Children’s films need more marketing push in India: Nila Madhab Panda

The director of ‘I Am Kalam’ has started shooting his next film in Delhi with Harsh Mayar.
His “I Am Kalam” won critical acclaim and director Nila Madhab Panda has quietly begun working on his next movie. The director’s next titled “Jal Bin Jal Pari” is an adventure thriller that will be shot in Rajasthan and Delhi.
“I have quietly begun work on my next film from Thursday. I first shoot in Delhi and then go on to shooting in Rajasthan.I am not the kind of a person who wants to make big announcements. My idea is to make the movie silently and once it is done, I am open to talking about it,” Panda says.
However, Panda says that his kind of movies he makes is not just meant for kids. “My films with child protagonists are meant to be watched by those who are 15-year-old to 75-year-old. Look at how Iranian cinema deals with movies that have child protagonists. They are so universal and don’t restrict the viewership to only children. Indian cinema
should also move towards that direction,” Panda adds.
Ask him about whether he is happy with the way “I Am Kalam” was received here and he says, “Of course, I am happy. But it’s also true that the movie could have done much better than what it has if it had got more push. In India, we are always concentrating on promoting a certain kind of entertainment fare. Children’s films have a huge market and they need all the marketing push in the country,” the director signs off.