Indian Indie Cinema’s Global Connect: The Road Ahead

The Creative and The Commerce

The global appeal of Indian independent cinema is at an all time high which is why this is an opportune time to define a roadmap for the future. The roadmap focuses on two areas - Creative and Commerce.

Creative

Much as Indian indie cinema is making its presence felt, the truth is that the kind of stories that have largely struck a chord pertain to a mostly one dimensional narrative focusing on the harsh realities of India.

These important issues need to be continually discussed for sure but its also time to expand the narrative by exploring stories with a broader canvas. In other words, there is need for a two-way debate mirroring the east-west partnerships that form the backbone of any indie coproduction.

An example of such a debate is seen with the breakthrough of French-Senegalese director Mati Diop’s Berlinale winning ‘Dahomey’. The film brilliantly questions the checkered past of French colonialism in Africa in how valuable artefacts were stolen from present day Benin, with only a fraction returned.

An example of a reset is seen outside the film business in the world of books. For over three decades, well known historian and author William Darlymple made a name for himself by largely exploring themes around the Mughal empire and the British Raj. But with his latest book, The Golden Road: How Ancient India Transformed the World, he attempts to widen his scope by presenting the pinnacle of Indian science, commerce and innovation in ancient times and Darlymple questions why this was overlooked by the west and the world at large.

Commercial

The business model for indie films largely rests on the international coproduction model for which both financing and marketing are mostly enabled by foreign players. These are the challenges that need to be overcome -

• Foreign financing should not be at the cost of creative freedom. If its more viable for foreign co-producers to market stereotypical stories, then its upto Indian filmmakers to stand their ground and assert a new narrative (as explained above). Of course it helps if there is an equal amount of Indian financing on a project to have creative leverage.

• Professionalism – Indian producers need to skill up and adhere to global norms so that they can also demand the same from their foreign counterparts.

• International sales – Given the volatility of the indie market caused by streaming, this is primarily a buyer’s market in which producers have little leeway, save for the rarified breakout A-list festival darling which could spark bidding wars. Conversely, intrepid producers can try and market their film in various territories directly to distributors.

The Way Ahead

This roadmap needs to be part of an ongoing discussion inviting inputs from all stakeholders in the spirit of fostering a collaborative ecosystem which is the bedrock of indie cinema.

About Nyay

As the founder of Connectment Films, Nyay Bhushan has several short films to his credit including Backdrop,The Saint, Stuck in Inner Traffic and Mango Shake, which participated in Filmaka.com, a global digital platform pioneered by Hollywood producer Deepak Nayar.

Nyay has also contributed regularly as the first India correspondent for The Hollywood Reporter (from 1999-2020) and Billboard (from 1997-2008) covering all aspects of the Indian entertainment industry from a global perspective.

As an industry analyst, Nyay has tracked the entertainment business since the early 1990s after co-founding Connect, India's first magazine on global entertainment, which received a message from Steven Spielberg when he was voted Entertainer of the Year in the magazine's 1994 reader's poll.

Adding to his diversified portfolio, Nyay is an award-winning fine art photographer, bagging over 30 honors at the IPA (International Photography Awards), the PX3 (Prix de la Photographie Paris Awards), and the Photography Masters Cup.