Mumbai Asian
Film Festival
Celebrating independent films across multiple categories with cash prizes and jury recognition.
Celebrating Stories.
Connecting Through Cinema.
Mumbai Asian Film Festival (MAFF) brings together filmmakers, actors, curators, and cinema enthusiasts who share a deep passion for storytelling and a belief in the power of cinema to connect, inspire, and open new perspectives.
Founded by filmmakers and cinema enthusiasts Smita Uchil and Kundan Kumar, MAFF is guided by an experienced core team comprising Ashok Purang (Festival Director), Subhransu Das (Festival Mentor), Namita Lal (Festival Advisor), and Hasan Naved (Festival Advisor), each bringing their unique experience, perspective, and love for cinema to the festival.
The festival is further supported by a distinguished panel of award-winning filmmakers, bringing valuable industry insight and expertise to its vision and programming.
MAFF aspires to be more than a festival — a space where filmmakers and audiences come together to discover, engage, exchange ideas, and celebrate the power of stories.
This pilot edition marks the beginning of our larger vision to take MAFF to Dubai and Ranchi, Jharkhand, with discussions already progressing positively in both destinations.
Meet the People Behind MAFF
A festival built by its founders and strengthened by an experienced team across cinema, culture, media, and international festival circuits.
Our Founders
The co-founders shaping MAFF's creative vision, festival strategy, and platform for Asian independent cinema.
Smita Uchil
Smita Uchil is an entrepreneur and cultural ecosystem builder specializing in platform creation and live experiences across Southeast Asia. As the Co-founder of showtickets.asia, she has led the execution of large-scale concerts and celebrity sporting events, leveraging strategic partnerships to build sustainable, audience-driven platforms. Her expertise lies in bridging the gap between premium content and regional audiences through structured execution and a deep understanding of the Southeast Asian market.
In the film sector, Smita has been a driving force for Asian cinema, previously serving as a Film Distribution Lead in Singapore and a core member of the Singapore South Asian International Film Festival. Now, as the Co-founder of the Mumbai Asian Film Festival her mission is to amplify diverse cinematic voices and create a global stage that celebrates the power of Asian storytelling.
Kundan Kumaar
Kundan Kumar is a festival strategist, curator, and the Co-founder of the Mumbai Asian Film Festival, with over eight years of experience across national and international film platforms. He has built a reputation for bridging institutional excellence with modern curation, having collaborated with prestigious global bodies such as the Cannes Film Festival (PR & Marketing), IFFI Goa, and the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC). His expertise lies in navigating the complex intersections of film marketing, festival strategy, and institutional partnerships.
Throughout his career, Kundan has held pivotal roles at the Singapore South Asian International Film Festival, the South Asian Film Market, and the Critics' Choice Awards. He is committed to creating sustainable platforms that amplify unique cinematic voices, fostering global connections that empower the next generation of storytellers within the international film community.
Festival Team
The wider team bringing festival direction, international market experience, programming insight, and cultural perspective to MAFF.
Ashok Purang
Ashok Purang is a distinguished theatre practitioner and creative producer with over four decades of experience in cinema and the performing arts. As the founder-director of Pierrot's Troupe, he has directed over two dozen acclaimed international plays and served as the Creative Producer for the National Award-winning film Filmistaan. His extensive production portfolio includes notable features such as Rhombus and AR Mani CO, where he leverages a deep mastery of performance to bridge the gap between traditional theatre and high-impact contemporary filmmaking.
A respected authority in the global film festival circuit, Ashok has served as Festival Director for the Navi Mumbai International Film Festival and as a selection panelist for IFFI Goa. Beyond curation, he is a dedicated mentor who has shaped the careers of celebrated actors like Rajkumar Rao and Divyendu Sharma. Through his ongoing work as an educator and creative consultant, he remains committed to fostering the next generation of cinematic talent and strengthening the artistic integrity of the global storytelling community.
Subhransu Das
Subhransu Das is an Indian filmmaker, director, and cinematographer whose work is rooted in human emotions, relationships, memories, and everyday lives. His visual approach places emotion before spectacle, finding beauty in ordinary people and often overlooked traditions.
As a cinematographer, he has worked on acclaimed films and series including The Last Color, Filmistaan, Siya, Poorna, Ram Singh Charlie, and The Kashmir Files: Unreported. As a director, his Odia feature Pushkaraa won the 71st National Film Award for Best Odia Feature Film.
His filmmaking philosophy can perhaps be summed up in one simple thought: stories that remember people.
Namita Lal
Namita Lal is an actor, producer, entrepreneur, and former international banker with over three decades of experience across global finance and the creative industries. After a successful career with Standard Chartered, she transitioned into independent cinema and has worked across theatre, feature films, web series, and short films in Singapore, India, the United Kingdom, and beyond.
Her international festival journey began with Lihaaf (The Quilt), which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 2018. Since then, she has become a regular participant at Cannes and Marché du Film, building strong relationships with producers, festival directors, distributors, sales agents, financiers, and filmmakers across global markets.
Namita's work has received international recognition, including Best Actress at the Kaleidoscope International Film Festival, Boston, for Oxygen, along with nominations at the Indian International Film Festival of Boston and the Septimius Awards, Amsterdam. As Festival Advisor, she brings global industry insight, creative experience, and a deep commitment to strengthening South Asian storytelling on the world stage.
Hasan Naved
Hasan Naved is a seasoned media professional with over 18 years of experience in India and the Middle East, specializing in Broadcast journalism, film festivals, and event management. He began his career at All India Radio and later worked at DD News and Dubai's leading Hindi FM radio station, collaborating with major international media like BBC and Al Jazeera.
Hasan has managed several prestigious film festivals, including the Dubai International Film Festival, and played a key role in the European Union Film Festival Abu Dhabi, I-Film Festival Abu Dhabi and Al Ain International film festival. His expertise spans festival programming, event production, and stakeholder engagement, fostering strong relationships within the film and media industry.