Achievements

We are honoured to share a remarkable milestone for Whistling Woods International.

Our President, Meghna Ghai Puri, has been welcomed into the prestigious EMMY Academy—a global community of creative visionaries shaping the future of television and media.

This recognition not only celebrates her leadership but also paves the way for new opportunities, including international collaborations, mentorships, and a global stage for our students.

Swipe through to explore what this means for Whistling Woods International and the next generation of media professionals.

We’re delighted to have been awarded the ‘Excellence in Creative Arts’ award at the Mid-Day Education Icons 2024. Congratulations to all the faculty, students and staff of our Animation & Game Design, Fashion & Costume Design and Visual Communication Design programmes for pioneering world-class education and fostering a creative culture that brings out the best in our students.

The award was accepted by Jewellyn Alvares, Head of Fashion & Costume Design; Jaydev Dhakan, Head of Game Design; and Vivek Nag, Head of Animation.

At the 7th edition of the Navbharat Education Excellence Awards 2024, Whistling Woods International was honoured as the Filmmaking Institute of the Year. The award was accepted by Rakesh Ranjan, Head of Sound Recording & Design. Additionally, Utkarsha Kotian, Faculty and Senior Manager, Academics, participated as a panelist, sharing her insights on The New Education Policy and its impact on education from elementary to higher levels. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the Navbharat Times for this esteemed recognition.

Whistling Woods International (WWI), Asia’s premier Institute of Film, Communications & Creative Arts, located in Filmcity, Mumbai and the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), a Deemed University and India’s leading brand in Social Sciences Education, renewed their long-standing association to bring value education to students pursuing graduate and post-graduate programmes in Filmmaking, Media & Communication and Creative Arts. A Memorandum of Agreement was signed between TISS and WWI on 19th February 2024 to take their association further.

Both parties working within the NEP and UGC framework are fully committed to achieve the objectives of meaningful storytelling rooted in Indian culture using state-of-the-art technology and developing a talent pool that communicates with audiences in India and overseas.

Speaking on the occasion Shri. Manoj Tiwari, Vice Chancellor TISS said, “I am impressed by the wonderful infrastructure at Whistling Woods International with it’s state-of-the-art technologies and the leadership of Subhash Ghai who promotes the concept of Vidyadaan. Knowledge should lead to wisdom and wisdom should lead to empathy and bonding among people. I am confident that our association will add value to research and education in this rapidly growing field and I am sure that we will see stories of our land and people, reaching the masses to catalyse social transformation we seek.”

Speaking on the occasion Shri. Subhash Ghai, Founder & Chairman, WWI stated, “I am delighted that our strong association with TISS has been renewed. Our growing networking with the tech companies and industry networking clubbed with our wonderful faculty, most of whom are industry professionals, will help impart skill sets to the students, preparing them for the rapidly changing content creation and management space. AR, VR, Metaverse and AI have thrown open new opportunities and with SORA showing us what lies ahead in production technologies we need good academic and research associations. We are working with both the State and Central Government on Media & Entertainment Skill Development and the association with TISS will only ensure growth and quality benefitting students. The National Education policy and the approval of the AVGC report by the Cabinet can help make India a hub for content creation and we hope that our association will provide the leadership to achieve this goal.”

Present on the occasion were also Prof. Shankar Das, Pro VC of TISS; Madushree Sekar, Dean, TISS-SVE; Naraendra Mishra, Registrar TISS, Ravi Gupta, Dean, WWI; Meghna Ghai-Puri, President, WWI; Rahul Puri, Director – Academics, WWI and Chaitanya Chinchlikar, CTO and VP – Business Development, WWI.

Whistling Woods International is thrilled to announce that it has been recognised as “India’s Best Filmmaking & Acting Institute 2023” by the prestigious Academic Insights Education Excellence Awards. This esteemed accolade acknowledges our relentless pursuit of educational distinction and commitment to fostering outstanding creative talent.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the Academic Insights Education Excellence Awards for this remarkable recognition. This milestone fuels our determination to empower aspiring filmmakers and actors to achieve their utmost potential.

We are excited to share that Whistling Woods International was honoured with the ‘Outstanding Contribution in Providing New Talent to the M&E Industry’ award at the recently hosted Digital Studio Awards 2023. Representing the Institute, Chaitanya Chinchlikar, Vice President, CTO & Head – Emerging Media was conferred with the special award.

WWI continues on its mission to nurture the next generation of creative professionals for the Indian and global media & entertainment industry.

Congratulations to Meghna Ghai Puri on being recognised as one of India’s 20 Pragmatic Women Leaders in Higher Education for 2023 by the prestigious Academic Insights Magazine.

Her passion for empowering the next generation of learners, visionary leadership and innovative approach has transformed the landscape of media and creative arts education in India.

Whistling Woods International is proud to be awarded at the prestigious EduSpark Summit hosted by Animation Express, for our unparalleled commitment and contribution to Animation, Game Design, and VFX education.

Details of the awards won are:

• Emerging Leader for Animation to Vivek Nag, HOD – Animation
• Best Innovative Curriculum for Gaming – received by Jaydev Dhakan, HOD – Game Design
• Best Innovative Curriculum for VFX – received by Kshitiz Sharma, HOD – VFX

We thank the EduSpark Summit for recognising our contributions to Animation, Game Design, and VFX education

Congratulations to D. Wood, Faculty at WWI Department Of Music, Of Music, and his partner Storm, Indian Bassist, for being presented with the prestigious Global Music Awards in two categories – Production and World Music, for their Album ‘Time Travel’ produced by their collaborative initiative ‘The Indica Project’.

Congratulations to Arati Kadav, WWI Alumni from the School Of Filmmaking, for being featured in Rolling Stone India’s ‘Women in Creativity’.

Her critically acclaimed debut film, ‘Cargo’, and her highly revered film, ‘The Astronaut and His Parrot’, have pushed the boundaries of science fiction storytelling. This recognition highlights her immense talent and creativity as a leading force in the filmmaking industry.

Whistling Woods International takes immense pride in being recognized as a Center of Excellence by the Media and Entertainment Skills Council (MESC), a Sector Skill Council by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), for the exceptional quality of our film-making programs. This recognition serves as a testament to our unwavering dedication to empowering the dreams and aspirations of young filmmakers and artists.

At WWI, we remain committed to creating a skilled workforce that is equipped to meet the dynamic and ever-evolving demands of the media and entertainment industry and contribute to its growth by guiding the next generation of film, communication, and creative art professionals in realizing their passion.

Congratulations to Meghna Ghai Puri, President, Whistling Woods International, for being recognised as one of the New Age Leaders – Most Influential Women In Education by BW Education for her unwavering dedication and commitment towards nurturing the passion and creativity of the students of WWI.

Verified Whistling Woods International signs an Academic International Collaboration with the University of Exeter, UK to broaden the scope of providing expansive learning opportunities for film and acting students and enable knowledge exchange on a global level. The partnership will enable collaboration on the development of teaching materials, student and faculty exchanges, and transnational education, shaping the perspective of WWI students through a global lens to elevate their careers.

Whistling Woods International signs an MOU with Trebas Institute, Canada, to collaborate as academic partners, opening global possibilities for students to elevate their careers.

The partnership will encompass collaborative project development opportunities in film and sound, student and faculty exchanges, abroad semesters, and professional development opportunities.

Congratulations to our President, Meghna Ghai Puri, for being conferred as one of the “75 at 75” Achievers in Education, Science, and Innovation category by the NISAU and the British Council

Under her visionary leadership, Whistling Woods International has grown into a premier institute, taking it to newer heights of achievements with every year that has gone by since it’s launch in 2006.

Hon’ble President of India applauds Subhash Ghai’s song for Indian voters. It was a day of pride for Whistling Woods International School of Music, and Subhash Ghai Foundation on 25th Jan, 2023, on the 13th National Voters Day, when the Election Commission of India screened a song, ‘Main Bharat Hoon’, in presence of the Hon’ble President of India, Mrs. Droupadi Murmu, and Minister of State for Law and Justice, Shri Kiren Rijiju, along with the august gathering of the election commission. They welcomed Subhash Ghai along with all India celebrity singers in the Manek Shaw auditorium in Delhi. There was thunderous applause in the audience after the multi-language screening of the song. Hon’ble Minister, Kiren Rijiju congratulated Subhash Ghai and all nine singers from India who were present in the auditorium. The Hon’ble Minister applauded the substance of such an inspirational song that will inspire every voter of India.

The song was penned and composed by Subhash Ghai in association with the Whistling Woods International School of Music students, who provided the magical vocals along with music producer, Abhishek Bonthu, an alumnus from Whistling Woods International.

It will be played to 130 crores people of India through media.

WHISTLING WOODS INTERNATIONAL’S SCHOOL OF FASHION & COSTUME DESIGN HAS BEEN RECOGNISED AS ONE OF THE ‘TOP FASHION DESIGN INSTITUTE’ BY THE TIMES EDUCATION ICONS MUMBAI 2022

CONGRATULATIONS TO MS. MEGHNA GHAI PURI, PRESIDENT, WHISTLING WOODS INTERNATIONAL ON BEING CONFERRED WITH THE ‘WOMEN OF THE DECADE’ AWARD BY WOMEN ECONOMIC FORUM (WEF)

Meghna Ghai Puri was recognised for her visionary leadership and her role as an educationist in nurturing talent that would become next generation of film, communication & creative arts professional.

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR FOUNDER & CHAIRMAN, SUBHASH GHAI SIR FOR BEING CONFERRED WITH THE PRESTIGIOUS DIGITAL STUDIO AWARDS 2022 FOR ‘OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN MEDIA EDUCATION & FILMED ENTERTAINMENT’

WHISTLING WOODS INTERNATIONAL SHORTLISTED BY HIGHER EDUCATION MAGAZINE AS TOP 10 MUST-WATCH DESIGN INSTITUDE IN INDIA 2021

Whistling Woods International has been featured among the ‘Top 10 Must-Watch Design Institutes of India’ by the Higher Education Digest magazine.

The feature emphasises on WWI’s cutting-edge programme that aims at achieving visual communication design excellence. It also focuses on nurturing industry-oriented academia, and technology collaborations that enable the students to graduate as industry-ready professionals.

Chaitanya has had a multi-faceted 2-decade career in the Film & Creative Arts industry. He is currently the Vice President & Business Head at Whistling Woods International – India’s premier Film & Creative Arts institute. He also serves as the Chief Technology Officer for the institute and heads its Emerging Media initiatives. He has been instrumental in the strengthening of Film & Creative Arts education in India and the evangelising of multiple new & emerging technologies into the industry.

NAUHA, SHORT FILM BY WHISTLING WOODS INTERNATIONAL SELECTED AT THE CANNES FILM FESTIVAL

~ Only student film from India to be selected at the esteemed film festival this year, amongst a stellar international line up ~

Whistling Woods International’s (WWI) film, Nauha, is the only student film from India this to make it to the esteemed Cannes Film Festival. It is among the 16 selected films in the La Cinef category amongst the 1528 entries received from various film schools across the world.

Nauha, a 26-minute film, written and directed by Pratham Khurana was made during the global pandemic as his final diploma film. Shot on the outskirts of Delhi, the film showcases the story of an ailing elderly person and his caregiver. As the title suggests – ‘Mourning the Loss’, while the film is primarily about the losses suffered, it also deals with urbanisation, class divide, and the restricted use of the term ‘family’. Speaking about the recognition received by the film, Pratham Khurana, Writer-Director and Alumnus, WWI School of Filmmaking said, “It is a huge achievement. Being screened at the Cannes Film Festival has helped us convey the message of the film to a wider audience, internationally.”

This diploma film features the contribution of alumni and students from WWI’s School of Filmmaking, Actors’ Studio, School of Fashion & Costume Design, School of Design and School of Music in various pivotal roles.

Whistling Woods International (WWI), Asia’s premier Institute of Film, Communications & Creative Arts, located in Filmcity, Mumbai and the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), a Deemed University and India’s leading brand in Social Sciences Education, renewed their long-standing association to bring value education to students pursuing graduate and post-graduate programmes in Filmmaking, Media & Communication and Creative Arts. A Memorandum of Agreement was signed between TISS and WWI on 19th February 2024 to take their association further.

Both parties working within the NEP and UGC framework are fully committed to achieve the objectives of meaningful storytelling rooted in Indian culture using state-of-the-art technology and developing a talent pool that communicates with audiences in India and overseas.

Speaking on the occasion Shri. Manoj Tiwari, Vice Chancellor TISS said, “I am impressed by the wonderful infrastructure at Whistling Woods International with it’s state-of-the-art technologies and the leadership of Subhash Ghai who promotes the concept of Vidyadaan. Knowledge should lead to wisdom and wisdom should lead to empathy and bonding among people. I am confident that our association will add value to research and education in this rapidly growing field and I am sure that we will see stories of our land and people, reaching the masses to catalyse social transformation we seek.”

Speaking on the occasion Shri. Subhash Ghai, Founder & Chairman, WWI stated, “I am delighted that our strong association with TISS has been renewed. Our growing networking with the tech companies and industry networking clubbed with our wonderful faculty, most of whom are industry professionals, will help impart skill sets to the students, preparing them for the rapidly changing content creation and management space. AR, VR, Metaverse and AI have thrown open new opportunities and with SORA showing us what lies ahead in production technologies we need good academic and research associations. We are working with both the State and Central Government on Media & Entertainment Skill Development and the association with TISS will only ensure growth and quality benefitting students. The National Education policy and the approval of the AVGC report by the Cabinet can help make India a hub for content creation and we hope that our association will provide the leadership to achieve this goal.”

Present on the occasion were also Prof. Shankar Das, Pro VC of TISS; Madushree Sekar, Dean, TISS-SVE; Naraendra Mishra, Registrar TISS, Ravi Gupta, Dean, WWI; Meghna Ghai-Puri, President, WWI; Rahul Puri, Director – Academics, WWI and Chaitanya Chinchlikar, CTO and VP – Business Development, WWI.

Whistling Woods International is thrilled to announce that it has been recognised as “India’s Best Filmmaking & Acting Institute 2023” by the prestigious Academic Insights Education Excellence Awards. This esteemed accolade acknowledges our relentless pursuit of educational distinction and commitment to fostering outstanding creative talent.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the Academic Insights Education Excellence Awards for this remarkable recognition. This milestone fuels our determination to empower aspiring filmmakers and actors to achieve their utmost potential.

We are excited to share that Whistling Woods International was honoured with the ‘Outstanding Contribution in Providing New Talent to the M&E Industry’ award at the recently hosted Digital Studio Awards 2023. Representing the Institute, Chaitanya Chinchlikar, Vice President, CTO & Head – Emerging Media was conferred with the special award.

WWI continues on its mission to nurture the next generation of creative professionals for the Indian and global media & entertainment industry.

Congratulations to Meghna Ghai Puri on being recognised as one of India’s 20 Pragmatic Women Leaders in Higher Education for 2023 by the prestigious Academic Insights Magazine.

Her passion for empowering the next generation of learners, visionary leadership and innovative approach has transformed the landscape of media and creative arts education in India.

Whistling Woods International is proud to be awarded at the prestigious EduSpark Summit hosted by Animation Express, for our unparalleled commitment and contribution to Animation, Game Design, and VFX education.

Details of the awards won are:

• Emerging Leader for Animation to Vivek Nag, HOD – Animation
• Best Innovative Curriculum for Gaming – received by Jaydev Dhakan, HOD – Game Design
• Best Innovative Curriculum for VFX – received by Kshitiz Sharma, HOD – VFX

We thank the EduSpark Summit for recognising our contributions to Animation, Game Design, and VFX education

Congratulations to D. Wood, Faculty at WWI Department Of Music, Of Music, and his partner Storm, Indian Bassist, for being presented with the prestigious Global Music Awards in two categories – Production and World Music, for their Album ‘Time Travel’ produced by their collaborative initiative ‘The Indica Project’.

Congratulations to Arati Kadav, WWI Alumni from the School Of Filmmaking, for being featured in Rolling Stone India’s ‘Women in Creativity’.

Her critically acclaimed debut film, ‘Cargo’, and her highly revered film, ‘The Astronaut and His Parrot’, have pushed the boundaries of science fiction storytelling. This recognition highlights her immense talent and creativity as a leading force in the filmmaking industry.

Whistling Woods International takes immense pride in being recognized as a Center of Excellence by the Media and Entertainment Skills Council (MESC), a Sector Skill Council by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), for the exceptional quality of our film-making programs. This recognition serves as a testament to our unwavering dedication to empowering the dreams and aspirations of young filmmakers and artists.

At WWI, we remain committed to creating a skilled workforce that is equipped to meet the dynamic and ever-evolving demands of the media and entertainment industry and contribute to its growth by guiding the next generation of film, communication, and creative art professionals in realizing their passion.

Congratulations to Meghna Ghai Puri, President, Whistling Woods International, for being recognised as one of the New Age Leaders – Most Influential Women In Education by BW Education for her unwavering dedication and commitment towards nurturing the passion and creativity of the students of WWI.

Verified Whistling Woods International signs an Academic International Collaboration with the University of Exeter, UK to broaden the scope of providing expansive learning opportunities for film and acting students and enable knowledge exchange on a global level. The partnership will enable collaboration on the development of teaching materials, student and faculty exchanges, and transnational education, shaping the perspective of WWI students through a global lens to elevate their careers.

Whistling Woods International signs an MOU with Trebas Institute, Canada, to collaborate as academic partners, opening global possibilities for students to elevate their careers.

The partnership will encompass collaborative project development opportunities in film and sound, student and faculty exchanges, abroad semesters, and professional development opportunities.

Congratulations to our President, Meghna Ghai Puri, for being conferred as one of the “75 at 75” Achievers in Education, Science, and Innovation category by the NISAU and the British Council

Under her visionary leadership, Whistling Woods International has grown into a premier institute, taking it to newer heights of achievements with every year that has gone by since it’s launch in 2006.

Hon’ble President of India applauds Subhash Ghai’s song for Indian voters. It was a day of pride for Whistling Woods International School of Music, and Subhash Ghai Foundation on 25th Jan, 2023, on the 13th National Voters Day, when the Election Commission of India screened a song, ‘Main Bharat Hoon’, in presence of the Hon’ble President of India, Mrs. Droupadi Murmu, and Minister of State for Law and Justice, Shri Kiren Rijiju, along with the august gathering of the election commission. They welcomed Subhash Ghai along with all India celebrity singers in the Manek Shaw auditorium in Delhi. There was thunderous applause in the audience after the multi-language screening of the song. Hon’ble Minister, Kiren Rijiju congratulated Subhash Ghai and all nine singers from India who were present in the auditorium. The Hon’ble Minister applauded the substance of such an inspirational song that will inspire every voter of India.

The song was penned and composed by Subhash Ghai in association with the Whistling Woods International School of Music students, who provided the magical vocals along with music producer, Abhishek Bonthu, an alumnus from Whistling Woods International.

It will be played to 130 crores people of India through media.

WHISTLING WOODS INTERNATIONAL’S SCHOOL OF FASHION & COSTUME DESIGN HAS BEEN RECOGNISED AS ONE OF THE ‘TOP FASHION DESIGN INSTITUTE’ BY THE TIMES EDUCATION ICONS MUMBAI 2022

CONGRATULATIONS TO MS. MEGHNA GHAI PURI, PRESIDENT, WHISTLING WOODS INTERNATIONAL ON BEING CONFERRED WITH THE ‘WOMEN OF THE DECADE’ AWARD BY WOMEN ECONOMIC FORUM (WEF)

Meghna Ghai Puri was recognised for her visionary leadership and her role as an educationist in nurturing talent that would become next generation of film, communication & creative arts professional.

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR FOUNDER & CHAIRMAN, SUBHASH GHAI SIR FOR BEING CONFERRED WITH THE PRESTIGIOUS DIGITAL STUDIO AWARDS 2022 FOR ‘OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN MEDIA EDUCATION & FILMED ENTERTAINMENT’

WHISTLING WOODS INTERNATIONAL SHORTLISTED BY HIGHER EDUCATION MAGAZINE AS TOP 10 MUST-WATCH DESIGN INSTITUDE IN INDIA 2021

Whistling Woods International has been featured among the ‘Top 10 Must-Watch Design Institutes of India’ by the Higher Education Digest magazine.

The feature emphasises on WWI’s cutting-edge programme that aims at achieving visual communication design excellence. It also focuses on nurturing industry-oriented academia, and technology collaborations that enable the students to graduate as industry-ready professionals.

Chaitanya has had a multi-faceted 2-decade career in the Film & Creative Arts industry. He is currently the Vice President & Business Head at Whistling Woods International – India’s premier Film & Creative Arts institute. He also serves as the Chief Technology Officer for the institute and heads its Emerging Media initiatives. He has been instrumental in the strengthening of Film & Creative Arts education in India and the evangelising of multiple new & emerging technologies into the industry.

NAUHA, SHORT FILM BY WHISTLING WOODS INTERNATIONAL SELECTED AT THE CANNES FILM FESTIVAL

~ Only student film from India to be selected at the esteemed film festival this year, amongst a stellar international line up ~

Whistling Woods International’s (WWI) film, Nauha, is the only student film from India this to make it to the esteemed Cannes Film Festival. It is among the 16 selected films in the La Cinef category amongst the 1528 entries received from various film schools across the world.

Nauha, a 26-minute film, written and directed by Pratham Khurana was made during the global pandemic as his final diploma film. Shot on the outskirts of Delhi, the film showcases the story of an ailing elderly person and his caregiver. As the title suggests – ‘Mourning the Loss’, while the film is primarily about the losses suffered, it also deals with urbanisation, class divide, and the restricted use of the term ‘family’. Speaking about the recognition received by the film, Pratham Khurana, Writer-Director and Alumnus, WWI School of Filmmaking said, “It is a huge achievement. Being screened at the Cannes Film Festival has helped us convey the message of the film to a wider audience, internationally.”

This diploma film features the contribution of alumni and students from WWI’s School of Filmmaking, Actors’ Studio, School of Fashion & Costume Design, School of Design and School of Music in various pivotal roles.