Archive · 15 Dec 2025
FTII Students Embrace Regional Languages in Films
Students at the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) are now making more movies in their own languages instead of just Hindi or English.
Mansingh Baskey, who is from the Santal tribe, made a film in Santali to tell his own story.
Saurav Munda made a film in Mundari to show the life of people in a village in Jharkhand.
Chirag Solanki made his film in Gujarati because he felt it made his thoughts clearer.
This change is happening because more people now have access to cameras and the internet, and they want to share stories in their own languages.
Some of these films have even won awards at big film festivals.
However, some teachers at FTII say students should also try making films about places they are not familiar with to learn more.
FTII students are increasingly making films in regional languages like Santali, Mundari, and Gujarati.
Mansingh Baskey's Santali film 'Where do the trees go?' is a personal story about separation from his mother.
Saurav Munda's Mundari film 'A River Colored Red' depicts life in a Jharkhand village affected by mining and Naxalite tension.
Chirag Solanki's Gujarati film 'Through my eyes' explores the unique thoughts and personalities tied to his mother tongue.
This shift is driven by the democratization of media, increased internet access, and a desire to represent diverse languages and cultures.
- Who
- FTII students like Mansingh Baskey, Saurav Munda, and Chirag Solanki
- What
- Making films in regional languages like Santali, Mundari, and Gujarati
- When
- Over the past two decades, with a notable increase in recent years
- Where
- Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) in Pune
- Why
- To preserve authenticity, represent their communities, and explore the democratization of media
- Mansingh Baskey
- FTII graduate who made a film in Santali
- Saurav Munda
- FTII graduate who made a film in Mundari
- Chirag Solanki
- FTII graduate who made a film in Gujarati
- Chidananda Naik
- FTII student whose Kannada film won at Cannes 2024
- Nikhil Shinde
- FTII student whose Marathi film won at Alpavirama 2024
- Payal Kapadia
- FTII student who made a film in Malayalam
- Santali
- Language spoken by the Santal tribal community in Jharkhand
- Mundari
- Language spoken by the Munda tribes in Jharkhand