Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting Ministry (I&B), Shri Anurag Singh Thakur launched ‘Azadi Ki Amrit Kahaniya’ on 26th April. It is a short video series that will be created in collaboration with the global OTT platform, Netflix.
Present on the occasion were Minister of State, Dr. L Murugan, Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Shri Apurva Chandra, and Head of Global TV, Netflix, Ms. Bela Bajaria. As per the press release released by the Ministry of I&B, Women change-makers Ms. Basanti Devi, Padma-award winning environmentalist from Pithoragarh known for her contribution towards revitalizing the Kosi river; Ms. Anshu Jamsenpa, a Padma Shri awardee for being the first woman in the world to summit Mount Everest twice in five days in 2017 and Ms. Harshini Kanhekar, the first female firefighter in India, were also present at the launch.
Minister Shri Anurag Singh Thakur while addressing the audience and media said that the “Ministry
of I&B has been a vital part of Amrit Mahotsav celebrations with various initiatives. The idea of Azadi is intertwined with women’s emancipation in India and the Minister remarked that the term Azadi or freedom holds a wider connotation for women who have to fight stereotypes and taboos in the societyas well.”
He added that the emancipation of women was the hallmark of the emancipation index of a society. This initiative of collaboration aims to bring out inspiring stories of Indians and these stories shall motivate and empower more people to achieve their goals.
This partnership is believed to be a long-term where different themes and diverse stories will be highlighted. “Netflix will be producing twenty-five videos on themes including women empowerment, environment, sustainable development, and other days of significance.
Netflix will produce two-minute short films for the Ministry which will be shared on social media platforms and telecasted on the Doordarshan network”, Shri Thakur elaborated. The minister talked about the multiple dimensions of this partnership- Netflix and Ministry will continue to organize training workshops and masterclasses to encourage filmmakers in India to create inspiring content on various topics under Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav.
“Netflix and ministry will partner to develop a creative ecosystem by organizing training programs for post-production, VFX, animation, music production among others, and will be organized on the ground and virtually”, he announced. Netflix participated in the 52nd International Film Festival of India in Goa in November 2021. This partnership will be strengthened through initiatives like Skill Development Workshops, Masterclasses, Film Screenings, and Short Film Competitions, in the near future.
Netflix Head Bela Bajaria said, “India was one of the most vibrant entertainment industries in the world, and India was remarkably well placed in times of internet entertainment. Netflix is excited to be part of a time when stories from India are being exported to the world and the best Indian stories are being discovered and loved on a global stage. Netflix is proud to partner with MIB to celebrate and acknowledge the evolution of India over the past 75 years by celebrating its beautiful art, culture, and storytelling”.
The trailer of ‘Azadi ki Amrit Kahaniyan‘ was launched on the occasion. It shows women of different fields working. Seven stories would be shown as documentaries in the show.
The ‘Azadi Ki Amrit Kahaniyan’ episodes will be available on various social media channels of the Ministry and Netflix, as well as broadcast across the Doordarshan network. They will also be made available in other languages like Gujarati, Marathi, Bengali, Tamil, English, and Malayalam to ensure that
the stories are seen and heard by people across the nation.
