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FILM INTERVIEW: BARKHA MADAN

Indian Actress Pushes to Take Independent Indian Cinema Global

By: Parimal M. Rohit

April 19, 2011

There is a fine line between trying to be different and actually being different, but Soch Lo star and actor-producer Barkha Madan believes that both she and Indian cinema as a whole is slowly but surely finding itself in the latter category. With Sartaj Singh Pannu’s 2010 film -- which also starred Himanshu Kohli and Iris Maity, the latest production to throw its hat in the ring in proclaiming to be the new face of Indian cinema -- Ms. Madan is making every effort to inherit the torch from that production and ultimately demonstrate to the world the greatness of South Asian cinematic arts.

Currently a leading figure in the production of two independent Indian films, including a Punjabi production and a motion picture on financial terrorism, Ms. Madan just recently traveled to Los Angeles from India to promote her projects while supporting the Ninth Annual Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles as a patron.

While Bollywood and Hollywood productions may strike a chord with mainstream audiences in India, Ms. Madan believes regional and non-mainstream films can just as much have a place on the global stage, so long as storytelling and production value are not compromised.

“It doesn’t really matter what language your film is, as long as it’s a good film,” Ms. Madan told Buzzine shortly before IFFLA came to a close on April 17th. “End of the day, it’s a good story that does well.”

While content may be king, none of it matters without the proper marketing. Indeed, Ms. Madan pointed out that an independent production has no value if no one knows about it, and arming indy projects with the proper marketing budget is almost a necessary requirement for any quality-based, non-studio film to succeed.

Yet, marketing, promotions, and substantive content do not quite complete the picture, as Ms. Madan pointed out that Indian producers, directors, and writers must understand who they are reaching out to and determine which audiences, exactly, are ideal targets.

“Are we only catering to Indians living abroad? Or do we want the American audience? What do they want? How do they look at India? Do they only want what Slumdog Millionaire showed us?” Ms. Madan rhetorically and practically pondered.

With that, Ms. Madan believes it is only a matter of time before Indian cinema -- above and beyond Bollywood -- becomes a mainstay among American audiences, similar to other foreign industries such as China or Mexico or France. Interestingly enough, Ms. Madan does not feel that Indian cinema has come as far as many here in the States would like to believe, but that does not mean India’s time has yet to come.

“I do believe that people (in Hollywood) are warming up to us. They are not really opening their arms sand saying, ‘Hey, we embrace you,’” Ms. Madan said. “Even though we all have great intentions to work together, we have some very serious problems on the ground level, for example shipping of prints, customs -- one format works here, one format doesn’t work there; one story works here, one story doesn’t work there. It’s still finding its way.”

Ms. Madan did point out that there are aspects of Indian cinema that will help Hollywood embrace it as a mainstay and steady source of substantively qualitative content.

“The most positive aspect of our films is [they] are actually very colorful, they’re love stories, and even better than all that is our audience. We have a huge audience,” Ms. Madan said. “It’s not just Bollywood, but Robot sold out at this festival … and it’s in Tamil. Are you telling me, in L.A., there are only Tamil-speaking people watching this movie? No.”

Indeed, hopefully it is only a matter of time before American audiences see Indian cinema as something more than Bollywood but instead as the home of a diverse culture capable of telling the most human of stories that can touch people both within India’s borders and beyond.