Ms. Dhara Shah is a Research Associate at the Symbiosis Centre for Research in Media and Creative Industries (SCRMCI). Her research focuses on film archives, heritage institutions, and India’s creative industries. Currently pursuing her PhD, Dhara's doctoral research explores the value of film heritage and cinema archiving in India.

She is also a recipient of the FIAT/IFTA Media Studies Grant 2024, for her co-authored project
Hide and Seek: Locating the Agency and Power of Archivists in the Neoliberalist Structures of Audio-Visual Archives in India. She has presented at international conferences, including FIAT-IFTA World Conference 2024, Media Industries Conference (King’s College London), and Women and Leadership Creative Industries Symposium (Bournemouth University).

With a background in film distribution, marketing, she has contributed to the Cannes Virtual Market and has also worked with NFDC-National Film Archive of India. Beyond research, Dhara enjoys traveling, singing, photography, and exploring different cuisines.

Current Research Interests:

• Film Archives & Heritage Institutions
• Creative Industries & Policy
• Cinema-going Cultures & Experience Economy
• Film Festivals & Spaces of Exhibition