At The Kunj, in New Delhi, Aadyam Handwoven recently brought together handwoven textiles from different weaving clusters across India. Alongside the textiles was something increasingly difficult to encounter — a special screening of Shyam Benegal’s 1987 Hindi film Susman, which portrayed the lives and struggles of India’s handloom weavers. Susman is not readily available on mainstream streaming platforms, and Aadyam obtained special permission from Shyam Benegal’s family to screen the film. “Susman” — loosely translated as “the essence” — is an apt title for a film about the people who form the very warp and weft of India’s handloom tradition. Nearly four decades after the film was made, it raises an uncomfortable question: how much has really changed for the Indian weaver? “From the time of Shyam Benegal’s movie, a lot has changed, but........

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