It is no mean feat to get your feature streamed on a prestigious international digital platform like Netflix.
Creative Producer Prashen Kyawal is on seventh heaven with his Point of View film (first in India) Rakkosh (produced by SD Motion Pictures Pvt Ltd.) making the above cut.
Says Prashen, “The film is based completely in a mental hospital and is seen from the point of view of a schizophrenic patient (Sanjay Mishra). The movie perfectly fits the Netflix bill.”
“Our above international story appeals to people of all geographical spreads, plus since Netflix has subtitling, the issue of language is not a dampener anymore.”
“What you see on screen is exactly what and how the patient feels and sees the world, so it is very personal and raw. Priyanka Bose and Tannishtha Chatterjee complete the film’s principal cast. Abhijit Kokate and Srivinay Salian have jointly directed this 112-minute effort,” says this former tech professional turned filmmaker.
“Also, the fact that we have shot the entire film on a wide angle above (POV style shooting ) is another plus for digital, for such a camera angle best fits viewing on a smartphone or laptop, bringing it very close to our eyes”.
“No wonder we got the confidence to approach them. It is a vindication of our efforts that we got the green signal,” says he.
Does Netflix do any editing? “No, but they have their own rules and regulations for shortlisting content. The best part is that the absence of censorship frees the creative spirit of the maker. However, all the India-specific disclaimers (animal and smoking) had to go, to fit their international norms.”
“The channel is pushing the film even on its home page,” added he.
Looking ahead, Prashen now plans to release the film theatrically and on satellite as well. “We only have an exclusive digital contract with Netflix, so are free to release it in other formats. Also, the old rule that a film must first release in theatres does not hold water any more. A huge and diverse country like India affords differentiated audiences across all platforms. We just need to get to them,” says he.
“We had completed the film last year, and since then have been doing the national and international festival rounds, winning a couple of laurels as well.”
Post Rakkhosh, Prashen is now working on a couple of web series.
Wish you all the best for your Netflix release and the future!