Seminar on Evolving Landscape of Indian Cinema brings high-profile speakers

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The Indian Consulate in New York, along with the Indian Heritage & Cultural Association, IHCA, held a stimulating seminar on March 22, 2025, entitled, “The Evolving Landscape of Indian Cinema: The Impact, Challenges and Future of Indian Cinema on the International Stage. The event was held at the Lake Chateau Banquet Hall, Woodbridge, NJ.

The keynote speaker was Padma Shri recipient Dr. Mohan Agashe, a renowned and versatile actor, and a psychiatrist by training. He is the recipient of several awards including the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1996 in theater,Filmfare Award Marathi for Best Actor in Astu, and the Punya Bhushan award in 2023, among others. He spoke about the synergy between acting and psychology.

Addressing the meeting as the Opening Speaker, was Archana Joglekar, well-known actress and classical dancer who has featured in Marathi, Odia and Hindi cinema and television. She is also a trained Kathak dancer and choreographer and runs a dance school for children.

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Consul General Binaya Srikanta Pradhan, who was introduced by IHCA co-host Dr. Ashok Chaudhary, said the Consulate was celebrating Indian Cinema this year with events in Northeast United States including two in New York on fashion and on Odia cinema.

“Today’s event is more contextual in the sense that we are not watching a movie; To a great extent there is no point in watching a movie because we get to see movies in cinema halls here, we get to see movies on OTT platforms. So today’s event is rather more relevant when we talk about the evolving landscape of Indian cinema.” He praised Dr. Agashe’s experience and depth of understanding of films and theater as well as psychology,

Joglekar recounted her early experiences in theater in the 1980s, and transition to film, “When I started my career way back in 1984, close to 40-plus years back, it was a transition from Marathi professional theater.” At that time, the scenario was different. “I was not subjected to any auditioning or any casting calls.” Many film producers used to check out theater when they heard of a talented person in any Marathi drama, and as a young, new, talented face, she was soon getting offers. “I was fortunate to be pampered and appreciated by everybody.” Soon  she ended up signing for Marathi and then Hindi films. The film set was “a very warm affair” where actors, co-actors, senior actors interacted as a family.

Agashe spoke of the connection between psychology and communication. “When we are talking to each other in person, we are talking in three languages,” he said – the language of words, body languate, and sound language. “So the language of words goes through your brain for deciphering, body language from the subconscious, and the sound goes through the unconscious.” He likened it to a computer where there is a hard drive and a RAM (random access memory). “That is why, unless you use proper commands, the unconscious doesn’t come to the conscious;” As a psychiatrist, he said, he doesn’t go by what people say, “I go with what they communicate.”

Speaking to ITV Gold, Agashe later said the event was very important and very timely “because we should know where we were, where we are and where we are going. Because if we need some correction, that can be done at this stage. That enables the culture to retain its identity even as it becomes part of the world.

Commenting on the meeting, Padma Shri Dr. Sudhir Parikh, chairman of Parikh Worldwide Media and ITV Gold, complimented organizers for putting up several cultural events in a year, and the current event on the state of Bollywood over more than 100 years was a signature one.

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