Department of Media and Communication Studies (DMCS) at Savitribai Phule Pune University has joined the hands with the National Film Archive of India (NFAI) to introduce a course in film studies where students will be able to learn about the history, motifs and methods of the various cinemas in India.
The course will be year long and will only accept 25 students at DMCS for admissions.
A DMCS official said “the course is a flexible program of study, providing students with opportunities to explore areas of film theory, Indian cinema history and culture, as well as research and applied practical knowledge in archiving exclusively in the setting of various regional cinemas.”
The main aim of the course is to enhance the professional careers of the students as well as those who are seeking to pursue doctoral studies. The course is an excellent opportunity for the students who are new to the area and will them to establish foundations who wish to study films.
Dr Madhavi Reddy, head of department, DMCS, said that the process for introducing the diploma started two years ago.
“At the moment, no other Indian university is offering a specialized ‘Indian film studies program. Most of the existing courses look at global cinema with more focus on Soviet, Italian or other cinema. So why can’t we start studying our own cinema especially since every state in our country has its own distinct cinema? The idea is to go beyond Bollywood and that’s the reason behind introducing two optional papers each on Marathi and Telugu cinema,” said Reddy.
She further added that the expert faculty will teach and guide the students in their research.
“At the department, we have a long tradition of media research. Many of our students have done PhD in film-related topics and we have been encouraging research on Indian cinema. The course will be an academic one, addressing serious concerns in Indian film studies. We will also focus more on original research,” said Reddy.
Students who hold a bachelor’s degree in any discipline are eligible to apply. The fee for the students from Maharashtra in INR 21,550 and for others it is 41,156. Entrance test for admissions will be conducted in June.