Indian Artists Drive Virtual Reality Boom in Cinema

In 2016, Adoor Gopalakrishnan, a renowned Indian filmmaker, donned a headset to watch “Right to Pray,” India’s first Virtual Reality (VR) film directed by Khushboo Ranka at the Toronto International Film Festival. After the four-minute film, he turned to the producer, Anand Gandhi, and asked, “What is the future of VR films?” This question marked the beginning of a new era in immersive storytelling.

Since then, the global entertainment industry has made significant progress in answering the early skepticism surrounding VR films. Today, at least seven major international film festivals, including South by Southwest, Sundance, Tribeca, Venice, Red Sea, BFI London, and Cannes, have an immersive category in their official selection, reflecting the growing influence of VR on contemporary cinema.

Indian filmmakers have been at the forefront of VR cinema, quickly realizing the art’s potential to put people at the center of a new frontier of perception, technology, and creativity. Khushboo Ranka’s “Right to Pray” was followed by other VR films like “The Cost of Coal” by Faiza Ahmad Khan and “Caste is Not a Rumour” by Naomi Shah and Pourush Turel, which focused on social and environmental issues.

Liz Rosenthal, Curator of the Venice Immersive programme, describes VR as “the ultimate empathy machine,” allowing viewers to step into the shoes of others. This has made VR a powerful tool for documentary activists and NGOs to highlight social, humanitarian, and environmental issues.

Poulomi Basu, a Kolkata-born artist, created “Maya: The Birth of a Superhero,” a VR installation that premiered at the Cannes Film Festival’s inaugural immersive competition. The 30-minute VR narrative explores shame and stigma around menstruation, allowing viewers to experience a transformative effect. Basu’s work combines mixed reality and virtual reality to create a cinematic immersive storytelling experience.

The evolution of VR in cinema has been marked by the growth of creators and producers who have gone through the trials and errors of the past years. Marc Lopato, co-founder of Diversion Cinema, a VR space creator and immersive experiences distributor, says, “We’re getting more mature, still very young, but getting more mature.”

Indian artists have made significant contributions to VR cinema, including Sparsh Ahuja and Erfan Sadaati’s “Child of Empire,” which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. The VR docu-drama takes viewers back in time to experience one of the largest forced migrations in human history – the 1947 Partition of India.

Gayatri Parameswaran, a Berlin-based filmmaker, has created several VR projects, including “Kusunda,” an interactive work about the endangered Kusunda language of Nepal, and “Living with the Snow Leopards,” a mixed reality documentary that highlights the efforts of local communities and conservationists to protect the endangered snow leopards.

Avinash Kumar, an XR and Artificial Intelligence practitioner, is developing an interactive VR project set in 2070 AD, where a cyborg called Meenakshi is trying to recover a lost Indian art form. These projects demonstrate the potential of VR to engage viewers and foster a greater appreciation for the preservation of endangered species and cultures.

As VR technology continues to evolve, it is clear that Indian artists are driving the boom in immersive storytelling, creating cinematic experiences that are both entertaining and thought-provoking.

Historical Context:

The article mentions the year 2016 as a significant turning point in the development of Virtual Reality (VR) films. This was a time when VR technology was still in its early stages, and many were skeptical about its potential in the entertainment industry. The Toronto International Film Festival, where Adoor Gopalakrishnan watched “Right to Pray,” a VR film directed by Khushboo Ranka, marked a crucial moment in the growth of VR cinema. Since then, the global entertainment industry has made significant progress, with major film festivals incorporating immersive categories in their official selections.

Summary in Bullet Points:

• Indian filmmakers have been at the forefront of VR cinema, creating films that focus on social and environmental issues, such as “The Cost of Coal” and “Caste is Not a Rumour.” • VR is described as “the ultimate empathy machine” by Liz Rosenthal, allowing viewers to step into the shoes of others and experience transformative effects. • Indian artists have made significant contributions to VR cinema, including Sparsh Ahuja and Erfan Sadaati’s “Child of Empire,” which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. • Gayatri Parameswaran has created several VR projects, including “Kusunda” and “Living with the Snow Leopards,” which highlight the efforts of local communities to protect endangered species. • Avinash Kumar is developing an interactive VR project set in 2070 AD, where a cyborg called Meenakshi is trying to recover a lost Indian art form. • Indian artists are driving the boom in immersive storytelling, creating cinematic experiences that are both entertaining and thought-provoking. • VR technology continues to evolve, with Indian artists playing a key role in shaping the future of immersive storytelling. • Major international film festivals, including South by Southwest, Sundance, Tribeca, Venice, Red Sea, BFI London, and Cannes, now have an immersive category in their official selection, reflecting the growing influence of VR on contemporary cinema.