Summary
At MCKV, Class VIII student Souhardya Paul's thoughts on 'Elham' — a film about a young girl who finds magic in the mundane — is a mature one
The curtains rose on the 31st Kolkata International Film Festival (KIFF) not only for cinephiles and critics, but also for high school students.
For many of them, films have become a language of expression and are not merely a weekend escape as they embrace the power of the moving image.
At MCKV, Class VIII student Souhardya Paul's thoughts on Elham — a film about a young girl who finds magic in the mundane — is a mature one. “Even when life is tough, you can still find beauty around you,” he said, explaining his interest in stories that celebrate imagination as a tool for resilience. Pravas, another film caught his attention for its themes of self-discovery. Souhardya has an eye for editing and still photography. “Whatever my eyes capture, my lens captures too,” he said, hinting that perhaps every future film-maker starts as an observer.
For Arsia Mukherjee, a Class IX student of Heritage Academy High School, cinema is a multi-dimensional learning space. “Films are a rich source of entertainment, education and connection,” said she, who found herself drawn to films such as Chhapaak and Hindi Medium — narratives that turn ordinary struggles into moving stories.
Arsia believes that the power of cinema lies in its ability to mirror real-life complexities, inspire empathy and bridge social divides. “Behind every great film is a team that pours its heart and soul into storytelling,” she said.
Arsia’s senior, Saujatya Bandyopadhyay of Class XI, traces his cinematic awakening back to Satyajit Ray’s Sonar Kella. “That film changed how I see stories,” he said. His admiration has since grown to include the works of Srijit Mukherjee, Anik Dutta, Rajkumar Hirani and S.S. Rajamouli. To him, cinema is a fusion of “art, culture, emotion and imagination”. He believes that films allow students to explore history, identity and even morality — often with more immediacy than textbooks. “When you watch Ray or Hirani,” he said, “you’re not just entertained; you’re educated.”
Some students have already stepped behind the camera. Hriday Khandelwal, Class XII, Sri Sri Academy, shared how his school’s encouragement led him to create a short psychological dystopia under the mentorship of his media teacher, Aratrick Bhadra. Acting and directing in the project, Hriday described it as “positively soul-enriching”.
As KIFF showcases films such as If in Gaza and Ray’s The Elephant God, Hriday finds himself “restless to watch and learn”, eager to see how professional film-makers turn thought into vision.
Teachers and mentors, too, are taking note of this growing trend. Neville Reay, former teacher at Don Bosco Liluah and the initiator of Bosco Showtime — an inter-school short film festival started in 2018 — said: “Students today are not just passively watching films; they’re actively creating and discussing them.”
Reay observed that smartphones and editing apps had made film-making highly accessible, giving students a sense of authorship and freedom. “This is more than a hobby — it’s a form of self-expression... It helps them develop creativity, teamwork and a sense of purpose.”
Education consultant and counsellor Shekhar Niyogi added that high schoolers should be “encouraged to watch and make films” because the process “enlarges their vision of the world and improves macro-level thinking”. In his view, cinema’s value goes far beyond entertainment — it introduces students to global perspectives, social issues and human psychology. “Films reflect geopolitical and socio-economic realities,” he said. “For today’s youth, who are tomorrow’s decision-makers and leaders, that awareness is invaluable.”
From Souhardya’s budding curiosity with his camera to Hriday’s experimental film-making, from Arsia’s empathy-driven interest to Saujatya’s analytical appreciation — Calcutta students are not merely consuming stories; they are learning to tell them.
Last updated on 13 Nov 2025
