EXCLUSIVE! NFDC’s Prakash Magdum: ‘It is our duty to preserve the cinematic heritage of our country, make it accessible…’

In an EXCLUSIVE interview with Firstpost, Prakash Magdum, head of National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) talks on supporting Indian independent filmmakers as the prime objective and to promote Indian cinema worldwide and what are the changes we wish to see at IFFI this year.

Edited excerpts of the interview:

What are the changes that you plan to bring about?

The mandate has become very comprehensive. Supporting the Indian independent filmmakers, has been the primary objective of NFDC that we will continue to do. At the same time, we also want to promote Indian cinema worldwide. We will work hard to preserve the cinematic heritage of our country. Apart from restoration and preservation that is done through NFDC-NFAI, we have to make cinema accessible.

How IFFI is going to help budding filmmakers?

IFFI always had two sections, Indian panorama and the international section that will be a part of the setup. At the same time, Film Bazaar is an important activity which happens during IFFI. A lot of budding filmmakers have emerged out of Film Bazaar.

Cinema is also changing. There are films made for the theatrical, for OTT, and some for the festivals. What do you have to say about that benefit?

Both theatrical releases as well as the streaming platforms we are exploring. In fact, we just have signed an agreement with Amazon where the NFDC filmography can be seen on its platform. We also are in talks with Prasar Bharati that has its own OTT platform called Waves OTT.

Lachmi Deb Roy is the Entertainment Editor of Firstpost, Network18. She reviews films and series with a gender lens. She is a ‘Rotten Tomatoes’ certified critic. Her interviews are called ‘Not Just Bollywood’ because she takes a huge interest in world cinema. She has been the winner of the prestigious Laadli Media and Advertising Award for Gender Sensitivity for two consecutive years, 2020 and 2021. OTT over theatrical releases is her preference unless and until it’s a King Khan film. She takes interest in fashion, food and art reviews too.
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