Mumbai: Innovation and creativity along with a “little pat on the shoulder” from the government, can go a long way in helping the Hindi film industry revive itself, says filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri.
The director, known for “The Tashkent Files“, “The Kashmir Files“, and “The Vaccine War“, recently wrote an open letter to Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal requesting urgent government support for the struggling Hindi cinema exhibition sector.
Agnihotri said the onus of the industry’s problems doesn’t rest on any one entity and that several issues need to be addressed before things start looking upward.
“This (Hindi film) industry is crumbling. There are lots of issues and it’s not about blaming anyone. But the times have changed, and technology has changed. The way people consume cinema has also changed. There are some major problems and I don’t think any one individual or association can solve them.
“So when Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal ji spoke at ‘Startup Mahakumbh’, I liked what he said that it’s time that we focus on innovation, creativity and idea generation… With a little motivation, guidance and pat on the shoulder from the government, the industry has a chance of reviving itself… Innovation and creativity, these are the two most important things the film industry can definitely do with,” the filmmaker told PTI in an interview here.
According to Agnihotri, film industries in countries like France, Britain and South Korea are protected by their respective governments.
“What France has done in Europe is that they realised that cinema is not just an art, but it can be a very powerful industry and soft power. So they protected it.
“Like Britain made the British Film Commission. All European countries have these commissions. The Korean government supports K entertainment, and the Chinese government supports their films. In Japan, society supports cinema in a very big way.”
Among the issues plaguing the Hindi film industry, windowing and ticket pricing are right on the top, he added.
In cinema exhibition, windowing refers to the strategic timing and availability of a movie across different distribution channels to maximise revenue.
Most of the content in India today, the filmmaker said, is ultimately owned by two-three American streamers.
“I’m not criticising them. They are in the business, but when the audience knows that any film, whether it’s a Rs 1,000 crore film or Rs 10 crore film, will be available on OTT within four-eight weeks, why would they go and spend Rs 1,000 in the theatre?”
Agnihotri said ticket pricing, which is comparatively low in the South, plays a key role in ensuring footfall in theatres.
“So many people (in the South) watch films because the pricing is controlled at Rs 100. Whenever there are these multiplexes celebrating Cinema Day, they keep the pricing around Rs 100. Then you see every single (screen) is house full, regardless of the film.
“It doesn’t matter if there are three films releasing on that day, people go and watch all those films. Cinema in India should be the cheapest entertainment, but sadly, it has become an elitist entertainment,” he added.
There were many studios a few years ago, but today there are very few to name, said Agnihotri.
“Not just producers, you will see that the studios are also shutting their shops. There was a time when I knew at least 50 different independent producers who were producing at least two-three films a year.
“Now look at the tragedy that we are releasing old films nonstop. There are no new films to release. The reason is because the Indian producer has shut shop… I know lots of producers who are doing real estate. They had big studios and offices, they are converting them into residential office spaces.”
PTI
