The biggest problem facing the lovers of ‘world cinema’ – the term used to describe non-domestic, non-Hollywood cinema the world over – is that of access. In India, the problem is even bigger, as barring the film festivals and sundry film society screenings accessed by a niche group of people, there is practically no outlet through which anyone can access cinema from other parts of the world.

But things are soon going to change, it seems, with the television industry and market forces realising that there exists a big yet unexplored segment of movie-goers who would like to experiment with their viewing habits. In an acknowledgement to this fact, at least two TV channels dedicated to world cinema are being launched, and both online and on-ground availability of legal DVDs of foreign films is increasing.

In fact, it would be hardly surprising if filmgoers rejoice at the recent announcement by Mumbai-based Palador India Pvt Ltd that it had acquired the DVD rights of nearly 1,000 foreign films for the Indian market, which will be made available in the retail market through an agreement with Moser Baer Entertainment as well as through an exclusive tie-up with e-commerce portal indiaplaza.in for online retail of the DVDs.

Collectors’ set

The company has launched itself through three collectors’ sets  – an Akira Kurosawa collection comprising Seven Samurai, Yojimbo, Throne of Blood, High and Low and Red Beard, a Wong Kar Wai collection comprising In The Mood For Love, Happy Together, Chungking Express, Fallen Angels and Away With Words, and a World Cinema collection comprising Bed & Board (director: François Truffaut), Shoot The Piano Player (Truffaut), Dead Man (Jim Jarmusch), Down By Law’ (Jim Jarmusch), End Of Violence (Wim Wenders), Wild Strawberries (Ingmar Bergman), Summer Interlude (Bergman) and parts I to III of Infernal Affairs (Wai Keung Lau & Sui Fai Mak). 

While most of these films have been available in the pirated market all throughout at prices ranging from Rs 100 to Rs 200 per DVD on an average, this is the first time that such a collection has been made available in the legal market at a reasonable price of Rs 400 per DVD.

Palador Pictures managing director Gautam Shiknis says these films are some of the best and most-awarded films globally. “For example, classics like Seven Samurai and Throne of Blood by a master like Kurosawa, new masterpieces like In The Mood For Love and Happy Together, and the critical and commercial hit action trilogy, Infernal Affairs that has inspired the Oscar winner Departed, are some of the most famous movies.”

Harish Dayani, chief executive (entertainment business) of Moser Baer, explains, “At less than Rs 400, we will bring the premium home video titles to the Indian consumer through this tie up with Palador Pictures. Imagine you can now legally own 10 Bergman classics or 10 Kurosawas at less than Rs 4,000!” 

If this is about the home video segment, then wait – there is more. NDTV Ltd’s entertainment wing NDTV Imagine has come together with Adlabs founder Manmohan Shetty and film producer of founder of Adlabs, and producer Sunil Doshi to launch NDTV Lumière. UTV too has launched the channel ‘World Movies’, its 24-hour channel dedicated to international movies.

NDTV Lumière claims to be the ‘first movement of its kind’ in India that aims to meet the long-existing need of film enthusiasts by providing access to top quality cinema from across the world, apart from premiering the best of world cinema in Indian theatres immediately following their worldwide release.

“The movies from NDTV Lumière will also be made available across multiple platforms such as home video, a 24 -hour TV channel, pay-per-view across DTH platforms and internet downloads,” NDTV Imagine’s CEO Sameer Nair says.

NDTV Lumière also plans to organise a host of events and promotions such as lectures by well-known experts from the world of cinema, workshops for film students, and opportunities to interact one-on-one with the directors and cast of these films, offering audiences insight and a context to the film.

Moviegoers will call this development a very welcome one, and no doubt it is, especially as these are times when people are looking at exploring newer cinema beyond the routine Bollywood and Hollywood stuff. So, we can safely say now, it is time for the masters to visit our homes, and surely they will get a warm welcome from us!