The Edutainment Show which took place in Mumbai on 20 and 21 May 2023, saw two days full of panel discussions and workshops. The event revolved around business education, design and media with the thought of inspiring students to take up careers in the various creative fields.
The inaugural session of the show was held by filmmaker Subhash Ghai and Daffodil International, University strategic adviser & professor Ujjwal Anu Chowdhury. Ghai – known for films like Taal and Yaadein – spoke about his journey from his school days to filmmaking, and how he learnt about his calling. He said that even though the mostly picked careers were medical and engineering at his time, he went into filming. “First understand what you are best at. Then have the courage to jump into it,” he told students. “You need talent and passion, but also courage to pursue the career you like. But most importantly, you need gurus and teachers.”
The “Careers in design and fashion” panel by the ITM institute, saw the speakers ITM Group of Institutions, institutional development VP professor RSS Mani, professor Nisha Chanda, columnist and influencer Nisha Jamvwal and IndianTelevision.com group director Mishaal Wanvari. Chanda said, “Consistency is important. And respect any work that comes to your table.” Jamvwal gave the message, “Dream, and don’t take no for an answer.” Wanvari’s message to the attendees was, “Get inspired every day. Take good points from everyone and imbibe them.”
Speakers for “The future of media and entertainment careers” panel – Whistling Woods International head of academics & MD Rahul Puri, Hemant Matai, Toshan Patil, Hanoz Mogrelia, Samar Khan – shared their journeys in the industry and spoke about AI and keeping up with technology. “The best thing about this age is that you have the opportunity to learn before you join a job,” Khan said. But you need to put in the hard work, he added.
The “Design streams – opportunities available in India” panel included Ashish Nair, Amity University visiting faculty Apoorva Wadikar, CMRU School of Design director Aleksandra Rotar and Ajeenkya D Y Patil University School of Design dean Chandra Prasad Nallur. It was moderated by Shyam Singh. “Design has a correlation to innovation, and economy is driven by innovation,” said Nallur. The panel spoke about various paths in the design stream, such as design thinkers and design strategists, and emphasised how designers are also part of the decision-making process in companies.
Digital content creator Miti Shah took a workshop on “Crack your first creative job” in which she gave tips on picking the right creative career for yourself, researching on your work, making your resume and preparing for an interview. As for Math if Being founder Karanjit Singh, he explained the importance of body language and being present in the moment before a performance, during “The art of conversation” workshop. Vlogger Mumbiker Nikhil spoke about his journey during the session “Vlogging 101: The offbeat creative path”, which was moderated by Rajat Sharma.
The panel on “Screenwriting: how to build your story and screenplay around compelling characters” saw the screenwriters Utkarsh Naithani, Durgesh Singh, Ananya Banerjee speak to Whistling Woods International vice president & business head, CTO & head of emerging media Chaitanya Chinchlikar about their own experiences on working in screenwriting.
For the panel “Breaking stereotypes in cinema: the role or new age directors,” young filmmakers Gia Singh, Kabeer Khurana, Ria Nalavade and Vidar Joshi shared their filmmaking journeys and spoke about the contrasting approach to short film- and feature film-making. Why did they go for short film-making? “Shorts films are liberating. We can find our style,” said Nalavade. When asked about one advice they have received and would like to share with aspiring filmmakers, Khurana said, “Touch, move and inspire through films you are making,” and Joshi said, “Just go for it.”
The “Media convergence & new careers in media” session had Arshad Nayampally, Ujjwal Anu Chowdhury, Indian Television Dot Com Group founder, CEO and editor-in-chief Anil NM Wanvari and media professional Dr Sameeran Walvekar done about the opportunities opening up in the field of media and entertainment. In another session, digital content creator Sahil Khattar spoke about building a successful career from content creator to an actor. In the session “From paper to ramp: the journey of a fashion designer,” design specialist Deepit Chugh’s advice to young aspirants was to have three qualities – “Patience, perseverance, and persistence.”
Chef Saransh Goila and chef Sanjyot Keer on the panel “The career you love: marrying passion and profit” said how one must “create something that lives longer than you do.” Workshops on crafting artisan t-shirts, acting techniques, phone photography, jewellery making with quilling, artificial intelligence in media, audio production and more were being conducted throughout the day, giving attendees a hands-on experience on various crafts and skills.
The event ended on a high note with a panel “From screen to the big screen: an actor’s journey” that saw digital content creator Prajakta Koli – popularly known as Mostly Sane – talk to the packed room of attendees about her journey in content creation.
The two-day event proved to be insightful for all the attendees, especially the students looking to make a career in the creative industry. The Edutainment Show is an initiative by EVA Live and provides a platform for students to explore creative career choices. It took place at the Jio World Convention Centre, Bandra Kurla Complex in Mumbai on 20 and 21 May.