Filmmaker Imtiaz Ali enlightened the audience at The Ashok in New Delhi on how South Indian films have emerged as a market, however, Assamese films are still lagging behind with many problems.
When asked about South Indian Films are doing way better than Assamese movies, despite the fact that both industries were established almost together in the 30s, the Bollywood director reacted saying, “Cinemas don’t operate in isolation or in a vacuum. They are a part of many things. One must have noticed that many things are similar at the same status in the South, East or West. However, there are many infrastructural things which need to get improved. There are many things which need to come to a certain level of popularity including the Cinema. Apart from creating a Cinema, there are many aspects like distribution, the number of theatres, the whole pipeline of Cinema theatres and distributors, makers, presence of finance, that the whole market has to get ready. It takes a while; the South film industry has done it over a period of time. Moreover, they have survived because they have a very faithful audience base that comes to the theatre and watches movies. In the South, the audience take charge and take action, if anyone caught doing piracy. Also, there is also a difference between the flavour of East and the South. There is more delicacy and sophistication in movies from the East, while, the South can also grab your attention very fast with its stories.”
Meanwhile, commenting on originality and struggle in regional filmmaking, Ali advised the Assamese industry not to lose its originality.
"No matter what culture you come from, please don't lose your originality; if you do, you will have nothing new. The only reason people come to view films is because of their distinct fragrance. I don't think the Assamese artiste should lose its scent in order to develop the industry," remarked Imtiaz Ali at The Conclave 2023 during an interview with Pratidin Time Managing Director, Smitakshi B Goswami.
In contrast, when asked about the female characters in his films, Ali stated, "I don't think there is a process where I am aware of creation that creates them. I believe they are the result of my preoccupation with female characters rather than male characters (laughs). In some ways, I strive to portray what I see in real life in my films. I've encountered powerful girls who are silent and know far more than their male counterparts, but they don't say anything because they don't want to upset the other person. These elements are also present in some of my films, but not on purpose."