Shweta Basu Prasad highlights women's contribution at IFFD 2026

New Delhi [India], March 25 : Actor Shweta Basu Prasad spoke about the role of women and celebrating their contributions in cinema.
While speaking at the International Film Festival Delhi (IFFD) 2026 (IFFD), Shweta expressed that it has taken decades, to create that path for more female actors and creators and women in cinema.
Shweta said, "It's not overnight, it's taken decades of, you know, female actors or female filmmakers, technicians and thinkers, writers who have actually created that path for more female actors and creators and women in cinema. So I think it's very important for me to celebrate them as much as we are celebrating contemporary women in cinema. And I'm really happy that the first edition of Delhi International Film Festival has this as a theme, along with celebrating everybody who is contributing to cinema."
Actor Esha Gupta spoke about the role of women in cinema, emphasising the significant contributions women have made both on-screen and behind the scenes.
Esha shared her thoughts on the growing influence of the female gaze in modern storytelling at IFFD.
She expressed that women have always had a pivotal role in shaping cinema, adding that the concept of the female gaze has existed since the beginning of time. "Female gaze started when the earth was made," Esha said. "Without women, there wouldn't have been any reproduction or continuity. It's incredible that the IFFD is focusing on this theme because it celebrates the very core of what women bring to cinema."
Esha also highlighted the need to amplify the voices of female storytellers and creators, stressing the importance of offering them a platform to tell their stories from a unique perspective."It's important that women are recognized for their contributions, and I believe festivals like IFFD are the perfect platform to celebrate and encourage their storytelling," she added.
Organised by the Delhi Tourism & Transport Development Corporation (DTTDC) in association with the Government of Delhi, with KPMG as knowledge partner, the International Film Festival of Delhi is a government-led, city-wide festival showcasing Indian and international cinema while making film culture accessible to audiences across the capital.
The week-long festival, running from March 25 to 31, will offer a series of screenings, discussions, and industry events across various venues in New Delhi, uniting filmmakers, industry professionals, and audiences from around the globe.