Zoya Akhtar talks about making indie films 'accessible'
What's the story
Filmmaker Zoya Akhtar, who has produced several independent films, recently spoke about the ecosystem for such movies in India. Speaking to Hindustan Times, she discussed the need for an institutional push for indie films and the importance of a targeted distribution system. She also shared her views on Bollywood's star-driven nature and how it affects smaller films.
Indie films
'There has to be a distribution system...'
Akhtar said, "These films were occasional events...but that is becoming increasingly frequent." "Whether it was Village Rockstars, All We Imagine as Light at Cannes, Boong, or Sabaar Bonda at Sundance...it's happening constantly." "There has to be a distribution system that is targeted to the audience...because there is definitely an audience for these films." "We have to make it accessible to that audience, and it will thrive."
Star system
On Bollywood being a star-driven industry
Akhtar, known for her commercial hits like Gully Boy and Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, admitted that Bollywood is a "star-driven industry." She said, "We are a star-driven industry, and there are pros and cons to a star system." "The pros are that we survived the onset of Hollywood. We have our own stars, and we like watching them. We have a thriving ecosystem because of that star system."
Star dependency
'We have to keep our star system and make more...'
While acknowledging the advantages of a star system, Akhtar also highlighted its downsides. She said, "Whatever doesn't have stars, we are not interested in that." "We have to keep our star system and make more stars. Auteurs are also stars," she added. She believes that if independent filmmakers can be turned into stars, smaller films can thrive too.
Box-office focus
Box-office collections shouldn't be only measure of success: Akhtar
Akhtar voiced her concern over the increasing importance of box-office collections as a measure of a film's success. She said, "We can't focus just on money. It's an art form, so we need to focus on other impacts." "Nobody cares how much money Kaagaz Ke Phool made or which was the biggest hit that year." "But everyone remembers Kaagaz Ke Phool even 70 years later. There are different kinds of successes."