Vivek Rangachari, Commissioning Producer, DAR Motion Pictures speaks with The Dollar Business

TDB: Why is Bollywood, increasingly, opting for Hollywood technicians?

VR: There are a few Bollywood films that are heavy on special effects, VFX etc. and require technicians from outside. Although we have great technicians here in India, there are certain genres that we feel have not yet been explored here. Hollywood has been doing these things for years and they are far more experienced in such Stuff. Lot of these foreign guys also want to explore Bollywood. These foreign technicians like to be associated with good cinema and are looking for opportunities to grow.

TDB: Does Bollywood pay these international technicians at par with Hollywood?

VR: No. They have taken a hit in India. Obviously, we cannot pay what Hollywood or any other country can pay. But as I said, they like this genre and therefore, want to see if they can make a mark in India.

TDB: What is the real perception of Bollywood movies in international markets?

VR: The international market is not very open to Indian films, although a few of our films do get appreciated. We need to change the look and feel and music of our films to appeal to a slightly wider audience and not just the Indian and NRI audience. We cannot cater to the Hollywood audience with an Indian approach as our culture is very alien to them. They will like an approach which they can grasp and understand. For our movie – The Lunchbox – we had an American editor and German music composer. All these foreign technicians made it look like a global film.

TDB: What kind of benefits do you get when you shoot at a foreign location?

VR: I think ‘Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara’ is a great example of how the Spanish government helped make the film. The makers got subsidies, but the film also helped promote Spain as a tourist destination amongst Indians. We can earn subsidies by shooting abroad, which can be in the form cash back, advertisement/promotional funds, discounts for hotel stay, technicians expense etc.

TDB: Even though India has beautiful locations, why are foreign locations considered more lucrative?

VR: I think the situation is improving, but a lot more needs to be done. Firstly, we do not get any subsidy from the government. Secondly, getting location clearance is a very tough task. I hope the situation improves and we start getting a single window clearance, which will make shooting even foreign films in our country hassle free.

TDB: Apart from single window clearance, what are your expectations for the Indian government?

VR: At the state level, entertainment tax is very high in Maharashtra. I think if GST comes, the tax structure will get simplified. But the entertainment tax needs to go down. The rationalisation of the tax structure is a must, be it VAT, service tax or entertainment tax.

TDB: We all are aware of the South Asian diaspora and their love for Bollywood. But are there other communities/countries that love Indian films?

VR: In the Middle East, lot of locals watch and enjoy Hindi films because our culture is closer to them. In Russia, only Raj Kapoor could break in. Moreover, in certain parts of Russia, Mithun Chakraborty’s ‘Disco Dance’ is also extremely popular. But we haven’t cracked more markets because language and culture have been big barriers. Even though language can be taken care of, culture is a major barrier. Our melodramatic films might not gel with them. Having said this, there are lots of foreigners, who have taken a fancy to Hindi films. Shahrukh Khan is extremely popular and Germans adore him. His movie ‘Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Ghum’ had done really well in Germany. Also, if a foreigner is watching Bollywood films from a young age, he/she might appreciate our movies. But if a middle-aged person watches our movies for the first time, he/she would just say what nonsense is this!