CININFO LAUNCHPAD Season 2 2026
Following a highly competitive selection process, 35 exceptional filmmakers were chosen for Cininfo Launchpad Season 2. Through mentorship with four leading industry professionals, they developed and strengthened their stories before pitching their projects to an esteemed panel of producers.
The Selection Journey
- 300+ Applications
- 35 Selected Storytellers
- 35 Filmmakers ready to pitch
Cininfo Launchpad Season 2 brought together promising filmmakers and storytellers from India and across the globe, including the UK, Norway, and the USA, for an intensive journey of mentorship, story development, and producer pitching.
Participants were selected from over 20 cities across India, along with international cities, totaling 23 cities across the globe, reflecting a diverse range of voices, geographies, and filmmaking cultures.
United by a shared passion for storytelling, they refined their projects with industry professionals before presenting them to a distinguished panel of producers.
Each mentor committed one month to the program, working closely with the cohort throughout the lab. Over 60 hours of focused mentorship helped 35 filmmakers strengthen their stories and sharpen producer-ready pitches.
Across the season, Cininfo conducted 175 focused producer pitches. Each filmmaker pitched one-on-one to five producers over a dedicated month-long window, gaining repeated, real-world feedback and access to decision-makers.
Cininfo Launchpad gives filmmakers the method, feedback, and access to show up ready; not just for this lab, but for every market, meeting, and greenlight opportunity their film encounters next.
OUR THIRTY FIVE SELECTED APPLICANTS
These thirty five talented writers were selected through application and interview to participate in our 5-6 week mentorship development program:
MEET OUR ESTEEMED MENTORS
Smita Singh (Writer): Smita is a leading contemporary Indian writer. She created her original horror series Khauf for Prime Video and was part of the writers’ room for Netflix’s groundbreaking first Indian original, Sacred Games. Her original feature crime drama Raat Akeli Hai, produced by RSVP and MacGuffin Pictures and starring Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Radhika Apte, released on Netflix in 2020 to widespread acclaim. It was one of India’s most- watched Netflix films that year, with its screenplay a top 10 finalist for the 2015 Mumbai Mantra-CineRise Screenwriting Programme. An FTIl screenwriting alumnus, Smita has worked in various capacities in leading national and international to channels.
Hardik Mehta (Writer & Director): Hardik Mehta is a National Award and Filmfare award winning writer-director who divides his time between fiction and documentaries. Amdavad Ma Famous(2016), his documentary film has won several awards including the Swarna Kamal, National Award for Best Non-Feature Film. His debut fiction feature Kaamyaab (2020) produced by Red Chillies Entertainment & Drishyam Films was presented by Shah Rukh Khan and released theatrically with rave reviews. His second film Roohi starring Rajkumar Rao and Janhvi Kapoor released theatrically in 2021.
Hardik also co-wrote Paatal-Lok Season 1, an Amazon series of 9 episodes which won him the FilmFare Award for Best Story and Best Screenplay. He has been the showrunner and the director for the Netflix original series Decoupled starring R Madhavan. Recently he also directed a docu-drama film for Dharma Productions’ anthology Love Storiyaan that came out last year on Amazon Prime.
Rucha Pathak (Producer): Rucha Pathak is a seasoned producer with over 20 years in the film industry. Recently, she produced Madgaon Express for Excel Entertainment. Previously, as Chief Creative Officer at Fox Star Studios, she developed films like Neerja and Chhapaak. At UTV Motion Pictures, Rucha backed acclaimed films such as Barfi, Paan Singh Tomar, and Dev D. She also produced Harud (Autumn), which competed at the Toronto International Film Festival and won the Don Quixote award at Fribourg International Film Festival.
OUR PRODUCER PANEL
Shivani Saran (Producer): Shivani Saran is a Mumbai-based film producer known for building stories across languages and borders, with a strong track record in both independent and mainstream cinema. She has produced and supervised acclaimed films such as Raees, The Lunchbox, and Dil Dhadakne Do, and has been associated with projects like Manjhi: The Mountain Man, Shakuntala Devi, Noblemen, and Ground Zero.
As a founder of Terrapin Films and co-founder on ventures like Spotter Post Asia, Shivani’s work spans development, production, and creative collaboration, often nurturing content that travels beyond geographies and genres. Her producing voice is marked by a balance of strong storytelling, sharp packaging, and an instinct for scripts that can resonate with both festival circuits and wider audiences.
CV Rao (Producer & CTO, Annapurna Studios): Mr. CV Rao is the Chief Technology Officer at Annapurna Studios, a leading Indian film production studio. With a Post-Graduate degree in Economics and specialized training in film technologies, he began his career as a Graphic Designer before moving into post-production. C V played a key role in the success of iconic films like Baahubali and RRR, overseeing post- production for over 500 films. He is recognized for his visionary leadership, notably establishing one of India’s most advanced virtual production stages at Annapurna Studios. His expertise and innovation continue to shape the studio’s growth and elevate Indian cinema’s technological capabilities.
Sarita Patil (Producer and Partner at Matchbox Shots): Sarita Patil brings over 32 years of expertise in strategically building content across feature films, television, and digital platforms in Hindi and regional languages. She has held leadership roles at some of India’s largest production houses, most recently serving as Vice President at Viacom18 Motion Pictures, where she successfully led both content and production teams.
After completing the INSEAD Leadership Program for Senior Executives in 2017-2018, Sarita used her extensive industry experience to embark on an entrepreneurial journey as a Partner at Matchbox Shots. The boutique production company is known for curating and delivering premium content to screens across genres and platforms.
Matchbox Shot’s successes include Khauf, IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack, Scoop, Monica O My Darling, All India Rank and Three of Us.
Shobu Yarlagadda (Co-founder of Arka Mediaworks): Shobu Yarlagadda is the CEO and co-founder of Arka Mediaworks, one of India’s leading film and television production houses. Arka Mediaworks has produced several successful and critically acclaimed films, including Vedam and Maryada Ramanna, and is best known as the banner behind S.S. Rajamouli’s two-part epic Baahubali.
He has played a key role in expanding the Baahubali brand beyond cinema, building it into India’s largest tentpole franchise with extensions into an animated series, a novel trilogy, merchandising, and more. The next major chapter in the universe is Baahubali: Eternal War, a high-budget animated feature slated for release in 2027.
An avid trekker, Shobu unwinds by exploring his culinary interests and spending time with his family.
Aarsh Vora (Creative Producer): Aarsh Vora is a distinctive voice in Indian cinema, known for crossing genres. As a writer and creative producer, he has shaped notable stories across film and streaming with emotional depth and honesty.
His work ranges from the youthful candour of Mismatched and the charm of Dhoom Dhaam to Param Sundari, Meenakshi Sundareshwar, the intensity of Article 370, and the wit of Mistry.
As Creative Producer at B62 Studios with Aditya Dhar and Lokesh Dhar, he has worked on Dhoom Dhaam, Baramulla, Article 370, Dhurandhar, and Dhurandhar: The Revenge.
Aarsh Vora is a genre-defying storyteller whose work leaves a clear, lasting impression.
For any questions or further information, please contact us at info@cininfo.in or call +91-9009004762. We look forward to welcoming you to the lab and to a future where your vision comes to life.