The film ‘India in a Day’ (2016) uses powerful footage crowdsourced from locals to provide a raw insight into the lives of those living in India. In collaboration with Google and Scott Free Productions, millions of people in India shared their videos from October 10^th, 2015 to create ‘India in a Day’. The film shares the narrative of thousands of diverse individuals who call India home.

Capturing the beauty and magic of India the film shares a narrative of family, food and hope for the future. In correlation, it also brings to light the harsh and somewhat confronting realities that are prevalent within the country.

The themes of technology and development are both integral in ‘India in a Day’. The film itself relied heavily on mobile phone footage provided by locals to capture the stories and of India’s culture and people. In doing so, it also captures the large gap that exists between wealth and poverty.

In the opening scene of ‘India in a Day’, the film illustrates a local man relying his access to technology on his neighbours Wi-Fi. This scene emphasises that whilst India is developing and does not have advanced access to technology in all areas, locals value staying connected – relying on one another to achieve this.

The film highlights an evident changing landscape in India brought upon by developments and technology. As India continues to develop and advance it can be seen “racing to embrace its future but still tethered to many of its traditions” with Staff (2016) remarking that “both elders and young adults look around them and note how different the world is now from what it was in their youth”.

After watching ‘India in a Day’ I have broadened my awareness on the stark contrasts in which people in India live. The documentary widened my knowledge regarding development and technology access within India and how this impacts its people’s everyday lives and their culture.

References:

Staff, T., 2016. ‘India in a Day’: Film Review. [online] The Hollywood Reporter. Available at: https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/india-a-day-955299/