Shilpa Kunnappillil is an Indian-American documentary filmmaker and editor based in Brooklyn. In her films, she explores womanhood through stories of identity, family, and culture, specifically focusing on South Asian communities. She is a 2019 NeXt Doc Fellow and winner of Fusion Film Festival’s documentary pitch competition. She is also a recent graduate of NYU Tisch School of the Arts.
In 2018, India's Supreme Court overturned a ruling that had, for centuries, banned women from entering the sacred Hindu temple of Sabarimala. In response, Indian women across the world protested the verdict en masse, vowing never to enter the temple -- a response that marks India's recent movement toward right-wing nationalism. The Road to Sabarimala is an exploration of the shifting perspectives of Indian women as their traditions come into conflict with their rights. The film follows three women who risk their lives to enter the temple, amidst an exceedingly dangerous political climate.