Bollywood a Blockbuster Away from Going Global: Butala
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SATURDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2015 (From left) Bollywood actors Swara Bhaskar, Salman Khan and Sonam Kapoor pose for photographs during the trailer launch Bollywood actors Shahid Kapoor and Alia Bhatt perform dur- of their upcoming film ‘Prem Ratan Dhan Payo’ in Mumbai. — AP photos ing the song launch of their movie ‘Shaandaar’ in Mumbai. Bollywood a blockbuster away from going global: Butala ne of Bollywood’s most successful producers believes the placing it second only to the 2014-released comedy “PK” (US$114 and starring current Indian box office king Salman Khan - has current generation of Indian film-makers is set to conquer million) - and it follows the relationship that builds between an been down to its positive message, and that Indian filmmakers as Othe world-by moving beyond the traditional song and Indian man and a Pakistani girl trapped in India. BIFF kicked off a whole are now exploring a wider reach of topics, removed from dance format. “India is still to find its “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Thursday with the world premiere of Mozez Singh’s “Zubaan”, the the romances normally associated with Bollywood. Dragon” but it’s only a matter of time,” said Amar Butala, the pro- first time a Bollywood production has opened the festival. “”Bajrangi Bhaijaan” is an incredibly positive film,” said Butala. ducer behind the smash hit “Bajrangi Bhaijaan”, the second-high- Singh’s debut is a coming-of-age story about a young man “It’s rare for a film to take such a balanced view of both India and est grossing Bollywood film of all time. who uses music to learn lessons about modern life. Other Pakistan, without taking any sides. This touched an emotional The Chinese-language martial arts epic “Crouching Tiger, Bollywood films on the program here include two productions chord.” Hidden Dragon” directed by Taiwan’s Ang Lee was a hit when it tapping into the industry’s traditions - and star-crossed lovers - in While there are more than 1,000 films produced across Indian was released in 2000, going on to win the Oscar for Best Foreign “Masaan”, an award winner at this year’s Cannes festival, and “O every year, making it by far the world’s most active film-making Language Film. It collected an estimated US$128 million from the Kadhal Kanmani”. nation, outside the country these films have only previously been international box office, still a record for a non-English language watched by the Indian diaspora, according to Butala. But he film and more than double the second-highest all-time earner, Rising stars believes times are rapidly changing. “My Beautiful Life” (1998) from Italy. The festival is also showcasing the rising stars from India’s film “Film-makers in India like everywhere in the world want their “As younger film-makers in Bollywood change the way our industry beyond Bollywood and Hindi-language movies. films to travel, to reach out to even larger audiences,” said Butala. films are made - whether it be the stories we tell or the use of Independent filmmaker’s Hari Viswanath’s debut “Radio Set” - “A mainstream Hindi language film is yet to successfully make song and dance - in the coming years we’ll see more and more about an old man alienated from his children - is in the running that giant leap. But I think the opportunity to do this is ripe.” Bollywood films reach out to the international audience,” said for Busan’s main New Currents award for first and second-time There are 16 Indian films among the 304 productions screening at Butala. He was speaking to AFP before the screening of “Bajrangi Asian filmmakers while the Assamese-language “Kothanodi”, this year’s BIFF, which will run until October 10. — AFP Bhaijaan” at the 20th Busan International Film Festival, the pre- looks at the trial and tribulations of four mothers, also makes its eminent event of its kind in Asia. world premiere. The film has taken an estimated US$91 million globally so far - Butala believes the success of his film - directed by Kabir Khan Afghan actress urges Afghan women to keep working hen Marina Gulbahari walked the red carpet on the first female-only household in “Osama.” It was Afghanistan’s first post- night of Asia’s largest film festival, she showed the world Taleban movie and it won the Golden Globe prize for best foreign Wmore than the colorful traditional Afghan dress she was film in 2003. wearing. She showed the world the face of women in Like the young girl she played, Gulbahari’s family needed her Afghanistan. to support her parents and her seven siblings when she was For Afghan women, showing one’s face in public, not to men- young. When she was discovered by Siddiq Barmak, director of tion on a huge screen, is disliked by conservatives there, even as “Osama,” she was a teenager selling magazines at a park in Kabul, the fall of the hard-line Islamic Taleban regime allowed women to worrying about how to help feed her family. return to schools, workplaces and even to parliament. Many “What can I do to support my family?” she said. “It was (my) Afghan actress Marina Gulbahari talks with her husband women still wear a burqa, the clothing that covers women from goal to find something to bring home.” Although Gulbahari never Noorullah Azizi. head to toe with a mesh panel over the face. So walking the red went to acting school, those moments in her life provided lessons carpet and co-hosting the opening event at the 20th annual that acting schools could not. “I have experiences. Tragic experi- Busan International Film Festival was a big step not only for the ences,” she said with a beaming smile. Although she is now a big 23 year-old Gulbahari but for her fellow country people. star in Afghanistan, she “never” thought she would become an “For the moment, living in Afghanistan is difficult for normal actress. The first movie she saw was “Titanic,” watching a video- people. For women who are working as an actress, it’s more dan- tape copy when she was nine years old even though the movie gerous for them,” she said in an interview translated by her hus- was banned under the Taleban. She did not understand that the band Noorullah Azizi, who works in movie and TV production in movie was fiction. — AP Afghanistan. “About some years ago (I) got some warnings from the Taleban that you cannot work. If you appear again, we will kill Afghan actress Marina Gulbahari you.” adjusts her hair during an inter- Although little known outside the festival circle, Gulbahari is view at the Busan International already part of movie history in her country. Her first role was as a Film Festival in Busan, South young girl who had to be disguised as a boy to support her Korea. — AP photos.