Bharatbala’s short film 'Ramnami' wins Best Documentary at National Film Awards

Filmmaker Bharatbala's short documentary 'Ramnami' won the Best Documentary award at the 72nd National Film Awards, presented by President Droupadi Murmu.

The film explores the Chhattisgarh-based devotional Hindu sect founded in the 1890s, whose members tattoo the name of Ram across their bodies as peaceful protest against caste-based temple exclusion.

The six-minute documentary focuses on central subject Manohar and forms part of Bharatbala's 1,000-film 'Virtual Bharat' project documenting diverse Indian traditions.