‘What’s Your Story?’, directed by O.P. Srivastava, is a documentary that cuts straight to the heart of independent filmmaking in India. Produced during the Covid-19 lockdowns of 2021 and composed almost entirely of Zoom interviews, the film embraces its stripped-back format – not as a compromise, but as a deliberate focus on substance over style. What it lacks in polish, it more than makes up for with clarity, insight, and purpose.
Multilingual in scope, spanning English, Indo-Aryan, and Dravidian languages (with subtitles for international viewers), the film serves as a democratic space for voices often drowned out by the noise of mainstream cinema. Through intimate, screen-bound conversations with a diverse array of Indian indie filmmakers, Srivastava creates a mosaic of passion, frustration, innovation, and survival.
There’s no sugar-coating here. From the impossibility of securing funding, to the near-futility of distribution, and the specific logistical hell of shooting in rural India, the film presents indie filmmaking as a battlefield. These creators speak not with cynicism, but with relentless optimism and fire. For them, storytelling is a tool for resistance, representation, and social change.
What is praisworthy about ‘What’s Your Story?’ is that is feels like a manifesto. It encourages emerging artists to hold their ground, to believe in their vision even when the system ignores them. It speaks directly to those who are building something out of nothing.
This is a film with a specific Indian lens, but its heartbeat is global. Anyone interested in the future of indie cinema – especially where it intersects with equity and innovation – should give this one a watch. Srivastava has captured something vital here: how talented creatives fight tooth and nail to tell their stories.
