Thursday, April 14 2005 12:42 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New York: Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan said that the Indian film industry requires more "discipline" and needs to emulate the west to market its products and find a larger global audience.

Bachchan, who is in New York in connection with a 12-day retrospective of his films and is to be inducted as a "goodwill" ambassador by United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF), blamed the lacklustre performance by Indian movies in the mainstream theatres in the US on poor marketing techniques, language and cultural barriers.

The fast growing economy of the country, Bachchan said, provides growth opportunities for its films if the producers come together to market their products.

"I've always believed that whenever a country becomes economically strong, everything about it suddenly starts noticed...with the opening of the economy in India, suddenly Indian clothing, Indian food, Indian films have started to be appreciated and liked all over the world," the 62-year-old star of more than 150 films said.

Lamenting that India's producers and directors are too individualistic, he said, "We need to market it much better and a lot of discipline is required for that. The West and particularly Hollywood have been masters for that."

"The Americans have a very good marketing system and pattern in place, which can, and should be emulated," he said, adding that the Indian film industry too should work united and in a corporate fashion like its counterpart in the US.