Mumbai: Actress-director Konkona Sensharma and filmmaker Vikramaditya Motwane say it’s not easy to get a release for one’s film, especially if it is non-commercial and has a women-oriented subject. Konkona, 36, says filmmaking is in itself quite a task, but it helps if the person who is making the movie is a well-known face.
“It is a difficult journey, from your first draft to getting your film released. Maybe for a person who is established, it is easier because you have contacts, you know people. “But it a is difficult journey. Especially if you’re making a film which doesn’t have a big star, or if it is not a mainstream film, or if it is about a female protagonist,” she added.
Vikramaditya, 39, said while now is a great time for making content-driven films, it’s not favourable for the release of films as there are limited number of theatres. “It’s a great time for content, it’s not such a great time for releasing films because we have limited number of theatres. Every film is running with 1-2 weeks of life in a theatre. Your film can’t sustain in that short span,” he said.
“Your films have to live for at least four-six weeks in a theatre, to genuinely make money. You see films will work for two weeks and then drop because they’re no more showcasing it,” he said.
The “Lootera” director said there is a need for more screens and better distribution of films for them to sustain and make profit. “We need more theatres. We need a better distribution sharing structure, more money needs to be trickled down to the film. There is too much money going to tax and exhibition, but very little money coming back.”
Konkona said while one can learn by looking at the journey of established directors on the process of getting the films out, it all boils down to also having an “open mind.”
“Each filmmaker is different. Sometimes you can benefit from someone else’s experiences and sometimes it may not help you much. But I think it is nice to have an open mind. You get to learn from other people’s experiences.”
Both Konkona and Vikramaditya were speaking at a special workshop ‘Filmmakers Bootcamp’ of the Jio MAMI 18th Mumbai Film Festival with Star. The initiative gives the young filmmakers a first hand primer of a journey from script to distribution. When asked how much will these workshops help filmmakers, the actress said, “Will it help them to make a film? I don’t know. Will it help them to think a little more, send it to other places? It might help them in different ways.This is the first time I am doing an interaction like this. It is not like if you attend this, your film will get made. There is no such guarantee.”
Vikramaditya said a filmmaker goes through a lot of hardships before his story finally gets a producer. “It is always difficult. I don’t think it ever gets easy,” he said. While Konkona is geared up for the premiere of her directorial debut “A Death in a Gunj” at the festival,
Vikramaditya is excited about the screening of his next film “Trapped” at the movie extravaganza.
PTI