(Cannes) India’s film industry, the most prolific in the world, has taken up residence at the Cannes Film Market, but still faces a challenge: to reach a more international audience, without losing sight of the enormous pool of Indian spectators.
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“We think that Indian cinema is perhaps at a turning point, that there has been a form of renewal,” said Frenchman Jérôme Paillard, head of the Film Market, of which India was the focus this year. guest of honor.
Distributors got interested in India about a decade ago with Hindi hits like The Lunchbox (2013), with Bollywood star Irrfan Khan. “And since then, almost nothing has happened”, underlines the manager, even if “there are several film projects that we find interesting”.
A large delegation, including a minister, made the trip to the Croisette and had access to distributors from all over the world. The opportunity to show films in preparation for the search for funding.
The Indian film industry produces up to 2000 films a year, far more than any other country. With its 1.4 billion inhabitants, the explosion of the middle class, the immense network of cinemas and a considerable diaspora, Indian cinema has a potential audience that is the envy of the world. entire.
Another advantage: it is a cinema that has succeeded in breaking through, in countries where Hindi is not spoken, such as China, Egypt and Nigeria.
But catering to Indian tastes sometimes prevents this industry from going further, points out Pranad Kapadia, head of Moviegoers Entertainment, a company based in England and specializing in the distribution of Indian films. “We are very independent,” he told AFP, on the sidelines of the Cannes Film Festival.
“A director of course wants to create a work that resonates with all audiences. But by wanting to reach an audience outside your country, you run the risk of scaring away your first audience”.
Independent filmmakers in India who might be of interest to film festivals often struggle to secure funding from mainstream producers or the government, notes Jérôme Paillard.
Break the mold
Photo STEFANO RELLANDINI, Agence France-Presse
Indian actress Pooja Hegde, who makes four films a year and has 20 million Instagram fans, also has hope. ” Things change. Indian cinema is exported,” she says.
Which has not always been the case. In the 1950s and 1960s, a generation of Indian directors moved away from traditional musical films and were supported by the government. The most applauded is Satyajit Ray (The music room), crowned in Berlin or Venice.
But as blockbusters have grown in prominence in recent years, these independent films have been eclipsed by Bollywood production aimed at mass audiences.
Many are still trying to break the mould, like English Vinglish (2012), which proved popular in India and among Indian expatriates, before being dubbed or subtitled in 12 other languages.
“There are directors, storytellers and subjects who can travel,” says Pranad Kapadia, quoting director Sanjay Leela Bhansali (Devdas, presented at Cannes in 2002) as someone who appeals to both Indian audiences and Western arthouse fans. His latest movie Gangubai Kathiawadi premiered at the Berlinale in February.
India’s strong presence at the Film Market, which closes on Wednesday, may take time to translate into tangible partnerships outside of the main Indian markets, in South Asia, and in the Gulf States , but it remains invaluable, says Kapadia. “You must be there. Stay on the dance floor and that’s how you’ll meet someone.”
Indian actress Pooja Hegde, who makes four films a year and has 20 million Instagram fans, also has hope. ” Things change. Indian cinema is exported,” she told AFP.
And the presence of many Indian actors in Cannes – including the superstar Deepika Padukone, member of the jury who will choose the Palme d’Or – promotes “the India brand”, she underlines.