Media365
3 min readPuneOct 8, 2026 12:11 PM IST
In today’s digital culture, society tends to adopt extreme positions — either lavishing hyperbolic praise on a film or launching harsh, personal criticism that deeply wounds the artiste. As movie lovers and art connoisseurs, audiences must cultivate a balanced and nuanced perspective to bring discipline to public discourse and ensure constructive feedback is genuinely heard, said actress Sonali Kulkarni.
She was speaking at the 7th Mumba International Film Festival organised by the Mumba Film Foundation that commenced in the city on Tuesday.
The opening ceremony featured the presentation of the first-ever Late Vikram Gokhale Memorial Award to Kulkarni in recognition of her distinguished artistic journey.
The festival was formally inaugurated and the award conferred by Kiran V Shantaram, president of the V Shantaram Foundation.
The event took place at the National Film Archive of India (NFAI) in the presence of key dignitaries, including Prakash Magdum, director of the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC); Jay Bhosale, festival organiser; Virendra Chitrav, festival director; Abhishek Avchar, managing director; and actor Karanvir Sharma.
The 7th edition of the festival is supported by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, NFDC, Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Federation of Film Societies of India, Maharashtra Chitrapat Rangbhoomi, MIT Dadasaheb Phalke International Film School, Marathwada Mitra Mandal’s College of Commerce, and the Department of Communication and Journalism.
Before the inauguration, a biographical short film titled ‘The Portrait of a Pioneer’, showcasing the legendary career of film icon V Shantaram, was screened as a tribute.
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Engaging with young film aspirants at the venue, Kulkarni advised, “When choosing career paths, the younger generation must listen to their inner voice and firmly ground themselves in the field they are passionate about.”
Reminiscing about late veteran actor Vikram Gokhale, she added, “I accept this award named after Vikram Kaka with immense gratitude. He played my father in the film Mukta. Receiving an award in the name of a father figure, in the presence of my own father today, makes this moment deeply special for me.”
Festival director Virendra Chitrav highlighted the festival’s core vision of enhancing visual literacy among today’s youth. He remarked that short films and documentaries are often treated like stepchildren to commercial cinema, lacking the glamour and recognition they deserve. He urged local governance and the central government to establish dedicated institutions and provide financial subsidies to short film and documentary makers, similar to the support extended to feature films in various regional languages.
In his address, Kiran V Shantaram lauded the festival as an outstanding initiative that enables the next generation to master the nuances of filmmaking. He encouraged young cinema enthusiasts to study educational and documentary cinema alongside commercial entertainment.
