FILM COLUMN: INDIAN FILM IN U.S.

 

One of the most important subjects for young filmmakers of Indian descent in the United States is finding the age-old answer to the question, “what am I doing in this industry?” or “Is it really making a difference?” In order to explore this topic in further detail, I went straight to the source in asking the filmmakers who attended and participated in the 2011 Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles. 

 

The insights provided by these talented individuals range from an actor, a producer, writers, and directors who have been carving their own respective niches in the industry.

 

The article is capped off with an exclusive candid discussion with the Executive Director of the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles, Christina Marouda, to ascertain her valuable insight and expertise on this important topic.

 

Reena Dutt, Filmmaker:

“I think it’s a loaded question. I’m a second generation American. My definition is (being) born here with a family history that comes from India. There are two things happening at the same time which are relevant to our industry right now. One is that Indian films about Indian subject matter are being made right now, and American audiences are actually excited to see it. After Lagaan and (Water), American audiences are accustomed to Bollywood and Bollywood dance numbers, and they are very excited about it. They are (even) subscribing on cable to watch Bollywood specifically.

 

The other side of the movement are films like Troublemaker and, back in the day, Chutney Popcorn (Nisha Ganatra), American Desi, ABCD -- all of these films that (did come out in the past) are now becoming more popular, like Troublemaker. Troublemaker is a multi-cultural cast; the fact that one of the main characters is Indian is not relevant to the story. It’s a universal story; I am seeing more films like that coming out.

 

The real question is: have we normalized diversity yet? Are we close to that yet? We are getting close to that with (television) shows like Outsourced. There are leading faces on American television. This is an exciting movement in the Indo-American movement of film (and television). I think people are excited about seeing Indian film.”

 

Iram Parveen Bilal, Writer & Director:

“I think we are still a long way from South Asian content getting traction with U.S. audiences simply because our content is still very foreign for the American audience. With most Americans being put off by reading subtitles, it is not a surprise that foreign films scare distributors and American sales agents away. For the few audiences that do want to venture out and seek culture, of course we have a rich array of content to offer. In a capitalist consumer market like America, there is a lot of competition for consumer eyeballs, and I personally feel that foreign film in general is still far away from being popular. Bollywood has its niche, and that shall remain or even grow a bit, but not to an extent that we will see long-run sustained spikes in demand.”

 

Nisha Ganatra, Director, Beholder:

"I think Indian films are catching on in the U.S. and have been for quite some time.  I think that Indian film itself is much more diverse than the Big Bollywood era of films, and now that there are films for every audience in the largest filmmaking capital of the world, Indian film is on the verge of having another international golden era.  And I mean golden era not just in box office but also in quality of the storytelling and the films that are reaching a global audience. There are so many Indian filmmakers that are telling very unique stories, and I'm so excited by the films that I have been seeing this year.”

 

Roopashree Jeevaji, Actress:

“Indian films that are produced, directed by people of India and the other part-Indian-themed films where the premise is Indian but are directed or produced by people outside of India... Indian-themed films like Slumdog Millionaire and Bend It Like Beckham are extremely popular films. These films were particularly developed for the global audience. 

 

The writing in Bend It Like Beckham was hilarious, but the premise could have been anywhere. The family, any ethnicity, the pure love of football -- universal. The problems and the generation gap can be commonly found in most families anywhere. Hence, it was a hit in the U.S. and other countries as well. The distribution and recognition of Indian films (like Chandni Chowk to China, which was distributed in the U.S. by Warner Bros., and My Name is Khan, distributed by Fox Searchlight) is very recent. 

 

In terms of sheer numbers, the proportion of Indian films from India that have universal acclaim is still a small one. However, this particular industry is moving very quickly, given that most studios have an office in India and are creating and distributing films for the Indian audience and worldwide. It is just a matter of time where Indian-themed films, Indian films, Hollywood films will just be chai time conversation, and all that will matter is great content.”

 

Christina Marouda, Executive Director, Indian Film Festival, Los Angeles:

“It depends on how we define catching up. Are people more aware that India has an industry that produces a large number of films? Yes. Do people know about Bollywood? Yes. Do they have a better idea in terms of Mumbai and the industry (in India) and the fact that studios are producing more and more films there? I think it's getting there. When it comes to films -- mainstream films, penetrating the U.S. market -- I would say no. When it comes to more Independent films, slowly, yes.  We are not very far away from it. Everything has changed here. The U.S. distribution model has changed. The recession hasn’t helped. For an Indian film, even if it is a film that goes to competition in Cannes, Toronto, or Venice (film festivals), there is no guarantee that distribution will be offered to that film, at least decent (distribution). In that respect, it's definitely not here yet. But if you look at industries from other countries, everyone has this issue at this point. The reason is because distribution in the U.S. has become extremely difficult. What we have been doing at the (Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles) is educating people, and the fact that we started with 80 to 85 percent of our audience being South Asian coming to now, only 60 percent (of our total audience) being South Asian means there is a market we have been nurturing and growing. 

 

People who love Indian films will come (to the festival) and buy a pass; non–Indian people spend six days, indulge in Indian cinema. When is the next time they can do that (in Los Angeles)? Probably they will have to wait for another year. They may make a trip out to where the Indian films play (locally) and maybe check out Netflix, but it stops there, in my opinion, so we have a ways to go. There are a lot of reasons. There is also the Indian distribution model; when it comes to the Diaspora market, it is very specific and catered to older audiences. If you look at a film like Udaan, it's a wonderful film; it's gone to the best festivals in the world, and look at the U.S. distribution of it. This is why we decided to play it at the festival -- we felt like more non-Indian people needed to see it. I think that the next five to ten years, because of India’s growth and because of the USA’s fault, the two will meet.

 

It's kind of like paying your taxes to enter into an industry -- you make your first mistake or two, the fees you have to pay at customs, and then you enter the country.

 

Harish Rao: You’ve been doing this for nine years. Do you see the Indian film festival of Los Angeles’ role actually helping to foster this connection and bridging the gap?

 

CM: Yes, absolutely! We’ve been doing that for quite some time now. We have our industry leadership awards, which is symbolic because we honor India and U.S.-based executives, and they share those awards. We are bringing the two industries together, and we select executives who have contributed significantly toward the Indian entertainment industry, and they share this award. It's fantastic to see the head of International productions at Fox, with his counterpart in India, on stage at the House of Blues in West Hollywood sharing an award which is presented by the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles. There is something very strategic and significant about that. If look at our One on One programs, we go beyond just showcasing Indian films; we go beyond just being a culture event that showcases song and dance. We are closing with Disney’s first live-action film produced in India. All the Disney executives are going to be coming to an Indian film festival in Hollywood. How symbolic and ironic is that in so many ways? We are getting there. The seeds have been planted. We are now very well-established, if I may say so, that we can grow along with the growth of these two industries (USA and India) collaborating together.