India’s Film Society Movement

VK Cherian grew up as a film society member and activist with the celebrated film-maker Adoor Gopalakrishnan’s Chitralekha Film Society from 1976 to 1980 at Thiruvananthapuram. He organised film study and theatre groups at Mar Ivanios College and University Centre, Trivandrum, and also at his hometown in Kayamkulam in Kerala. Mr Cherian writes occasionally about films in English and Malayalam. A regular visitor to the various international film festivals for over 35 years, he is an ardent film enthusiast who has been engaged with the film fraternity as a writer and promoter of good cinema. Maker of several video documentaries, he has authored and edited three books, as well as promoted the Indo-Afrikhadi Foundation. An alumina of the Indian Institute of Mass Communication, New Delhi, Cherian is a journalistturned-communications professional residing in New Delhi for the last 35 years. His published books include The Scam and the Rajas of the Money Market (1993), Satyagraha—Indian and South African artist’s tribute to the spirit of 9-11-1906—Collection of Essays and Catalogue (2006) and Crisis of Corporate Communism—Politics of Murder in Kerala (2013). He also wrote numerous articles in English and Malayalam in mainline media and journals across India and abroad. Produced many television series as independent content editor for Doordarshan, Asianet and Jain TV. Made video documentaries, Khadi, The Metaphor of Hope (2003) and Afri-khadi—a thread that binds (2005). Widely travelled, he plans to cover all continents. Interested in politics, social trends and technologies, he is passionate about art and films and networking with right-thinking people across the world.

Foreword by Adoor Gopalakrishnan
A Note by Shyam Benegal
From the Desk of FFSI President—Gautam Kaul
Preface
A Nation Awaits a Pather Panchali
The Growth Path: From Calcutta Film Society to the Federation of Film Societies of India
Visionaries of the Film Society Movement and the New Film Culture
The Networks of Films and Film Buffs
The Driving Forces behind the Film Society Movement
The Great Fall and Resurgence through Digital Mode
The Star Film Societies and the Survivors
The Policy Shift and Waning Political Patronage
Towards a New Film Culture: From Crass to Class!
Annexure 1: Genesis of Indian Films
Annexure 2: The Memorandum of Association:FFSI
Annexure 3: Presidents of FFSI (1959–2016)
Index