MUMBAI: YouTube and the Public Diplomacy Division of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) of India today released five short films produced by renowned film director and script writer Anurag Kashyap and his directors for a short film contest titled “India Is...a visual Journey”. The five films were commissioned by YouTube under a joint initiative with MEA to showcase and celebrate India and her diversity on a global platform. Viewers all over the world will be able to enjoy the short films on YouTube on www.youtube.com/realindiais.

The five films produced by AKFPL in association with Viacom 18 motion pictures, focus on depicting India at a global stage highlighting the various virtues, culture, aspirations and dreams of Young India. The five films titled ‘Hidden Cricket’ by Shlok Sharma, ‘Geek Out’ by Vasan Bala, ‘Moi Murjani’ by Anubhati Kashyap, ‘Epiphany’ by Neeraj, ‘Chai’ by Geetanjali Rao will be promoted on YouTube as part of the ‘India is’ initiative by MEA.

Riva Ganguly Das, joint secretary and head of public diplomacy division of MEA,  who was present at the launch, “‘India Is’ is the first web based campaign initiated by The Public Diplomacy Division of the MEA to connect and interact with people from all over the world and make them think about India. This was the second year of ‘India Is’ and we are delighted with the response, we have got from the initiative. With these five films we are confident that we will be able to inspire more Indians to come forward and  participate in this initiative and help us to build the India brand further globally.”

Commenting at the launch of the five films, Rajan Anandan, VP & MD, Google India, said, “YouTube has great growth momentum in India and is at the heart of action in Asia. With over 1 billion users globally, YouTube is the pulse of what the world is watching on the web. Partnering with ‘India is’ is our endeavor to demonstrate YouTube’s commitment to India and its culture. Five films put together by Anurag Kashyap’s team, built around the theme of India on YouTube is a great example of how the video platform can be used to engage with users worldwide and build the India Brand further on a global stage. We hope that this initiative will further inspire Indians to come forward and share their stories on the world biggest platform for videos.”

Speaking about his team and the films, Anurag Kashyap, said, “When I was approached by Google to make short films for India Is, I brought together my team of very talented young professionals who have worked with me on several films like Dev D, Shor and Gangs of Wasseypur. I told them let’s put together films that really showcase the essence of India, spirit of India, the aspirations of Young India and the challenges of modern day life in India. We have tried our best to move away from the all touristy kind of films on India and focus on the real India.”

He added, “I am very excited with the opportunity that is available to the young talented filmmakers in the country with platforms like YouTube. The new young India is empowered today because of the availability of platforms like YouTube. I hope these films will inspire more Indians to come forward to express themselves, make their presence felt and not be taken for granted.”