'NRIs have spoilt
our mainstream cinema'
'NRIs have spoilt our mainstream cinema'
IANS
Monday, August 13, 2007 12:09 IST
MUMBAI: The non-resident Indian film market has spoilt the country's
mainstream cinema, feels filmmaker Vishal Bharadwaj who has just
won a National Award for The Blue Umbrella.
"In their cinematic entertainment, the NRIs look for a country
they left behind 50 years ago. The Blue Umbrella is targeted at
a white-skinned audience," Bharadwaj told.
In fact, not too many people know that The Blue Umbrella was ready
before Omkara.
"That's right," laughed Bharadwaj. "But my producer
UTV wanted to give it an international release and it was taking
too long, since 'Umbrella' isn't a conventional song-and-dance ethnic
NRI film. That market, I feel, has spoilt our mainstream cinema.
That cinema and audience are caught in a time warp.
He is hugely excited about The Blue Umbrella.
"It's very different from my other film with children Makdee.
It was made for kids. The Blue Umbrella is more humorous, humane
and mature, like an Iranian film. Kids will have to be accompanied
by parents for this one.
"In those days, right after Maqbool, I was heavily into Iranian
cinema. I came across this Ruskin Bond's good-versus-evil story
with an authentic setting. The Blue Umbrella is a kids' films for
adults."
Bharadwaj is very impressed by Iranian films.
"Look at them. They make culture-specific films that are universal
in appeal. That's what I aimed for in The Blue Umbrella. We are
such a self-sufficient market we don't look for non-traditional
audiences, whereas European and Iranian cinema have to look outside
the country for an audience."
Ironically, Maqbool never got released overseas.
"Today, when I see myself being announced as the director
of Makdee, Maqbool and Omkara on the posters of The Blue Umbrella,
I get a bit nervous. I don't want to live under any illusions about
how much of the audience I can draw in.
"Omkara had stars. Before that Maqbool didn't get the same
audience, though it was an equally powerful subject. So stars are
really valuable to reach the masses. Let's see if 'The Blue Umbrella'
can get the audiences in without stars."
Bharadwaj says that NRI filmmaker Deepa Mehta first wanted to produce
an English language version of his much-lauded Omkara. But later
she changed her mind.
"Yes, she wanted to buy the rights of Omkara and make it into
an English film when I met her in Canada. Then when I met her at
IIFA (International Indian Film Academy) awards two months ago,
she offered to convert Omkara into a play to be staged at Shakespeare's
birth place," Bharadwaj said
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