Corporate-Bollywood nexus killing regional cinema: Dir

The nexus between Hindi film industry and corporate houses are killing regional cinema in the country, and the situation is no different in Northeast, said award-winning filmmaker from Arunachal Pradesh Ehsan Mazid.
Mazid, who has directed 'Sonam', the first-ever feature film in Monpa language of Arunachal Pradesh, which had won a Rajat Kamal in 2005, said that what Bollywood produces is no cinema at all,
"It is important that we know what cinema is. There is no support for me and regional filmmakers like me. There is a distribution problem as there are not enough theatres across the country that is keen to show our films," Mazid said on the sidelines of IFFI here.

Arup Manna, whose film 'Adieu' marked the conclusion of the Northeast section at the ongoing film festival, said that filmmakers and producers must learn to promote their films in such a way that they reach the national and international audience.
"The decreasing number of halls in Assam means that we must be able to promote our cinema across the country especially in festivals," Manna said.
Dondor Lyngdoh and Gautam Syiem, whose Khasi short film 'Ka Lad' was screened at IFFI, rued the absence of a professional atmosphere in their state.
"There is very little support from the government for films while professional actors, technicians and equipment are non-existent," the duo said.