MUMBAI: The Whistling Woods International (WWI) instituted Maestro Award 2009 was awarded to director Rajkumar Hirani for delivering three exceptional films with strong social messages that have resonated with audiences worldwide.

The awards were initiated to felicitate professionals who‘ve had an impactful career in the artistic or technical fields in the industry, subsequently raising the bar for young filmmakers.

It is interesting to note that Hirani conducted the first Master Class of 2010 at Whistling Woods International (WWI), Asia‘s largest Film, Television, Animation and Media Arts institute. 

Hirani visited WWI to talk about his filmmaking experiences and learning the blockbuster of 2009, 3 idiots and the importance of pursuing education in what you love doing.

Talking to the WWI students about the important elements when making a film Hirani averred, "The most important thing is ‘scripting‘. If you have a good script, execution is simple. More time you spend on the script, you face fewer problems while making the movie. If you are spending a year fine-tuning the script, it is a good investment.

Pre-production and casting are also extremely critical. I advise students to plan in as much details as possible. Do all groundwork before commencing the shoot." He also added, "Large film budgets are not necessarily a good thing. Lack of resources promotes innovation".

Hirani had earlier directed films like Munnabhai MBBS and Lage Raho Munnabhai. He got his big break as film editor with Mission Kashmir.