Documentary with focus on Gurugram wins best non-feature film at National Awards

The documentary “The Silent Epidemic” uses its focus on Gurugram to personalise the national crisis of road accidents, moving beyond mere statistics to show the human cost.

The Silent Epidemic, a documentary, has won best non-feature film at the 71st National Film Awards, bringing national recognition to a project that highlighted the human toll of road crashes in Gurugram and throughout India.

Official poster for the documentary. (HT)

The film, directed by Akshat Gupta and Presented by Gurgaon Based Raahgiri Foundation and Delhi based Cinema4Good, was produced by social entrepreneur Sarika Panda Bhatt and internationally acclaimed filmmaker Jitendra Mishra, with creative production by Akash Basu in association with Delhi based Wheeling Happiness Foundation.

The documentary “The Silent Epidemic” uses its focus on Gurugram to personalise the national crisis of road accidents, moving beyond mere statistics to show the human cost. By featuring poignant stories like that of Hemant, a local mechanical engineer whose life was irrevocably altered by a crash, the film grounds the issue in a tangible, relatable reality. Gurugram, with its rapid urbanization and significant traffic challenges, serves as a powerful microcosm of the broader road safety problems plaguing many Indian cities.

A key aspect of the documentary’s narrative on Gurugram is its focus on specific, high-risk locations, most notably the infamous Hero Honda Chowk.

Featuring deeply personal narratives, The Silent Epidemic portrays the struggles of survivors and families in . Among them is Paralympic gold medalist Sumit Antil, who rebuilt his life after a crash, and grieving parents who lost their young son in a hit-and-run.

“Road crashes are not just statistics, they are stories of lives upended and dreams lost,” said Bhatt, who also leads the Raahgiri Day movement. “This recognition strengthens our resolve to advocate for safer, more inclusive streets designed for people, not just vehicles.”

After receiving the award from President Droupadi Murmu, Mishra said: “Cinema has the power to transform perspectives. With The Silent Epidemic, we wanted to tell stories that reflect the human cost of unsafe roads and the urgent need for collective action.”

The documentary also includes insights from experts such as Dr Mathew Varghese, orthopaedic surgeon and road safety advocate, and IIT Delhi’s Prof. Geetam Tiwari. It follows Raahgiri Foundation’s interventions at Gurugram’s Hero Honda Chowk, where design changes were introduced to improve safety.

With over two lakh road deaths and four lakh serious injuries annually, the film underscores the urgency of safer road design and enforcement. Raahgiri Foundation said the award should not be seen only as recognition for the film but also as a “call to action” to build cities where “no life is lost or altered due to unsafe roads.”