OTTs and film festivals are breathing new life into documentaries

Filmmakers guardedly optimistic and cautiously happy, say getting a theatrical release remains a challenge

With three nominations in the Oscars in two years, including a historic win (“The Elephant Whisperers”), documentaries from India are beginning to find recognition on the global stage. Films such as “Against the Tide”, “Writing with Fire” and “All that Breathes” have been noticed at prestigious film festivals such as Sundance and Cannes as well.

A genre that once had limited reach has now found a larger audience, courtesy over-the-top (OTT) platforms. Indian subscribers watched over 50 per cent more Netflix original documentary content on average from Q3 2020-Q2 2021 than they did in the corresponding period in 2018. Though