Prior to leaving the Cannes Film Festival and returning to India to finish work on Vishwaroopam 2, Kamal Haasan extended his congratulations to the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting and FICCI. ‘It is important that the filmmakers of today find the right people to connect with,’ he said.

Dr.Kamal Haasan graces the Cannes

‘And so it is a great initiative on part of the Ministry of I&B and FICCI to develop the programme of the India Pavilion in such a way that many important international names in the film business have been coming to the pavilion – providing Indian film makers and delegates at Cannes the rare opportunity to interact with them. The international community too will benefit from the wealth of knowledge about the Indian film sector that will be at their disposal thanks to these interactive panel discussions, these one-on-one meetings, and from the India Film Guide, which contains all sector-relevant information for Indian cinema today. As an Indian filmmaker, I am proud to have been part of this wonderful endeavour by the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting in making the India Pavilion at Cannes a hub of networking, business and informative interactions to promote partnerships between the Indian film fraternity and the global one. I am happy to know that going forward Indian filmmakers will have the support of the government in pushing forward their business and creative ventures.’

Padma Bhushan actor Kamal Haasan, who led the Indian film industry delegation at Cannes this yea said, ‘We make one thousand films a year, but our films should be in the Top 20 in the world,’ said Dr Haasan at the inaugural, as the size of the Indian film industry and the question of India’s performance in the contemporary global cinema landscape were discussed. ‘Not all our films are made with a broader vision. But today more and more new filmmakers are making movies that broaden the vision’.

Haasan lauded the new breed of filmmakers in India, who are straying from the path of the commercial mainstream formulas and said that co-production treaties allow the filmmakers of today opportunities that were unthinkable a decade or two ago. On being asked why we have not yet cracked the competition section at Cannes and won the Palme D’Or yet, Dr Haasan said “The problem is that we are a self-sufficient nation”’ He stressed that Indian filmmakers need to stop being satisfied with the familiarity and safety of local markets and start taking risks – so that India can constantly produce truly global content that is appreciated across the world.

Dr Haasan was also the guest of honour at the exclusive networking receptions at the India Pavilion, one of them hosted by the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Government of India, and three of them co-hosted by the ministry, and film bodies, producers and filmmakers from other countries: New Zealand, Australia and Germany.

In between appearances at the India Pavilion and luncheon and dinner with key industry stakeholders, Dr Haasan made the time to watch as many screenings at the festival as he could. ‘I like watching films,’ he said.