Animated film

1.     Raju and I: A film on child rights

 Gayatri Rao (Director)

This animation film examines the problems of underprivileged children, from the point of view of a 12 year old child. Through the narrative, the film focuses on highlighting the rights of the child mainly that of the right to education.

——————————————————————————————————–

Civil Disorder

2.     Hazaar chaurasi ki maa

Govind Nihalani (Director)

This much acclaimed film is a narrate of Sujata Chatterji’s (Jaya Bhaduri) discovery of her son’s (Brati Chatterji played by Joy Sengupta) life. Made in the backdrop of the Naxalite uprising in Bengal’s Naxalbari, the film mostly deals with Sujata’s quest for understanding her deceased son’s ideologies and outlook to life. Starting off with a mere corpse number ’1084’ (which lends the film its name), she establishes her son’s true identity, despite the social barriers surrounding her.

——————————————————————————————————–

3.     Road to Ladakh

Ashvin Kumar (Director)

Road To Ladakh is a suspenseful tale of falling in love with the wrong kind of mysterious stranger near the borders of India and Pakistan. A road-movie that drew the talents of multi-national European crew…overly ambitious Himalayan adventure so fraught with disasters that it nearly didn’t get finished; as documented in The Making Of Road To Ladakh.

——————————————————————————————————–

4.     Little terrorist

Ashvin Kumar (Director)

Jamal, a 12 year old Muslim Pakistani mistakenly crosses the border between India and Pakistan, finding an unusual ally in a Hindu Brahmin, Bhola. Indian soldiers descend on Bhola’s village searching for the ‘terrorist’ who crossed over. His neice Rani, insists they can’t let a Muslim into their Hindu home. With Bhola and Rani grappling with the consequences of harboring a Pakistani and their deep-set prejudice against Muslims, Jamal’s only hope is the humanity shared by a people separated by artificial boundaries a long time ago.

——————————————————————————————————–

General feature films

5.     Aarakshan

Prakash Jha (Director)

Aarakshan is the story of Prabhakar Anand (Amitabh Bachchan), the legendary idealistic principal of a college that he has single-handedly turned into the state’s best. It is the story of his loyal disciple, Deepak Kumar (Saif Ali Khan) who will do anything for his Sir. Of Deepak’s love for Prabhakar’s daughter, Poorbi (Deepika Padukone), of his friendship with Sushant (Prateik). It is the story of their love, their lively friendship, their zest for life, and of their dreams for the future.

——————————————————————————————————–

6.     Abhimaan

Hrishikesh Mukherjee (Director)

Bombay-based famous pop-singer, Subir Kumar, is thronged by female fans everywhere, some even proposing marriage. But Subir is not certain that marriage is for him, until he meets Uma, while on a visit to see his Durga Mausi. He and Uma are soon married. Upon his return to Bombay, he announces that Uma and he will sing songs together and he soon realizes that Uma has stolen his popularity, and is much more sought for than he himself.

——————————————————————————————————–

Political process

7.     Gandhi to Hitler

Rakesh Ranjan Kumar (Director)

‘Gandhi to Hitler’ is the movie that attempts to link two disparate leaders by letters they exchange. The story is ideally about the last days of Adolf Hitler, which he spends hiding in a bunker in Berlin while the Allied Forces close in.

——————————————————————————————————–

Performing arts

8.     Balgandharva

Ravindra Harishchandra Jadhav (Director)

‘Balgandharva’ is the never-before-told, musical biographical drama of Indian theater legend Narayan Rajhans alias ‘Balgandharva’ (1888 – 1967). Born in a poor town in Pune, Maharashtra, He was famous for his roles of female characters in Marathi plays, since women were not allowed to act on stage during his time.

——————————————————————————————————–

 1.        Mera naam Joker

         Raj Kapoor (Director)

“Mera Naam Joker” is Raj Kapoor’s semi-autobiographical story of the life, love, and philosophy of an entertainer.

———————————————————————————————————–

2.        Page 3: The inside story

 Madhur Bhandarkar (Director)

‘Page 3′ takes a behind-the-scenes look at A-list celebrity lifestyles through the eyes of a female entertainment journalist. It explores the power-play between the rich and famous and the media.

———————————————————————————————————–

3.        Mausam

 Gulzar (Director)

Mausam is a dramatic love story of Dr. Amarnath Gill, who falls for Chanda, the daughter of a local healer, Harihar Thapa, when visiting Darjeeling for his medical exams.

———————————————————————————————————–

4.        Sujata

 Bimal Roy (Director)

The movie basically revolves around the caste system that is prevelant in India even to this day. It also raises interesting questions regarding family ties and how deep they can be.

———————————————————————————————————–

5.            Mirch masala

Ketan Mehta (Director)

In colonial India, subedars (tax collectors) went from village to village, with soldiers, often demanding more than taxes. A subedar commands Sonbai, a beautiful and confidant women whose husband is away in the city, to sleep with him. She slaps him and flees for safety.

———————————————————————————————————–

6.        Devdas

 Bimal Roy (Director)

Devdas and Parvati had been inseparable as children, and as they grew older, Love Blossomed. Devdas is sent away for studies by his parents – he and Parvati are separated.

———————————————————————————————————–

7.            Mississippi masala

Mira Nair (Director)

An Indian family is expelled from Uganda when Idi Amin takes power. They move to Mississippi and time passes. The Indian daughter falls in love with a black man, and the respective families have to come to terms with it.

———————————————————————————————————–

8.            Bandini

         Bimal Roy (Director)

During the British Raj of the 1930s, a prison-doctor falls in love with a convict who eventually reveals the story of her past and her connection to a freedom fighter.

———————————————————————————————————–

9.            Sarkar

Ram Gopal Varma (Director)

The Indian version of The Godfather, with the focus on SARKAR, an Indian politician.

———————————————————————————————————–

10.        Sardari Begum

Shyam Benegal (Director)

The woman was killed by a stone thrown by an agitated person. The woman killed is known in the community as “Sardari Begum”, a popular singer and courtesan in her time.

———————————————————————————————————–

11.        Saaz

Sai Paranjape (Director)

The film tells the story of a brave woman’s battle to come to terms with her life…

———————————————————————————————————–

12.    Trip

           Pramod Pati (Director)

The film throws light on the life in Mumbai.

———————————————————————————————————–

13.    And miles to go

           S. Sukhdev (Director)

And miles to go is representative of the angry protest oriented documentarists of the sixties and early seventies.

———————————————————————————————————–

14.    Sardar: The iron man of India

           Ketan Mehta (Director)

The film deals with all the myriad and debilitating problems that India faced in its pre and immediate post Independence period, which turned out to be Sardar Patels finest hour when problem after monumental problem was solved by Sardar Patel.

———————————————————————————————————–

15.    Aghaat

          Govind Nihalani (Director)

Aghaat is the perfect example of offbeat cinema as people always call it. It is a story of two opposing unions, one led by a capable & honest leader, Madhav Verma (Om Puri) who sincerely cares a lot about the workers of the factory and looks for their benefit.

———————————————————————————————————–

16.        Shoplifting

Ilkka Ruohonen (Director)

Shoplifting causes the damage of 400 Million euros for the retail trade in Finland last year. How can a shopkeeper react to that situation? The film is an anthropological-sociological analysis on the theme.

———————————————————————————————————–

17.        Karen education surviving

Scott O ‘Brien (Director) & Saw Eh Do Wah (Director)

This film focuses upon the realities of Karen villagers living internally displaced throughout the Karen state in Burma.

———————————————————————————————————–

18.        Arzoo

Shashi Ghosh Gupta (Director)

Arzoo is the story of Sulekha Ali, a young Muslim woman who is compelled by circumstances to go live in the Shah Alam refugee camp in Ahmedabad, for six months post Gujarat communal riots of 2002.

———————————————————————————————————–

19.        The 11th hour

Leila Conners (Director) & Nadia Conners (Director)

A look at the state of the global environment including visionary and practical solutions for restoring the planet’s ecosystems.

———————————————————————————————————–

20.        Que Sera?

         Dieter Fahrer (Director)

Doing nothing, waiting for death, living in the ghetto that is an old people’s home. But the arrival of the children’s crèche brings together the oldest with the youngest and failing vitality starts to awaken.

———————————————————————————————————–

 1.        Shyamchi Aai

         Pralhad Keshav Atre (Director)/ 152 minutes/ Marathi

The film is based on the book Shyamchi Aai written by Sane Guruji. The plot revolves around a boy called Shyam and his relationship with his mother. It shares the effect Shyam’s mother has had on Shyam’s life and upbringing, and how he is taught to stick to his ideals and principles, even in the face of poverty.

———————————————————————————————————–

2.        Taryanche bait

         Kiran Yagnopavit (Director)/ 101 minutes/ Marathi with English subtitles

The film examines the corrupting influence of the metropolis on the nicest of people and the unhappiness that comes in its wake.

———————————————————————————————————–

3.        Charriots of fire

         Hugh Hudson (Director)/ 124 minutes/ English

The true story of two British track athletes competing in the 1924 Summer Olympics. One is a devout Scottish missionary who runs for God, the other is a Jewish student at Cambridge who runs for fame and to escape prejudice.

———————————————————————————————————-

4.        Invictus

         Clint Eastwood (Director)/ 128 minutes/ English

Nelson Mandela, in his first term as the South African President, initiates a unique venture to unite the apartheid-torn land: enlist the national rugby team on a mission to win the 1995 Rugby World Cup.

———————————————————————————————————–

5.        Goshta choti dongra evadhi

         Nagesh Bhosale (Director)/ Marathi with English subtitles

As rightly indicated through its apt title, the film narrates a tragic tale which throws light on the available working conditions and the present lifestyle of farmers that force them to live in pathetic conditions.

———————————————————————————————————–

6.        Kurbaan

         Renzil D’Silva (Director)/ 161 minutes/ Hindi with English subtitles

Delhi University’s Professor Avantika Ahuja meets fellow professor Ehsan Khan in typical Bollywood filmy style, and both fall in love with each other. Her father, who had preferred that she marry a Hindu, reluctantly permits them to get married. They do so, and subsequently re-locate to live in the United States. She finds that her neighbors are terrorists, and her husband is not who he claims to be.

———————————————————————————————————–

7.        Khudito Pashan (Hungry stones)

         Tapan Sinha (Director)/ 106 minutes/ Bengali with English subtitles

A classic by every standard, this National Award winning film, originally the story of a tax collector who moves into a haunted mansion in a small town and falls in love with a beautiful ghost.

———————————————————————————————————–

8.        Teen Kanya (Three daughters)

         Satyajit Ray (Director) /161 minutes/ Bengali with English subtitles

Teen kanya is based on three of his stories, The postmaster, Monihara and Samapti, and tells the story of a young village girl taught by a city-bred postmaster, a woman’s obession with her jewels and a tomboyish girl who changes after marriage.

———————————————————————————————————–

9.        Kabuliwala

         Hemen Gupta (Director)/ 140 minutes/ Hindi with English subtitles

Kabuliwala is a tender story of a widower Afghani Pathan, compelled to leave his daughter in Afghanistan and relocate to India. He misses his daughter and showers his affections on a young girl in his emotional, memorable film that tugs at the heart of the audiences.

———————————————————————————————————–

10.    Ghare baire (Home and the world)

          Satyajit Ray (Director)/ 138 minutes/ Bengali with English subtitles

This film is the most telling statements on women’s empowerment. Encouraged by her Bengali noble husband Nikhil, Bimala takes her first step to emancipation, only to fall for the hypocritical, but charismatic nationalist leader Sandip.

———————————————————————————————————–

11.    Char adhyay (Four chapters)

          Kumar Shahani (Director)/ 110 minutes/ Hindi with English subtitles

A poignant comment on the adverse effects of nationalism and a nuanced interpretation of Tagore’s novel, Char adhyay is the story of Ela, loved by armed revolutionaries if the Indian freedom movement as a mascot for the country, who questions this blind indoctrination after falling in love with Atin.

———————————————————————————————————–

12.    Vertical city

         Avijit Mukul Kishore (Director)/ 34 minutes/ Hindi with English subtitles

The film is a visual essay on the architecture of a dystopia. In the far suburbs of Bombay residents from slum are given free houses in high-rise building complexes with the promise of a better life.

———————————————————————————————————–

13.    Amistad

         Steven Spielberg (Director)/ 155 minutes/ English with subtitles

About a 1839 mutiny aboard a slave ship that is traveling towards the northeastern coast of America. Much of the story involves a court-room drama about the free man who led the revolt.

———————————————————————————————————–

14.    12 Angry men

         Sidney Lumet (Director)/ 96 minutes/ English with subtitles

A dissenting juror in a murder trial slowly manages to convince the others that the case is not as obviously clear as it seemed in court.

———————————————————————————————————–

15.    Food, Inc.

         Robert Kenner (Director)/ 94 minutes/ English

The documentary is an unflattering look inside America’s corporate controlled food industry.

———————————————————————————————————–

16.    Frida

         Julie Taymor (Director)/ 123 minutes/ English with subtitles

A biography of artist Frida Kahlo, who channeled the pain of a crippling injury and her tempestuous marriage into her work.

———————————————————————————————————–

17.    Gabhricha Paus

         Satish Manwar (Director)/ 95 minutes/ Marathi with English subtitles

The Damned Rain a comedy film is about the life of a farmer Kisna, who is trying to get a good crop in the drought-stricken Vidarbha region, which has been notorious for farmer suicides.

———————————————————————————————————–

 Water Management

1.        Lake matters

         Earth care films

Bhopal city, capital of Madhya Pradesh, India, is considering assisting rural communities in the catchment of the Upper Lake (Bhoj Wetland) to change land management practices and reduce the flow of pollutants. ‘Lake Matters: Paying to protect watersheds’ looks at the potential and problems for securing a supply of clean drinking water for the citizens of Bhopal.

People’s movement

2.            Cotton for my shroud

Nandan Saxena (Director)

This is a film on farmers suicides and bt cotton issue in the vidarbha region in maharashtra.

Music

3.            Siddheswari Devi

Mani Kaul (Director)

This film is dialogue with the life and the music known as Thumri and its tradition. Siddheswari leaves alive behind her a passion celebrating the multiplicity of life.

4.            Dhrupad

Mani Kaul (Director)

The film is on ‘Dhrupad Raag’ in its existing form. Dhrupad can be traced back to a thousand years of living tradition.

Urban development

5.            Arrival

Mani Kaul (Director)

To the city come men, women, fruits, flowers, vegetables, goats and sheep all ready for consumption. It is the process of consumption/exploitation that forms the core of the film.

Nutrition

6.            Let’s talk about food

Mallika Sarabhai (Director)

The Film is a journey into India’s food heritage and the biodiversity of its crops. It delves into the reasons for the shrinking of this diversity and the homogenization of our food preferences.

Performing arts

7.            Chitrakathi

Mani Kaul (Director)

This film traces the evolution of Chitrakathi, a folk form available in the Konkan area of Maharashtra, while revealing the transformation being brought about by the modern life.

8.            Natak Jari hai

Lalit Vachani (Director)

The film explorers the motivations and ideals of the JANAM actors and their vision of resistance and change as they perform their people’s theatre in diverse parts of India.

Vulnerable children

9.            Born into Brothel

Ross Kauffman (Director)

This film is a portrait of a group of unforgettable children in Calcutta’s red light district. Feisty, resilient and wickedly funny, they are the children of prostitutes.

Mental illness

10.        I am sam

Gautam Bose (Director)

This documentary emphasises on child education and education in general.

Mental and emotional disability

11.        Autism: The musical

Tricia Regan (Director)

Following five Los Angeles children over the course of six months, director Tricia Regan captures the struggles and triumphs of their family lives and observes how this musical production gives these performers a comfort zone in which they can explore their creative sides.

12.        Autism : is a world

Gerardine Wurzburg (Director)

This is a documentary about Sue Rubin, who is autistic. Sue was diagnosed and treated as emtally retarded until the age of 13 when she began to communicate using a keyboard. Now she is a junior in college.
This documentary takes the viewer on a journey into her mind, her daily world and her life with autism.

Executive management

13.        Inside Job

Charles Ferguson (Director)

Inside Job is a 2010 documentary film about the financial crisis of 2007–2010.

It features research and extensive interviews with financiers, politicians, journalists, and academics.
Inside Job was well received by film critics who praised its pacing, research and explanation of complex material.

Feature film

14.        Yuva

Mani Ratnam (Director)

The film tells the stories of three young men from completely different strata of society and one fateful incident on Kolkata’s Howrah Bridge which changes their lives forever.

Women empowerment

15.        Mee Sindhutai Sakpal

Ananth Narayan Mahadevan (Director)

Sindhutai Sapkal is an inspiring, feminist, rooted Indian feature film. It traces the true story of Sindhutai Sapkal who ostracized by her husband, dramatically rewrites her destiny.The film’s deep humanism in the face of injustice and humiliation gives it a universal resonance.

16.      Pink saris

Kim Longinotto (Director)

Sampat Pal set up a Gulabi Gang to fight injustice and oppression. This is the story of Sampat and four young women who come to her for help. They are stories which are being played out countless times across India.

General Management

1.     Inside job

        Charles Ferguson (Director)

Inside Job is a 2010 documentary film about the financial crisis of  2007–2010.
Ferguson has described the film as being about “the systemic corruption of the United States by the financial services industry and the consequences of that systemic corruption.

Media

2.     The Social network

        David Fincher (Director)

The Social Network is a 2010 drama film about the founding of the     social networking website Facebook and the resulting lawsuits.

Media education

3.   16 mm memories movement

       Tropical Cinema

16mm tries to trace back the trajectory of film society movement in Keralam and its relationship with a machine – 16mm film projector. Now abandoned as an obsolete technology, 16mm projection was the soul and source of the movement at the time and still burrs on in the minds of a generation of cineastes.

Culture

4.     Natak jari hai

         Lalit Vachani (Director)

         This documentary is about JANAM (The People’s Theatre Front) the little theatre group that never stopped performing in the face of dramatic political transformation and personal tragedy.

5.     Beware dogs

        Spandan Banerjee (Director)

        A opetic and exciting documentary on the contemporary music group Indian Ocean. Indian Ocean is one of the most exciting music groups of the contemporary South Asian scene. They explore an intriguing crossover of eastern and western styles.

Children issues

6.     Pride of place

        Kim Longinotto (Director)

 As a teenager, the filmmaker had been condemned to a girls’ boarding school in an old, isolated castle in Buckinghamshire. Wisely, she ran away at the age of 17, and years later took the opportunity for sweet revenge.
In this dark and expressive film, Longinotto exposes the repressive school from the students’ perspective — as a kind of miniature state with bizarre rules, indigestible food and absurd punishments.

7.      Hold me tight, let me go

         Kim Longinotto (Director)

         The filmmaker spends a year at the school following the progress of four charming but troubled boys. All have severe problems with anger and violence; they punch, kick, spit and curse at the remarkably patient teachers who are trained never to raise their voices and who encourage the students to express their emotions.

8.    Rough aunties

        Kim Longinotto (Director)

This documentary follows the outspoken, multiracial cadre of Thuli, Mildred, Sdudla, Eureka and Jackie, as they wage a daily battle against systemic apathy, corruption, and greed to help the most vulnerable and disenfranchised of their communities.

Gender  issues

9.      Divorce Iranian style

         Kim Longinotto (Director)

         Hilarious, tragic, stirring, this fly-on-the-wall look at several weeks in an Iranian divorce court provides a unique window into the intimate circumstances of Iranian women’s lives.

10.  Rita

        Renuka Shahane (Director)

Rita is the story of a woman, who discovers love, questions what is moral  and immoral, male chauvinism and her self- respect.

11.   Sisters in law

        Kim Longinotto (Director)

In the little town of Kumba, Cameroon, there have been no convictions in spousal abuse cases for 17 years. But two women determined to change their community are making progress that could change their country. This fascinating, often hilarious documentary follows the work of State Prosecutor Vera Ngassa and Court President Beatrice Ntuba as they help women fight often-difficult cases of abuse, despite pressures from family and their community to remain silent.

Old age problems

12.   Theatre girls

        Kim Longinotto (Director)

In her final piece at film school, Longinotto and her partner take us into the “Theatre Girls Club” in Soho, London – a hostel for elderly and destitute women and the only shelter in London that would take in any woman at any time. The filmmakers lived in the hostel for more than two months, establishing an extraordinary level of trust with their “cast” — from the home’s feisty cook to an elderly resident who was a terminal alcoholic.

13.  Sukhaant

        Sanjay Surkar (Director)

Acclaimed filmmaker Sanjay Surkar’s latest film ‘Sukhaant’ deals with the controversial subject of mercy killing. It discusses the right of people with no hope of living to die honorably.

1. 1.  An island of hope by Pankaj Bhualia (Director)

The Chakmas are a tribal group that went to Pakistan when the Chittagong Hilly Tracts became part of what was then known as East Pakistan. In 1964, the setting up of the Kaptal Hydel Project uprooted 50,000 Chakmas from their traditional homelands. Most of them then crossed over to India where they were buffeted from one state to another because no one wanted them. They ended up living in and around Changlang, a small part of Eastern Arunachal Pradesh. A few years ago, a small school was started in Diyun, Changlang, by a few young Chakma men. This school suddenly transformed the local environment and led to the local communities grudgingly accepting this ‘outsider’ immigrant community.

2.   Seeds of dissent by Pankaj Rishi Kumar (Director)

‘Seeds of Dissent’ documents Dr. Joshi’s cycle yatra from Kanyakumari to Dehradun over a period of two months in Jan’08. During the journey Dr. Joshi meets and interacts with the farmers and raises relevant issues. We see farmers selling land to industries, coming up of SEZ’s, farmers being coaxed to take nonviable loans for tractors, issue of farmer’s suicide, preference being given to Industry (Coke) for water, and farmers resorting to distress sale.

Dr. Joshi analyses situations and presents his own alternative in the form of a ‘farmer’s bank.

3.  Casablanca by Michael Curtis (Director)

In World War II Casablanca, Rick Blaine, exiled American and former freedom fighter, runs the most popular nightspot in town. The cynical lone wolf Blaine comes into the possession of two valuable letters of transit. When Nazi Major Strasser arrives in Casablanca, the sycophantic police Captain Renault do what he can to please him, including detaining Czech underground leader Victor Laszlo. Much to Rick’s surprise, Lazslo arrives with Ilsa, Rick’s one time love. Rick is very bitter towards Ilsa, who ran out on him in Paris, but when he learns she had good reason to, they plan to run off together again using the letters of transit.

 4.  Shwaas by Sandeep Sawant (Director)

This pictures storyline is based on real-life incident in Pune. The film then depicts the grandfather’s struggle to accept the reality that the only way to save his grandson is at the cost of his eyesight. He tries various ways to come to terms with the situation and his personal agony is shown in scenes, like taking second opinion, explaining his grandson the reality and his desire to show him everything possible before his grandson loses his eyesight. For some reason, the surgery has to be postponed by a day.

It shows the medical fraternity in a very positive light, with the doctors and nurses being extremely supportive and doing the best they can, and helping the village with the best facilities. The last shot where Parshya returns home wearing dark glasses, waving to his family and friends from the boat was widely appreciated by film critics.

 5.   Jogawa: the awakening by Rajiv Patil  (Director)

A heart wrenching tale that exposes the hypocrisies and exploitations of an oppressed society harrowed by archaic traditions and plagued by superstitions in the heart of rural India, Jogwa is a poignant tale of one woman’s inspiring journey to break free from the shackles of discrimination, sexual oppression and servitude and find true happiness.

6.  Mee sindhutai sapkal by Ananth Narayan Mahadevan (Director)

I am Sindhutai Sapkal is an inspiring, feminist, rooted Indian feature film. It traces the true story of Sindhutai Sapkal who ostracized by her husband, dramatically rewrites her destiny.

The film’s deep humanism in the face of injustice and humiliation gives it a universal resonance.

7.  Gabhricha Paus: The damned rain  ( with English Subtitles) by Satish Manwar (Director)

The Damned Rain a comedy film is about the life of a farmer Kisna, who is trying to get a good crop in the drought-stricken Vidarbha region, which has been notorious for farmer suicides.It also allegorically tells about how lack of information and education amongst the farmers, can ruin them, despite their indefatigable spirit.The film uses the Varadi dialect of Marathi, which is spoken in the Vidarbha region.

8.  Umbartha by Jabbar Patel (Director)

Umbartha is about a woman’s dream to step out of the four walls of the house, assume greater responsibility as a citizen and to play an important role in shaping the society. It is about her passion to do something constructive for the abused, assaulted, neglected and traumatised womenfolk of the society she lives in. It is about her strong urge to create a niche for herself and achieve recognition and satisfaction through social work.

1. Amrit Beeja :eternal seed

Meera Dewan (Director)

Filmmaker Meera Dewan visits women using traditional farming methods in India, in this documentary.
Differences between people who consider seeds as sacred and multinational corporations using sterilized hybrids are shown; healthy use of the land is emphasized.

2. Life of  the law

Manjira Dutta (Director)

An attempt is being made, since the late 1990s to resolve disputes at the local community level in the villages of West Bengal. With an unprecedented increase in land disputes, dowry cases and violence against women, it has become imperative to settle matters before they escalate. Participants from villages, women’s movement, peasant union, relatives of both sides (contesting) are physically present as participants and observers.

3. Imagining India with Nandan Nilekani a talk show hosted by Shereen Bhan   by CNBC TV 18

An inspiring talk show brought to you by CNBC-TV18 with Nandan Nilekani in Imagining India.
Talks with Nandan Nilekani about India’s Socio-economic development, especially healthcare and education. Can our huge population become an unbeatable advantage in our global competitiveness?

4. Kali Bein: the black river

Surendra Menon (Director)

The Pink Mirror’ (Gulabi Aaina) – a Bollywood entertainer with a difference: India’s first film on Drag Queens is a camp romp about two transsexuals and a gay teenager seducing a handsome hunk!
The film, for the first time, peeps into the fascinating closet of Indian gender-benders and discovers deep emotional bonds.

5. Capitalism : a love story

Michael Moore (Director)

Capitalism: A Love Story examines the impact of corporate dominance on the everyday lives of Americans (and by default, the rest of the world). The film moves from Middle America, to the halls of power in Washington, to the global financial epicenter in Manhattan. With both humor and outrage, the film explores the question: What is the price that America pays for its love of capitalism? Families pay the price with their jobs, their homes and their savings. Moore goes into the homes of ordinary people whose lives have been turned upside down; and he goes looking for explanations in Washington, DC and elsewhere. What he finds are the all-too-familiar symptoms of a love affair gone astray: lies, abuse, betrayal…and 14,000 jobs being lost every day.
Capitalism: A Love Story also presents what a more hopeful future could look like.

6. The Story of India with Michael Wood

Jeremy Jeffs (Director)

The Story of India is a BBC TV documentary series, talks about the 10,000-year history of the Indian subcontinent in six episodes.
Michael Wood has explained historical events by travelling to the places where they took place, examining archeological and historical evidence at first hand and interviewing historians and archaeologists, as well as chatting with local people.

7. The Advocate

Deepa Dhanraj (Director)

The name of K.G. Kannabiran is synonymous with the founding of the human rights and civil liberties movement in India.
The film as part biography and partly history of the times attempts to document the remarkable contribution of Mr Kannabiran in challenging the Indian State to uphold the rule of law in institutions of governance, justice and political praxis.
As president of the Andhra Pradesh Civil Liberties Committee from 1978 to 1994, he brought its work international recognition. As a founding member of the Concerned Citizens Committee he acted in the capacity of a mediator in the peace talks between the Andhra Pradesh Government and the Maoist Peoples War Group. He was elected national president of the Peoples’ Union for Civil Liberties in 1994, a position he continues to hold.

1. Kyunki Jeena isi ka naam hai

UNICEF

Kyunki… Jeena Isi Ka Naam Hai is among the biggest and one of the most highly rated entertainment education program on Indian television. Kyunki Jeena Isi Ka Naam Hai is produced by UNICEF to promote its “Facts for Life” program. The soap highlights social issues such as education in rural India, child labour, plight of widows in villages, anganwadis, maternity, nutrition and many more. They also include girls’ education, social inclusion and HIV AIDS.

———————————————————————————————————————————————–

2. Simhasan

Jabbar Patel (Director)/ 156 minutes/ Marathi

Simhasan (“throne”) was a gem of a movie set in the seventies in Maharashtra, against the backdrop of a political struggle for Chief Ministership. The story is told through the eyes of a journalist who witnesses the now-cliche nexus between politicians and criminals.

———————————————————————————————————————————————–

3. Mandi

Shyam Benegal (Director)/ 167 minutes

This film is based on a classic Urdu short story ‘Aanandi’ by Pakistani writer Ghulam Abbas. It deals with a brothel at the heart of a city, in an area that some politicians want for its prime locality.

———————————————————————————————————————————————–

4. Udaan

Vikramaditya Motwane (Director)/ 138 minutes

After being abandoned for eight straight years in boarding school, Rohan returns to the small industrial town of Jamshedpur and finds himself closeted with an authoritarian father and a younger half brother who he didn’t even know existed. Forced to work in his father’s steel factory and study engineering against his wishes, he strives to forge his own life out of his given circumstances and pursue his dream of being a writer.

———————————————————————————————————————————————–

5. Do bigha zamin

Bimal Roy (Director)/ 119 minutes

A small Bengali landowner and his young son are in danger when their two-acre farmland where they live is in danger of being taken over by a local zamindar (feudal lord) for failure to pay for mounting debits.

———————————————————————————————————————————————–

6. Well done Abba

Shyam Benegal (Director)

This is the story of Armaan Ali, a driver working for a senior executive in Mumbai. He takes a month’s leave to find a husband for his teenage daughter, who lives near Hyderabad. When he is delayed and returns to work after three months, his employer threatens to sack him. But he is persuaded to listen to the reason for Armaan Ali’s delay. The story he relates is delightful, hilarious — and poignant.

———————————————————————————————————————————————–

7. Welcome to Sajjanpur

Shyam Benegal (Director)/ 133 minutes

Mahadev is one of the few educated young men from Sajjanpur. His ambition is to be a novelist but he finds it easier to make a living by writing letters sitting next to the post office. His ability to write persuasive letters makes him popular with the largely non-literate population of the town. Aware of this power, he soon uses his talent to manipulate people.

———————————————————————————————————————————————–

8. Kunku

V. Shantaram (Director)/ Marathi

Kunku gives a story of a girl who is married to a man who old enough to be her father. She fights and denies this relation but finally when confronted with reality finds herself not willing to let go.

———————————————————————————————————————————————–

9. Manoos

V. Shantaram (Director)/ Marathi

A love tragedy featuring a policeman, Ganpat (Modak) and a prostitute, Mainal (Hublikar). Ganpat saves Maina from a police raid on a brothel and they fall in love.

———————————————————————————————————————————————–

10. Sant Tukaram

V. Shantaram (Director)/ Marathi

The film is based on the life of the of 17th century saint from   Maharashtra.A poet whose work UNESCO had selected for translation.

———————————————————————————————————————————————–

11. Shejari

V. Shantaram (Director)/ Marathi

Espousing the cause of communal harmony, Shejari boldly emphasises that people are not divided because of religious differences but because of power-play and profit making.

———————————————————————————————————————————————–

12. Ayodhyecha Raja

V. Shantaram (Director)/ Marathi

When Bhagwan Shri Narad Muni informs the inhabitants of Swarglok about Raja Harishchandra’s compassion and generosity, Sage Vishwamitra decides to verify this for himself and travels to meet the Raja.

———————————————————————————————————————————————–

13. Sant Dnyaneshwar

V. Shantaram (Director)/ Marathi

It was the period of Second World War.The entire world was against with inhuman massacre ordered by Hitler.In such times,Prabhat felt the need of making the film on Sant Dnyaneshwar, who despite so many sufferings and hurdles, preached the cause of humanity.

———————————————————————————————————————————————–

14. Samantar

Amol Palekar (Director)/ Marathi

An earthquake kills Keshav’s parents, and he is forced to take on the mantle of the family business at a young age. Although he becomes a successful businessman, on his 60th birthday, he finds himself lonely and melancholic, and considers ending his life. One day, he runs into his college sweetheart Shama, after decades, in Kolkata, and that sudden glimpse of her makes him realize the vaccum in his life. He finds that Shama has been living as a recluse. Will he find love again in his 60s?

———————————————————————————————————————————————–

15. Life of the law

Manjira Datta (Director)/ 30 minutes

An attempt is being made, since the late 1990s to resolve disputes at the local community level in the villages of West Bengal. With an unprecedented increase in land disputes, dowry cases and violence against women, it has become imperative to settle matters before they escalate.

———————————————————————————————————————————————–

16. Harvest of grief

Anwar Jamal (Director)/ 66 minutes

The film reveals the overwhelming forces behind the worsening agricultural scenario through the tragic stories of seven families of suicide victims. It also records the views of agricultural scientists, grass root activists, government officials etc.

———————————————————————————————————————————————–

17. Images of development

Pramod Gupta (Director)/ 25 minutes

The film portrays a process of urban planning and development, and what it means to the poor, powerless and the marginalized sections of a metropolitan city like Kolkata. Through its portrayal of the eviction of the slum-dwellers, along the Beleghata Circular Canal, the film shows how the process of planning and development works by excluding, if necessary by force, the poor and the marginalized. The film sketches images of the different aspects of the city-scape, it captures extensive interviews of the people to be evicted, the violent eviction on, ironically, the World Human Rights day.

1. Nero’s guests: The age of inequality

Deepa Bhatia (Director)

Nearly 2, 00,000 farmers have committed suicide in India over the last 10 years. But the mainstream media hardly reflects this. Nero´s Guests is a story about India’s agrarian crisis and the growing inequality seen through the work of the Rural Affairs Editor of Hindu newspaper, P Sainath.

————————————————————————————————————————————————-

2. Sicko

Michael Moore (Director)

Sicko is a documentary film by American filmmaker Michael Moore. The film investigates health care in the United States, focusing on its health insurance and the pharmaceutical industry. The film compares the for-profit, non-universal U.S. system with the non-profit universal health care systems of Canada, the United Kingdom, France and Cuba.

———————————————————————————————————————————————–

3.  Koshish

Gulzar (Director)

Romantic drama spaning nearly 20 years involving a deaf-mute couple, Haricharian and Aarti. Deaf and dumb bicycle messenger Haricharian meets equally deaf Aarti, and persuades her to go to sign language school to communicate with her mother and brother. The courtship leads to marriage and ultimately a child born to them. Years later, after the death of Aarti from a brief illness, Haricharian’s teenage son tries to deal with the after effects as well as his history of being raised by two deaf parents when he begins courting another young girl who also happens to be deaf.

———————————————————————————————————————————————–

4. Amcha patta Rajsatta: Our address is political governance

Manjula Bharathy (Director)

The documentary film talks about the reservation for women in political affairs and panchayat raj.

———————————————————————————————————————————————-

5. Gone with the wind

Victor Fleming (Director)

American classic in which a manipulative woman and a roguish man carry on a turbulent love affair in the American south during the Civil War and Reconstruction.

———————————————————————————————————————————————–

New Photographs uploaded

1.       Photographs of the seminar “Amcha Patta Rajsatta” organised by Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mahila Rajsatta Andolan and National Platform to promote decentralisation on 20th August, 2010 in TISS Convention Centre. The Chief Guest for the function was Ms. Varsha Gaikwad, Ministry of Higher Education, Tourism.

2.           Photographs of National Training on GIS applications in Public Health Mapping organised by Jamshedji Tata Centre for Disaster Management, TISS from 27th September to 1st October, 2010. Chief guest for the inaugural session was Prof. D. Chandrasekharam from IIT Bombay and for validictory session Chief guest was Prof. T.K. Biswal from IIT Bombay.

————————————————————————————————————————————————-

1. LOC: Kargil

J. P. Dutta (Director)

After Pakistani forces intrude past the line of control into Indian territory, the Government of India instructs the Indian army to defend it’s borders. This movie depicts the battle and the outcome it has on some of the soldiers and their respective families.

————————————————————————————————————————————————-

2. Iqbal

Nagesh Kukunoor (Director)

The film looks at the story of a Deaf and mute cricketer hailing from a poor family of Indian Muslims, who wants to make it to the Indian cricket team.

————————————————————————————————————————————————-

3. Heaven on Earth

R. V. Ramani (Director)

This film is a unique collaboration, between the artist and the filmmaker, bordering on mystic experiences.

————————————————————————————————————————————————-

4. One two three four

R. V. Ramani (Director)

How to write stories for children? Do the stories need a positive end or a negative end. The filmmaker inspired by an Illustrator’s Workshop for children’s story books in Chennai, goes on an exploration into the world of children and their school life. Neela dreams, snake drank water, rabbit woke up, monkey jumped.

————————————————————————————————————————————————-

5. Goa under siege

Gargi Sen (Director)

This film investigates the impact of the development of large scale tourism on the State’s ecology, economy and culture. It elaborates on the different kinds of tourists who visit Goa, and the consequences of their visit.

————————————————————————————————————————————————-

6. Manipur song

Pankaj Butalia (Director)

Set in Manipur the film seeks to foreground a state that exists on the periphery of the Indian imagination. As with other North Eastern states, culturally and ethnically Manipur has remained estranged from the dominant Indian culture and has repeatedly sought to assert its identity through insurgency.

————————————————————————————————————————————————-

7. Whose water

Krishnendu Bose (Director)

The film travels through Rajasthan and documents some of the conflicts which people have warded off or are still fighting. The film amplifies the people’s concerns and pleads for more people-sensitive laws and policies on natural resources.

————————————————————————————————————————————————-

8. Children of the pyre

Rajesh S. Jala (Director)

‘Children of the Pyre’ is a compelling real-life, self-narrative of seven extraordinary children of Varanasi who make their living out of the dead at Manikarnika, the busiest cremation ground in India.

————————————————————————————————————————————————-

9. Nandigram

Prakash Kumar Ray (Director)

By revisiting the police firing in Nandigram on 14th March 2007, the sequence of events which led to it as well as its aftermath, the film portrays the tragedy as it unfolded.

————————————————————————————————————————————————-

New Photographs uploaded

Photographs of the “Senior citizens unite: Do not accept neglect and humiliation” organised by Centre for Lifelong Learning and Tata Institute of Social Sciences in solidarity with Joint action committee for Senior Citizens National Protest Day on 16th August, 2010.