Films should adapt to the times — British critic

Malcolm said he had "sympathy" for serious film-makers like Adoor Gopalakrishnan and Shaji N Karun since they did not get many chances to show their films at festivals and to the public. "The government here may be funding the productions, but is not creating opportunities for screening," he said.

He was of the opinion that directors like Adoor and Shaji could continue making films only if their work was recognised. "You cannot expect Adoor to make a musical to attract more audience. There should be a way for them to get back the money spent on a film."

On the present stature of Indian cinema, Malcolm said it was natural in the filmdom that countries "go in and out of fashion. Of late, Iranian cinema is being celebrated. India is not much in fashion at the moment."

Malcolm said the theatres in Britain were showing Indian commercial films nowadays. He said that it was difficult to promote South Indian cinema abroad as the Westerners found them slow and melodramatic.

Westerners were more at ease with the style of Bengalis, which was why Ray was accepted to an extent. He also said the prints being sent from India to the festivals abroad were "dreadful".

He said with a responsive audience and a good film culture in Kerala, small festivals like IFFK could make its presence felt. The organisation of the festival could get better if it were to have a permanent venue, he said.

Malcolm said parallel film-makers in India should no longer depend on support from the government to produce and distribute films. They should take the support of small networks for this purpose.

On the IFFK inaugural film All about my mother by Spanish director Pedro Almodovar, which also got the Oscar award, he said everyone should be grateful to Pedro who had bridged the gap between commercial and art cinema. The film was successful commercially and at festivals. "Even Ray himself never could do that," he said.