Indian Cinema in Pune
Pune, India
Why you should go
Pune is India's premier center for film education and one of the country's most vibrant cinematic cities. Home to the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), India's premier film school, the National Film Archive of India (NFAI), and a thriving community of filmmakers, scholars, and artists, it is the perfect place to explore Bollywood—the world's largest film industry—and contemporary Indian cinema.
Students will go behind the scenes through visits to film archives, historic single-screen theaters, and Mumbai's legendary Film City, as well as leading production and post-production studios where today's films are made. A screenwriting masterclass with acclaimed filmmaker Sriram Raghavan, guest lectures by leading film scholars, and hands-on filmmaking projects using FTII's professional facilities offer opportunities unavailable in a traditional classroom. By living and learning in Pune while exploring nearby Mumbai, students will experience cinema not only on the screen but in the studios, archives, theaters, and city streets where it is imagined, produced, and celebrated.
Courses
- LTWL 184: Film Studies and Literature: Close Analysis of Filmic Text (draft PDF)
- CAT 124: Cinema and the City: Sriram Raghavan’s Pune (draft PDF)
Faculty Leader
Silpa Mukherjeesmukherjee@ucsd.edu
Silpa Mukherjee is Assistant Professor of Film and Media, Global South, and Cultural Studies in the Department of Literature. She is a media theorist and feminist film historian interested in urbanisms, informal economies, media beyond legality, and South-by-South networks across the Indian Ocean world.
Mukherjee is currently completing her first book, Cinema Contraband: The Corridor Connecting Bombay and Dubai. The book traces an illicit transregional corridor linking South Asia and the Middle East, to show how Bombay cinema became entangled with global capital and everyday border breakings. Her research has been supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities, the American Council of Learned Societies, and the Hellman Fellows Program. On campus, you may have spotted Professor Mukherjee gamboling in one of her nine-yard silk saris. She teaches courses on popular cinema, including Bollywood, Horror Film, Quentin Tarantino, Disco Era Cinema, Asian American Film, and Sex and Adolescence in American Film.
Don't let someone else tell you what you missed!
Who should go
Anyone with an interest in cinema, media, cities, or South Asia is encouraged to apply. No prior background in film studies or filmmaking is required, and both courses have no prerequisites.
This Global Seminar will be of particular interest to students in Literature, Film Studies, Cinematic Arts, South Asian Studies, Global South Studies, Urban Studies and Planning, and related fields in the Humanities and Social Sciences, as well as to students who are curious about global media industries and place-based learning. The program is also well suited to STEM students interested in creative technologies, media production, and the intersections of engineering and the arts through UC San Diego's partnership with the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII). LTWL 184 Bollywood satisfies elective requirements for the Literature major and the Film Studies, Cinematic Arts, South Asian Studies, and Global South Studies minors. CAT 124 Cinema and the City fulfills the upper-division practicum requirement for Sixth College's Culture, Art, and Technology (CAT) curriculum and is designed around experiential and project-based learning.
Students from all colleges are welcome, and both courses may satisfy major, minor, or general education requirements depending on a student's program of study. Students should consult their college and major advisors to determine how these courses apply toward their graduation requirements.
Information Sessions
- Program Q&A session: TBD
- Register here for the links to the GS overview and program-specific information sessions.
Dates
| Departure from U.S.: | Sat., June 26, 2027 |
|---|---|
| Arrival: | Sun., June 27, 2027 |
| Mandatory Orientation: | Mon., June 28, 2027 |
| First Day of Class: | Mon., June 28, 2027 |
| Last Day of Class: | Fri., July 30, 2027 |
| Departure for the U.S. (or personal travel): |
Sat., July 31, 2027 |
Flight Information
- You will be responsible for purchasing your own airplane tickets, and your program coordinator will provide guidelines and resources during the pre-departure process to help you find an appropriate flight.
- Do not purchase plane tickets until the program is confirmed . All approved applicants will be notified by e-mail when the program has reached minimum enrollment.
Global Seminar Fees
All fees subject to change. See https://summersession.ucsd.edu/tuition/tuition.html for current tuition and campus-based fees.
| UCSD | Other UC | Non-UC | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Program Cost: (includes $500 administrative fee) |
TBD | TBD | TBD |
| Estimated Tuition and Campus-Based Fees: |
$2,623.34 | $2,673.24 | $3,675.24 |
| Total: (not including airfare or personal expenses) |
TBD | TBD | TBD |
Budget Calculator
- Coming soon!
Funding Options
See the funding options page to learn how financial aid and scholarships can help you pay for this program.
Film Craft, Training, and Archives
- Film and Television Institute of India(FTII): Learn film craft and the full production process — from recording and editing to mixing — at India’s premier film school, with hands-on work in its creative labs and preview theatre.
- National Film Archive of India (NFAI): Learn how India’s cinematic heritage is preserved and to view archival prints screened in 35 mm.
- National Museum of Indian Cinema, Mumbai (NMIC): Trace the history of Indian cinema from its silent-era origins to the present.
The Film Industry and Commercial Production
- Film City (Dadasaheb Phalke Chitranagari), Mumbai: Learn how sound stages, sets, and studio floors support large-scale commercial film production.
- Prime Focus and Prasad Film Labs: Learn contemporary post-production, VFX, and film-processing workflows.
- Andheri Film Studios (Yash Raj Films, Dharma Productions, and Red Chillies Entertainment): Learn how flagship production houses drive the business and craft of mainstream Hindi cinema.
- Whistling Woods International: Learn how a contemporary film school trains the next generation of industry talent.
Exhibition, Spectatorship, and Cinema-going Culture
- Rahul Cinema: Learn how single-screen exhibition shaped movie-going culture in India.
- Attend an additional single-screen/multiplex screening in Pune to compare historic and contemporary exhibition cultures.
The City as Cinematic Space
- Join a guided Pune heritage walk and urban field lab (Camp, Laxmi Road, and Koregaon Park) to learn how the city’s neighborhoods, streets, and public spaces function as settings and subjects for cinema.
- Visit Bandra (Pali Hill), Mumbai, to learn how the city’s star geographies and urban modernity are woven into Bollywood’s imagination.
- Join a guided walk of Sriram Raghavan’s Pune filming locations, mapping how specific streets and neighbourhoods recur as cinematic space across his films.
Scholarship, Sreenwriting, and Practitioner Engagement
- Engage with guest lectures by visiting scholars exploring film history, gender, media, and urban space.
- Take part in a screenwriting masterclass to learn the craft of screenwriting and genre from a leading practitioner.
- Take part in weekly hands-on creative labs in FTII’s production, recording, editing, and mixing facilities, building toward the final Pune-based student film.
Excursions are subject to change without prior notice. No refunds are possible.
Housing
- Double room in the Trance Oakwook Hotel
- No kitchen facilities available, but food available for purchase nearby
- Laundry service available in the hotel
- Sheets and towels provided
- Wireless Internet available in rooms and common areas
- Housing arrangements are subject to change based on local circumstances without prior notice. No price adjustments are possible.
Included Meals
- Welcome dinner upon arrival
- Farewell dinner at end of program
- An average meal in Pune costs $5-$10.
Classroom and Computer Access
- Classroom space at Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics
- Classroom is within walking distance of student housing.
- Wireless Internet in the classroom
- Library available
- There is no computer lab available - plan to bring a laptop.
- Wireless access may be intermittent due to local conditions. No refunds or price adjustments are possible.
Transportation
- Transportation by private coach from Pune International Airport (PNQ) to the student housing is included for all students arriving before 11:00 pm on the official arrival date.
- Private coach provided for all program excursions.
Phones
- Information about how to obtain a local SIM card will be provided at the pre-departure orientation.
- Students will be responsible to purchase their own calling time/minutes.
Insurance, Health, and Safety
- Comprehensive insurance package with CISI/Caremed
- An in-depth orientation will be given on the morning after arrival, including health and safety procedures.
- Program partner staff will be available by telephone after hours.
- All students are required to enroll in UC travel insurance.
