Acclaimed filmmakers Vishal Bhardwaj and Shaunak Sen have stepped forward as mentors to empower India's next generation of independent directors.
Humans of Cinema and Safarnaama Pictures have launched a feature film co-production fund of ₹40 lakh, designed to back an emerging filmmaker with a distinct voice and a clear vision.
Bhardwaj and Sen have joined the initiative as mentors, and the latter is also attached as an executive producer on one of the films.
Bhardwaj, the director of critical hits such as Maqbool, Omkara, Kaminey, and Haider, said he is delighted to lend his support to the budding filmmakers in the country.
“Independent cinema survives because some people choose to believe in voices before the world discovers them. I'm happy to support an initiative that hopes to find and nurture the next fearless generation of filmmakers from India,” the filmmaker said in a statement.
