Giving a push to Indian cinema’s global ambitions, the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, in partnership with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), participated in the European Film Market at the ongoing Berlin International Film Festival in Berlin. The Indian delegation was led by director-producer Karan Johar. “We have a very impressive delegation with eminent filmmakers like Shaji Karun and Jahnu Barua. The idea is to enhance the global influence of Indian cinema by making sure that we actually open the doors of our country to filmmakers from across the world, not only to film but also collaborate with us. The idea of the I & B Ministry and the CII is to communicate that India is open to all kinds of possibilities,” said Karan over a telephonic conversation.
On concerns about safety, Karan said that it was reiterated that India was a “stable and strong country.” “We have a diverse demography and all kinds of topography that you can visualise and express on celluloid.” Underlining that Indian cinema’s relationship with Germany goes back a long way, Karan recalled his experience in Berlinale when he and Shah Rukh Khan walked the red carpet for My Name Is Khan . “Germans are in love with Bollywood. I was here in Berlin eight years ago with My Name Is Khan and it got a resounding reception when the film opened at the festival. I can see that the love has grown among German audiences. It is not just Germany, the whole Europe is resonating with our content. It is in addition to our success in China and West Asia. It goes to show that our cinema is not just restricted to the boundaries of our country and is travelling across the world.”
Recently, a couple of his productions have been shot in Israel. “Why not, wherever your content takes you, you should shoot. The world is a global village.” Of course, but for some time we are getting a sense that Hindi film industry is looking for more rooted and local stories. “If the theme is universal, you have to travel. Lunchbox was made with European collaboration but it was shot in Mumbai. Secret Superstar is doing well in China. You have to collaborate intelligently with cinematic forces.”
Beyond the pale of politics
There is a section of creative fraternity that wants to isolate Israel because of its alleged human rights abuse in Palestine. Karan sees its differently. “Cinema is beyond world of politics. Cinema speaks its own language, a universal language of emotions. If we start thinking about individual politics of every country, it will eat into the creative forces that we are here to promote. It is not about individual political atmosphere of a country, it is about raising the bar of Indian cinema. I would like to talk about cinema not as a political endeavour but as an emotional endeavour.”
On whether some kind of tweaking is necessary in our storytelling to reach out to a global audience, Karan said, “Why should we tweak our language, emotions are universal. I think there is too much noise about us wining the Oscar. For me, it is about making films that get eyeballs. I want to make films that are seen globally; it doesn’t matter whether you walk the red carpet at the Academy Awards or not. What is important is increasing the bandwidth of your audience. We have to make sure that our cinema travels.”
Before rushing to another meeting, Karan hoped that he would return to director’s chair next year. As for his new sharp look is concerned, Karan laughed. “It is my own creation. Fatherhood makes me happy.”
