The October Chapter of ‘Talk Cinema On The Floor’ brought together filmmakers, writers, and cinema enthusiasts for a vibrant exploration of visual storytelling — from decoding costumes and colour in films to celebrating award-winning student cinema from India at Cannes. Featuring designer Shubham Saurabh, author Gopal Shukla, and filmmaker Ashmita Guha Neogi, the event highlighted how stories, characters, and creative communities continue to evolve in the heart of Delhi. इसे हिंदी में पढ़ें–>
“A filmmaker or storyteller must learn to read the silence and the unspoken emotions hidden deep within the subconscious — that’s where a character’s true emotional world comes alive.”
This is how acclaimed filmmaker Ashmita Guha Neogi described her creative approach while speaking at the October Chapter of Talk Cinema On The Floor (TCOTF) — a monthly initiative of New Delhi Film Foundation (NDFF).
Organised in collaboration with Sri Aurobindo Centre for Arts & Communication (SACAC), Indian Institute of Creative Skills (IICS) and Media & Entertainment Skills Council (MESC), the October Chapter of Talk Cinema on the Floor took place on Saturday, 25 October at Harmony House, SACAC, New Delhi. The participation of young creators, cinema lovers, film students and writers from across Delhi-NCR gave the event a vibrant and dynamic energy. This was the 5th Chapter of the ‘Talk Cinema on the Floor’ in a row that was launched in the month of June this year. TCOTF is a recurring series of interactive on ground gatherings designed to bring together filmmakers, writers, performers, producers, content creators, cinephiles, and film enthusiasts under one roof.
When Colors Speak: The Psychology of Costume in Cinema
The October Chapter opened with the segment Colour, Costume & Character, featuring Shubham Saurabh — Designer, Cinema-Decoder & Associate Professor at Pearl Academy. Through a compelling audio-visual presentation, he demonstrated how costume design functions as a narrative tool in storytelling, shaping the psychological and social identities of characters.
Using examples from films like 3 Idiots, Don, Kabhie Khushi Kabhie Gham, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, and works of Christopher Nolan, Saurabh highlighted how every thoughtfully designed frame and shades on screen communicate layers of meaning beyond dialogue.
‘Writer’s Word – Author’s Angle‘: The New Chapter
NDFF also introduced a new interactive segment — Writer’s Word – Author’s Angle — providing a platform for literary voices to engage directly with the city’s creative community.
The first invitee to this segment was Gopal Shukla, journalist and debut novelist, whose book Metcalf House has received widespread appreciation. In a spirited interaction, he shared how real incidents, early crime reporting experiences, and extensive research around the first recorded murder in Delhi eventually shaped the deeply engaging narrative of his novel.
Spotlight On Ashmita Guha Neogi & Her Cannes Winning Film Catdog
The Spotlight session — the flagship segment of TCOTF — featured Ashmita Guha Neogi, writer-director of CatDog and an alumna of FTII Pune. CatDog won the Top Award in La Cinef at the Cannes Film Festival 2020 and also won Best Student Short Film Award at the San Sebastián International Film Festival (2020).
Every year, over 2000 films from international film schools compete in the La Cinef selection at Cannes — making her achievement a remarkable milestone for young Indian filmmakers.
This screening marked the Delhi premiere of CatDog, drawing immense excitement from the audience.
In conversation with NDFF Founder Ashish K Singh, Ashmita spoke about her creative journey, filmmaking process, and her upcoming first feature film.
Speaking about CatDog, she said the story emerged from subtle childhood observations — the way children perceive conflicts and love differently from adults.
Reflecting on her experience at FTII, Ashmita shared how film school gave her the freedom to explore her own visual language and helped her understand the power of collaboration in the filmmaking process. She said that the global recognition at Cannes strengthened her belief that stories rooted in cultural identity and emotional truth can resonate with audiences anywhere in the world. Encouraging emerging filmmakers, she added, “When a story is born from truth, it finds its audience on its own.” Ashmita is currently working on her first feature film.
Ritwik Ghatak Centenary
At the conclusion of the event, gratitude was expressed and the guests were felicitated by SACAC’s Director Ms. Daljeet Wadhwa, filmmaker Shankhajit De, and NDFF representatives Harinder Kumar and Vaibhav Maitreya including Ashish K Singh. Shankhajit De also extended an invitation to all cinema lovers for a special event scheduled on 31st October, marking the birth centenary year of legendary filmmaker Ritwik Ghatak. The event will feature a screening of his very first film Nagarik. Renowned cinema scholar Dr. Ira Bhaskar, who has edited the acclaimed book series on Ghatak’s Partition films, will also be present on the occasion.
Building Creative Connections
The event concluded with “Chit-Chat Over Tea”, where filmmakers, writers, actors and students interacted freely — strengthening TCOTF’s mission of fostering collaborations and creating a supportive film community in the capital. The session was hosted by Paras Kumar. On behalf of Team NDFF, production control was managed by Krish Gupta, while media and coordination responsibilities were handled by Aryan and Simran.
NDFF will soon announce the November Chapter, including fresh updates on the Make Cinema campaign.
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