Matter of time before Indian cinema 'goes the global way' - Mani Ratnam

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CHENNAI: Observing that Indian films did not lack the wherewithal to impress global audience, noted filmmaker Maniratnam today said it was only a matter of time before Indian cinema ''goes the global way'', and said he was ''very positive'' that Indian directors could achieve this.

''It is only a question of time before Indian cinema goes global in our own way.All we need is a group of directors who can make engaging contemporary cinema.I am very positive and hopeful,'' he said during an interaction at FICCI Frames 2009, a Media Business conclave, here.

He said celebrated Tamil film directors like Bharathirajaa and Mahendran had churned out memorable heart-rendering films such as '16 Vayadinile' and 'Mullum Malarum,' respectively. They made realistic yet successful films, he said and expressed confidence that another group of promising filmmakers across the country would follow suit to receive global acclaim.

Lauding Tamil cinema, he said it has "grown by leaps and bounds" in the last two decades with directors from small towns stamping their authority with quality offerings.

Popular director Govind Nihalani, while stressing for good content in a movie, said story telling was not mere chronicling of events or the plot but an "experience the filmmaker gave to his audience."

"With the story, the director brings craft and aesthetics. A film is a complete integrated experience the director brings to his audience," Nihalani said.

Noted Hindi film director Kunaal Kohli, maker of 'Hum Tum' and Aamir Khan-starrer 'Fanaa', rued that Indian cinema was suffering from a "disconnect" with common man in the themes of the films being made.

Scriptwriter Anjum Rajabali, who made critical comments about Indian cinema, said Indian films lacked originality and said even the postmortem of a film's failure focused more on the marketing or other strategies but rarely dwelt on the "failure of the story or the content".