Big B, 3 Idiots iconic in Japan too

Bollywood badshah Amitabh Bachchan and Rajkumar Hirani’s ‘3 Idiots’ aren’t just popular icons in India, but in Japan too. Korean-born filmmaker Lee Sang-il, who makes films on Korean settlers in Japan, said that he is a huge fan of the Big B and the recent  blockbuster ‘3 Idiots’.

Lee is showcasing his film in the 44th edition of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in the ‘Country Focus’ section which features Japanese films.

Twelve new Japanese films made in the last three years are being screened at the festival, which includes Lee directed Ken Watanabe-starring film ‘Unforgiven’. “It’s my first time in India and I feel great to be a part of this film festival,” he said.

He also pointed out to a unique trait in the Japanese film market, where he said it was not the director who approached producers with projects. It is actually directors who are selected as per the requirements of the project, he said.  Kiyoshi Kurosawa, whose film ‘Real’ was also screened at the festival said that the movie fit the fiction, horror and suspense genre, but it also had unique drama in it too.

“My film is uncommon. But it is a reflection of Japan and the variety that is rich and somewhat related to Indian films,” he said. He further sought to dispel a misconception that Japan is all about horror films.

“There are many violent movies made in Japan but the audiences have an impression that Japan is the hub of horror films. In reality, the number of horror films made in Japan is few,” Kurosawa said, who further stated that he loves the work of Guru Dutt and Satyajit Ray, India’s cinematic geniuses.  Takashi Nishimura who was also present at the media conference said that roughly Japanese movie industry made around 400 films annually.