Stories from Northern India

Who We Are

Cowbelt Studios is a documentary film collective dedicated to uncovering untold stories from northern India—often referred to as the "cowbelt" region. The approach fuses academic inquiry with the art of visual storytelling.

Our mission is to spotlight unheard voices and underrepresented narratives from the heartland of India through films grounded in immersive research.

We produce visually compelling, research-driven films that bring forward the voices and experiences of marginalised communities across caste, gender, class, religion, and region.

What We Do

We create documentary films based on interviews, discussions and archival exploration rooted in fieldwork and ethical representation. From rural villages to urban margins, we explore how communities navigate law, justice, gender, migration, and social change

Who We Are

Cowbelt Studios is a documentary film collective dedicated to uncovering untold stories from northern India—often referred to as the "cowbelt" region. The approach fuses academic inquiry with the art of visual storytelling.

Our mission is to spotlight unheard voices and underrepresented narratives from the heartland of India through films grounded in immersive research.

We produce visually compelling, research-driven films that bring forward the voices and experiences of marginalised communities across caste, gender, class, religion, and region.

What We Do

We create documentary films based on interviews, discussions and archival exploration rooted in fieldwork and ethical representation. From rural villages to urban margins, we explore how communities navigate law, justice, gender, migration, and social change

Founders

Afiya Khalid

is a PhD researcher at TISS, Mumbai, whose work integrates documentary filmmaking with field-based research on social exclusion and inclusive development in Northern India. She brings together theory and practice to create grounded, research-driven narratives.

Niteesh Saini

is an independent filmmaker whose documentaries explore social issues, with a focus on labour rights, workers’ movements, and climate change. With over ten years of cinematic experience, he challenges exclusionary portrayals of marginalised communities in films.

Rizwan Rahman

is a Delhi-based independent journalist and researcher with a focus on Indigenous communities, human rights, and climate change. His interest lies in investigating the hidden through data and public records. With over seven years of experience in journalism, he is now exploring filmmaking through the lens of social justice.

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