Award-winning Bollywood star Vivek Oberoi says he is now producing movies because he wants to make films the major Indian studios won’t touch. Oberoi’s first feature in his new role as a producer is ‘Watch Indian Circus’, which had its world premiere this week at the 16th Busan International Film Festival. The movie is competing for the festival’s main New Currents award. ‘Watch Indian Circus’ follows the fortunes of an impoverished couple who dream of one day being able to afford to take their children to the circus. Set against the backdrop of a corrupt local election, the film at its core is an often hilarious celebration of the human spirit.
Tickets to screenings have been among the hottest items going in Busan this week. Oberoi said he was drawn into working with the Sundial Pictures production house because of a shared desire to make an “Indian” movie rather than a “Bollywood” movie. Bollywood films are noted for their trademark high drama, song-and-dance numbers and their focus on romances and the reimaging of ancient legends. Oberoi said economics dictated that Bollywood had to appeal to its massive domestic audience’s hunger for escapism. So the big studios generally avoided productions which leaned towards social commentary or social realism. But Oberoi stressed that didn’t mean his acting career was over and he is now preparing for his role in ‘Krrish 2’.
