Lalit Rao

Lalit Rao

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Mr. Lalit Rao is a bilingual Indian film critic, UGC-NET qualified, experienced French teacher, translator, interpreter and festival programmer based in Jaipur, India. He is widely recognized for his contributions to the promotion of world cinema in India and Indian cinema abroad. Writing articles, film reviews and film festival reports in English, French, and Hindi, he has published in prestigious publications such as Deep Focus, Sancho Does Asia, Objectif-Cinéma and Séquences. He also serves as the associate editor of Cinematography Art magazine, a quarterly magazine dedicated to Cinematographers in India. 
 
As an active member of FIPRESCI (International Federation of Film Critics), Mr. Lalit Rao has served on juries at numerous international film festivals. In India, he has been a jury member at the International Film Festival of Kerala (2014) and the Bengaluru International Film Festival (2017). Internationally, his jury experience includes participation at festivals in Siena (Italy), as well as other global events, underlining his reputation as a critic with a deep knowledge of international cinema.
 
Lalit Rao’s recent engagements demonstrate his continuing relevance in the world of film festivals. In 2024, he has been a preview committee member of Mumbai International Film Festival (MIFF 2024), contributing to the selection of Indian documentary films. In 2025, he served as a jury member at the 7th Bioscope Global Film Festival 2025, organized in collaboration with the National Law University of Odisha (NLUO).
 
Beyond jury work, Mr. Lalit Rao is also a passionate film historian. He has built a film database titled KINEMA, covering more than 25,000 films for world cinema enthusiasts, and has reviewed over 1,000 films on IMDb. His YouTube channels Cinema-poet and Indian Talkies 1913 further reflect his dedication to disseminating cinema culture.
With his unique ability to bridge Indian and global cinéphile communities, Lalit Rao continues to be one of India’s most internationally engaged film critics.
 
Chronological highlights of Film critic Mr.Lalit Rao's career as a film critic  
 
Early 2000s
2004 (Feb 27–29): Presented a paper “A brief overview of Francophone cinema in Québec” at the 20th International Conference on Canadian Studies, University of Rajasthan, Jaipur.
2005–06: Paris correspondent for Deep Focus and Bangalore Film Society; studied Master 2 Cinema Studies at Université de Paris 3 Sorbonne Nouvelle with ''Distribution of Indian cinema in France'' as research topic.
 
Late 2000s
2008- 2012 : Attended International Film Festival of Kerala as a film critic and documented the festival consistently through blog posts, film reviews and video interviews.
2010s
2014: FIPRESCI jury member at the 19th IFFK (Malayalam cinema category).
2008-2015 : Launched YouTube channels Cinema-poet (2008) and Indian Talkies 1913 (2013).
2016: Completed 1,000 IMDb reviews on world cinema films.
2017: Served as jury member (Kannada Cinema) at the 9th Bengaluru International Film Festival 2017 (BIFFES).
 
2020s
2021- 2022 : Advisory board member (World Cinema) at the Rajasthan International Film Festival (RIFF).
2022 : Jury member of 5th Bulli ed Eroi International Children's Film Festival, Siena, Italy
2024: Preview Committee Member at the 18th Mumbai International Film Festival 2024 (MIFF 2024). Published report on MIFF 2024 in Filmfestivals.com.
2025: Served as Jury Member at the 7th Bioscope Global Film Festival 2025, organized in collaboration with the National Law University of Odisha (NLUO). He has published reviews, interviews, and festival reports on Filmfestivals.com.
 
(fipresci.cinemapoet@gmail.com)

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Lalit Rao's Blogs

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Christopher Nolan's ''Oppenheimer'' is a heady mix of espionage, history, politics and suspense !!!! by © Lalit Rao (FIPRESCI)
Jul 24, 2023 at 01:28 PM

Christopher Nolan's film ''Oppenheimer'' (2023) is a heady mix of espionage, history, politics and suspense !!!! A film review by © film critic Mr.Lalit Rao (FIPRESCI) Oppenheimer is a different...

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Book Review ‘‘Film Appreciation’’ written by Mr. Utpal Dutta, translated by Dr. Dipshikha Bhagawati © Mr.Lalit Rao 28.05.2022
Jun 03, 2022 at 10:55 PM

Book Review ‘‘Film Appreciation’’ written by Mr. Utpal Dutta and translated by Dr. Dipshikha Bhagawati © Mr. Lalit Rao (FIPRESCI) dated 28.05.2022.                 ...

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‘‘The Tree full of parrots’’ (2021) directed by Jayaraj talks about compassion which is vanishing from society © Mr.Lalit Rao.
Jun 03, 2022 at 10:56 PM

Indian film ‘‘The Tree full of parrots’’ (2021, Malayalam language) directed by Jayaraj talks about compassion which is vanishing from society © Mr.Lalit Rao (FIPRESCI) 27.05.2022  Cinema as an art...

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Nationalism and patriotism in Hindi cinema © Lalit Rao (FIPRESCI) dated 15.04.2022
Apr 18, 2022 at 11:10 AM

                   Nationalism and patriotism in Hindi cinema © Lalit Rao (FIPRESCI) dated  15.04.2022) In contemporary times, there is hardly anybody who can deny the continuing potency of...

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Indian actor and director Akash Khurana’s third film ‘‘The River of love’’ celebrates the greatness of the river Ganges !!!!!
Feb 26, 2022 at 08:21 AM

Indian academician, actor and director Akash Khurana’s third film ‘‘The River of love’’ celebrates the greatness of the river Ganges !!!!© Mr.Lalit Rao (FIPRESCI) dated 26.02.2022       Kumbh Mela...

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The invisible visible : A poignant look at India’s destitute and homeless who must be protected from anti-beggary laws.
Jun 03, 2022 at 10:57 PM

The invisible visible : A poignant look at India’s destitute and homeless who must be protected at all costs against the draconian anti beggary laws : © A review by film critic Lalit Rao (FIPRESCI)...

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Kannada Film ‘‘Illiralare Allige Hogalare’’ directed by Girish Kasaravalli reviewed by film critic Lalit Rao (FIPRESCI)
Feb 04, 2021 at 12:48 PM

Girish Kasaravalli's film ‘‘Can Neither Stay Here, Nor Journey Beyond’’ depicts how archaic societal norms render human existence miserable !!!!  Kannada Film ‘‘Illiralare Allige Hogalare’’ directed...

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8th Film of ''Navarasa'' series : 'Malayalam film ''Hasyam'' directed by Jayaraj. A review by Mr. Lalit Rao (FIPRESCI)
Feb 02, 2021 at 05:38 PM

''Hasyam'' : An ingeniously amusing film by veteran Malayalam director Jayaraj which deals with ''death' as a serious business albeit in a pleasantly humorous vein !!!! 02/02/2021 © Lalit Rao...

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Short film ''Shameless'' underscores the importance of the adage ‘Respect for all’ as the cornerstone of all human interactions.
Jan 29, 2021 at 11:46 AM

Shameless : A unique short film which underscores the importance of  the adage ‘Respect for all’ as the          cornerstone of all human interactions !!!! Indian short film ‘‘Shameless’’ directed by...

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‘‘Ashes on a road trip’’: An independent ‘road movie’ which highlights the importance of the joint family system !!!!
Jan 29, 2021 at 02:53 PM

‘ ‘Ashes on a road trip’’: An independent ‘road movie’ which highlights the importance of the joint family system !!!! © Mr. Lalit Rao (FIPRESCI) 24.01.2021...