Lyricist-writer Varun Grover and eight other creatives from India have made it to 2024 BAFTA Breakthrough cohort, announced on Thursday. A total of 43 up-and-coming creatives from the UK, US, and India are part of the cohort.
The nine creatives from India have been recognised for their contributions across various domains:
- Abhinav Chokhavatia, Game Producer – Down and Out
- Christo Tomy, Director – Curry and Cyanide: The Jolly Joseph Case
- Deepa Bhatia, Writer/Director/Producer – First Act
- Dhiman Karmakar, Sound Designer/Production Sound Mixer – Amar Singh Chamkila
- Jaydeep Sarkar, Showrunner/Series Director/Executive Producer – Rainbow Rishta
- Monisha Thyagarajan, Series Producer – The Hunt for Veerappan
- Neeraj Kumar, Producer/Lead Developer – Artifice: War Tactics
- Sindhu Sreenivasa Murthy, Writer/Director/Performer – Aachar & Co.
- Varun Grover, Writer/Director – All India Rank
“A massive congratulations to this year’s nine India Breakthroughs, who demonstrate once again that there is no shortage of creative talent in India. It was extremely difficult to narrow down the pool of talented candidates. I can’t wait to see how this year’s cohort harness BAFTA Breakthrough’s opportunities to hone their craft,” said Guneet Monga Kapoor, Film Producer and BAFTA Breakthrough Ambassador in India.
Over its 11-year history, BAFTA Breakthrough has curated over 1,500 meetings for participants with prominent industry figures, including Cillian Murphy, Emma Thompson, and Brad Pitt. Its alumni include celebrated names such as Letitia Wright, Jessie Buckley and Bella Ramsey.
This initiative, supported by Netflix, provides a platform for emerging talent across disciplines including film, television and games. The participants in the year-long initiative gain access to one-to-one mentorship sessions, career guidance from industry veterans, full BAFTA voting membership and invitations to BAFTA events, screenings, and networking opportunities.
“BAFTA Breakthrough, now in its 11th year, spotlights a host of emerging and talented ‘must-watch’ creative practitioners working across film, games and television. This year we have an amazing roster of casting directors, producers, writers, performers, lead artists, cinematographers, lead developers, and more. We urge the industry to take note. A huge thank you to Netflix, whose support makes BAFTA Breakthrough possible,” said Jane Millichip, CEO of BAFTA, in a statement.
