Grants, Awards, Jury, Memberships
Grants/Funding
2024 Invited as an expert at the Global Dis:connect Summer School, Ludwig Maximilian University, LMU, Germany 22-27 July 2024. Screened my documentary - Chhau Dance and the Mask Makers
2023 Received Research Base grant from the Ningbo City Council for the project - Masked Emotions: A Comparative Study of the Purulia Chhau Masks of India and the Chinese Mask Opera based in Zhejiang Province! (2023-2025) – Total grant for the research base team (180,000 Yuan, approx. $38,000 AUD
2023 Received $1000 Grant from the Asian Media Culture & Society to create a podcast series on Dance in Hindi Cinema.
2022 Multicultural Ministry, New South Wales community event grant - $5000 AUD for the South Asian Film festival of Australia.
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2021 Deakin Motion Lab Grant for Dalit Lives – Research based Web-series Project - $5000
2019 Conference Grant to participate in Gannat Folklore Festival & Conference, France. $2K
2016 School Research Committee Funding of $2000 for– Participation in the International Dance Researchers Congress 2016, International Dance Council, UNESCO, Athens, Greece
2016 School of Media & Communication funding of $7000
For - RMIT Indian Film Festival, Date: 1st- 4th December 2016, RMIT University, Melbourne
2016 Western Institute of Technology (external sponsorship) $1000, for - RMIT Indian Film Festival, Date: 1st- 4th December 2016, RMIT University, Melbourne
2016 School Research Committee Funding of $1000 For – Multi-Media Exhibition titled: Dance of the Hindu Gods
Date: September 2016, Location: Parliament of Victoria, Spring Street, Melbourne
2015 Australian Federal Government’s Endeavour Mobility Programme grant of $20,000
For - RMIT India Field Trip 2016 – RMIT University, Melbourne
2015. Federal Government Mobility Programme (New Colombo Plan) Funding of $13,500
For – University of Newcastle Communication & Media Programme – Ganat Festival, France.
2015 Association Nationale Cultures Et Tradition, Gannat, France Sponsorship Valued at Euro 6000 for International Folklore Festival of Gannat field trip, University of Newcastle. ANCT, Gannat, Auvergne, France
2014 New Colombo Plan Funding of $13,500 for – University of Newcastle Communication & Media Programme for Gannat Festival, ANCT, France field Trip.
2014 Association Nationale Cultures Et Tradition, Gannat, France Sponsorship Valued at Euro 6000 for International Folklore Festival of Gannat field trip, University of Newcastle. ANCT, Gannat, Auvergne, France
2013 Travel Grant $3000 to attend 37th World Congress on Dance Research, Athens, Greece, CID, UNESCO, 2-6 July, 2014, University of Newcastle
2013 Federal Government Short Term Mobility Programme Funding $11500 to participate (along with 5 Media students of UoN) in the International Folklore Festival of Gannat, France 17-29 July 2013. University of Newcastle
2013 $4000 Grant for Music Video Course Revision by the Faculty of Science & IT University of Newcastle
2013 Staff-Student Collaborative Project Fund of $3000: Bollywood Project Video, with the Music Video Course students. University of Newcastle’s Arts Festival “Create 2308”
2013 Travel Grant $3000 to attend Evil, Women and Feminine Conference, 18-20 May 2013, Interdisciplinary.net,Prague. FSCIT, University of Newcastle
2012 New Staff Grant 2012, $10,000 (Research & Teaching), FSCIT, University of Newcastle.
2012 Travel Grant $3000 to attend Film & Media Conference, London 2012, FSCIT, University of Newcastle.
Awards/Scholarship
2024 Work on "Caste" recognised as one of the top 20 impactful research projects 2024 at the University of Nottingham Ningbo China (UNNC).
2023 Certified as a “High Talent” of China - Zhejiang Province, China
2021 Best Documentary – Pariza’s Lockdown Diary – Tagore Int. Film Fest, Port Blair Int. Film Fest
2019 Special Mention – Cineaste Film Festival of India (CIFFI) for curating the Australian Film Segment
2017 Special Mention Award for the Film – Dancing to the Tunes of Bollywood II. NOIDA International Film Festival 2017. 2014 WIL Staff of the Year Award – Work Integrated Learning, University of Newcastle
2008 German Governments International Fellowship - short-term Visiting Scholar at Karl Jaspers’ Cluster of Excellence, Heidelberg University, Germany.
2007 Recipient of Australian Government’s International Post Graduate Research Scholarship (IPRS), 2006-2009.
Jury Member in Film Festivals
2019 Melbourne Web Festival 2019
2017 Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) – Asian Section
2013 Real Film Festival (Documentary Section), Screen Hunter, Newcastle
2011 TV ATOM (Australian Teachers of Media) Awards 2011, Australia
2009 Enhance TV ATOM (Australian Teachers of Media) Awards, Australia
2008/09 National TV Award of ‘Delhi Doordarshan’ (National TV of India), 2008, New Delhi
2009 Mise en Scene International Indie & Students’ Film Festival, New Delhi, India 2009
2008/09 JIMS International Students’ Film Festival, New Delhi, India
2007 International Film Festival of Vivekanand Institute of Professional Studies, Delhi, India
Conference/Symposia Organiser
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2021. Janapada – A Virtual Folklore Festival organised by Deakin University in association with Manipal Academy of Higher Education, India – (27th November to 12th December 2021, online)
2021 Festival Director – Cineaste International Film Festival of India (CIFFI), New Delhi/NOIDA 5-11 Dec. 2021. https://ciffi.dme.ac.in
2020 Festival Director – Cineaste International Film Festival of India (CIFFI), New Delhi/NOIDA 5-11 Dec. 2020. https://ciffi.dme.ac.in/ciffi-2020/
2020 Conference on Intangible Cultural Heritage – Storytelling Through Masks. Organised by Association Nationale Cultures Du Monde, France 16th October, 2020.
2019 Festival Director – Cineaste International Film Festival of India (CIFFI), New Delhi/NOIDA 17-20 April, 2019. https://ciffi.dme.ac.in/ciffi2019/
2018 Indian Cinema and Alternate Networks Conference (ICAN2), New Delhi/NOIDA, 16-18th November 2018. https://www.ican2018.com/
2016 Indian Stories, Australian Screen – Film Festival & Conference – RMIT University
Bollywood & its Others International Conference, University of Newcastle, 20-21 February 2014 http://bollywood101.wixsite.com/2015
Creative and Cultural Dimensions of Bollywood Symposia, University of Newcastle, 8-9 May 2015
2014. Bollywood 101 Film Festival, University of Newcastle, 20-21 February 2014
2008-09. Organising Secretary of “India International Youth Film Festival”, New Delhi 2008 & 2009 edition (http://iiyouthfilmfestival.com)
2009. Co-Curator of the “Purulia Chhau Masks” exhibition during the National Conference on Manbhum Chhau, Ranchi, Jharkhand.
2005-09 Director—“Mise en Scene” International Indie and Students film festival, Indraprastha College, Delhi University
2006. Co-Curator of “Gods and Demons—The Masks of Purulia Chhau Dance” an exhibition of masks in the International Folklore Festival of Verdun, Etain, Airvault, Baum Le Dam and Gannat in France under the aegis of ANCT, France June-July.
2004 Co-Curator of “Gods and Demons—The Masks of Purulia Chhau Dance” an exhibition of masks at the “Parade Brunssum”, international folklore festival of Brunssum, Netherlands
Curator – Exhibitions
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Curator & Artist – Dance of the Hindu Gods – A Multi-Media Exhibition at Queens Hall, Parliament of Victoria, Melbourne 29th August to 2nd September 2016.
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Co-Curator of the “Purulia Chhau Masks” exhibition during the National Conference on Manbhum Chhau, Ranchi, Jharkhand, 5th December 2009
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Co-Curator of “Gods and Demons—The Masks of Purulia Chhau Dance” an exhibition of masks in the International Folklore Festival of Verdun, Etain, La-Baule De Esculblac, Airvault, Baum Le Dam and Gannat in France under the aegis of ANCT, France June-July, 2006
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Co-Curator of “Gods and Demons—The Masks of Purulia Chhau Dance” an exhibition of masks at the “Parade Brunssum”, international folklore festival of Brunssum, Netherlands 2004.​
