Atacama and other South American deserts in the Andes. “The deserts of Rajasthan could double as an Arabian or African desert location.” Even the more recognisable, some would say stereotypical, areas have potential, he said. “It is pretty near impossible to double India’s hectic cities for locations outside the sub- continent. But for Nepal, Sri-Lanka, Pakistan and Bangladesh there are many possibilities.” The best of early twentieth century filming was highlighted in 2017 as part of the UK/India Year of Culture, when the British Council and British Film Institute shared a unique collection of works dating from 1899 to 1947. They were part of more than 120 the BFI has in its archive which are said to offer “a unique picture of the country and gives eye-opening insight into the people, places, traditions and many famous landmarks”. Robin Baker, the BFI’s Head Curator,


explained at the time that it was a celebration of, not just Bollywood, but Tollywood, home of Telugu and Bengali cinema. And he explained why: “India has one of the world’s richest and most prolific film industries.” Tollywood, interestingly, was at one time the centre of Indian film production and known for producing many of Indian cinema’s most critically acclaimed global Parallel Cinema and Art Films, with several of its leading names gong on to gain, not only regional, but international acclaim. But since the latter half of the 20th


century, the Bengali film industry has declined and been overshadowed by other regional industries such as Bollywood and South India Cinema. Meenakshi Shedde, an independent film curator and journalist based in Mumbai, also gave some interesting insights at the time. “For all its success,” she said. “Bollywood has


been granted, at best, a hesitant respectability in the West. “Western audiences have typically


approached Bollywood with a sense of wary curiosity, of discovering the exotic: what is this enormous and vibrant Indian cinema, one that effortlessly subdues Hollywood? “Not that it troubles most in the


Indian film industry: Hollywood, which has swamped virtually every other national cinema globally, accounts


2.0, Shankar’s 2018 sequel to Enthiran. The cost: R570 crore, or $82 million. The 2019 action thriller Saaho - May Victory Be Yours - written and directed by Sujeeth and filmed simultaneously in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu, is currently in second place at R350 crore. But the freedom-fighter drama, RRR, which is due for release in July, is set to top that at an estimated R400 crore (US$58 million). All of which prompts the question - after being surrounded


for less than 10 per cent of the Indian market, and that has happened with none of the protective controls, quotas or subsidies that you find in, say, France, Korea, China or Iran.” Ms Shedde, who also works as India and South Asia consultant to both the Dubai and Berlin film festivals, added that, in India, films are made in 42 languages and dialects. “The mistake is to believe that there


is just one Indian national cinema, rather than a multifaceted output from an extraordinarily rich and diverse subcontinent.” The most expensive film to date is the Tamil-language sci-fi,


SHOW DIRECTORY I SATTE 2019


by all this natural beauty in their day jobs, where do the stars go when the shooting stops? There may be no better spot for a vacation than the place where they’ve spent the previous weeks or months at work, but we all need to get away. For many, it’s the Maldives, a leading


destination for Indian celebrities from actors to cricketers and has been for quite a long time. Major names such as the Bachchan family are fans, as is the actress and director known for her prolific dance choreography, Farah Khan Kunder, who stays in Kandima Maldives. And TV star Hina Khan, who


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SATTE PREVIEW 2020


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