The all-male jury panel for the Indian Panorama section of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI), which is scheduled to take place in Goa from November 20 to 28, has drawn harsh criticism. Social media users were outraged by the news and criticized the organizers for their lack of gender inclusion.
Jury Composition Triggers Backlash
The jury for the Indian Panorama feature films, led by actor Raja Bundela, consists of the following members: Krishna Hebbale, Kamlesh K. Mishra, Malay Ray, Subhash Sehgal, Jadumoni Dutta, Aroon Baksi, Asim Sinha, Ashok Sharan, Sukumar Jatania, B.S. Basavaraju, Amaresh Chakrabarti, and Napoleon Thanga. The non-feature film jury is presided over by Dharam Gulati.
The fact that the jury panel did not have even one woman member created a lot of speculation on social media. Users reacted with disappointment, calling it a “missed opportunity” for more diversity at one of the biggest Indian film festivals. Phrases like “All men?” and “Couldn’t you find any women in all of India?” prevailed in the comments section of social media debates, and the festival was urged to “do better.”
Significance of Representation
Critics argue that such decisions undermine the progress of women directors who have been the most influential in recent years of their rightful progress. The absence of female presence in a national festival jury overshadows the success of Kiran Rao (Laapataa Ladies) and Payal Kapadia (All We Imagine As Light) among the recognized world-class directors and seems to indicate backwardness. Professionals stress the fact that a jury composed of male and female judges not only gives justice but also guarantees varying opinions in the film appraisal process. In a time when inclusivity is honored, the decision of IFFI is seen as out of touch with the progressing situation of the Indian film industry. The comment section of IFFI’s post erupted with people pointing out this approach. One user commented, “Women filmmakers are busy making the headlines. Thus, they felt a little bit alienated, so they formed a Manel!!”
IFFI 2025 Highlights
Controversies aside, IFFI 2025 still guarantees a strong lineup comprising 240 films from 81 countries, 13 world premieres, 5 international premieres, and 44 Asian premieres among them. The Indian Panorama will present 25 feature films, 20 non-feature films, and 5 debut features, demonstrating the rich variety of India’s cinematic essence. The festival received a staggering 2,314 submissions from 127 countries, wherein the number of entries from India alone counts to 1,098, coming in 18 different languages. Festival Director Shekhar Kapur mentioned that last year’s edition attracted almost 20,000 visitors, with a target of 1 lakh visitors in the next few years. But this accomplishment is very likely to lose its shine because of the gender representation debate ongoing right now.
The Way Forward
The whole debate has ignited demands for IFFI to take a more inclusive approach to the choosing of juries. Among the proposed ideas are the implementation of gender-balanced panels in the future, the establishment of advisory boards to secure equal representation, and publicly outlining selection criteria to enhance transparency.
Having a platform like IFFI to represent the different communities and cultures is not merely a matter of showing tolerance; it is also a matter of reflecting the plurality of voices that are responsible for the country’s film identity. The criticism that has been directed at the organizers is to recognize it and to make it a point to be more present in the future years.
