Internationally sourced programming and stories placed alongside local content could be a solution to bring audiences back to Indian cinemas, a high-powered panel debated.
The panel was part of Indiantelevision.com’s annual industry event, The Content Hub, that recently concluded in Mumbai. Mayank Shroff, head of film distribution at Cinepolis, the Indian division of Latin American exhibition giant Cinepolis, said that while footfalls were back to 85% of pre-pandemic days, an innovative approach is required to bring the rest of the audiences back.
Shroff pointed to the success of Makoto Shinkai’s anime film “Suzume,” which accounted for 20% of the Cinepolis box office over the past weekend and “Evil Dead Rise,” which also pulled in decent numbers, both in the face of stiff competition from Eid holiday release “Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan,” starring superstar Salman Khan. Shroff also said that there was demand for Korean films and K-pop concerts, notably by BTS, streamed into cinemas live or as recordings. He added that that the international content was working in their original languages in the metropolises and can be customized into local languages for release in tier 2 and 3 centers.
Producer Sunir Kheterpal said, “People are starting to sample and watch different types of content in different languages. They have gotten used to reading subtitles and hearing dubbed versions. So, as media exposure is increasing, the stories that we are trying to find are becoming more widespread, the source of the stories is all over the world.”
Kheterpal acquired the rights for Spanish screenwriter and director Oriol Paulo’s “The Body,” “The Invisible Guest” and “Mirage,” which were remade in Bollywood as “The Body,” “Badla” and “Dobaara,” respectively. Kheterpal said that the Hindi-language Bollywood industry had been looking to south India for remaking content for decades.
While big south Indian films, including “RRR” and “K.G.F: Chapter 2” were hits across India in 2022, the smaller films from there are also doing well, remarked Vivek Krishnani, CEO, film division, IN10 Media Network, citing the successes of Tamil-language “Love Today” and Malayalam-language “Romancham,” which were made on low budgets and went on to become blockbusters. Ashima Avasthi Chaudhuri, head, content, Zee Studios, said that Bollywood was also getting there with the success of a smaller film like the studio’s “Mrs. Chatterjee vs. Norway.”
Elsewhere, the event celebrated new genres, new stories and new players at a power-packed panel populated by Tejkarran Singh Bajaj, head, originals, Jio Studios; Priya Jhavar, senior creative director, Applause Entertainment; Mrinalini Jain, executive VP, business and content, Banijay Asia; Vaibhav Modi, founder, director, Victor Tango Entertainment; Vidyuth Bhandary, studio head, Dice Media, Pocket Aces; and Piyush Jha, filmmaker and author.
The event also featured chats with Girish Dwibhashyam, COO, DocuBay; Aamir Mulani, founder and CEO, Playbox TV and Asit Kumarr Modi, founder and managing director, Neela Films Productions. A chat with Barun Das, MD and CEO of the hard-hitting news service TV9 Network, yielded the information that the organization’s streaming app News9 Plus has been launched and also that there are plans to expand internationally.