Indian,global….and indian films.

Dear e.f,

Hope all of you are fine. Its been long time did not post a blog. Too busy. but certainly in between some incidents happen and get a point to write or rather which propmpts me to write. Well,for the master plan series which i started in last blog,i will continue it later. In fact in last blog i even did not mention why the title..but will surely do soon. Hope some of you can remind me!

Films are my all time ever green subject. I love them!!!! Specially, Indian Movies. Not that i dont like hollywood movies or dont watch them. But somehow it is very difficult to relate to them. Probably we are instilled with so much love and non-violence in our mind and that may be the primary reason…there are lot hollywood movies without violence also..but somehow not appealing as i feel lack of emotions. Well, there are lot other reasons hollywood is still superior.. technics, budget , planning and detailed working on script,reality factors,believablity etc. And similarly hindi movies are also not without violence but certainly with lot of emotions and a soul.

Before i go further i would like to write i hate the word..bollywood. It seems that we dont have our own film industry. This is a name given by west to tell the world what indian film industry should be called !! And we, even took it further to mollywood,tollywood,kollywood and everyotherwood!! And when west say Bollywood they are only meaning to Bombay Film Industry. They dont even perhaps know or mention how many regional film industry we have..which is almost producing world class movies! Why do we need to be so desparate to get the so called oscar awards which does not truly represent or understand our movies. Why do we need to be so much influenced by them while we are no. 1 nation in the world to produce movies !! And for the fact indian movies are most watched and loved around the world..And dont be surprised if they come up with figures comparing who is having more world wide audience..hollywood or indian film industry?? I strongly believe indian film industry will come up with more numbers. Well if we go for actual numbers in this regard it would be interesting to know if someone comes up with that!

My belief is based on my observations in various countries i visited recently and also from observations of our film analysts. Whatever country i visited ,whichever people i met i made sure at one point i take their feed back on indian movies and indians.

When i was in qatar, i was posted in qatar petroleum and i was working in the night shift. My colleague was a qatari guy..a fat,tall and lazy guy. When he walks, i used to believe that he is not walking on his own..some spirit is taking him further. Walking was too much exercise for him. If he can do anything without moving..he would love it. Imagine, he was the only colleague i was having and what would i do if some emergency arises!! And thats the actual fate of every indian working in gulf who had local colleagues. They were only for namesake..the show is basically run by indians only. Thats the single reason indian engineers are respected there very much. Not that i am comparing with other countries..but indians are capable on their own.

Well i was curious to know whether this guy watches indian films. Next day morning when we were ready to go back and waiting for vehicle.i asked whether he watch movies !! I asked about hollywood movies..also about his family. ( btw….he had 9 children..from four wives..which is very common there. i wondered how the guy who hardly moves..can manage to have 4 wives..and above all how can remain so calm…?? Government encourages everyone to have more children in gulf countries..In saudi after 2 nd child education is almost free. The same phenomena i saw in africa also..they were not ready to believe that indians can be happy with 1 or 2 children. ) Now, the guy asked me a question..which stunned me. And i did not have to ask another question to know my answers. he asked me, ” Do you know Amitabh Bachchan ?” I told..no. Who is he? And now he was stunned..Dont you know him? My god, what an actor !.and what are the films!!!!. I understood the magic of our films and actors.

In gulf almost all the expatriate ( not only indians..particularly all asians and other continents also) love indian movies. This include locals of their country also. Market for hindi movie cds are very very hot! Unfortunately, those are pirated cds..but market will find its way..if we dont cater the demand the supply will find its way. There is no point in talking about pirated cds..because ultimately people want the product..We must know how to cater them otherwise they will find the way. Although i am a firm believer that piration must stop..I find the solutions in catering the market through right way..If we keep original cds at damn high prices and only available at few reputed stores..how can we even think about stopping piration?? At least, they have reach..they are everywhere and also cheap. So whts the point in stopping piration. Recently i also read on vibhutis blog that the money from pirated cds go to terrorist circuits. Which can be truth..So now it is even more important for us to make our reach strong and cheap. I heard even some stores started original cheap cds,which is a good step. Network must be more strong. If originals are available everywhere at lesser price no one will go to pirated cds. And if no one buys those, its as good as dead. I hope those are listening who are crying all the time to stop piration.Wake up and smell the coffee lah!! It can never be stopped unless we have strong network of distribution world wide which is also viable. Sorry, was bit side trcked from main subject but this is a subject which is discussed more often than solved. Here is an immense potential market lying if some of you want to venture into it..Not only to make money but also to have essential service and core solutions. There is huge huge demand for our movies world wide..to me its not only to supply demand but its equally good service also. (Now,pls dont ask me why am i not venturing into it..its not because i dont want but because my present business is so demanding in time and efforts that there is no way i can do the same in near future, but i am open for doing it in future)

That was in gulf countries where without any doubt indian movies are very very popular. In UAE its malayalam movies which are popular primarily because majority are from kerala. When i came to uganda,africa almost every cd shop owner are crazy watching indian songs. Although sales is low compared to hollywood movies, but people are not aware of indian movies yet. Those who are aware are getting addicted fastly and word of mouth is doing the tricks. Even at small towns like jinja i saw they are hooked to our movies. Later when i visited some homes i came to know they follow hindi movies very well…even if they dont understand language they understand story very well. That explains our film industry. Shahrukh is a house hold name here. Recently, while i was seating in a bourbon cafe in rwanda ( now thats the beauty of visiting bourbon in rwanda….if you see around you essentially find people from four continents very easily..africa obviously, america has some long term interest, europe because its neighbour and obviously asians..or rather say indians because they are at every corner!!) at the nex 2 tables young african guys were seating..doing something on laptop. Slowly from the soundtracks i understood at one table they were watching slumdog and another they were listening hindi songs!! Mostly hindi songs are very very popilar in these countries. The place where i stay the maid has a big collection of hindi movie songs. And wife of my business partner in rwanda loves hindi movies most.

So kind of it sums up with the phenomena..we dont need to explain. Also time to time we hear that our block busters are top ten grossers in UK,US. Yash chopra could not believe when dubbed version of veer zaara became top earner of that year. Not just because indians in germany, the germans watched it more than indians. And yashji could not believe when he was seeing germans coming out from theatres in lot of emotions. Thats the language of love..no boundaries.

Well there is lot lot lot lot more i want to write on this subject..one blog may not be enough. Particularly want to write about global cinema. Can add here later or post in series..After knowing ur comments..I hope i have not bored you all. I wanted to share these thoughts with all of you.

Before stopping, my tribute to Malayalam film director lohit dass who passed away few weeks back. Some of his written movies are like embedded into my system and i consider them master pieces.( Many of them are awarded with national award).like kiridam,chenkol,kamaldalam and many more. I wish you can understand malayalam to feel these movies..or if you get subtitled version..do watch it. Malayalam and Indian cinema has lost an amazing film director.

And finally, for the picture posted here..phenomena of indian film industry can ever explained by any other pictures !!!! I guess..not for some centuries..may be!

Love you guys n gals, Keep commenting.

P.S.– If some of you are inspired to start the business i mentioned above..Pls pls..dont jump into it without having checked all feasibility reports and exercises. Demand is certainly there..but to cater it successfully is both art and science,which requires immense imagination and research.