Meet Our Faculty
Meenu Hooda
— Professor, Screen Acting
Dr. Meenu Hooda, an alumna of the prestigious Film and Television Institute of India, Pune, is an actor and an academician. She has critically acclaimed Hindi feature film “Kajarya” (2015), “Let Me Twist” (Directed by Saurabh Shukla) and several short films to her credit. A doctorate in English Literature, she is a recipient of Best Actress awards in National and State level drama competitions. With more than 13 years of experience in class room teaching, industry and research, Dr. Hooda has been associated with the educational institutions that have holistic approach towards teaching and learning like Dada Lakhmi Chand State University of Performing and Visual Arts (DLCSUPVA), Rohtak and Chandigarh University in leading roles. A strong believer in empathy, conscientiousness and innovation, her skill set includes adaptability, collaboration, fine-tuned interpersonal communication and problem solving. She finds teaching to be the noblest, pious and the most enriching profession.
Barnali Medhi
—Associate Professor, Screen Acting
Barnali Medhi graduated from NSD in 2005 and is proficient in contemporary physical theatre and Art Management in Theatre. She has worked as Actor-Teacher with T.I.E. Co., NSD and is a visiting faculty at college in Delhi University, Shree Ram Centre,Delhi, National School of Drama, New Delhi and N.S.D.Tripura TIE.
She directed and acted in more than 45 plays in different languages including Children Theatre and adult Theatre. She has participated in various Indian and International Theatre Festivals like World Theater Festival Shizuoka(SPAC) Japan, BHARAT RANG MAHOTSAV, MINERVA, META and acted in TV and Films.
She has experience of work with eminent Film Director Hansal Mehta, Meghna Gulzar and popular NDTV’s show Gali Gali Sim Sim.
Her acted film are- Yuva(Hindi) 2007, Oas(Nepali) 2013, Gali Gali Sim Sim (Hindi) 2015, Talwar(Hindi) 2015, Aligarh (Hindi) 2015, Murder on the road to Kathmandu (Hindi), The Sex (2020).
She Produced many short films- Red Spot, Go for Organic, Mate, Mute Water, Sweet Poison, The Conflict and Trash for Teaching. Among them she directed short films- The Sex, Mate, Go for Organic, The Conflict
Her Directorial film “Go for Organic” received best promotional short film award in prestigious “The Himalayan Film Festival” organized by Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and Ladakh Territory. Also received Second best film award for the same film in “Global Sikkim Film Festival” organized by Sikkim Govt.
Another directorial MATE winning the best film in KidzCinema 2021 in Moviesaint platform and in Bhartiya chitra Sadhna 4th film festival got the 2nd runners up campus film award.
Recently she received ‘Senior Fellowship Award 2019-20’ for the subject- “How Folk Story influences in children’s mentally, physically and social development in Assam.” by Ministry of Culture, Govt of India
Bishnu Dev Halder
—Professor, Direction
A National Award winning writer, director and producer, Bishnu completed his Postgraduate Diploma in Cinema, specializing in Direction and Screenplay Writing, from Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI), an academic institution under Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Govt. of India.
Selected for Talent Campus India, organized by Berlinale Talent Campus, in 2007, Bishnu was awarded the UK Environment Film Fellowship in 2010.
Bishnu’s films include Shukranu, Bagher Bachcha, Pratyabartan, I was Born in Delhi, and The Diary of a Refugee and have won numerous awards including National Film Award, Nomination at International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) and Opening Film in Indian Panorama at International Film Festival of India (IFFI).
Supported/produced/co-produced by Sundance Institute, Japan Broadcasting Corporation/NHK, British Council, British High Commission, Films Division, Government of India, Public Service Broadcasting Trust; Bishnu’s films have been telecast on National Geographic, NHK, YLE, and Doordarshan, among others.
Ram Ji Ka Ghoda, his debut feature film script was selected as one of the six projects for the Drishyam | Sundance Screenwriters Lab 2016.
Bishnu’s debut feature fiction film as director, Shukranu, also written by him, was produced by Reliance Entertainment.
Bishnu’s debut feature fiction film as producer, Mangta Jogi, is readying for release.
Bishnu has been the Head/Director Programming – DocedgeKolkata, Asian Forum for Documentary, from 2010 – 1018.
Bishnu has also been the jury member of the National Film Awards, Docaviv International Film Festival, National Students’ Films Awards, among others.
Bishnu has conducted numerous workshops/classes and been part of sessions as industry expert/guest faculty at various institutions including FTII, SRFTI, IIT Bombay, Mumbai University, and Manipal University among many others.
Reema Borah
—Associate Professor, Direction
Reema Borah is an Indian writer and director who began her artistic journey as a performing artist. After completing her master’s degree in Theatre from Panjab University, Chandigarh, she pursued a post-graduate degree in Film Direction at the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune. Her short films, created during her academic projects, were showcased internationally at festivals like Clermont and Camerimage. Notably, her student films won the Kodak Film School Competition in 2005 and the National Film Award in 2009.
In 2010, her film Chaatak received a special mention at the IDPA Awards. Her debut feature film, Bokul, was selected for the Film Bazaar 2014 Work-in-Progress Lab and premiered at MAMI in 2015. Bokul went on to win five Assam State Film Awards and was featured at several international film festivals. Reema’s second feature, Noi, premiered in the National Competition section at the Kolkata International Film Festival in 2021. Her third film, Anunaad, received the 69th National Film Award for Best Film on Social Issues.
Reema Borah has also served as a jury member for the FFSI KR Mohanan Endowment at the International Film Festival of Kerala in 2022. She is the founder of Allmitra Talkies, a production house; Aprameya Ouvre, a publishing house; and The Gaze, a residential filmmaking workshop. Currently, she is pursuing a PhD at Tezpur University.
Dominic Sangma
—Professor, Screenplay Writing
Dominic Sangma is a graduate of Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute, India, specialised in Direction and Screenplay Writing. He worked at National Film and Development Corporation Ltd, for two years before he opened his own production company ANNA FILMS. He co-founded Kelvin Cinema Festival of Films and he is an Artistic Director of the festival. He was in Juries for various film festivals Including Indian Panorama, International Film Festival of India and the Guwahati International Short Film and Documentary Film Festival. He was selected in Berlinale Talents 2020.
His first feature film MA•AMA (India / China) became the first Garo film to win a National Award. His second feature film Rapture which is a India / China / Switzerland / Qatar / Netherlands co-production world premiered at the Locarno Film Festival 2023. Since then it’s been travelling to various film festivals including Busan IFF, 3 Continents Nantes, EnergaCamerimage, Mumbai IFF (NETPAC Award) and has won multiple awards. Rapture was supported by Hubert Bals Fund, Vision Sud Est and Doha Film Institute.
Alka Singh
—Associate Professor, Screenplay Writing
Alka Singh is a filmmaker and educator with 18 years of experience in documentary filmmaking. She has worked on projects for international broadcasters such as NHK, Arte, and PSBT. Currently, she is completing a feature documentary titled Ribba, which focuses on the lives of women and religious syncretism in the village of Ribba in Kinnaur, Himachal Pradesh.
In addition to her filmmaking work, Alka has taught Screenplay Writing and Direction at institutions including MIT Art Design and Technology University, Film and Television Institute of India, Flame University, and Annapurna College of Film and Media. Her teaching emphasizes fostering creative thinking and developing strong practical skills in filmmaking.
Raktim Mondal
—Associate Professor, Cinematography
Raktim Mondal has Post-graduated from the prestigious Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute-SRFTI,with a concentration in motion picture photography in 2004,under the guidance of the greatest Indian cinematographer Mr.Subrata Mitra ISC .
Since then he has been working as a cinematographer in Indian film industry with very unique film directors including Mr.Ketan Mehta,Mr.Sujit Sircar,Mr.R Balki, Mr.Buddhadeb Dasgupta & many others.
He has shot many feature films in multiple languages including Hindi, Bengali, Assamese & Nepali. Apart from that he has shot many Tv commercials,Short films & Web series. He also shot many Documentaries for BBC,NHK-Japan, CCTV-China,European Union,NFDC &
Film Division.
He worked as an associate cinematographer with Mr.PC Sreeram ISC, Mr.Sunny Joseph ISC,Mr.Ranjan Palit & Mr.Kamaljeet Negi ISC.
He was nominated for best cinematography in documentary films at Madrid international film festival in 2015. He received the 6th Assam state film award 2015 for best cinematography
He makes his directorial debut with Bhat Kaporer Swapno (Dream for Livelihood) in Bangla which is a short documentary, Official selection and nomination for Golden Royal Bengal Trophy in 28th Kolkata International Film Festival, KIFF-2022
Arijit Paul
—Associate Professor, Sound Recording & Design
Having experience of over two decades in the area of film education, with balanced command over theoretical & technical aspects of filmmaking, and is recognized as a film educator of repute. Arijit Paul has worked in the capacity of Administrative and Academics in various Institutions. In his illustrious career, he has been instrumental in setting up and updating film departments across the country according to the latest modernizations in technology and andragogy.
