Monsoon Film Festival Opening Week: Imtiaz Ali, Sriram Raghavan, Shoojit Sircar Lead Masterclasses in Mumbai

The opening weekend of the Monsoon Film Festival curated by The Hollywood Reporter India in association with Nilaya Anthology brought together filmmakers, artists and cinephiles for three immersive days of conversations, workshops and screenings.

Unfolding over four weekends at Nilaya Anthology in Mumbai from July 17 to August 9, the festival opened last Friday (July 17) with the unveiling of Old Gods and New, a stunning art exhibition interpreting classic and iconic films as Mata Ni Pachedi paintings. The stimulating art show set the tone for a festival bridging cinema with the wider arts.

This was followed by welcome addresses from Nilaya Anthology's Creative Director Pavitra Rajaram and The Hollywood Reporter India Editor Anupama Chopra.

Chopra then took the stage for the festival’s opening conversation with filmmaker Imtiaz Ali. Reflecting on his body of work, Ali spoke about why journeys — both physical and emotional — remain central to his storytelling.

He also spoke about the remarkable theatrical journey of his latest film, Main Vaapas Aaunga, recounting how it transformed from a modest box-office opener into a word-of-mouth success. Following the conversation, Amit Syngle, MD and CEO, Asian Paints, felicitated the filmmaker and welcomed attendees to the inaugural edition of the festival.

The celebrations continued into the night with an intimate opening party attended by Bollywood names such as Jim Sarbh, Harleen Sethi, Mihir Ahuja, Satyanshu Singh, Sumit Arora and several notable members of the film fraternity.

Day two (Saturday) shifted the spotlight to the craft behind the screen. Acclaimed poster designer Jahan Bakshi led an engaging workshop on the art of creating memorable film posters, offering participants a closer look at visual storytelling and cinematic design.

Later, Anupama Chopra hosted filmmaker Sriram Raghavan for a masterclass on the enduring appeal of film noir. Drawing from classics such as The Maltese Falcon, The Asphalt Jungle and Sunset Boulevard, while also spotlighting Hindi cinema touchstones like Baazi and Vijay Anand’s films, Raghavan explored how noir’s themes, visual language and moral and emotional bleakness continue to influence filmmakers today. The evening concluded with a screening of his iconic thriller Johnny Gaddaar.

Day three (Sunday) began with film critic Rahul Desai’s workshop on the art of movie reviewing, offering participants practical insights into watching, interpreting and writing about cinema. Desai drew on his vast experience to shine a light on the nuances and principles of modern criticism in the age of social media.

The evening proceeded with a moving masterclass with Shoojit Sircar as he discussed his enduring admiration for Satyajit Ray. Sircar, a lifelong Ray disciple and director of popular and acclaimed films like Piku and October, singled out Aparajito (1956) as a deeply personal favourite from the Apu Trilogy.

He also spoke about Ray's abiding influence on contemporary cinema, including tributes and debts in his own films. A screening of Ray’s timeless classic Aparajito brought the weekend to a fitting close, while setting the stage for another week of cinematic discovery.