Masterclass series weighs in on which stories travel, and which don’t

'Think of a film like 'Monsoon Wedding'. It is about three unlikely love stories that come together to conquer the obstacles in their way,' Farukh Dhondy said, underlining how themes and aspirations can be universal, even when the settings are local.

Panaji: Storytelling is universally loved, but not all stories travel easily, said well-known writer Farukh Dhondy at a panel discussion on Saturday, the fourth day of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa.

He named Slumdog Millionaire and Salaam Bombay among the films that had resonated with audiences far removed from where they were set. That is because, he said, they were about poor people in Mumbai making it in “some significant, dramatic way”.

“Think of a film like Monsoon Wedding. It is about three unlikely love stories that come together to conquer the obstacles in their way,” he said, underlining how themes and aspirations can be universal, even when the settings are local.

Bobby Bedi, producer and director, who moderated the panel in the masterclass series, said he was now working on a musical with A R Rahman, which he believed would have universal appeal. “It is based on a little poem,” he said, and suggested scale was necessary to appeal to audiences not familiar with the original locales. 

He spoke about Avatar, “a small story that becomes a super story,” and mooted the idea that it had gained worldwide popularity because of the spectacular scale on which it was made. 

Bandit Queen, for which the London-based Dhondy wrote the script, worked across the world because, the writer explained, it was about a low-caste woman who had fought for her rights. “People all over the world recognised that,” he said. 

Actor Thanishtha Chatterjee said emotions and themes matter more than anything else, and even films rooted in the specifics of a culture stood a good chance of travelling beyond their borders. 

Dhondy agreed, citing the example of reggae, and how people everywhere could relate to Bob Marley’s explorations in the form. “It is what he is saying. When he says ‘Get up, stand up,’ he is telling you to stand up for your rights,” he said. 

Talking about stories without universal appeal, Dhondy cited the example of the TV soap Kyunki Saas Bhi Bahu Thi, explaining that many women were striving to come out of the shackles that such stories sought to place them in.

Anna Saura, Vani Tripathi-Tikoo and Lucy Walker were the other panellists. The 55th edition of the IFFI, which opened here on November 20, concludes on November 28.