Consider the Source

Col Needham, founder and CEO of IMDb, one of the most popular movie sites, talks about why he had to visit India and watching Kedarnath in a cinema in Mumbai

Q. IMDb has been around for 28 years. What took you so long to come here?

A. India is our No. 2 country in terms of user base. I live in Bristol, UK, which used to hold that position. We are a customer-driven company, so we go where they are. India has seen amazing growth in the past couple of years. The aim is to talk and listen to industry influencers and understand what they want. Also, the interest in Indian cinema and shows is not just from users within India but throughout the world.

Q. What do Indians tend to come to IMDb for?

A. What’s fuelled the growth is that people are not just visiting to see Hollywood and global cinema, but also to look up locally produced Indian films, in particular, the regional cinema. There are four regional films in IMDb’s top 10 list [Ratasan, 96, Mahanati and Rangasthalam]. Last year, we have seen a 200 per cent growth in terms of monthly active users visiting regional titles. Interest in Indian TV series has also grown.

Q. What’s the first Indian film you saw?

A. Lagaan.

Q. You sat through an almost four-hour-long film?

A. It’s not the longest film I’ve seen. Gangs of Wasseypur is not exactly short. I saw part I and II back to back, the only way to see it. I am a huge believer in seeing a film with an audience. The energy you get, the laughs in a comedy and the tension in a thriller. But when I can’t, I do have a nice home cinema which gives me a good experience.

Q. Have you managed to see a film on your visit here?

A. Yes. I saw Kedarnath in theatre, without subtitles. The beauty of that film is that you can still follow it. There was the huge action for which I didn’t need dialogue. I was amazed how the story was told visually. I could see the father, the mother, the sister and the drama.

The interest in Indian cinema is not only from users within India but throughout the world”