Workshops
The Centre organizes several workshops for students in the form of Master Classes and Lectures on various subjects ranging from Media Deconstruction to Music. These workshops allow our students to interact and learn directly from scholars and practitioners. In the past, we’ve had interactions with Anurag Kashyap (acclaimed script writer), Mani Kaul (film maker), Jhanu Barua (film maker), and Shantanu Bhattacharyya (renowned Hindustani classical music vocalist) among others.
Click on our past workshops in the list below to know more.
Getting away from the Stereotype
Master Class with Raghu Rai
From Script to Screen
How much of Indian Cinema is World Cinema
Responsibility of a Media Professional
From Script to Screen
Sri Aurobindo Institute of Mass Communication organized a two – day workshop ‘From Script to Screen’ for script writing on April 11 & 12, 2007. Well – known scriptwriter and filmmaker, Anurag Kashyap, who who made a name for himself in the Hindi film industry with films like Satya, Yuva, Kaun etc, conducted the workshop.
Master Class with Magnum Photographer Raghu Rai
New Delhi: Sri Aurobindo Centre for Arts and Communication, Delhi organized Master
Class – an interaction with the world-renowned photographer and photojournalist Mr.
Raghu Rai for the photography enthusiast of the city on May 8, 2009. Nearly a hundred
participants cutting across the age barrier attended the 'Class'
Ace photographer, photojournalist, Mr. Raghu Rai has been shooting India's journey
since 1965, the joy and sorrow if its people – be it the Bhopal gas tragedy or the
tumultuous days of the Emergency. So when he shares from his four decades of
experience on how to shoot and how to prepare prior to a shoot, the audience is ready to
soak in every word that Mr.Raghu Rai utters.
“Purpose of photo to me, is different. Art is not about capturing beauty, about making
things look beautiful. The purpose of art is the ability to capture the hidden energy, aura of
things that's what we need to capture, whether it is filth, chaos or beauty. I want my photo
to look like reality, says the 66-year-old photographer, whose first published photograph
was that of a baby donkey that he clicked after a chase of two hours. That was in 1960.
“ The world has changed today. Unbelievable things are happening, there is chaos
everywhere and no one has the time to say ' wait a minute',” laments the three-time jury of
the World Press Photo.
“ But the person who says 'wait a moment, I want to chose my moment' will be able to
capture that memorable moment” advises Rai who waited for two hours to capture the
most unusual view of the Jama Masjid at Delhi.
Along with learning the technicalities of a camera, Mr. Raghu Rai believes that it is
essential to train one's mind. He advises those interested in serious photography not to
click pictures that are already stored in the brain through years of “ programming” while
growing up. “ One needs to meditate. Tapasya is essential so that even in chaos, the mind
is focused. There has to be silence in your mind when you are shooting, you can't focus if
you are mind is talking to you.”
Getting away from the Stereotype
It is not very often that mass communication students get to meet one of their favourite idols. But today it was a dream come true for the students of Sri Aurobindo Institute of Mass Communication (SAIMC) to interact with Raghu Rai, a celebrated world-renowned Indian photographer. While going through a photo exhibition put up by photography students in the Institute, he said that one of the greatest challenges was to get away from the stereotype and creating a picture that talks.
He said that he got upset when people said that when they saw a particular picture they knew that he clicked it, as it then meant that he had become predictable. The only impediment he stumbled on while photographing, was himself, he said. Informally chatting with the students sipping numerous cups of strong tea in the open-air amphitheatre, he said, “A photograph must reflect the time you have lived in.” Raghu Rai is one of the finest photographers in the world, whose work featuring the Bhopal gas tragedy is well acclaimed, one of which was so moving that it went to win the prestigious World Press Photo of the year.
He clicked these pictures while he was the Photo Editor of one of India’s leading newsmagazines, India Today. He underlined the importance of how a photographer must be a critic of his or her own work.
“After taking the picture you should come out of the situation and look at the picture and see, does it reflect back the experience you had? Is it rich enough? Rich is that where one can bridge the gap between one’s imagination and reality around.”
He emphasized on the use of technology and knowledge to go beyond oneself and others. Digital technology gave the comfort and ease to check the pictures that were clicked, he said. Asked to comment on the famous saying familiar to all journalism students of how a picture says a thousand words, he said, “ a thousand words may be a lot of noise. Ability to achieve silence is more important and when energies are in rhythm and symphony, it creates silence.” Rai who has traveled all over the world with his pictures, said: “Take as many pictures as you can. More pictures you take, more discipline you will get and you’ll experience more freedom. And if you have the ability and will to take pretty pictures, nature will give you the opportunity.” As a mentor to the students of SAIMC, he has always been a guiding and inspiring figure. He went around the exhibition that had varied photographs done by students in the first three months of their course in photography. He was glad that they had broken away from typical stereotypes.
The pictures portrayed different moods and shades. Some captured the hustle- bustle at Jama Masjid, Central Park at Connaught Place and ceremonies of Chatt Puja. There were casual pictures of a couple, a priest and others. Some focused on fashion and others on human interest. He pointed out that at times black and white pictures have more of an emotional value and visual response, as at times the colours do not compliment the situation. “Black and White silences the noise of colours,” he added.
