Vast scope for showcasing parallel cinema: Shabana

LONDON: India must chalk out a plan to tap the vast scope for showcasing the country''s parallel cinema globally, actress and MP Shabana Azmi said here.
"With the rise in the number of multiplexes, the chances of the parallel cinema being screened world-wide has increased suddenly," she said, adding Indian cinema was the only one "which withstood the onslaughts of Hollywood."
Asserting that Indian cinema is the ''biggest ambassador'' of India, she said, "Now is the time to showcase it to the world."
Shabana, who has acted in over 140 films and is part of the celebrated quartet of ''New cinema'' icons along with Smita Patil, Naseeruddin Shah and Om puri, said there was also tremendous potential for co-production of films between India and Bangladesh.
Fifty-three-year old Shabana''s debut coincided with the birth of India''s parallel cinema - independent non-mainstream films that began to appear in the mid-70''s.
In broad terms, parallel cinema, also known as new cinema, adopted a naturalistic mode to tell grassroots stories propelled by strong social purpose.
Shabana, the actress-cum-activist, regretted that the quality of prints of Indian films provided by Directorate of Film Festival at various international festivals was ''poor''.
"It is extremely important the government realised that the retrospective films have a limited shelf-life and the Directorate needed additional funds to have updated prints of well known old films."
Shabana said the success of ''Lagaan'', India''s first Oscar-nominated film in over 40 years, and efforts of its producer and lead actor Aamir Khan have contributed a great deal to popularise the Indian cinema globally.
Shabana, who is here on a nine-day visit to participate in the launch of a month-long retrospective of her films at the National Film Theatre here, is also a key speaker at the Capitalwoman 2003, organised by Ken Livingstone, Mayor of London, as part of the International Women''s Day celebration today.
Her films being screened at the retrospective include Anjuman (Congregation), Mrityudand (The Death Sentence), Khandhar (The Ruins) and Ankur (The Seedling).
Replying to questions, Azmi said she has the greatest admiration for Booker Prize winning author and activist Arundhati Roy. "She has the guts to stick her neck out. She is a wonderful writer and uses this tool in championing the causes she ardently believes in."
Shabana, who has carved out a distinctive niche in Indian cinema, would also speak at Oxford on ''Challenges Facing Indian Secularism.''
Shabana is a champion of rights of women, minorities, displaced slum dwellers and AIDS patients.