The city of Mumbai is a living film set that provides the backdrop for screen lives as well as real lives to unfold. 'Certified Universal' is a short film that looks at the city's engagement with the image and image making. It is the omnipresence of the cinematic image and people's desire to recreate their own personal cinemas that interest the film maker, who deconstructs the images of both the city and it's cinema that have lived off each other for a hundred years. Certified Universal is part of a multi-disciplinary project titled Cinema City Mumbai, initiated by the Bombay based organization Majlis, in collaboration with Kamla Raheja Vidyanidhi Institute of Architecture, Mumbai.
Avijit Mukul Kishore is a filmmaker and cinematographer based in Mumbai. He studied cinematography at the Film and Television Institute of India, Pune and has a bachelor’s degree in history from Hindu College, University of Delhi. He works in various genres of filmmaking – fiction, non-fiction and visual art. He is also involved in pedagogy with academic and cultural institutions. His films have been screened at several national and international film festivals and are a part of curricula at academic institutions.