Ajitpal Singh, Arati Kadav, Leena Manimekalai among 10 chosen for BAFTA Breakthrough India

Like last year, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) has selected a list of 10 Indian artistes under its BAFTA Breakthrough India Initiative, in association with Netflix.

The 10 individuals to make the list this year are Ajitpal Singh, Aloknanda Dasgupta, Arati Kadav, Leena Manimekalai, Mathivanan Rajendran, Nakul Verma, Prateek Vats, Saumyananda Sahi, Shubham and Sumukhi Suresh.

The jury for this year comprised AR Rahman, Anupam Kher, Apurva Asrani, Charu Desodt, Gaurav Gandhi, Guneet Monga, Krishnendu Majumdar, Monika Shergill, Ratna Pathak Shah, Shonali Bose, Siddharth Roy Kapur and Vishal Gondal.

This year there has also been additional collaboration with Guneet Monga, Vishal Gondal and Ratna Pathak Shah as ‘supporters’ from the Indian film, TV and games industries.

BAFTA Breakthrough India ambassador and jury chair Rahman said in a statement, “Selecting just 10 participants out of the incredible applications we received was a challenging task. After a lively discussion and careful consideration, the chosen 10 Breakthroughs are a diverse mix of individuals from across various regions, professions and languages, reflecting India’s creative diversity. With BAFTA Breakthrough India providing a doorway to significant opportunities at the national and international level, I am looking forward to the 2022 cohort of ten Indian talents making the most of their experience.”

Monika Shergill, vice-president, content, Netflix India, added, “India is a vibrant hub of storytellers and creatives. Through BAFTA Breakthrough India we are excited to do our part to identify and empower fresh, new voices and talent that deserves a platform like this. We received many incredible applications this year. Congratulations to the 10 selected Breakthroughs! We cannot wait to see how they shape and contribute to the creative wave in their industries.”

The 10 selected artistes will be part of BAFTA’s special programme. 'During the programme, the participants will be provided with an opportunity to connect with and learn from the best British and Indian creatives, as well as share their expertise with peers from around the world,' the academy said in a statement.

'Moreover, the participants will receive one-to-one meetings, global networking opportunities, free access to BAFTA events and screenings for 12 months, and full BAFTA voting membership,' the statement continued. 'They will be promoted as BAFTA Breakthrough artistes globally, gaining access to international opportunities.'

Tim Hunter, executive director of learning and new talent, BAFTA, said, “Breakthrough is BAFTA’s flagship talent initiative, which has been recognizing and celebrating talent for nine years, nurturing and supporting them to flourish in their chosen careers.

"Through our successful first cycle in India, we were delighted to introduce such a broad and diverse group of creative voices to our industry networks in the UK and beyond, helping to recognize their talent on the global stage.

"With our second cycle we see that this was just the tip of the iceberg and we are so excited to be working with another crop of such world-class talent. We are grateful to Netflix — who share our vision of inspiring, supporting and celebrating new creative talent. Congratulations to our new cohort, and welcome to the BAFTA Breakthrough family.”