22nd Pune International Film Festival: 'Film Festivals Will Always Hold Importance'

Panellists at a session titled 'Future and Importance of Film Festivals' at the 22nd Pune International Film Festival (PIFF) unanimously emphasised the enduring importance of film festivals, irrespective of the rise of OTT platforms. Participants included Edvinas Pukasta, festival programmer from the Black Nights Film Festival in Tallinn, Saibal Chatterjee, an Indian film critic, Vijay Shankar, the artistic director of the Bangalore Film Festival, and Abhijit Randive, a member of the Film Selection Committee at PIFF. Dr Jabbar Patel, director of PIFF, moderated the discussion.

Chatterjee underscored the uniqueness of films showcased at international festivals, stating, "Most films featured in such festivals are not available on any OTT platform, making them distinctive and significant."

Shankar furthered the discussion, noting a shift of film enthusiasts from old film societies toward film festivals. He highlighted the importance of film selection, the celebration of directors, and the establishment of networks within the filmmaking community as factors contributing to the importance of reputable film festivals.

All panellists emphasised the role of film festivals in providing a platform for films from smaller countries that may lack access to OTT platforms. PIFF itself is showcasing over 140 films from 51 countries, including many from smaller nations.

Pukasta emphasised the interactive nature of festivals, stating, "Festivals are the only platforms where an audience gets to interact with the directors. This interactive nature cannot be replicated on any other platform."

Randive echoed these sentiments, stating, "Film festivals are an exploratory journey for the audience, helping them understand the meaning of a film to them." He also highlighted the role of festivals in giving exposure to Marathi and regional films that may struggle to find producers or distributors, providing them with an audience and recognition.

'Actors shouldn’t be obsessed with themselves'

In a candid interaction with the audience, actor Manoj Bajpayee challenged the common notion that actors should be obsessed with their appearance. He asserted that concentrating on one's looks can distract from the character portrayal, noting, "The moment you start thinking about how you are looking, how your mouth is twitching, you stop concentrating on your character."

Bajpayee disclosed that he avoids looking in the mirror or at the monitor during his performances. "Very early in my life, I realised that mainstream doesn’t need a face like this, but mainstream will definitely need a craft like me," he remarked, emphasising the importance of focussing on acting skills over physical appearance.

The seasoned actor shared valuable advice for aspiring actors, encouraging them to train in music and dance to enhance their craft. He particularly highlighted the significance of singing, citing it as a crucial skill for excelling in theatre.

'Marathi film industry needs to be star-driven'

Speaking at a session titled 'In Search of New Marathi Films,' actor-director Riteish Deshmukh expressed his opinion that the Marathi film industry needs to be star-driven for it to succeed. He stated, "OTT platforms do not pick up Marathi films, and they do not generate significant revenue from satellite channels. Therefore, the Marathi film industry should become star-driven."

Deshmukh continued, "Maharashtra has a large Marathi population. However, Marathi films don't perform as well as they should. For that, all the big studios should come together and collectively produce 12 big movies a year. If a big film is released every month to a month and a half, the audience will also turn up in large numbers."