[8] The movie was first conceived by Khushboo Ranka and Vinay Shukla as a way to continue the theme of documenting uprisings and protests happening around the world.

[9][10] The makers of "An Insignificant Man" posted a 'plea' on their film site, making a case for the importance of their documentary, stating, "When we began shooting, nobody knew what lay in the future.

In the last year, we have been helped by friends who moved cities and jobs to work on this film and by colleagues who brought in their own resources.

"[11] The film's site explains, "What is unique in the Indian story is that some of the protesters decided to form a political party and fight state-wide elections in New Delhi.

This form of production has become increasingly popular in Indian cinema due to the rise of a major independent film movement in the country.

When asked in an interview with The Hindu, a major newspaper in India, on why the team chose crowdfunding, Shukla said "Our film is a documentary set in contemporary politics and investors didn't find it an interesting proposition.

The filmmakers were directed by the board to get a No-Objection Certificate (NOC) from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Arvind Kejriwal, former Delhi CM Sheila Dikshit.

[13] Further, the board had also asked them to remove references to the two biggest political parties in India, Congress and BJP from the documentary.

"In these circumstances, requiring a filmmaker to obtain an NOC from the affected parties or characters in the film to whom references are made, is tantamount to the CBFC abdicating its statutory functions.

About muting the names of political parties, the FCAT said, "Public interest is best served in upholding the Right to Freedom of Expression rather than protecting an undeserved reputation.

[22] In spite of tough competition from big commercial releases,[23] the film went on to have a good theatrical run and has been loved by audiences.

The way they have maintained a coherent narrative makes you feel as if you’re watching a taut thriller; they keep you glued till the very last moment."

[26] TIFF 2016, IDFA 2016, BFI London Film Festival 2016, CPH:DOX 2016,FIFDH 2017, AFI Docs 2017 and Sheffield Doc/Fest 2017.