Go online to get the big Bollywood break

A new website gives an opportunity to would-be film-makers in India to compete for funds to make their dream films

After reality TV talent contests for aspiring singers, there’s something like an ‘Indian Idol’ for would-be film-makers –– except that it’s on the web.

Kushal Srivastava, a 28-year-old Mumbaikar who wants to make films for a living, is among numerous aspirants, both novice and experienced, who are in the race.

To begin with, they submit three-minute clips on a theme of the month –– the current one being ‘Lost & Found’ –– to a website called Filmaka (www.filmaka.in). A jury of film personalities, including Farhan Akhtar, Shabana Azmi, Ashutosh Gowariker, Naseeruddin Shah, Rahul Bose, Anupam Kher, Vishal Bharadwaj, Anil Kapoor, Uday Singh and Santosh Sivan will short-list the best entries.

The winners get cash prizes as well as funds to make short films on given topics. These in turn will be periodically reviewed to pick a grand winner who will be funded to make a full-length feature film.

It’s a long shot to get past all the contenders, but then what are your chances of getting Bollywood to finance your film?

Srivastava, whose entry was short-listed, says it’s worth his time even if he doesn’t get the prize: “Firstly, it gives us a platform to showcase our talent which no film-making course can offer us. The fact that we get paid to make the films is the icing on the cake.”

Filmaka.in is the Indian version of a worldwide site called www.filmaka.com which has the backing of Hollywood heavyweights like Colin Firth, Christopher Sharp and Kurt Woolner.

Filmaka is the brainchild of Deepak Nayar, producer of Bend It Like Beckham. The idea came to him after he was inundated by scripts from aspiring filmmakers. “It is not possible for me to read all the scripts physically. So, I thought of allowing people to pitch their ideas by showing them in a visual medium rather than on pieces of paper,” he told DNA in an interview.
He says the online competition aims to find new talent and give them the tools to make the “next big thing”, and the idea has found some support in the Hindi film industry. Anurag Basu (director of Murder), recalls the days when aspiring filmmakers got little or no help: “When I was trying to establish myself in the industry in 1994, I knew I was talented, but had no way to showcase my talent.”

But there are also sceptics who question the efficacy of such online platforms. Aditya Nimbalkar, an executive of the production house Red Ice, says: “The chances of making a feature film or an ad by winning some competition online are minimal. If a Farhan Akhtar or Nagesh Kukunoor likes my entry and work, they will at the most take me up as an assistant.”

But young aspirants are not dissuaded by such doubts. Purva Naresh, who has made it to the final round of the international Filmaka contest, says, “After Filmaka happened to me, Deepak Nayar asked me to do a ten-part series for him. A London-based ad agency contacted me directly after seeing my work to do commercial film for a bank in India.”

Basu feels the web will feed a growing demand for new talent. “Bollywood is getting industrialised, and corporates want freelance directors to run the show. This is a golden opportunity for these aspiring filmmakers.”