5 QUESTIONS
BILLBOARD
BOX OFFICE
MAKING WAVES
MEMORIES
MOVIES CHAT
QUOTE MARTIAL
REVIEWS
ROUGH CUTS
SHORT TAKES
SOUTHERN SPICE
THE LIST
WISH THE STARS
ARCHIVES

'Commercial cinema has given me all good things in life'

Puri plays the lead role, that of a Pakistani chips shop owner, in East Is East -- a film about Asian immigrants in Britain -- which is part of the 'India: Immigrant Experience' section of the festival.

"Art cinema has given me huge status, polished my skills, but in terms of money it is the commercial cinema that has given me all good things in life," says the actor of films like Arth Satya, Aakrosh and Mandi. "I recently went to Govind Nihalani's house and was shocked to see its deteriorating condition. He has no money even after making several award-winning films."

Puri acted in three British films in the last four years -- Brothers In Trouble, My Son The Fanatic and, more recently, East Is East -- besides working in a popular television serial, Antaraal. All the films were successful at the box office and My Son The Fanatic received rave reviews in Europe and US.

East Is East, which cost only 2.5 million pounds to make, has grossed 8 million pounds since its release in Britain. The total number of its prints grew from 90 to 220 in two weeks flat. Asian immigrants play lead roles in the film though Simon O'Donnell, its director, is Irish. A distributor, Puri revealed, is trying to release the film in India -- both in English and after dubbing it in Hindi.

He laughed away a question about how he, as an Indian, could portray a Pakistani. "I am an actor and am only portraying a character." He added that both the Indians and Pakistanis who watched the film in Britain laughed when his character said "bastard India" to a doctor who told him he was from India.

Puri said parallel cinema in India is going through a transition. He also felt art films could make money if they were made interesting to the audience. "People should find them entertaining even as the message goes across. In the '50s and '60s, directors like Bimal Roy, V Shantaram, Mehboob Khan and Guru Dutt made wonderful films which had songs, but also sent powerful message to the audience." The art film-makers, he said, will have to make efforts to reach the audience to earn money.

He said Indian commercial films could win an audience worldwide if its makers stop treating their topics in a childish manner. "Indian producers are callous because they know there is a market here." He also added that producers have realised the potential of their films after the success of Kuch Kuch Hota Hai that held the no 1 spot in Britain for several weeks. He pointed out that films like Taal are technically superior but their subjects are "naïve."

Earlier, addressing another press conference, Domenico Albonette of US -- who has produced Once We Were Strangers, a film about Indians living abroad -- said Indian and European immigrants in America feel a closeness towards each other. "We both have an approach to life that is similar," said Albonette, an Italian living in New York.

Once We Were Strangers is the story of an Indian bride arriving in New York to join her husband years after their "arranged" marriage back home. Indian actors Anjali Deshpande and Ajay Naidu play lead roles in the film, an Itay-US co-production.

UNI