Films were again a topic of discussion during the bilateral meet between the leaders.
In his meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdo an on Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke about the need to harness the potential of the regional film industry in India.
"Turkey has also become a popular destination for shooting of Indian films and for television industry. While we should definitely encourage two-way tourism, the industry should explore wider possibilities in this area. One example could be to reach out to our Regional Film Industry which is equally vibrant," said Modi, during his address at the Turkey-India business meet in New Delhi.
Films were again a topic of discussion during the bilateral meet between the leaders. "There was a conversation between the two leaders about promoting tourism and films. The strength of the Indian film industry was mentioned. The Indian film industry that includes regional films from various regions, apart from the popular Hindi films that produce global blockbusters have a host of opportunities in the Turkish entertainment industry, which also produces powerful films that are commercially successful. It was agreed there is a great opportunity in cooperation in the cultural and entertainment sector," said MEA spokesperson Gopal Baglay.
The Turkish film industry, with a concerted push from its tourism sector, has hosted a list of high-profile Hollywood releases. These include Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Ben Affleck's Argo, Tomas Alfredson's Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, the James Bond film Skyfall, to name a few. Indian movies like Ajab Prem Ki Gajab Kahani, Baby, Mission Istanbul, Guru, Ek Tha Tiger, etc., were shot in several parts of Turkey, with Barfi! enjoying a particularly successful run.
To attract filmmakers to the country, the Turkish government has provided for express visa on arrival and made customs clearance for film equipment hassle-free.
President Erdo?an said he's looking for more Indian tourists than the 79,000 who visited Turkey. "Come to Turkey for your honeymoon. We would like to host you," he said, adding that there are plans to increase destination flights to India.
The popularity for Indian films in Turkey started (and peaked) with Raj Kumar's Awara, which was the first Indian film to be screened in Ankara in 1956. With a domestic film industry in decline, Indian films became very popular in the 1980s.
Film curator and writer Latika Padgaonkar says that akin to the Indian film industry, Turkish films too have registered commercial success, with a robust parallel cinema. "The movies are well-written and, are daring and liberal in attitudes. The films are psychologically brave and socially strong; they bring out the evils of Turkish society," said Padgaonkar.
When popular Pakistani television dramas like Aunn Zara, Humsafar, Zindagi Gulzar Hai were discontinued on Indian screens, Turkish TV shows like Fatmagul and Feriha found a loyal viewer base among Indians.
Trade analyst Komal Nahta says that the move is a good opportunity in an untapped market for India. "The Turkish market is not a formidable one at this point. But this move can clearly help us build one," said Nahta.
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