Pinaka Mediaworks

Panjab University Journal Publishes Scholarly Study of Ojaswwee Sharma’s Rabb Di Awaaz

Rabb Di Awaaz, the Hindi feature film directed by National Award-winning filmmaker Ojaswwee Sharma and described as the longest-running non-commercial film, is now the subject of a research paper published by Panjab University, Chandigarh. Titled “Claiming Blindness: Reviewing through Disability Lens the Film Rabb Di Awaaz,” the paper appears on pages 66–77 of Volume XVI (2023) of the Indian Journal of Distance Education, published by the Centre for Distance and Online Education (CDOE), Panjab University. The complete research can be read in the journal’s Volume XVI PDF.

The paper reads the film through disability studies. It argues that Rabb Di Awaaz treats blindness as a social and cultural experience shaped by attitudes and power structures, not only as a medical condition, and that it challenges narratives of pity, fear and dependency, the dominance of sight, and the neglect of mental health in profit-driven work cultures. It also offers a critical appraisal of the film’s spiritual framing and its portrayal of the blind protagonist, concluding that, despite its limitations, the film opens space for dialogue.

About the author: Dr. Rajesh Kumar Jaiswal is currently an Associate Professor of English at the Centre for Distance and Online Education, Panjab University, Chandigarh. His paper draws on disability-studies scholars including David Bolt, Lennard J. Davis and Rod Michalko to examine how cinema represents blindness.

Released on 28 December 2023 with Hindi audio description and Indian Sign Language versions, Rabb Di Awaaz has completed more than 1,000 days since release and 293+ free screenings in schools, colleges, universities, special-education institutions, NGOs and film festivals, and is available free on YouTube (figures as reported by Pinaka Mediaworks, as of October 14, 2026). The film continues its screenings across India and abroad, and has received the Special Jury Award at the 20th We Care Film Festival 2025.

The publication matters beyond one film. For academics, it places a contemporary Hindi film in the scholarly record as a citable case study. For mainstream entertainment, it shows that a story about blindness can be told with authentic representation and built-in accessibility, and still draw audiences. For policy, the film’s accessible formats offer a practical example for cinema accessibility and the portrayal of disability on screen. For society, its free screenings turn the film into a starting point for conversations about inclusion, mental health and acceptance.

Research paper filed on Official Panjab University Website: Indian Journal of Distance Education, Vol. XVI (2023)
More on the film: Rabb Di Awaaz wiki
Read the Published Research: Rabb Di Awaaz Research Paper Panjab University

Rabb Di Awaaz at a glance

  • Reach: 293+ screenings till October 14, 2026 since the premiere on 28 December 2023 at MGSIPA, Chandigarh, where three shows drew an audience of over 1,000. The film crossed 200 screenings by its first anniversary.
  • Access: all screenings are free of charge, and the film is available free on YouTube in general, audio-described and Indian Sign Language versions.
  • Audiences: schools, colleges, universities, special-education institutions, NGOs and film festivals, including special shows for visually and hearing-impaired audiences.
  • Footprint: screenings in several Indian states and at festivals in United States, United Kingdom, Nepal and Bangladesh.
  • Impact: screenings were followed by discussions on inclusive cinema, education and accessibility. The film has received 29 awards and festival selections, and has now entered academic scholarship.

Rabb Di Awaaz is produced by Pinaka Mediaworks, Rolling Frames Motion Pictures and Mastershot Pictures and released worldwide by RFE TV Rolling Frames Entertainment, and directed by National Award Winning Film Director Ojaswwee Sharma

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