On April 7, Kaafiron Ki Namaaz , a Hindi film by first-timers, producer Bhargav Saikia and director Ram Ramesh Sharma, was released on YouTube. Saikia, a student at Whistling Woods in Mumbai, quit his course to make the film, borrowing money from friends and relatives. Due to its supposedly controversial tenor, Kaafiron Ki Namaaz was rejected as a title when Saikia sought its registration at the Indian Motion Picture Producers’ Association. Without registration, he couldn’t apply for censor certification, which means the film couldn’t be commercially screened either. “Every filmmaker wants to see his film on the big screen. But things weren’t working out,” he says. But there was a way out without changing the title. “I wanted to take this film out to the audience with an independent spirit, [which was] how it was supposed to be watched in the first place,” he says.
Breaking the barrier For filmmakers who dabble in non-feature presentations, distribution and exhibition get even more difficult. There are few opportunities to screen and monetise documentaries, short films and other formats. Using a digital platform, Arati Kadav of ShortFilmWindow found a way to break the barrier, along with her partner Zain Matcheswalla. Their website helps connect sponsors and corporations with filmmakers. They’re also open to submissions from all over the world to host short films. “It shouldn’t be that if you haven’t made a feature film, you’re not a filmmaker,” says Kadav.
These are just two examples of alternative, ingenious distribution and exhibition platforms that are slowly emerging, quite a few of them online, catering to independent and regional cinema. Theatrical screenings, TV or DVD rights are no longer the only options nor do these films need to remain confined to the world of film festivals and film clubs alone. Alternative distribution avenues are not just offering more choices and platforms but also helping filmmakers overcome problems of budgets, censorship and more. Several of them have burgeoned recently. In addition to international services such as Netflix, there are the Indian ones like Hotstar, Eros Now, Flick Vine, Bigflix, Arré, Voot, and Muvizz.
Still from 'Time Machine'
According to Shailesh Kapoor of Ormax Media, an insights firm specialising in media, marketing and distribution costs can prohibit the release of a film theatrically. “A lot of films made in 2014 and 2015 have been lying in the cans. They’re good films but are not marketable and their audience base is too small to merit a theatrical release,” he says. In such a case, alternative methods of distribution come in handy. “It’s a way of recovering costs. If they release it digitally, they can monetise it to some extent,” he says.
Online is not the only way out either. Fed up of the problems that an adult certification brought on for his first film, Love, Wrinkle-Free , director Sandeep Mohan decided to take matters into his own hands with his sophomore effort, Hola Venky! Its screenings became the “The Great Indian Travelling Cinema”. Armed with a Blu-ray player, projector and DVD of the film, Mohan took Hola Venky! to 90 venues. “I found my audience in cafes, corporate screenings in conference rooms, galleries, etc.” He even managed to screen his film in 10 U.S. cities, once even with a Walmart white sheet doubling up as a screen. “There are a lot of people out there who want to watch films but don’t go to cinema halls. I had to reach out to them,” says Mohan.
The alternative platforms don’t just help reach out to an audience; they help broaden the base too. “We are a theatrical audience. But I am for digital releases,” says Srinivas Sunderrajan who made The Untitled Kartik Krishnan Project on a budget of just Rs. 40,000. “I think that is the best solution that could be there for all us poor souls. I just send a link to friends sitting in Canada or Australia or Europe.” Adds Saikia: “My film is based in Kashmir. If it had got a theatrical release, Kashmiris would never have gotten to see it. Now even a person in Baramulla with a decent Internet connection will be able to watch the film.”
Still from 'Cafe Regular, Cairo'
Extended shelf life Alternative platforms are also contributing to a film’s longevity and shelf life. Mohan managed to create a buzz for Hola Venky! for almost a year through Facebook. “It kept the movie alive for a longer time. I built my audience as a filmmaker, sitting through all 90 screenings and meeting various kinds of people,” says Mohan.
This is just the beginning of the digital revolution. Smartphone penetration in India is expected to grow to 520 million in the next four-five years and the growth in Internet users will be exponential by that time. “Digital distribution is the great equaliser. It cuts out everybody and connects creators directly to the audience at zero cost,” says Sanjay Ray Chaudhuri, co-founder of Arré, a content platform. Alternatively, there are those who believe digital content has nothing to do with the Internet alone. “I travel by train everyday and all the people are on their phones,” says Sunderrajan. “The average guy will use Bluetooth to exchange content. These screens are the future.”
But are the alternative methods financially sustainable for filmmakers? “Not thinking about money is the original sin,” says Sunderrajan. “Everyone just thinks about how to mount a film.” YouTube’s monetisation model is a far-fetched dream, with the doors opening only after a mind-boggling number of views. Other paid digital platforms are mostly a failure, as Indians are reluctant to loosen their purse strings. “If it’s free, people will go for it. If it comes with a price and people don’t like it, you’re dead,” he cautions. So it’s best to not put all your eggs in one basket. Filmmakers shouldn’t bank on just digital release either. “You have to go other ways, like airline rights,” says Mohan. “Be smart about it and think like entrepreneurs and not creative souls.”
The other question looming large is of censorship of online content. Recently, despite its censor certificate, Masaan ended up getting re-censored online, on Hotstar where it’s available for free viewing. “Drishyam Films did the deal with Star for a satellite deal (which requires censorship) and the same TV print went to Hotstar,” explains director Neeraj Ghaywan, citing the mistake as pure misunderstanding. He maintains that “digital platform is censor-proof and requires lesser amount of pushing”. But what concerns him is the recent report he read about the Censor Board giving guidelines to YouTube post Kya Kool Hain Hum 3 , restricting the upload of extremely explicit content. The larger issue of censorship does need clarity and careful negotiation. Only then will the digital platforms not remain just the flavour of the season but become an abiding wave.
deborah.cornelious@thehindu.co.in
