How India's Finest Filmmakers Were Made

Radha Chadha’s new book, The Maker of Filmmakers: How Jagat Murari and FTII Changed Indian Cinema Forever, is as much a biography of her father Jagat Murari, as that of the iconic film school he built, which created generations of outstanding talent, including Shabana Azmi, Jaya Bachchan, Subhash Ghai, Shatrughan Sinha, Mani Kaul, Adoor Gopalakrishnan, and many more legends of Indian Cinema.

At this event, Radha Chadha will offer an intimate look at the life and impact of Jagat Murari. Murari’s remarkable journey began in post-war America, where — while still a young film student — he absorbed lessons from none other than Orson Welles during the filming of Macbeth (1947). Returning to a newly independent India, he became a celebrated documentary filmmaker, and then went on to channel his experiences into a bold vision: a national film school that would train future generations of Indian storytellers.

The event will include a rare screening of iconic FTII student films, seldom shown outside India, showcasing early works by filmmakers who would go on to redefine cinema across the country. Engaging, historical, and cinematic, the evening will shine a spotlight on the artists and ideas that helped transform Indian filmmaking from its earliest post-independence years through the rise of the Indian New Wave and beyond. The event will conclude with an audience Q&A.

The Maker of Filmmakers: How Jagat Murari and FTII Changed Indian Cinema Forever will be available for sale during the event, and the author will sign books after the event.

Radha Chadha is an author, columnist and one of Asia’s foremost experts on marketing and consumer insights. Her book The Cult of the Luxury Brand: Inside Asia’s Love Affair with Luxury was a bestseller, and is the go-to book for understanding luxury in Asia. After two decades at top advertising agencies — Ogilvy, JWT, Grey and Bates Asia — she founded her own brand consultancy in Hong Kong. For over a decade, Radha also wrote a widely read column for Mint, one of India’s leading business newspapers. She holds an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, and a BA from St. Stephen’s College, Delhi. She now lives in Dubai.

Radha grew up on the campus of the Film and Television Institute of India, where her father, Jagat Murari, shaped a generation of filmmakers. Her latest book, The Maker of Filmmakers: How Jagat Murari and FTII Changed Indian Cinema Forever, is a portrait of that pivotal time, when India’s cinematic legacy was transformed.