Indian cinema can open doors to anywhere in the world: Dr Bhuvan Lall

For many years, Indian cinema has played a central role in reshaping societal encounters. The commitment of cinema on the big screen lies in delivering an engaging encounter that embodies innovation, fresh ideologies, and a dedication to transformation. In this context, Dr Bhuvan Lall, an acclaimed author, producer, and creative entrepreneur, shared his journey of experiencing the evolution of cinema, transitioning from a conventional narrative to a visual spectacle, and exploring its profound impact on emotions, cultural subtleties, and social investigations.

"The film industry of India is the single greatest asset in soft power this country has ", he stated. He further explained the substantial impact of Indian cinema on the minds and behaviour of people globally. The film industry captures everyone's mind space, not only in our country but worldwide, in a way nothing else ever does. "You bring a film star into a room full of people, and you will see how it will raise the room's temperature and emotions, " he added.

Furthermore, he explained his ideas on how Indian Cinema contributes to a global audience, transcending national borders. "The film industry as a whole has created an image for our country without any government support across seven seas in places where you can't find people speaking our language, but they know about our Cinema." 

India produces the largest number of films, and we sell the most tickets. Nevertheless, the emergence of extensive OTT platforms has further propelled our content industry, marking a significant surge in influence and true strength. He explained, "If you go across the border at a political level, they may have some issues, but when you discuss Indian Cinema, they are on the same wavelength. They love our songs, they love our actors, they love our stories. Today, we have created an industry that can open doors almost anywhere in the world."

Moreover, in the Indian Film Industry, the challenges are far more varied and complicated as the lack of knowledge, government intervention, and increasing competition lead to a significant downfall in how people perceive cinema. He explained, "We have neglected our film industry and are not utilizing it properly as we still focus too much on the politics of the world." To support his thoughts, he also shared one instance, when Indian Cinema completed 100 years, he got a proposal on 26th January to celebrate and honour the Indian cinema at the parade. However, the idea was knocked out by considering it frivolous and a waste of time, as everything else was more important than showcasing one of our greatest strengths. 

He further mentioned that the issue persists due to the inflexible mindset of individuals who view films and actors as a frivolous pursuit. However, the reality is that they significantly contribute to the nation's economic activity. When someone chooses to produce a film, it leads to the employment of hundreds of thousands of people in each production, triggering a ripple effect that stimulates job creation and fosters economic growth in our country.

Presently, we are witnessing an imperative change in the Indian cinema industry as more and more audiences are accepting sensible cinema as an alternative. In this respect, he shared, "We need to re-energize our industry because our ideas are stronger and better and more considered wiser than the rest of the world, and that comes through our storytelling, cinema industry, and star system."

In wrapping up his ideas, he shared his thoughts on the evolving nature of cinema and the novel experiences it can offer viewers. "The next generation is all content driven, and it's possible that they will have to learn audio-visual production as a language because that's how they will communicate with each other, and AI will add to it too. Our future is a moving image, and we are at a critical stage where our industry, which is so advanced and unique, can contribute to world culture."