Documentaries Featuring Ravish Kumar, Black Kites Protection Earn Peabody Noms

India-West News Desk

LOS ANGELES, CA –  Two Indian documentaries, Vinay Shukla’s “While We Watched” and Shaunak Sen’s “All That Breathes,” have been nominated for the prestigious Peabody Awards.

On April 23, jurors unveiled a list of 41 contenders spanning Documentary, News, Public Service, and Radio/Podcast categories. Among them are Shukla’s film, which delves into the life of former NDTV anchor Ravish Kumar, and Sen’s work, an Oscar-nominated exploration of two Muslim brothers dedicated to safeguarding black kites.

Shukla’s documentary has received worldwide acclaim even while it has not generated support in India. It offers a portrayal of India’s bleak media landscape and has drawn accolades at prestigious film festivals like Busan and Toronto. Peabody said it was a “timely depiction of a newsroom in crisis.” The film follows Kumar as he navigates a deluge of fake news, plummeting ratings, and ensuing cutbacks while striving to uphold fact-based reporting.

Sen’s “All That Breathes,” hailed for its portrayal of two brothers safeguarding black kites in New Delhi amid environmental and social upheaval, is also vying for a Peabody Award. The film, which has scooped over 17 international accolades, including the top documentary award at Cannes, has been acquired by HBO and is accessible on various online platforms.

The ceremony is slated for June 9 in Los Angeles.

These nominations follows Rintu Thomas and Sushmit Ghosh’s 2023 Peabody win for “Writing With Fire,” marking a historic achievement as the first Indian filmmakers to clinch the award.