Hindi cinema: a business
It is a common saying: ‘Cinema is the reflection of society’
If this hypothesis is true then we Indians have to mourn everything. From the loss of love to the child going abroad, tears and melodrama must be a part of our lives. We must sing songs and dance in all walks of life. We should all be very attractive in physical appearance.
To be honest, this fun ride is not a reality. We must understand that popular cinema is a business, which is based on the Indian ethos. We have the culture of plays in the form of ‘nautanki’ in the past. All the ingredients of Indian cinema like songs, dances and emotions are drawn from it.
If we see cinema not through the eyes of an aesthete but as a businessman, there are also some principles in this industry. The apothegm that ‘Content is king’ is an overrated statement. It’s all about marketing principles when it comes to money. The two main criteria before making the film that you should analyze are:
1. Budget: Big budget movies with all the big stars and razzmatazz or low budget movies with lesser known stars and less fancy stuff.
2. Type of audience you are targeting: naive small-town folk or suave, urbane metropolitan class.
A good low-budget movie for metropolitan areas should be based on Hollywood-style cinema. The USP of this movie is an exotic and tight script that is supported by talented actors. Experimental cinema and subtle emotions are the key factors for the success of the film. ‘Bheja Fry’ and ‘Hey LuckyLucky Hey!’ They are the perfect examples of this genre. You have to market the ‘difference’ or ‘Hatkepart’, which you are portraying on screen.
But if this low-budget movie is for small towns, then the music is the key factor for the film’s success. It should contain edited music videos that are connected through a simple story, probably a love story or erotic thriller. The variety in music is highly recommended, from soulful romanticism to dance to foot-tapping elements. It is preferred to only market songs as there is a sizeable portion of the audience who will watch the movie if your songs and dances entice them to get their money back. Movies like ‘Ashiqui’ and ‘Humse hai muquabala’ are good examples of this category.
If we shift our attention to big-budget movies, we should broaden our perspective in terms of audiences. Stars sell at the box office, but they are not the only essential factors for your movie to be a success. Since the stakes are high, extensive marketing is the necessary condition. Movie promotion should be ubiquitous in all sections of the media, from the Internet to television, covering brand promotions as well. Buzz about the movie is needed for the movie to run on the opening weekend to recoup expenses. The story is just as important as the cinematography, art direction, and choreography.
More importance should be given to entertainment during storytelling than to the actual content. There is a section of society that comes to see cool gadgets, fancy cars, exotic places, and designer dresses. They will help you recoup the cost of making movies in a week. ‘Kambakhat Ishq’ is a good example of a bad story presented with embellishments to sell the product. ‘Wanted’ is a perfect business plan. It has everything to entertain the common rural man, Salman as the hero, his long awaited action sequence, catchy songs, fast paced story and a bit of suspense at last.
Indian cinema has a different perspective for different people. You can call it the art of storytelling through actual cinema or entertain the masses by visualizing the fairyland that provides an escape from reality. You cannot undermine the power of cinema, which is more than literature. Power to affect the thoughts of a common man, since it is more connected to him. People don’t understand Marx, but they understand Robinhood. People don’t understand an essay criticizing Lord Macualay’s education system, but they can relate to ‘3 Idiots’. I greatly admire directors Rajkumar Santoshi, Rajkumar Hirani, Rakesh Omprakash Mehra and Neeraj Pathak, who are champions of delivering a message in popular cinema. They are giving hope to reverse the antediluvian aphorism.
I firmly believe that, in the future, Sociedad could be a reflection of cinema if it is properly channeled.
