When Jagat Murari, a young film student in post-war America, found himself at the feet of one of cinema’s true giants—Orson Welles—during the making of Macbeth in 1947, the lessons he absorbed on that set shaped not only his future but the future of Indian cinema. Returning to a newly independent India, Jagat went on to build the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) from the ground up.
In The Maker of Filmmakers, Radha Chadha offers an intimate and meticulously researched portrait of her father—a celebrated documentary filmmaker—and the iconic film school he built. With uncanny consistency, FTII turned out top talent—Jaya Bachchan and Shabana Azmi, Adoor Gopalakrishnan and Subhash Ghai, Shatrughan Sinha and Mani Kaul, and other cinema legends. His alumni became the leading names of Bollywood and beyond. They spearheaded the Indian New Wave, kick-started regional language cinema and helped usher television into the country.
How did Jagat go about ‘making’ such extraordinary filmmakers? What was his secret formula? With unprecedented access to Jagat’s personal papers and over a hundred interviews with alumni and colleagues, Radha leads us behind the scenes—into the mind of a visionary who reshaped Indian cinema, even as he grappled with its many challenges.
A gripping story of ambition, adversity and artistic brilliance—richly illustrated with rare photographs—The Maker of Filmmakers paints a vivid picture of how one man’s vision and determination helped turn Indian cinema into the global powerhouse it is today.
‘FTII, under Jagat Murari’s leadership, was a haven for those of us who lived and breathed the art of cinema. This book is a portrait of that pivotal time, when India’s cinematic legacy was transformed.’
—SHABANA AZMI , acclaimed actress and winner of five National Awards
‘Mr Murari at FTII fostered purpose, discipline and artistic growth and we were fortunate to study under his tutelage and guidance. His recommendation to Mr Hrishikesh Mukherjee launched my film career, for which I am eternally grateful.’
—JAYA BACHCHAN, renowned actress and member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha
‘Jagat Murari was the pioneer of the new wave cinema in India, which turned regional cinema into national cinema, to represent India all over the world in film festivals’
—GULZAR, legendary lyricist, poet and award-winning filmmaker
‘In less than a decade, the presence of trained personnel quietly permeated the system—in terms of technique as well as artistry. And it was no surprise that year after year all the major National Awards were won by Film Institute graduates. Behind this unique achievement, Prof. Jagat Murari’s single-minded endeavour and devotion to the cause needs to be acknowledged with gratitude’
—ADOOR GOPALAKRISHNAN, iconic filmmaker and winner of seventeen National Awards
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.
The New York Indian Film Festival (NYIFF) is the oldest, most prestigious film festival screening premieres of feature, documentary and
short films made from, of, and about the Indian subcontinent in the Independent, arthouse, alternate and diaspora genres.
