Somnath Waghmare

Somnath Waghmare
Somnath Waghmare in 2018
Born	Malewadi, Sangli district, Maharashtra, India
Nationality	Indian
Alma mater	Savitribai Phule Pune University Tata Institute of Social Sciences
Occupation	Filmmaker
Years active	2016–present
Notable work	I Am Not A Witch The Battle of Bhima Koregaon: An Unending Journey

Somnath Waghmare is an Indian documentary filmmaker based in the state of Maharashtra. ^[1] His most prominent and most recent film, Battle of Bhima Koregaon, ^[2] was critically received and screened in India and abroad. ^{[3] [4] [5]} Till now, all his films have been documentary films and they have dealt with various social issues like the persecution of women and Dalit assertion in Maharashtra. ^[6] He made his directorial debut with the short documentary feature I Am Not a Witch (2017). ^[7]

The Battle of Bhima Koregaon: An Unending Journey (2017)

Early life and education

Somnath was born in Dalit - Neo Buddhist labourers family at Malewadi, a small village in Sangli district, Maharashtra. ^{[8] [5]} He completed his graduation in sociology in from Shivaji University, Kolhapur and then attended Savitribai Phule Pune University in Pune for his post-graduate studies in Media and Communication Studies. ^[9] After completing his post-graduate studies, Somnath worked for two years as a contract employee at the Film and Television Institute of India before joining the Tata Institute of Social Sciences in Mumbai for his M.Phil degree and then later Ph.D. in Social Sciences. ^[9]

Work

Somnath has strong interests in the caste and cultural politics of Maharashtra. Both of his documentaries are focused on documentation and depiction of the political and social assertion by Dalits. He is also active in the anti-caste Phule-Ambedkarite movement of the state and has given several talks on caste in cinema, including at the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute in Kolkata. Waghmare's debut film I Am Not A Witch was a short documentary feature based on the persecution of marginalized women in Maharashtra. His second and most famous film Battle of Bhima Koregaon received was widely acclaimed. The film was screened at multiple locations in India and also in New York at the Dalit Film and Cultural Festival at Columbia University, New York, alongside the works of filmmakers such as Pa. Ranjith and Nagraj Manjule. ^{[10] [3] [11]}

The Battle of Bhima Koregaon: An Unending Journey records how the memorial is a source of encouragement to those who are marginalized and discriminated against, especially today when caste-based atrocities are on the rise.

Dipti Nagpaul, Indian Express.

Waghmare is currently working on his third documentary film, Gail and Bharat, about Gail Omvedt and Bharat Patankar, two of the most distinguished activists and researchers of Dalit-Bahujan movements in the country. ^[12] In 2020, Waghmare and Smita Rajmane received a grant Foundation for Indian Contemporary Art for their project ‘The Ambedkar Age Digital Bookmobile’. ^[8] In late 2023, Chaityabhumi was released and has been screened at various institutions and events both in India and internationally, including the London School of Economics, Columbia University, and the University of Göttingen. This documentary is produced by director Pa. Ranjith’s Neelam Productions. ^{[13] [14]} and it received positive responses from media outlets. ^{[15] [16] [17]}

Filmography

As director

Year	Film
2016	I Am Not A Witch
2017	The Battle of Bhima Koregaon: An Unending Journey
2020	Rajgruha Stands Tall
2021	Gail and Bharat
2023	Chaityabhumi

Memories of Mangaon 2022

There is no Caste Discrimination in IIT's? 2023

External links

• Battle of Bhima Koregaon on YouTube
• Gail and Bharat on YouTube

References

1. Vinutha Mallya (24 December 2017). "Songs of revolution". Pune Mirror. Retrieved 13 October 2020.
2. "A Docu Journey Into the History and Significance of Bhima Koregaon". BloombergQuint. 4 January 2018. Retrieved 11 October 2020.
3. Rahi Gaikwad (30 January 2019). "TISS student's docufilm heads for the Big Apple". Mumbai Mirror. Retrieved 11 October 2020.
4. "Docu-film on intriguing 1818 battle premieres in Bengaluru". Deccan Herald. 14 April 2017. Retrieved 11 October 2020.
5. Nagpaul, Dipti (4 January 2018). "Somnath Waghmare's documentary explains why the Battle of Bhima Koregaon is important to Dalits". The Indian Express . Retrieved 26 February 2025.
6. "somnath waghmare Archives · Dalit Camera". Dalit Camera. Retrieved 13 October 2020.
7. "I Am Not A Witch – Documentary Film by Somnath Waghmare". Velivada. 29 November 2017. Retrieved 11 October 2020.
8. "PAG 2019 |". The Foundation for Indian Contemporary Art. Retrieved 13 October 2020.
9. Banaji, Shakuntala (13 October 2023). "When research, activism and art meet: A conversation with film-maker Somnath Waghmare". LSE . Retrieved 27 February 2025.
10. Murali, Aarthi (31 January 2019). "'Kaala' & 'Pariyerum Perumal' To Be Screened At Dalit Film And Cultural Festival In New York". Silverscreen.in. Retrieved 13 October 2020.
11. Shinde, Ravikiran (27 February 2019). "'Dalit Film Festival is not just a festival, it's a movement'". Newslaundry. Retrieved 13 October 2020.
12. "Director Somnath to crowdfund film on anti-caste activist couple, Gail and Bharat". The News Minute. 18 June 2018. Retrieved 13 October 2020.
13. "Chaityabhumi". Bangalore International Centre. Retrieved 17 February 2025.
14. Singaravel, Bharathy (31 October 2023). "Somnath Waghmare's Chaityabhumi shows celebration is inseparable from anti-caste struggle". The News Minute. Retrieved 17 February 2025.
15. Prashant (3 November 2023). "What's more potent than Ambedkar today? Lakhs of Ambedkarites at Chaityabhumi in Mumbai". ThePrint. Retrieved 17 February 2025.
16. Ramnath, Nandini (6 November 2023). "New documentary 'Chaityabhumi' reveals Ambedkar memorial's centrality in the Dalit imagination". Scroll.in. Retrieved 17 February 2025.
17. Sebastian, Alexander (9 January 2024). "'Chaityabhumi (2023)' documentary: He rests in power". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 17 February 2025.