Latest news with #Sikhya
India Today
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- India Today
Why stories and awards find film producer Guneet Monga Kapoor
(NOTE: This article was originally published in the India Today issue dated August 18, 2025)Q. Where were you when you got news of the National Award?I was in a narration with Tahira Kashyap Khurrana and initially I couldn't believe it. It took a long time for it to sink in that Kathal won Best Hindi Feature. It's a huge honour. Very often it feels like in our fast-paced world, there is no space for storytelling that takes its time to unfold. Kathal is all about 'thehraav' [pause].advertisementQ. What do you remember about Yashowardhan Mishra pitching this film to you? I love the way Yashowardhan works. Kathal wasn't written in an airconditioned home in Mumbai and it shows. He belongs to a village in Chhattisgarh and he spent months on ground doing so much research for this film. When he narrated to me, it was almost like a stand-up routine. I am very excited about working with him on his next.Q. Have your reasons for backing a film evolved over the years?Storytelling on this large scale is the best way to communicate with the masses. I've always had a child-like fascination for how movies are made and that hasn't changed in all of these years. I really believe that stories find me instead of me going out to look for them. At our production house Sikhya, we are in service to a story and it's our responsibility to present it in its best form and most authentically.Q. You launched the India chapter of the Women in Film fellowship this year. Why is this important for you?The stats paint a very sad picture—less than 3% of our directors are women and overall, women make up for less than 10% across all departments of filmmaking, be it writing, editing or cinematography. We need to upskill more and create opportunities for women so things can to India Today Magazine- EndsMust Watch
Hindustan Times
30-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Punjab: AAP's Sikhya model failed in edu sector: Balbir Sidhu
Senior Congress leader and former Punjab health minister Balbir Singh Sidhu on Thursday criticised the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led government in Punjab, accusing it of 'hollow governance' and failed promises in the education sector. Sidhu claimed that the much-hyped Sikhya model promoted by the AAP government was far from reality on the ground. The AAP administration's focus on advertisements and posters had not translated into tangible improvements in the education system, Sidhu said. He pointed to the work done during his tenure, stating, 'We constructed six state-of-the-art classrooms and purchased furniture worth ₹1 lakh, with ₹35 lakh allocated for upgrades in multiple schools across Mohali,' Sidhu said. 'Today, the AAP government is inaugurating toilet repairs and calling it an education revolution,' Sidhu added. The Congress leader further criticised the AAP government for failing to upgrade schools despite its claims, highlighting teacher shortages and poor infrastructure that persist in many schools. 'The visible improvements are a result of the work done by previous governments, not AAP,' Sidhu said. Sidhu demanded that chief minister Bhagwant Mann and the AAP leadership shift their focus from publicity stunts and empty slogans to completing long-pending educational projects in Mohali region.
