Govt, cultural societies can play important role in making of non-commercial films: Majid Majidi

Acclaimed Iranian director Majid Majidi says Indian filmmakers who want to make movies that fall outside the commercial cinema domain should take the help of the government and cultural societies in their creative pursuits.

Majidi, the director of Oscar-nominated Iranian film ''Children of Heaven'', said many filmmakers have often complained that the commercial aspect of filmmaking has proved to be a hindrance.

''I guess the role of government and cultural associations, societies are very important here. They need to invest and keep aside a special kind of budget just for these types of movies. This would help in making some movies that are more inspirational and be more effective for the people, not commercial,'' the filmmaker said.

''Slowly and slowly they can train their audience to move towards such kinds of stories that can play an important role in the future,'' he added.

Majidi, 64, was speaking at an in-conversation session with actor Ishaan Khatter at the ongoing Jagran Film Festival here.

Cinema is art as well as industry where every movie needs financing, said the filmmaker, whose vast body of work include titles like ''The Color of Paradise'', ''Baran'', ''The Song of Sparrows'' and ''Beyond the Clouds''.

''Of course, some movies are not commercial, maybe spiritual, they might not get as much audience as commercial movies get... Many Indian directors came to me saying that they came to cinema because they were inspired by 'Children of Heaven' but unfortunately they could not make it because of the commercial aspect of filmmaking,'' he added.

According to Majidi, filmmakers also need to have resilience.

''They have to be strong and determined to reach that point. Don't forget, India gave one of the biggest filmmakers in the world, Satyajit Ray,'' he added.

Speaking through an interpreter, Majidi said he ''found India through Satyajit Ray's cinema''.

''I was very much interested in Ray's cinema... Not only me but one of the biggest filmmakers of Iran, Abbas Kiarostami, was also influenced by Ray's work and the Indian industry.

''You have a great treasure. Maybe Bollywood and the Indian cinema doesn't know the value of this treasure that you have here in India,'' he added.

Majidi said the reason for making his 2017 movie ''Beyond the Clouds'', which marked Khatter's debut as an actor, in India was Ray.

''The reason for me, a filmmaker from Iran, to come to India and make a film here was Satyajit Ray. It's like I owe something to him and I came here to pay it back.

''There are many similar cultural and cinematic aspects between India and Iran. Since my cinema is very familiar to Indian people, I feel very great, especially when I see the enthusiasm from young people.'' Over the years, many young filmmakers from India came to him for counselling and advice to start their journey in Indian cinema, he said.

''That's why this idea came to me that if I want to start Majidi Cinema Academy, there is no place better than India. I hope one day it happens,'' Majidi said.

At the film gala, Majidi is being honoured with a cinematic retrospective, which will screen his movies such as ''Children of Heaven'', ''The Song of Sparrows'' and ''Beyond The Clouds''.

The Jagran Film Festival will run in the national capital till Sunday.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)