Shoojit Sircar stresses the need for creative excellence and global collaboration

Mumbai, April 8 (IANS) Seasoned filmmaker Shoojit Sircar called for creative excellence and global collaboration as he headlined a high-impact panel titled ‘Perspectives for Change’.

Emphasizing the urgent need for creative recalibration, Shoojit said, “People tell me that they have lost their attention span. I tell them, no… There's a four-hour show and they’re sitting there watching it. So, I think it’s creative excellence that’s going to come back. But this recalibration is what’s required."

Reflecting on the debate between theatrical and digital platforms, the 'Piku' maker added, “This turmoil… every day my filmmaker friends and I discuss what’s working, who is walking into the theatre, who is not. But I always give them my example—if there is a Martin Scorsese film, I don’t need to see the trailer. I’ll just walk into the theatre. It’s that kind of hunger that we need to create—through creative excellence.”

Shoojit further highlighted the need for industry-wide infrastructural support. “I need many players—many production houses and studios—so if one doesn’t understand my story, I can take it to someone else. That was the case pre-COVID, but now it's a challenge," he revealed.

As part of Content India’s broader mission to bridge Indian content with global markets, Sircar pointed to the need for international distribution partners saying, “I miss a global audience… My film may release on 700 screens across the globe, but I don’t have a welcoming partner there to take my film to a wider international viewership. That’s what I’m looking at for the next continental event status.”

When asked about the current discourse around adolescent content and originality, Sircar offered a candid take, “I do not go with that argument. There are many kinds of films that are socially relevant but may not have a populist approach—yet they stand strong in storytelling. The strength lies with the director and writer.”

The director did not forget to flag the rising cost of production as a growing hurdle. He emphasized the value of India’s “jugaad” mindset in overcoming financial constraints.

--IANS

pm/