“Anthem for Kashmir”: Solidarity for Free Expression in Kashmir
Sandeep Ravindranath, director of the short film “Anthem for Kashmir,” joins lawyer and author Imraan Mir for a discussion spanning the contemporary history of the region, the challenges to free expressions in and about and how the censorship of a Tamil protest rock music video illustrates the urgent need for solidarity with the people of Kashmir. Check out this article to learn more about the censorship of the film.
About the Series
Between the Bats and Bulbuls: Musical Expressions from the Valley of Kashmir
Season 5 of Brooklyn Raga Massive’s Uncovered/Recovered series is dedicated to the rich and evolving landscapes of musical expression from the Kashmir Valley. Featuring contemporary and classical musicians, filmmakers, advocates, and scholars, the series explores how Kashmiri artists navigate limitations on free speech while preserving and innovating on the region’s multicultural traditions.
All events in this series are free and open to the public. If you’d like to make a suggested donation of $25 you can do so here.
BRM acknowledges that our collective and artists have thrived because of the labor of disprivileged artisan communities in South Asia who have played significant roles in the creation, preservation, and innovation of raga-based arts. The Uncovered/Recovered series aims to platform these underrepresented voices and strengthen BRM’s commitment to decolonized art and critical activism. Learn more about the series and past seasons here.
About the Participants
Sandeep Ravindranath is a student of the audiovisual arts. He has served as a live sound engineer for such acts as Chitravina Ravi Kiran, Nagai Muralidharan, The Carnatica Brothers, Ustad Shahed Pervez Khan and Steve Gorn among others. As an on-location sound recordist, his work on the Lebanese film What Remains was shortlisted for the Student BAFTA in 2018. He holds a Master’s degree in Music Technology from New York University and was a programmer analyst for Sony Music in Manhattan. His directorial venture "The Bookshelf" dealt with the subject of growing intolerance in India and was commissioned by Perumal Murugan’s Kalachuvadu and Indira Chandrasekhar’s Tulika. In 2016, Sandeep was offered a full scholarship in the direction program at Columbia College Chicago where his thesis film Diary of an Outsider received Jury invitation from the Directors Guild of America to its Student Awards. To date, his shorts Lullaby, The Bookshelf, Santhana Gopala, Diary of an Outsider and Sub Brothers have screened at over 120 film festivals in 21 countries winning numerous awards along the way. His latest short, Anthem for Kashmir, launched by Anand Patwardhan and T.M. Krishna, was censored by the right-wing government of India.
Imraan Mir is a lawyer, entrepreneur and author. His Kashmir-related work involves research, writing and advocacy to increase awareness of widely misunderstood historic and contemporary realities and to facilitate accountability for rights violations in Kashmir. He has done work on Kashmir since the late 1990s independently and through collaborations and partnerships with various organizations, including the Kashmir Law and Justice Project. He holds a J.D. from Harvard Law.