Press Release:Press Information Bureau

Ministry of Information & Broadcasting

Ministry of I&B and Netflix join hands to produce inspiring short videos “Azadi Ki Amrit Kahaniyan”

For women, freedom includes fighting against stereotypes, taboos: says I&B Minister Anurag Thakur

Netflix and Ministry to partner to develop creative ecosystem in India for post-production, VFX, animation, music production

Posted On: 26 APR 2022 4:40PM by PIB Mumbai

Delhi/Mumbai, 26 April 2022

As part of the celebration of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting, Shri Anurag Thakur today launched ‘Azadi Ki Amrit Kahaniya’, a short video series created in collaboration with Netflix.

‘Azadi Ki Amrit Kahaniyan’ is an iconic initiative which brings out beautiful stories of inspirational Indians on various themes including Women Empowerment, Environment & Sustainability, and others. The diverse set of stories seek to motivate and empower Indians from every corner of the country.

The Ministry and Netflix have collaborated to produce the first set of videos featuring seven Women Change makers from across the country who share their experiences in breaking the glass ceiling. They are demonstrated as ‘forces of nature’ as they speak about what Azadi means to them. Showcasing the unique diversity of India, these two minute short films were shot in locations across the country and are narrated by acclaimed actor, Ms Neena Gupta.

The first set of videos feature seven women change makers –

Ms. Basanti Devi, Padma-award winning environmentalist from Pithoragarh known for her contribution towards revitalizing the Kosi river;

Ms. Anshu Jamsenpa, a Padma Shri awardee for being the first woman in the world to summit Mount Everest twice in five days in 2017,

Ms. Harshini Kanhekar, the first female firefighter in India, were also present at the launch.

Ms. Poonam Nautiyal, a healthcare worker who walked miles across Bageshwar district in Uttarakhand to vaccinate everyone;

Dr. Tessy Thomas, the first woman scientist to head a missile project in India;

Ms. Tanvi Jagadish, India's first competitive woman stand-up paddleboarder and

Ms. Aarohi Pandit, the world's youngest and first woman pilot to cross the Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific Ocean solo in a light-sport aircraft.

Three of the videos, featuring Ms. Basanti Devi, Ms. Anshu and Ms. Harshini; and a trailer offering a sneak peek into the series, were released today. All the three women were present at the launch ceremony.

The Minister lauded the remarkable achievements of the three women on the dais and said their stories will inspire people across the country. “The idea of Azadi is intertwined with women emancipation in India. The term Azadi or freedom holds a wider connotation for women who have to fight stereotypes and taboos in the society as well” he remarked.

Speaking on the I&B Ministry’s collaboration with the OTT Platform Netflix Shri Thakur said "this initiative aims to bring out inspiring stories of Indians and these stories shall motivate and empower more people to achieve their goals".

He added that this will be a long term partnership where different themes and diverse stories will be highlighted. "Netflix will be producing 25 videos on themes including women empowerment, environment and sustainable development and other days of significance. These will be shared on social media platforms and telecast on Doordarshan network", Shri Thakur elaborated.

The Minister also announced that Netflix would partner with the Ministry to develop a creative ecosystem by organizing training programs for post-production, VFX, animation, music production among others and will be organized on ground and virtually.

Earlier, Secretary Shri Apurva Chandra in his opening remarks highlighted the convergence between the Ministry of I&B and Netflix and said that the two entities signed a collaboration agreement and these three videos released today are the first set produced under this partnership. He added that a deeper collaboration featuring a long running series on our freedom struggle and the stories that need to be told to the world is in the pipeline.

Speaking on the occasion Ms Bela Bajaria, Head of Global TV, Netflix, said Netflix was proud to partner with MIB to celebrate and acknowledge the evolution of India over past 75 years by celebrating its beautiful art, culture and storytelling. . "Netflix is excited to be part of a time when stories from India are being exported to the world and the best Indian stories are being discovered and loved on a global stage", she added.

Story of Basanti Devi, the savior of Kosi River