Indian films are well and truly going global, that’s for sure. Until recently, the products of the desi film industry were confined to the sub-continental market, except for a few off-beat or art films, which made it to the international film festival circuit.
The situation has undergone a sea change of late. In the last two-three years, film exports have been growing at over 80 per cent and the Indian Motion Pictures Association predicts exports will more than double in the near future.
Acceptance of Indian films abroad is mainly due to the qualitative change that has come about in Indian films. The quality is now of international standards and overseas release and rights are big business.
With Indian producers now eyeing new markets in regions like New Zealand, Japan, Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Mauritius, Tanzania, Kenya, Malaysia and Indonesia besides the established markets of the US, UK, UAE and South Africa the value of film exports are projected to cross the Rs. 11,890 crore (approximately US $ 2,765 million) mark in 5-7 year.
Given the large NRI presence in countries like UAE, UK and US, the increase in revenue from export of Indian films has been exponential. Even the locals of the UAE, UK, US, Russia and East Asian countries are showing interest in dubbed vision of these films. In many of these markets regular distribution channels have been set-up, exhibition interest invoked and promotion undertaken.
The positive change in Indian cinema can be attributed to the technological excellence which is at par with the best in the international circuit. Moreover, the production centers spread across the country offer the best facilities at a much cheaper rates in comparison with the international production costs. For instance, Ramoji Film City at Hyderabad is considered to be the largest of its kind in the world which has every conceivable facility under one roof.
But the real color of Indian cinema’s globalization is in the artistic field with Indian producers, directors, actors, writers and entrepreneurs making their presence felt.
If in 1958 Ismail Merchant blazed the trail and showed how the West Was To Be Won, today there are many filmmakers of Indian origin who are making films and earning critical acclaim and financial success abroad.
There’s Shekhar Kapur who has made his impact with “Elizabeth” as a director. The movie was screened at the prestigious Cannes International Film Festival and nominated for the Oscars. M. Night Shyamalan is one of Hollywood’s youngest and hottest filmmakers. His “Sixth Sense” received critical acclaim and box office rewards. Another Indian who made his mark internationally is Tarsem Singh with the Hollywood blockbuster “The Cell”.
Then there are Mira Nair and Deepa Mehta known for their controversial films. Somewhat less known in India are Udayan Prasad (My son the fanatic), Waris Hussain, who has made more than a dozen critically acclaimed films (including Sixth Happiness), Krutin Patel (ABCD), Robin Poddar (Storm in the Afternoon), Vishal Bhandari, Shri Nivas Krishna and many others.
Some of the Indian actors/actresses are most sought after by Indian as well as foreign directors abroad. Roshan Seth and Om Puri are now internationally renowned actors. Sayeed Jaffrey has been at it for a long time. The others include Shabana Azmi, Madhur Jaffrey, Anita Kanwar, Mohan Agashe, Raghubir Yadav, Ranjit Choudhry, Anjalee Deshpande, Ayesha Dharker among others.
Indian films are well and truly going global, that’s for sure. Until recently, the products of the desi film industry were confined to the sub-continental market, except for a few off-beat or art films, which made it to the international film festival circuit. 