IFA@Bangalore: Reel Duniya Real Duniya with Eshwari R and Mahima | September 06, 2026 | BLR Design Centre

We are delighted to invite you to the book launch and discussion on the photo-illustrated essay book Reel Duniya, Real Duniya: Cinema, Memory, and Leisure in Laggere. Co-authored by Eshwari R and Mahima, the book explores how cinema is experienced by those for whom it is at once a place of leisure, livelihood, and community. Emerging from six months of place-based research in Laggere, a predominantly working-class neighbourhood in Bengaluru with a rich cinema culture and infrastructure, the book reflects on the many shapes cinema can take in everyday life beyond the screen. It asks: How does cinema slip into the life of garment workers, who synchronise the sound of the sewing machine with the hum of their favourite romantic hits? What does one of Bengaluru’s surviving single-screen theatres mean to the many people whose work sustains it? 

Through conversations with garment workers, theatre employees, fan club members, neighbourhood residents, and lifelong cinema lovers, Reel Duniya, Real Duniya reflects on cinema as it accompanies everyday routines, nurtures friendships, and finds expression in both ordinary acts of care and grand gestures. Eshwari, Mahima, along with Shreyas and some of the other contributors to the book will be in discussion with Mridupankhi Rajkumari, Programme Officer, IFA.

Reel Duniya Real Duniya: Cinema, Memory, and Leisure in Laggere
September 06, 2026 | 04:00 PM - 06:00 PM
BLR Design Centre
6th Floor, Cobalt building, 46/1, Church Street, Bangalore - 560 001

Register here 

Eshwari’s work sits between writing, research, and paying attention to places and the people who inhabit them. She works across public health, education, archiving, and community engagement, with a curiosity for intersectional and feminist contexts. Outside of work, she likes watching films, reading, writing, wandering, or trying and often failing, to befriend a cat. 

Mahima’s practice lies at the intersection of language, ethnography, and archival methods. She is also a cinema enthusiast who dabbles in filmmaking, writing, and curation. She is interested in film criticism and curation that explore the intersections of gender, class, and caste in cinema, and how these dynamics shape the experience of watching films. When she is not obsessing over a book in a quiet corner of a café, you'll probably find her hunting for an obscure film or anime to add to her concerningly long watchlist.

Also note, the Project 560 programme is currently accepting proposals! If you would like to know more about how you can apply and other details of the programme, come by to interact with us after the launch.

The project was implemented by IFA under the Project 560 programme, supported by BNP Paribas India Foundation. 

Image courtesy: Eshwari R