Four groups of 10 students each have made the documentaries as part of their curriculum. Jeroo Mulla, head of department, SCM says, “The ideas were chosen by the students. We only insisted that the films should have social or cultural themes.

The topics, as you can see, are varied and interesting.”

Mumbai migrant controversy takes centre stage in the aptly titled, Schezwan Vada Pav, based Chinese migrants in the city. Shruti Rajkumar, the filmmaker explained, “The Chinese have become an integral part of Mumbai. Before the 1961 war, there were 22,000 but after the war, many left not only the city, but the country as well. Their number has dwindled to 3,000 today.”

Akankasha Sharma, cameraperson on Taleem-e-Niswan, elaborated on the theme of her film, “Taleem is Urdu for education and Niswan means girl child. Surprisingly, many people that we interviewed, from the fields of Muslim media, NGOs and education refused to believe that the number of Muslim women opting for higher education was alarmingly low. Only after we presented surveys conducted by magazines and women’s organisations that they took us seriously and began to talk.”

Mulla explained that the most important aspect of the filmmaking project was the exposure. “Most students grow up in a protected environment. This project allows them to take up important issues which takes them into Mumbai’s under belly.”

Nikta Bannerjee, director of Khel Khel Mein agrees. “None of us had ever been to BMC schools. Our film looks at the Children’s Toy Foundation, set up in 26 BMC schools across Mumbai. Under Khel Vigyan (part of the foundation), the children (who rarely have access to toys) are given educational, strategy-based games to play with.”

SCM’s alumnus includes an impressive list of media professionals including Deepa Bhatia (writer-researcher, editor of Taare Zameen Par), filmmakers Paromita Vohra and Ruchi Narain, among many others. Looking at this pedigree, Childline India foundation (which set up the 1098 help line) approached the SCM to ask its students to make a film as a guide to the new Childline volunteers. It will be screened across all the centres of this NGO in India.

Director of Dus Nau Aath, Kar lo Baat, Shikha Pandey says, “As part of the research work, we interacted regularly with some kids at the Mumbai Central station. At the end of the filmmaking process, we formed a special bond with them.”