Jagat Murari built FTII to help filmmakers find their voice

On Independence Day 2026, The Hindu revisited the founding of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) under Jagat Murari, who served as principal from the 1960s. Murari believed the most important part of a filmmaker's education was not technique but finding a unique voice and the courage to use it. He built the institute, then called the Film Institute of India, from the ground up in Pune to nurture brilliant, rebellious filmmakers.

Research for a new book on Murari, drawing on interviews with over a hundred alumni, reveals his formula: passionate debate about films, valuing diversity, and learning to look inward. Excellence in craft was taken for granted. Graduates included actors such as Asrani and Subhash Ghai, and the institute's alumni are known for shaping Indian cinema.

The Hindu argues that this model holds lessons for India's wider education system, which faces a silent quality crisis alongside a shortage of college seats. The piece suggests that FTII's founding approach, building a culture of debate and self-discovery, could apply to other fields today.