Uploaded July 2020 | Updated September 2026, 5 hours ago
A poetic exploration of the city of Dharwad, split between being a rich cultural capital and an industrial, smart city.
Directed by Varun Ram Kurtkoti | 2018
Producer and Commissioning Editor: Rajiv Mehrotra
Varun Ram Kurtkoti is a writer, filmmaker and visual artist, primarily working in the areas of individual memory in relation to the collective, the politics of identity and oral cultures. A graduate from Srishti Institute of Art Design and Technology, his love for storytelling - specifically, oral forms of storytelling - started with his grandfather's storytelling sessions. Kurtkoti is fascinated with experimenting with voice, language and music as mediums of furthering knowledge and exploring their impact on human relationships and identities.
Rajiv Mehrotra is the founding Managing Trustee and Commissioning Editor of PSBT - his films have won more than 300 awards worldwide, including 32 in 31 years from the President of India. His nine books are available in 50 languages and editions. He serves as the Trustee/ Secretary of the Foundation for Universal Responsibility of HH the Dalai Lama (For more, see en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rajiv_Mehrotra).
PSBT is a not-for-profit that has nurtured and supported the production of independent documentary films by a diversity of filmmakers from across India. Over two decades, it has produced close to 700 documentary films, each film averaging two film festival selections and every second film an award. (Read more here: www.psbt.org, civilsocietyonline.com/cinema/psbt-story-630-films-230-awards-400-filmmakers/, psbt.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/OnGlobalScreens-Article.pdf, thehindu.com/features/cinema/in-the-channels-of-trust/article3942019.ece, psbt.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/PSBT-Real-Films-on-Real-India.jpg)
PSBT is led by some of India's iconic film personalities - Adoor Gopalakrishnan, Mrinal Sen, Shyam Benegal, Sharmila Tagore, with Fali Nariman and Kiran Karnik. From its inception in 2000, Tulika Srivastava was a key member of the Team, joined in 2005, by Ridhima Mehra.
Credits
Cinematographer, Editor: Varun Ram Kurtkoti
Line Producer, Editor Assistant: Ravi Ranjan
Location Sound Recordist, Production Manager: Pavan Inchal
Sound Designer: Himanshu Prabhaa
Produced by PSBT, for and in partnership with Doordarshan India
psbt.org/; ddindia.gov.in
For festival and screening queries, please write to us at distribution@psbt.org
Last updated: June 2020
A poetic exploration of the city of Dharwad, split between being a rich cultural capital and an industrial, smart city.
Directed by Varun Ram Kurtkoti | 2018
Producer and Commissioning Editor: Rajiv Mehrotra
Varun Ram Kurtkoti is a writer, filmmaker and visual artist, primarily working in the areas of individual memory in relation to the collective, the politics of identity and oral cultures. A graduate from Srishti Institute of Art Design and Technology, his love for storytelling - specifically, oral forms of storytelling - started with his grandfather's storytelling sessions. Kurtkoti is fascinated with experimenting with voice, language and music as mediums of furthering knowledge and exploring their impact on human relationships and identities.
Rajiv Mehrotra is the founding Managing Trustee and Commissioning Editor of PSBT - his films have won more than 300 awards worldwide, including 32 in 31 years from the President of India. His nine books are available in 50 languages and editions. He serves as the Trustee/ Secretary of the Foundation for Universal Responsibility of HH the Dalai Lama (For more, see en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rajiv_Mehrotra).
PSBT is a not-for-profit that has nurtured and supported the production of independent documentary films by a diversity of filmmakers from across India. Over two decades, it has produced close to 700 documentary films, each film averaging two film festival selections and every second film an award. (Read more here: www.psbt.org, civilsocietyonline.com/cinema/psbt-story-630-films-230-awards-400-filmmakers/, psbt.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/OnGlobalScreens-Article.pdf, thehindu.com/features/cinema/in-the-channels-of-trust/article3942019.ece, psbt.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/PSBT-Real-Films-on-Real-India.jpg)
PSBT is led by some of India's iconic film personalities - Adoor Gopalakrishnan, Mrinal Sen, Shyam Benegal, Sharmila Tagore, with Fali Nariman and Kiran Karnik. From its inception in 2000, Tulika Srivastava was a key member of the Team, joined in 2005, by Ridhima Mehra.
Credits
Cinematographer, Editor: Varun Ram Kurtkoti
Line Producer, Editor Assistant: Ravi Ranjan
Location Sound Recordist, Production Manager: Pavan Inchal
Sound Designer: Himanshu Prabhaa
Produced by PSBT, for and in partnership with Doordarshan India
psbt.org/; ddindia.gov.in
For festival and screening queries, please write to us at distribution@psbt.org
Last updated: June 2020



![Parwaaz | Syed Mohammed Afnan | PSBT Film Challenge
The film tells the story of the chhats in purani Dilli, or old Delhi, and the lives that exist beneath them. It looks at the current state of the old city through two families, who are witnessing this loss of space, culture, and time. A parwaaz, or a flight, is what everybody yearns for, and staying close to the roots which give us this flight is what this film seeks to explore
Directed by Syed Mohammed Afnan | 2024
Producer and Commissioning Editor: Rajiv Mehrotra
Festivals
Best Documentary, Noida International Film Festival 2024
Syed Mohammed Afnan is a media professional based in New Delhi. Currently working as a producer at NDTV with three years of experience in television production, his dexterity to bring writing and editing together provides a well-rounded expertise in creative storytelling across genres. Space studies and technology are two of his areas of focus. His short video-diary ‘sixty days of solitude’ has won the Jury Award in the PSBT Film Challenge.
Rajiv Mehrotra is the Founding Managing Trustee and Commissioning Editor of PSBT - his films have won more than 300 awards worldwide, including 32 in 31 years from the President of India. His nine books are available in 50 languages and editions. He also serves as the Trustee/ Secretary of the Foundation for Universal Responsibility of HH the Dalai Lama.
PSBT is a not-for-profit that nurtures and supports the production of independent documentary films by a diversity of filmmakers from across India. Over two decades, it has produced close to 700 documentary films, each film averaging two film festival selections and every second film an award.
PSBT is led by some of Indias iconic film personalities - Adoor Gopalakrishnan, Sharmila Tagore and Kiran Karnik. Shyam Benegal, Mrinal Sen, Aruna Vasudev and Fali Nariman were also Trustees in their lifetimes.
Since 2025, Aparna Sanyal has been leading PSBT as Director. She is a national award-winning filmmaker, and an experienced broadcast professional who has held leadership roles in various media organisations, including the India Chapter of the International Association of Women in Radio & Television.
Produced by PSBT
http://www.psbt.org/;
For festival, screening, and sale queries, please write to distribution[at]psbt[dot]org
Last updated: October 2025 Parwaaz | Syed Mohammed Afnan | PSBT Film Challenge](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/iHqJyUDT6VY/mqdefault.jpg)






