Sky Arts Lines Up Brontë Sisters Doc with Anita Rani

Sky Arts has commissioned the one-hour documentary Anita Rani—The Brontes: Sisters of Disruption (w.t.) from Wise Owl Films.

The documentary will trace Anita Rani’s relationship with the Brontës as she heads back to Bradford to recall the first time she read Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights at school and the sense of identification she felt with the sisters. She will also meet fellow fans and literary experts to explore why the Brontës’ work has influenced millions of readers and continues to feel relevant today.

The documentary is being directed by Dhivya Kate Chetty, with Mark Robinson as an executive producer. It will air on Sky Arts and Freeview next year.

“The legacy of the astounding work of Anne, Charlotte and Emily Brontë continues to reverberate around the world,” Robinson said. “They were challenging the patriarchy 200 years ago. The worlds the sisters created have influenced culture across the centuries —from Kate Bush to Taylor Swift, Game of Thrones to Saltburn. As well as looking at how they inspired her, Anita will also discover just what made them so subversive—and very different to the timid image so frequently associated with them.”

“I’m really excited about this documentary,” commented Barbara Lee, commissioning editor for Sky. “The Brontë sisters were the original disruptors of literature. They were uncompromising feminist trailblazers, despite being the unlikeliest of rebels. Bradford born and bred broadcaster and author Anita Rani is the perfect guide, given how passionate she is about the Brontës’ writing, their legacy and their impact on her own life.”

Rani said, “These strong, unearthly sisters fed into my psyche and made me think anything was possible. I related to the darkness and tragedy in the Brontës’ lives. They had as much impact on me as Neneh Cherry, The Smiths and Goldie.

“In this film, I’m going to explore how these women—so full of rage—changed my life, and the world. Growing up, romance wasn’t on the cards. Bollywood felt distant. But Heathcliff… well, he could have been Indian—dark hair, dark features—why would he not be?”