India, Sept. 14 -- I have been a die-hard admirer of Hindi cinema ever since I first discovered the extraordinary power it holds - the power to inspire, to move, and to shape cultural conversations. Over the years, it has been nothing short of a privilege to immerse myself in the world of films, appreciating both the labour behind them and the emotions they evoke. From revisiting timeless 'old is gold' classics to discovering films released fifteen years ago, I have repeatedly found myself falling in love with the art of storytelling.

There was once an era when real cinema reigned supreme, when stories came first and profits followed naturally. Today, however, with shifting cultural landscapes and the rise of aggressive commercialisation...