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The Women Who Stayed On Air

Documentary · 2026

The Women Who Stayed on Air is an independently produced documentary by Phaneendra Adapala, exploring the women behind Sangham Radio, a community radio station in India run by rural women.

Through intimate interviews and everyday moments, the film follows their journey from recording village life with cassette recorders to building a platform for local knowledge, health, culture, and community expression. It explores the challenges they have navigated along the way, from learning technical skills and negotiating family expectations to sustaining the station through long working days and changing media landscapes.

As traditional radio faces new challenges in an increasingly digital world, the film turns its attention to the women who continue to keep the station alive. Their story is not simply about broadcasting, but about agency, collective effort, and the determination to create a medium of their own.

Impact & Results

They didn't wait to be heard. They built their own microphone.

We produced this documentary to bring attention to the women behind Sangham Radio and the work involved in sustaining a community-led media platform.

Rather than approaching the station as a technological or institutional story, we focused on the women themselves, their experiences, struggles, knowledge, and everyday commitment to keeping their voices on air.

The film reflects our interest in stories that reveal larger social realities through the lives of the people experiencing them, allowing their voices and lived experiences to shape the narrative.

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Type

Documentary

Year

2026

Gallery

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