While We Watched

Filmmaker Vinay Shukla's new feature documentary examines how independent news reporting in India and beyond is increasingly under threat by budgetary cuts and, especially, extremists leveraging alternative platforms to spread misinformation.

The primetime Indian TV journalist, Ravish Kumar, is in trouble. Famous for his unflinching takedowns of the ruling establishment during his long-running primetime news hour, his nerves have begun to fray from carrying the torch of good journalism for too long.

As press freedom further disintegrates and self-censorship becomes the new normal, Kumar struggles to stay afloat in the rising tide of his own network’s financial hardships, sinking television ratings, and the strain of continuous downsizing.

With a growing target on his back, and the looming threat of his network’s imminent closure, Kumar transforms from a spunky troublemaker into a deeply troubled man, worried for himself, his family, and the soul of his nation.