Cannes Part I: India Filmmakers Making Their Mark, But Not The Ones You Think

Indian cinema, which was once seen as nothing more than formulaic song and dance films, took center stage at the 66th Cannes Film Festival. In the limelight was Amitabh Bachan, who held a small but prominent role in the Great Gatsby; known in Bollywood as “Big B”, Bachan is the most recognizable Indian actor alive. Actress Vidya Balan also walked the red carpet, as one of nine members of the jury led by U.S. filmmaker Steven Spielberg.  

However, despite India’s prominence at Cannes, it is highly unlikely that the rest of the world will ever see the four Indian films that were screened: two thrillers, Monsoon Shootout and Ugly, a homage to the centenary celebration, Bombay Talkies, and a love story titled Dabba (Lunchbox).  These are independent films appealing mostly to industry insiders and film buffs, but receiving no particular attention outside India or the festival circuit.  In fact, despite it being the 100th anniversary for Indian cinema, none of the Indian films screened were entered in either of the two main competitions at Cannes—a strange but revealing fact.  Indeed, the last Indian film selected to compete for the Palme D'Or prize was in 1994. 

While the independent producers making Indian language films received the awards and critical accolades in Cannes, the real trail blazers exposing Indian film making talents to the general public may be those who did not walk the red carpet, and were not invited to screen any films. 

Indian born film executive Ashok Amritraj of Hyde Park Entertainment has been playing on the world stage for decades with mainline Hollywood films, and Uday Chopra, the younger son of the legendary filmmaker Yash Chopra, co-produced and co-financed Grace of Monaco this year through his emerging Beverly Hills based company, YRF Entertainment.  The film was purchased by the Weinstein Company for a December release and stars Nicole Kidman as Grace Kelly.  It is already generating buzz as a possible Oscar contender for Best Picture, along with a nomination for Kidman as Best Actress. Not attending the Festival was renowned filmmaker Vinod Chopra, the director of “Three Idiots” reputed to be the most successful Indian film in history.  Chopra is in Los Angeles, busy in post-production on his first English language film “Broken Horses”; he is arguably the only Indian director to make this transition from Bollywood to Hollywood.  Both Vinod Chopra and Uday Chopra (no relation) are taking a financial and career risk, but if they succeed their impact will be substantial. 

Beyond Cannes, the real story may not be Bollywood or the independent films that were screened, but the impact Indians themselves are starting to have on mainstream global entertainment.