When Jagat Murari, a young film student in post-war America, finds himself at the feet of one of cinema’s true giants – Orson Welles – during the making of Macbeth in 1947, the lessons he absorbs on that set will shape not only his future, but also the future of Indian cinema. Returning to a newly independent India, Jagat goes on to build the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) from the ground up.
In The Maker of Filmmakers, Radha Chadha offers an intimate and meticulously researched portrait of her father – a celebrated documentary filmmaker – and the iconic film school he built. With uncanny consistency, FTII turned out top talent – the likes of Shabana Azmi and Jaya Bachchan, Adoor Gopalakrishnan and Subhash Ghai, and other cinema legends. His alumni became the leading actors, directors, cinematographers, sound designers and editors of Bollywood and beyond. They spearheaded the Indian New Wave, kickstarted regional language cinema, and helped usher television into the country.
How did Jagat go about ‘making’ such extraordinary filmmakers? What was his secret formula? With unprecedented access to Jagat’s diaries, letters, personal papers and over 100 interviews with alumni and colleagues, Radha Chadha leads us behind the scenes, and into the mind of a visionary who reshaped Indian cinema, even as he grappled with its many challenges.
A gripping tale of ambition, adversity, and artistic brilliance – richly illustrated with rare photographs – The Maker of Filmmakers paints a vivid picture of one man’s unwavering belief in the transformative power of cinema, and how his determination helped turn Indian cinema into the global powerhouse it is today.
Radha Chadha’s The Maker of Filmmakers offers an intimate and unprecedented portrait of Jagat Murari and Film and Television Institute of India (FTII)—and the iconic film school that reshaped Indian cinema. With exclusive access to her father’s personal diaries, letters, papers, and rare photographs, Chadha’s work stands apart for its depth, authenticity, and emotional resonance.
Set against the backdrop of some of the landmark events and characters of the last century, this is biography and cinematic history at its best.
Priced at INR 1299, it is going to hit the stands by towards the end of September.
