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Education
Jagat Murari's FTII Legacy Spotlighted on India's 80th Independence Day
✍️ The Hindu
🗓 19 Aug 2026, 11:39 AM
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On Independence Day 2026, the Hindu revisits Jagat Murari’s contribution to FTII, questioning whether public film schools can still foster independent creators.
The Hindu’s Independence Day feature on August 15, 2026, revisits the lasting impact of Jagat Murari, the former director of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII). Murari, who steered FTII during its formative years, is credited with shaping a generation of filmmakers who challenged conventional narratives and championed artistic freedom.
The article reflects on how FTII, under Murari’s leadership, became a crucible for dissenting voices in Indian cinema, producing auteurs who later defined the country’s parallel film movement. It asks whether today’s publicly funded institutions retain the capacity to nurture such independent thinking amid changing policy and funding landscapes.
While acknowledging Murari’s historic role, the piece also notes contemporary concerns about bureaucratic interference and budget constraints that could dilute FTII’s creative autonomy. The discussion frames the institute’s future as a litmus test for the broader health of India’s cultural and educational ecosystems.
The story concludes by urging policymakers to reaffirm the original mandate of FTII – to serve as a haven for experimental and socially relevant filmmaking – if the nation wishes to preserve its rich cinematic heritage.
The article reflects on how FTII, under Murari’s leadership, became a crucible for dissenting voices in Indian cinema, producing auteurs who later defined the country’s parallel film movement. It asks whether today’s publicly funded institutions retain the capacity to nurture such independent thinking amid changing policy and funding landscapes.
While acknowledging Murari’s historic role, the piece also notes contemporary concerns about bureaucratic interference and budget constraints that could dilute FTII’s creative autonomy. The discussion frames the institute’s future as a litmus test for the broader health of India’s cultural and educational ecosystems.
The story concludes by urging policymakers to reaffirm the original mandate of FTII – to serve as a haven for experimental and socially relevant filmmaking – if the nation wishes to preserve its rich cinematic heritage.