📌 Key Points
- Zoya Akhtar champions independent films, including the recent ‘Shape of Momo’.
- She highlights Bollywood’s disinterest in films without established stars.
- Akhtar advocates for an institutional push and targeted distribution for indie cinema.
- She redefines success, emphasizing artistic impact over mere box office collections.
Filmmaker Zoya Akhtar critically examines Bollywood’s star-driven ecosystem, highlighting its impact on independent cinema. She discusses the industry’s disinterest in films without big names and advocates for a new approach to support diverse storytelling and redefine success beyond commercial metrics.
Championing Indie Cinema: The Need for Support
In a career spanning two decades, Zoya Akhtar has backed more films than she has directed herself. As a producer or executive producer, she has been championing independent films for a while now. The latest of these hidden gems is the Sikkimese film Shape of Momo , directed by debutante Tribeny Rai, which was released in theatres this week. Ahead of the release, Zoya spoke to Hindustan Times about the ecosystem for indie films in India and the pros and cons of India’s star system.
So far, such films have largely seen the light of day in theatres thanks to the support of established filmmakers. “Filmmakers have been championing each other forever, and that’s not going to stop,” says Zoya. But she agrees that an institutional push for indie films is needed as well. She argues, “People are waking up to it. It’s going to find its rhythm. There has to be a distribution system that is targeted to the audience, because there is definitely an audience for these films. We have to make it accessible to that audience, and it will thrive.”
Bollywood’s Star System: A Double-Edged Sword
But Zoya adds that there is a downside to being so dependent on stars as well. “Whatever doesn’t have stars, we are not interested in that. We have to keep our star system and make more stars. Auteurs are also stars,” she says, adding that if independent filmmakers can be turned into stars, smaller films can thrive too.
One of the biggest roadblocks for indie films is the growing importance of box-office collections as a metric of ‘success’. Zoya says, “We can’t focus just on money. It’s an art form, so we need to focus on other impacts. Nobody cares how much money Kaagaz Ke Phool made or which was the biggest hit that year. But everyone remembers Kaagaz Ke Phool even 70 years later. There are different kinds of successes.”
Redefining Success Beyond Box Office Numbers
Shape of Momo, directed by Tribeny Rai and backed by Zoya Akhtar, Reema Kagti, and Payal Kapadia, is currently running in theatres across India.
Zoya Akhtar’s insights underscore the urgent need for a paradigm shift in Indian cinema. By fostering new stars and valuing artistic merit over pure box office, the industry can create a more inclusive and thriving environment for independent films, ensuring their long-term legacy.
