📌 Key Points
- Jim Sarbh portrays Titan founder Xerxes Desai in the new web series ‘Made in India: A Titan Story’.
- The show depicts how Desai challenged European watchmakers despite skepticism about Indian expertise.
- Sarbh states that Indians themselves underestimate their films, similar to foreign mindsets.
- He criticizes the notion that only Western filmmaking methods are considered “right” by many.
Actor Jim Sarbh recently voiced strong opinions on the Indian film industry, highlighting how many Indians themselves undervalue their own cinema, often due to a perceived “song and dance” element. He connects this self-underestimation to a broader bias favoring Western filmmaking norms.
Sarbh’s Role & The Titan Story Parallel
In his new web series, Made in India: A Titan Story, Jim Sarbh plays Titan founder Xerxes Desai, the man who challenged European watchmakers with India’s first luxury watch brand. A key component of the show is how Desai and JRD Tata (played by Naseeruddin Shah ) were spurred to create Titan after being told by a Swiss watchmaker that Indians lack the technical expertise to do so. In a conversation with Hindustan Times, Jim addressed how this underestimation of Indians’ skills is not just a matter of a foreign mindset.
Jim added that this stems from a notion that only one way is right, which, to many ‘cinephiles’, is the Western way of filmmaking. “It believes in a similar notion that only one way is right and that diversity should not be welcomed, recognised, and encouraged,” added Jim.
Internal Bias Against Indian Filmmaking
Challenging Western Cinematic Dominance
Sarbh’s insights underscore a critical need for Indians to recognize and champion the unique strengths of their cinema. His comments serve as a powerful call to challenge ingrained biases and embrace the diverse storytelling potential within the industry.
