Himansu Sekhar Khatua, the acclaimed director of the Odia documentary The Sea & Seven Villages, which won the Best Non-Feature Film award at the 71st National Film Awards in 2025, recently shared insightful thoughts on the future of Indian cinema. Highlighting the shift towards advanced technologies like AR and VR following digitization, Kathua emphasized how Indian cinema is evolving beyond traditional boundaries.
“The future of Indian cinema is bright because we are technically shifting to AR/VR and modern technology after digitization. Indian cinema is evolving through modern technology. And the regional cinema, whatever is being made in India, even that is not even regional now; that has become universal. Audio-video language has been universal. We should not restrict our films to regional in terms of language. It is not language cinema, cinema is always universal,” said Kathua, reflecting a progressive vision of cinema transcending linguistic and geographical divides.
The Sea & Seven Villages is a poignant Odia documentary that sheds light on the catastrophic plight of the coastal Satabhaya villages in Kendrapara, Odisha. The film brings focus to the devastating consequences of climate change — rising sea levels, coastal erosion, loss of homes, farmland destruction, and forced migration. Produced by Dr. Iti Samanta, this documentary is a powerful testament to human resilience and the harsh realities faced by environmental refugees.
By winning the National Award, The Sea & Seven Villages not only brings attention to urgent environmental issues but also exemplifies how regional stories have a universal appeal, resonating with audiences across languages and borders. Kathua’s work and vision reinforce the idea that cinema’s language is empathy, experience, and storytelling — inherently universal and evolving with technology.
As Indian cinema embraces new-age tools like AR/VR and breaks down linguistic barriers, filmmakers like Himansu S. Kathua are leading the charge, crafting stories that connect deeply with viewers worldwide, heralding a new era for the country’s vibrant cinematic landscape.