Need to narrate homegrown stories to go international, says Vishal Bhardwaj

Mumbai: For Indian films to compete at the global stage, it's important to chronicle and present stories rooted in the landscape of the country, filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj on Monday said.

The director said Indian cinema is on the right track as films like "Newton" and "Court" have managed to leave a mark on international cinema. "We are known for 'The Lunchbox' and 'Newton', and even 'Court' has been appreciated so much outside. Till we don't start narrating our stories, we won't be able to reach the international stage," Bhardwaj said. The filmmaker was speaking at the press conference of Jio MAMI 21st Mumbai Film Festival with Star.

"If we want to compete at the international stage, we need to tell our stories. 'Court' was our story. We should also make a film on how the censor board works... It'll make a mark," he quipped. Director Zoya Akhtar, who was also present at the event, said one can't make a film with an intent to "do something new." "You can't approach something thinking 'I am going to do something different or I'm going to do something that hasn't been done before'. It's a sure shot recipe for disaster.

"You have to take a story that has moved you in some way, put that out there and transmit that in the most honest way possible," she said. The filmmaker, whose "Gully Boy" is India's official entry in the International Feature Film category at the Oscars, said today one can narrate a good story as there is an audience for it. "Sometimes those stories are not a part of the mainstream or may have been a part of the mainstream narrative.

Today with more scenes, more platforms and with the changing patterns, the audience is open to self-reflection, open to honesty. The combination of all has helped newer stories to come out," she added. The film festival will screen over 190 films from 53 countries. MAMI will be held from October 17 to 24.