Why Bollywood needs a Miramax
This is a topic really close to my heart for a variety of reasons, which are all inter-related. As a guy who has always loved innovation, novelty, diversity and variation like so many other Indians, it's depressing to see how our Bollywood has taken us for a ride all these years. 90% of the movies with similar stories? 4 superstars in 6 decades?
This is not healthy, it's the sign of an industry that is scared to experiment, lest they might fail. However they don't realize that they have given birth to a whole new generation of dissatisfied viewers that watch maybe 5-10 movies a year out of the 200 odd movies that Bollywood makes. Don't get me wrong, I still love our movies and probably watch more movies than an average viewer, but that's because I am an addict. The fact that I love it so much, makes me think, that we can do a lot better than this.
Hollywood started the "star system" and "formula movies", but Bollywood is probably a case study of the best execution of these theories. People think Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan sell movies. It is true to a certain extent, but they have also been in movies that failed miserably. There was a wonderful article in New York Times, which is in Hollywood's context, but is very relevant to Bollywood as well. It says that the most a star can do is set a floor for the opening weekend before the real reviews come out. If you have time then it's a nice read. So why is that our movie makers keep signing them? The article explains that too and I would not go into details here. Coming back to the original thread again, let's see what this lack of experimentation has done to Bollywood's audience. It has made us believe that wedding videos are worth watching 5 times, it has made us sit through movie after movie of people like Sunny Deol until we get used to them and think they are "good actors", it has made us ignore the talent of people like Manoj Bajpai, Ashutosh Rana, Nandita Das and many more because they don't look like Greek Gods and Goddesses.
So when I say, Bollywood needs a Miramax, what do I mean. I am not saying that we need a movie studio like Miramax, maybe we do, but more than that we need a revolution and a mindset change. Miramax made independent movies cool in Hollywood. They are the reason they have filmmakers like Tarantino. We need filmmakers who believe that if there is a good story, there will be an audience for it. There are people like Ram Gopal Verma, Mani Ratnam, Rajkumar Hirani (I hope he's not a one movie wonder), Rakesh Mehra, Vishal Bhardwaj and Nagesh Kukonoor to name a few who are giving us those other 10% of the movies, but maybe it's too little too late. RGV probably comes close but except for him most of these are single man crusades and need a uniting force like Miramax who believes in these original stories and in strong characters (more than superstars) and brings variety to the entertainment that is dished out to us. Most of the movies that Miramax distributed had limited audience, but then those movies had much smaller budgets when compared to a Spider-Man or Titanic so they didn't need a wider audience acceptance to be profitable. That's the kind of thinking our Bollywood producers need to embrace to make better movies and stop relying on a 90 year old recipe and a 40 year old superstar. Once these movies are viewed as profitable investments, I am sure Bollywood will heal not only financially but creatively.
I can go on forever, but what do I know? Like I said I'm just a frustrated movie addict, that is calling out to Bollywood's Harvey Weinstein and saying " O Brother, Where Art Thou?
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You named only a few
You named only a few directors who are giving us that 10% dose of off beat yet entertaining movies, so i wanted to add few more names to that list. The names are , Shekhar Kapur and Aparna Sen. Shekhar kapur has given us movies like Masoom, Mr India and bandit queen which are among the best in their geners, but since then he is quiet and not making anything for Bollywood. thats really unfortunate!!
Great thoughts! Although
Great thoughts! Although these changes will take time..but directors like Nagesh Kukonoor are doing a good job..and same with Hirani's Munnabhai..
But the basic issue is of professionalizing bollywood. Unlike hollywood, bollywood still doesn't have the industry ethics. Its still run by few individuals (like KJo) who take you for a ride.
As as Bob D would say "Times they are a changing" - I look forward to some collaboration across these directors..
Great post dude
Miramax! Are you kidding
Miramax! Are you kidding me?! They are one of the worst sumabitches in the holly jolly wood! It was bad enough when the Weinsteins managed Miramax with all the political manipulation they could muster. The buggers frequently bought movies only to keep them off the market, like Hero or Shaolin Soccer. Or they would change the subtitles to remove political context, like with Iron Monkey. If there were to be a Miramax in Bollywood, all you would get to watch is carefully selected crap from names you've never heard of and will probably never hear again (Pete Jones, Troy Duffy who?) labeled "it's different and therefore you must watch it."
Miramax has definitely won their share of Oscars. That is, some of the WORST awards ever in the history of the academy. If you replace the Oscars on Miramax's shelves by Razzies, no one would notice any difference. The English Patient, Shakespeare in Love, Good Will Hunting, The Cider House Rules. Some of the cheesiest and worst movies ever awarded the Academy awards. Almost makes you start believing in the horse trading.
Ram Trash Gopal Varma. Don't make me laugh. Darna Zaroori Hai, Shock, Mr Ya Miss, My Wife's Murder, Naach, Vaastu Shastra, Gayab, Main Madhuri Dixit Banna Chahti Hoon!, Love Ke Liye Kuchh Bhi Karega. The list keeps growing along with the pain in my head. Bollywood needs such producers as much as anyone needs an asshole on their elbows.
Sabu I'm lost....are you
Sabu I'm lost....are you saying that Miramax is the only evil corporation in Hollywood?
Hero and Shaolin Soccer happened when Miramax was acquired by Disney, so its not Harvey's fault. BTW whats wrong with Good Will Hunting?....and for the record, it didnt win the best picture award.....
Moreover since when is making money in show business, evil? I am all for that.....but let your customers have some variety for God's sake.....its like India has come a long way, but our Bollywood is still living in the Ambassador car age.....I might be in the minority, but I want to see a hybrid every now and then....the reference to Miramax is only symbolic and all I am saying is we need people who promote good cinema and know how to make money from it.....
But then how would you know you are not from here....things might be perceived differently in Jupiter.....:)
Sabu, see the resume of your
Sabu, see the resume of your Ram "Trash" Gopal Varma as director:
# Sarkar (2005)
# Bhoot (2003)
# Company (2002)
# Jungle (2000)
# Mast (1999)
# Kaun (1999)
# Satya (1998)
# Rangeela (1995)
# Raat (1992)
# Shiva (1990)
Only as producer:
# D (2005)
# Ab Tak Chhappan (2004)
# Ek Hasina Thi (2004)
# Shool (1999)
# Dil Se.. (1998)
P.S.: I have excluded movies, which did not do well on Jupiter :) and also those which failed miserably even on this third rock from the Sun.
Now, think of any other individual who has ventured into so many good/successful projects in the recent years. Agreed, he has given some craps too. But then, at least he promotes talent. He is not a simple movie maker. He is a Factory! Bollywood needs corporatization.
bole to company hona
bole to company hona mangta....
Don't get confused. The
Don't get confused. The point is simple. Do not watch crap just because it is different. You seem to understand that but then meander elsewhere.
I hate it when people get blind sighted. Disney bought Miramax in 1993 and Weinsteins were there till late last year. So don't say that anything bad that happened is Disney's fault but everything good that came out was because of Harvey. Disney was there when Pulp Fiction came out and Harvey was there when Hero did NOT come out or when Iron Monkey was despoiled. Political whore!
The academy awards referred to are not specifically for Best Film. Any Oscar. Screenplay, Supporting Actor, Actress and all that shit. Cider House Rules, also, did not win Best Film. Good Will Hunting. Are you kidding?! Corny genius with real life adjustment problems rehashed how do you like them apples crap packed with slick butter.
I agree with you - there's nothing wrong with making money. All the money that RGV's movies have made would not put a dent in big budgets of old school formula studios.
Vijay, wtf are you talking about? Kaun, Bhoot, Raat. Were you even awake by the time the second reel started rolling? Satya, Company, D, Sarkar - mismashed versions of Scarface, Carlito's Way, Goodfellas, Donnie Brasco, and let me think, aha The Godfather. You said it - it's a factory, a REHASH FACTORY. He made a somewhat good film with Shiva. And now he's rehashing even that! God save the Queen!
Applaud "different" or "hybrid" movies when they are good not when they are crap.
If there was one good film film in that entire resume, it was Rangeela. That amazing gyrating Urmila in Tanha Tanha... Why do think I moved to Earth?
And regarding Jupiter jokes, I've heard them all. What can you do when you are 12 ft tall baldy wearing gold earrings :(
ofcourse....I agree with you
ofcourse....I agree with you there, I am not saying that Miramax is flawless and I would appreciate crap because it has a miramax or hollywood stamp on it.....
the point I was trying to make is our film makers are so scared of experimenting or making "crap movies" that they continue to dish out the same old movies.....again nothing wrong with that, there's an audience for that so why not.....but there's an audience for other shit too and being a movie fan, you would expect some kind of a support system....actually expect is a wrong word, you LONG for some kind of a support system that would promote....different kind of movies.....
I am not even talking about merit here.....taking the car analogy again....I dont care if Toyota Hybrid is a crappy car.....all I need as a consumer is to look at something more than Ambassador when I am making a buying decision....
you say that Ram Gopal Verma copies and makes trash movies, but you dont realize that he's exposed the Indian audience to so many different genres and I am hoping that some one who has real talent will pick the ball and run with it....of course Vastushastra and Bhoot were C grade movies....but if you look at horror genre in India, only Ramsay's come to mind.....do Indians dont have scary stories to tell....Im sure they do and people will listen to those stories if they are told in a right manner....
I hope its clearer now that I am not promoting miramax or Ramu or Disney or Tarantino.....I am talking about the spirit of innovation and experimentation that any healthy enterprise must have....
nothing personal on the Jupiter jokes bro....we were just pulling your 6 ft long leg....:)
wait n watch for Shiva 2,
wait n watch for Shiva 2, Sholay 2, Sarkar 2....you'll need to go to No.2 Sabu :)
Why Bollywood needs a
Why Bollywood needs a Miramax....
Why Bollywood needs a Miramax.... posted at IndianPad.com
Re: Why Bollywood needs a Miramax
There were two muffins in an oven...
One muffin said to the other, "Man, it's hot in here."
Then the other said, "AH A TALKING MUFFIN!"
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