From Busan to Indian Theatres: Prague Film School Alumni Mark a Breakthrough Year Across Global Cinema

Gully Boy, Soorarai Pottru, Life of Pi, Lion, The Fable and the Oscar-nominated short Anuja may appear to have little in common, spanning different countries, genres and filmmaking roles. But each has a connection to alumni of Prague Film School.

Cinematographer Jay Oza, who worked on Gully Boy, is among the school’s graduates, as is Shalini Usha Devi, a screenwriter on Soorarai Pottru. Ananya Rane has worked as an assistant director on Life of Pi and first assistant director on Lion, while writer-director Raam Reddy went from Thithi to The Fable, which premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival in 2024. Several Prague Film School alumni were also part of the team behind Anuja, which received an Academy Award nomination for Best Live Action Short Film in 2025.

The list reflects something broader than individual credits. Indian alumni of Prague Film School have built careers across directing, screenwriting, cinematography, acting, producing, camera departments and post-production, moving between Indian cinema and the international film circuit.

And in 2026, that connection is becoming particularly visible.

Three recent developments have brought another generation of Prague Film School alumni into focus. Writer-director Sailesh Rathnakumar’s debut feature Selvi is heading to the Busan International Film Festival for its world premiere. Harsh Vaibhav, who wrote and executive produced the folk-horror feature Bokshi, will see the film reach Indian cinemas in October after an international festival run. Meanwhile, actor Prashansa Sharma, who studied acting at Prague Film School, has appeared as Radhiya in Mirzapur: The Movie, which opened theatrically on September 4.

Their paths are very different, but that is precisely what makes the moment interesting. One alumnus is arriving at a major Asian festival with a debut feature, another is bringing a film home after travelling through the international festival circuit, and another has moved from screen-acting training into one of India’s best-known contemporary entertainment franchises.

Sailesh Rathnakumar Takes His Debut Feature to Busan

One of the latest milestones comes from writer-director and Prague Film School alumnus Sailesh Rathnakumar.

His debut feature, Selvi, starring National Award-winning actor Anjali Patil, has been selected for the Vision Asia section of the 31st Busan International Film Festival, where it is scheduled to have its world premiere. Prague Film School has also highlighted Rathnakumar and the selection among its major alumni achievements for 2026.