The diversity of Indian cinema will be showcased at the Cannes film festival
National Award-winning films from Assam, Kerala, West Bengal and lakshadweep are representing India’s regional cinema prowess at the 71st Cannes Film Festival where a delegation led by I & B minister Smriti Irani will push for their distribution and exhibition in the global market. The prestigious film jamboree, where Nandita Das’ Manto and Rohena Gera’s Sir are in separate competition sections, will get under way in the French Riviera.
Assamese film Village Rockstars, Malayalam film Bhayanakam, Bengali movie Nagarkirtan, and Sinjar, a film from lakshadweep made in the Jasari language, will be showcased at the festival’s India Pavilion, organised by the Ministry of I & B along with FICCI.
Censor Board member Vani Tripathi Tikoo feels the domestic boundaries within Indian cinema need to go. “It’s either good or bad cinema. The thrust has to be on Indian cinema as good narratives are coming from every region,” said Tikoo, adding that it’s high time that as one of the largest film producing nations in the world, “we start respecting our cinema”.
Bala, known for patriotic videos like Vande Mataram and Jana Gana Mana, pointed out that in the last several years, most Indian films which have got a positioning at foreign fests are regional titles.
“With the presence at Cannes Film Festival, the idea is to get them into the market, find a larger distribution stream and to work on existing co-production treaties,” said filmmaker Bharat Bala.
He agreed that the distribution mechanism for regional cinema isn’t great within India itself, but said things are changing due to streaming platforms like Amazon and Netflix, which have enabled their global reach.
Actress Rasika Dugal, who will be in Cannes for Manto, finds it a great initiative. “There’s a lot of beautiful work happening in films in different parts of India which we don’t hear about... We either get to see it at a film festival or through a friend... So, I think it’s high time it gets a push,” said Rasika.
The films apart, the delegation’s focus will be on leveraging co-productions with the countries with which India has co-production treaties, along with the other potential countries, promote ease of film shooting in India and position the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) at festival circuits.
The India Pavilion will also see the launch of T for Tajmahal, poster of Bhonsle by actor Manoj Bajpayee and producer Devashish Makhija and actor Dhanush-starrer Indo-French co-production The Extraordinary Journey Of Fakir.
At the main fest, two women filmmakers’ projects from India have made it to competition sections. Das’ Nawazuddin Siddiqui-starrer Manto is in the Un Certain Regard Section, while Gera’s Sir is in the Cannes Critics’ Week sidebar.On the red carpet too, there will be women power galore as Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Sonam Kapoor, Deepika Padukone, Kangana Ranaut, Huma Qureshi and Mallika Sherawat will be seen walking the red carpet for various brand endorsements, while actors like Rasika and Tillotama Shome will represent their movies.
—IANS