‘Huge deterioration in quality of filmmaking,’ says ace director Priyadarshan

Noted filmmaker and director Priyadarshan regretted the ‘huge deterioration’ in quality filmmaking in the country blaming the rise of mobile cameras for the malaise.

Priyadarshan, who chaired the jury that selected the feature-length films of the prestigious ‘Indian panorama’ section of IFFI said that at least 50% of the 314 films they had to watch as part of the selection process were of bad quality.

“Frankly speaking, we thought it would be a very, very difficult task. But, it was not. But we have found many almost 50% of them the 314 films we saw is either when it is good in content it is bad in quality. When it is bad in quality it is good in content,” Priyadarshan who has more than three decades in filmmaking, said.

“We found a huge deterioration in the quality of realistic filmmakers now in India. It is the opinion of the jury,” he added.

“During our days, it was very difficult to get behind a camera, because you need to struggle a lot get trained, be an assistant to a writer or maybe a director or editor to become what you do to really handle a film of your own. Today everyone carries a camera in their pocket. In everyone’s mind there is a film so what is happening they are all shooting and making what they have in mind. But we can see the training is missing,” Priyadarshan said.

He was however quick to add that the films that were finally chosen were the best.

“Whatever we selected are the best and they have done a great job,” he added.

His view was echoed by Harish Bhiwani a member of the jury.

“But those that have put a lot of thought, a lot of work and where there is a good team work, we saw some extraordinary films. And those are reflected in those that are being showcased,” Bhimani said.

The Indian Panorama section is one of the flagship features of IFFI.

The aim of the Indian Panorama, organised by the Directorate of Film Festivals is to select feature and non-feature films of cinematic, thematic and aesthetic excellence, for the promotion of film art through the non-profit screening of these films in International Film Festivals in India and abroad, Indian film weeks held under bilateral cultural exchange programmes and specialized Indian film festivals outside cultural exchange protocols, etc.

“Indian Panorama actually is designed for people who want to make a realistic movie, because commercial films have enough platform. So this whole idea of Indian Panorama is that those who want to make experimental films, this is the platform for them to have their exposure,” Priyadarshan.

This year the Indian Panorama includes five Marathi, three Bengali, three Malayalam, two Tamil, two Hindi, one each of Kannada, Paniya, Pangchenpa, Khasi/Garo, Irula and others. The non-feature film section too had a similar distribution of films chosen from across the country.