The art of storytelling has always been a debate in Indian cinema, with the format of new stories shown on the big screens changing every years. From acting movies dominating theatres to romance returning on the screens again, one cannot always decided what will resonate with the audience. But a few filmmakers have connected with audiences through excellent storytelling.
After the 'The Ethics Of Storytelling' session, award-winning filmmaker Pan Nalin had a quick chat with us about the art of storytelling and how he has managed to show female characters with complexity yet sympathy.
For the unversed, Pan Nalin has created some of the influential Indian films, which have received accolades and praise in the international circuit as well. At the Jagran Film Festival 2026, he hoped to see how Gen Z and Gen Alpha might resonate with his films and other projects across different languages. He also praised the audience for giving his films a chance despite having less budget, a different language, and not much promotion.
He even stressed the importance of film festivals like JFF 2026, which will be held across 14 cities in India and will help reach films to a wider audience. He also recalled how film festivals have played a pivotal role in his career as his projects gained more prominence.
While looking at Pan Nalin's filmography, we can see how his stories are centred around women, who are complex yet unapologetic. The filmmaker recalled how women around him watch male-centric films despite not being interested in those projects, as not many options were available. He shared how female characters are mostly centred around male protagonists in the stories and have not much to offer.
With movies like Chhello Show and Angry Indian Goddess, he decided to put the women in the centre stage. He even praised movies like Kahaani and filmmakers like Zoya Akhtar for creating a change.