46 Independent Filmmakers Demand Fair Screenings For Indie Films After Limited Release Of Kanu Behl’s Agra

Kanu Behl recently expressed his disappointment that his critically acclaimed film Agra did not get shows. He took to his X (formerly Twitter) handle and wrote that they were "denied shows because of the so-called ‘big blockbusters’ and because small films ‘don’t fit into’ multiplex chain programming." He urged the audience to speak up and tag the chains, saying that they want to see the film.

Following this, the filmmaker released a joint statement signed by several notable independent filmmakers, including Nandita Das, Vasan Bala, Payal Kapadia, Rima Das, Nandita Das, Alankrita Shrivastava, and Shonali Bose. In the statement, they called out the theatrical and OTT systems.

46 filmmakers unite after Kanu Behl's Agra is denied shows

Behl took to his Instagram handle to share the statement, and captioned it, “A Joint Statement from India’s Independent Filmmakers. Time to speak up! If we choose not to from here, then we will all be responsible for the collective erasure. Share widely and amplify.”

The statement read, "Over the last decade, Indian independent cinema has carried the country’s creative identity to the world — premiering at Cannes, Venice, Berlin, Sundance, Locarno, Rotterdam and Busan. These films have expanded the idea of what Indian stories can be. They have been celebrated globally for their honesty, courage and craft. And yet, within India, these films continue to fight simply to be seen."

In their statement, the filmmakers also pointed out that it is not about Agra getting a limited release; they called "this is part of a long-standing systemic pattern affecting all independent films in India."

They also stated that "small and mid-budget films across languages face "limited screenings, ⁠morning-only or weekday-only slots, sudden show cancellations, a lack of transparency around programming decisions and imbalanced prioritisation of big-budget releases."

Call out OTT platforms

Calling out the OTT platforms, the filmmakers said that they "now increasingly rely on theatrical performance as a prerequisite for acquisition", which creates a "closed-loop ecosystem where independent films are asked to “prove” themselves in theatres while simultaneously being denied theatrical access."

They called it "unsustainable", and it is "shrinking India’s cultural space" and is "eliminating entire generations of independent filmmakers."

Have a look at the full statement here.

About Agra

Agra had its world premiere at the Directors’ Fortnight at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival. It bagged multiple awards, including the Special Jury Award at the Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival, Best Indie Film and Best Actor at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne, and Best Film and Best Actor at the 2024 New York Indian Film Festival.

It stars Priyanka Bose, Rahul Roy, Mohit Agarwal, Adhiraj Sharma, Devas Dikshit, and Vibha Chibber, among others.

Despite the challenges, the film released in theatres on November 14.