Wonder why Indian cinema has become commerce driven: Majid Majidi

Panaji: Iranian filmmaker Majid Majidi, best known for his Oscar-nominated film ' Children of Heaven', is pained to see that content has taken a back seat in Indian films as directors and producers here are focusing more on commercial aspects nowadays.

The 54-year-old director-producer-writer, who is set to shoot his next film in India titled 'Floating Gardens', is an ardent Satyajit Ray fan.

"I know India through Satyajit Ray's films. I am a huge admirer of his poetic vision and style. I feel bad that we don't get to see world class cinema like the ones he used to make from Indian makers nowadays. The commercial aspect of cinema has become the priority here rather than the content.

"The soul is missing from the Indian films. The focus has shifted to making money and this has had a direct impact on quality of films that India is producing," Majidi told PTI in an interview on the sidelines of IFFI.

Majidi also feels that while directors from other countries like Danny Boyle and Ang Lee have come to India and made Oscar winning films - 'Slumdog Millionaire' and 'Life of Pi' respectively; native filmmakers are not able to deliver similar results as they are shying away from telling good stories.

"India is rich in culture. There are so many stories in India that would make amazing cinema content but somehow directors are not doing it. Foreign filmmakers like Ang Lee and Danny Boyle have come and made wonderful films in India. It shows that there are very interesting subjects and rich contents here," Majidi said, adding that he did not like Boyle's portrayal of India as it was a very "touristic vision".