Tillotama & Guneet's Bold Vision for Women Filmmakers | The Hollywood Reporter x Cannes

Anupama Chopra of The Hollywood Reporter India sits down with acclaimed actor-producer Tillotama Shome and veteran producer Guneet Monga Kapoor at the Cannes Film Festival 2025 to discuss their groundbreaking initiative, Women in Film India. In this illuminating conversation, both women share their vision for creating a support system and mentorship platform for female filmmakers in India, particularly focusing on mid-career professionals who often face industry challenges despite their experience. Tillotama candidly discusses her journey into producing with her film "Baksho," explaining how being involved in production gave her a deeper appreciation for the filmmaking process and transformed her approach to acting. The conversation highlights the powerful "King Arthur's table" model they employed, bringing together 19 producers without ego clashes to create a collaborative filmmaking environment.

Guneet passionately explains the two-year journey of establishing Women in Film India as a chapter of the global organization, emphasizing how it aims to provide Indian filmmakers access to international networks, production knowledge, and festival strategies. She details their first initiative: securing three fellowships for Indian women producers to attend the prestigious Producers Network at Cannes, enabling them to pitch projects and forge global connections. Both women speak eloquently about challenging ageist industry norms, particularly for women in their 40s who are "forced to vanish" despite possessing invaluable experience and clarity. The conversation concludes with an invitation for women across India to join their emerging community through their website, with Guneet noting that while they're currently "a team of two and a half people," they're building an organization that aspires to outlive them and create lasting structural change in Indian cinema.