NFDC, created to promote the cause of good cinema movement in the country, made a name by supporting newer talents and intelligent and meaningful films, many of which earned wide acclaim. However, due to paucity of funds, NFDC, which earlier co-produced films such as Gandhi, Salaam Bombay, Train To Pakistan and Dance Like a Man, could not produce a single film since Rajat Kapoor’s Raghu Romeo released in June, 2004.
“In the last few years we could not make movies as we did not have adequate funds. However, the government stepped in two years back with financial support. That’s how we have begun production again,” says an upbeat Nina Lath Gupta, MD of NFDC, adding that they have some more interesting co-productions in the pipeline. “While The White Elephant and Lucky Red Seeds are expected to release this year, pre-production is going on for As The River Flows, Naye Joote and Bubblegum,” she informs.
“After a long time NFDC is coming out with a film and the industry is looking forward to it,” says Babul Supavitra, executive producer of The White Elephant. Filmmakers Govind Nihalani and Buddhadev Dasgupta, are excited as well. “I see it as a positive development. The ball has got rolling, now we have to see how far it goes,” says Nihalani, adding, “It’s good to see that the co-production model along with an independent producer has been put into place. It should give fillip to many good filmmakers who may not find favour with private producers.”
However, Nihalani cautions that the agency should stress more on marketing, so that people should come and watch their films, something which is also echoed by Komal Nahta, editor, Film Information and The Film Street Journal. “Initially, they should have stressed more on creating awareness,” he says about Darjeeling.
Though Darjeeling hits the screen the same day as Kunal Kohli’s Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic, those associated with it say Thoda is no competition. “It’s a different market we are targeting. We are primarily going after the multiplex audiences and there we feel the film has a very good chance. It’s an interesting film and once the audience watches it there would be lot of word-of-mouth publicity,” says Soumo Ganguly of Moxie Entertainment, a co-producer.
The film stars Kay Kay Menon, Rajat Kapoor, Vinay Pathak, Sonali Kulkarni and Sandhya Mridul among others. It revolves primarily around a newly-wed honeymooning couple, where the husband goes missing from Darjeeling and what happens next.
While Gupta says its USP is the unusual story and the cast, Nandy adds that his film’s a tribute to the oral tradition of storytelling. The actors are excited too. “My character is one which any actor would die for. I’m looking forward to it,” says Kulkarni. “If promos of Via Darjeeling say anything, then one can expect a really intelligent film,” adds trade expert Taran Adarsh.
