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| Edited By: |Source: |Updated: Nov 19, 2013, 11:17 PM IST
Corporate funding and experimental films have opened the doors for ad and documentary film-makers to direct feature films, writes Shilpa Jamkhandikar
Ten years ago, if you had a hope in hell of directing a Bollywood film, you either had to have a very famous director as a father (maybe by the name of Yash Chopra), or you had to reconcile yourself to wading through the hierarchies in Bollywood for a good 20 years before you finally got to wield the director’s baton. But a lot has changed in the last few years.
More and more new directors, with little Bollywood experience are getting to direct their first film, owing mainly to the fact that all the ‘big’ and ‘experienced’ directors are booked for the next couple of years. This has opened the doors of Bollywood to talented directors from the world of documentary films and ads films, and the entry gates of Bollywood have suddenly opened up.
“We have always encouraged new directors and new talent, but now, most production houses want to have a portfolio that will include all kinds of films. It makes sense to introduce a new talent to the film industry, and create a bigger base. We are doing the same with Ugli and Pagli, which is being directed by newcomer Sachin Khot and has Mallika Sherawat and Ranvir Shorey in it,” says Pritish Nandy Communication’s Pritish Nandy.
“Now, with the entry of corporates and the multiplex culture, it has become easier for a director to make his dream film. I was lucky that I got a prestigious production house like UTV to produce my film Aamir and it was hardly a year and half after I first thought of making the film,” says debutant director Rajkumar whose film will have Rajeev Khandelwal in the lead.
Production houses too agree that there is a commercial viability to making a film with a newcomer.
“Apart from the fact that they bring a fresh perspective to our portfolio, we also realise that it’s feasible to make middle-budget films that will have a multiplex audience and create a niche market. Moreover, most of the established directors are already doing a lot of projects, and we like to have a good mix in our kitty,” says Sandeep Bhargava of Indian Films, which is producing Fruit & Nut with Kunal Vijaykar, ad film director Tanushree Chatterjee’s Purani Jeans and Anil Senior Sharma’s Bubblegum this year.
Given that the monies in Bollywood have increased tremendously as have revenue potential, anyone with a dream and a script can make it big here now.
