ultimately shattering and fueling aspirations.

The documentary film is about the Film and Television Institute of India including the views expressed by students, staff and Ex-Director Shri Jagat Murari. The filmmakers from the institute are 'Rays of Hope' for the alternative or New Indian Cinema.

I Am is a 2011 Indian anthology film by Onir. It consists of four short films: "Omar", "Afia", "Abhimanyu", and "Megha". Each film shares the common theme of fear and each is also based on real life stories. The film was financed by donations from more than 400 different people around the world, many of whom donated through social networking sites like Facebook. There are four stories but the characters are interwoven with each story. "Abhimanyu" is based on child abuse, "Omar" on gay rights, "Megha" is about Kashmiri Pandits and "Afia" deals with sperm donation. I Am was released with subtitles in all regions as six different languages are spoken in the film: Hindi, English, Kannada, Marathi, Bengali and Kashmiri.