Faculty

Dean,Prof: Direction & Screenplay Writing

Formally trained in philosophy at the Madras Christian College, with a M. Phil research degree in the philosophy of language, Venkatesh Chakravarthy branched out into the field of filmmaking after a short teaching stint at his alma mater. Gaining sufficient experience as a production executive in Bollywood and as an assistant director & co-script writer in Tamil and Malayalam cinema, he joined the Department of Direction & Screenplay Writing, Film & Television Institute of Tamilnadu, as a member of its faculty.Five years later, after contributing his part to the design of the first Bachelor’s Degree Course on Visual Communication in the region at Loyola College, Madras, he entered the realm of television production.He has about 90-hours of edited length in terms of high quality television programming to his credit. The most significant being the several episodes he scripted, directed and edited for the highly successful primetime Hindi serial Sangursh on the National Network of Doordharshan (before the advent of Satellite Television) and the first Mega Serial in Tamil Paramapadham consisting of 150-episodes, produced by UTV, Bombay. Read More

Prof: Cinematography

U.R. Nallu Swami a graduate in cinematography, from the Film & Television Institute, Taramani, Chennai has an experience of over three decades, behind the camera. He bagged the state award of Best Cinematographer, for his very first feature film Aval Appadithaan [1978], directed by Rudraiyya, starring Kamal Hasan, Rajinikant, and Sripriya.

Besides being the camera person for several feature films, short films, documentaries and television shows for the Doordharshan, he has been a professor, teaching camera in the Department of Visual Communication, at DG Vaishnov College and Madras Christian College, Chennai for many years.Read More

Asst Prof: Film Dramaturgy

Pritham K Chakravarthy is a theatre performer, activist, playwright and an independent researcher. She specialises in single woman performances focusing on gender and sexuality. Her piece on trans gender community of Chennai, “Nirvanam” was featured in The Edinburgh International Festival 2002 and has traveled extensively in the USA and UK during her Fulbright Fellowship. “Kannadi/Mirror” [2003] “Hit Me Not and Hands Off!” [2004] have traveled to a variety of audience, from theatrephiles to factory workers. The only ensemble theatre she is working in right now “Orientations” [2003] premiered at Watermans, London and is expected to tour from next summer. Besides the Edinburgh Festival, she has been a part of the Other Festival 2003 and Kuttu Festival 2005 where she premiered her “Dushala/The Last Matriarch.”

Pritham Chakravarthy has taught and conducted many courses and workshops in film and media at schools and colleges in Tamilnadu over the past 20 years. For the Media South Asia Project she conducted surveys and interviews on responses to the satellite media in Tamilnadu. Read More

Asst Prof: Film Art

Rajkumar Roy is a graduate in Political Science from St Xavier’s College, Calcutta. He pursued cinema, and obtained a three year diploma in Film Direction and Screenplay Writing, from the Film and Television Institute of India, Pune.

After the initial years of assisting in feature films in Mumbai, he shifted base to Chennai, where he set up a Production house for advertising films. For six years he directed numerous Ad films and corporate documentaries, for leading clients and agencies. Subsequently, he closed shop, and travelled through the Gangetic plains of UP and Bihar, making Documentaries on the folk music of Bhojpur.

He has since been involved with many aspects of films, such as film production, television consultancy, script collaboration, and music videos.

Rajkumar Roy seeks to nurture creativity in Cinema. Read More