Every day I log on to Netflix and Prime Video hunting for new shows to watch, something that feels different, something that would make me feel slightly elevated from the daily brain-rot of social media. It’s like the mind wants to watch something different, wants to learn and grow but we’re just stuck with bland content that feeds on quarterly trends and boring formulas.
One silly afternoon while talking to ChatGPT I stumbled upon a very simple idea — documentaries! What are some documentaries about music I love to watch. I remember watching ‘Had Anhad’ and being transported with the camera crew to their rustic journey. The brain finally knew what it wanted – more such documentaries! More people talking to people, more people travelling across India in search of musical stories from each corner. That’s when I had the epiphany to go down a rabbit hole, find the obscurest of footage I could find around Indian music, and share it with you. It’s like one of those Youtube Playlists you feel you will get to one day, but this one you actually will one day(hopefully!)
Here are a few documentaries that I am going to binge over the next few weeks, and I hope you do too —
1. STANDING BY
Director : Arjun S. Ravi
This film is a six-part archive detailing the transition from 1960s beat groups, rock and metal bands, the internet and streaming era, to the modern festival circuit. It also highlighted the necessity of gig infrastructure as India opened its gates to global acts.
Link : https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL61rl8vzYmTXSHL6X-lbjOc4q72W8XN8y&si=0mJMGYJC_64OeRfu
2. Gully Life : The Story Of Divine
Director : Akshat Gupt
The documentary traces the journey of one of the original gully-boys. From humble beginnings to the charts and UK’s hip-hop scene and beyond, Divine’s journey as a shared dream of the community. It also highlights the ups and downs, the friends and foes in this game called success.
Link : https://youtu.be/hjmqRgIoHP8?si=Iv1xRlI0B2Qh97Sn
3. Delhi – The Evolution Of House & Techno
Director : Anubhav Sakhuja
The documentary uncovers the electronic music scene of Delhi, diving into its history, tracing its roots, rise and talking to people shaping the culture in the district.
Link : https://youtu.be/G3a8PgQZfqs?si=0ydRULcEk4T2sBwz
4. Colours Of Earth
Director : Shefali Bhushan
All music originally comes from folk. This immersive and raw exploration is a journey across India, unearthing hidden stories and traditions behind our valuable and vibrant folk heritage.
Link : https://youtu.be/3HWDgWDsu38?si=iU8dxDX-vjEdBMob
5. The PaDa Project
Director : Vasu Dixit
Folk-fusion band Swarathma’s frontman Vasu Dixit goes on an exploration of music from different corners of India. The documentary traverses different folk music traditions of across Sikkim, Manipur, Meghalaya, Karnataka and TamilNadu.
Link : https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLeKSWv1S7H_Q&si=3b-yhrR3AC9RIQYL
6. Harmony With AR Rahman
Director : Sruti Harihara Subramanian
Legendary composer and producer AR Rahman travels to different corners of India, highlighting hidden musical cultures in an attempt to revive those traditions. The series features a finale where all musicians come together to create a multilingual musical masterpiece.
Link :https://www.primevideo.com/detail/0LL9VGE5D6SV7UMX1Q0BGY0FFW
7. The Dewarists
Director : Vishwesh Krishnamoorthy, Ayesha Sood, Srinivas Sunderrajan
This episodic documentary series takes its time to dive into the underground, bringing together artists across genres, regional, folk, mainstream and independent, all under a single roof. These collaborations became a part of the indie story, bringing out more voices from the independent music scene.
Link : https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL23F36248102B1786&si=IgyYhG4CRTNap2XX
8. Had Anhad
Director : Shabnam Virmani
This documentary highlights the essence of sufi/bhakti poets while in search of ‘Lord Rama’. What follows is a tale of learning and unlearning as the journey holds a mirror towards the realities of society today. It also traces the connecting thread of sufi/bhakti music and poetry between India and Pakistan.
Link : https://youtu.be/Dr83axn1IbM?si=LnyxqVcdlm-zc2Zi
9. Kya Bolta Bantai : The Rise Of Mumbai Rap
Director : Naman Saraiya
‘Kya Bolta Bantai’ frames the voice of the youth inside the booming hip-hop scene. From ‘gully’ origins to international circuits, the documentary traces the breakout revolution of self-expression and meaning in Indian hip-hop.
Link : https://youtu.be/pbH0PV5BLNI?si=z_ud18vEcexILfyN
10. Soz: A Ballad of Maladies
Director : Tushar Madhav, Sarvnik Kaur
In a state where the only practical reason for art is justice, and resistance, the documentary focusses on going underground, beyond the chaos, into the deep alleys of the music of Kashmir, tracing the musicians, the culture and the movement for artistic expression in the valley.
Link : https://youtu.be/VophJfaV2I0?si=suW3PRwvFJ11SOAG
11. Bombay Groove
Director : Mirika and Simran
It’s a fresh and slightly obscure documentary that focusses on the desi hip hop culture of Bombay and how its going global at the moment. It also sheds light on participation of women in the sphere. The unique point here is the rawness of the moments and the featured conversations
Link : https://youtu.be/qZd697zSADQ?si=widMYqRgzC_QPnQB
12. ROCKUMENTARY
Director : Abhimanyu Kukreja
This documentary stands as a pillar of broad-range cultural info from the world of contemporary rock/metal in India. It highlights some of the pioneering bands from India’s independent landscape, people who pushed the culture, through music, or corporate strength.
Link : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j04NKqHK_mc
13. Electronic India – The NID Tapes
Director : Paul Purgas
The 2020 documentary by Paul Purgas was a long-due deep dive into a living-breathing piece of history, The NID Tapes from Ahmedabad. The studio founded in 1969 by David Tudor, witnessed numeral strives and sound experiments in developing the genre of electronic music in India.
Link : https://www.reducedlistening.co.uk/archive/electronic-india
14. Bombay 70
Director : Disha Rindani
The short film documents a phase in the life of original gully boy of India, Naved or Naezy the Baa. It takes the camera into the lanes of Bombay 70, Kurla, Mumbai, tracing how Indian hip-hop blew up into a scene championed by this young boy’s flow and lyricism.
Link : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmC4elJcICA
15. Tuning 2 You : India’s Lost Musicians
Director : Soumik Datta, Souvid Datta
‘Tuning 2 You’ takes the viewers through India’s remotest regions and brings out the long-fading folk music cultures for collaborations, documentation and performance.
Link : https://www.soumikdatta.com/projects/tuning-2-you-channel-4
16. Extreme Nation
Director : Roy Dipankar
This film is a cinematic unearthing of an era when metal, punk, rock found their voice within the Indian Subcontinent. The documentary focusses on the geopolitical observation of the narrative through pioneering voices and acts from the scene.
Link : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNrGlmS4B30
17. Bidesia In Bambai
Director : Surabhi Sharma
Bihar and its heritage has travelled the seas and more, a lot of times in search for livelihood. In its own words, this film ‘listens to the music of the Bhojpuri migrant who works and lives in contemporary Mumbai.
Link : https://surabhisharma.wordpress.com/2013/04/27/coming-soon/
18. Back To Roots Cypher Tour
Director : Shaikhspeare & Taunk Bawa
This 2 part documentary is a raw, grassroot exploration of the hip-hop boom in India. This cypher-tour documentary really stands out in terms of unfiltered conversations and a look into the life and times of a hip-hopper from Delhi or Jaipur.
Link : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NuRneQUYeBk
19. Yeh Hai Metal
Director : Mehr Singh
The documentary takes the viewer through the contemporary rock and metal scene in India. From conversations with prominent voices and bands to live performances, the film gives a top-view understanding of the country’s metal lineage across the major cities.
Link : https://youtu.be/JivsSCUG0Gs?si=GJCIgX_WZaq8Jqy5
20. RAGA
Director : Howard Worth
This is a glimpse of a man’s life who took Indian Sitar to the world, and inspired rock in the most Indian way – Pandit Ravi Shankar. The documentary highlights phases from his life as a student, to a touring virtuoso, featuring the many collaborations including The Beatles, Yehudi Menuhin, Alla Rakha and more!
Link : https://youtu.be/DQ356Oovcw0?si=sk8-njYUpWqxVxG1
21. Ocean Of Melody
Director : Laili Dutta
Ocean of Melody is a 2-part commissioned documentary featuring the two houses of Indian classical music – Hindustani and Carnatic, and what forms the basis of the two music cultures. The film explores the philosophical frameworks that define the essence of Indian music.
Link : https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLaUSlPcxqiCg&si=J4g1nhCxDKECj23-
22. Music Of India
Director : A. Bhaskar Rao
This 1966 archival piece of media is a glimpse into the two musical subcultures of India – Hindustani and Carnatic, and the life of times of these classical musicians in the 20th Century.
Link : https://youtu.be/lJnGl69a1DQ?si=FoOcy2kwnVII5UOO
23. Jai Ho
Director : Umesh Aggarwal
‘Jai Ho’ documents the rise and brilliance of India’s most prolific composer and producer AR Rahman. It’s an inspiring journey that features conversation with his peers, collaborators offering moments from his live show, and glimpses into the life and philosophy of a legend.
Link : https://youtu.be/GQrPtMFQ050?si=WrsMa4V79Cm7fCRV
24. Utterance – The Music Of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
Director : Pervaiz Khan
This film is a poetic look at the origin and life of Shahenshah-e-Qawwali, Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, and his Gharana. It offers a look at the learning years of the legend and explores the finer threads of sufi and qawwali, as music and soft-power.
Link : https://youtu.be/W-06Fc89KeY?si=hR3ajtcD5jUnCr5Y
25. Khayal – A Musical Journey
Director : Usha Deshpande
‘Khayal’ documents late legend Ustad Zakir Hussain Ji as he takes the viewer through the story of Indian Classical Music through musical styles, traditions, gharanas. On the way, the film documents conversations and moments with some of India’s pioneering classical legends.
Link : https://youtu.be/qVgPeGb9XdQ?si=Y-R3h0vHkum2ZciC
26. Leaving Home : The Life And Music Of Indian Ocean
Director : Jaideep Varma
‘Leaving Home’ is a full-length discovery of the initial days and music of Indian Ocean. The film follows one of India’s most defining bands as its band members navigate daily life, albums, shows, jam sessions, cinema as they truly championed the essence of Indian fusion – rock.
Link : https://youtu.be/iqMsSexKTzA?si=wiw26DWkBk_HJZbn
27. Arunagiri Perumale
Director : V Pradeep Kumar
The documentary is a tribute to the life and work of Arunagiri Nathar, a 15th century Tamil mystic poet-saint. The discovery happens through Pradeep Kumar’s musical narration, interleaved with conversations, tales and anecdotes as they take a journey to the land of the ‘Thiruppugazh’.
Link : https://youtu.be/DdvP4C0rSdQ?si=5yEMnjGnwZeQKCzP
28. Junun
Director : Paul Thomas Anderson
The documentary follows Israeli composer Shye Ben Tzur, Jonny Greenwood and their collaboration album with Indian folk band The Rajasthan Express at the Mehrangarh Fort. The resulting folk-fusion is an exciting blend of rock, qawwali and experimental folk fusion set in spirituality.
Link : https://www.primevideo.com/detail/0FWLLL0U4H8E6NIHTPLJVFBT51
29. Le Pocha
Director : Quashiq Mukherjee
‘Le Pocha’ focusses on the history of rock and metal music in Bengal. The film juggles quirk with deep cuts about the music culture. It features acts like Mohiner Ghoraguli, Fossils, Cactus, Chandrabindoo and many others, layered with contemporary voices of curiosity and excitement within the current scene.
Link : https://youtu.be/hIRuBlZutMI?si=fc9BpVCUw_lOhqS9
30. So Heddan So Hoddan
Director : Dr. Anjali Monteiro & K.P. Jayasankar
This film is a spiritual journey exploring the music of pastoral Muslim communities in the Great Rann of Kutch. It lets you into the daily life of these nomadic groups, who quote the philosophies of poet Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai to cope with their scattered realities
