Of glitters & grey cells: The 55th edition of IFFI celebrates the creative minds of tomorrow

Mona

After a glittering opening ceremony on Wednesday evening, the 55th International Film Festival of India began with a thought-provoking session - ‘Women Safety and Cinema’ - on Thursday at Kala Academy, Panaji. Indian cinema stalwarts - Imtiaz Ali, Suhasini Maniratnam, Khushbu Sundar and Bhumi Pednekar - were joined by moderator Vani Tripathi Tikoo for an engaging talk.

Casting couch to male gaze to portrayal of women in cinema came under scanner, including the revelations brought to light by Hema Committee report. While the panelists maintained the 'fortunate' stance - of having grown up in equal households - things got real rather soon. Khushbu candidly admitted to having taken the 'glamour prop doll' roles in the beginning of her career, but never compromising on her dignity. She recalled how a hero on a shoot once asked her if he had a 'chance'. "I told him my chappal size is 41. Yahan par khani hai ya unit ke samne," she said.

Learning to say 'no' is of paramount importance, the panel members agreed. "When this incident happened, I didn't know how it would affect my career but my dignity reigned supreme." Along with her husband S Sunder, she is the leading film producer of Tamil cinema and shared how they were mindful of ensuring a fair portrayal of women in cinema.

Bhumi Pednekar, the Bollywood diva, who burst onto the scene as the plus size heroine, admitted it was something she never imagined. "When I started I was like this woman who was largely seen in a secondary position in cinema. For Yash Raj to have a heroine like that in Dum Laga Ke Haisha was a refreshing departure from the norm."  Growing up in liberal atmosphere, she found herself lucky to have had a safe and secure crew, "But the world I grew up in, and the gruesome mentality we are dealing with today is starkly different."

Imtiaz Ali, filmmaker known for giving Bollywood strong women characters, shared how his sense of society came from the family. "I did not grow up thinking men and women were equal, but for me women were always special and that reflects in my stories." He narrated experiences about how on his sets actresses - be it Alia Bhatt in Highway, or Kareena Kapoor in Jab We Met - dealt with uncomfortable scenarios and the onus of making them safe was on him and his crew, and they did fare well.

Bursting the casting couch bubble, Imtiaz Ali shared, "Those who compromise to get ahead in the film career also compromise their career on the way. As a maker, it's important that I respect you before I cast you. Youngsters should be wary of surreptitious casting directors and there should be no tolerance policy for anyone who crosses the line.”

Suhasini shared how during the beginning of her career, she saw an established hero show up for the shoot and change his scene after a long discussion just to suit himself. "It was never the same for the heroine because she was supposed to be obedient. At 25, I realised if he could discuss so could I and I started arguing! Obedience is for home and school. Not for the sets — claim what's rightfully yours," she said.

Gala event

IFFI commenced with the screening of renowned Australian filmmaker Michael Gracey’s feature film ‘Better Man’ on Wednesday. Some of the brightest stars were felicitated in the presence of cinephiles at the gala opening ceremony at Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Stadium in Panaji. Casting directors-turned actors Abhishek Banerjee and Bhumi Pednekar, turned hosts of the evening, while film stalwarts Subhash Ghai, Boman Irani, Jaideep Ahlawat, Nagarjuna, Randeep Hooda and Rajkummar Rao, amongst others, were felicitated.

IFFI this year will pay homage to the extraordinary legacy of Raj Kapoor, Tapan Sinha, Akkineni Nageswara Rao (ANR) and Mohammed Rafi through a series of tributes. The 55th edition of IFFI, with its ‘Creative Minds of Tomorrow’ initiative, embraces the potential of young filmmakers through its theme, ‘Young Filmmakers: The Future is Now’. IFFI 2024 will present over 180 international films from 81 countries, including 16 world premieres, three international premieres, 43 Asian premieres and 109 Indian premiers.

WAVES OTT is here

Chief Minister of Goa Pramod Sawant also launched Prasar Bharati’s OTT platform, ‘WAVES OTT’, during the opening ceremony. This platform offers a rich mix of classic content and contemporary programmes. With a library featuring timeless shows like Ramayan, Mahabharat, Shaktimaan and Hum Log, the platform appeals to audiences looking for cultural and emotional connections with India's past.

Quotes corner

“I had the good fortune of working with actors, filmmakers and producers who created a very safe environment around me. I hope to do the same within my ecosystem — that's the only way you can bring about change.”

• Bhumi Pednekar, actress

There should be zero tolerance for gender injustice at the workplace. Somebody who is a part of the team, who has come to give everything to the film, must be respected at all times.

• Imtiaz Ali, filmmaker

“We, in India, at this time are very much focused on developing strong content creators' economy…We hope that you will find new partnerships and develop new ideas. We hope that some of the youngsters will get mentors.”

Ashwini Vaishnaw, Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting

"A lot of young filmmakers are coming to a platform like this now, where they can showcase their work. It's fantastic. The Government of India and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting are doing a wonderful job."

• Nagarjuna, actor

"For this festival, I begged everybody to celebrate, not just filmmakers but audiences. Let's tell our stories. Stop the fights everywhere, the missiles; the only way it can stop is when each one of us gets together and tells our stories."

Shekhar Kapoor, filmmaker and IFFI director