A handful of small organisations in the city are still fighting hard against the odds to let cinema remain a social, public experience. Here’s a ready-reckoner of these laudatory efforts and spaces—a mix of the old as well as the new
Dipti Kharude
Amongst the many qualities of cinema, a key one is that it’s not just a personal thing but can also be a shared, collective art form. Watching a film on the big screen, in the silent companionship of strangers, transforms the viewing experience. A film club taps on that mutuality of cinematic connection. It enables people to get together and discuss films threadbare, where you enrich from each other’s response to and understanding of films, where the newly initiated can grapple with and figure out the abstract concepts and jargon associated with cinema. It is also meant to enable discovery of obscure films, to follow a filmmaker’s trajectory closely, to give independent films a platform and to fire people’s curiosity about cinema’s past. Discussions with filmmakers offer a better context in which to appreciate their work. A film club helps take movies beyond entertainment; at its heart it is a medium that helps spread film culture and literacy and is a celebration of the accessibility of cinema.
The curiosity and appetite for cinema in Mumbai — Home to the Hindi (and Marathi) film industry — has always been insatiable. A reason why many film clubs have been thriving here. However, times they are a changing. Streaming sites and digital downloading are threatening to turn film viewing into a solitary experience. The Netflix generation would much rather select and consume content personally at a time and device of their own choice and convenience.
Prabhat Chitra Mandal
To celebrate its 48th anniversary last month, Prabhat Chitra Mandal (PCM) screened a contemporary, experimental Marathi film, Kaul, in line with its aim since inception of bringing non-mainstream and world cinema to its members. It was inaugurated with the screening of Satyajit Ray’s Chiriyakhana on July 5, 1968. There were about seven other film societies in Mumbai at that time and PCM was launched to cater to the discerning cine-goers of North Mumbai; the shows were initially held in a 70-seater mini theatre. The screenings are now held at venues like the Y.B. Chavan Centre, Nariman Point; Mumbai University, Kalina and Maharashtra Sewa Sangh, Airoli. PCM celebrated the birth centenary of Dadasaheb Phalke by helping retrieve and preserve the first Indian feature film, Raja Harishchandra. PCM has also been an early moving force behind the Mumbai International Film Festival and the Mumbai Academy of the Moving Image.
www.prabhatchitramandal.org
Little Theatre, NCPA
Located within the premises of the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA), the intimate Little Theatre with a seating capacity of 114 is ideal for film screenings. The NCPA has been screening films under various properties. Currently, monthly screenings are held under three series: NCPA Fresh Pix for regional films and indies outside of the film festival circuit. It also screens relevant recent releases. NCPA Reality Check showcases documentary films about India in collaboration with the Indian Documentary Producers’ Association (IDPA) and NCPA Flashback is all about rare classics from the collection of the National Film Archives of India, Pune.
www.ncpamumbai.com
Bimal Roy Memorial Committee
Formed in 1997, BRMC aspires to raise the consciousness of viewers about Indian cinema’s rich legacy. The memorial’s mission also includes preservation, restoration and acquisition of Bimal Roy’s film prints as well as other memorabilia such as posters, publicity stills and film documents. Rinki Roy Bhattacharya, Bimal Roy’s daughter and BRMC founder-chairperson, says that film societies have shaped her since her college days. “It was easier earlier. Today the distractions of TV and the web have posed a challenge for cine clubs. We have also lost many theatres. We now rely on DVDs and pen drives and smaller venues.” The screenings are held at National College and St.Paul’s Media Centre, Bandra. Screenings are open to members only.
www.bimalroymemorial.org
G5A Film Society
The G5A Foundation for Contemporary Culture was founded by Anuradha Parikh, an architect and filmmaker based in Mumbai. Located in a refurbished warehouse in Mahalaxmi, it endeavours to be a multi-functional community space and cultural centre in Central Mumbai. The G5A film society, a member of the Federation of Film Societies of India (FFSI), aims to offer a platform to a community of filmmakers unbound by populist expectations. The focus is on indie and experimental cinema. Kothanodi, directed by Bhaskar Hazarika, had its first ever screening as part of G5A’s Start Up Filmmaker series in association with the National Film Development Corporation. G5A in partnership with the New York Indian Film Festival 2016 recently screened five features, four documentaries and four shorts. The screenings and events are a mix of both, free and ticketed.
www.g5a.org
MAMI Film Club
The Mumbai Academy of Moving Image (MAMI) film club is geared up to breathe new life into Mumbai’s cinema. It is also looking to ignite creativity in the filmmaking fraternity with events like knowledge bootcamps, master classes and workshops.
Expect a host of activities for kids and young adults as well. “Kiran Rao, Anupama Chopra and I wanted to create an inclusive and unique space for filmmakers and film lovers that brings them together and also engages with them more than just seven days in a year,” says Smriti Kiran, Creative Director, MAMI. While registration is free, some events may be ticketed.
www.mumbaifilmfestival.com
Matterden Centre for Films and Recreation
Unlike time-bound film festivals, Matterden Centre for Films and Creations, an entity of the erstwhile Enlighten Society of Film, aims for making cinema a daily culture. Just like any other weekly releases, there are ticketed shows of hand-picked films. The venue, the 87-year-old single theatre Deepak cinema, enhances the charm of retrospectives. Structurally untouched, the refurbished space comes with 2k technology which is the DCI compliant projection system with Dolby 7. Founder Pranav Ashar says, “Apart from curated film screenings, we are exploring virtual reality technology and developing new ways by which film content can be created and consumed. We are trying to bring different visual experiences to the movies.” Shows are ticketed.
matterden.com
Osianama at Liberty
Arts organization Osian’s cinema archive claims to house the world’s largest collection of publicity memorabilia on Indian cinema, spanning nearly 100 years. The iconic art deco cinema, Liberty, with a capacity of over a 1000 audiences is the new HQ of Osianama. It serves as a platform to make art and cinema available to the masses. A 365-day extravaganza, Osianama Film Festival or Osian’s Cinefan Film Festival screens over three films daily.
www.osianama.com
Shamiana Short Film Club
The short format has come a long way. Cyrus Dastur, the founder of Shamiana, Asia’s biggest short-film club, says that audiences are now looking for an experiential package and passion needs to be blended with commerce. Shamiana has scaled up its operations thanks to screenings of short films that are held in different venues like cafes and clubs. Collaborations with Pocket Films, brands like Truly Madly and the Taj Group of Hotels have also helped. “Bad prints and tiny subtitles will not do. The format of the film is a vital criterion for screening. The perception that short films are dull is changing. Short films can be just as entertaining as a full-length feature film,” adds Dastur. Most of the screenings are free. Some special events may be ticketed.
www.facebook.com/Shamianashorts
Vikalp at Prithvi
This is a collaboration between Prithvi Theatre and Vikalp. The initiative ‘Films for Freedom’, which began in 2007, screens a selection of documentaries and short films. Entry is free and on a first-come first-served basis.
Vikalp@Prithvi group on Facebook for updates; Email: vikalp.prithvi@gmail.com
Movies at the Museum
This monthly screening programme is held at Bhau Daji Lad Museum. Curated by filmmaker and cinematographer, Avijit Mukul Kishore, and architect and urban designer, Rohan Shivkumar, it includes films and videos made in different genres — documentary, fiction, animation and visual art. It also holds screenings in collaboration with the Alliance Française and the Consulate General of Canada. Entry is free with the museum ticket.
www.bdlmuseum.org
Peepshow
A property of AntiSocial, Khar, Peepshow is a platform for indie filmmakers to showcase work in the feature/short/documentary format. The curation of films will be done by AntiSocial and Light On Films, an independent film production house in Mumbai. They kickstarted their initiative in Mumbai with the screening of Abhay Kumar’s documentary, Placebo. All the events will be ticketed.
www.facebook.com/antiSOCIALkhar/
Project O
Project O screens indie films, documentaries and international cinema on weekends and Wednesday at watering holes like The Barking Deer Brewpub and Brewbot. A cover charge is applicable.
