Student Films

The School of Media and Cultural Studies has carried out a project titled “Lights, Camera and Time for Action: Recasting Gender Equality Compliant Hindi Cinema” funded by the US Consulate, Mumbai, The project aimed at studying gender parity in Hindi films, both on-screen and behind the screen from a multi-stakeholder perspective.

As part of this project, Masters’ students of the class of 2021-23 were mentored by Ms Nithila Kanagasabai and Dr Shilpi Gulati to make four short public service announcements (PSAs) and short documentary films.

 

PSAs

1. TO-LET Toilet

Filmmakers: Aakriti Thatal, Riya Singh Suryavanshi, Milind Pandita

Duration: 2 minutes 7 seconds

Language: Hindi,English

Synopsis: An excited intern working on a shooting location for the first time has difficulty finding a women’s toilet on the set. The PSA is an attempt to highlight the historicity of this issue and place it in the context of Hindi Cinema through the ages.

    1. Project Stree, Finding Faces

    Filmmakers: Hemant Kumar, Abhibyanjana Thatal

    Duration: 2 min 30 seconds

    Language: English, Hindi

    Synopsis: The PSA contrasts the stereotypical portrayal of lead women actresses in Bollywood movies with the beautiful faces of everyday women belonging to diverse ethnic backgrounds and age groups.

    3. Title of the film: Not an Option

    Filmmakers: Prahlad Venkatesan, Asmita Srivastava, Rebekah Awungshi

    Duration: 3 minutes and 15 seconds.

    Language: Hindi,English

    Synopsis: This film explores the varied reactions towards the issue of sexual harassement in the Hindi film industry through a parody show. The show highlights the attitudes among those working in “Bollywood ” while demanding better institutional arrangements and greater awareness regarding the issue of workplace safety through the character of a host and past footage from important industry events and shows.

    4. Title: Sanskriti AI 

    Filmmakers: Nishtha Bisht, Ashutosh Mishra

    Duration: 03:09

    Language: Hindi

    Synopsis: The PSA is a satirical advertisement for Sanskriti.AI – a software that weeds out scenes promoting female sexual agency in Hindi films. It is inspired by the comments made by the members of censor board in the past.

    Video Link: Not Available

    Short films

    1. New Girl in the City

    Directors: Asmita Srivastava, Aakriti Thatal, Ashutosh Mishra

    Duration: 15:53

    Language: English, Hindi, Nepali with English subtitles

    Synopsis: Two women new to Mumbai write letters and postcards to their friends back home. As they navigate through the city, they explore how they associate or disassociate with it, comparing it to what Hindi Cinema on the big screen had curated for them.

    2. Kaali Peeli

    Directors: Milind Pandita, Rebekah Awungshi, Abhibyanjana Thatal

    Duration: 24:45

    Language: Hindi, English with English Subtitles

    Synopsis: In an attempt to make a film, three filmmakers and Sabhajit Yadav, a kaali-peeli taxi driver, travel across the city of Mumbai. Journeying through concrete and billboard-laden roads, Sabhajit talks about the city of dreams, gender and society, film stars and their roles as social beings.

    3. Dekho Magar Pyaar Se

    Directors: Hemant Kumar, Nishtha Bisht, Prahlad Venkatesan, Riya Singh Suryavanshi

    Duration: 16:20

    Language: Hindi, English with English Subtitles

    Synopsis: The film explores the phenomenon of trolling faced by Bollywood actresses. Two women working for Sensational Bollywood News Company question their work and go deep into a conversation about swimsuits and troll culture in our society.