NHRC Honors Filmmakers for Championing Human Rights Through Cinema

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NHRC Honors Filmmakers for Championing Human Rights Through Cinema

The NHRC announced that all winning films will be made available on the Commission’s website.

RMN News Human Rights Desk
New Delhi | April 8, 2026

NEW DELHI – The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) held a prestigious award ceremony on April 7, 2026, to celebrate the seven winners of its human rights Short Film Competition 2025. The event, held at the NHRC premises, recognized filmmakers who utilized the power of cinema to advocate for social justice and human rights awareness.

Top Honors and Themes: The first prize of Rs 2 lakh was awarded to Sarika Jain for her Hindi film, ‘Rani’, which examines class divisions and the hardships faced by female domestic workers. The second prize of Rs 1.5 lakh went to Amal S. for the Malayalam film ‘Meanwhile She..’, which addresses the domestic violence and disproportionate burdens placed on working women. Taking the third prize of Rs 1 lakh was Sai Shashank Tati for the Tamil film ‘The Delivery’, a look at the job insecurity and lack of protection for gig workers.

Additionally, four films received Special Mentions and cash prizes of Rs 50,000 each:

‘Malati’ by Falguni Bhakta (tribal education).
‘Second Chance’ by Ravi Karnwal (prison reforms).
‘Dusk of Life’ by Damodar D. Pawar (elderly resilience).
‘Bhagyashree’ by Manoj Appaso Janwekar (rights of widows).

A Powerful Medium for Advocacy: Addressing the gathering, NHRC Chairperson Justice V. Ramasubramanian described audio-visual content as a powerful medium that appeals directly to the subconscious mind. He noted that the 2025 entries represented 24 Indian languages, reflecting the national character and diversity of the Commission.

NHRC Member Justice (Dr.) Bidyut Ranjan Sarangi underscored cinema’s vital role in protecting human rights, while Member Vijaya Bharathi Sayani lauded young filmmakers as “torchbearers” capable of breaking societal barriers and challenging stereotypes.

Growing Public Engagement: Secretary General Bharat Lal highlighted the competition’s significant growth as a major outreach initiative. Participation rose from 303 entries in 2024 to 526 entries in 2025, with 438 qualifying for a rigorous three-stage jury evaluation. Justice Ramasubramanian expressed optimism that this trend of creative social advocacy would continue to grow.

To further the cause of awareness, the NHRC announced that all winning films will be made available on the Commission’s website. These resources are intended for use by government bodies, academic institutions, and civil society organizations to promote human rights across the country.