Khushboo Ranka, Vinay Shukla – An Insignificant Man #LFF2016

PODCAST | Matt Micucci interviews Khushboo Ranka and Vinay Shukla, director of An Insignificant Man from the 60th BFI London Film Festival.

Who is Arvind Kejriwal? In short, he was an outsider that successfully infiltrated Indian politics and went from being a whistleblower to a representative of the people in the Indian elections. Kejriwal, regarded a controversial and outspoken figure in Indian politics, is also the central subject of the documentary An Insignificant Man, directed and produced by Khushboo Ranka, Vinay Shukla, who we met with for an interview at the 60th BFI London Film Festival, where the film was screened in teh documentary competition.

They give us portrait of the man, who might be unfamiliar to international audiences, which is why we also ask them how they came to know that An Insignificant man would tell a story that could indeed be told to an international audience. We ask them about the filmmaking process, how they were able to get so close to Kejriwal and his party and whether they encountered any hostility during the filming.

AN INSIGNIFICANT MAN. This compelling documentary becomes a riveting political thriller as it delves deeper into the governmental machinations of India, the world’s largest democracy. The filmmakers were given unlimited access to the nascent political career of Arvind Kejriwal, from fiery activist calling for new anti-corruption laws to a controversial politician and the face of the latest force in Indian politics: The Common Man’s Party (AAP). Kejriwal is a charismatic but flawed hero, representing the public’s rage with the political elite as he reveals how inequality is engineered through back-door cronyism and neoliberal capitalism. It’s a classic David vs Goliath scenario, with Kejriwal’s appeal and the seemingly unstoppable trajectory of his populist bandwagon creating a power shake-up that brings him into conflict with India’s mighty political establishment. As tensions escalate and sinister elements enter the fray, the AAP become subject to increased pressure from all sides and finds itself fighting for survival.