FTII: A school for dreamers

Magician and one of the earliest filmmakers, Georges Melies once defined films as ‘the magical place where dreams are made’.

By that logic, the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), established in Pune in 1960, is the Hogwarts for aspiring filmmakers – a place where this magic is taught and learnt.

It began as the Film Institute of India and in 1971, the TV wing was added under the umbrella. Set in the erstwhile Prabhat Studios, the institute achieved international recognition in a short span of time.

Over the years, FTII has done its best in creating professionals with a deep understanding of the medium and an eye for innovation.

Be it directors, writers, sound designers, actors, editors, cinematographers or art designers; every department of the institute can boast of several success stories.

Speaking about the institute, renowned filmmaker and chairman of FTII, Saeed Mirza said, “I was a student of this institute in the 1970s. For me, this institute has been the forefront of aesthetic and technological breakthrough in Indian cinema over the decades. And that is why it has such a nationwide and international reputation.”

An alumnus of the institute, filmmaker Umesh Kulkarni feels that the future of cinema, to some extent relies on institutions like the FTII.

“Films are the medium of our time and many people are willing to tell stories through it. Film schools will lead to more people becoming good filmmakers and in turn, decentralise the process of filmmaking,” he says.

Other prominent alumni of the FTII include filmmakers like Shyam Benegal, Adoor Gopalakrishnan, Girish Kasaravalli, Santosh Sivan, Rajkumar Hirani, Govind Nihalani and actors like Shabana Azmi, Naseeruddin Shah, Om Puri, Amrish Puri and Satish Kaushik.