Shashi Bala is an Economics post graduate with management in marketing. She has over 29 years of experience in various aspects of Business operations, Marketing, Administration and Urban Governance. For over a decade she has been working closely on the Ease of Doing Business initiatives, business permission facilitation processes/ Single Window system and related policies in streamlining the regulatory reforms at Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation. She has closely worked with the World Bank team, DPIIT (GoI) & Govt. of Maharashtra EODB team on implementing Doing Business Reforms in Mumbai, for which have been awarded “Certificate of Appreciation” from World Bank in 2018, 2019, 2020 & 2021. One of her initiatives, the online combined “New Business Application” has won the “Digital India Awards 2018” for BMC, under the category of “Outstanding Digital Initiative by Urban Local Body”. She has been actively involved in setting up the CIVIC-TECH Business Incubation Centre of BMC, “Societyfor Mumbai Incubation Lab to Entrepreneurship Council” (SMILE Council), incorporated in Oct 2019 as a sec.8 company of BMC and is one of the Directors at SMILE Council. She has been instrumental in Mumbai’s application for designation as the UNESCO Creative City of Film in 2019 and is the focal point for Mumbai at UNESCO Creative City Network (UCCN).
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Hemant Chaturvedi spent 30 years working as a Cinematographer in Mumbai, before moving away from that profession in 2015. His cinematography credits include films like Company, Makdee, Maqbool, 15 Park Avenue, Ishaqzaade, Kurbaan, Brothers, and even an animation film called Arjun The Warrior Prince. In addition, he filmed 500+ TV Commercials and clocked in over 3000hours of Television work. He returned to full-time still photography and only works on his own projects. Which range from Dhrupad Gurukuls, his two charity project for the sesquicentennial of his Alma Mater, St.Xavier’s College Mumbai, to the photo documentation of India’s Single Screen Cinema heritage, documenting old British era graveyards and cemeteries, Zoroastrian Aram Gahs (cemeteries), abandoned Hindu idols, his mountain journeys to Kailash Mansarovar in Tibet,Amarnath in Kashmir, India, etc. etc.The Single Screen Cinemas Project is the largest photo-documentation ever attempted on a subject like this anywhere in the world. Hemant has driven over 70,000km alone in his jeep, and after visiting 21 states and over 1000 towns, he has photographed more than 1300 single screen cinema theatres. Unlike many similar projects from across the world, Hemant has made it a point to enter the said cinema theatres and has documented every possible detail, seats, screens, auditoria, lobbies, signages, vintage cinema technology and even a series of portraits of Projectionists. His other significant project, a documentary film called “Chhayaankan-The Management of Shadows” (2021) is his tribute to his Cinematography peers, and an attempt to introduce the human element in a very challenging profession. It remains the first and only film ever made on this subject in India.Hemant is 58, and lives in Mumbai. All of his projects are self motivated, self funded, and solo efforts in every possible manner.
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Kireet Khurana A High-Honors film graduate from the prestigious Sheridan College, Canada, Kireet has won 6 President's National awards and 18 International awards for his cinematic works besides many others. His notable directorial works include feature film 'T for Taj Mahal' (7 International awards, 25 official selections), 'Komal' (National award-winning film on child sexual abuse) and India's first live-action and 3D animation combination feature film 'Toonpur Ka Superrhero' starring Ajay Devgn and Kajol. His docu-feature 'The Invisible Visible' (2022) on the 70mn. homeless in India, won Best Documentary Feature award at the Sweden International Film Festival & Docs Without Borders. His docu-feature 'Saeed Mirza - The Leftist Sufi' a film on the quintessential Indian auteur was among top 10 Indian Documentaries on Netflix. He is also the Screenplay & Dialogue writer for feature film 'The Storyteller' based on a Satyajit Ray short story (starring Paresh Rawal and Adil Hussain). He has made over 25 award-winning short films on myriad social causes, including films for National Film Board of Canada, UNICEF, Childline, USAID, John Hopkins, Save The Children India, besides producing 600+ ad films for leading brands and agencies under his banner Climb Films (a division of Climb Media India Pvt. Ltd.)
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Meenakshi Shedde is an independent film curator, National Award-winning critic and journalist shaping global opinions on Indian and South Asian cinema worldwide since 40 years, based in Mumbai. She has been Jury Member of 25 film festivals, such as Cannes, Berlin and Venice, including the Jury of the Cannes Film Festival’s Semaine de la Critique (Critics’ Week) 2023. She was also Golden Globes International Voter 2023, and is Member, Asia Pacific Screen Academy (APSA, Australia). She has programmed Indian and South Asian cinema at festivals worldwide since 28 years, including the Toronto International Film Festival TIFF, Berlin Film Festival, British Film Institute, Cinematheque Française, Locarno, Busan, Dubai, IFFI-Goa and Jio Mami Mumbai Film Festivals. She has been Script Mentor/Consultant to Labs and Film Funds--Sundance Institute Screenwriters Lab, Sundance Institute Documentary Fund, Venice, Hubert Bals Fund, Asia Pacific Screen Lab, NFDC. As filmmaker, she has worked on 15 productions. A journalist writing worldwide, she has written for/edited 21 books. She specially follows overlooked films and culture, including those by Dalits and indigenous artists.
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Nandini Ramnath has been writing about cinema for over 20 years. Before Scroll.in, she worked at Time Out Mumbai, Mint, NDTV and The Indian Express. Her essays have been published in Women in Indian Film (Zubaan Books) and The Swinging Seventies (Om Books)
Read moreFew cities in the world share as deep and enduring a relationship with cinema as Mumbai. Often described as the heart of Hindi cinema, the city has, for over a century, shaped the imagination of filmmakers and audiences alike. More than just a production hub, Mumbai is a living archive. Its streets, people and rhythms woven into the very fabric of what is globally recognized as Bollywood.
The story of Indian cinema is inseparable from the story of Mumbai. From its earliest days, when silent films were first screened to curious audiences, to the rise of grand studios and global streaming platforms, the city has continuously evolved alongside the industry. In many ways, Mumbai is not just a setting but a collaborator, informing the tone, scale and emotional depth of countless films.
What makes Mumbai’s connection to Hindi cinema so unique is its dual role as both muse and machine. On one hand, it inspires stories rooted in aspiration, struggle and transformation. On the other, it sustains a vast and complex industry that produces some of the most widely watched films in the world. This dynamic interplay between art and commerce has defined Hindi film history, allowing it to remain relevant across generations.
As conversations around cinema evolve, there is a growing interest in understanding not just the films themselves but the ecosystems that support them. The lens has widened from focusing solely on actors and directors to including photographers, critics, archivists and historians. Together, these voices help document and interpret the journey of Indian filmmaking, preserving its legacy while offering new perspectives.
At the same time, the language of cinema is changing. The rise of digital filmmaking, coupled with the global reach of streaming platforms, has transformed how stories are told and consumed. Audiences today are more diverse and their expectations more nuanced. This shift has opened doors for new narratives, voices and visual styles, challenging traditional definitions of Bollywood and expanding its boundaries.
Mumbai’s recognition as a UNESCO Creative City of Film further highlights its global cultural significance. This designation is not only a celebration of its cinematic heritage but also a reminder of its responsibility to nurture creativity, support innovation and preserve its rich history. It reinforces the idea that cinema is not just entertainment but a cultural force that shapes identity, memory and collective imagination.
In this context, revisiting the journey of Hindi cinema becomes both timely and essential. It allows us to reflect on how far the industry has come while considering where it might go next. What stories continue to resonate? Which voices are emerging? And how will technology, culture and society influence the next chapter of Indian cinema?
Ultimately, the relationship between Mumbai and cinema is one of constant reinvention. Each generation brings new ideas, new challenges and new ways of seeing the world. Yet, the essence remains the same - a shared belief in the power of storytelling.
In the end, Mumbai does not just host Bollywood, it lives and breathes it, frame by frame.
