Theme: Bharatiya Cinema — From Woods to Roots
The 2nd Biennial edition of CineTalkies 2024 was successfully organized by Sanskar Bharti at the National Stock Exchange Campus, Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC), Mumbai from 13th to 15th December 2024.
The inaugural ceremony on December 13 was held in the august presence of legendary actor, writer, and director Shri Sachin Pilgaonkar as Chief Guest and MD & CEO of National Stock Exchange Shri Ashish Chauhan. Also present were Patrons Smt. Khushbu Sundar and seniormost film critic Smt. Bharati Pradhan.
Organizing General Secretary Shri Abhijit Gokhale highlighted the core imperative: moving away from colonial and self-accepted mindsets of regional "woods" to establish the unified SOFT POWER of Bharatiya Cinema.
In-depth deliberations on story-telling, box office dynamics, local folklore, women in cinema, and decolonization.
Panelists: Shri Shibashis Sarkar (Group CEO Reliance Entertainment & Chairperson Bhartiya Producers Guild), Shri Rahul Bhole (Writer-Director of Reva), Shri Venkat K Narayan (Producer & Founder KVN Productions).
Moderator: Arfi Lamba.
The panel discussed how benchmarks have shifted from theatre run duration to box office figures. Shibashis ji emphasized that good stories naturally earn, while Rahul Bhole ji noted that compelling content provides longer recall value. Venkat Narayan ji highlighted that audience demand for fresh perspectives drove the recent pan-Bharat success of Southern language films.
Panelists: Smt. Mrinal Deo Kulkarni (Acclaimed Actress & Writer), Shri Abhishek Sharma (Director of Pokhran, Ram Setu), Shri Apourv Singh Karki (Writer of Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai).
Moderator: Smt. Bharati Pradhan.
Mrinal ji stressed that cinema must deliver values to society alongside entertainment. Abhishek Sharma ji shared that Bharatmuni's Natyashastra serves as the foundation for his work, while Apourv ji added that the ultimate purpose of cinema is leaving the audience with meaningful reflection.
Panelists: Padmashri Neel Madhab Panda (Writer-Producer), Shri Swapnil Joshi (Marathi Cinema Actor), Shri Niren Bhatt (Lyricist-Writer of Munjya, Stree 2, Bhediya).
Moderator: Shri Vinod Anupam.
The panel agreed that Bharatiya culture holds vast untold stories. Swapnil ji urged creators to wear culture unapologetically, while Niren Bhatt ji shared how travel and local myths inspired blockbuster hits. Neel Madhab Panda ji encouraged exploring regional folklore.
Panelists: Shri Abhijit Deshpande (Director of Har Har Mahadev), Shri K.S. Srinivasan (Producer, Vasan Brothers), Shri Manish Saini (National Award Winner).
Moderator: Shri Pankaj Shukla (Editor, Amar Ujala).
Pankaj Shukla ji opened by tracing the term 'Bollywood' back to a BBC derivative label. Abhijit Deshpande ji stressed equal audience support for regional languages, while Manish Saini ji noted the need to reconnect with originality rather than copying Western tropes.
Panelists: Padmashri Madhur Bhandarkar (National Award Winner), Smt. Pranita Subhash (Acclaimed Actress), Smt. Pankaja Thakur (Noted Producer).
Moderator: Shri Ramachandran Srinivasan.
While acknowledging progress and women-centric films, the panel expressed concern over degrading projections on OTT platforms under the guise of creative freedom, emphasizing the need for safe, encouraging industry environments.
Presided over by Shri Sudheer Joglekar (President, Vishwa Samvad Kendra Mumbai) with Chief Guest Shri Ramesh S. Taurani (Co-founder Tips Industries). Patron Shri Vipul Amrutlal Shah praised Sanskar Bharti for providing this essential intellectual platform.
Keynote address by Shri Pramod Bapat (Trustee, Bharatiya Chitra Sadhana) called for establishing regional film society movements, while Vice President Shri Ravindra Bharti concluded the event expressing profound gratitude to all 200+ delegates and guests.
Memorable highlights from the NSE BKC Mumbai Seminar. Click any photo to enlarge.
