Anand Patwardhan

Anand Patwardhan is an artist-activist revolutionary spirit. As a student in the usa, he participated in the anti-Vietnam War movement and volunteered in César Chávez-led United Farmworker’s Union. On his return to India he fought for civil rights, and he has continued to do so using his artistic skills to make award-winning documentary films that expose political malpractice and social injustice. Because of their controversial themes — the rise of religious fundamentalism, sectarianism and casteism in India, and nuclear nationalism and unsustainable development — many of his films have faced censorship or have been banned by state television channels in India. Patwardhan has, however, successfully challenged all censorship rulings in court. Among his most distinguished films are In the Name of God (1992), Father, Son, and Holy War (1995), War and Peace (2002) and Reason (2018). Reason won the award for Best Feature-Length Documentary at the International Documentary Filmfestival Amsterdam (IDFA).