Ministry of Information and Broadcasting tableau
Credit: X/@PIB_India
New Delhi: From oral histories to India's emergence as a global content hub, the tableau of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting depicted the country's storytelling traditions from ancient times to the present.
The tableau, themed "Bharat Katha: Shruti, Kriti, Drishti", made its way down Kartavya Path during the Republic Day parade on Monday and highlighted the continuity between India's civilisational wisdom and contemporary creative innovation, reflecting how heritage and technology together shape national identity.
The tableau opened with the cosmic resonance of Aum, symbolising the origin of sound, knowledge, and creation. The first segment, Shruti, depicted India's rich oral traditions through a Guru imparting wisdom to disciples under a Peepal tree, with flowing sound-wave motifs illustrating the transmission of knowledge through the spoken word.
This segment reflected the foundations of India's intellectual, spiritual, and cultural heritage.
Kriti, the second segment, marked the transition from oral to written expression, featuring Lord Ganesha inscribing the Mahabharata, symbolising sacred authorship and the preservation of knowledge.
Visuals of ancient manuscripts, classical performing arts, and early communication traditions highlighted the growth of structured literature, art forms, and cultural documentation.
The final segment, Drishti, showcased India's modern media landscape, with vintage cameras, film reels, satellite symbols, newspapers, and box-office imagery showcasing the evolution of cinema, broadcasting, and print media.
Figures of filmmakers and artists honoured creative pioneers, while digital elements such as Artificial Intelligence, Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, and Comics-Extended Reality (AVGC-XR), and virtual production technologies reflected India's shift to immersive, next-generation storytelling.
Live performers, including Dandora artists, classical dancers, and folk groups, animated the tableau, celebrating India's cultural diversity.
Reinforced by WAVES 2025 and the "Dawn of the Orange Economy," the tableau presented both a cultural timeline and a forward-looking vision, reaffirming India's growing influence in the global creative and media ecosystem.