The Hindu Business Line : `The idea is to set up a global market for ethnic Tamil films'

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`The idea is to set up a global market for ethnic Tamil films'

Diversity alone does not translate into great films. Film-makers sensitive to their roots or with something original to offer can bring out great films. Originality comes only with one's ethnicity and ethnic films can trigger a world market for Indian films.

MR PERUMAL SAMY SRINIVASAN, MANAGING DIRECTOR, PI PHENOMENON PICTURES, US.

According to estimates, there are over eight crore Tamils around the world. From the oldest Tamil communities in southern India and in the North-Eastern fringes of Sri Lanka, Tamils also form a major emigrant community in countries such as Malaysia, South Africa, Singapore, Mauritius, Australia, Canada, the US, and even Europe. With such a captive audience at its disposal, no wonder that some film-makers are looking at ways to crack that market.

Meet Mr Perumal Samy Srinivasan. After `divorcing' journalism early, the `rebel' from Coimbatore could not resist the pull of the visual canvas. "Well, it all started as just an adventure into a creative domain. Maybe the adventurous thought was the spark. No clue where I would end up," says Mr Srinivasan who is making a Tamil movie that starts and ends in just 90 minutes with live recording of sound on the spot. Besides Film Production Outsourcing (FPO), the young Managing Director of Pi Phenomenon Pictures, US (www.om-cinema.com), has set his eyes on setting up a global market for ethnic Tamil films.

His latest film Achchamundu Achchamundu happens to be the first step exclusively for its distribution strategy, he tells Business Line. But why ethnic films? Originality comes only with one's ethnicity and ethnic films alone can trigger a world market for Indian films, he reveals. Read on to know more about FPO, his big plans for Tamil movies, and creativity.

Edited excerpts from the email interview:

How did you get interested in moviemaking?

Well, it all started as just an adventure into a creative domain. Maybe the adventurous thought was the spark. No clue where I would end up. Fun college days transformed into serious reading habits and then took up some bits and pieces of Tamil writing. Though I had a stint in journalism, I quit in the early stages. Maybe the visual canvas in me was too large to be tamed. Basically, the rebel nature in me dragged me from Coimbatore to this industry. And along with it came the urge and freedom to share/express the intuition - be it fiction or non-fiction. Since moviemaking combines both of these, I settled down in this domain very comfortably.

As someone in the industry for almost 15 years, what are your thoughts on how it has evolved over time?

First and foremost I am concerned about this industry which, apart from being a livelihood for so many of us, gives so much of fun and entertainment to the public at large. Hence, I am also part of the good and bad implications. Only with this perspective, I attempt to analyse the status of this industry over several years. For discussion purpose let me divide film/media production into content, narration, format/technology.

Content-wise we are as strong as ever and are still to explore new domains. New minds are in the making. No worries on that front. In the context of execution/narration we may have to change gears in the very basic track of narration.

To destroy formula film-making and invent new narrative techniques are the needs of the hour. This is where we are limping at least 50 years behind. We are yet to evolve. The format for film execution has witnessed rocket-speed change in the last 10 years with technological advancement.

If black and white to colour and aspect ratio changes evolved over 70 years, then changes in camera formats - linear to non-linear, traditional to digital, 2D to 5D and many more - just appeared from nowhere. More the advancement, more is the fun for a filmmaker to step up the entertainment experience.

What about the evolution of the business side, that is, investment, marketing, distribution and exhibition?

The business segment of it is what has had a gradual evolution from day one. Of course now it has inspiringly new magical dimensions and avenues. India has recently recognised film production business as an industry, thus opening the doors for its multidimensional growth.

When we look at the ever-changing global film market and the entertainment scenario, increasing the avenues for selling the film and media content to recoup the investment are the key factors that drive the industry at this juncture.

Investment risks in film business are currently analysed with great precision and one hopes this industry would soon have great strategies in display. In a risk-mitigated scenario we would have great films being made. Thus Investor, Creator and Viewer (ICV) purpose fulfilled, and on getting there, I would like to call it a "ICV content industry."

Is there scope for FPO, or film production outsourcing, as you call it? How big is the market?

As far as the FPO market goes sky is the limit. The world over, every producer/investor/filmmaker who invests time and money into films looks to reduce the production costs for better revenue ratio.

Currently, India has the most cost-effective infrastructure for film production. There is immense potential for film production outsourcing to India, but we should strictly implement certain production and documenting procedures, involving effective domestic and international contracts, transparent accounting systems (cost reports generated every week), legal production permits (locations to Ministry approvals), etc.

Also, there is the need for a supplier quotation approval system (standard suppliers for raw materials) and, most importantly, stable costs for manpower and equipment hiring.

These costs must be set out on charts along with State subsidies which can be effectively implemented only with support of State governments and film federations.

In what ways do you think corporate approach can help the movie industry?

Corporate approach can really help this industry grow in terms of production planning, transparent investment and accounting procedures, strategising hierarchical workflow, setting up documentation procedures, strict implementation of document procedures to make people responsible. Networking the new avenues for commercial exploitation of the film for enhanced revenues is also critical.

Periodical research on film content and film-makinghas to be very methodical. Not to forget that all the above-said have to be done in coherence with the existing system of work and after thorough reading of the industry from its grassroots level.

How do you approach creativity?

Mine would be more of a serious approach, to coexist with the domestic transformation league and keep making films till we are present in the global market with our individual ethnic identity.

How does the Indian movie industry compare with its counterparts in other countries?

Diversity (like in India) alone does not translate into great films. Film-makers sensitive to their roots or with something original to offer can bring out great films. Originality comes only with one's ethnicity and ethnic films can trigger a world market for Indian films. The best example would be the Chinese films in Hollywood and now the world over. I guess film-makers should not allow themselves to be washed away by the so-called popular conventional/commercial wave where plagiarism is at its peak.

I do understand that there are challenges in getting investors for all films except typical formula-driven, star-studded films. Nothing wrong about investors' perspective, but new attempts could coexist. From a content perspective we need to put in efforts, collectively, to sort out this crisis, which in turn would translate to great films and eventually into great markets and revenues. `Collectively' would mean film-makers, writers, critics and media.

Most of the developing countries have centuries old traditional and diversified cultural roots. This means they have something of their original version to discuss about. The developing countries, predominantly among themselves, can relate to certain basic thoughts of life. Hence film-makers can afford to discuss their natural lives on the huge canvas. The advantage is we have film markets of both the developing and the developed nations. Best step towards an "ICV (Investor, Creator and Viewer) content industry."

What are the factors that come in the way of realising the full commercial potential of movies in the global stage?

I would like to list out only two factors, the way in which I read the current scenario. Plagiarism, copying a popular film from the West without even paying remake rights and then again taking those films to the international market for commercial revenues. Unfortunately, we have very few critics to guide the film-makers and their content.

Is funding a problem? How can investors be attracted to the industry?

Funding is always a problem in the film industry for new projects and film-makers. In some cases even film-makers with track record face this crisis.

Film-makers are unable to convince investors with their concept and its marketability. They are always good at only one of the two invariably. Maybe that's the reason in most cases, investors go with brand names even if their reading of a particular film is less.

Investors can be attracted to the industry only if film-makers, critics and the media can assure a risk-mitigated and a transparent workflow scenario.

What are the skills that are the most in short supply?

It looks like film-makers always believed in practical film production knowledge. Theoretical knowledge and wide range of reading habits just seems to be picking up.

Do you think that movies still have a role to play in the lives of the current generation that is so much into other forms of entertainment?

A big no would be my answer. Any day film watching is just a momentary experience by itself. At the content level it's either a fiction or non-fiction and when the content transforms into a movie, it could only be a larger-than-life drama. In modern man's mindset, dramas normally don't have an impact on life, good or bad.

Movies or other media-related visuals only elevate the viewer's emotions to the next level temporarily. Instant kick you could call it. But certain films, intentionally target only the young generation's vulnerable aspects of individual character, be it in sex or violence or hero worship. These films keep playing on everyone's mind for worse.

Where do you see the world of movies heading to in, say, ten years from now?

With all its ups and downs movies would transform into a new dimension of entertainment experience. New themes, new formats and new people would evolve from nowhere or maybe they are in the making. Changes would become permanent and movies would still exist like the food industry.

In the next movie you are introducing many firsts. What are these?

To be honest, we did not intend to make a film with so many "Firsts". It just happened when we put things together. Our current film Achchamundu Achchamundu has a Hollywood actor, John Shea, doing a lead role. A popular Hollywood villain in a Tamil film is a new format of making and one of the earliest too in South Indian films (the movie Little John was one such attempt).

The idea is to set up a global market for ethnic Tamil films and this film happens to be the first step exclusively for its distribution strategy. As one of the earliest attempts we are trying to do the film in a 90-minute format with live recording of sound on the spot.

For the first time (apart from major film markets) we are showcasing the film to many developing countries in their native language or as a subtitled version within 6-18 months. About 12 languages and 18 countries have been identified so far.

For the first time in India we are shooting in RED (it's a high-resolution digital camera). For the first time an Indian film is to be colour-corrected digitally (DI) in a studio abroad. The entire film is to be shot in the US in about 25 days with 10 days of rehearsals and this is the first in Tamil film history.

For the first time the Visual Efx team that worked for the film The Lord of the Rings is supervising the shots in this film. (Mr John Labrie and Mr Madhu Sudhanan have, along with Sahara, set up a company `Sahara QED'in India.)

And yes, well-known classical singer Sowmiya sings for the first time in movies.

That's quite a lot. What keeps you going?

Search is my middle name. Search takes me through a journey. Journey is not from one point to another; it's from zero into the space. In the content-driven industry that I am in, all creativity starts from a spark, that is, from `zero' or nothingness or nowhere. Content remains eternal even after the entire superstructure is built around the idea and brought to fruition as a final product; the content remains eternal even after the final product disappears from the scenario.

Tell us about your plans.

The prime objective of my company Om Cinema and its associates/subsidiaries in the US is to exclusively produce films (all of fictional and non-fictional concepts in various executable formats). With a clear-cut vision and pipeline projects set for the next three years, the immediate activity of the company is to set up subsidiaries in the UK, Dubai and Singapore by end-2008 for production of films with different business models, that is, outsourced from overseas, joint ventures and own banner productions.

Apart from Achachamundu and our earlier production of an outsourced Hollywood film, we are outsourcing one more feature film to be shot in India around early next year. It's a period film in Indian backdrop. The other home production is a docu-drama - Real Under World - on the cities and temples submerged under water. The research for this has been going on for more than three years on 17 different coastal places in India.

As part of the production process we are on the look out for buying rights for various famous novels and short stories from around the world to be made into feature films. In fact we have acquired rights for a few books. Om Cinema Pvt Ltd is looking to take the IPO-route by 2010.

Looks like you would be very busy. How do you zero-in on a project?

The basic element which we see in a project is its ethnic content which could be showcased to the global audience. Also, we look into unexposed ethnic content from various parts of the world, which has universal appeal. I guess it's more intuitive along with various other trade-related parameters which change from time to time.

D. MURALI

KUMAR SHANKAR ROY

(Illustration by R. Rajesh.)

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`The idea is to set up a global market for ethnic Tamil films'