By Anant Mathur (May 28, 2007)
I don't know about you but I find it very amusing when I see press interviews with Bollywood stars, producers and directors about their forthcoming films. I mean they all say the same thing, it's an original story, the Indian audience has never seen anything like it, etc. etc. I mean give me a break, from the first frame of the same film it's very obvious where the film's story has been copied (or inspired as they like to say in Bollywood) from. Surprisingly, gone are the days when media used to write about how Indian filmmakers are copying stories from the west. These days producers and directors openly admit which Hollywood film they have copied and the media has no problems with it.
Even a film like Dhoom 2 which has been copied from countless Hollywood films (eg. Mission Impossible) does well at the box office. I guess producers don't really care about what the story is as long as it does well. But at some point they need to seriously think about what they are doing. One day, I would love to see Hollywood copy our films and not the other way around. It's happening with music. Even with music our desi music directors have copied many tunes and have never been sued. But the moment a foreign band (Truth Hurts) uses an indian song (Kaliyon Ka Chaman) as part of their song we sue them and not just sue...our guy (Bappi Da) wins! Woah! What's up with that. Now wouldn't it be great if we could accomplish that with our films also.
Sometimes I really wonder how some films even get made. I mean who really thinks that films like Red Swastika, The Challenge, MP3 - Mera Pehla Pehla Pyaar, Kabhi Socha Bhi Na Tha, Ghutan, Dharm, Chain Kulii Ki Main Kulii, Chooriyan, Kaise Kahe, Fear, Darling, Kaafila and Jahan Jaaeyega Hamen Paaeyega are going to set the box office on fire. Most likely many, if not all, these films will be big flops. Why even bother guys. There are way too many new directors in Bollywood these days and not many with talent. We need better writers, better stories and better direction which can only come from people who are talented not Madhuri Dixit's secretary who has decided to make films or Amitabh Bachchan's make-up man who thinks he has the best story in the world to tell.
Bollywood complaints that there are no good stories. But the moment a new writer or director approaches a production house with fresh ideas, the first thing they're asked is who's in it? Which star do you plan to have? Who will do the music? Choreography? etc. etc. I mean, Shahrukh Khan's butler probably has a better chance of getting a film made in Bollywood than a talented writer/director. Simply because he knows Shahrukh and can use his connections and Shahrukh will likely work in his film for a huge pay cut. I mean it makes you sick in the stomach to think the way Bollywood works. Mindless producers, hopeless directors and talentless writers getting a chance simply because they know a Superstar.
In Bollywood as long as you kiss the a$$ of the right people, your film will be made. There's no talent required here. The talented ones are pushed aside because they don't know anyone. Hopefully this is something that will change because until Bollywood starts making new stories, no one is going to take them seriously. Bollywood is finally being recognized the world over and it's high time that Indian filmmakers come up with their own ideas for stories and not copy Kurosawa, Hitchcock, Wyler, Wells, Cuckor and the gang from Hollywood. There is a dearth of original screenplays in Bollywood and too many "inspired" films are being made. Talent is required to make good films not who you know or who knows you. It's time to do away with the a$$ kissing and time for some Hollywood a$$ kicking. What say?
I don't know about you but I find it very amusing when I see press interviews with Bollywood stars, producers and directors about their forthcoming films. I mean they all say the same thing, it's an original story, the Indian audience has never seen anything like it, etc. etc. I mean give me a break, from the first frame of the same film it's very obvious where the film's story has been copied (or inspired as they like to say in Bollywood) from. Surprisingly, gone are the days when media used to write about how Indian filmmakers are copying stories from the west. These days producers and directors openly admit which Hollywood film they have copied and the media has no problems with it.
Even a film like Dhoom 2 which has been copied from countless Hollywood films (eg. Mission Impossible) does well at the box office. I guess producers don't really care about what the story is as long as it does well. But at some point they need to seriously think about what they are doing. One day, I would love to see Hollywood copy our films and not the other way around. It's happening with music. Even with music our desi music directors have copied many tunes and have never been sued. But the moment a foreign band (Truth Hurts) uses an indian song (Kaliyon Ka Chaman) as part of their song we sue them and not just sue...our guy (Bappi Da) wins! Woah! What's up with that. Now wouldn't it be great if we could accomplish that with our films also.
Sometimes I really wonder how some films even get made. I mean who really thinks that films like Red Swastika, The Challenge, MP3 - Mera Pehla Pehla Pyaar, Kabhi Socha Bhi Na Tha, Ghutan, Dharm, Chain Kulii Ki Main Kulii, Chooriyan, Kaise Kahe, Fear, Darling, Kaafila and Jahan Jaaeyega Hamen Paaeyega are going to set the box office on fire. Most likely many, if not all, these films will be big flops. Why even bother guys. There are way too many new directors in Bollywood these days and not many with talent. We need better writers, better stories and better direction which can only come from people who are talented not Madhuri Dixit's secretary who has decided to make films or Amitabh Bachchan's make-up man who thinks he has the best story in the world to tell.
Bollywood complaints that there are no good stories. But the moment a new writer or director approaches a production house with fresh ideas, the first thing they're asked is who's in it? Which star do you plan to have? Who will do the music? Choreography? etc. etc. I mean, Shahrukh Khan's butler probably has a better chance of getting a film made in Bollywood than a talented writer/director. Simply because he knows Shahrukh and can use his connections and Shahrukh will likely work in his film for a huge pay cut. I mean it makes you sick in the stomach to think the way Bollywood works. Mindless producers, hopeless directors and talentless writers getting a chance simply because they know a Superstar.
In Bollywood as long as you kiss the a$$ of the right people, your film will be made. There's no talent required here. The talented ones are pushed aside because they don't know anyone. Hopefully this is something that will change because until Bollywood starts making new stories, no one is going to take them seriously. Bollywood is finally being recognized the world over and it's high time that Indian filmmakers come up with their own ideas for stories and not copy Kurosawa, Hitchcock, Wyler, Wells, Cuckor and the gang from Hollywood. There is a dearth of original screenplays in Bollywood and too many "inspired" films are being made. Talent is required to make good films not who you know or who knows you. It's time to do away with the a$$ kissing and time for some Hollywood a$$ kicking. What say?
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