As the Habitat Film Festival 2026 brings together restored classics, regional cinema and contemporary independent films from across India, KG Suresh reflects on the growing relevance of the festival in the OTT era, the importance of preserving India’s cinematic diversity and why mass film viewing remains important. In this interview, the Director of India Habitat Center discusses HFF’s evolving cultural vision and this year’s key highlights.What do you think keeps HFF a constant with viewers?The Habitat Film Festival continues to resonate as it offers something that is increasingly rare today – a space for meaningful cinematic engagement. In the age of algorithm-driven viewing and fragmented attention, HFF brings audiences back to the collective experience of watching stories together in the theatre. The festival celebrates cinema that is rooted in lived realities, regional identities and artistic integrity. Over the years, audiences have relied on HFF for carefully curated programming that transcends trends and gives visibility to the voices of India’s diverse cultural landscape. Be it a restored classic or a bold independent debut, each film at HFF invites reflection, conversation and emotional engagement.

KG Suresh

This year’s edition restores classics such as Umrao Jaan And quietly quietly With contemporary independent voices. Was this association intentional to create a dialogue between nostalgia and new-age storytelling?Absolutely. The idea was to create a conversation between generations of cinema. Restored classics like Umrao Jaan And quietly quietly These are not just nostalgic experiences; They remind us of the richness of Indian storytelling tradition, music, performance and cinematic craft. as well as contemporary films such as Moham, Tighi, Elysian Fields, VanyaAnd Maliput Melodies Representing a fearless new wave of storytellers engaged with changing social realities and personal narratives. By juxtaposing these films, HFF creates a cinematic bridge where audiences can see both continuity and evolution in Indian cinema. The retrospective of Ritwik Ghatak is a major highlight of the festival. Why do you think his cinema remains so emotionally and politically relevant today, especially for young audiences?Ritwik Ghatak’s cinema remains extremely relevant as his films speak to displacement, identity, memory, alienation and the human cost of social upheaval – themes that continue to resonate deeply even today. like movies Meghe Dhaka Tara, soft myrrh, subarnarekhaAnd Jukti Takko R Gappo These are not merely historical works; They are emotionally urgent reflections on fractured societies and personal resilience. Young audiences today are increasingly drawn towards emotionally honest and politically conscious cinema and Ghatak’s work offers exactly that. His poetic visual language and deeply human storytelling continue to inspire filmmakers and audiences alike.HFF 2026 showcases films from 20 languages ​​and regions. How important is a festival like this in preserving linguistic and cultural diversity within Indian cinema?India’s greatest cinematic strength lies in its linguistic and cultural diversity, and festivals like HFF play a vital role in preserving and celebrating that plurality. This year’s festival brings together stories from Malayalam, Marathi, Tamil, Khasi, Karbi, Bhojpuri, Manipuri, Assamese, Oriya, Kannada, Bengali and many other languages. These films carry with them unique cultural memories, oral traditions, local histories and social concerns that do not always find a place in mainstream distribution networks. HFF gives these stories a national platform and encourages audiences to connect with cultures beyond their immediate surroundings. In many ways, the festival becomes a meeting place of India’s many cinematic identities.Independent cinema is finding new audiences digitally today, yet the theatrical community scene remains irreplaceable. How does HFF attempt to recreate that collective cinematic experience?Digital platforms have certainly expanded access to independent cinema, which is extremely valuable. However, there is something inescapable about watching a movie collectively – sharing silence, laughter, discomfort and emotion with a room full of strangers. HFF recreates that experience by curating screenings that encourage dialogue and conversation. Many screenings are followed by conversations with filmmakers, actors, critics, and scholars, giving audiences the opportunity to engage more deeply with the work. This reaction may be seen during screening such as Moham’s, Gondhal And suede bondaWhere the audience stayed long after the credits started, discussing the themes, performances and personal interpretations. That sense of community is at the heart of the festival experience.As well as screenings, the festival also features talks, masterclasses, exhibitions and filmmaker interactions. Was the idea to establish HFF not just as a film festival but as a larger cultural movement?very much so. HFF has always viewed cinema as part of a larger cultural ecosystem rather than as a separate medium. This year’s program includes filmmaker talks, a conversation on animation storytelling with Dhvani Desai and Murtaza Ali Khan, a masterclass by Kamakhya Narayan Singh, documentary showcase, book discussion and an exhibition of iconic Hindi film posters and archival material in collaboration with IGNCA. The intention is to create a comprehensive cultural environment where cinema intersects with history, literature, music, visual culture and public discourse. More than a festival, HFF becomes a living space for ideas, artistic exchange and collective reflection.Many of this year’s films are based on personal, political and socially rooted narratives. Do you think Indian audiences today are becoming more open to layered and introspective storytelling?Yes, very much. Today’s audiences are far more eager and receptive to nuanced storytelling than they are often given credit for. There is a growing appetite for films that go beyond formula and engage honestly with questions of identity, memory, gender, ecology, displacement and social change. movies like white snow, indomitable, Kaumudi, Theatre: Myth of RealityAnd whisper of the mountains Reflect this shift toward layered, introspective narratives rooted in specific social realities. What is encouraging is that audiences are not only watching these films but also actively engaging with them through discussions and critical conversations.

KG Suresh