Indian telefilms a platform for young artists
With Indian telefilms winning accolades, a clear independent cinematic trend is emerging in the country giving young directors and artists an opportunity to exhibit their creativity.
“Telefilms provide a platform to young actors and directors who do not have a godfather in the industry,” says Jayasree Bhattacharya, director of “Madur” (The Mat), which was awarded the Best Film at the Dhaka International Film Festival.
National Award winning actress Indrani Halder told IANS: “You get a chance to work on various subjects. An artist’s career gets a great boost as nowadays different television channels send telefilms abroad for screening.”
Telefilms are also laboratories, where young directors can experiment limitlessly and work according to their own convictions and instincts.
“They not only provide impetus to a youngster who is out to make a film but it is also a golden chance when you can experiment with the subject, form, content and be innovative and individualistic in the approach,” explains Parambrata Chattopadhyaya, director of “Sharote Aaj” (Days of Autumn).
Amateurs not only discover and polish their flair for direction and acting through telefilms but also succeed in conveying socially relevant messages through their art.
“Telefilms deal with the in-depth analyses and intense manifestation of socio-political and economic issues. We have received a very promising response from a distinct group of audiences always interested in watching realistic cinema,” says Atanu Ghosh, director of “Asamapto” (The Unfinished).
But too much of realism can turn monotonous and hence the proportion of reality and entertainment has to be balanced.
“People have very less time these days and will watch something only if it is interesting. If the fun element is present, viewers imbibe the message along with it,” adds Chattopadhyaya.
The job becomes even more challenging when the filmmakers are faced with financial constraints. “Devi”, a Bengali film that depicts the story of a woman who gets abducted during partition, is a low-budget one by Abhijit Dasgupta.
“The budget in which we made the film was very small and it is god’s gift that ‘Devi’ (The Goddess) has come out so beautifully. I congratulate Abhijit for conveying the message so magnificently,” says actress Neena Gupta.
Tara TV Network, owned by Broadcast Worldwide Ltd, is a Bengali channel that has taken up the initiative of organising telefilm festivals in India and abroad.
“We have organised festivals in Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, Dhaka, Houston and New Jersey and we have witnessed a tremendous involvement and response from the audience,” notes Rathikant Basu, chairman of the media firm.
— IANS
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