Good day, B Abhijith. I'm Arjun. I've had a look through your background and your professional record. I'm interested in hearing more about your work and how you see yourself fitting in here with our faculty. Ready to start?

We're, uh, glad to, uh, be here. I'm ready to chat.

Please start by introducing your professional journey in academia.

Uh, sure. Uh, uh, I am Doctor Abhijeet BI am currently working as assistant professor at the department of Data Sahib Falke International Film Institute, MIT World Peace University, Pune, where I am teaching courses related to filling theory and film history. So before joining here, uh, uh, I joined here a few months ago in August 2025. Before joining here, I was.

In at GAIL University Hyderabad where I work for almost 4 semesters, roughly 2 years.

Where I taught courses related to language professional communication.

Uh, and also, uh, language proficiency, uh, my, I hold a PhD in, uh, cultural studies from the department of, uh, cultural Studies, uh, English and Foreign Languages University, Hyderabad. So I worked on new Malayalam cinema, especially the films that started emerging after 2010. So my work was primarily concerned with.

Ideology of form ideology of aesthetic form as a privileged sort of site to explore the relationship between aesthetic models on the one hand and social and historical.

Transformations on the other.

So, uh, in that exploration, I, I, I, uh, significantly, uh, looked at, uh, the question of new spatial formations in Malayalam cinema and also the, the question of masculinity and the crisis of masculinity, and also the decline of melodrama as a predominant aesthetic form and the new aesthetic, new narrative paradigms emerging out of that decline.

Uh, so in that regard, I looked at chance encounters as a new narrative form which sort of compensates for the loss of melodrama in film narratives. Uh, yeah. This is for uh, uh, now I, I, I will be happy to share more if you ask further.

Thank you, Professor, for sharing your detailed professional journey and academic focus. It was insightful.

Thank you.

Good to have the details. Let's begin with exploring your qualifications and expertise. You hold a Ph.D. in Cultural Studies and have relevant experience. Could you start by summarizing how your background aligns with the responsibilities and qualifications of this English Professor role?

Sure, I can do that. So my PhD is in cultural studies and I worked on film, but I am basically from literature background. I my MA was in English and Comparative Literature from Pondicherry University and also I have a reasonably good experience in language experience as a language instructor. As I mentioned, after my PhD I taught courses related to.

Uh, communication skills, uh, professional communication, uh, business communication and so on at KL University Hyderabad. So I have, uh, taken as a whole, uh, experience. Currently I'm teaching courses related to cultural, cultural studies and film studies. So which makes me a rightful candidate, I believe because I have uh, teaching and research experience cutting across literature.

Language and cultural studies. So I I I believe that.

Uh, even if the role that I'm going to be given is related to language instruction, it necessarily involves language instruction, uh, today necessarily involves skills drawn from, uh, cultural studies and literature, especially skills like narrative skills, critical reading skills, and also being able to grasp, uh, the cultural, social and cultural dimensions of communication. So I think that my experience cutting across the.

Prince of Language, Literature and Cultural Studies would make me a suitable candidate for the role at 380. UH will do campus.

Thank you for sharing the detailed overview of your academic and teaching experience. Given this interdisciplinary breadth, how do you see yourself integrating cultural and literary dimensions into English language instruction to enrich students' understanding and skill development?

Sure. I, I, I'm ha, happy to talk about that. Uh, for instance, today, uh, uh, uh, the question of narrative or the question of, uh, stories are not confined to the limited terrace of literature or humanities. So we are in a way, engulfed by narratives. Narratives are all around us. So for instance, especially since the spread of digital technology and the market economy.

Uh, we are sort of harassed with narratives RNV so.

Uh, it, it means that, uh, whatever discipline we happen to be in, we should be able to make sense of what these narratives are doing to us, right? And also be able to appreciate the social cultural dimensions of those narratives, right? So it means that it involves certain skills, right? So my approach is defined by, uh, a vision of looking at language as more than mere commun.

And foregrounding, uh, uh, language as something that is actively shaping our reality, actively shaping the world around us, right. So, so I look at language instruction language, I look, I look at language, uh, not merely as a means for communication, but as something that is as a force that is actively, uh, shaping our reality. So in that sense, I believe that. There is a lot to draw from.

My research experience in cultural studies and also my background in English literature, so students should be able to grasp.

The, the circulation of meaning that is happening through communication, how meaning is circular, how meaning is constructed, how meaning is circulated, how meaning, uh, production happens on a day-to-day basis and how it in turn effects our relationship with the world, the way the, what kind of person that we want to be in this world and so on and so forth. So, so. Given this, I I firmly believe that language communication today.

Cannot, uh.

The disciplinary resources provided by cultural studies and literature for that matter. So I would I believe that I will be able to integrate the insights from cultural studies and literature, especially the skills related to narrative analysis and critical thinking, into my instruction of language and communication.

Do I have it can't do away with?

That's an insightful approach, emphasizing the role of narratives and the construction of meaning in shaping our realities. How do you tailor this interdisciplinary strategy to cater to varied student levels, from beginners to advanced learners, ensuring accessibility and engagement across the spectrum?

Yeah, that's a very interesting question. And that's also one of the challenges of this. So because we can't expect everyone to be of the same.

Uh, proficiency in terms of uh.

Uh, language on the one hand, and also, uh, uh, theoretical orientation on the other, right. So, but my, I look at it as, at the two, I mean, I think of it as something to start with.

Right, to, to keep it at the basic level, for instance, uh, to, to, uh, let students be aware of the, the capacity of language in constructing our reality. I can actually, uh, start with basic communication questions. For instance, I can ask a student to draw a picture on, on, on a blackboard or wherever. And ask others to describe that image through various adjectives. So how are these adjectives formed in our mind? And what do those adjectives?

Do and why did someone use a certain adjective to describe a certain image? So these are all questions which can gradually be developed to make points about how we are culturally conditioned, how we we already carry certain notions about who is who and what is what and so on. So I don't mean to actually.

Go about it in a very complex and sophisticated manner.

Uh, in a way that, uh, won't be accessible to, uh, a whole lot of students, but uh, I would rather prefer method were, uh, through basic communication skills instruction, uh, the, the, the dimension of language, the dimension of literature and the dimension of narrative and the dimension of cultural studies can be gradually incorporated into the. Language instruction and students can.

Uh, gradually, uh, uh.

Uh, be taught to appreciate those dimensions of, uh, the day-to-day communication that they're involved in.

Over a period of time.

Your approach carefully bridges foundational exercises with progressive insight-building, ensuring inclusivity and intellectual growth over time. Considering this methodical progression, how do you evaluate whether your students are effectively internalizing these dimensions and their applications in real-world communication?

Uh, yes. Uh, uh, that is where the question of, uh, continuous assessment comes in. Uh, uh.

I I think of it as.

We, yeah, we will have to, uh.

Go on, Professor.

From time to time.

Assess or introspect or sort of see whether students are being able to catch up with this, for instance.

The classes should be interactive. There should be activity based learning where where students feel the students feel the need to engage and contribute to the activities. So in that sense it it doesn't become a.

Clear cut sort of assessment were somebody is defined in a certain way that whether somebody crosses this crosses a certain mark, uh, he or she is defend in a certain way rather than that I uh, uh, I.

Admission it has, uh, something that students actively, uh, participate in actively engaging over a period of time. So without being conscious of it, they get into it right. So, for instance, if you, if you, if you ask someone, if you show a, a scene from a film and ask the students to, uh, come up with.

Uh, what they thought about it and then it's, it's something spontaneous, right? But, but, uh, that is the first stage of it. But at another level, if you ask them to reflect on it again, if you give some prompts.

Why did you think of this scene as that, that, or, uh, why didn't you think of this? Why did, why did you say that instead of something else? All of these things they, they gradually begin to appreciate.

Certain dimensions of their own communication which they never noticed before. So I think that should be the method where they are encouraged or pushed into something and then having been pushed into something they.

Over a period of time, really certain dimensions of it which they never noticed before. So I believe that students are already equipped, students are already, they are already able in, in, in, in different ways, but it's only that they should be made to appreciate what they already have and reflect on it and develop.

Reflect on and develop what they already have. So I believe such a method would work.

You emphasize fostering intrinsic awareness and gradual reflection, a compelling strategy for meaningful learning. Pivoting to research contributions now, could you elaborate on how your work in cultural studies and film aligns with the publication requirements and research development responsibilities of this role?

Uh, yes, sure. So, uh, my, uh, PhD uh, as I mentioned, I worked on my uh, new Malayalam cinema, so I am currently.

Working towards uh, developing certain arguments out of my dissertation. So my dissertation primarily looked at uh New Malayalam cinema as a site of UH.

Social and cultural contradiction. So my primarily argument was that Malayalam cinema, new Malayalam cinema is not an expression of a unique unified Malayali culture, but it's a it's a hugely conducted contradictory aesthetic process. And I focused on the question of ideology of form as a productive framework to explore the relationship between aesthetic models and historical transformations. So I am currently taking.

That forward and I am currently working on research articles so uh, I, I, I focus on special formations in cinema, uh recent cinema and the question of the crisis of masculinity and how the question of space and the crisis of masculine India are sort of related in recent Malayalam cinema and also as I already mentioned, uh, the interesting, uh emergence of uh new narrative models so uh, given that vad is an institution which.

Uh supports uh, or which uh.

Facilitates a very vibrant research ecosystem. I believe that I can actively contribute to towards the.

Research requirements of the university so I, I also, I believe get a unique chance to sort of, uh, be in a place where I can uh, integrate elements of language teaching and rekindle my skills in literature and narrative analysis and all and also sort of, uh, bring all of this into my ongoing research in Philemon cultural studies so I believe I can actively contribute towards the.

Research and development activities at the institution I am I am also.

Very much I mean actively working towards research output at the moment. So I I hope it would be a great place to be in in that sense.

Your work delving into the intersections of narrative models, cinema, and socio-cultural contradictions reflects a robust research trajectory that aligns with academic scholarship demands. How do you foresee integrating your research focus with collaborative opportunities, such as guiding student projects or contributing to the department's broader intellectual initiatives?

Uh, definitely. So research is also about collaboration, I believe so I, I don't mean to keep, confine it to my own solitary son. I would like to collaborate.

Whenever there is a chance to so in, in that direction. So I would like to guide students. I, I, I believe that I, I'm already aware that VAT is a place where there is also a lot of scope for research in critical humanities and the, the vibrant research community among students also. So I would like to take up Gateship for the students and also I would like to apply for some grants. For instance, ICSSR has.

Understood,

The, uh, different grants. So I would like to uh.

I play for those grants and secure those grants. And also I would like to, uh, uh, secure some projects and work on some projects. So I, uh, I would, uh, my primary focus would be along with teaching, uh, contributing towards the active research and academic community community at the institution in a way that enables me to develop my own research credentials also.

Contribute to the development of the larger research and academic community at the institution.

Uh, letting me actively collaborate with and also.

A commendable focus on both personal academic growth and fostering the institution's research ecosystem. Now shifting to pedagogical effectiveness—providing structured teaching is central to this role. How do you approach designing syllabi that balance theoretical foundations, practical applications, and interdisciplinary integration for your courses?

Yes. So coming to the pedagogical dimensions.

I I would like to.

To develop a syllabus, a model of a syllabus which is defined by communications, primarily by communication skills, developing communication skills, that's a that's a requirement that nobody can.

Neglect today, but at the same time, sort of.

Uh, encouraging leaving room for students to.

Uh, reflect on what they communicate, right? And also to also to, uh, come up with different provisions within the language that can actually make a difference to the meaning that is being circulated. So, uh, as I already mentioned about my research aspirations, they're actually not separate from my teaching philosophy. They are inseparable for part of my teaching philosophy. Uh, I don't mean to separate my research in cultural studies, brackety Tof and.

Uh, treat teaching as something totally unrelated. I don't mean to do that. What I, what I'm trying to do is that I believe, firmly believe that language instruction is, uh, and should be informed by insights from cultural studies. Not, not, not not in a way that literature students will do, but in a way that, uh, uh, professional students, or I mean, uh, technical students even, or students from whatever discipline.

Uh, the, the potential of language in shaping the reality, in affecting the, in affecting the reality. So I believe that language is not just about, uh, reading literature or appreciating literature or watching films and analyzing it. It's also about languages, something that is very much a part of our identity. So it decides a lot of things. It determines a lot of things. So I believe that, uh, I would.

Are able to actually appreciate.

Be able to develop a Celebi or contribute towards a Celebi, whatever might be.

My role, uh, depending on whatever might be my role, uh, in which, uh, there will be a scope for.

An integration of narrative analysis. Critical Thinking.

And uh, uh, skills of cultural analysis.

And vibrant communication skills.

Your integrated pedagogical vision effectively combines linguistic proficiency, reflective practice, and broader cultural analysis—key attributes for an impactful English curriculum. Lastly, with respect to institutional responsibilities, could you elaborate on your experience managing evaluation processes, exams, or contributing to administrative academic tasks?

Yes. Uh, so, uh, as of now, I have, uh, a teaching experience of almost three years, I mean, two and two and half years to be precious, a little more than that. So during this period I have had the opportunity to.

Be involved in.

Administrative sort of responsibilities. So uh, during my tenure at KL University Hyderabad, I used to conduct uh, student orientation lecture lectures and on a monthly basis and document the for the requirement of IPSC documentation. And I have also.

I was also a course coordinator during one semester for the course Communication skills for Engineers, so as part of the responsibility, I was able to lead a team of faculty. Uh.

And conduct the course. So which also involved conducting tests on LMS and also evaluating and also.

Offering active learning assessment.

To the students and so on.

And also, uh.

What I'm teaching currently, uh, MIT World Peace University Pune. I have the examination coordinator for the department, so I take care of the requirements of examination and assessment. So I believe that I have a fairly reasonable experience in terms of academic responsibilities.

Your blend of teaching, administrative coordination, and evaluation experience demonstrates readiness for the responsibilities embedded in this role. Thank you for articulating your qualifications and experiences in such detail. Before we conclude, is there anything specific you would like to add or clarify about your candidacy for this position?

Yeah, sure. I, I would like to, uh, uh, make some, uh, concluding remarks. So I, I, in terms of my research training, I come from a literature and cultural studies background, but I have a reasonably good experience in language instruction. As I mentioned, I, I have, uh, worked as a language instructor, I mean assistant professor in English.

For two years I have taught courses related to.

Uh, communication skills, communication skills for engineers, language skills for engineers and professional communication, uh, career and soft skills and so on. So which which sort of makes me a candidate.

A rightful candidate for the role at VATI believe because I I as I already elaborated.

My research experience in cultural and cultural studies and literature can be productively integrated with the requirements of language teaching, and also given my experience in language teaching, I believe that I can be, I can, I can.

Teach language in such a way that language is not merely treated as.

Means of communication or or or. Or just instrumentally.

But rather as a as a.

And as a force that is actively shaping our reality.

So in that sense, I believe that I will make a rightful candidate for the road.

Yes, I'm ready to conclude the interview. Thank you for the opportunity.

Thank you, Professor. Your multifaceted expertise in cultural studies, literature, and language teaching, coupled with your thoughtful pedagogical approach, clearly positions you as a compelling candidate for this role. It has been valuable hearing your perspectives and experiences. Do you have any final thoughts or are we ready to conclude the interview?