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'Will you spend ₹150 for Homebound': Kiran Rao on indie films' economics, says theatrical option 'not open to most'
In her masterclass at the Dharamshala International Film Festival 2025, Kiran Rao dissected the indie film landscape in India.
As the Dharamshala International Film Festival (DIFF) 2025 came to a close on Sunday, filmmaker Kiran Rao was the highlight of the day, emphasising the need to create an infrastructure and environment for independent films to succeed. During her session, the Laapataa Ladies director spoke about everything from movie ticket prices to streaming vs theatrical films.
Kiran Rao on independent cinema
On the final day of DIFF 2025, Kiran Rao took the stage for the festival’s ‘Vision and Voice’ masterclass, where she dissected the current indie films landscape. Acknowledging that the audience's palette has “definitely broadened” with streamers taking films to a wider set of viewers, the filmmaker wondered if the same set of audiences is willing to pay to watch films.
“Will you reach into your pocket for ₹150 to go watch a Homebound or Sabar Bonda - that is the defining thing for us as filmmakers. Why do we always make these films if we do not have an assured audience? Is it really worth putting time, money and effort into making these films? And that drives me crazy all the time,” Kiran Rao said.
Kiran, who has attached her name as an Executive Producer to several independent films over the years, acknowledged “a real gap in the distribution of independent films” in India. “We all love the in-theatre experience, hearing filmmakers talk about their process, watching films together. We’re tired of watching films alone in our rooms. But the theatrical option just isn’t open to most people. That’s the reality,” she added.
All about DIFF 2025
The festival’s final day also saw the Indian premiere of Venice winner Songs of Forgotten Trees, directed by Anuparna Roy, alongside Kamal Aljafari’s urgent documentary With Hasan in Gaza. The festival concluded on Sunday after four days of cinema, conversations, and the mountain town transforming into a theatre under the stars.
DIFF 225 also saw the screenings of three official Oscar entries – Homebound from India, I, The Song from Bhutan, and The Wolves Always Come At Night from Australia. The movies were screened at Hermann Gmeiner Hall and two inflatable digital theatres by PictureTime.
There were also masterclasses by Adil Hussain and Andrey A. Tarkovsky, son of the legendary Russian filmmaker, who discussed his father’s cinematic legacy.
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