About Us

Holding an advanced diploma in Communications, Advertising and Marketing and a BSc Honours degree in Business Management from Kings College, London, Ms. Ghai Puri has been instrumental in shaping the foundation of Whistling Woods International from its inception. She now heads the operational aspects of the world class institute, managing a team of well over 150 professionals & faculty. Earlier in her career she managed marketing for Mukta Arts Ltd and was associated with films like ‘Pardes’, ‘Taal’, and ‘Yaadein’. She has been associated with key businesses in the Indian entertainment industry through prominent projects including Cinema 100.

A post-graduate from IIT Bombay and an MBA from JBI, Ravi Gupta brings with him a wealth of media and corporate experience. He has held board positions in companies in the UK , USA , Middle East and Africa, and recently moved back from London to head WWI. He was the founding CEO of B4U, founding member of SRFTII, Managing Director of NFDC and has also been on the Governing Board of FTII. He has been closely associated with the production and distribution of over 150 films, including those of directors Satyajit Ray, Mrinal Sen, Shyam Benegal and Mira Nair. Notably among these are Salaam Bombay, Gandhi, Maya Memsahib, Rudali, Ghare Bhaire, The Making of Mahatma and Rudali. He has represented India on the board of the Paris-based FIAPF and has been on the board of the Los Angeles-based IATAS that awards the iEMMY.

Prabuddha Dasgupta has worked in the television industry including six years in General Entertainment and six years in Sports Broadcasting, with Sahara Television and Neo Sports Broadcast along with a short stint in the Out-of-home media sector.

Since joining the Mukta Group in 2014, apart from his core focus of overall finance and accounts of the group, he has been concentrating on Mukta A2 Cinemas, the exhibition arm of the Group. He continues to strive towards streamlining the activities of the group, in line with the changing business and regulatory environment.

He graduated from Calcutta University. After 5 years of consulting work as a chartered accountant he moved to Mumbai and has since, spent over 20 years in the Media and Entertainment Industry.

Hemal Pankhania is a Company Secretary and Law graduate with an experience of over a decade in secretarial compliances and legal functions. She did her internship with The Indian Hotels Company Limited (Tata Group) and then moved to Afcons Infrastructure Limited (Shapoorji Paloonji Group), where she was involved in managing secretarial and legal compliances. She's been working with the compliance team of K Raheja's Mindspace Business Parks REIT and is involved in managing compliances for their group entities as well as responsible for monitoring the compliance management tool, in close coordination with various internal stakeholders. She has also done an initial short stint as part of the compliance team of K Raheja's Chalet Hotels Limited vertical.

Raju Farooqui has wide experience in the field of Media especially film production, direction and post production. He joined renowned film director, Mr. Subhash Ghai as an assistant director in 1976. He worked in the capacity of Assistant Director for successful films like Kalicharan, Vishwanath, Karz, Vidhaata and Meri Jung. Thereafter he worked as Production Manager for films like Karma, Ram Lakhan, Saudagar, etc. During the period he also was instrumental in setting up the Equipment division of Mukta Arts. The division slowly flourished into a mega post-production studio by the name “Audeus”. Currently, Mr. Raju Farooqui is the Head of Productions for Mukta Arts Limited. He is also Head of Productions for Whistling Woods International Institute with regards to equipment and studio design & purchase.

Satwik Lele has been in the exhibition industry for more than 18 years and has been responsible for the overall operations that involve opening up new cinemas and business incubation. He has been appointed as Chief Operating Officer at Mukta A2 Cinemas.

Satwik has also worked as a General Manager for E-Square in Pune, and then as a Regional Head and Area Manager for Reliance Media Works, before joining INOX as Regional General Manager, Regional Director for Central India, and Deputy Vice President. His areas of expertise are Profit & Loss Management, Business Planning & Strategy, Team Management, New Cinema set up (National & International) & Cinema Programming.

Satwik is an avid sports fan who enjoys playing squash in his free time. He is also a movie fan, with a taste for Hindi and Hollywood films.

Sanjay Ghai started his career at an early age. Initially he worked for prominent Distribution of Delhi U.P. territory such as Neelam Films, etc. He joined a group firm of Mukta Arts Ltd. i.e. Mukta Shakti Combines in 1991. He finally joined Mukta Arts Ltd. in 2003 and is handling the Distribution and Exhibition business of the Company in the erritories od Delhi U.P. and Punjab. During his career, he has distributed more than 150 films till date including big hits like Raja Hindustani, Taal, Khalnayak, Pardes, Saudagar, Yaadein, Iqbal, 36 China Town, Apna Sapna Money Money, Aitraaz, Singh is Kinng, Slumdog Crorepati, Jannat etc.