Urdu, a key ingredient in popular Cinema: M.A. Sikandar

Hyderabad: Urdu has played a key role in popularizing the Hindi Cinema in India. The sweetness of the language has helped in penning out beautiful lyrics, catchy scripts and crispy dialogues. Dr. M. A. Sikandar, Registrar, Maulana Azad National Urdu University expressed this view today during the inaugural of 5 day Film appreciation course by Film & Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune in collaboration with Instructional Media Centre, MANUU. 

This short course is under the banner of FTII's nationwide outreach initiative SKIFT (Skilling India in Film and Television) under which courses are held across the country and round the year. 

Dr. Sikandar also threw light on importance of film & their social relevance. With a low literacy rate in the country, Cinema is the medium to reach the masses, he said while delivering the presidential address. 

The Chief Guest of the inaugural, Bhupendra Kainthola, Director, FTII, in his address said that acceptance of cinema as a serious subject is still lacking in Indian society. FTII has taken initiative to transplant the seed of cinema in the minds of movie lovers across the country. This course will change the understanding about the cinema, Kainthola hoped. He also spoke about various courses being conducted by FTII in different Parts of the country, including Kashmir. 

Pankaj Saxena, eminent film academician & FTII Alumnus in his speech described Hyderabad as the true representative of Indianness, showcasing the amazing confluence of Indian culture. Hyderabad has a rich film culture and history. It can be made the capital of India, he remarked. 

Earlier, Rizwan Ahmad, Director, IMC, welcomed the gathering and spoke about the importance of the course. He appreciated FTII’s initiative to take the cinema to the doorstep thus redefining the history of this prestigious institute. He also described cinema as an effective social force but we are yet to give the film studies its due importance. 

Imtiaz Alam, Research Officer, IMC conducted the proceedings & Omar Azmi, Producer, proposed vote of thanks. The course is being attended by 84 participants from Hyderabad & outside.