Panaji: India has 140 crore people, but only 3 crore go to cinemas, which is less than 3% of the total population, said the well-known filmmaker Pankaj Parashar at Film Bazaar 2024 on the sidelines of Iffi on Thursday. While talking about the future of India’s independent films, he said, “The entertainment tax in the country is the highest in the world, so it should be flowed back to the people.” He added, “With more theatres opening up, independent filmmakers will get a chance to showcase their talent.”
Parashar added, “It is a win-win situation, more theatres will give more money to independent filmmakers which will encourage them to make more films.”
Writer and director Pan Nalin also said that setting up more theatres will open up space for more independent filmmakers, because people invest only when returns are expected.
Nalin said that to secure the future of independent filmmakers, the taste of films must be developed in children. The young generation today has taken the internet by storm with short videos on Instagram, he said, adding that the trend dims the allure of cinema.
Parashar said that kids in India are not exposed to good films. “If we want to understand the future, we need to look at the past. If schoolchildren are introduced to good cinema, they will ask for better films,” he said.
He added that during his film institute days, students were asked to watch at least three films a day, and the experience transformed him. “If that kind of exercise is done at schools, it would be life-changing.”
Joint secretary and financial advisor in the Union coal ministry Nirupama Kotru, head of IFFR-PRO (an international film festival in Rotterdam) Marten Robberts, and producer Dominique Welinski were also part of the discussion.
Kotru said that one of the greatest barriers to independent films in India is piracy and the lack of a distribution channel. However, with Netflix penetrating Indian households, access to independent films is excellent, she said.