NEW DELHI, July 21. /TASS/. Russia and India have great potential to high-quality films together, ones that don't just copy from the Hollywood playbook, Sarfaraz Alam Safu, an Indian director and producer for Picture Entertainment, said in an interview with TASS.
"India and Russia have great potential. However, major producers and market players on both sides need to temper their love for Hollywood and take some risks. I assure you that they will see what magic and what potential there is in these two giant countries, where they love cinema so much," he said.
According to Safu, since the pinnacle of Indian films’ popularity, "Indian cinema has changed and evolved technically but the style and storytelling are still the same as in the USSR time. The Russian audiences has changed. They are habituated to watching fast food Hollywood garbage,'" he said. "Like the Russian audience and makers, unfortunately, Indians are also in trap of the west."
He believes the solution is to produce films together, taking into account Russia's strong tradition in visual effects and India's experience in filming large-scale scenes.
"It will take time and patience, but this is the future," he believes. "Indians are already collaborating with Russian companies such as XOVP and Color Kitchen. There are many joint projects being implemented: after the first joint film Pearl (2025), there are 4-5 more films in development."
