GECs
Cinema workshop & appreciation course begins in Pune
MUMBAI: ‘Understanding Cinema’ — a workshop and film appreciation programme jointly orgainsed by the Indira School of Communication (ISC) and Aashay Film Club, began in Pune today.
The workshop and film appreciation programme was jointly inaugurated by music director and film critic Bhaskar Chandavarkar, Indiantelevision.com founder, CEO and editor-in-chief Anil Wanvari and Indira School of Communication director Shashidhar Nanjundaiah.
The programme includes seven days of conceptual learning and three days of hands-on training in making a short film.
‘Understanding Cinema’ will showcase a bouquet of Indian and international films in various genres and ranging from the first film ever made to the latest ones, informs a press release.
The speakers over the 10 days include filmmakers writer-director Vinta Nanda, director-producer Sumitra Bhave, film academician, script writer and director Anil Zankar, actor and former dircetor of Film and Television Insititue of India (FTII) Dr Mohan Agashe and film academician Samar Nakhate to name a few.
Chandavarkar said, “Cinema is a cultural experience, and that culture and cinema are mutually interdependent in shaping each other. He said workshops like this would help general publics broaden their horizons in understanding the medium of film.”
Nanjundaiah said that the programme will provide an effective alternative to other film appreciation courses, and add value in that participants would have hands-on experience in making a short film. Understanding Cinema would recognize milestone films in traditional and non-traditional, art and commercial cinema.
He added that the distinction between so-called art and commercial cinema was diminishing, but that critics and scholars need to pay more attention to that changing nuance.
On the other hand, Wanvari elaborated on the changing scenario in television industry and pointed at the enormous possibilities of fusion between television and cinema. He expressed confidence that workshops such as this would ensure such possibilities.
The official release states that the participants will also have the opportunity to watch landmark films each day, such as Singin in the Rain, Pather Panchali, Mr. and Mrs. Iyer, White Noise, Vastupurush, Sadgati, No Mans Land, and Osama.
GECs
Sony ties up with EU for MasterChef India finale
GI-tagged European ingredients headline finale week
MUMBAI: Sony Pictures Networks India has struck what it calls a landmark association with the European Union for the finale week of MasterChef India, marking the first such collaboration between the bloc and an Indian television format.
The tie-up will culminate in the “European Union mystery box challenge”, which opens the much-anticipated finale week. The task will see the top six contestant pairs cook with a curated basket of ingredients bearing geographical indications (GIs) from across EU member states: a nod to provenance as well as palate.
Chef Ajay and Chef Guntas, introduced as chef ambassadors to the European Union, will present the mystery boxes and set the brief: use the fewest ingredients from each category and produce a MasterChef-level dish that marries European produce with Indian flavour sensibilities. Precision and restraint, rather than extravagance, will be tested.
For Sony, the move signals a push towards high-value integrations that blur the line between sponsorship and storytelling. The network said the association underscores the show’s growing global stature and its ability to attract world-renowned institutions to Indian screens.
Chef Ajay Chopra, food ambassador in the European Union, described the collaboration as a strategic opportunity to spotlight the heritage and authenticity of GI-tagged European products to India’s vast food-loving audience.
Over the years, MasterChef India has positioned itself as a gateway to global cuisines. The EU partnership sharpens that pitch, turning the finale into a stage for cross-continental culinary diplomacy.
The finale week will air from 2 March, 2026 at 8 pm on Sony Entertainment Television and stream on Sony Liv.
