Filmmaker Gurinder Chadha on Sunday said smaller films have little room in theatrical distribution today.
The Indian-origin British filmmaker said in India mainstream and parallel cinema have always co-existed but she cannot see that happening anymore.
"There's a great crisis globally for independent films. Those kind of smaller stories, relationship stories that aren't big on visual effects, action, they've got squeezed. It's a shame that I'm seeing that in India as well.
"I always held India up as an example of how lots of cinemas can co-exists, you even call it 'parallel cinema.' When I made 'Bend it like Beckham', it was the first 'multiplex movie'... There's room for everything. India has a tremendous film history," Gurinder said.
She was in conversation with film critic Rajeev Masand at the 10th Jagran Film Festival.
Gurinder, whose latest "Blinded by the Light", had its premiere at the festival, said she chose to stream the film online in the country rather than go for a theatrical release.
"People want to go to cinemas and experience movies. There should be no reason why they can't do that. I think there's nothing like watching a film on the big screen. But distribution is hard. The only reason I sold my film to Netflix in India is because the distribution worried me.
"I didn't know how it would make it to the cinemas. I was disappointed with how 'Viceroy's House' was released. It was only released in Hindi and I had made it in English. People kept complaining to me, asking when can they see it in English," she added.
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