Uploaded August 2024 | Updated September 2026, 2 days ago
A total of 320 million learners in India have been adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and had to transition to e-learning. Two of them are the kids of the Mahalle family. Both of them are excited when the online school starts as they have all the freedom and time to explore new things. Through the film, there shall be a series of incidents that take place during this period. New problems arise with the new learning platforms and the family has to come together to respond to it. How will the Mahalle family fare in this new world?
Grant Winner, PSBT Film Challenge
Directed by Akshay Ingle | 2022
Producer and Commissioning Editor: Rajiv Mehrotra
Festivals
MAMI Mumbai Film Festival 2023
Akshay Ingle, an FTII Cinematography student, His 2nd-year student Documentary film project named “Our mountain Valley home” premiered at DIFF 2020, he shot a short film named “Pipanya” selected in 12th IDSFFK. A former Instrumentation engineer, Akshay also writes shorts stories and does photography. His photograph was published in Smart photography magazine which encouraged him to join FTII on a Bank job. His home town is Akola through he has spent his entire childhood in the Vidarbha part of Maharashtra. Before entering the filmmaking world, he used to work for a special child’s orphanage through NSS, which gives him a special insight into child psychology and this new platform of online education.
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 India's 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
psbt.org/;
For festival, screening, and sale queries, please write to distribution[at]psbt[dot]org
Last updated: October 2025
A total of 320 million learners in India have been adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and had to transition to e-learning. Two of them are the kids of the Mahalle family. Both of them are excited when the online school starts as they have all the freedom and time to explore new things. Through the film, there shall be a series of incidents that take place during this period. New problems arise with the new learning platforms and the family has to come together to respond to it. How will the Mahalle family fare in this new world?
Grant Winner, PSBT Film Challenge
Directed by Akshay Ingle | 2022
Producer and Commissioning Editor: Rajiv Mehrotra
Festivals
MAMI Mumbai Film Festival 2023
Akshay Ingle, an FTII Cinematography student, His 2nd-year student Documentary film project named “Our mountain Valley home” premiered at DIFF 2020, he shot a short film named “Pipanya” selected in 12th IDSFFK. A former Instrumentation engineer, Akshay also writes shorts stories and does photography. His photograph was published in Smart photography magazine which encouraged him to join FTII on a Bank job. His home town is Akola through he has spent his entire childhood in the Vidarbha part of Maharashtra. Before entering the filmmaking world, he used to work for a special child’s orphanage through NSS, which gives him a special insight into child psychology and this new platform of online education.
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 India's 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
psbt.org/;
For festival, screening, and sale queries, please write to distribution[at]psbt[dot]org
Last updated: October 2025
