India At The Annual Carnival Of Cinema

In the Modi 2.0 era, the Indian government’s participation and funding of Indian attendance at film festivals and markets must be streamlined with a farsighted and goal-oriented policy.

- Bhuvan Lall

INDIAN CINEMA AND ITS PRESENCE at the world’s most important film festival held annually at Cannes usually exists in a parallel universe to the other important events in the glitzy seaside town in the south of France. Almost two hundred Indian filmmakers, stars, producers, and distributors make the yearly trip, aiming to crack new deals and sign off co-production agreements. But only a small number returns the next year. This year was no different.

The main setback was that there were no Indian films selected in the important sections of the festival. For the record, no Indian film has been in competition since 1994 and an Indian filmmaker has never won the Palm d’ or Prize at Cannes. Nevertheless, the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) had stylishly kept the enthusiasm for Indian cinema at Cannes alive for three consecutive years between 2010 and 2013. The India pavilion had the highest footfall and there was a measurable success for Indian participants in the networking events held every day from morning till evening. The thoughtfully curated panels and discussions led to firm handshakes and possible future collaborations.