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We are the world’s most populated country. And we are a nation of film-buffs too. But in the last 90 years we have won Oscars about ten times – best costume design in 1983, lifetime achievement in 1992, original score/song/sound mixing in 2009, best documentary in 2019, best song in 2023, and scientific and technical advancement in 2018.
Although we have had several nominations in categories such as Best International Feature Film, we haven’t had desired success.
The land of rich culture, the land that gave the world the epics of Mahabharata and Ramayana, and is so culturally diverse – produces a massive 2,000 films annually in more than 10 different languages.
Forget Oscars, many of these filmmakers rarely get to see their stories on screen.
Why
Now let’s break up how Oscar awards the mainstream with the Indie filmmakers.
If you analyze since the 1990s, there’s been a notable shift: more indie films (or films with indie roots) have started to dominate major Oscar categories. Among Best Picture winners from 1990 to 2023, roughly 70–80% were independent or semi-independent productions, often made by smaller studios like A24, Fox Searchlight, or distributed by Netflix/Amazon in recent years.
- Nomadland (2021) – Indie
- Moonlight (2016) – Indie (A24)
- Everything Everywhere All At Once (2023) – Indie (A24)
- The Hurt Locker (2009) – Indie (Summit Entertainment)
- 12 Years a Slave (2013) – Indie (Plan B, New Regency)
And if you dig a little deep you can see a Similar trend, independent, auteur-driven films (often dealing with social issues, historical trauma, or deeply personal stories) win more often than commercially successful mainstream films.
So, it’s not necessary that mainstream heavy budget content have to get the awards, can say recognition for the talent.
What matters is the purity through which a story is told to the world, the passion and the commitment of the team working on it, the scope for fresh minds which can bring Novel ideas, the sensibility to tell stories from heart is the key to the recognition.
There is a load of young talents out there who have the expertise to tell a story to the world, but many of these aspiring filmmakers rarely get to see their stories on screen and the reason is of access, affordability, and industry gatekeeping when it comes to producing cinematic marvel.
In hush-hush tones, industry insiders themselves discuss on how our industry has remained dominated by a few production houses… from opportunities to technology required for production to marketing channels to distribution networks that are opaque; and an aspiring cinema producer faces all these challenges, to navigating through the opaque marketing channels and distribution networks.
Digital revolution since 2010 which has enabled several sectors – banking, insurance, and even defined how we work, could flip the entire script for India.
The 2000 movies that we produce every year and also the ‘n’ number of stories which were not getting a chance to be made, could be made and reach the right audience. The producers could find a market. Could be a huge win-win for the entire industry and the economy, remember we are one of the largest industries in the world and as per estimates India’s Entertainment and Media (E&M) industry is set to outpace global growth, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.3%, projected to reach US$ 43.03 billion (Rs. 3,65,000 crore) by FY28.
By finding the missing middle
India’s film-making ecosystem disproportionately favors two ends of the spectrum: big studio-backed productions, and ultra-low-budget DIY content (often destined for YouTube).
What’s missing is a viable mid-tier production and distribution system for independent creators—particularly those working outside Mumbai or Delhi or Hyderabad and beyond established networks to boast the content produced and also the economy- both revenue ad employment.
In essence, it is not a creative hiccup, rather there are three fundamental aspects surrounding the issue.
Infrastructure: To early-stage filmmakers, which includes first-time directors, there is an excessive reliance on informal networks to find crew, equipment, and even post-production help.
Deep Pockets: Secondly, big-studios can afford to spend crores on promotions, but to independent film-makers the lack of access to the big studio, the capital and tools to even reach an audience bites very hard. We can always think that promotion can be done via Facebook ads. But who pays for it? Where to advertise it? And what is the right strategy? Should we hire a CMO or a large team?
Distribution: And even if one has an affirmative response to all the above questions, how does one tackle the distribution bottlenecks – remember, without access to festivals, very deep connect with the theatrical chains or OTT platforms, a film would never reach beyond a creator’s immediate circle. So, it’s not just a creative problem, it’s an economic bottleneck.
A generation of skilled media graduates, regional storytellers, and independent artists remains under-leveraged due to the absence of structured support systems.
A PLATFORM FOR FILM-MAKERS
India needs a digital solution, perhaps an ecosystem that offers a gamut of services – ranging from production to marketing to post-production. And that as a strategic intervention and not just lip-service or gimmick. Such a platform could serve as a middle-layer infrastructure that democratizes access while preserving creative autonomy. In effect, it mimics the functions of a traditional studio, but without the overheads, gatekeeping, or geographic limitations- A digital or Virtual Studio.
Such a platform could be what Shopify did for e-commerce entrepreneurs, or Substack did for independent writers or WordPress did for budding internet brands.
At film-festivals, often artists rue on why India can’t win so many Oscars.
Well, we don’t suffer from a shortage of creativity, but from the absence of systems that can scale creativity without sterilizing it.
India needs a digital tool that can bridge the gap between production and visibility. If such platforms can be supported and scaled, India could have the next decade or century of storytelling. And we could create more opportunities for emerging creators – from pitch to premiere.
(The author is CEO of Cinystore Technologies)
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