NEW DELHI:
Russians have grown up watching subtitled Indian films starring such as Raj Kapoor, Mithun Chakraborty, Hema Malini, and Shah Rukh Khan. To rekindle this historical cultural connection, stakeholders in both countries are working on increasing shoots and screenings of Indian cinema in Russia, according to a report in the Economic Times (ET).
After Hollywood entities withdrew from Russia for invading Ukraine in February 2022, there’s a concerted effort from film production and distribution companies to pull Indian filmmakers and promote Indian films in the region.
The report quoted Sarfaraz Alam Safu, proprietor of production line company Kartina Entertainment, as saying that his company has served as the line producer for recent productions such as Sardar Udham, Pathaan, Tiger, and Jugjugg Jeeyo, all shot in Russia.
“I am also working on a film, which is a biopic of Rakesh Sharma (the first Indian in space) to be shot here, which (the movie) will be produced by Siddharth Roy Kapoor. Companies such as Dharma Productions, Excel Entertainment, Emmay Entertainment, Rohit Shetty Productions, and many more are in touch with us for several projects,” the report quoted Safu as saying.
This year, Russian authorities aim to attract a greater number of Indian filmmakers by offering discounted production costs.
“We are now like the front office or supermarket of any services for filmmakers, as we are trying to cut their production expenses as much as possible by offering a low price to shoot here,” the report quoted Evgeny Kozlov, first deputy head of the office of the mayor and the government of Moscow, as saying.
Last month, the upcoming Tamil action film The Greatest of All Time became the first foreign production to participate in the “Moscow-City of Cinema” programme, which offers subsidies to filmmakers.
Kozlov said the Moscow Department of Culture, responsible for attracting filmmakers, is establishing ties with Bollywood filmmakers.
Meanwhile, there’s an increase in the screening of Indian films throughout Russia. Apart from Moscow and Saint Petersburg, Indian films are being showcased in more than 40 venues across the country, including Arkhangelsk, Belgorod, Kazan, Penza, Saratov, Tula, Ulyanovsk, and Cheboksary.
The report quoted Mirzoyan Karen Rudolfovich, a general producer of Indian films in Russia, as saying that he hopes for the Indian films to capture around 20 per cent of the Russian films market in the next four to five years, up from less than 5 per cent now.
