BoxOffice® Pro - May 2012

WORLD CINEMA > INDIA
Chopra, managing director
of Cinema India Expo.
“Now if you go to a theater
in India, the fact that it
is a digital screen is very
boldly displayed outside
the theater and even inside
when you buy the tickets.
That is to communicate to
the buyer that they will be
having a flawless experience
watching the movie. The
upper-middle-class youth
makes a conscious decision
to see a film in digital.”
In this aggressive move
to embrace digital cinema,
Indian filmmakers are
realizing the possibilities of
3D are wide-ranging. At
first, 3D might not seem
like a natural fit in a culture
where musicals and romances are still the biggest
ticket-sellers. But India could in fact help
American studios expand their own ideas about
the technology.
“In India, there’s a sentiment that it’s not
necessary to have spaceships and aliens to have
3D,” says Chopra. “Exposure to 3D is going
from metros to the smaller towns. More and
more of the population is seeing 3D with each
passing release.” Famous Indian filmmaker
Vikram Bhatt is currently developing
two films—Dangerous Ishq and
Raaz 3—for the 3D format.
Other notable 3D projects
in India include Joker and
Sher Khan by Salman Khan
and Sohail Khan. And
Ra.One [yes, the period is
on purpose], a 3D sci-fi flick
starring SRK, gained a respectable
following in North
America after its release by
Eros Films earned it a
ATTENDEES
OF CINEMA
INDIA EXPO 2011
AWAIT A SPEECH
BY LEGENDARY
DP VILMOS
ZSIGMOND
$1.6 million theatrical haul.
It’s fascinating to compare the evolution
of India’s film industry with the changes we’re
seeing—or once saw—at home. “The multiplex
revolution came to India only eight or nine
years ago,” says Chopra. “For the first time in
India, we have malls that are exploding across
the country and hosting multiplexes. When
this economy spreads to the 1,000-plus cities
in India, the growth of screens is going to con-
tinue on a sharp incline for the next four
to five years.” The industry will have
to work very hard to keep up with
that demand for quality content.
While Indian cinema certainly
has plenty of unique voices, the
impact of American films
is not to be ignored. The
union of major Indian
production houses with
American companies such
as Fox and Viacom has led
to increased sophistication,
higher standards and shrewd
crossovers. Not only did
blockbusters like the Pirates of
the Caribbean films connect in
a big way with Indian crowds,
but Mission: Impossible – Ghost
Protocol cannily featured Bollywood
star Anil Kapoor in a
supporting role.
“Indian audiences are getting
extremely comfortable with
Hollywood films,” says Manoj
Madhavan, exhibition director
for Cinema India Expo. “We are
seeing a lot of marketing by U.S.
distributors, and the number of
U.S. films released in India has
increased each year. This can
be attributed to more Englishspeaking
residents, the growth of
multiplexes and exposure to the
Internet.”
2012 is poised to be a big
year for film relations between
India and America. The opportunities are
endless as both countries move toward a digital
future. Says Chopra, “The American industry
should open their minds and eyes and see that
there’s tremendous growth and potential.”
THE 2012 CINEMA INDIA EXPO
WILL TAKE PLACE ON JULY 23 &
24, 2012, AT THE RENAISSANCE
MUMBAI CONVENTION CENTRE
HOTEL IN MUMBAI.
ANIL
CHOPRA
(LEFT) AND
RANJIT THAKUR
(RIGHT) WORK
HARD TO MAKE
THE EVENT A
SUCCESS
56 BOXOFFICE PRO MAY 2012