Kanu Behl, Arati Kadav and Aditya Kriplani on securing minimum rights for Indie Cinema: ‘We are developing a collective’

Arati Kadav, Kanu Behl and Aditya Kripalan

Change is what Kanu Behl urged for, as he spoke to mid-day last week after his film Agra was allotted only 70 screens across the country (I will quit filmmaking, Nov 15). Within days, his appeal has transformed into an industry-wide call for action. On November 17, 46 independent filmmakers across India signed a joint letter asking multiplex chains to give their films a fair shot by providing them equitable showtimes, transparency in how the screens are allotted, and urged OTT platforms for acquisition parity. The signatories include acclaimed voices such as Nandita Das, Chaitanya Tamhane, Cannes Grand Prix-winning director Payal Kapadia, Orizzonti Award winner Anuparna Roy, National Film Award winner Rima Das, Arati Kadav, Vasan Bala, and many more.

The first step

Behl reveals that the idea of a joint statement sprung from his conversation with a bunch of filmmakers right after Agra's release. After all, each of their films, at one point or the other, had been snubbed the way Agra was. "So, we felt it was high time we came together and spoke about this in one voice," he tells mid-day.
The letter appeals the industry to make space for independent films. It points out the irony of how countless indie movies have been celebrated at renowned film festivals - Cannes, Venice, and Busan - but fail to reach the Indian audience. It highlights that small films face limited screenings, morning or weekday-only slots, and cancellations even.

A wave of reactions

The letter has received an overwhelming support from the industry, with actors, filmmakers, and writers spreading the word through their social media accounts. The reaction itself is telling, notes Behl. "If there is such a huge public outcry, it's because every single person in the town feels stifled in one way or another."
Echoing the sentiment is Mrs director Kadav. She voices what every indie filmmaker feels when she says, "Nothing in the system is designed to nurture our stories! Indie filmmakers spend five, six years shaping a film, and when it's finally ready, there is barely any space for it - not in theatres, not even on OTT, which was supposed to be the great equaliser! We're constantly told to make what ‘works', but what about what the artiste needs to say?"

Actionable change

Kadav terms the letter as "just the beginning". The plan ahead is to make a filmmakers' guild. Behl elaborates, "We are developing a collective of filmmakers, which will become an official body and will have a larger conversation about securing minimum rights for this kind of cinema."

(L-R) Nandita Das, Chaitanya Tamhane, and Payal Kapadia are among the signatories. Pics/AFP, Instagram, Youtube

Main Actor Nahi Hoon director Aditya Kripalani highlights that a formal body will give filmmakers far stronger leverage than fighting these battles alone. It will also provide a streamlined approach to champion each other's work. He cites an example from Hollywood to show how a community of filmmakers can bring the change they want to see. "Agnès Varda, Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola, Brian De Palma, and so many others were friends who backed each other's films and ambitions. The same is true of the three Mexican auteurs - Alfonso Cuarón, [Alejandro Gonzalez] Iñárritu and [Guillermo] del Toro."

Et tu, OTT!

Streamers, once considered the harbinger of a new wave of storytelling, have also been called out in the letter. It questions why OTT platforms consider a movie's theatrical performance as a prerequisite for acquisition. Here, Kripalani points out that OTT has perhaps benefited the most from indie talent. "They find all their directors for their series from indie films - be it Avinash Arun [who directed Paatal Lok], Devashish [Makhija] who is now making Gandhari, or Vasan," he shares, before making an appeal. "What would help us is if OTT platforms can keep aside some budget every year for indie films. Even if it's one-tenth of the big films, it's enough."

70
Screens across the country in which Kanu Behl's ‘Agra' reportedly opened

What are the structural reforms sought?

Equitable showtimes
The filmmakers have appealed for guaranteed accessible show slots, including one screening post 6 pm.

Public-private exhibition support
A means for filmmakers to partner with state-run cultural centres, art institutions, and alternative screening venues to create national circuit for independent films.

OTT acquisition parity
Establish pathways for independent films where theatrical performance is not the sole determinant for streaming acquisition.