THINK LOCAL, ACT GLOBAL

It seems Hindi cinema is not only embracing regional ethos in an attempt to become more authentic, but it is also grabbing eyeballs internationally like never before. But are things really changing for the better? We talk to some of the key players

- ANANYA GHOSH

Guneet Monga Kapoor,

Film Producer, Founder of Sikhya Entertainment

Guneet Monga Kapoor, who founded her production house, Sikhya Entertainment, in 2008, has over the years emerged as one of the most influential and prolific indie film producers heralding a new era in Indian cinema—cinema that is local in its essence but global in its reach. She is the producer of the 2023 Academy Award-winning documentary short, The Elephant Whisperers, and the executive producer of the 2019 Academy Award-winning documentary short, Period. End of Sentence. She is also one of the main forces behind India’s Cannes glory over the recent few years with movies like Gangs of Wasseypur, Peddlers, The Lunchbox and Masaan. She was also one of the first producers from India to be inducted into the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (2018) and was conferred the Chevalier dans l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Government (2021).

What is the most interesting bit about being an Indian producer today?

There is so much that is unexplored; there is so much to do. I could make The Lunchbox because I raised money in France. There is this treaty between India and France that was signed in 1985, but people hardly knew about it; I was the first one to use it in 2011 for The Lunchbox. The Elephant Whisperers is the first Indian documentary to win an Oscar. Kill is the first Indian film that has been released by an American studio and we are distributing it to around 80 territories across the world. There is much that we have not done; so much we have not achieved. As a producer, there is so much to learn from other countries and implement those in India to benefit our cinema. We have the talent and the technicians; it is just that very few people are willing to take the big risks.

And what is the most challenging part?