Hindi
Film institutes cater to commercial needs, repress creativity
MUMBAI: Even the government-run Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) in Pune and the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI) in Kolkata are now gearing towards fulfilling the needs of the market instead of concentrating on creativity, speakers at the open forum organised by the Indian Documentary Producers Association (IDPA) and the Films Division said here.
Most of them said, however, that there is little doubt that film institutes like FTII and SRFTI have played a major role in nurturing fresh talent.
But they also said that the aim appears to be to just produce people who can be absorbed by the market as the institutes in the private sector are doing. The speakers were divided on how an idealistic situation can be achieved. Opinions differed with regard to whether the government should have a role to play in the film institutes or they should only be in the private sector.
Renowned filmmaker Mani Kaul, one of the earliest to graduate from the FTII, said the regimen at the institute has become very controlled when compared to the years he was there. He said there was greater opportunity at that time for aspiring filmmakers to interact with filmmakers and writers. Kaul also said that the students in his time benefited from the films of the National Film Archives of India.
He maintained that the courses at present are too structured, only aimed at producing people who can be absorbed by the industry. It is necessary to give the students a chance to pick their own style.
Kart Inderbidgin, who heads Subhash Ghai’s Whistling Woods International in Mumbai, did not agree on giving open space to students as they would spend their time outside the campus, though he admitted that it is an idealistic dream. However, he said that after the first few semesters, the students are given time to plan things on their own. He felt that there has to be some discipline in any institution. He suggested the corporate houses come forward to sponsor students for the courses since the fee is very high in the private institutes. “After all, it is they who want the filmmakers,” he added.
He regretted that the FTII is always facing student unrest, and said this is perhaps one reason why India has not been able to compete on the world market, prompting Kaul – who was conducting the discussion – to remark that Indian cinema has managed to retain at least 93 per cent share in Indian theatres leaving less than ten per cent for Hollywood, unlike European countries which are almost totally dominated by Hollywood.
Meghnath who is an independent filmmaker without training from any institute said the future of the institutes and their products will be decided by the market and those who have the purchasing power.
While he was worried that the voice of the silent majority might not be heard since not all can afford the institutes, he was happy that new technologies haves democratised filmmaking. Thus, many new entrepreneurs are entering the field without formal training. But he also admitted that the institutes have a role to play to produce good filmmakers.
Shyamal Karmakar, a faculty member of the SRFTI, said there is little doubt that the institutes are necessary as they have produced a lot of talent. But the private institutes are far too expensive. He also agreed with Kaul that there is a need to give some open space to the students to interact with filmmakers and writers. He said that the institutes have also resulted in more filmmakers taking the risk of experimentation with newer stories and ideas.
Jeroo Mulla who teaches cinema as part of the mass communications course in Sophia College said that a good outcome of the institutes has been the entry of a large number of women filmmakers. Stressing that institutes are necessary, she agreed that it is ultimately the market forces which decide everything.
Kartikeya Talreja of Digital Academy said the craft can be taught but not the art which is inherent in those who entered the field. “And art flourishes where the money is,” he said. But citing figures from the FICCI-PWC report on the future of Indian entertainment, he said the future is very bright and there are more opportunities than ever before.
Vidyarthi Chatterjee, a film society enthusiast, said there is dire need for the state to support the film institutes.
Onkar Lal Sharma who is a cine writer and an executive committee member in the Film Federation of India suggested that universities start courses in cinema instead of just leaving this to the institutes.
Hindi
GUEST COLUMN: Why film libraries & IPs are the new engines of growth
Unlocking value through catalogue strength and IP synergy
MUMBAI:In a media landscape defined by fragmentation, platform proliferation, and ever-evolving audience behavior, the economics of filmmaking are undergoing a fundamental shift. No longer confined to box office performance, a film’s true value is now measured across an extended lifecycle that spans digital platforms, syndication networks, and global markets. As content consumption becomes increasingly non-linear and algorithm-driven, film libraries and intellectual properties (IPs) are emerging as strategic assets, capable of delivering sustained, long-term returns. For Mohan Gopinath, head – bollywood business at Shemaroo Entertainment Ltd., this transformation signals a decisive move from hit-driven models to portfolio-led value creation. In this piece, Gopinath explores how legacy content, when intelligently repurposed and distributed, can unlock recurring revenue streams, why the interplay between catalogue and original IP is critical, and how media companies can build resilient, future-ready entertainment businesses.
For all these years, we thought that a film is successful if it performs well in theatres. There are opening weekend numbers, box office milestones, and distribution footprints that gave a good picture of how the movie has done commercially and also tell us about its cultural impact. However, there are multiple platforms today, always-on content ecosystem, which has caused a shift. Today, the theatrical performance is not the culmination of a film’s journey but merely the beginning of a much longer and more dynamic lifecycle.
Film libraries today are emerging as high-value, constantly evolving assets that deliver sustained returns well beyond initial release cycles. This becomes a point of great advantage for legacy content owners with diverse catalogues, to shape long-term business outcomes.
According to FICCI-EY, the media and entertainment industry of India achieved a valuation of Rs 2.78 trillion in 2025 which is expected to reach Rs 3.3 trillion by 2028 through a compound annual growth rate of approximately 7 per cent and digital media will bring in more than Rs 1 trillion to become the biggest sector which generates about 36 per cent of overall market revenues.
This shift is the expansion of distribution endpoints. We know how satellite television was once the primary secondary window but today, it coexists with YouTube, OTT platforms, Connected TV, and FAST channels. Each of these platforms caters to distinct audience demographics and consumption behaviors, helping content owners to obtain more value from the same asset across multiple formats.
For instance, films that had great reruns, now find continuous engagement across digital platforms. On YouTube, classic Hindi cinema continues to attract significant viewership, reaching audiences across generations and geographies with remarkable consistency. At Shemaroo Entertainment, this is reflected in our film library shaped over decades as part of a long association with Indian entertainment. From classics such as Amar Akbar Anthony to much-loved entertainers like Jab We Met, Welcome, Dhamaal, Phir Hera Pheri, Dhol, Golmaal, and Bhagam Bhag, many of these titles continue finding new audiences while retaining their place in popular memory. Their enduring appeal reflects how culturally resonant stories can continue creating value over time. Similarly, FAST channels have created curated, always-on environments where catalogue content can continue to thrive through star-led and genre-based programming.
This multi-platform approach has very well transformed films into long-tail IP assets which are capable of generating recurring revenue across advertising, subscription, and syndication models.
The evolution of audience behavior is equally important. Nowadays, it’s more important to find what’s more relative than what’s recent as viewers are more influenced by mood, memories, and algorithmic suggestions than by release schedules. Even if a movie was released decades ago, it can trend alongside a newly released movie, if surfaced in the right context. Thoughtful packaging, whether through festival-based playlists, actor-driven collections, or genre clusters, allows catalogue content to remain dynamic and continuously discoverable. Shemaroo Entertainment has built extensive film libraries over decades and its focus has mostly been on recontextualizing content for the consumption of newer environments. This process doesn’t just include digitization and restoration, but also re-packaging of films as per platforms.
Syndication itself has evolved into a key growth driver. In perspective, when looking at the domestic market, curated content packages continue to find strong demand across broadcast and digital platforms. Meanwhile, in the international market, especially in markets like Middle East, North America and Southeast Asia, the appetite for Indian content is opening up new monetization avenues. Here, the ability to package and position catalogue content effectively becomes as important as the content itself.
Importantly, the need to re-package catalogue content does not diminish the role of new content. In fact, originals and fresh IP are essential to sustaining the long-term value of a film library because they act as discovery engines that bring audiences into the ecosystem, while catalogue content drives depth, retention, and repeat engagement.
This interplay between the “new” and the “known” is what defines a robust content strategy today. While new films generate spikes in consumption, catalogue titles offer familiarity and comfort. These are factors that are increasingly valuable in an era of content abundance and decision fatigue. This is also shaping our strategy, drawing value from both a deep catalogue assets and a growing focus on original IPs to strengthen long-term audience engagement and build more predictable revenue streams.
There is growing recognition that long-term value in entertainment will be shaped not only by how intelligently existing content continues to live, travel and find relevance, but also by how consistently new stories are created to renew that ecosystem. In that sense, film libraries and original IP are not parallel bets, but reinforcing engines of growth. For media companies, the opportunity lies in making these two forces work together, because that is increasingly where more resilient and predictable businesses are being shaped.
Note: The views expressed in this article are solely the author’s and do not necessarily reflect our own.
