With Indian films getting an international exposure, Mehta feels that the curiosity value of Indian films has shot up in the global market. According to him, the nomination of LAGAAN in the Oscars has given a renewed image of Indian cinema in the international market. He points out that Indian

film-makers have come out with their creative best in the past too, with some very thought-provoking films. Unfortunately, they did not get the right kind of exposure.

LAGAAN has also opened new markets and avenues in the overseas territory, besides the regular ones. He informs that with the growing number of multiplexes over the world, American and British companies are constantly on the lookout for software and often bank on Indian films. He feels that Indian films have an immense potential in the global market, provided they tone down their length and reduce the songs. He also suggests that scripts should be simple and the story should move on a single track, instead of diverting into too many tracks.

Another limitation according to him is that 60 percent of the films produced in India are action films, which have no takers in the international market. Action films are miserable flops in the U.K., U.S and the Gulf, he points out.

Mehta feels that Indian producers should start making films for the global market.

Mehta is also of the opinion that film exporters need not be distressed by the DVD invasion and should instead focus on the DVD market, which is predominant in U.S., Canada and U.K.. The 35mm format is now viable only for big films, it is not viable to run the smaller films on 35 mm format because of the freight charges and radio publicity, he says.

If anything, he is anxious about the rampant DVD piracy that is posing a very big threat to exporters these days. He points out that the pirated DVDs are available in the market, merely two days after the release of a film, at half the price of a regular DVD. The only solution for this problem, according to him, is the simultaneous DVD release of a film. But that will directly impact the theatrical business prospects of the film, he says.