Mira Nair: Colonialists made us believe that we aren’t able to represent ourselves

Internationally acclaimed filmmaker Mira Nair, whose credits include Salaam Bombay! (1998), Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love (1996), and Monsoon Wedding (2001), recently attended the virtual convocation of Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) where she spoke about the need for people to tell their own stories. She also touched upon her experiences of making films that usually talk about people suspended between cultures.

“Colonialists made us believe that we are not able to represent ourselves. We must tell our own stories,” Nair said.

A statement issued by FTII informed that three hundred students from the 2008 to 2019 batches were awarded postgraduate diplomas and certificates during the online convocation.

FTII chairman Shekhar Kapur, who has not been able to visit the campus ever since resuming the office last year due to the coronavirus pandemic, spoke about how cinema and storytelling are going to change in times to come.

“Cinema is becoming much more global. Mira Nair is someone who has broken the traditional norms of eastern and western cinema. I would like to see more technology in storytelling, not just in cinema, but also in gaming,” said Kapur.

Giving her profound words of advice for the new graduates, Nair said, “Never treat what you do as just a stepping stone. Let the heart inform the brain, and allow inspiration to come from any quarter. Be brave.”

The acclaimed filmmaker also reminisced about her education in film and theatre in India and abroad. She stressed the need to have “fluid and porous” borders and bridges for more stories to be told.

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