HYDERABAD: Isn’t it fun to find like-minded people in a place where you can share, discuss, and enjoy your favourite films together? Film clubs are the best places for film enthusiasts, where they can be part of film screenings, movie launches, debates, and discussions. If you’re lucky enough, you might even meet your favourite artist there. What could be better than finding the perfect film club in your city that matches your taste and genre? Film clubs in Hyderabad have been delivering a variety of film genres for years to appeal to a wide range of audiences.
Moving Images
Moving Images was started by Aparajita Sinha, daughter of the renowned filmmaker Bimal Roy, and her friends on August 28, 2004. It was inaugurated by the renowned writer, poet, lyricist, and director Gulzar Saheb. “Our film club does not believe in screening run-of-the-mill films or commercial films. We screen successful Hollywood films, award-winning Hindi films directed by renowned directors of the 1940s and 1970s, and other Indian language films with subtitles,” shares Sanghamitra Malik, the current working president. From screening films every Children’s Day on November 14 for schoolchildren from orphanages, government and private schools, to hosting renowned film personalities like Adoor Gopalakrishnan, Subodh Bhave, and Ranjan Ghosh, Moving Images has been organising big and successful events in Hyderabad.
The Parallel Cinema Club (TPCC)
TPCC, Bengaluru inspired Umar Ali Khan, one of the founders of TPCC, Hyderabad, who moved from Bengaluru to Hyderabad last year, “to introduce the same film culture to Hyderabad,” as he found it lacking. This club started in March 2024 and screens movies that run ‘parallel’ to the mainstream. “The Parallel Cinema movement of Satyajit Ray and Ritwik Ghatak is a guiding light for us, and so we endeavor to showcase films that are off the beaten path, whose aesthetic decisions and subject matter offer insights into something that mainstream movies won’t necessarily showcase,” mentions Umar Ali. To increase participation, “For each movie, we have a set of questions and insights that we bring to those who turn up for the screenings,” reveals Umar Ali.
Sunset Cinema Club (SCC)
SCC, Hyderabad, started in 2023 after the huge success of SCC in New Delhi and Mumbai. “We are the pioneers of open-air cinema in India, and over the years we have built a sizable community of cinephiles,” states Sanchit Gupta, co-founder. This club is extremely popular among people who want to enjoy unforgettable evenings, with 40,000 attendees for screenings in 2023. SCC screens light-hearted films like rom-coms and family-friendly classics.
Movie Club BPHC
This movie club at BITS Pilani, Hyderabad, has members from all kinds of backgrounds and very diverse tastes. It was started in 2014. Members of this club also engage in filmmaking, conducting film screenings, discussions, workshops, and even collaborations with other cultural clubs. They screen everything from very niche international movies and classic Hollywood films to national blockbuster mainstream movies to provide a more diverse cinematic experience. “Exposure to the campus students, who spent their time on exams like JEE and probably haven’t been exposed to much outside the mainstream cinemas, is what we aim for,” says Pranay Vajrapu, secretary of Movie Club BPHC.
Osmania Film Club
Osmania Film Club is the youngest on the list, having started only two months ago by OU Hyderabad students. “We aim to encourage new talent and to provide a platform for the students who have skill but are confused or do not have an idea about where to start and how to start,” states Pranay Kumar, a member of the club. This club focuses on filmmaking with a ‘social message’ as their main focus, like ‘Oka Ushassu’ and ‘Drugs and Lives’.