'America is an important market for us'

The footprint of the Indian cinema industry is rapidly growing overseas, says National Award-winning filmmaker Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra. 

He stresses that while non-traditional markets are vital, the US, powered by a three-million strong Indian diaspora, remains the biggest international market for Indian moviemakers. 

“America is an important market for us. It is important for us to have a (wide) presence there as it is the final frontier for the business of films and the biggest market for us overseas,” he said.

From his career as an ad film-maker to a feature film-maker, Mehra has spent close to three decades in Indian showbiz. 

He has also witnessed the escalating demand and interest of the foreign markets in cinema from the country. 

“I remember taking Rang De Basanti (in 2006)...the market in the US is most certainly growing.

Now we have our films in the US, the UAE, Australia and Britain, but we need a stronger presence in the US and we need to go beyond the diaspora to explore more non-traditional markets (sic),” he said. 

Mehra’s last entertainer, Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, a biopic which was recently named the best popular film providing wholesome entertainment by the National Film Awards jury, was released 

in multiple territories abroad - the US, Australia, Britain, Fiji, Singapore, Thailand, Malasiya, Hong Kong, East Africa, South Africa, Indonesia, the UAE and New Zealand. 

Mehra believes that the business of Indian films is only poised to grow. 

The 50-year-old filmmaker is also credited with films like Aks and ‘Delhi-6’. 

His next offering is a musical. Titled Mirza Sahibaan, it will launch two newcomers Harshvardhan Kapoor, son of actor Anil Kapoor, and Saiyami Kher, niece of talented actress Tanvi Azmi and granddaughter of yesteryear's leading leady Usha Kiran.