Research at SRFTI
Independent Research Fellowship Programme
Started in the year 2017, the Independent Research Fellowship Program at Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI) is a key initiative aimed at fostering critical inquiry in cinema, electronic, and digital media. Each year, SRFTI awards six-month fellowships to young researchers and practitioners engaged in exploring contemporary culture, spaces, and politics in Indian cinema, as well as the histories, practices, public discourse, and evolving media forms.
Previous Fellowship Programmes
| Year | Title of the Project | Research Fellow | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
|
2025
|
Recycling and Archiving Indian Cinema: Intersections of Sustainability and Cultural Preservation
|
Oshee Johri
|
Ongoing
|
|
2025
|
The Art of Hand-Painted Film Posters: Exploring Techniques, Traditions, Customization and Untold Stories
|
Sandeep Anil Dongare
|
Ongoing
|
|
2025
|
Foot Soldiers of our Binary Gods: Reflections on War, Religion and Media in the Digital Era
|
Souparno Ghosh
|
Ongoing
|
|
2022
|
Streaming Wars, Platform Capitalism, and the Telugu film industry
|
C. Yamini Krishna
|
Completed
|
|
2022
|
Understanding the place of protest through Spatial Criticism
|
Mamta Mantri
|
Completed
|
|
2022
|
Disappearing Single Screens and the Exhibition of “Adult” Films in West Bengal
|
Mr. Sandip Chatterjee
|
Completed
|
|
2020
|
Speculative Middleman: Distribution Practices in Malayalam Cinema of the 1970s and 80s.
|
Jenson Joseph
|
Completed
|
|
2020
|
Changing Portrayal of Muslim Woman in Indian Cinema Representative Case Studies
|
Nandita Banerjee
|
Completed
|
|
2020
|
Cinema of Jharkhand
|
Anuj Kumar
|
Completed
|
|
2018
|
A Critical Study of Bollywood’s Assimilation of the Underground Hip Hop Aesthetic
|
Elloit Cardozo
|
Completed
|
|
2018
|
Feminist film practice and shaping the Feminist political subject in the Indian Documentary
|
Kasturi Basu
|
Completed
|
|
2018
|
Reading Anglo-Indian History in Non-fiction Cinema: A Study of Select Documentary Films
|
Shyamasri Maji
|
Completed
|
|
2017
|
Visions of a Market: A Case for Drishyam Films
|
Trinankur Banerjee
|
Completed
|
|
2017
|
Recent Trends of Using Digital Media in India
|
Kaustab Chakraborty
|
Completed
|
|
2017
|
Cinema in Future
|
Ganeswara Mohapatra
|
Completed
|
|
2016
|
Redefining Cinephilia: Alternate Film Collectives and Screening Practices in A Digital Age and Neoliberal Milieu
|
Dwaipayan Banerjee
|
Completed
|
|
2016
|
The Ghungru Tells – Metamorphosis of Kathak, Its Purity, Improvisation, and Commercialization in Bollywood
|
Indrani Das Sharma
|
Completed
|
|
2016
|
Sonified Cinema
|
Bhudhaditya Chattopadhyay
|
Completed
|
Seminars
National Seminar Vol. 1
Date : 20.09.2014
Venue: Satyajit Ray Film & Television Institute, Kolkata
Speakers & Papers:
-
Recreating Climax in Post Production
Presented by Shyamal Karmakar, Prof & HOD, S.R.F.T.I. -
‘Bad Climaxes: The Ineffective Arc’
Presented by A.F. Mathew, Associate Professor, IIM, Kunnamangalam -
Climax in Documentary
Presented by Nishtha Jain, Filmmaker -
How to End a Film: Reflections on Narrative Closure in Indian Film Socials.
Presented by Subhajit Chatterjee, Assistant Professor, Jadavpur University
Moderator: Ashoke Viswanathan
National Seminar Vol. II
Title: Ideological Journeys; Cinema Of Mrinal Sen
Date: 31.01.2015
Venue: Satyajit Ray Film & Television Institute, Kolkata
Part I (11 am – 1 pm)
Speakers & Papers:
-
Mrinal Sen – A Comradely Shoulder For Loners And Underdogs To Lean On
Presented by Vidyarthy Chatterjee, Film Scholar -
‘Crow Films’: Mrinal Sen and the Structural Transformations of Bengali Cinema (1965–1975)
Presented by Maharghya Chakraborty, PhD Scholar, CSSS, Calcutta -
Rise And Fall Of New Wave In India
Presented by Samik Bandopadhyay, Film Scholar
Moderator: Biren Das Sharma
Pather Panchali 60
Day 1 ( 19.12.2015 )
Title: The evolution of the story of ‘Pather Panchali’; how it mirrors the social reality of the time
Speakers:
- Swapan Chakravorty, former Director of the National Library
- Supriya Chowdhury, distinguished Professor of English Literature
- Samik Bandyapadhyay, noted art critic
- Anindyo Sengupta, Assistant Professor of Film Studies at Jadavpur University
- Subrata Mukhopadhyay, author and academy award winner.
Moderator:
Amaresh Chakraburtty, Professor and HOD, Direction and screenplay writing, SRFTI.
Day 2 (20.12.2015)
Title: The influence of Pather Panchali on contemporary cinema and its relevance
Speakers:
- Kamaleshwar Mukherjee, Filmmaker
- Sourav Sarangi, Filmmaker
- Shaji Karun, Filmmaker
- Sekhar Das, Filmmaker
- Shanker Raman, Director- cinematographer
- Suresh Jindal, Producer
Moderator: Ashoke Viswanathan
Spectrum Satyajit 1
Date: 07.05.2016
Title: Film making process of Ray; perspective from technicians
Speakers:
- Shri Ramesh Sen
- Shri Subrato Lahiri
- Shri Anil Ghosh
Moderator: Shri Sujoy Shome
Spectrum Satyajit 2
Date: 30.05.2016
Title: Satyajit Ray’s Inner Eye as Cover designer and illustrator
Speakers:
- Shri Pronabesh Maiti
- Shri Debashis Deb
- Shri Debraj Goswami
Moderator: Shri Sujoy Shome
Conclave
Date: 22.3.16 – 24.3.16
Title: Emerging Paradigms in Film Pedagogy
Papers & Speakers:
-
An outsider’s view on Film Pedagogy
Presented by Prof. Partha Ghoshe -
Teaching Film Theory & Aesthetics
Presnted by Prof. Amaresh Chakraburtty -
Future technology in Cinema
Presented by Prof. Saikat S Roy
National Seminar Vol. III
Date: 11.11.2017
Venue: New CRT, SRFTI
Title: Cinema In The Age Of New Media
Key Note Address: Sri. Dhritiman Chatterjee, Actor
Session1: Challenges For Today’s Television
Papers and Speakers:
-
An analysis of current trends in research on effect of television viewing on children
Presented by Dr. Debojyoti Chandra - Winter is here for the traditional television
Presented by Sri Debapriya Bhattacharya -
Television and Religion – Remapping the Indian scene
Presented by Dr. Soumik Chatterjee -
Television and Women – Problem faced by today’s Indian Television
Presented by Dr. Anindita Chattopadhyay
Moderator: Sri Abhijit Dasgupta
Session2: New Horizon In The Post Modern Scenario Of Film Making
Papers and Speakers:
-
Influence of post modernism in Sergio Rubini’s ‘Soul Mate (2011); An Enquiry
Presented by Dr. Pallab Mukhopadhyay -
Mobile phone as the new tool of film making in the age of social media
Presented by Dr. Amarta Saha
Moderator: Sri Ashoke Viswanathan
Session3: Creativity And New Media
Papers and Speakers:
-
The visual maze – How Youtube infuss hybridization of identities and binary propositions in individuals
Presented by Dr. Sujata Mukhopadhyay - Drones in News Media; A Case Study of Drone Technology in The Indian Media Landscape
Presented by Sri Arkaprava Chattopadhyay - MOOC: A creative challenge to the online teacher
Presented by Ms. Subha Das Moulik
Moderator: Dr. Tapati Basu
National Seminar Vol. IV
Date: 01.12.2018
Venue: New CRT, SRFTI
Title: Producing for Film, Electronic and Digital Media
Key Note Address: Sri. Rahul Rawail, Filmmaker
Session1: Producing for Electronic and Digital Media
Papers and Speakers:
- The puzzle of increasing TRPs and camouflaged popular culture; Marketing violence and to children in modern day tele-serials
Presented by Dr. Sujata Mukhopadhyay , Asst. Prof. Hiralal Memorial College for Woman -
Soap Opera: Producers responsibility towards society
Presented by Sri. Samik Mitra, Research Fellow, Viswa Bharati -
Challenges and threats facing by Indian Television Industry; A sampling survey on shift of audience in Indian society
Presented by Dr. Soumee Roychowdhury, Asst. Prof. George Telegraph College
Moderator: Sri Abhijit Dasgupta, Dean (TV), SRFTI
Session2: Producing for Cinema
Papers and Speakers:
-
Contribution of “Rajshri Productions” in producing Hindi Films – A Journey
Presented by Dr. Pallav Mukhopadhyay, Asst. Prof. W B State University -
From Screening to sreaming; A study on Netflix effect and rapid paradigm shift in movie viewing experience
Presented by Dr. Trinanjans Das, Asst. Prof. Amity Univ. Kolkata -
Envisioning India through Corporate Presentation
Presented by Sri. Ashim S Paul, Asst. Prof. SRFTI
Moderator: Sri Ashoke Viswanathan, Dean (Film) SRFTI
National Seminar Vol. V
Title: Cinema in the Margins; Dalit Identity, Women Portrayed and The Elderly depicted.
Date: 27.09.2019
Venue: preview Theatre, SRFTI
Speakers:
- Prof Anil Zankar
- Prof (Dr) Ira Bhaskar
- Prof Manash Ghosh
- Ms Anindita Sarbadhikary
- Prof Ashoke Viswanathan
- Prof Oindrila Hazra
National Seminar Vol. VI
Title: Gender and Media
Date: 07.12.2019
Venue:New CRT, SRFTI
Key Note Address: Prof. Shohini Ghosh, Professor on Sajjad Zaheer Chair, AJK Mass Communication Research Centre Jamia Millia Islamia, Central University, New Delhi
Papers & Speakers:
-
Portrayal of Courtesans in Hindi Cinema between 1960-1990: A Perspective
Presented by Nandita Banerjee -
Fearless Nadia: Modernity and feminity in the early Bombay cinema
Presented by Satyendra Kumar - Main Putt Jatt Da: Manda Ni Haar: Masculinity, Class and Caste in Punjabi Music
Presented by Prashastika Sharma - The cinematic configuration of gendered space in New Iranian Cinema
Presented by Apeksha Priyadarshini - The Challenges of Volatile Nationalism and Patriarchy for ‘Half Widowed Gazala’ and ‘Hysterical Arshia’ : A Study of the Cinematic Projection of the Fragmentary Lives of Kashmiri Women in the Film Haider
Presented by Kirti Sachdeva -
Parodying the Popular: The Gender Politics of Web Shorts in India
Presented by Hemantika Singh - Gender-biased Internet Trolling in Malayalam Film Industry
Presented by Kunju Lekshmi -
Gender Fluidity in Cinema and Other Media
Presented by Deepika Matange and Shruti Parthasarthy -
Feminine Perspectives in New American Horror- An analysis of Hereditary and Midsommar
Presented by Soumik Hazra and Abhinaba Bhattacharya - Walking Around: Women Navigating Cinematic Spaces
Presented by Sanghamitra Deb - How Not to Do Gender in Cinema
Presented by Prof. Niladari Chatterjee -
Ghatak and Gender
Presented by Prof. Sushmita Banerji
