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The Tuli Research Centre for India Studies (T.R.I.S.) announces its seventh exhibition. “Swaraj – Revisualising India's Political History” -- An exhibition of Modern and Contemporary Fine and Popular Arts, Photography, Film Memorabilia and Visual-Textual-Audio Archives. Swaraj will open at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, 12 August 2026 at the Visual Arts Gallery and will remain open till 7 p.m. Sunday, 16 August 2026. Tuli Research Centre for India Studies (T.R.I.S.) presents SWARAJ | Revisualising India's Political History, a pioneering inter-disciplinary offline-online exhibition conceptualised and curated by Neville Tuli with Team T.R.I.S.. SWARAJ explores India's journey towards political self-rule and self-discovery through a remarkable collection of rare modern and contemporary fine and popular arts, albums, photographs, books, prints, propaganda, cartoons, film publicity artworks and other "text-visual-audio" archives contextualised within a clear historical framework, which defines T.R.I.S.' pedagogic approach to learning. The Exhibition will be of particular interest to students and scholars of India & Cultural Studies, and India's political and modern histories as well as those interested in the passage of events and ideas from the mid-1850s leading up to the turn of the 21st century. Unique to the Tuli Research Centre for India Studies is the richness of visual material that not only exhorts a deeper understanding of the art and archival materials on display but also brings alive the multi-layered narratives of the exhibition and naturally India's journey in being ad searching for herself.

The Tuli Research Centre for India Studies (T.R.I.S.) announces its seventh exhibition. “Swaraj – Revisualising India's Political History” -- An exhibition of Modern and Contemporary Fine and Popular Arts, Photography, Film Memorabilia and Visual-Textual-Audio Archives. Swaraj will open at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, 12 August 2026 at the Visual Arts Gallery and will remain open till 7 p.m. Sunday, 16 August 2026. Tuli Research Centre for India Studies (T.R.I.S.) presents SWARAJ | Revisualising India's Political History, a pioneering inter-disciplinary offline-online exhibition conceptualised and curated by Neville Tuli with Team T.R.I.S.. SWARAJ explores India's journey towards political self-rule and self-discovery through a remarkable collection of rare modern and contemporary fine and popular arts, albums, photographs, books, prints, propaganda, cartoons, film publicity artworks and other "text-visual-audio" archives contextualised within a clear historical framework, which defines T.R.I.S.' pedagogic approach to learning. The Exhibition will be of particular interest to students and scholars of India & Cultural Studies, and India's political and modern histories as well as those interested in the passage of events and ideas from the mid-1850s leading up to the turn of the 21st century. Unique to the Tuli Research Centre for India Studies is the richness of visual material that not only exhorts a deeper understanding of the art and archival materials on display but also brings alive the multi-layered narratives of the exhibition and naturally India's journey in being ad searching for herself.

A key section of the India Studies framework at The Tuli Research Centre for India Studies (T.R.I.S.) is “Deconstructing the Film Song”. It began with a series of four workshops during our Self-Discovery via Rediscovering India Festival Series that brought together leading scholars & academics, film practitioners & students, along with fans of the Hindi film song. The objective of these workshops was to deconstruct iconic Hindi film songs to examine their formation across music, lyrics, playback, choreography, directorial visualisation, as they fuse into sites where aesthetics, ideology, and performance intersect, so as to help clarify the nature of India and her relationship to the film song. The Hindi Film Song functions as a narrative device, conveying myriad textures of emotion through melody, voice and poetry. As cultural texts that encode memory, desire, and ideology, songs are integral to the circulation and resonance of films in the public realm. Over time they have become autonomous bundles of creative energy - the glue that binds us over time, articulating and perhaps even defining the idea of Indianness. These first Workshops were an attempt to understand the nature and power of this glue, while contemplating the ways to situate it within TRIS' academic framework for Contemporary India Studies.

The unique exhibition which juxtaposes the refined covers of the International Film Festival Catalogue and the larger than life glory of the Film Jubilee Trophy examine two distinct modes of cinematic commemoration, styles of film-making and film going audiences.

The Exhibition 'From Trinity to Trinity to Trinity | Dev-Raj-Dilip to Ray-Ghatak-Sen to Salman-Aamir-SRK', celebrates three iconic trios that have come to symbolize defining moments in Indian cinema and reflect the diverse heroic characteristics which the Indian public demands.

A Homage to the Cinema of Sharmila Tagore offers an incisive and in-depth visual look into the career and legacy of the artist.

Celebrating the Birth Centenary of filmmaker Shakti Samanta offers an incisive and in-depth visual look into the career and legacy of the artist.

The World of Satyajit Ray through the lens of Nemai Ghosh, 1969-1990, offers a rare glimpse into the life and work of one of cinema's greatest auteurs. Captured over decades, Ghosh's working stills offer a unique window into Ray's working process and artistry.

A Tribute to the Greatest Epic Indian Film - Mughal-e-Azam - brings alive the classic film through a diverse range of memorabilia especially its world class black-and-white cinematography and still photography by masters such as R.D. Mathur, A.L. Syed and others.

The magnificent visual study of Vintage Polish & Japanese Designed Posters, 1950-80s, offers a striking selection of film posters from two of the world's most distinctive graphic traditions. The harsh age of Stalin which forced so many Polish artists to express themselves through graphic design led to a golden period of film poster design globally.

A Homage to the Cinema of Dharmendra offers an incisive and in-depth visual look into the career and legacy of the artist.

The exhibition Significant Artworks of Landmark Films of Bombay Cinema 1940-80's showcases key original artworks and hoardings of films along with rare and vintage three to six to twelve sheeter posters. The power of these artworks have defined the street energy which cinema had staked its claim on.

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.

The next exhibition, Highlights of Indian Cinematography, 1913-1973, traces the visual history of Indian cinematography, foregrounding the key personalities, craft, technologies, and aesthetic choices behind the camera. The work of Faredoon A. Irani, the Mistry Brothers, Shombu Mitra, Dilip Basu, Radhu Karmakar, R.D. Mathur, V.K. Murthy, and others is highlighted.

The first exhibition, The Golden Age of Hollywood, 1910-1960s, is part of an Indo-American Cinematic dialogue and a key learning module for the India Studies framework. The exhibition traces major movements from the path-breaking Silent Era of Hollywood where Comedy to German Expressionism dominated; from the Historical Epics to Science-Fiction and Horror; from the focus on the Auteur to Stardom, and beyond.

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.

Part of the Indo-American Dialogue Learning Module for India Studies From Slapstick & Comedy to German Expressionism; from Epics to Sci-Fi and Horror; from Animation to Film Noir | From Chaplin to Chaney; Garbo to Gable; Buster to Brando; Valentino to Welles; Disney to Monroe