Shahid Kapoor, Shefali Shah, Siddhant Chaturvedi, Vijay Varma and Fatima Sana Shaikh Headline IFP 2025 Sessions
From candid confessions to craft-led conversations, actors including Vijay Varma, Fatima Sana Shaikh, Siddhant Chaturvedi, Shefali Shah and Shahid Kapoor brought insight and humour to the 15th edition of IFP.
The 15th edition of the IFP festival unfolded as a two-day event at Mumbai’s Mehboob Studio, featuring an eclectic mix of conversations on craft, stardom and storytelling, famous for the 50 Hour Challenges, Masterclasses, and deep dive conversations. Jury members for this year’s 50 Hour Creative Challenges included Dibakar Banerjee, Sheeba Chadha, Hariharan and Kanu Behl.
Day one saw Vijay Varma and Fatima Sana Shaikh discuss reviving old-school romance through their upcoming drama Gustaakh Ishq. In a conversation with Swati Chopra, Varma was heard describing Naseeruddin Shah’s presence on set as “like hearing the voice of the universe,” adding that simply watching him work felt “profound.” Shaikh recalled approaching scenes with “fear and admiration,” noting how Shah’s small gestures “changed the whole moment,” including placing her hand on his pulse during an emotional scene.
Siddhant Chaturvedi also drew a packed crowd for a wide-ranging session with Vaibhav Munjal. He reportedly acknowledged competition between actors and content creators but insisted that “a good film will always sustain.” He pointed to the lack of access for writers outside Mumbai’s industry hubs, saying many from smaller towns “don’t get in because maybe they don’t know English.” Chaturvedi also critiqued the tendency of actors to “switch to English mid-interview,” arguing that it alienated Hindi-speaking audiences.
The second day opened with Shefali Shah reflecting on her career, her breakout with Delhi Crime and the impact of her acclaimed short Juice. She said she once found it unimaginable that a woman in her mid-40s could headline a series, calling the role of Vartika “closer to me than anything I’ve done.”
Shahid Kapoor came to IFP for a candid session on balancing stardom and craft. Recalling Udta Punjab, he said he initially questioned being cast as Tommy, and later described his method as “keeping it simple, honest and real.” Finally, Abhishek Bachchan and Ananya Panday closed out the 15th edition with Bachchan summarising the core philosophy of the two-day event, "IFP has always been a space where creators feel at home, and it’s great to be part of that community this year."