Documentary
Filmmaker S Sukhdev to get a grand tribute on his 35th death anniversary
NEW DELHI: The renowned late filmmaker S Sukhdev who set new trends in documentary and non-feature films in the country will be remembered on his 35th death anniversary on 1 March with the screening of the film The Last Adieu by Shabnam Sukhdev.
The event to be held in Films Division in Pedder Road in Mumbai will also see the release of DVDs of Sukhdev’s films.
The Last Adieu is a 90-minute film with English sub-titles that is a personal quest of a filmmaker daughter to unravel the past and make a connection with her filmmaker father, S. Sukhdev, who died suddenly at the age of 46, leaving behind a huge body of work and an unresolved relationship with his daughter.
While he was an accomplished filmmaker in the public eye, his family had another story to tell. With the help of archival audio recordings, old photographs and Sukhdev’s films, Shabnam endeavours to construct a picture of her father as she struggles to love and respect him for who he was.
The film is an important record of a phase in documentary history that inspired and paved the way for the new wave in non-fiction narratives, and pays homage to Sukhdev, an important filmmaker who revolutionised documentary filmmaking in India in the mid sixties and through the seventies.
Produced by Films Division and directed by Shabnam Sukhdev, the film has been edited by Jabeen Merchant with sound design and sound mixing by Mohandas VP and camerawork by Ashwin Shukla.
Sukhdev directed 29 films between 1958 and 1980, his last documentary Sahira being released after his death.
Some of his renowned films were After the Silence, Thunder of Freedom, Nine Months to Freedom: The Story of Bangladesh, Khilonewala, Tomorrow May Be Too Late, An Indian Day, Homage to Lal Bahadur, After the Eclipse, Wild Life in India, And Miles to Go…, and Frontiers of Freedom.
He also directed the feature – My Love in 2970 starring Shashi Kapoor and Sharmila Tagore, apart from writing, producing and scripting some other films.
Documentary
Netflix and Warner Music ink landmark documentary deal
The streaming giant has just unlocked one of the richest vaults in music history. Its rivals should be worried
CALIFORNIA AND NEW YORK: Netflix and Warner Music Group have signed an exclusive multi-year deal to produce documentary series and films drawn from the label’s storied artist roster, the companies announced on Friday — a move that hands the streaming platform access to one of the most formidable catalogues in music history.
Warner Music Group represents legends including David Bowie, Cher, Fleetwood Mac, Aretha Franklin and Joni Mitchell, alongside contemporary superstars such as Charli XCX, Coldplay and Bruno Mars. That is a staggering breadth of material for a platform hungry for prestige content and subscriber growth to match.
Under the agreement, Warner Music will work with Unigram, the production company aligned with the label, which will serve as the studio for its long-form projects. Each title will be developed in collaboration with the artists themselves or their estates, ensuring the kind of intimate access that turns a documentary into an event.
The deal reflects an intensifying race between music-rights owners and streaming platforms eager to turn deep catalogues into premium visual content. Music documentaries have become a vehicle for fan-driven, culturally resonant programming — a trend underscored by Taylor Swift’s “Eras Tour” film, which grossed over $260 million globally and reminded every platform chief just how lucrative the genre can be.
Netflix already boasts formidable credentials in music storytelling, with “Homecoming: A Film by Beyoncé” and “Quincy” among its highest-profile releases. The Warner deal sharpens that edge considerably. Rival platforms have not been idle: Disney+ has released “The Beach Boys”, while Max has drawn attention with “Stax: Soulsville U.S.A.” Apple Music, meanwhile, has pushed into original content through its Apple Music Live series, producing documentaries and livestreamed concerts featuring Harry Styles and Billie Eilish.
The battle for music’s visual soul, then, is well and truly on. Netflix has just made its boldest move yet.
