I have been hugely waiting for a movie called Chittagong. Felt it would be possible for me to watch it after such a long delay. Unfortunately, did not have the opportunity to do so. Firstly, even at Delhi the movie was released in hardly 7 to 8 multiplex with hardly a show or two. Secondly the timings were pretty odd. Now in the second week, its not running anywhere. There are various other movies like (Via Darjeeling and 1971) to name some, I so wanted to see in big theater but again that would remain a dream. Today marketing is the actual film and the film is merely an industrial by-product.
Recently a study by IIM -A has found out that irrespective of content and genre of a film, the pre release marketing budget of a film decides the opening success of it. So a ETT with (literally no story) goes on to fetch 200 crores plus and I doubt how many of the viewers would have gone to see it twice. (I being a die hard Salman Khan fan did not watch it). A film like Student of The Year (which at best can be described as an escapist cinema is predicted to be one of the box office biggie) whereas Chittagong fails to have any impact. The change over has happened to be because of ever changing dynamics. There is rarely any movie which even goes for four weeks run, leave aside 50 days run in the theater Last movie I heard which made silver Jubilee was Three Idiots. The device after research of these students were simple. You make a 10 crore film with no cast you should spend at least 7 to 8 crores in marketing. A big budget film can get away with 10 to 12 crores of marketing. The important word is buzz and I wont be surprised if there are people hired to create multiple accounts on you tube face books and all to make news.
I would like to present small interpretation of my understanding of cinema as a medium. There were times when people considered cinema not to be a medium of art. Film at best was considered to be, a photographic record of an artistic performance, but not an art form in it’s own right. However with evolution of thought and exploration ,understanding developed that cinema is not merely recording of event but also a medium to reflect individual perceptions. And that is what art meant to be. An art can be defined as a universe where entertainment is one element (and not entirely the universe).
I keep hearing that Indian cinema has come to a brilliant phase where new film maker with brilliant idea now have more platform than they did before. Perhaps that could be the case but me as a common man don't find us having enough choices.But where are the movies. Film makers tend to dislike the word "different" cinema or an art film. Well this brings us to the question what exactly could be art cinema? A general perception is a work of art is only understood by people with class. So they should definitely have a premium price. Is that the case for the art cinemas? An art cinema would be more closer to common man and wont usually have someone with larger than life persona as in usual mainstream cinema. The characters usually are ambiguous or realist. And the cinema is usually made keeping in mind for select audience. Is that then justified certain films getting certain releases?
But things are not same anymore. Its a situation where marketing rules almost everything. We are at a stage where we can be sold anything. You tend to like anything which is constantly being buzzed. Even a parrot starts repeating your words if you speak something continuously. We are in a stage where we find KFC and coke to be our lifelines. A strawberry to be the object of desire. A smartphone such a necessity and anything marketed brilliantly to be our indispensable part of life.
So in this stage it is no longer important what we consume (propensity to consume now being an archaic situation) but who asks us to consume guides our decision. With such a change its no longer a mystery if movies, which is called the reflection of our society presents anything in our plate and we would accept it not even thinking of individual choice or the utility of same.
Movies like Chittagong will keep on suffering and movie goers like me who crave for choices would be left for nothing to choose from.
Recently a study by IIM -A has found out that irrespective of content and genre of a film, the pre release marketing budget of a film decides the opening success of it. So a ETT with (literally no story) goes on to fetch 200 crores plus and I doubt how many of the viewers would have gone to see it twice. (I being a die hard Salman Khan fan did not watch it). A film like Student of The Year (which at best can be described as an escapist cinema is predicted to be one of the box office biggie) whereas Chittagong fails to have any impact. The change over has happened to be because of ever changing dynamics. There is rarely any movie which even goes for four weeks run, leave aside 50 days run in the theater Last movie I heard which made silver Jubilee was Three Idiots. The device after research of these students were simple. You make a 10 crore film with no cast you should spend at least 7 to 8 crores in marketing. A big budget film can get away with 10 to 12 crores of marketing. The important word is buzz and I wont be surprised if there are people hired to create multiple accounts on you tube face books and all to make news.
I would like to present small interpretation of my understanding of cinema as a medium. There were times when people considered cinema not to be a medium of art. Film at best was considered to be, a photographic record of an artistic performance, but not an art form in it’s own right. However with evolution of thought and exploration ,understanding developed that cinema is not merely recording of event but also a medium to reflect individual perceptions. And that is what art meant to be. An art can be defined as a universe where entertainment is one element (and not entirely the universe).
I keep hearing that Indian cinema has come to a brilliant phase where new film maker with brilliant idea now have more platform than they did before. Perhaps that could be the case but me as a common man don't find us having enough choices.But where are the movies. Film makers tend to dislike the word "different" cinema or an art film. Well this brings us to the question what exactly could be art cinema? A general perception is a work of art is only understood by people with class. So they should definitely have a premium price. Is that the case for the art cinemas? An art cinema would be more closer to common man and wont usually have someone with larger than life persona as in usual mainstream cinema. The characters usually are ambiguous or realist. And the cinema is usually made keeping in mind for select audience. Is that then justified certain films getting certain releases?
But things are not same anymore. Its a situation where marketing rules almost everything. We are at a stage where we can be sold anything. You tend to like anything which is constantly being buzzed. Even a parrot starts repeating your words if you speak something continuously. We are in a stage where we find KFC and coke to be our lifelines. A strawberry to be the object of desire. A smartphone such a necessity and anything marketed brilliantly to be our indispensable part of life.
So in this stage it is no longer important what we consume (propensity to consume now being an archaic situation) but who asks us to consume guides our decision. With such a change its no longer a mystery if movies, which is called the reflection of our society presents anything in our plate and we would accept it not even thinking of individual choice or the utility of same.
Movies like Chittagong will keep on suffering and movie goers like me who crave for choices would be left for nothing to choose from.
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