So at that point, I realized that this film is like the "Titanic," but it's not about Jack and Rose. And it was a very, very honestly tragic moment when you see somebody who's committed, you know, nearly three decades, two decades of their life to a profession, and one day they're asked to leave not because of their own flaws but because of where the profession is now at. SHUKLA: And somebody was leaving the office. And, you know, the first day I was there on the shoot, I remember seeing a cake being cut.ĬHANG: Because somebody was leaving the office. Like, Ravish's team, at any point, was less than five people. I got to NDTV, and I saw him and his colleagues operate in - with the most minimal teams. You know, that's how we are going to change everything. In which a couple of people, you know, stand around the table and say, we are doing this story and that. I had seen these big sort of newsroom thrillers. And I thought it will be some big, swanky office wherein, you know, he'll have a large team of people who are working with him because, you know, I - my only reference for how it could be was, like, films. SHUKLA: When I started filming this project, I remember thinking that Ravish - he has been doing this for nearly 25 years when approached him. What was the story that you set out to tell, Vinay, at the beginning of this project? And how much did that change by the time you were finishing the film? Did you see an evolution in your own storytelling, in your objectives?
It's unfortunate.ĬHANG: But I am curious. Unfortunately, investigative journalism in India right now has taken a hit. SHUKLA: I can't say with absolute certainty that the government was doing it without the evidence to back it up, right? That's where you require a very strong journalism kicking in and investigating why this is happening.
But it was a very common occurrence with Ravish's show.ĬHANG: Did you think the government was playing a direct role in that? But those are - you know, it's difficult to find out why that sort of stuff was happening. SHUKLA: I mean, the broadcast would freeze sporadically and in different regions, not necessarily all across India. Can you talk about what happened in that moment when the broadcast froze? There's this other scene in the film where the network's broadcast appears to just literally freeze on TVs all around India. For example, many of Ravish's colleagues began abandoning the network as the newsroom begins to fall apart. It hurts you.ĬHANG: Well, some remarkable things happened at NDTV, Vinay, as you were filming this documentary. But it's not good to hear when someone is threatening you, your daughters, your wife, your life. And you heard that.ĬHANG: It was like a lullaby is what you're saying. And suddenly he fell into my trap and started singing. I asked him, can you sing a song with me? We both love country, so let's sing. What possessed you to break into song like that right on the phone? UNIDENTIFIED PERSON: (Non-English language spoken).ĬHANG: I was so struck by that moment because I don't know how I would feel if I were listening to someone yell at me like that. KUMAR: (Singing in non-English language). (SOUNDBITE OF DOCUMENTARY, "WHILE WE WATCHED") Like, at one point, while you're fielding menacing phone calls, you start singing a patriotic Indian song to someone who is attacking you on the phone. This is not a routine story of media decline, I think.ĬHANG: There are multiple moments in this film where you get death threats. They are working hard to stop information reaching to the viewers and to the voters. KUMAR: These media are not working for dissemination of information. When I came across Ravish's broadcast, with him, I found a news anchor who was not only questioning the government but also questioning the audiences.ĬHANG: I talked to Shukla recently, along with his documentary subject, Ravish Kumar, and I asked Kumar why he felt the need to begin speaking out to his viewers and to the rest of the world about the state of Indian media. You will very often hear news anchors saying things like, we are here to serve the audience, and whatever the audience wants, we'll deliver. VINAY SHUKLA: When I came across Ravish, I was very surprised. The documentary "While We Watched" tracks his life as a journalist at the center of those political fights at a time when his own newsroom was crumbling around him. Indian media is in a state of crisis, and this crisis is not accidental or random but systemic and structural.ĬHANG: Kumar was a news anchor and senior executive editor for the news network NDTV in New Delhi for many years. RAVISH KUMAR: (Non-English language spoken). CHANG: One journalist who found himself targeted by those remarks, accused of being an anti-nationalist, is Ravish Kumar.
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