Pulitzer Center-supported Pakistani-Sri Lankan documentary being awarded in India

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23 Feb 2026
PRESS RELEASE

BOSTON: The acclaimed Pulitzer Center-supported documentary ‘Democracy in Debt: Sri Lanka Beyond the Headlines’ will receive two awards at the Second Jalgaon International Film Festival in India this year, for ‘Best Social Film’ and ‘Best Screenplay’.

Supported by the Pulitzer Center and filmed in Sri Lanka in 2024 in the wake of the island nation’s economic collapse, the film features voices of farmers and teachers in a remote village in North Central province, juxtaposed with the views of policy makers, economists and then Prime Minister in the capital Colombo.

‘Democracy in Debt’ was produced by Pakistani journalist and filmmaker Beena Sarwar in collaboration with Sri Lankan historian and filmmaker Dr. SinhaRaja Tammita Delgoda, who also co-wrote and co-directed it, and researcher Uditha Devapriya.

The film was first screened at the Barberyn Ayurveda resort in Weligama, south Sri Lanka. It officially premiered at a cinema in Colombo, hosted by Factum International, in July 2024. attended by ambassadors, political figures, journalists, academics, cultural figures and retired military leaders.

The film, relevant beyond Sri Lanka, has so far been featured at more than 80 screenings in some 25 countries across the world. Screenings in the U.S. include Emerson College, Boston; Cambridge Public Library, Cambridge MA; Cornell University; and SUNY Buffalo.

The film has also been screened at various other venues in Southasia, including Karachi, Lahore, Jaipur, New Delhi, Hyderabad (India), Dhaka, and Kathmandu.

This is the first film made under the auspices of the Southasia Peace Action Network (southasiapeace.com) and Sapan News (sapannews.com), a syndicated news service focused on using journalism to reduce political tension and promote cultural understanding across Southasia and the Southasian diaspora. Beena Sarwar leads both initiatives.

The Jalgaon International Film Festival received more than 2,500 film submissions this year from 75 countries. “Democracy in Debt: Sri Lanka Beyond the Headlines“ is among the 250 being awarded by a jury comprising professionals from India, Iran, Egypt, Portugal and the Netherlands.

Winners at the awards and entertainment ceremony on Sunday, March 1 will be presented with a trophy, certificate, and a Maharashtra pagRi (turban). Mirza Dawood Azad, a local social, educational and political activist, will accept the awards on behalf of the ‘Democracy in Debt’ team.

The event will take place at the Abdul Kalam Azad Research Centre in the historic town of Aurangabad, Maharashtra, gateway to the UNESCO World Heritage sites of Ajanta and Ellora, famous for their ancient Buddhist, Hindu, and Jain rock-cut architecture.

Film trailer here –

About the film and how to watch it here.

Media reports include:

*Sapan uses ‘Southasia’ as one word to reflect our shared histories, geographies and cultures.

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