Documentary films finally get their due

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Filmmaker Malini Danait

Documentary film director Zhou Hao says that a documentary is a story about the relationship between a filmmaker and his subject. And recently, this relationship seems to be getting stronger with many first-time documentary makers finding recognition.

Be it the latest talk of the town, Superman of Malegaon by Faiza Ahmad Khan or Chaiwala by Manali Danait, young documentary makers are finding their way to fame. “Filmmakers have often said that there is no audience for their kind of cinema and audiences have grumbled about the lack of creativity in this genre. But I believe that there is enough of both — the missing link seems to be the connecting chord,” says Faiza Ahmad. Otherwise an event and advertising professional Faiza’s three-minute documentary is yet to be released though it’s already attracted enough attention through Youtube and Facebook.
Faiza insists that mainstream cinema audiences are interested in documentaries and a proper platform could bring in the profits for the young documentary makers.
Says first-time filmmaker, Manali, “Not every director can afford the marketing budget, but creative ideas for publicity can generate enough promotion. Also an interest in such films is growing and a niche audience is in the making.”
While social media forms the perfect marketing platform, today directors are finding creative outlet and money earning possibilities in documentaries, but filmmaker S. Gargi, remembers a time when the mere mention of a documentary film would receive nothing more than a boring yawn or an indifferent shrug. “Earlier films would come and go without ever being noticed. The technology cost used to be high and there were hardly any sponsors. Things only look better now,” he adds.
Editor of the documentary Leaving Homes, Nimish Gaur shares, “There should be a slot for these films on movie channels.” While the posters for Leaving Homes were missing, Manali is working on a different concept for a poster for her upcoming documentary Inhi Logon Ne. “And I hope to see it outside theatres too,” says an excited Manali.