Mumbai, Aug 5 (IANS) Actor Adil Hussain, who is known for ‘English Vinglish’, ‘Life of Pi’, ‘Lootera’, and others, has said that cultural exposure and information flow shape our experiences and the personality of people.

Adil recently attended the Chitrashaala Short Film Festival in the national capital along with actor Faisal Malik of ‘Panchayat’ fame.

12 short films set in rural India, were showcased at the Chitrashaala Short Film Festival as they highlighted critical environmental and social issues. The festival, held as part of the fourth edition of the India Rural Colloquy, mainly focused on films revolving around pressing climate issues as well as rural India's rich cultural and craft heritage.

Conversations featuring actors Adil Hussain and Faisal Malik were moderated by film critic Saibal Chatterjee.

During the conversation actor Adil Hussain said: "Growing up in Goalpara, one of the remotest towns in Assam, I was surrounded by a vibrant cultural scene, from local theatre to Bengali cinema, which deeply influenced my acting. I was surprised to meet a young man in Gurgaon who hadn’t heard of the National School of Drama. This highlights how cultural exposure and information flow shape our experiences. My upbringing in Assam and my studies in England have uniquely prepared me to portray diverse roles on screen.”

A panel discussion after the screening of the short films on arts and crafts dwelled upon the theme, 'Cinema and Arts and Crafts'. The event also shed light on the challenges faced by the artisans, and the impact of climate change on rural life.

Faisal Malik said: “I can’t choose the roles I get; I don’t know if anyone will give me a role or not. I get calls about cop roles, sometimes as a ‘scoundrel,’ and it’s like a dream of becoming a police officer coming true. Growing up in Allahabad, we were obsessed with cinema, watching Amitabh Bachchan and Mithun Chakraborty repeatedly. This connection to cinema continues to influence my acting. The process involves a lot of discussion and sometimes disagreements with directors, but it’s all about the actor's understanding and aligning with the vision for the role.”

A total of 14 short films were screened at Chitrashaala under four categories - Culture, Climate, Student Films and Film Critics Guild Choice.

The event culminated with the screening of short films like ‘Giddh’ and ‘Bittu’ which were among the 10 films shortlisted for the Best Live Action Short Film segment of the 93rd Academy Awards.