India, March 19 -- Filmmaker Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra is advocating for a stronger film ecosystem in Delhi ahead of the inaugural International Film Festival Delhi (IFFD), which will be held from March 25 to 31 at Bharat Mandapam. While the Capital is home to the prestigious National School of Drama (NSD) and boasts a thriving theatre circuit, Mehra feels that the film industry still centres around Mumbai. "Actors eventually move to Mumbai to make it big in the world of cinema... Delhi should have a self-sufficient ecosystem of films," says the 62-year-old, who has often described Delhi as a 'third character' in his films, including Delhi-6 (2009) and Rang De Basanti (2006). As the creative director of IFFD, Mehra says that such platforms are crucial for nurturing talent. "The talent pool that lies within the film industry in Mumbai also lies all over India. We should be creating a window of golden opportunity. Homegrown is very important, he shares, adding, "It is important to have film festivals in Delhi. The context is to get mentorship and exposure to the best of the best in North India."...