January 14, 2007 | 05:09 PM
The Goa Film Festival
In light of this continuing dialogue over child trafficking in Goa...
......I have to admit that I was one of the prime motivators of shifting the Indian International Film Festival to Goa. There were many reason and the then Chief Minister , Panniker backed the idea and the film festival was born. However..There was, as should be, a great worry about what would happen to the envioroment in Goa. I thought that was a very very real concern. I fought the first ideas fo taking over a beach in South Goa, and building huge infrastructure there. I myself do not go to Film Festivals anyway where I cannot loose myself in the local culture. For example the Marrakesh film festival is enjoyable not only for it's film but also for it's fascinating local culture.
I made a very strong case for the festival to be held in Panjim. There were a lot of reccomendations that I made, which if the readers fo this Blog are interested I will share.
But the most important one was to hand over the management of the Festival gradually to Goans, and to the private sector. I do not eblieve that 'Babugiri ' does any good to a festival of culture or arts in any form.
Since then I have not had the oppertunity to attentd any of the festivals so far, but judging from whats going on, I am dissapointed. It's turning into a 'Bollywood' party.
I still believe that the film festival should be handed over to the private sector. That we should form a trust that should include primarily Goans. For they have an investment in the envioroment and the culture of Goa. For themselves and their children,
I also feel the film festival was 'imposed' from the top, and not allowed to grow organically to find it's place amongst the important festival of the world. We cannot become a Cannes overnight. And even if that was achievable, it would wreak havoc with the envioroment and culture in Goa.
And now given this scandal on sex abuse with children, we have tio tread very carefully.
Recently I had the immense pleasure of meting Wendel Rodricks, a very wonderful and eminent Goan. I wish I could ask Wendel, other Goans to come together and start a very very Goan film and culture festival, which I am sure will find a unique place of it's own internationally.
Shekhar
Showing posts with label Business of Entertainment. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Business of Entertainment. Show all posts
Friday, February 16, 2007
Nanotechnolgy 2
December 07, 2006 | 01:37 PM
Nanotechnolgy 2
This is a comment from Sasikanth, a Nanotechnologist at Cornell Unversity. It would be interesting to initiate a discussion on how this new technology will affect our daily iives in all spheres. Sasikant says "Sekhar, I am a nanotechnologist at Cornell University working on technologies. Being a nanotechnology researcher I think I have to comment on this post ......
I think nanotechnology could one day make the kind of recording that you are suggesting come true.
The computers and networks needed to process this kind of information are already being made in labs arnd US, enabled by nanotechnology.
Home network speeds approaching 1 Trillions bits per second (thats 1 followed by 12 zeros) will be common place by 2020. Such networks will be able to carry and allow processing of the immense volume of data from 3D sense augmented media.
Its heartening to see interest in these technologies from artists like you. For afterall, what technology creates is ultimately for better experiences for everyone, from classroom to movie theatre.
Sasikanth Manipatruni
Cornell University
Nanotechnolgy 2
This is a comment from Sasikanth, a Nanotechnologist at Cornell Unversity. It would be interesting to initiate a discussion on how this new technology will affect our daily iives in all spheres. Sasikant says "Sekhar, I am a nanotechnologist at Cornell University working on technologies. Being a nanotechnology researcher I think I have to comment on this post ......
I think nanotechnology could one day make the kind of recording that you are suggesting come true.
The computers and networks needed to process this kind of information are already being made in labs arnd US, enabled by nanotechnology.
Home network speeds approaching 1 Trillions bits per second (thats 1 followed by 12 zeros) will be common place by 2020. Such networks will be able to carry and allow processing of the immense volume of data from 3D sense augmented media.
Its heartening to see interest in these technologies from artists like you. For afterall, what technology creates is ultimately for better experiences for everyone, from classroom to movie theatre.
Sasikanth Manipatruni
Cornell University
Dhoom 2
December 06, 2006 | 12:43 PM
Dhoom 2
To all those Bollywood fans out there, I finally managed to get tickets for Dhoom 2 in London. It's the only film in London other than Casino Royal that is consistently 'house full'. The film is a lot of fun in a charmingly silly way. But I think it is time to change the name 'Bollywood' to 'Bodywood'. Shekhar
Dhoom 2
To all those Bollywood fans out there, I finally managed to get tickets for Dhoom 2 in London. It's the only film in London other than Casino Royal that is consistently 'house full'. The film is a lot of fun in a charmingly silly way. But I think it is time to change the name 'Bollywood' to 'Bodywood'. Shekhar
Intellectual Property and Piracy
November 26, 2006 | 04:22 PM
Intellectual Property and Piracy
I have been both attending and speaking on conferences on the future of Media and Technology. I use the two terms together as more and more Technlogy and Entertainment/Media are converging to become the same bussiness. One thing that consistantly comes up is the question of Intellectual property and Piracy. I think the lawyers/Corporations have got it completely wrong...
Intellectual Property (IP) is not and cannot be either constant or extreme. If it were, then in the modern world there would be no chance of sharing of ideas, of scientific discovery, even of propogation of faith. Imagine if the Bible, the Koran or The Mahabharatha were protected by IP ? Imagine if the teachings of Buddha were protected by an IP just because one of his disciples actually wrote them down as he spoke.
Imagine if Einstein's equations were patented or protected from use wthout financial considerations. Where would scientific discovery be ? One of the problems with scientific discovery these days, especially in the field of medicine, such as a cure for Aids, is that groups or individuals are terrified by the idea of sharing discoveries in case they cannot protect their financial interests.
I am not denying that people must be rewarded for their effort, and not inconsiderable expense. But when the whole scientific and medical communities are motivated by one just goal, the creation of products that are so well protected that they can extract huge profit for a huge amount of time, it all becomes a bit ghoulish.
But let me get back to my own field. Media and Entertainment. We are more and more moving int a digital and an instantaneous world. Where the commercial life of a product may be huge but for shorter and shorter periods of time. For example a Video on youtube when it works ut its revenue models. A popular video in the future may get a billion downloads in a couple of days and make a billion dollars.
In that scenario, how long would the video maker ask for protection of intellectual property ? One week maybe ? And then allow the video to be downloaded free, so that he/she gets a huge following for the next video. I know this is an extreme example, but then it is good to look at extreme examples to understand the nature of the problem.
Corporations scream about Piracy. The big music corporations went ballistic and got Napster shut down. Only to realize that Napster showed them the way to revive their flagging music sales through single song downloads. Napster was the origins of the Ipod and Itunes.
Microsoft complain about Piracy in India and China and calculate the loss of revenue in billions fo dollars. Knowing full well that none of the people who bought pirated copies of the software would have ever been able to afford buy the software at it's official retail price. But in using their (even pirated) software, they are becoming users of hardware and software, and are entering the consumer market. Surely that must be good for growth of Microsoft.
At a meeting at the World Economic Forum, one gentleman was complaining that he was being ripped of in India. he had paid huge sums of money for the rights to the brand of Tommy Hillifiger in India, and now people were just making T shirts and printing the Tommy Hillifiger logo and selling them on the street side at a fraction of his cost. He wanted them arrested and put into jail for Piracy.
Hey ! Ever consider what extra intrinsic value you are providing the consumer by printing a brand name on the T shirt ? Till u do that, there will always be piracy. For the pirate is probaby a small trader looking for an oppertunity to make some money to look after his family.
Shekhar
Intellectual Property and Piracy
I have been both attending and speaking on conferences on the future of Media and Technology. I use the two terms together as more and more Technlogy and Entertainment/Media are converging to become the same bussiness. One thing that consistantly comes up is the question of Intellectual property and Piracy. I think the lawyers/Corporations have got it completely wrong...
Intellectual Property (IP) is not and cannot be either constant or extreme. If it were, then in the modern world there would be no chance of sharing of ideas, of scientific discovery, even of propogation of faith. Imagine if the Bible, the Koran or The Mahabharatha were protected by IP ? Imagine if the teachings of Buddha were protected by an IP just because one of his disciples actually wrote them down as he spoke.
Imagine if Einstein's equations were patented or protected from use wthout financial considerations. Where would scientific discovery be ? One of the problems with scientific discovery these days, especially in the field of medicine, such as a cure for Aids, is that groups or individuals are terrified by the idea of sharing discoveries in case they cannot protect their financial interests.
I am not denying that people must be rewarded for their effort, and not inconsiderable expense. But when the whole scientific and medical communities are motivated by one just goal, the creation of products that are so well protected that they can extract huge profit for a huge amount of time, it all becomes a bit ghoulish.
But let me get back to my own field. Media and Entertainment. We are more and more moving int a digital and an instantaneous world. Where the commercial life of a product may be huge but for shorter and shorter periods of time. For example a Video on youtube when it works ut its revenue models. A popular video in the future may get a billion downloads in a couple of days and make a billion dollars.
In that scenario, how long would the video maker ask for protection of intellectual property ? One week maybe ? And then allow the video to be downloaded free, so that he/she gets a huge following for the next video. I know this is an extreme example, but then it is good to look at extreme examples to understand the nature of the problem.
Corporations scream about Piracy. The big music corporations went ballistic and got Napster shut down. Only to realize that Napster showed them the way to revive their flagging music sales through single song downloads. Napster was the origins of the Ipod and Itunes.
Microsoft complain about Piracy in India and China and calculate the loss of revenue in billions fo dollars. Knowing full well that none of the people who bought pirated copies of the software would have ever been able to afford buy the software at it's official retail price. But in using their (even pirated) software, they are becoming users of hardware and software, and are entering the consumer market. Surely that must be good for growth of Microsoft.
At a meeting at the World Economic Forum, one gentleman was complaining that he was being ripped of in India. he had paid huge sums of money for the rights to the brand of Tommy Hillifiger in India, and now people were just making T shirts and printing the Tommy Hillifiger logo and selling them on the street side at a fraction of his cost. He wanted them arrested and put into jail for Piracy.
Hey ! Ever consider what extra intrinsic value you are providing the consumer by printing a brand name on the T shirt ? Till u do that, there will always be piracy. For the pirate is probaby a small trader looking for an oppertunity to make some money to look after his family.
Shekhar
An interview
April 23, 2006 | 01:20 AM
An interview
I did this interview for the Times of India in Hyderabad. Not sure if they carried it, so just posted it here. I do hope they don't mind. BUt it has been with them for over a week ...
"1) In a recent interview, you mentioned that you think the genre of films that we know today might become extinct as it makes way for a "blended media approach" that will be more interactive. Do you see yourself taking the pioneering steps in that direction?"
I do hope so. After Golden Age I plan to come back to India and promote the idea of an integrated media approach. What do I mean by integrated media ? It is the new way of infotainment experience where the viewer is an active participant in the continuing experience of entertainment or information. It does not end, for example, when you walk out of a cinema theatre, but you carry on experiencing at your will through (for example) your mobile device, and also alter the experience to your own personality.
And why India ? Not only because I am Indian, but also I believe this is where the greatest talent lies. Also where the greatest desire to be active participants in entertainment and infotainment exists.
" 2) What inspired you to make a movie about the lesser discussed life of Buddha? Have you decided on the casting of the film yet ?"
Mostly a desire to explore my myself. The concepts of our sense of individuality, or the non existence of it, as contained in Buddhism, are now fundamental to my exploration of myself. Buddha's story, and his exploration of what desire means, and how to go beyond it, are so necessary in modern day society
"3) Is Pani going to serve as a sort of a wake up call? Or is it just Sci-fi - meant to inspire thought and entertain? If it's the former, then how would you benchmark the success of the movie?"
It would be silly of me to say that I would spend $ 25 million of other people's money and not be concerned about giving them the absolute possibilities of a substantial return on it. I do hope that Paani will be India's Crouching Tiger, which effectively put Chinese cinema on the map of international mainstream cinema. While so much noise is being made about Bollywood world wide, there is little product we are making that could appeal internationally. It could all fizzle out as hype if we are not careful.
What we need to do is tell stories that touch the psyche of audiences world wide. Water is such an issue. Water shortages affect almost 95% of the world's population now, and is one of the most immediate envioromental disasters that is already upon us. Ask any Indian.
So in that sense we don't need a wake up call. We know Water is a huge problem. What my film deals with is when the breaking point has arrived. When the Water Wars break out. When there is a division in society between those that can afford Water and those that cannot, ad when Water becomes a weapon of economic and political control. It is the macro effect of the breaking point,
Of course, the film is couched in the most passionate love story I have ever told.
4) Talk to us about Golden Age. Are there any Oscar aspirations for the sequel to Elizabeth? Is there
pressure to replicate that kind of critical acclaim?
I don't like the pressure of Oscars. Or anything else. No film is an end game in itself. It is a continuing process of exploration of that which most reverberates in yourself. And the assumption is that what reverberates in you is fundamentally what is going on the subconscious of your audience as well. For that reason it is really important for me, as a communicator, to be continually sensitive to everything around myself. To be open to all stimuli. To not protect yourself at all, but to be sensitive to everything around you, whatever the emotional cost of that might be.
So how does the story of Golden Age relate to my life ? It is the search for the Divine. It is our struggle between our mortal, human, earthed self, and the need to break that tie and experience interconnectedness as the Elizabethans put it, or Formlessness as the Buddhists put it. It is also about the struggle between fundamentalism and tolerance, as portrayed in the battle between Phillip of Spain and Elizabeth. A battle that ended in Phillip setting out one of the biggest maritime expeditions ever, the Spanish Armada.
>
> 5) What motivates you to blog? Does that serve as a
> platform for connect with the people you want to
> reach out to with your movies or is it just about
> expression and being heard? Do you think blogosphere
> is a space where world opinions can be shaped on a
> mass scale soon? Will it replace editorials in
> newspapers, or at any rate make them less relevant.
I think Blogging is the greatest revolution of our times. So far we are just seeing the periphery. It is the ultimate democratic way of making your voice heard. It is finally freedom of expression as guaranteed by our constitution. For what use is freedom of expression of you have no way for your to have your voice heard ? Other than through a media controlled by vested interests ?
Where will be blogging go ? Live streaming Blog Radio, broadcast over the Internet by any one individual. Live streaming Blog TV, broadcast not by a huge corporate entity, but by individuals.
I find blogging fascinating. I can relate to the rest of the world directly on a far more interactive way. I have my own website at shekharkapur.com , and contribute to a more community blog along with Deepak Chopra at intentblog.com
>
> 6) You left behind a career as a chartered
> accountant to follow your heart. Do you miss that?
> Have you ever had moments where you wondered why you
> made the switch?
Oh well, regrets and doubt is part of the human experience. Which one of us has not dreamt about rewinding life an not making the same mistakes again ? But would I go back to being a chartered accountant ? I doubt it. But I would change a lot else, if it all was possible !
>
> 7) Why did Hollywood call? Was there something that
> Bollywood wasn't offering or was it just a quest for
> a bigger proverbial well?
Hollywood was a a dream, yes. But it was something that I gravitated towards naturally as part of the exploration of the adventure of life. It was another adventure, and now I am looking for the next one.
>
> 8) Your wife has had two painting exhibitions. Did
> you always know there was a painter in her or is
> that something you both unraveled together?
Suchitra's paintings, her passion, her courage in being able to face a blank canvass, and her talent stunned me. Rarely have I had the privilege to witness the spurt of such raw and passionate talent in such short a time.
9) Does work eat into family time sometimes?
Of course.
10) If you had to write a book, what would you write
on?
I don't think I will ever be able to finish the book, as I would wake up everyday with a new experience. A new thought. A new ending. I only end a film because I am aware of the immense cost of it.
shekhar
An interview
I did this interview for the Times of India in Hyderabad. Not sure if they carried it, so just posted it here. I do hope they don't mind. BUt it has been with them for over a week ...
"1) In a recent interview, you mentioned that you think the genre of films that we know today might become extinct as it makes way for a "blended media approach" that will be more interactive. Do you see yourself taking the pioneering steps in that direction?"
I do hope so. After Golden Age I plan to come back to India and promote the idea of an integrated media approach. What do I mean by integrated media ? It is the new way of infotainment experience where the viewer is an active participant in the continuing experience of entertainment or information. It does not end, for example, when you walk out of a cinema theatre, but you carry on experiencing at your will through (for example) your mobile device, and also alter the experience to your own personality.
And why India ? Not only because I am Indian, but also I believe this is where the greatest talent lies. Also where the greatest desire to be active participants in entertainment and infotainment exists.
" 2) What inspired you to make a movie about the lesser discussed life of Buddha? Have you decided on the casting of the film yet ?"
Mostly a desire to explore my myself. The concepts of our sense of individuality, or the non existence of it, as contained in Buddhism, are now fundamental to my exploration of myself. Buddha's story, and his exploration of what desire means, and how to go beyond it, are so necessary in modern day society
"3) Is Pani going to serve as a sort of a wake up call? Or is it just Sci-fi - meant to inspire thought and entertain? If it's the former, then how would you benchmark the success of the movie?"
It would be silly of me to say that I would spend $ 25 million of other people's money and not be concerned about giving them the absolute possibilities of a substantial return on it. I do hope that Paani will be India's Crouching Tiger, which effectively put Chinese cinema on the map of international mainstream cinema. While so much noise is being made about Bollywood world wide, there is little product we are making that could appeal internationally. It could all fizzle out as hype if we are not careful.
What we need to do is tell stories that touch the psyche of audiences world wide. Water is such an issue. Water shortages affect almost 95% of the world's population now, and is one of the most immediate envioromental disasters that is already upon us. Ask any Indian.
So in that sense we don't need a wake up call. We know Water is a huge problem. What my film deals with is when the breaking point has arrived. When the Water Wars break out. When there is a division in society between those that can afford Water and those that cannot, ad when Water becomes a weapon of economic and political control. It is the macro effect of the breaking point,
Of course, the film is couched in the most passionate love story I have ever told.
4) Talk to us about Golden Age. Are there any Oscar aspirations for the sequel to Elizabeth? Is there
pressure to replicate that kind of critical acclaim?
I don't like the pressure of Oscars. Or anything else. No film is an end game in itself. It is a continuing process of exploration of that which most reverberates in yourself. And the assumption is that what reverberates in you is fundamentally what is going on the subconscious of your audience as well. For that reason it is really important for me, as a communicator, to be continually sensitive to everything around myself. To be open to all stimuli. To not protect yourself at all, but to be sensitive to everything around you, whatever the emotional cost of that might be.
So how does the story of Golden Age relate to my life ? It is the search for the Divine. It is our struggle between our mortal, human, earthed self, and the need to break that tie and experience interconnectedness as the Elizabethans put it, or Formlessness as the Buddhists put it. It is also about the struggle between fundamentalism and tolerance, as portrayed in the battle between Phillip of Spain and Elizabeth. A battle that ended in Phillip setting out one of the biggest maritime expeditions ever, the Spanish Armada.
>
> 5) What motivates you to blog? Does that serve as a
> platform for connect with the people you want to
> reach out to with your movies or is it just about
> expression and being heard? Do you think blogosphere
> is a space where world opinions can be shaped on a
> mass scale soon? Will it replace editorials in
> newspapers, or at any rate make them less relevant.
I think Blogging is the greatest revolution of our times. So far we are just seeing the periphery. It is the ultimate democratic way of making your voice heard. It is finally freedom of expression as guaranteed by our constitution. For what use is freedom of expression of you have no way for your to have your voice heard ? Other than through a media controlled by vested interests ?
Where will be blogging go ? Live streaming Blog Radio, broadcast over the Internet by any one individual. Live streaming Blog TV, broadcast not by a huge corporate entity, but by individuals.
I find blogging fascinating. I can relate to the rest of the world directly on a far more interactive way. I have my own website at shekharkapur.com , and contribute to a more community blog along with Deepak Chopra at intentblog.com
>
> 6) You left behind a career as a chartered
> accountant to follow your heart. Do you miss that?
> Have you ever had moments where you wondered why you
> made the switch?
Oh well, regrets and doubt is part of the human experience. Which one of us has not dreamt about rewinding life an not making the same mistakes again ? But would I go back to being a chartered accountant ? I doubt it. But I would change a lot else, if it all was possible !
>
> 7) Why did Hollywood call? Was there something that
> Bollywood wasn't offering or was it just a quest for
> a bigger proverbial well?
Hollywood was a a dream, yes. But it was something that I gravitated towards naturally as part of the exploration of the adventure of life. It was another adventure, and now I am looking for the next one.
>
> 8) Your wife has had two painting exhibitions. Did
> you always know there was a painter in her or is
> that something you both unraveled together?
Suchitra's paintings, her passion, her courage in being able to face a blank canvass, and her talent stunned me. Rarely have I had the privilege to witness the spurt of such raw and passionate talent in such short a time.
9) Does work eat into family time sometimes?
Of course.
10) If you had to write a book, what would you write
on?
I don't think I will ever be able to finish the book, as I would wake up everyday with a new experience. A new thought. A new ending. I only end a film because I am aware of the immense cost of it.
shekhar
Dancing to Mr India in Prague !
October 28, 2005 | 09:58 AM
Dancing to Mr India in Prague !
This is a guest entry from Sangeeta, who describes the incredible reaction to mainstream Bollywood films in Prague.
"Why would you want to start a "Bollywood" Film
Festival in Prague?
Who would want to watch the films there…"
When we first started the Prague “Bollywood” Festival (
www.bollywood.cz ) in 2003 many people questioned the
appeal that commercial Hindi films could have in the
Czech Republic, a small Central European country where
Hindi films and their stars are virtually unknown and
whose South Asian population remains small and
scattered. Well, we proved all skeptics wrong! Last
week, our festival celebrated its third year, breaking
attendance records of previous years with four
completely sold out films.
Unlike “Bollywood” events in London, Toronto, or
Sydney, our festival cannot rely on fans from the
South Asian diaspora. But, for the third year in a row,
we haven't had to. The continued success of our
festival testifies to the global appeal of Indian
cinema, and also raises the question of why there is
something so attractive about “Bollywood” for the Czech
film-goer.
Hindi cinema grew out of multi-linear storytelling
traditions like Nautanki and the Parsi Theater and
“Bollywood” story structures continue to abound with
digressions like comedic subplots and song & dance
sequences. It's precisely the playfulness of these
digressions that make the films appealing to Czechs,
whose own fairy tales and folk traditions rely on
similar conventions - “Bollywood's” spirit seems
curiously more familiar to the Bohemian palate than
Hollywood movies.
The digressions, direct engagement of the audience by
film characters, and the occasional illogical twist in
the story also encourage a strong sense of
participative viewership. From the beginning we urged
our reserved Czech audiences to feel free to clap,
shout, whistle, and dance during the film. This year,
the arrival of Raj Kapoor in "Shree 420", the heroic
escapades of Shahrukh Khan in "Veer Zara" and the
disappearing stunts of Anil Kapoor in "Mr. India" were
met with enthusiastic approval, and the hospital
jiggles of Sanjay Dutt in "Munnabhai M.B.B.S."
transformed theater aisles into dance floors. As a film
distributor visiting from London remarked, "the
festival is so much more than just seeing…it is about
the whole experience of engaging with the films in ways
that take us back to what films mean in villages - when
the whole village assembled to watch the mobile film
caravan when it came to town." In short, the
participative experience celebrated by our Czech
audience harks back to an "interactivity" that long
predates the current popularity of that term. I believe
that this is an invaluable aspect of “Bollywood” cinema
that we should celebrate and maintain as Indian and
other regional cinemas continue to grow and change.
High brow film artists may protest that “Bollywood's”
narrative conventions are trivial, but my experience
in Prague suggests that Hindi commercial films possess
a certain expressive depth, which resonates across
cultures. If “Bollywood” is to challenge Hollywood over
domination of the global cinema market in the 21st
century, then shouldn't we be paying more attention to
the complex question of what makes Hindi commercial
films so appealing to foreign audiences?
Sangita Shresthova
Co-Organizer Prague Bollywood Festival
PhD. Candidate World Arts and Cultures UCLA
www.bollywood.cz
Dancing to Mr India in Prague !
This is a guest entry from Sangeeta, who describes the incredible reaction to mainstream Bollywood films in Prague.
"Why would you want to start a "Bollywood" Film
Festival in Prague?
Who would want to watch the films there…"
When we first started the Prague “Bollywood” Festival (
www.bollywood.cz ) in 2003 many people questioned the
appeal that commercial Hindi films could have in the
Czech Republic, a small Central European country where
Hindi films and their stars are virtually unknown and
whose South Asian population remains small and
scattered. Well, we proved all skeptics wrong! Last
week, our festival celebrated its third year, breaking
attendance records of previous years with four
completely sold out films.
Unlike “Bollywood” events in London, Toronto, or
Sydney, our festival cannot rely on fans from the
South Asian diaspora. But, for the third year in a row,
we haven't had to. The continued success of our
festival testifies to the global appeal of Indian
cinema, and also raises the question of why there is
something so attractive about “Bollywood” for the Czech
film-goer.
Hindi cinema grew out of multi-linear storytelling
traditions like Nautanki and the Parsi Theater and
“Bollywood” story structures continue to abound with
digressions like comedic subplots and song & dance
sequences. It's precisely the playfulness of these
digressions that make the films appealing to Czechs,
whose own fairy tales and folk traditions rely on
similar conventions - “Bollywood's” spirit seems
curiously more familiar to the Bohemian palate than
Hollywood movies.
The digressions, direct engagement of the audience by
film characters, and the occasional illogical twist in
the story also encourage a strong sense of
participative viewership. From the beginning we urged
our reserved Czech audiences to feel free to clap,
shout, whistle, and dance during the film. This year,
the arrival of Raj Kapoor in "Shree 420", the heroic
escapades of Shahrukh Khan in "Veer Zara" and the
disappearing stunts of Anil Kapoor in "Mr. India" were
met with enthusiastic approval, and the hospital
jiggles of Sanjay Dutt in "Munnabhai M.B.B.S."
transformed theater aisles into dance floors. As a film
distributor visiting from London remarked, "the
festival is so much more than just seeing…it is about
the whole experience of engaging with the films in ways
that take us back to what films mean in villages - when
the whole village assembled to watch the mobile film
caravan when it came to town." In short, the
participative experience celebrated by our Czech
audience harks back to an "interactivity" that long
predates the current popularity of that term. I believe
that this is an invaluable aspect of “Bollywood” cinema
that we should celebrate and maintain as Indian and
other regional cinemas continue to grow and change.
High brow film artists may protest that “Bollywood's”
narrative conventions are trivial, but my experience
in Prague suggests that Hindi commercial films possess
a certain expressive depth, which resonates across
cultures. If “Bollywood” is to challenge Hollywood over
domination of the global cinema market in the 21st
century, then shouldn't we be paying more attention to
the complex question of what makes Hindi commercial
films so appealing to foreign audiences?
Sangita Shresthova
Co-Organizer Prague Bollywood Festival
PhD. Candidate World Arts and Cultures UCLA
www.bollywood.cz
Asian Domination of Entertainment
October 27, 2005 | 02:37 PM
Asian Domination of Entertainment
In future sequels to Spider Man, Sony will have to ensure that when Spiderman takes his mask off, he is either Indian or Chinese. Or they will loose out on 75% of their market.
This article appeared in Bussiness India last year.
The film, Spider Man grossed US $ 150 million in its FIRST week in the US. It went on to gross over $ 600 million world wide, not counting ancillary sales such as Video, DVD, TV, Cable and retail franchises. That would bring the figure close to US$1 billion.
In 10 years, expect Spider Man, sequel no.5 to gross US$ 1 billion in its first week. Expect total grosses including ancillaries to be 7 times that, or US$ 7 billion.
Also expect 70% of those revenues, or US$ 4 billion to come from Asia.
Expect also, that when Spider Man takes off his mask in Asia, he will probably be either Chinese, or Indian. And he will no longer swing from the high-rise buildings in New York, but from Shanghai or Mumbai.
Revenues from the Entertainment business are expected to touch around US$ 1 trillion in 10 years. This includes Film, Radio, TV, Music, DVD, Video Games and new technologies on the anvil, mostly to do with Mobile Entertainment. Like through your Cell Phones. Or Dual Mode satellite linked Sun Glasses.
A full 70% of these revenues, or almost US$ 700 billion will come from Asia. Other than sheer population, consider the following:
Entertainment demographics (population in age groups that are the highest consumers of entertainment) are more acute indicators of the future of the Entertainment business: Currently North America has 65 million in that demographic, while just China and India alone have almost 700 million. Just in India alone, over the next ten years, another 40 % of our existing population will join this demographic. The corresponding figure for the US is just 15 %.
As Asian economies grow, the %age growth in disposable income levels of the entertainment demographic will be far higher than in the West.
This will lead to a far far greater growth in demand for entertainment than in the West.
Here lies the biggest business opportunity of the next 10 years. In Asia. In India.
As the Asian consumers flex their financial muscle, they will demand product that is more in line with their own cultural identities.
While the Western Media companies will continue to take advantage through aggressive marketing in these rising economies, they will essentially remain Western in the their culture. They will experience a pull between the cultural requirements of their own markets and those of Asia.
The ones that will succeed most are the ones that create spin-offs that are centralized in Asia, catering specifically to the needs of the Asian markets. The most interesting example of this being MTV. Even which, interestingly, cannot stand against a Bollywood musical channel in India unless it incorporates that music within it’s own channel.
However, the theory is that while McDonalds could adapt by offering variations on it’s hamburgers in Asia, it is never going to make Chop Suey. An American Company will find it difficult to don an Asian identity in an Industry that is so driven by cultural tastes. And essentially even MTV will never become an essentially Asian company. It’s commitment and management is Western. The theory that Sony are essentially Asian is not true, because all their entertainment software divisions are essentially driven from the West and caters to the West.
The business opportunity therefore lies in an essentially Asian Media Company that encompasses the cultural needs of the Asian people, driven by Asian people that understand that market place and are committed to it.
There is an assumption in this argument that there is a common Asian identity, as against (say) a Western identity. While it is true that there are cultural differences between (say) India and China, it is safe to say that there is a commonality between an Asian identity as against a Western identity. Just as there are significant differences between German and French identities, yet they have much more in common with themselves than with Asian cultures.
This is seen very easily in the similarities in themes that traditional Chinese, Indian and Japanese films use. From the use of Melodrama in story telling. The use of faith, superstition and Myth.
Predominantly this arises from a philosophy of the East, where man is considered more powerful in encompassing his/her fate and Destiny. While in the West, Will is considered more powerful than Destiny. In fact Will creates Destiny.
Does this rise in the cultural power of the common Asian market then indicate the decline of the domination of the large Western (mostly US) Media companies? Certainly these companies continue to depend on growth of their revenues from the international market place. While at one time Hollywood films use to get 80% of the Box Office from North America, now it is not unusual for the reverse to be true. Certainly 60% from non – American markets now seems to be the norm.
As the Asian the markets become the greatest source of revenue from the entertainment business, the US Media companies will naturally look for growth in those countries. Certainly the success of Harry Potter in China, and of Spider Man in India points that there continues to be growth potential for Western product in Asia.
However, a strong home market has traditionally formed the base for international domination of the market place. US has traditionally had the strongest home market for the entertainment industry. This has provided the base for the domination of the international market place. And therefore American culture has been the dominant culture in terms of international entertainment.
But what happens when the strongest home market becomes Asia? Surely by the same token, Asian culture should gradually take over and become the dominant culture of the world.
Aided by no small means by the large number of Asians that now have made the West their home, Asian culture will find it easier to make inroads into the West. Proven not only by my personal experience with the West End smash hit musical – ‘BOMBAY DREAMS’. There are 30 million people of Indian descent that live outside the India. Most of them still identify with their home culture. Their combined is probably quite close to the current GDP of India.
Add to this the Bangladeshi’s, Pakistani’s and Srilankan’s, and you have a nation of almost the population of the UK.
I have used the word “opportunity”. How much of the US$ 700 billion will accrue to corporations in India? We should be able to have at least a third of that pie, or approx $ 300 billion. But we need to get away from the mindset of a Cottage Industry and think like Global players. We need to do all that NOW.
We need to understand that convergence will change the way people consume culture and entertainment, and therefore look towards technological leaps. There is a market for at least another 15,000 theatres in India. It is feasible at this moment to create low cost Digital theatres all over India and Digitally feed film and other entertainment through fiber optic cable, cutting out piracy, cost of prints etc. Our film business will increase 10 fold.
India has the highest number of trained IT technologists in the world. It also has the highest trained Entertainment technologist and crew in the world. I am surprised moves have not been made to marry the two. India could be at the forefront of technological development.
We need to stop thinking of ourselves as country of back office support economy. We need to think of ourselves as cutting edge.
The Government needs to recognize that when you sell culture, you sell life styles. The American’s sold MacDonald’s, Jeans, Tourism and a whole host of other businesses through the export of Entertainment. The Government needs to look upon Entertainment in the same way that it looked at the IT business.
The old guard has to let go. Historical data projections need to be discarded. Fresh creative, managerial and financial talent needs to be inducted. As does massive financial investment.
Or the greatest business opportunity of the next 10 years will be lost.
Asian Domination of Entertainment
In future sequels to Spider Man, Sony will have to ensure that when Spiderman takes his mask off, he is either Indian or Chinese. Or they will loose out on 75% of their market.
This article appeared in Bussiness India last year.
The film, Spider Man grossed US $ 150 million in its FIRST week in the US. It went on to gross over $ 600 million world wide, not counting ancillary sales such as Video, DVD, TV, Cable and retail franchises. That would bring the figure close to US$1 billion.
In 10 years, expect Spider Man, sequel no.5 to gross US$ 1 billion in its first week. Expect total grosses including ancillaries to be 7 times that, or US$ 7 billion.
Also expect 70% of those revenues, or US$ 4 billion to come from Asia.
Expect also, that when Spider Man takes off his mask in Asia, he will probably be either Chinese, or Indian. And he will no longer swing from the high-rise buildings in New York, but from Shanghai or Mumbai.
Revenues from the Entertainment business are expected to touch around US$ 1 trillion in 10 years. This includes Film, Radio, TV, Music, DVD, Video Games and new technologies on the anvil, mostly to do with Mobile Entertainment. Like through your Cell Phones. Or Dual Mode satellite linked Sun Glasses.
A full 70% of these revenues, or almost US$ 700 billion will come from Asia. Other than sheer population, consider the following:
Entertainment demographics (population in age groups that are the highest consumers of entertainment) are more acute indicators of the future of the Entertainment business: Currently North America has 65 million in that demographic, while just China and India alone have almost 700 million. Just in India alone, over the next ten years, another 40 % of our existing population will join this demographic. The corresponding figure for the US is just 15 %.
As Asian economies grow, the %age growth in disposable income levels of the entertainment demographic will be far higher than in the West.
This will lead to a far far greater growth in demand for entertainment than in the West.
Here lies the biggest business opportunity of the next 10 years. In Asia. In India.
As the Asian consumers flex their financial muscle, they will demand product that is more in line with their own cultural identities.
While the Western Media companies will continue to take advantage through aggressive marketing in these rising economies, they will essentially remain Western in the their culture. They will experience a pull between the cultural requirements of their own markets and those of Asia.
The ones that will succeed most are the ones that create spin-offs that are centralized in Asia, catering specifically to the needs of the Asian markets. The most interesting example of this being MTV. Even which, interestingly, cannot stand against a Bollywood musical channel in India unless it incorporates that music within it’s own channel.
However, the theory is that while McDonalds could adapt by offering variations on it’s hamburgers in Asia, it is never going to make Chop Suey. An American Company will find it difficult to don an Asian identity in an Industry that is so driven by cultural tastes. And essentially even MTV will never become an essentially Asian company. It’s commitment and management is Western. The theory that Sony are essentially Asian is not true, because all their entertainment software divisions are essentially driven from the West and caters to the West.
The business opportunity therefore lies in an essentially Asian Media Company that encompasses the cultural needs of the Asian people, driven by Asian people that understand that market place and are committed to it.
There is an assumption in this argument that there is a common Asian identity, as against (say) a Western identity. While it is true that there are cultural differences between (say) India and China, it is safe to say that there is a commonality between an Asian identity as against a Western identity. Just as there are significant differences between German and French identities, yet they have much more in common with themselves than with Asian cultures.
This is seen very easily in the similarities in themes that traditional Chinese, Indian and Japanese films use. From the use of Melodrama in story telling. The use of faith, superstition and Myth.
Predominantly this arises from a philosophy of the East, where man is considered more powerful in encompassing his/her fate and Destiny. While in the West, Will is considered more powerful than Destiny. In fact Will creates Destiny.
Does this rise in the cultural power of the common Asian market then indicate the decline of the domination of the large Western (mostly US) Media companies? Certainly these companies continue to depend on growth of their revenues from the international market place. While at one time Hollywood films use to get 80% of the Box Office from North America, now it is not unusual for the reverse to be true. Certainly 60% from non – American markets now seems to be the norm.
As the Asian the markets become the greatest source of revenue from the entertainment business, the US Media companies will naturally look for growth in those countries. Certainly the success of Harry Potter in China, and of Spider Man in India points that there continues to be growth potential for Western product in Asia.
However, a strong home market has traditionally formed the base for international domination of the market place. US has traditionally had the strongest home market for the entertainment industry. This has provided the base for the domination of the international market place. And therefore American culture has been the dominant culture in terms of international entertainment.
But what happens when the strongest home market becomes Asia? Surely by the same token, Asian culture should gradually take over and become the dominant culture of the world.
Aided by no small means by the large number of Asians that now have made the West their home, Asian culture will find it easier to make inroads into the West. Proven not only by my personal experience with the West End smash hit musical – ‘BOMBAY DREAMS’. There are 30 million people of Indian descent that live outside the India. Most of them still identify with their home culture. Their combined is probably quite close to the current GDP of India.
Add to this the Bangladeshi’s, Pakistani’s and Srilankan’s, and you have a nation of almost the population of the UK.
I have used the word “opportunity”. How much of the US$ 700 billion will accrue to corporations in India? We should be able to have at least a third of that pie, or approx $ 300 billion. But we need to get away from the mindset of a Cottage Industry and think like Global players. We need to do all that NOW.
We need to understand that convergence will change the way people consume culture and entertainment, and therefore look towards technological leaps. There is a market for at least another 15,000 theatres in India. It is feasible at this moment to create low cost Digital theatres all over India and Digitally feed film and other entertainment through fiber optic cable, cutting out piracy, cost of prints etc. Our film business will increase 10 fold.
India has the highest number of trained IT technologists in the world. It also has the highest trained Entertainment technologist and crew in the world. I am surprised moves have not been made to marry the two. India could be at the forefront of technological development.
We need to stop thinking of ourselves as country of back office support economy. We need to think of ourselves as cutting edge.
The Government needs to recognize that when you sell culture, you sell life styles. The American’s sold MacDonald’s, Jeans, Tourism and a whole host of other businesses through the export of Entertainment. The Government needs to look upon Entertainment in the same way that it looked at the IT business.
The old guard has to let go. Historical data projections need to be discarded. Fresh creative, managerial and financial talent needs to be inducted. As does massive financial investment.
Or the greatest business opportunity of the next 10 years will be lost.
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