To begin with, it is worth understanding what Indian cinema in general consists of. Traditionally (and erroneously) the Indian film industry around the world is called Bollywood by analogy with Hollywood. However, such a name is considered incorrect within the country. Bollywood is the only studio complex in Mumbai where Hindi movies are shot. Bollywood projects are mostly entertainment movies: glamorous musical melodramas and big-budget blockbusters.
But Bollywood is no longer the only stronghold of the Indian film industry. Other well-known national production centers in the world are Kollywood and Tollywood. Based in Chennai, Kollywood produces movies in Tamil, while Tollywood based in Hyderabad produces movies in Telugu.
In total, the geography of Indian cinema includes 16 regions where films were shot in more than 20 languages. Do you feel the scale? Thus, the West feels the power of its global rival. Although he did not immediately surrender to the pressure of the Indian film industry.
When Slumdog Millionaire (US-British co-production but predominantly Indian cast and creators) won an Oscar in 2009, the world seemed to have succumbed to Indian cinema. However, the expected breakthrough at the end of the 2000s did not materialize. Still, Indian cinema has managed to penetrate the hearts of Western audiences: the worldwide curfew (after which the Indian government became particularly diligent in allocating funds to the film industry) and the general trend and issues towards cosmopolitanism. Those who grew up in Indian cinema contributed to this.
At first glance only, Indian movies are an endless series of emotional stories filled with songs and dances. In fact, Indian cinema is increasingly talking about social issues, which also resonates with international audiences. What is the value of the series “Crime in Delhi” – a brutal and hysterical artistic retelling of a real high-profile crime that has stirred all of India. The project was acquired by Netflix in 2019 and gained popularity among Western audiences.
In 2020, streaming giants Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Disney+ Hotstar spent around $520 million buying Indian content in 2020, an increase of nearly $100 million over 2019, according to Forrester, a consulting firm.
If we are talking about online platforms, it is worth recognizing that the first to catch the new trend in Indian cinema are broadcasters who want to expand and diversify their audience. The experience of the Spanish “Paper House” also proved that for a Western audience there is no point in re-shooting European or Asian projects, because the adaptation deprives the original content of its cultural and national authenticity. It turns out that the same Netflix subscribers are ready to watch movies and series with subtitles, and for the laziest it is enough to make high-quality dubbing, sacrificing the intonation of the original actors, but keeping the spirit and style. Story.
In Russia, the situation is similar: after major Western majors have left the country, officials argue that Hollywood blockbusters should be replaced by projects from “friendly countries”, including India, among other things. At the same time, domestic platforms also showed interest in Indian cinema, almost to the point of such recommendations.
For example, Kinopoisk has two high-profile innovations: Once Upon a Time in the Cinema turned out to be a modest actress at the Western box office, but a good streaming life in Russian realities, and RRR, a huge -Fifty-million Indian action movie that made triple the money. This three-hour saga not only impressed a mass audience, but also captured the attention of sophisticated moviegoers. There are several solid video analyzes on YouTube that prove why this movie can be considered an outstanding example of the genre.
Next month, Amediateka will add Indian projects to its catalog. The service announced the simultaneous release of three series: “The 1992 Scam: The Story of Harshad Mehta”, “Frontier: Inner Siege” and “Undekhi”. A pack of high-rated Indian dramas will also appear in KION online cinema in August.
Do not lag behind streaming and TV channels. For example, the melodrama “The Lot of Women” aired on the daytime broadcast of TV-3, the most famous and longest running TV project of the Indian TV channel ZEE TV, on July 25, rethinking Jane Austen’s “Sensation and Sensibility” in a movie. starting. new way. Successfully airing for the past 8 years, the series has proven to be equally warmly received by local and Western audiences, and the story itself has managed to break through the cultural barrier.
As for Russian cinemas, since the beginning of 2022, six major Indian films have already been released in domestic distribution: Once Upon a Time, The Rocketeer, Vikram, Prithviraj, The Right to Love 2, The Beast, Radhe Shyam.” At the same time, Indian projects only show up at the domestic box office. It’s a mistake to think it’s settled – and only because of sanctions – Bollywood (as well as Kollywood and Tollywood) movies are also taking the Western movie market by storm. So, the aforementioned “RRR” was filmed in Australian and American rentals: according to Deadline, only $3 million and $12 million in the first weekend.
This North American rental isn’t ready to stop. Local distributors have already picked up potential hits like “Lalanna’s Song” and “Dhuin” at the Cannes Film Market.
Meanwhile, the world’s most prolific film industry delegation took center stage at this year’s Cannes Film Market.
Forbes India quotes Jerome Paillard, CEO of the Cannes film market: “We feel that Indian cinema is at a turning point in its history and has seen a visible renewal in recent years.
Considering all of the above, it is worth preparing for the fact that the Indian film industry has been with us completely and for a long time. It remains only to observe how the situation in the global and local markets will affect future content purchases.