Whistling Woods International (WWI) today celebrated the 10th Annual Convocation of its 18th & 19th graduating batches, at St. Andrews Auditorium, Bandra. The event witnessed a full-house with close to 1000 people; right from industry professionals, students and their families in complete attendance. The graduating students, full of excitement, were acknowledged for their achievements with awards and commendations.
This year, the ace Indian director and screenwriter Shyam Benegal and legendary actor Shatrughan Sinha were conferred with the ‘Whistling Woods Maestro Award’, for their invaluable contribution to Indian cinema. Prof S Parasumaran, Vice Chancellor at Tata Institute of Social Science, gave an inspiring speech as the keynote speaker at the event.
The ceremony began with Subhash Ghai, Meghna Ghai Puri and Ravi Gupta along with the guests, lighting the lamp, followed by an inspiring video on the institute’s incredible journey over the last decade.
Commenting on the occasion, Subhash Ghai, Founder & Chairman, Whistling Woods International, shared, “With this graduating batch, we, at Whistling Woods International have accomplished ten successful years. It gives me immense pleasure to share that we have delivered on what we had committed, when we had set out to start the institute in 2006. With the constant efforts and support extended by Meghna, Rahul, Ravi Gupta, the faculty here have successfully shaped the institute to be what it is today. I am honoured to be a part of WWI’s journey into completing its first decade. I wish that legendary personalities like Shyam Benegal sahaab and Shatrughanji continue to inspire us to create more well-honed industry ready professionals and thereby help students make their careers in a holistic way.”
Commenting on the occasion, leading director Shyam Benegal shared, “It is an honour to not only be present here today, but also to be associated with an institute like Whistling Woods International. Subhash Ghai’s vision has come to fruition and the institute has made incredible contributions to the Indian cinema, by honing the talent in our country. It has been a fantastic journey so far and I look forward to the years to come.”
Advising the students on their journey ahead, ace actor Shatrughan Sinha said, “From the time I graduated I have followed only one mantra: In this competitive world prove yourself to be better than the best but if you fail to do then at least make sure you are different from the rest, and you will find your destination. Believe in yourself and charge ahead with confidence. You have been fortunate to have had such a strong mentor by you side, Mr. Subhash Ghai, who has also been my guide in life. I have learnt all the good things in life and, also the tricks of trade from him.”
Thanking everyone present at the annual Convocation ceremony, Meghna Ghai Puri, President, Whistling Woods International, said, “It’s a wonderful feeling to see these young students walk out today in the industry as trained young professionals. Most of them already have great jobs and the others have plans to pursue further studies. Eleven years ago, on the same date we had inaugurated this institute and pledged to create a world-class institution, which will make the industry proud. There is a strong sense of accomplishment and fulfillment amongst all of us at WWI today, as we gear up to take the journey further for many more decades to come. I congratulate the students and wish them all the very best for their future.”
Whistling Woods International boasts of more than 1600 alumni successfully working in the Media and Entertainment industry, having bagged prestigious projects in filmmaking, animation and acting. Recent and popular projects, include, Badrinath Ki Dulhania, Mohenjo Daro, Sultan, Udta Punjab, Kapoor & Sons, Masaan, The Jungle Book, Fan, Neerja, Bajirao Mastani, Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, PK, Highway, Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania to name a few, as filmmakers in various capacities and Shashank Arora – Titli; Rajshri Deshpande – Angry Indian Goddesses, among others, as actors in prominent roles in critically acclaimed and award-winning films.
