NEW DELHI: Perhaps the largest contribution that the media including cinema can make to promote Brand India is to make positive and realistic films that also touch upon the developments taking place in various fields.
This was one of the main points of consensus that emerged in a panel discussion ‘Brand India : Determining the Future’ organized by NewsX (which is being renamed from next month as IMN News) in collaboration with the CEO Club of India before an invited audience.
It was also generally agreed that irrespective of whether India wins many medals or not, the forthcoming Commonwealth Games will help improve the image of the country and prepare it to host other international sporting events, apart from creating greater sportsmanship.
Those who took part included Union Corporate Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid, National Films award winner Dibakar Banerjee, KPMG India Head of Advisory Richard Rekhy, Collage Sports Management Latika Khaneja and renowned surgeon Dr Naresh Trehan. The discussion was moderated by NewsX head Jehangir S Pocha.
Banerjee said there was greater need to make films on contemporary India that reflects reality. Bollywood has to work harder to make the kind of impact overseas that a Hollywood film does in India.
In answer to another question, he said it was common to artists in all countries that they were often not allowed to say what they wanted, but that should not deter them from attempting to do so.
He also stressed that India was such a rich storehouse of original stories that filmmakers did not need to take ideas from overseas for their films. Such films would win greater laurels overseas, he said.
But filmmakers appeared to be obsessed with either dreams, or the dreary period that society may be passing through at a particular time.
He said filmmakers were aware that they could not do very much to promote Brand India, but they could at least help in creating a oneness among Indians all over the world.
The hour-long discussion also discussed several other subjects relating to politics, economy and other matters.
