Renowned filmmakers have endorsed an appeal addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Minister for Information & Broadcasting Arun Jaitley, urging them to engage with the students of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) over the ongoing crisis and initiate a dialogue with an open mind.
The appeal was earlier endorsed by leading filmmakers across the world like Mohsen Makmalbaf , Sean Baker, Tara Hadid, Prasanna Vithnage and Laila Pakalnina. Amos Gitai, noted Israeli filmmaker, whose retrospective was screened at the IFFI, has also endorsed the request, a spokesperson of the protesting students said here on Saturday.
Others who have declared their support for endorsed the appeal include Alberto Barbera, Director of the Venice Film Festival and Emanuela Martini, Director of the Torino Film Festival.
“We do feel that the students’ concerns are most pertinent and serious and they are waiting to be addressed by your government. We feel sad that the students of one of the best film schools in the world are struggling to get their legitimate concerns addressed,” the joint appeal stated.
Invoking the stature of the FTII as a premier film institution, the appeal expresses concern and disappointment at the crisis the institute is going through. It also hopes that the Government of India “will be able to engage with the students with an open mind, and be able to arrive at a solution that shows the level of seriousness and commitment towards the future of India's cinema and its' cultural stature as a modern nation.”
The appeal comes on the heels of at the back of a statement issued by almost 100 filmmakers condemning the regressive measures adopted by the organisers of the 46th IFFI to “victimize” FTII students and independent artistes for raising “legitimate concerns.”
The statement unequivocally demanded revocation of the disproportionate charges slapped against two independent artistes and former students of the FTII for demonstrating in a democratic way at the opening ceremony of IFFI.
Meanwhile, B S Lingadevaru, director of the Kannada film Nanu Avanalla Avalu said, “Film industry should seriously think about unconventional methods for promotion of so-called non-commercial movies.”
Speaking to presspersons at the media centre of the IFFI, Mr. Lingdevaru said such methods may include screening in schools, open theatres and other places that provide access to the masses.
“Social media is now helping such film producers to reach larger audience and this platform should also be utilised to take such films to the people. This will further the cause of this genre of cinema,” the filmmaker said.
“It is not true that award-winning cinemas do not reach to the people. It gets to them through alternative sources like YouTube and other electronic platforms”, he said, recommending that suggested that screening of feature and non-feature films should not be mixed in the Indian panorama.
Nanu Avanalla Avalla narrates the story of Madesh, a boy from the rural parts of Karnataka, who believes that he is a woman trapped in the body of a man. He then leaves home to change his gender and becomes ‘Vidya’ who has to discover herself and fight for her identity.
Regional films
During an interactive session at a new special series titled ‘In Conversation’, National Award-winning director Kaushik Ganguly said, “Regional cinema is really doing wonders and has become a powerful medium to bring about a change in society.”
The series has been able to bridge the gap between the audience and the filmmakers and create a platform for discussions on art and the craft of movie-making for aspiring filmmakers, the delegates said.
The series offered film lovers an opportunity to travel down the memory lane with path-breaking Indian directors like Rajkumar Hirani, Madhur Bhandarkar, Shyam Benegal and Vettrimaran Kaushik Ganguli, Priyadarshan, Anand L Rai and Singeetham Srinivasa Rao among others. Commenting on the rising status of regional cinema, Mr. Ganguly said Indian filmmakers has changed the pattern of storytelling.
Sharing his journey into filmmaking, National Award-winning director and a promoter of realistic cinema Madhur Bhandarkar said, “I come from a middle-class family in Khar (a suburb of Mumbai). Though I have not studied after Class 6, I have been an avid reader. Before stepping into filmmaking, I worked as a video cassette delivery boy for four years and used to watch films on DVD in one of my friend's house.”
“Success ratio in the film industry is 99 per cent failure. Believe me, I was ready to do TV serials if my film Chandni Ba’ didn’t work”, Mr. Bhandarkar confessed.
Sharing tips on filmmaking, Vettrimaran, director of National Award-winning Tamil film Aadukalam said, “In filmmaking, a director needs to push the second half to another level to captivate the audience even after they leave the cinema hall. The difference between a professional and a beginner is that a beginner wants to tell everything in the first film.”
“Tamil is the only language in the world where there is no parallel cinema movement. Dhanush is a constant factor in my films. I make the film keeping myself in mind, and Dhanush can easily replace me,” he said.
The director claimed that he wanted to take up a grand project like the hit TV series Games of Thrones in earnest but realised it was not possible since he heard that one episode of the series cost about Rs. 35 crores.
The director of cult films like Raanjhanaa and Tanu Weds Manu Anand L. Rai said, “I find stories in small cities and create characters that are more common and can connect well with the audience.”
“My new film is about a boy from Meerut and a girl from Delhi who is a dentist. Both the actors in my films are only three feet tall and the film is going to be a real excitement for me to as keep it as real as possible. I am challenging myself to go beyond my comfort zones,” Rai said about his next project.
