Aparna Sen
Aparna Sen is a critically acclaimed Bengali Indian filmmaker, script writer, and actress. She is the winner of three National Film Awards and eight international film festival awards.
Her first film appearance happened in Satyajit Ray’s Teen Kanya when she was sixteen. In 1981, Aparna made her debut as a film director with ’36 Chowringhee Lane’ which won national and international . Since then, Aparna has directed series of films on a wide variety of subjects. Most of her films have been well acclaimed nationally and internationally.
Shabana Azmi
Shabana Azmi has appeared in over 120 Hindi films in both mainstream and independent cinema, and since 1988 she has acted in several foreign projects.
Regarded as one of the finest actresses in India, Azmi’s performances in films in a variety of genres have generally earned her praise and awards, which include a record of five wins of the National Film Award for Best Actress and four Filmfare Awards.
In addition to acting, Azmi is a social and women’s rights activist, a Goodwill Ambassador of the United Nations Population Fund (UNPFA), and a member of the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Indian parliament.
Bhawana Somaaya
Bhawana Somaaya commenced her career in the late 70s as Chief Reporter with Free Press Journal’s film weekly titled Cinema Journal then moved to Super as Special Correspondent.
In 81 she joined Movie as Assistant Editor and in 85 was promoted as the Joint Editor. In 2000 she joined as Editor Chief Screen, a film weekly of The Indian Express Group.
She is the recipient of several prestigious awards and has contributed columns to various publications like The Observer and The Hindustan Times. She has to her credit nine books in a span of 10 years which include Amitabh Bachchan – The Legend and Cinema – Images & Issues
She is currently the creative consultant to Enlighten Films and their website Dear Cinema, a guest lecturer at MET college and serving her second term on the Advisory Panel of Central Board of Film Certification. Somaaya does a weekly film review and a Sunday show on 92.7 Big Fm.
Lillete Dubey
Lillete Dubey has appeared in numerous Indian movies, most notably in the Mira Nair movie Monsoon Wedding, in the movie Baghban alongside Amitabh Bachchan, in Bow Barracks Forever alongside her daughter Neha Dubey, and in the movie Housefull alongside Akshay Kumar and Deepika Padukone.
Lillete Dubey, in addition to acting, is an acclaimed theatre director, television and film artist, and founder of the Theatre Action Group in Delhi. She has directed a number of plays. Most notable being Mahesh Dattani’s Dance like a Man, which is the longest running play in English, having completed 425 shows across the world, including a two week run on the Broadway.
