Eros Universe and IIT Madras launch documentary on BS students

Eros Universe and IIT Madras have released Portrait of Many Faces, a documentary now streaming free worldwide on Eros Now. The film spotlights 17 BS Degree students and frames IIT Madras’s off-campus program as part of a broader shift in access to higher education in India.

Why it matters: - Portrait of Many Faces puts a national spotlight on IIT Madras’s BS Degree program and the students using it to change their lives. - The documentary centers on access, mobility and the reach of flexible higher education for learners from different social, economic and geographic backgrounds. - IIT Madras says the off-campus model has enrolled more than 25% of students below the poverty line.

What happened: - Eros Universe and IIT Madras announced the release of Portrait of Many Faces on Oct. 15, 2026. - The documentary is streaming free worldwide on Eros Now from Oct. 12, 2026. - The film had its first screening and media preview at TTJ Auditorium in the ICSR Building at IIT Madras in Chennai. - Union Education Minister Shri Pralhad Joshi got a first look at the trailer on Oct. 7, 2026, during a visit to IIT Madras. - Joshi watched the trailer, congratulated the team and wished them success.

The details: - The film was produced by IIT Madras and Eros Universe. - Shashwat Mookherjee, an alumnus of the IIT Madras BS Degree programme, directed and edited the documentary. - The film follows students from across India whose lives reflect different regional, social and economic realities. - The documentary features 17 students as representative voices from a larger pool of nearly 50,000 learners enrolled in the program. - The story is told through interviews and home visits shot across India. - The film looks at how access to a rigorous and flexible education affected students’ aspirations, confidence, identity and future plans. - The production is in English and Indian regional languages, with English subtitles. - The sound mix uses Dolby Atmos, Dolby 5.1 and stereo. - The trailer preview took place at IIT Madras in Chennai on Oct. 7, 2026. - The premiere screening and media preview took place on Oct. 15, 2026, at IIT Madras in Chennai. - Film credits include Director of Photography Anil Singh, Sound Designer Manas Bal and Executive Producers Bharathi Balaji, Andrew Thangaraj and Vignesh Muthuvijyan.

Between the lines: - The documentary is also a branding play for the idea that world-class education can be delivered beyond a traditional campus. - By focusing on lived experience rather than institutional messaging, the film argues for education as a driver of social change. - The project extends the partnership between Eros and IIT Madras into cultural storytelling, not just academic or technology collaboration. - Director and Editor Shashwat Mookherjee said the film came from a personal desire to give back to the program that made his own education possible. - Vikram Tanna, CEO of Eros Now and Eros Universe, said the company wanted to highlight real people, real homes and real aspirations. - Prof. Veezhinathan Kamakoti said the documentary reflects Swami Vivekananda’s view that education must reach the poor.

What’s next: - Audience access is now centered on Eros Now, where the documentary is available free worldwide. - The film is positioned to reach viewers beyond India through streaming and subtitles. - IIT Madras is likely to continue using the BS program as a case study for expanded access, given the scale of enrollment and the documentary’s reach.

The bottom line: - Portrait of Many Faces turns a university program into a wider story about who gets access to elite education in India and what that access can change.