4 min readPanjimNov 28, 2024 06:29 AM IST
First published on: Nov 27, 2024 at 07:57 PM IST
FOR actor R Madhavan, it was “very flattering” that the world premiere of his next, Ashwin Dhir-directed ‘Hisaab Barabar’, was held during the ongoing 55th International Film Festival of India (IFFI), Goa, on Tuesday.
“We are lucky to have our film premiere here. In times to come, many will love to have their film premiere at the IFFI. It is becoming one of the most aspirational film festivals of the world,” said the actor, who is currently serving as the president of Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) Society and chairperson of the Governing Council.
When asked about taking charge of FTII, Madhavan told The Indian Express: “It is a huge responsibility. The FTII is a fantastic organisation. It’s one of the best in the world. We have to make sure students become part of the film industry as soon as they graduate because the vistas are changing so quickly. We should make sure that the institute prepares them for that. So that more relevant students come out of FTII and gain prominence in the film industry.”
Increasingly, Indian filmmakers have been eyeing international glory. Commenting on that Madhavan said: “We are mostly following the yardsticks that have been set by the western world” to measure success or quality of a movie. “A lot of times, the measuring of our talent is based on how they (West) look at it. We have to develop our own tools and ways of showing how Indian culture has been depicted,” the actor said, adding, “Look at the way Korean content has achieved a worldwide following.”
When asked about the poor performance of the Hindi film industry this year, Madhavan said, “After the pandemic, Bollywood has not done well this year. Look at the number of disasters they had. It is not the quality of content that’s coming out. It is the kind of content coming out. If Korean content can find its way to the nooks and cranny of India, we obviously have to reflect on what we are doing wrong.”
Madhavan, however, believes that “this won’t last for long”. Dismissing the speculation that Hindi film industry is facing a crisis, the actor said: “I am of the opinion that films will never be in danger. There is a beauty to community viewing and sharing the experience with a large group of people in a room.” He was hopeful that filmmakers will “understand the kind of storytelling that’s required” to draw the audience and work on it.
Even though Indian movies and series have been getting appreciated on international platforms, they are yet to create a significant space for themselves. “Popularity is something that every artist wants irrespective of the corner of the world it comes from. We appreciate international artists and the same should happen with content being created in our country as well,” Madhavan said.
The actor-producer believes that India has some of the “greatest storytellers” and they should “project the country that they represent and the values that they hold dear to them”.
Dismissing the speculation that Hindi film industry is facing a crisis, the actor said: “I am of the opinion that films will never be in danger. (Express Photo) 
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