Manisha Koirala, Vikramaditya Motwane Talk Convergence of Streaming and Theatrical at International Film Festival of India

As a seasoned movie critic with decades of immersion in the celluloid world, I must say that the dialogue between Manisha Koirala and Vikramaditya Motwane at IFFI was nothing short of enlightening. Their insights into the evolving landscape of theatrical and streaming platforms were not just informative, but also a testament to their extensive experience in the industry.

Notable actor Manisha Koirala (“Bombay,” “1942: A Love Story,” “Khamoshi”) and filmmaker Vikramaditya Motwane (“Udaan,” “Trapped”) recently held a discussion at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa. During this conversation, Koirala shared her intentions to write a humorous book that explores 1990s and 2000s actresses navigating Gen Z culture.

As an actor like Koirala, who was just in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s popular Netflix series “Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar,” it doesn’t matter if the project is a movie or a web series – the effort and authenticity required remain consistent. Both involve the same preparation process, mental focus, and attention to detail.

Motwane, who is known for directing “Jubilee” on Prime Video and “Sacred Games” on Netflix, pointed out that streaming platforms provide greater creative freedom. He explained that unlike traditional theatrical releases where a film must be two to two-and-a-half hours long, streaming allows you to tell a story in various ways – it could be a movie, it could be ten hour-long episodes spread across five seasons, or even twenty minute episodes.

The director behind the critically acclaimed debut film “Udaan,” shared that adapting Vikram Chandra’s bestselling novel “Sacred Games” into a series was a valuable educational experience. He explained, “Netflix gave us the book and we divided it up ourselves. It took six months longer than anticipated, but we managed to figure it out. Learning about this format, what constitutes a cliffhanger, why you need one at the end of an episode to keep viewers engaged and move on to the next.

Both concurred that streaming services have broadened the horizons for diverse storytelling and provided more substantial roles for seasoned actresses. As Koirala pointed out, “Thanks to OTT platforms and the audience alike, even in traditional cinema, older actresses are taking on significant characters.” She added, “This is possible because both the audience’s mindset and emotions have grown more open.

The director shared that his experience in streaming productions has significantly improved his productivity when it comes to making feature films. “The lessons I’ve learned from ‘Sacred Games’ and ‘Jubilee’ have actually proven beneficial for features, as I can now shoot scenes much faster. We managed to complete five pages daily. Incredibly, we finished shooting all of ‘Jubilee’, which consists of ten episodes, each an hour long, in just 90 days, even including the filming of ten lip-sync songs.

Motwane noted that the showrunner format, often seen in international series, is still new to India. “This format hasn’t quite taken root in our country yet. We need time for it to grow and develop, and this process will lead to more opportunities for new directors.

According to Motwane, the surge of personal viewing on mobile devices has influenced how content is consumed in India, as most individuals access the internet for the first time via their phones rather than broadband. Since many people prefer using their phones as their primary device, this contributes significantly to the trend of private viewing.

The session was curated by festival director Shekhar Kapur.

2024-11-24 13:46

Manisha Koirala, Vikramaditya Motwane Talk Convergence of Streaming and Theatrical at International Film Festival of India

Read More

Minority Mindset