Director Hemant Gaba, whose debut film "Shuttlecock Boys" is finally set to hit the theatres after a year-long wait, says independent Indian filmmakers find little support in a market dominated by big budget movies.

"Shuttlecock Boys" revolves around the lives, successes and failures of four friends, who play badminton every night. "My film is finally releasing on August 3. I have waited more than a year for it. It is the story of every independent filmmaker. Such films are low budgeted and we don't have
enough money for publicity and promotions. The situation is grim for independent filmmakers," Hemant told PTI.

"If you don't have a brand backing, then it gets really difficult. There are at least 20 such films that I know of which are awaiting release," he said. The filmmaker admits that the situation is changing but it will take some more years for indie films to be accepted completely and have hassle-free releases.

"Things are looking up. This year we had a film like 'Malegaon Ka Superman' which has done really well. There is a dedicated audience. It will take some time before it changes, may be another four to five years," he said. Hemant said that big budget Bollywood ventures make it almost impossible for filmmakers like him to convince corporate houses to back their films.

"Our films are not like the ones produced in Bollywood, which have huge budget. Even the regional film industry has its own market and doesn't face such problems. It is just us. When I approached a corporate house, they asked me to bring one crore for promotions. Now how can I get so much money
when my budget is just 35 lakhs?" he said. PTI