Every student will agree that after-classroom hours are the most exciting part of college life. Staying on campus to explore extracurricular activities allows them to hone existing talents and explore new interests. Clubs, fests, events, cultural exchanges—there are many opportunities to suit everyone’s liking.
Drushti Film Forum (DFF) enjoys massive popularity among students at K J Somaiya College of Arts and Commerce (KJSAC). Anjali Raghvani, a 2024-25 SYBA student, says, “DFF helps us understand cinema beyond entertainment. World cinema exposure and post-film discussions have broadened our perspectives, imbued empathy, compassion, and tolerance, and encouraged us to be better human beings.” Monali Kumavat from the same batch explains, “DFF has deepened our knowledge on diverse social, cultural, and global issues. We are growing into more thoughtful and informed individuals.”
With a quick glimpse of students’ views on DFF, let’s understand the power of cinema in academics and beyond through the eyes of Abhijit Deshpande, Founder and Chairperson of DFF and Mamata Tendulkar, Advisor of DFF.
A brief history of Drushti Film Forum at KJSAC
Drushti Film Forum (DFF), also popularly known as the Film Society of K J Somaiya College of Arts and Commerce, has a rich history dating back to July 2006. It was established to give students a platform to explore and appreciate meaningful cinema from around the world. The successful start instigated a formal inauguration of the forum on August 8, 2007, in the presence of Suhasini Mulay, a renowned Indian actress and documentary filmmaker.
Since then, DFF has hosted weekly screenings and discussions of over 250 films at Kalidas Sabhagruha / Conference Room of KJSAC. War Horse, The Great Dictator, Lawrence of Arabia, Schindler’s List, Unmistaken Child, Ten, Amazon Jungles, Fandry, Shala, and the list goes on. At DFF, cinema is not merely a form of entertainment but a window to the world.
Drushti Film Forum in action: An overview of the various activities
DFF’s main motive is regular film screenings and discussions for KJSAC students. The committee members select diverse films across languages, cultures, genres, and themes beyond Bollywood and Hollywood.
When it comes to Indian cinema, DFF has provided exposure to independent or parallel cinema, mid-stream cinema, regional cinema (Bengali, Assamese, Tamil, Malayalam, Marathi, Gujarati, Kashmiri, Oriya), and crossover cinema. World cinema encompasses films from across the globe, including Asian countries, European countries, African countries, the Arab World, and Latin America.
Over the years, DFF has hit more milestones in their journey to foster an academic approach to cinema. A few popular DFF activities include:
On-campus film festivals: DFF has organised various film festivals, encouraging widespread student participation in screenings and discussions. The film society has also arranged thematic film festivals in collaboration with several departments, including Psychology, Marathi, EVS, Philosophy, and Buddhist Studies Centre.
External film festivals: DFF motivates interested students to participate in renowned film festivals across India, such as MAMI, IFFI, Third Eye, and PIFF.
Guest lectures: Many film fraternity and Film Society Movement stalwarts have enlightened the DFF community with their expertise. Notable guests include Suhasini Mulay, Kiran Shantaram, Anand Gandhi, Ravi Jadhav, Shrihari Sathe, Shrikant Bojewar, Arun Puranik, Ratnakar Matkari, Ganesh Matkari, Sudhir Nandgaonkar, and Santosh Pathare.
Film workshops: DFF arranges rigorous short-term film appreciation workshops to help students dive deep into cinema and view it from an analytical lens.
Film-related competitions: DFF conducts various competitions, allowing students to hone their skills in reviewing films and writing essays.
Film magazine: DFF recently launched a student-run annual film magazine, 24 Frames.
Key benefits of Drushti Film Forum for students
Apart from providing extensive knowledge of cinema, the Drushti Film Forum (DFF) at KJSAC offers students other significant lifetime benefits.
An expanded worldview: When students learn to watch cinema beyond entertainment, they open doors for new insights about different regions, cultures, and societies. Post-screening discussions significantly enhance this experience. As Prajakta Mishra, a 2024-25 SYBA student, rightly notes, “Knowing everyone’s unique perspectives and takeaways from the film is exciting.” Film discourse provokes students to consider different viewpoints, engage in meaningful dialogues, and reflect on their beliefs and values. Overall, students are enriched with a better understanding of the world around them, leading to a more open-minded and adaptable mindset.
Emotional intelligence: Films portray complex characters, situations, and stories in different cultural, social, and historical contexts. Students may relate to the film and draw parallels to their lives or encounter entirely new experiences. The exposure can sensitise the students, allowing them to develop self-awareness and empathy.
Critical thinking, analytical, listening, and communication skills: Film discussions and analysis enable students to go beyond surface-level viewing and explore deeper meanings, symbolisms, themes, ideologies, performances, and film techniques. The practice enhances their ability to critique, form unique opinions, listen to others, and communicate their thoughts confidently in a group setting.
Academic performance: Students taking active participation in DFF observe the benefits of the club in their academics as well. Bhavika Gandhi, a second-year psychology student, shares how DFF allowed her to go deeper into her subject: “Observing different film characters and listening to peer discussions has helped me understand people better.” Similarly, the knowledge and skills gained during DFF activities help students in academic research, writing, presentations, and discussions.
The path ahead of Drushti Film Forum
DFF is an ever-evolving platform, with committee members and students bringing new developments with every passing year. Recently, in February 2024, DFF launched its inaugural edition of the annual academic film magazine called 24 FRAMES. Students wrote, edited, and designed the magazine surrounding the theme “War and Cinema” under the guidance of faculty. Considering the resounding success of the magazine works for the January 2025 issue on the theme “Gender and Cinema” have already begun.
Additionally, DFF is planning an insightful session on “Philosophy and Cinema”, along with a one-day film festival exploring the concept in depth. Plans are also underway for a one-day study tour to the National Museum of Indian Cinema in Mumbai.
Leave a Comment