Bengaluru: ‘Faceless People: The Journey of Sri Lankan Tamil Refugees in India’, a 24-minute documentary highlighting the struggles of Sri Lankan Tamil refugees living in India, will be screened at Renukamba Digital Studio in Malleswaram at 3 pm on Saturday.
Directed by senior journalist R K Radhakrishnan, the documentary explores the plight of Sri Lankan Tamil refugees who fled their homeland and have remained in legal uncertainty in India for decades.
The screening will bring attention to the experiences of a community that continues to face questions about its legal status and future, despite having spent many years in India.
Documentary highlights decades of uncertainty
‘Faceless People: The Journey of Sri Lankan Tamil Refugees in India’ examines the challenges confronting Sri Lankan Tamil refugees who sought refuge in India after leaving their home country.
The documentary draws attention to their prolonged uncertainty and the difficulties faced by people whose lives have been shaped by displacement. Its focus is on the continuing predicament of refugees who, despite spending decades in India, remain caught in a legal limbo.
Through its 24-minute narrative, the film seeks to bring the community’s circumstances into public discussion and highlight a humanitarian issue that has persisted for generations.
Film earns recognition at international festivals
The documentary has received recognition at several film festivals and awards platforms internationally.
It was adjudged the Best Film at the Los Angeles Film and Documentary Awards 2026. It also received the Special Jury Award for Best Short Documentary at the Roshani International Film Festival 2026.
The film was named a finalist at the European Short Film Festival in Oslo and the International Film Festival of The Hague. It has also been selected for the Nepal Cultural International Film Festival 2027.
The recognitions have brought further attention to the documentary and its subject, placing the experiences of Sri Lankan Tamil refugees before audiences beyond India.
Special screening held for MPs in Delhi
The documentary was recently screened at a special event in Delhi for members of Parliament. The screening offered an opportunity to bring the issue of Sri Lankan Tamil refugees to the attention of elected representatives.
The upcoming Bengaluru screening at Renukamba Digital Studio is scheduled for Saturday at 3 pm. The documentary’s central theme remains the prolonged uncertainty faced by Sri Lankan Tamil refugees in India and the need to understand their experiences beyond the circumstances that led them to flee their homeland.
By documenting the community’s continuing challenges, the film adds to public discussion on displacement, refugee status and the lives of people who have spent decades away from their country of origin.