Mumbai's new film city is an economic initiative, meant to generate employment: Namit Malhotra

Q. How did the idea of setting up a new film city in Mumbai come about?

As the aspiration of Mumbai becoming a hub for global entertainment—not just India—was being contemplated, it was an easy conversation to have with the state and everyone associated with it. It was about how do we bring not just the best of technology and infrastructure, but also international people to India, and leverage our talent and infrastructure. We have been waiting for this conversation to happen because there have been times in the past where these ideas have been floated, but never made a mark. 

Q. Did you initiate the conversation or did the state approach you?

It happened together. We were engaged with the WAVES [India’s first World Audio Visual Entertainment Summit, held in Mumbai in May] summit where I was in the key group of committee members. As we were talking about opportunities, they were listening to what we were doing. The government had not fully appreciated the level of achievement we, as a company, had had—winning seven Oscars in 10 years and eight overall. A lot of those films had Indian artistes working on them. The state was incredibly excited to hear about it. They were looking for a partner [for the film city] and it became an easy conversation on both sides.

Q. What is your vision for the new film city?

The goal is to try and build a complete ecosystem. Everybody thinks a film city means just film studios. But for it to work, it has to be more than that given the kind of people and talent we want to attract. They need a supporting infrastructure—where you can eat, relax, rejuvenate. The idea is to make sure we can create a bit of everything around that.

For instance, if you want to bring international talent, where will they stay, how will they commute… so, hotels, theme parks, related attractions, places where people can hang out for a few hours. You’ve got to use the topography of the space you’ll be in to try and create a destination. Locally, within the state, within the city, from the rest of the country and other parts of the world, people should feel like if we go to Mumbai, we should see this. Just as when people go to America, they want to see Universal Studios or Disney. It should feel like it’s an invitation to do more than just walk around a film set.

Also read: True Story Films will be a conducive space for artistes to express their voices: Hansal Mehta

Q. Are you planning any immersive experiences?

Absolutely. It has to be for the masses. We cannot be investing thousands of crores for self-consumption.

Q. What are the technological advancements being planned?

There’s a lot of technology we play on—whether it’s visual effects or gaming or animation. We want to make sure we leverage all of that, and AI-led experiences. There’s a lot of application of technology. Technology itself is not something people want to consume. Immersive experiences, state-of-the-art infrastructure on how you shoot, how you post-produce, how you create a whole experience… technology has to enable all of that.

Q. What about employment opportunities?

That is the key behind it. Thousands of people within the industry and outside should be able to come and get long-term sustainability. It’s an economic initiative at the end of the day. It’s meant to generate employment and improve quality of life and all those related aspects to it.

Q. It goes well with the state’s pursuit for economic development.

Every state in the world wants it. I am glad that the Maharashtra government has taken a proactive leap. When we set up studios in the UK, Canada and Australia, for instance, every government comes to us with the same request… how do we create employment, how do we improve quality of life, and sustainability, new technology, digital-enabled stuff. This is what every progressive government of the world is looking for.

Q. What are your views on AI (artificial intelligence) and how does it aid filmmaking?

AI is just progression of technology. Without technology, we wouldn’t have been able to make the movies or do the stuff we do. To me, it’s an ingredient of what we already have. It’s the next generation of that. It’s nothing to be scared of. It’s something we must embrace in the most proactive manner because it’s going to make certain aspects of our life more convenient and more comfortable, and create new opportunities at the same time.

Q. AI also has its sceptics.

All technology through times has had its sceptics. There will be some disruption. I am more on the pro side of tech.

Q. Are there challenges that one needs to be worried about when it comes to filmmaking while using such technology?

If you break the rules, there is always the threat of how technology can be misused. Piracy hurt the industry though it was technology. There is always the other side of the coin, but it comes back to humanity being responsible for what it does.

Q. What has been the biggest disruption in the entertainment industry in the last five years?

I think streaming as a new alternative screen to monetise and consume content. Everything else has sort of been the standard way of what we have been doing. Streaming has created a whole new consumption pattern… it has changed the way people look at content.

Q. That has also affected the theatrical business, hasn’t it?

Everything happens at the same time. You get the highest box office numbers in a year when you also get the lowest footfalls in cinema. Technology now does not warrant me to go to a theatre. It’s like ecommerce or quick commerce—it’s not that people are not eating food, but do they have to go to a restaurant for that? It’s not like people are not watching content. They are watching more content… now, if they are watching it in the theatres or not, that’s a limited point. Theatres are a 100-year-old technology. The fact that something has lasted for 100 years in the same format is a miracle, isn’t it? In which other industry is a 100-year-old format relevant today?

Q. As entrepreneur-producer, what is the solution to this theatrical crisis?

Why do people call it a theatrical crisis? There is a Pushpa 2: The Rule clocking numbers, there’s Chhaava that has done great business.

Q. But that’s very few films.

What does that say? Business is not for business’ sake, it’s for the consumers at the end of the day. Any business in the world is not created for the sake of the business owner… the point is what gap are they filling in the industry. The consumer is saying, ‘Am I going to watch that movie on the big screen that is going to cost me a lot of money—with expensive popcorn and coffee—or am I going to watch it at my convenience at home with my choice of screen?’ If that is what the consumer is saying, why are we, as an industry, not adapting to it? How can any business in the world exist when you are not listening to the voice of your consumers? There’s no crisis in theatres… if we make 20 movies that are theatre-worthy—as the audiences call it today—they will go to watch them. Make those movies… that’s incumbent on the people who are responsible to do that. Earlier there was no option, but now the world has changed. Why are we not accepting that?

Q. You are producing one such big movie—Ramayana. What is the level of technology that you have used? What can one expect from the film?

Ramayana is being made as the greatest cinematic experience our country has ever had. There is no piece of technology existing in the world—at the highest end of cinematic production or storytelling—that is not being used. Everything is in play. It’s the grandest telling of our culture. Ramayana deserves that reverence and respect, and we are trying to make sure that everything we have learnt and everything we are learning is being applied in the creation of this film at the highest order. To me, it’s the culmination of my entire life’s experience, of my entire career, to make this happen.

Q. Do you want to tell more such grand stories?

Without question. The joy of bringing something so spectacular is incredible. Hopefully this brings pride and glory to India and Indians all over the world, as well as people all over the world. And once that happens, it will be hard to not do more.

Q. What is the next goal for Prime Focus and DNEG?

We have a big tech initiative with Brahma, our AI-led tech arm. We have a massive production in Ramayana and other Hollywood films. DNEG continues to be the most glorious, most well-scaled animation and visual effects company in the world. We are trying to ensure these new initiatives of tech and content come together in a way that turns things around. And that is the big step we are enthusiastically pursuing. The outcome of that will define our next phase of life, I guess.

Q. Seven Oscars in 10 years. How does that help you as a filmmaker?

It just validates the fact that somewhere we have the pulse of the highest quality or the most relevant type of storytelling that is working. It validates our belief that we are being much more thoughtful about how to curate and deliver the best outcome more than just adding it like a business. There’s a lot of pride attached to what we create.