Rajat Kapoor seeks crowdfunding for upcoming film

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August 10, 2017

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Rajat Kapoor, an eminent name in independent cinema in India spoke to us about his plan of going the crowdfunding way for his new venture RK/RKay, seeking direct participation from those who wish to bring this film to life.

Even though Indian cinema has been making headlines globally for producing billion-dollar cinema of late, with movies such as Baahubali 2 and Robot 2.0 topping charts in terms of budget, this extravagance is limited to mass oriented cinema. A majority of such cinema, belongs to the league of Bollywood, starring big names against fancy backdrops and following formulas. In such a situation, the scope for creativity as well as quality in films, find itself in muddy waters. For all the individual producers as well as production houses that reject the art of cinema by viewing it as a commodity to be used for market gains, there are, however, individuals such as Rajat Kapoor who seek to find an alternative through routes such as crowdsourcing.

Kapoor, a known actor and director in independent cinema apart from being a thespian, has taken to the route of crowdfunding to find full funding for his upcoming venture RK/RKay, after searching for a few years for funding through the conventional way. “Since the kind of films that I want to make doesn’t fit into the mainstream, I have turned to seeking funding through my audience, supporters and others,” said the director who has received critical acclaim for his previous work. Kapoor reminds that this is not his first plunge into crowdfunding, “When I made Raghu Romeo, it was partly crowdfunded. However, for this film I seek to cover all costs through this method.”

When asked about the promotional activities he has undertaken to attract people to invest in this upcoming film, Kapoor states, complimenting his vision, “It has thus far remained an organic exercise. So far, we have had around 120 people making contributions.” Speaking on the film, Kapoor remains enigmatic, as evident on how he describes it in the Crowdera page where supporters of the film can donate as much (and little) as they want. “You have an image, an idea, a feeling – that is one’s starting point. It finds its material resonance in the process of making itself. For I do believe that the film makes itself. We just have to be there, around it, nurturing it, not losing the original intent – and the perseverance to see it through – and if we are rigorous and diligent, then the film will reveal itself to us.” When questioned directly, Kapoor shares “It is a film about making a film, that is all I want to reveal right now.”

Crowdsourcing, in India

Crowdsourcing in cinema, described as a democractisation of cinema funding by some, is not a commonplace practice in India, and limited to a handful of films which have been entirely produced through such a method. A legendary film in this aspect remains Manthan, made by Shyam Benegal which was not only India’s but among the first crowdfunded movies in the world, with 5,00,000 members participating with small contributions of INR 2 each.

However, in more recent times, there have been independent filmmakers in the country who have been dabbling with the concept as big production houses fail to invest in creative work that doesn’t stick to their diktats. With incentives such as a chance to meet the director, autographed posters and shout-outs on social media sites, Kapoor hopes that people extend their support to realise a piece of quality cinema.

You can contribute to the making of the film here on Crowdera.