First time artifacts from outside are sold in India: Tuli

Neville Tuli, chairman and founder of Osian`s Connoisseurs of Arts, spoke to Shivangi Singh and Tanu Talwar on the vision behind Osian’s.

Never before have Indians had a chance to compete with International Collectors on new terms. Now it’s made possible all thanks to Osian’s. An India based auction of antiquities in the 21st century has been organized as a part of the 11th Osian’s Cinefan Film Festival at the Taj Mahal Hotel in New Delhi.

Neville Tuli, chairman and founder of Osian`s Connoisseurs of Arts, spoke to Shivangi Singh and Tanu Talwar on the idea behind holding the auction as well as the vision and aspirations behind Osian’s.Spicezee: Where do you see Osian’s at this point of time? Tuli: Osian’s tried to create an infrastructure for films, which was lacking in India. Although our country boasts of 6000 years of creativity, we never believed in preserving art. Osian’s came into being in order to function both as a corporate organization as well as an institution for art. But now, it’s is not just an auction house or an archive. You can see it’s an institution - perhaps the country’s largest - with sponsorship from the government. It is a USD 250 million company now, which operates on a cost-subsidised framework. The auction house generates wealth by sale of art and related material. The archive spends it on enhancing knowledge pools. It took us at least 20 years to build the platform. Spicezee: Do you think there has been a marked change in the taste of the audience with regard to films and art? Tuli: Yes, but the change has not been sudden. It happened gradually. Earlier, no one wanted to see a film that did not belong to the mainstream. Now sensibilities are changing. India is at a threshold where you want to see and have more but the goods are not delivered. Demand for alternative cinema is rising and we are catering to this demand. Today audiences want to see a film like ‘Dev D’ and ‘Love Aaj Kal’. Spicezee: What has Osian’s in store for aspiring filmmakers? Tuli: Osian’s has been created as a take-off platform for those filmmakers, who have the vision but not the means. Boundaries are being broken now; youngsters surprise us with their creativity. Directors like Anurag Kashyap, Imtiaz Ali started with small projects. Economics is no more an issue if one is aspiring to make cinema. Today a movie can be made in minimum budget. All of us should know that we are first and foremost creative individuals. Osian’s showcases the works of creative aspirants, who come under the scrutiny of the established masters and this way they get the perfect opportunity. Spicezee: Please tell us about the Osian’s auction, which is being hailed as a first-of-its-kind event in India? Tuli: It is the first time that artifacts from outside are being sold in India. You will find miniatures, sculptures, masterpieces of Modern and Contemporary Art by Husain, Souza, Paniker, Biren De, Bakre, Broota, Bhupen Khakhar in the auction. Spicezee: Are you planning to showcase Hollywood films in the film festival? Tuli: No, we mainly deal with Asian films as of now. Hollywood cinema already has enough infrastructure and platform, radical minds and young filmmakers. They have massive means to showcase their work. We are focusing on films that are good but due to financial and publicity constraints are not given much leverage. Spicezee: What is your criterion of choosing a particular film to showcase in the film festival? Tuli: There is no criterion. A good film is a good film! We choose a film not because of its screenplay or direction or camera techniques but due to its overall appeal. It should be well made and the director’s viewpoint should clearly come across. It’s not the storyline but the director’s vision that makes a film a worthy watch.