Prahlad Kakkar, Manoj Bajpayee & Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra with Mrs Vishakha Bhujbal and Dr. Priya Menon Nair at METamorphosis organised by MET - Institute of Mass Media Mumbai, December 2025: Mumbai Educational Trust (MET) - Institute of Mass Media inaugurated Metamorphosis 2025, its flagship creative festival, with the vibrant theme MediaVerse, celebrating storytelling, innovation, and the ever-evolving world of multimedia creation. As one of India’s leading Media & Communication institutions offering PG programs, the MET IMM continues to shape future-ready professionals through its diverse educational programmes across advertising, journalism, entertainment, digital marketing, events, content creation, storytelling, creative technology and more. MET’s student-first approach, strong academic foundation, and hands-on training ensure that young learners are equipped with industry knowledge, creative thinking, and practical skills to thrive in a rapidly changing world. The festival - Metamorphosis, opened with heartfelt guidance from MET’s leadership and amongst fanfare of student and media enthusiasts. Shri Pankaj Bhujbal, Hon. Trustee, expressed pride in MET’s long-standing commitment to nurturing media talent and preparing students for industry challenges. Smt. Vishakha Bhujbal, Senior Management Representative, encouraged students to explore their creativity with confidence and curiosity. The event reflected the vision of Dr. Priya Menon Nair, Director of MET Institute of Mass Media, whose hands-on guidance helped students shape their ideas into powerful creative experiences. The day began with an electrifying session by Team BhaDiPa featuring Sarang, Rahi, and Devang. Their energy, humour, and live content creation instantly connected with the audience. Students from 35 colleges participated enthusiastically, turning the hall into a vibrant creative playground. A major highlight of the festival was The Creators’ Court, an imaginative courtroom style showcase with Manoj Bajpayee, Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, and Prahlad Kakar. Student representatives Akshata and Ronak presented playful creative charges, and the celebrities responded with sharp wit and good natured roasts that had the audience cheering. It became a memorable mix of humour and honest creative reflection. Manoj Bajpayee reflected, “When you truly love what you do, and you keep doing it every day, you slowly become flawless at it. It’s like learning the guitar. In the beginning, you’re focused on the strings and the fretboard, unsure and slow. But with practice, mastery comes naturally. Keep practising, stay committed to the craft, and that’s how real growth happens.” Rakyesh Omprakash Mehra said, “Media doesn’t really bring people together. People do. Sit with your family, spend time with your grandparents. They are the ones who hold families together. Films and stories are just an ice breaker, a reason to start the conversation.” Pralhad Kakar shared with a smile, “I haven’t grown older than 18 at all. I’m Gen Z at heart. People say attention spans have shortened, but that’s not true. If you are willing to tell an honest, interesting story, people will always stay and listen.” The momentum continued with a conversation featuring Marathi actors Abhinay Berde, Hruta Durgule, and Director Kshitij Patwardhan, moderated by Shweta Gadekar along with student moderators Anoushka and Vaibhavi. Their discussion on evolving narratives, performance journeys, and the future of Marathi cinema resonated strongly with aspiring creators. The second day brought yet another power-packed edition of The Creators’ Court, this time featuring Sonakshi Sinha and Zaheer Iqbal. What began as an expected casual conversation quickly turned into a full-fledged Gen Z–style interrogation, complete with playful charges, witty comebacks, and infectious laughter. Their spontaneity, humour, and glowing chemistry instantly won over the audience. Through their candid interactions, students got a glimpse of who they truly are behind the screen — a fun-loving, warm, and genuinely joyful couple whose real-life camaraderie made the session one of the festival’s most unforgettable highlights. Sonakshi Sinha said, “In today’s media world, being real matters more than anything. Authenticity cuts through all the noise and trends. It’s the strongest voice a creator can have.” Zaheer Iqbal shared, “Media has a lot of power and reach, and with that comes the responsibility. Every story or performance should try to say something meaningful, because that’s what truly stays with people.” Competitions, Scale, and Grand Finale Across three action-packed days, Metamorphosis 2025 hosted a total of 28 dynamic activities—12 on Day 1, 9 on Day 2, and 7 on Day 3. Events ranged from Mr. & Ms. Metamorphosis, fashion shows, dance competitions, creative challenges, and more, culminating in a grand Awards Ceremony that celebrated talent, teamwork, and creative excellence. Just for this event MET IMM crafted the coveted 9.5-foot Metamorphosis Trophy, which has been acknowledged as the World’s Largest Trophy by the Global Book of Excellence (England) and India’s Tallest Trophy by the India Book of Records. This coveted trophy was won by M.L. Dahanukar College. The Second Prize was secured by Lala Lajpat Rai College, while the Third Prize went to Kandivli Education Society’s B.K. Shroff College. The awards were presented by Shri Pankaj Bhujbal, Hon. Trustee, MET, Ashwin Rane, Registrar, MET, and Dr. Priya Menon Nair, Director, MET Institute of Mass Media. Congratulating the students, Shri Pankaj Bhujbal applauded the passion and professionalism displayed throughout the festival, noting that Metamorphosis continues to grow in scale and impact because of the strong collaboration between leadership, faculty, and students. Aligning with this view, Dr. Priya Menon Nair acknowledged the exemplary leadership of Ronak and Althea, supported by the efforts of the member IMM student organising committee and student leaders, whose collective vision and meticulous execution ensured the resounding success of Metamorphosis 2025. Participants and winners from colleges across the city expressed immense excitement, describing Metamorphosis 2025 as a “mind-blowing, once-in-a-lifetime experience,” and eagerly looked forward to an even bigger and bolder edition next year. About MET Institute of Mass Media, Mumbai Incepted in 2005, MET IMM has a legacy of more than 2 decades. AI-integrated full time PG programmes offered by the Institute prepares graduates from any discipline for modern media through hands-on training in advertising, PR, storytelling, design, production, and strategy. With a Transmedia Storytelling approach, students create campaigns across print, digital, radio, TV, films/OTT, events, PR, and influencer ecosystems. They master industry tools like Adobe CC, Figma, Blender, Unreal, Unity, Cinema 4D, VR/360°, and leading AI platforms such as Runway Gen-2, Midjourney, DALL·E, Sora (when accessible), and ElevenLabs. Based in Mumbai, the media hub, the programme offers strong placements with alumni at Ogilvy, Dentsu, Madison, Times Group, and top creative networks—making learners fully industry-ready for roles across agencies, media houses, digital firms, production studios, OTT platforms, and brand teams. (Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with NRDPL and PTI takes no editorial responsibility for the same.). 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