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The incorporation of song and music as integral narrative elements sets Indian cinema apart from many other global cinematic traditions. The heart of Cinema as a Critical Educational Resource, The Song-Synopsis Booklet, showcases a unique film object that was part publicity material, part souvenir, and part practical guide for audiences. Today it is a critical educational object if cinema is to play a deeper role in studying all other subjects.

As we near sharing the vast online India Studies knowledge base on tuliresearchcentre.org with the world, we end with our last grand archival Exhibition on the rare and vintage cinematic arts. The Expo covers over 110 years of cinematic art, created by some of the finest film directors, cinematographers, art directors, technicians and designers working in cinema from India, Hollywood, Japan, Germany, France, and Poland. It is also a key principle at the Tuli Research Centre for India Studies (TRIS) to support new and nascent International Film Festivals in whatever capacity possible. Hence it is our privilege to help the International Film Festival of Delhi (IFFD) successfully launch its first edition on 25th March 2026. In the pioneering tradition of IFFI, and as Head of the erstwhile and much respected Osian's-Cinefan Festival for Asian and Arab Cinema with my dearly departed friend and Founder of Cinefan - Aruna Vasudev - we know what energy, expertise and commitment is required to galvanise and inspire the cinematic fraternities of Delhi, India and the rest of the world. It is a very serious and difficult task. Our audiences are demanding and to attract the young and non-cinephile is also no easy task. I hope these exhibitions will help the public grasp how deeply history is living in the contemporary. That contemporary life or creativity cannot achieve its best version without knowing and respecting the work of the best who came before us, nurturing and guiding our path with their service and vision. We look forward to welcoming you to Bharat Mandapam Hall 14 in the days to come. Please register at https://www.iffdelhi.com for the films and other events, it is free to all.

T.R.I.S. in Collaboration with the 17th Habitat Film Festival Cinema as a Critical Educational Resource is the 1st Research Category of Sixteen for T.R.I.S.'s India Studies framework. Its significance is amply visible in its online knowledge base tuliresearchcentre.org The Masterclass will include a walk-through of the archival exhibition on The Cinema of Shyam Benegal & Raj Kapoor with Mr Tuli. The Masterclass will not only highlight the history of Indian cinema but will also demonstrate how the T.R.I.S. online knowledge-base invites a deeper study of visual materials, embracing, equally, an enquiry into art arising from the genre of cinema – posters, song synopsis booklets, lobby cards, film and working stills, trophies etc from across the world, and their relationship to the fine and popular arts and photography.