Kiran Admache | Audio-Visual Fellow, Madhya Pradesh 

Kiran Admache is a Gond Adivasi filmmaker and engineer from Seoni, Madhya Pradesh. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering and is an alumna of the Green Hub Central India Fellowship where she learned documentary filmmaking. She has worked with organisations such as PRADAN in Rajasthan, Wild Harvest in Jharkhand, and Samagra Seva in Bihar as a freelance filmmaker. Currently, she is part of CICADA, a tribal filmmakers’ collective, where she runs community film clubs with fellow team members.

What do you hope to learn through this fellowship?

Through the Woman Farmer Project, I hope to learn how to tell honest and meaningful stories through photographs while building trust with the people I capture. I want to improve both technically and emotionally—how can I observe, listen, and represent someone’s life respectfully. I’m also hoping to learn from the mentors, the team, and from the women farmers themselves. More than just taking good pictures and videos, I want to understand how stories can create connection, empathy, and awareness.

What film or writing would you recommend we read to understand more about women farmers in your region, and what did you love about it?

I would recommend watching The seeds of Vandana Shiva. Even though it speaks about farming across India, it helped me understand the association between women, land, seeds, and traditional knowledge in central Indian regions like Madhya Pradesh.

The documentary Writing With Fire, directed by Rintu Thomas and Sushmit Ghosh, also resonated with me. I loved how it highlights the honesty and courage of the women journalists from nearby Uttar Pradesh, the way they moved through villages, listened to people, and claimed space in places where women are often expected to stay invisible.

What is an ingredient and an associated recipe from your region that you hold dear?

An ingredient I really hold close is mahua. In many tribal states, mahua is deeply linked to everyday life, especially in Adivasi communities. A preparation I love is Mahua Raab. Made from mahua flowers, it has a thick, rich sweetness almost like honey. People usually eat it with roti, but I love making small rolls with it and eating them with my hands. It’s a simple yet comforting preparation.