Centre for
Creativity, Film and Music

The Centre for Creativity, Film and Music is established to strengthen interdisciplinary creative practice by integrating arts, technology, culture, and industry engagement. The centre acts as a collaborative platform at WPU GŌA, connecting creative disciplines with industry bodies, production partners, academic institutions, and technology leaders. Through these partnerships, it enables practice-led learning, innovation, and global exposure, positioning WPU GŌA as a hub for future-ready creative talent and impactful cultural production.

Rationale

India is one of the world’s most culturally vibrant nations, with creative traditions spanning classical arts, folk practices, contemporary cinema, digital media, and emerging interactive forms. As the global creative economy rapidly expands and converges with technology, there is a need for an institutional ecosystem that can bridge India’s artistic depth with future-ready creative innovation.

 This Centre addresses that need by fostering interdisciplinary learning, production, and experimentation across music, film, media, storytelling, and creative technologies preparing students for impactful careers in India’s cultural economy and globally connected creative industries.

Objectives

Develop future-ready creators through interdisciplinary artistic training rooted in India’s cultural strengths.
Integrate music, film, technology, and storytelling for creative experimentation and innovation.
Offer live production, performance labs, and collaborative studio environments.- Build strong national and international industry partnerships for learning and employability.
Strengthen India’s creative footprint by promoting culturally grounded contemporary expression.

Mandate

To nurture next-generation creative excellence by integrating arts, culture, and technology; to advance India’s creative legacy through contemporary innovation; and to build globally relevant creators, storytellers, and industry contributors.

Rationale

Objectives

Develop future-ready creators through interdisciplinary artistic training rooted in India’s cultural strengths.
Integrate music, film, technology, and storytelling for creative experimentation and innovation.
Offer live production, performance labs, and collaborative studio environments.- Build strong national and international industry partnerships for learning and employability.
Strengthen India’s creative footprint by promoting culturally grounded contemporary expression.

Mandate

Activities

Interdisciplinary creative labs in music, film, and digital media.  Built for experimentation and cross-disciplinary collaboration.

Workshops, masterclasses, and artist residencies.  Offering mentorship and industry-led learning.

Production studios for film, sound, and immersive media.  Supporting professional production and hands-on training.

Student showcases, festivals, and collaborative performances.  Enabling visibility and creative exchange.

National and global partnerships with creative, academic, and industry bodies. Expanding access to global networks and opportunities.

Operational Plan

Annual creative festivals, film labs, and music showcases

Visiting artist and creator-in-residence programmes

Interdisciplinary project studios blending arts, science, and technology

Short-term certificate programmes and professional workshops

Student fellowships, internships, and collaborative industry projects

Partnerships and Alliances

Creative industry associations (film, music, design, media)

Partnerships with industry associations provide access to professional networks, evolving practices, and sector insights that align education with industry standards.

Production houses, studios, OTT platforms, and cultural organizations

Collaborations enable hands-on exposure through live projects, productions, and cultural initiatives rooted in real-world creative workflows.

National and global universities with strong creative-arts programs 

Academic partnerships support knowledge exchange, joint programs, and international exposure across leading creative-arts institutions.

Technology partners in XR, AI, sound engineering, animation, and interactive media 

Technology collaborations integrate emerging tools and platforms into creative learning, fostering innovation and future-ready skill development.

Outcomes and Impact

Creators who combine India’s cultural richness with global creative competencies. Positioned to produce work that is rooted in heritage while meeting international creative standards.
A dynamic ecosystem for interdisciplinary arts innovation. Where diverse disciplines intersect to enable experimentation, collaboration, and new forms of expression.
Strengthened industry linkages and employability pathways. Through sustained engagement with creative industries, professional networks, and real-world projects.
Increased representation of Indian creative talent on global platforms  Enabling wider visibility, recognition, and participation in international creative forums.
Enhanced cultural entrepreneurship contributing to India’s creative economy. Supporting sustainable ventures, innovation, and long-term economic and cultural impact.

Be a Part of WPU GŌA

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Members

Pandit Niladri Kumaar

Indian classical sitar player, composer,
and the inventor of the electric sitar known as the "Zitar"

Pandit Niladri Kumaar is one of India's most celebrated sitar maestros, composer, and the inventor of the groundbreaking electric sitar, the "Zitar." A fifth-generation sitar player, he is trained under his father, the legendary Pandit Kartick Kumar, a disciple of Pandit Ravi Shankar, and gave his first public performance at the age of six. He reduced the sitar's strings from 20 to five and added an electric pick-up, creating the Zitar, which bridged Indian classical music with contemporary global sounds. He has collaborated with Ustad Zakir Hussain, A.R. Rahman, and John McLaughlin, and was conferred the Sangeet Natak Akademi's Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar in 2007. He has produced over 15 albums and composed chartbuster Bollywood scores.

Pandit Rakesh Chaurasia

World-renowned Indian Hindustani
classical musician and eminent Bansuri (flute) maestro

Pandit Rakesh Chaurasia is one of India's most acclaimed Bansuri (bamboo flute) maestros and a foremost exponent of Hindustani classical music. Born on 10 January 1971 in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, he is the nephew and most accomplished disciple of the legendary flute maestro Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia, under whose guidance he began playing the Bansuri at the age of five. His enchanting style is deeply informed by vocal technique, and he draws inspiration from nature and the spiritual dimensions of music. He has collaborated with world-renowned musicians including Ustad Zakir Hussain, Béla Fleck, and Edgar Meyer, and his contribution to the Grammy-winning album As We Speak earned him two Grammy Awards in 2024.

Pandita Kaushiki Chakraborty

Indian classical vocalist of the
Patiala Gharana and a prominent
Hindustani classical musician

Pandita Kaushiki Chakraborty is one of the most celebrated voices in Hindustani classical music and a foremost torchbearer of the Patiala Gharana. Born on 24 October 1980 in Kolkata, she is the daughter of Padma Bhushan recipient and legendary vocalist Pandit Ajoy Chakraborty, under whose guidance she trained at the prestigious ITC Sangeet Research Academy. She has become one of the first female singers from the Patiala tradition to receive international recognition, known for the gharana's elaborate melodic ornamentation and deep emotional expression. Her repertoire spans Khayals, Thumris, Dadras, and Bhajans, and she is the recipient of the BBC Radio 3 Award for World Music in the Asia-Pacific category in 2005. She also leads Sakhi, an ensemble celebrating India's diverse musical traditions through a feminine lens.

Pandit Mahesh Kale

Indian American classical vocalist and playback singer renowned for his specialization in Indian Classical (Hindustani), Semi-Classical, Devotional music including Natya Sangeet

Pandit Mahesh Kale is an Indian American classical vocalist and playback singer based in the San Francisco Bay Area, renowned for his mastery of Hindustani Classical, Semi-Classical, Devotional music, and Natya Sangeet. Born on 12 January 1976 in Pune, he is a disciple of the legendary Pandit Jitendra Abhisheki of the Agra Gharana, under whose gurukul-like tutelage he trained for over eight years in classical and semi-classical forms including thumri, dadra, tappa, bhajans, and Marathi Natya Sangeet. He won India's 63rd National Film Award as Best Playback Singer for the song Aruni Kirani in the film Katyar Kaljat Ghusli. He has received a proclamation from the U.S. House of Representatives for successfully bridging the gap between classical and non-classical audiences globally.

Pandit Satyajit Talwalkar

Distinguished Indian tabla player and musician

Pandit Satyajit Talwalkar is a distinguished Indian tabla artist and one of the most gifted percussionists of his generation. Son and disciple of the legendary Padmashree Pandit Suresh Talwalkar, he began learning the tabla at the age of four and gave his first public performance at nine, also inheriting musical sensibility from his mother, renowned vocalist Padma Talwalkar. His performances — whether solo or in accompaniment — are marked by catchy tempos, unanticipated crescendos, and compositions embellished with dexterous agility, his bass from the bayan and hummingbird-like action on the dayan creating a distinctive melodic flow. He has performed alongside luminaries including Niladri Kumar and Rakesh Chaurasia at prestigious national and international festivals.

Siddharth Kak

Renowned Indian documentary filmmaker, television producer, and presenter

Siddharth Kak is one of India's most celebrated documentary filmmakers, television producers, and presenters. Born into a Kashmiri Pandit family, he was educated at Lawrence School, Sanawar and graduated from St. Stephen's College, Delhi. He is best known as the creator, producer, and co-host of the iconic Doordarshan series Surabhi (1990–2001), which explored India's heritage, arts, and traditions, and founded Cinema Vision India, under which he produced over 100 documentaries and multiple television series, earning three National Film Awards. He is the Founder Trustee of the Surabhi Foundation for Research and Cultural Exchange (Surabhi FORCE), developing projects of national cultural importance, and has served as Chairperson of the National Short Feature Film Awards.

Vinta Nanda

Co-Founder & Executive Director, Waterfront Indie Film Festival (WIFF) Mumbai

Vinta Nanda is a Mumbai-based filmmaker, writer, content strategist, and Co-Founder & Executive Director of the Waterfront Indie Film Festival (WIFF), Mumbai. Co-conceived alongside cultural visionaries Deepa Gahlot and Shantanu Ray Chaudhuri, WIFF is an annual celebration of independent cinema, showcasing feature films, short films, documentaries, and experimental works from global and South Asian filmmakers. She previously served as Director Ideation at Zee Network, co-produced and directed the feature film White Noise starring Rahul Bose and Koel Purie, curated the Kala Ghoda Festival's film section, and co-founded the Asian Centre for Entertainment Education. She is also the founder and editor of The Daily Eye, a platform devoted to cinema, culture, and creative storytelling.

Rohini Ramnathan

Co-Founder & Executive Director, Waterfront Indie Film Festival (WIFF) Mumbai

Rohini Ramnathan is the Chief Content Officer of the Fever Network (HT Media Group), overseeing content across Fever FM, Nasha, and Punjabi Fever, and also serves as Creative Director of JustTooFilmy. An award-winning radio presenter and content strategist, she was the first voice on Fever FM when it launched in 2006 — marking the beginning of a nearly two-decade journey at HT Media. In her expanded role, she leads the network's multi-platform content strategy, accelerates digital-first growth, and oversees video-led storytelling. Her elevation is a reflection of the network's strategic investment in audio and digital leadership at a pivotal moment in the evolution of India's content and entertainment landscape.

Dr. Soumya Swaminathan

  Principal Advisor, Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare for the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme

Dr. Soumya Swaminathan is the Principal Advisor to the Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare for the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP), serving on a pro bono basis. A paediatrician and globally recognised expert in tuberculosis and HIV research, she was the first Chief Scientist of the World Health Organization (WHO) and previously served as Director General of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). With over 40 years of experience in clinical care and research, she has dedicated her career to translating vital research into impactful health programmes.

In her current role, she provides technical advice on programme strategy, policy directions, and research, and assists in forming expert groups with top global talent. She also chairs the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF).

Dr. Renu Swarup

  Former Secretary to Government of India, Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science & Technology

Dr. Renu Swarup is a distinguished Indian geneticist and former Secretary to the Government of India, heading the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Ministry of Science & Technology. She worked in the Department of Biotechnology for over 30 years and also served as Chairperson of the Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC), becoming the first woman to hold additional charge of Secretary, Department of Science & Technology.

She holds a PhD in Genetics and Plant Engineering and completed post-doctoral studies at the John Innes Centre, Norwich, UK. Under her leadership at BIRAC, over 60 incubators were created and 5,000 entrepreneurs emerged, significantly advancing India's biotech ecosystem. She is a Fellow of the National Academy of Sciences, India, and a newly discovered microbial species has been named in her honour.

Dr. Sanjay Deshmukh

  Director – Surgical Oncologist, Ruby Hall Clinic, Pune

Dr. Sanjay Deshmukh is Director and Surgical Oncologist at Ruby Hall Clinic, Pune, with over 37 years of expertise in cancer surgery. He completed his post-graduation in General Surgery from Government Medical College, Aurangabad, followed by a four-year surgical residency and super-speciality training in Surgical Oncology at Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai, and a UICC Fellowship at the University of Maryland, USA in 1995. He is credited with starting Pune's first Breast Centre in 2004 and performing the first Sentinel Node Biopsy for breast cancer in Maharashtra.

A founder member and West Zone Director of the Association of Breast Surgeons of India, he is also founder president of the Oncology Group of Pune, with multiple publications in national and international journals.

Mudit Dandwate

  CEO & Co-Founder, Dozee

Mudit Dandwate is the CEO and Co-Founder of Dozee, India's pioneering health-tech startup transforming patient care through contactless remote monitoring. A mechanical engineer, he graduated from the Indian Institute of Technology, Mumbai in 2013, and prior to founding Dozee, worked as a vehicle dynamics expert at Altair Technologies, where he designed, built, and raced four full-scale race cars, including India's first electric race cars.

Dozee is a global pioneer in contactless Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) and Early Warning Systems, transforming any hospital bed into a smart monitoring bed through a Health-AI platform that delivers continuous, automated vital signs monitoring. His vision is to shift healthcare from reactive to proactive, making intelligent patient care accessible across every clinical setting.

Dr. Shyam Vasudeva Rao

Founder & Director,
Forus Health, Renalyx and Rx DHP

Dr. Shyam Vasudeva Rao is Founder and Director of Forus Health, Renalyx Health Systems, and Rx DHP — three ventures driving affordable and accessible healthcare innovation. He holds a doctorate in Real Time Embedded Systems, specialising in Parallel Computer Architecture from the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, with a gold medal, and has previously worked with Ericsson, Tata Consultancy Services, and as Director of Technology at Philips Innovation Campus. His innovation 3nethra, an all-in-one eye screening device developed at Forus Health, has won multiple prestigious awards including the DST Lockheed Martin Gold Medal, NASSCOM Innovation Award, and the Anjani Mashelkar Inclusive Innovation Award. He has filed over 20 international patents, groomed more than 50 research programmes in healthcare and life sciences, and serves as Technical Director for Maastricht University Medical Center, Netherlands.

Members

Pandit Niladri Kumaar

Indian classical sitar player, composer,
and the inventor of the electric sitar known as the "Zitar"

Pandit Rakesh Chaurasia

World-renowned Indian Hindustani
classical musician and eminent Bansuri (flute) maestro

Pandita Kaushiki Chakraborty

Indian classical vocalist of the
Patiala Gharana and a prominent
Hindustani classical musician

Siddharth Kak

Renowned Indian documentary filmmaker, television producer, and presenter

Vinta Nanda

Co-Founder & Executive Director, Waterfront Indie Film Festival (WIFF) Mumbai

Rohini Ramnathan

Co-Founder & Executive Director, Waterfront Indie Film Festival (WIFF) Mumbai