Aligarh (2016) asked simple questions that still feel uncomfortable: Who is entitled to privacy without suspicion? Who is allowed desire without becoming spectacle? The film does not announce. It mourns. And that is perhaps why it endures.
About The Author
Shefali Khan is a Delhi-based documentary filmmaker, writer, and media professional who holds a Master’s degree in Mass Communication from Jamia Millia Islamia.
2016 wasn’t a golden age. It had blind spots, compromises and safe, formulaic films. Yet, in 2026, as the industry becomes more risk-averse, it’s hard not to look back at that year with a pang of longing.
‘Dhobi Ghat’ mirrors the rhythm of the city itself, where lives intersect, diverge and move on, leaving only fragments of intimacy behind.
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