The organisers of a film festival would have you believe that such festivals are all about celebrating films—and they very much are—but they also inadvertently evolve the film industry by opening a channel between established names and up-and-comers at the industry’s periphery. Krishna DK of the filmmaking duo Raj and DK, recently attended the Brahmaputra Valley Film Festival (BVFF) held at Guwahati as a chief guest. He is acutely aware of the aforementioned function of the film festivals, as he recalls, “Film festivals are a huge lifeline for independent filmmakers and I would be the first one to say this because when we made our film more than ten years ago, we were heavily dependent on film festivals to showcase our films to the world. Since these festivals are also attended by producers and studios, it helps the filmmakers figure out the commercial aspects of their films as well instead of just showing them to fans of cinema. That is why the (film) industry needs to support such festivals.”
The writer-director of back-to-back hit series like The Family Man, Farzi, and Guns and Gulabs, was inundated with introductions, questions about filmmaking, and networking requests from filmmakers who attended BVFF 2023. Looking back on the days when he was at the other end of the handshake, DK says, “I was running around these festivals, showcasing my film and whenever I saw anybody important I would go over and introduce myself, give them a flyer, and ask them to come watch my movie. And now, I find the same energy in these creators who are full of fresh ideas and hope. And I keep telling them to be good hustlers. It is an amazing energy that propels you forward.”
Raj and DK’s success story is concurrent with the rise of streaming platforms and long-form storytelling in India. As one of the most sought-after creators by these streaming giants, it is imperative to ask him about the restrictions, if any, a filmmaker might face in the hands of a streaming platform. Injecting a sense of pragmatism into the topic, DK says, “Ultimately it is the entertainment business right, whether it is the theatre owners or the streamers. If there is a franchise that is making a lot of money then both of them would be keen on expanding said franchise and making more money out of it. However, there is a difference in the kind of content produced for theatres and how the streaming platforms are approaching these franchises, they use a different formula.”
DK gets candid about how the OTT platforms are hunting for content with wider appeal and also elaborates on why a filmmaker should consider that. He says, “Even an independent filmmaker in Assam, with hopes of getting a streaming deal, would have to keep in mind that his story needs to be seen across the country or possibly across the world.” However, does this mean a filmmaker’s vision might have to be diluted by parameters that would help him reach a wider audience, DK disagrees with that perspective. “That depends on what diluting means here. Some films are extremely rooted but also reach a wider audience. My favourite example of that is Kantara. It is very rooted in that region and that tribal culture but it had an energy that appealed to the rest of the country so much that it became a blockbuster. However, you need to introspect if your voice is so localised and centered that it might not connect to a wider audience.” He then goes on to add, “If I might give a bad analogy,” he laughs, “You can either make a fish curry the way you like it, add more spice the way you like, or you can make it so everyone can enjoy it. But ultimately, it is your fish curry.”
While apparently, DK would like to serve his fish curry to his presently growing audience, one wonders what he might like to have served for himself. “I would like to see more original voices. Our own stories,” he says. “This is something I’ve been thinking about for a long time now. It could be a commercial film, a full-on mass masala entertainer, a love story, or a character study, but let it be original, let it not be derivative or a replica of what we see in Hollywood.”
BVFF 2023 saw one of the major OTT players, Amazon Prime Video, setting up camp at the festival to listen to pitches from filmmakers. While DK implores creators to develop original ideas, he hammers home the point by pointing out how that is exactly what the OTT platforms are looking for. “There are twenty to thirty filmmakers pitching to streamers in this festival but there are thousands of similar pitches being made outside of here. The only way you can stand out is to try and come up with something that nobody else has come up with. The point is not to create more of the shows you like. And you also have to leverage the diversity of your culture and bring out rooted stories. The idea should be to take your culture to the world, not the other way around.” DK makes a point to note how Northeast India, with its diverse and vibrant culture, is a perfect example to set the kind of rooted stories he was talking about.
Interestingly, the second season of The Family Man hinted at a possible Northeast connection in the future. Reticent to answer questions about the third season, DK explains, “Think of this as my pre-pre-recce,” he says, before adding, “The moment I got the opportunity to come to Assam, and given that The Family Man season 3 is happening here, I thought it would be a good idea for me to come and absorb the culture.” As a creator with the liberty to traverse the corners of the country and set an expansive canvas, it might look like he has been handed a carte blanche and unfettered creative freedom. “First of all there is no such thing as unlimited budget or unlimited creative freedom,” he belts out a laugh. “Even James Cameron wanted a billion dollars for The Way of Water but he only got 80 million.” And does DK have his own ‘Way of Water’, an expensive passion project? To that, he says, “We have been slowly ramping up our vision with every success, from Family Man to Farzi to Guns and Gulabs. I don’t know what I want to work on next yet but we’ll have to wait and see. I guess our dreams grow with what we’re able to achieve,” he signs off with a smile.
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