Vol 23, No. 1 ISSN 0970 5074 IndiaJANUARY-MARCH 2009 Perspectives Editor Vinod Kumar Assistant Editor Neelu Rohra Consulting Editor Newsline Publications Pvt. Ltd., C-15, Sector 6, Noida-201301 India Perspectives is published every month in Arabic, Bahasa Indonesia, Bengali, English, French, German, Hindi, Italian, Pashto, Persian, Portuguese, Russian, Sinhala, Spanish, Tamil and Urdu. Views expressed in the articles are those of the contributors and not necessarily of India Perspectives. All original articles, other than reprints published in India Perspectives, may be freely reproduced with acknowledgement. Editorial contributions and letters should be addressed to the Editor, India Perspectives, 140 ‘A’ Wing, Shastri Bhawan, New Delhi-110001. Telephones: +91-11-23389471, 23388873, Fax: +91-11-23385549, E-mail: [email protected], Website: http://www.meaindia.nic.in For obtaining a copy of India Perspectives, please contact the Indian Diplomatic Mission in your country. This edition is published for the Ministry of External Affairs, New Delhi, by Parbati Sen Vyas, Special Secretary, Public Diplomacy Division. Designed and printed by Ajanta Offset & Packagings Ltd., Delhi-110052. The Indian B.R. Chopra Film Industry A FILM MAKER FOR ALL SEASONS UPENDRA SOOD Editorial 2 58 Shyam Benegal We bring to our readers this time a special issue on Indian PROGENITOR NEW WAVE CINEMA Cinema. There could not have been a better theme for me to 62 commence my editorial stint as Indian and India-based cinema Gulzar seem to be the fl avour of the season. THE VERSATILE MAN AND HIS WORLD India was introduced to ‘moving pictures’ soon after their 66 screening by the Lumierre brothers in Paris. By the end of the nineteenth century, Indian fi lmmakers had started making Director’s Cut THE ONES documentaries and later exploring the commercial potential Global future for THAT BROKE THE MOULD of cinema. A journey that began with ‘Raja Harishchandra’ India-based cinema RAUF AHMED and ‘Alam Ara’ has today led to the largest fi lm industry of SAIBAL CHATTERJEE 70 the world, diverse in its treatment and coverage of subjects. 4 A melodious melange The Indian fi lm industry has contributed several masterpieces; Satyajit Ray SHARAD DUTT a number of fi lmmakers have left their indelible imprints on THE TIMELESS TEXT BOOK Kannada Cinema 73 world cinema; and several fi lm personalities are fairly well SWAPAN MULLICK JYOTSNA known across the world. Oscars for A.R. Rahman, Gulzar, and 8 28 Touching the heart Resul Pookutty testify to the creative and technical talent in the and mind with country, as ‘Jai Ho’ resonates through the globe. Marathi Cinema words of song MAYAH BALSE FIROZE RANGOONWALLA It is impossible to do justice to different facets of the Indian 32 fi lm industry in a small publication. We have articles on some 78 fi lmmakers and some artistes, to present to you a sample, and Raj Kapoor INTERVIEW there has been no attempt to be exhaustive. In India we have a THE ACTOR UNFORGETTABLE Nandita Das very rich tradition of regional cinema; they have all been doing 36 80 well and making excellent fi lms. The issue includes articles on Nargis cinema in a few states. Due to constraints of space, we have not THE LEGENDARY LADY OF INDIAN CINEMA been able to cover all the languages and offer our apologies. 40 We have tried to bring to you a collage that hopefully would interest some of you in further exploring Indian cinema through Amitabh Bachchan THE ANGRY YOUNG MAN more comprehensive publications, and equally importantly, in OF INDIAN CINEMA watching more Indian fi lms. 46 I thank all of those who have contributed articles and provided Hindi Film Posters Hema Malini Animation fi lms PARTHA CHATTERJEE material for this issue. S.M.M. AUSAJA THE OTHER SIDE OF THE DREAM GIRL 86 Hope you enjoy reading the issue. 16 50 Tamil Cinema Shah Rukh Khan March 2009 THEODORE BASKARAN THE KING-SIZE HERO Cover: A.R. Rahman with Oscars for best musical score and song in 24 54 Slumdog Millionaire. to reach Rs. 20 billion in 2012 from a current size of Rs. 8.5 billion The Indian Film Industry in 2007. On a per fi lm average basis, the share from overseas collections is expected to increase to 16 per cent per fi lm in AN OUTLOOK 2012 from 12 per cent in 2007. There are several growth drivers for this segment from increased marketing and selling efforts t is notable that today we speak not of the “fi lm business”, but internationally, growing popularity of Indian fi lms overseas and of the “fi lm industry”. In a broader sense, the Indian Media & beyond the Indian Diaspora, several fi lms with themes/locations/ Entertainment industry is going places. The sector remains stories based on the Indian Diaspora, increased number of prints I and a signifi cantly more organised distribution plan. resolute and continues to grow at 17 per cent CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate), despite the larger economic slowdown. So he home video market is expected to signifi cantly shift in the what is this growth engine of the Indian economy about? Why next fi ve years given the developments in 2007. Though an are more and more corporates jumping onto the fi lm fi nancing Toverall growth of 15 per cent is projected over the next fi ve bandwagon? years, in line with the previous years, the current rental-market Firstly, the content business in India is likely to generate over domination is projected to signifi cantly reduce to 25 per cent in $50 million in the next two years. This growth is expected to come 2012 from 80 per cent in 2007 in favor of the sell-through market. from the overseas market. The Indian fi lm industry is projected The penetration of home video subscribers is expected to increase to grow by 13 per cent over the next fi ve years, reaching to from 10 per cent of the pay-TV homes in 2007 to 25 per cent in Rs. 176 billion in 2012 from the present Rs. 96 billion in 2007, 2012. This translates into an addition of 41 million subscribers nearly double its present size. In addition to this, India is also fast over the next fi ve year period. 75 per cent of these subscribers are emerging as an outsourcing base for special effects, gaming, and estimated to be from the sell-through segment. animation content development. Though the home video subscribers are expected to increase in Next, the box offi ce fi gures are healthy and promising. The box the next fi ve years, the sell-through prices are expected to decline offi ce incomes of the fi lm industry will shift marginally from the over the forecast period from a current average of Rs. 90 in 2007 traditional revenues to the new emerging revenues like home to Rs. 50 in 2012. The average rental price of Rs. 50 is expected to video market and digital cinema. Though the share of the domestic decline only marginally. The home video market is thus projected box offi ce is projected to reduce to 70 per cent in 2012, primarily to double its size to Rs. 15 billion in 2012 from the current Rs. 7.5 in favour of overseas and ancillary revenues, the domestic box billion in 2007, translating into a cumulative growth of 15 per cent offi ce segment itself will grow at 11 per cent cumulatively over the over the fi ve-year forecast period. next fi ve years to reach an estimated Rs. 123 billion in 2012 from The ancillary revenues comprising of revenues from sale of the present size of Rs. 72 billion. Increases in the average ticket television rights, internet download rights, mobile rights, re-make prices will be the primary contributor to this growth, estimated rights, in-fi lm placements, on-screen advertisements, brand to increase from an all-India average of Rs. 22 in 2007 to Rs. 35 placements etc. will on an overall basis grow by 16 per cent over in 2012. The number of admissions is projected to rise marginally the next fi ve years to reach an estimated Rs. 18 billion in 2012 from from the current high base of 3.25 billion tickets sold in 2007 Rs. 8.5 billion in 2007. to an estimated 3.5 billion in 2012. The overseas collections are ◆ (Source: The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce) estimated to grow cumulatively at 19 per cent over the next 5 years INDIA PERSPECTIVES JANUARY-MARCH 2009 2 INDIA PERSPECTIVES JANUARY-MARCH 2009 3 Global future for India-based cinema SAIBAL CHATTERJEE anny Boyle’s hugely entertaining Slumdog Millionaire is the fl avour of the season and not without reason. The superbly Dcrafted, pulsating rags-to-riches drama has put Mumbai on the mainstream moviemaking map of the world, besides providing global exposure to Bollywood-style storytelling, replete with drama, dance, song and narrative happenstance. The unique Danny Boyle touch may have raised a straightforward narrative that employs several Mumbai masala movie plot devices – a poor slum boy who triumphs over all odds to hit the jackpot on a television quiz show, separated lovebirds who are reunited on a busy Mumbai railway platform, a feel-good fantasy that hinges on the role of destiny in human lives – to a new level of suppleness, but the fact remains that, in more ways than one, Slumdog Millionaire is the ultimate ‘Indian’ crossover fi lm. Slumdog Millionaire (facing page) and Munnabhai MBBS (below). INDIA PERSPECTIVES JANUARY-MARCH 2009 4 INDIA PERSPECTIVES JANUARY-MARCH 2009 5 So what will India’s global fi lm be like? Will it be from Bollywood or will it be from the Indian Diaspora Directors? One major Mumbai- based Director who has been working towards carving a global niche for this kind of cinema is Vidhu Vinod Chopra.