When the biggest film event of the Indian subcontinent is steered by a man known for his documentaries, you could be sure that the tag of festival of change is not just a cosmetic idea. For Mike Pandey means business. In this case quite literally for the three-time Green Oscar winner and his eclectic team are busy giving International Film Festival of India (IFFI) a global stature and a robust structure. Showcasing around 100 films from 65 countries, it is an attempt to show the incredible dimensions that Indian cinema has taken in the last few years. Pandey says India is no longer about just numbers; it is about quality as well.
“Indian cinema has come of age. We are pushing the frontiers both in terms of technology as well as content. The best thing is we are taking chances. On one hand we are producing films like ‘Ra.One' and ‘Robot' which can compete with the best in the business when it comes to technique while on the other we have filmmakers like Mani Ratnam, Anurag Kashyap and Rituparno Ghosh, who are experimenting with new forms of storytelling without losing out on the Indian imprint. And the stalwarts like Shyam Benegal are still around. The gap has been filled. Indian cinema has a global audience today.”
Are we stretching out to the West? Pandey feels it is the other way round. “Our technicians are being applauded on the world stage and we have won Oscars in different music categories. Their biggest film ‘Avatar' is rooted in the Indian thought of tree of life.” With the behemoth of Bollywood looming large there is always a danger of regional identities getting trampled at IIFI but Pandey reminds with the likes of Goutam Ghose, A.K. Bir and Shaji Karun in the steering committee there is no chance of regional cinema getting ignored at the biggest cinematic event in the country. “IFFI will remain unique.”
Indeed for this year IFFI is showcasing 3D animation films and documentaries at the festival and for this the infrastructure has been upgraded. The festival is also holding competitions like ‘One minute film' on Incredible India, which is organised by Indian Documentary Producers Association (IDPA). Pandey, who is the chairman of IDPA, is optimistic about the revival of documentary movement in India. “If you look around there are so many documentary film festivals happening. Anybody, who has a cellphone, can be a story teller today. I agree there is a lot of churning going on as there is a lot of rubbish out there as well but it will lead to something good.”
As for the quality, Pandey insists that when we expect quality from our documentaries, we should keep in mind the equipment is still very expensive because of the duties. “It's time documentary filmmakers should be treated as educationists as documentaries can play an important role at the grass root level. It can help educate the farmer about his rights and the government policies at the panchayat level. Till now the fruits of economic growth have reached only 20-30 per cent of the population. What we need is inclusive growth and documentaries can play an important role in speeding up the process. The Information & Broadcasting Ministry has come up with some laudable initiatives in this regard.” But there is always a danger of art becoming a tool for political propaganda? “That's true. As an independent filmmaker one must guard giving your work a political colour.”
Pandey says as part of corporate social responsibility, private television channels should reserve at least half-an-hour for documentaries. “At present, apart from Doordarshan, only NDTV has a dedicated time slot for documentaries. This is not enough.”
Pandey is now working on a docu-drama, “The Return of the Tiger” starring John Abraham which deals with the state of tiger in the country. “It tells how life on this planet is interdependent.” Hasn't it become glamorous to talk about tiger conservation when many other species are equally endangered? “It's true and that's what I am trying to project. For all our love for the tiger, in the last 60 years we have not been able to check its dwindling population because we have not been able to see the bigger picture. Tiger is at the apex of the food chain. We should be more concerned about the demise of honeybee from our lives, which is responsible for 80 percent of the pollination on earth. If the honey bee dies, the earth will become barren in five years and there won't be any tiger. He reminds the Nile doesn't draw its water from snow clad mountains nor do rivers that flow in the Western Ghats. If honey bee becomes extinct there won't be any jungle, which will result in drying up of rivers. Food chain is part of primary school curriculum but we have stopped assimilating wisdom.” True.
Highlights
‘Master Classes' by renowned auteurs like Max Howard and Milcho Manchevski along with retrospective of works of eminent French luminary Luc Besson and Australian director Phil Noyce. The closing night will see the screening of Besson's latest work, ‘The Lady', the extraordinary story of Aung San Suu Kyi and her husband, Michael Aris'
Spotlight on Polish cinema and country in focus is USA.
Showcasing technological breakthrough through 3-D and animation films.
New and innovative ideas like floating theatres and beach shows to attract masses.
Screening student films from reputed film schools to encourage young filmmakers
NFDC's Film Bazaar act as a vehicle of commercial emancipation for the film industry.
