Indian Cinema Goes International

         MUMBAI: Indian cinema has finally succeeded in casting its magic on viewers across the globe. Be it the Oscar-nominated Lagaan, 'Bend It Like Beckham' by Indian film-maker Gurinder Chadda or Mira Nair's 'Monsoon Wedding', Indian films with their unique culture have reached the international audiences and made their strong presence felt in the world of 'Global Cinema'.

          With Indian film stars performing in Hollywood flicks, Indian film-makers aspiring to make 'global cinema' catering to the International audiences and the first-ever Hollywood-Bollywood co-production in India, the Indian film industry is witnessing a revolution ... a transition marked by the cross-over between Bollywood and Hollywood resulting in a rewarding concoction of two diverse cultures.

          In the recent times, beginning with Karan Johar's film Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, the success of films like Lagaan, Monsoon Wedding, Bend It like Beckham , Devdas.etc in the international market has evoked a lot of curiosity about Indian cinema among the westerners. Apart from the fact that Bollywood churns out more than 800 films per year, its annual turnover is expected to grow to a whooping Rs 6,000 cr in the next five years.

           And as many Western film-makers contemplate co-producing or making an Indian film, Hyperion Pictures has already done it. Hyperion Pictures India, a subsidiary of Hyperion Pictures, USA, is all set to roll with their first Hollywood-Bollywood co-ventured film titled Marigold. Marigold, a ground-breaking collaborative effort uniting creative forces from Hollywood and Bollywood, the two largest movie industries on earth, will have Salman Khan playing the lead opposite a popular actress from the US. This is the first time that a film will be shot in two versions, English and Hindi, and will be released in both countries as a mainstream entertainment. It could be described as the first major motion picture with dual-citizenship status.

           Written and directed by Willard Carroll, (Played by Heart, with one of the biggest Hollywood cast such as Sean Connery, Angelina Jolie, Gillian Anderson, Madeleine Stowe, Dennis Quaid, Ryan Phillipe, Ellen Burstyn), Marigold is truly a bi-cultural collaboration at every level: in its financing, in its cast, in the composition.

          The film is being produced by Hyperion Pictures India, which is a new company formed for producing cross-cultural film and TV content. Sidharth Jain has been appointed as the vice-president and will be based in India. Sidharth represents the new breed of professionals in the traditional Bollywood business. Commenting on being a part of this first-ever Hollywood-Bollywood film, he said that in the past American productions shooting in India have used the country as an exotic backdrop and as a source of manpower. This project is different as it is a true co-production with Indians working side by side with Americans.

           Veteran actor Om Puri who has won the hearts of audiences the world over with his hilarious performance in internationally successful bi-cultural films like East is East and Bollywood Calling believes that Indians should be making films in English as there is a market for it in India as well as abroad.

          The urgency of innovative ideas and unique subject-sense in Indian films has given vent to several films belonging to the genre which can be termed as the cinema of new-age sensibility. For instance, actor Deepak Tijori who turns director with his film OOPS has chosen a bold subject on male strippers in India, a topic that is considered as a taboo in India but Deepak Tijori has mentioned that he is treating the subject in a manner that it appeals not only a certain niche audience in India but also international viewers.

          Indian film critics believe that the industry has the best of talent and if their potential is channelised properly even Bollywood directors can go on to direct Hollywood films. It is evident from the influx of bi-lingual films like Everybody Says I'm Fine, Split Wide Open, Bombay Boys ..etc that film-makers are increasingly looking forward to appealing to the international audiences and as the popularity of Bollywood reaches people across the globe more and more foreign performers seem to be seeping into the ocean of Indian films to experience the wave of change and get the taste of the typical 'Bollywood masala'.

          The attention that Indian films like Lagaan , Monsoon Wedding, Bend It Like Bechkam and the recent musical theatre Bombay Dreams have received abroad has ruled out the apprehensions of some film-makers who had presumed that Hindi films will be subjected to ridicule due to their style of song-and-dance set in the films.

-by Sunayana
October 1, 2002