Guneet Monga Kapoor Champions Mental Health for Women in Cinema with New Initiative

In a field defined by constant reinvention, rejection, and invisible pressures, the courage to care for oneself can feel almost subversive, Women in Film India (WIF India) is creating space for something often neglected but deeply needed, emotional well-being. With its new initiative, “The Resilience Playbook,” WIF India is holding its first six-week series of workshops for women in film in India to do something both radical and tender: to pause, to breathe, and to say, “I need support.”

In an industry that glorifies stamina but rarely stops to ask how much it costs, this six-week immersive, first of its kind workshop offers that sanctuary, a guided, peer-driven space where women filmmakers can replenish their inner strength, rebuild balance, and reconnect with the creative fire that fuels their art. As global conversations on burnout and mental health reshape creative industries, this workshop arrives at a pivotal moment, one that reframes emotional sustainability as a professional skill rather than a personal indulgence. 
Led by wellness practitioner and life coach Chetna Chakravarthy, the program goes beyond traditional ideas of self-care. The focus is not simply on coping, but on thriving: reclaiming confidence, clarity, and self-worth as essential to creative longevity.

While conversations around opportunity and representation for women in film have grown louder, the emotional cost of staying in the game remains largely unspoken. The long hours, erratic schedules, and relentless hustle of filmmaking can leave even the most passionate storytellers depleted. For women navigating systemic inequities and heightened scrutiny, that toll is often doubled.

Guneet Monga Kapoor, Academy Award-Winning Producer & Founder, WIF India said, “We are an industry built on freelancers, a creative ecosystem that thrives on independent talent. But with that comes a great deal of uncertainty. For creativity to truly flow, what one needs most is resilience. It is the core skill that allows us to endure, to adapt, and to carve out our place in this ever-changing industry. This workshop is designed to offer exactly that: fundamental tools and pathways to help women navigate the unpredictability of our business and build careers that last. Chetna has had a profound impact on me personally and professionally, and I cannot wait for the first batch of women to gain access to these invaluable tools. At Women in Film India, we are committed to making this possible, we’re proud to subsidize and match the funding so that this workshop can come to life, and so that Chetna can continue this important work.”

For so many women in film, courage starts quietly,  in that one moment you choose yourself,” said Rabia Chopra, Head of Programmes & Development, WIF India. “This programme is our safe harbour, a place to drop the armour, soften, and still feel powerful. Vulnerability is our sharpest intelligence, and resilience is what we build when we hold each other up.” By centering wellness as a foundation for artistry, WIF India continues to redefine what empowerment in cinema truly means: not just visibility or access, but balance, belonging, and the inner steadiness to keep creating.