Malti Sahai: I am Malti Sahai, former Director of the Directorate of Film Festivals (DIFF), India. I was there for 20 years. I was there when the two eminent directors sitting on my right and left came to Delhi to participate in the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) with their first films; Piravi (Shaji N Karun) and Samna (Jabbar Patel). I don’t think they need much of an introduction. Shaji is from here and he’s very well-known both in the country and internationally for his films, outstanding among them was the very first one Piravi followed by Swaham and Vanaprastham. He won the Caméra d’Or award at the 1989 Cannes Film Festival. Since he was there on the red carpet for Piravi, no Indian film has got into the Cannes Film Festival.
On my left here is Jabbar Patel. He is best known for Umbartha which was a film on the women’s movement. I was sitting with Nandita Das today at breakfast and she was telling me that Umbartha was the first film that gave her the direction to go into social services for women’s rights. The other film that I remember very well is Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar which was a mammoth exercise because it was a biopic of Ambedkar. Mammootty played the role of Ambedkar in that film and gave an excellent performance. Along with being eminent film directors, they both are also directors of film festivals. Jabbar runs the Pune International Film Festival (PIFF) and Shaji is the Chairman of the Kerala State Film Development Corporation (KSFDC), which organised the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) until 1998.
This story is from the March 2023 edition of Chalachitra Sameeksha.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the March 2023 edition of Chalachitra Sameeksha.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Action Hero Pauly Hegemonic Masculinity in the Grammar of Realism
Distinguished cinematic movements inevitably reflect the structural and formal changes of the film industry into its stardom. The faces of the cinematic medium have always created an iconicity.
ചരിത്രത്തിന്റെ സാംസ്കാരിക വികേന്ദ്രീകരണങ്ങൾ
മര്കാറിനെ മുൻനിർത്തിയുള്ള വിശകലനം
Action Hero Pauly Hegemonic Masculinity in the Grammar of Realism
Distinguished cinematic movements inevitably reflect the structural and formal changes of the film industry into its stardom. The faces of the cinematic medium have always created an iconicity.
Cinema as a Personal Quest - A Conversation with Independent Filmmaker Amit Dutta
In the interview, Amit Dutta discusses the struggles faced by independent filmmakers in India in terms of financing, distribution, and exhibition. With a candid and reflective approach, the interview offers a unique perspective on the art of filmmaking and the creative process behind it.
പരിമിതികളെ സാധ്യതകളാക്കുന്ന കലയാണ് ഇറാനിലെ സിനിമ
ഭരണകൂടത്തിന്റെ നിരന്തരമായ വേട്ടയാടലുകൾക്കിരയായിട്ടും സിനിമകളിലൂടെ പൊരുതിനിന്ന ഇറാനിയൻ സംവിധായകൻ ജാഫർ പനാഹിയുടെ മകൻ പനാഹ് പനാഹി ഇന്ന് ലോകമറിയുന്ന ചലച്ചിത്രകാരനാണ്. അദ്ദേഹം ആദ്യമായി സംവിധാനം ചെയ്ത ഹ്രസ്വചിത്രമായ ദ ഫസ്റ്റ് ഫിലിം മോൺട്രിയൽ ചലച്ചിത്രമേളയിലേക്കു തെരഞ്ഞെടുക്കപ്പെട്ടിരുന്നു. 2021-ൽ പനാഹ് പനാഹി സംവിധാനം ചെയ്ത ഹിറ്റ് ദ റോഡ് കാൻ ചലച്ചിത്രമേളയിൽ പ്രീമിയർ ചെയ്യപ്പെടുകയും ബ്രിട്ടീഷ് ഫിലിം ഇൻസ്റ്റിറ്റ്യൂട്ടിന്റെ ലണ്ടൻ ഫിലിം ഫെസ്റ്റിവലിൽ ഉന്നത പുരസ്കാരങ്ങൾ നേടുകയും ചെയ്തു. ബെംഗളൂരു ചലച്ചിത്രമേളയിൽ ജൂറി അംഗമായി വന്ന പനാഹ് പനാഹിയുമായുള്ള അഭിമുഖത്തിന്റെ പ്രസക്തഭാഗങ്ങൾ
The Epistemology of Darkness: Many Meanings of Night in Malayalam Cinema
Drawing on darkness/night as a conceptual framework and a socially mediated space/time, the current paper is an attempt to analyze how Kumbalangi Nights (2019), a contemporary cinema in the Malayalam language, aesthetically and politically redefine the dominant meaning(s) of darkness/night in the discourses of Malayalam Cinema (hereafter MC).
Exploring the Significance of Film Festivals: Perspectives and Reflections
In Conversation Jabbar Patel, Malti Sahai and Shaji N Karun | During the 27th IFFK, a panel discussion was held where Malti Sahai, former Director of the Directorate of Film Festivals, along with Filmmakers Shaji N. Karun and Jabbar Patel, shared their views on the significance of film festivals, the process of selecting films for festivals, and how film festivals can engage audiences in the digital age.
Preserving Cinematic Heritage: A Discussion on Film Restoration, Analog to Digital Transition, and Preservation
In a conversation at the 27th IFFK, German film director Veit Helmer and Prakash Magdum, the former Director of the National Film Archive of India (NFAI) discussed the process of restoring films, the shift from analog to digital technology, and the importance of film preservation. Their insightful discussion sheds light on the intricacies of film preservation and the efforts required to ensure that films can be enjoyed for generations to come.
From Inspiration to Image: Insights into Bela Tarr's Filmmaking Process
Bela Tarr is a highly revered Hungarian filmmaker known for his unique cinematic style and storytelling approach. Tarr has received numerous awards and accolades for his work, including the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 27th IFFK. In this conversation, he discusses his creative process and shares insights into the various elements that go into making a cinematic masterpiece.
അകത്തളങ്ങളിൽ അകപ്പെട്ട പെണ്ണുങ്ങൾ
ദി ഗ്രേറ്റ് ഇന്ത്യൻ കിച്ചൻ, മറ്റൊരാൾ എന്നീ സിനിമകൾ ആധാരമാക്കി ഒരു താരതമ്യവിചാരം
