Artistic Revelations

Self or Film

2010-08-07T20:01:00.014+05:30

Three years ago,I had met a producer from regional cinema, he had produced a commercial film with "an award winning film maker". I was pitching my film to the same producer. When he heard my script he loved it a lot, but flatly refused to produce it, even though a star was attached to it. I respect his decision on not to produce, but I was curious to know what made him produce the film with the award winning film maker? The answer gave me an insight into the film industry, that cut through like a disease among all film makers and producers. Everyone here has personal gains from a film, I would be lying if I said I did not have. His concern was promises made by a film maker before a film and eventually what the film becomes when it is ready for release. Because this Award winning film maker was so famous, the producer was excited when this particular film maker had come to him with a commercial idea. The film maker boasted of the most novel concept, inspired by a Spielberg idea, film had fights, actions, visuals, songs and everything under the sun a great film should have. The film maker also made promises, because of his name, multiple festivals around the world will pick up his film very easily, also they might even find a foreign distributor who could give them a release in mainstream American and International markets. What more the producer was also offered a role to act with the star who they will later approach.All big promises by a very well known film maker. So the producer thinks why not, after all he too wanted a share of international recognition and the big money. Among all this discussion, there was no script or story discussed, it was always about the film maker and how much will his name sell. Ask them today how the film fared or ask them about each other, they hate each other.

Film makers in the Indian film industry, barring very few, definitely does not beleive in cultivating relationships with the producer. Most Indian film makers have never worked under one producer for long. If you look West, a Nolan or a Tarantino, or other film makers have mostly worked with the same producer right from their first film. Producers and film makers here think they both are from a different race. They hate each others guts, most film makers are immediately willing to bitch about the producer and same goes for the producer. The common goal about together achieving a great film is absent in most productions here. Most of the associations end with one film, the producer never goes on to repeat the film maker, the film maker never goes back to the producer. A producer is seen as an enemy among film makers, they are idiots with lots of money and will put money in any film, other than the film you just pitched. The new film maker just wonders why his second project was rejected.The key problem is they have damaged a working relationship on the basis of promises made and what is delivered is nowhere close to what is promised. The problem is largely communication gaps or (gas), hype that follows a film maker and the contacts he can pull. Also, the big names he has relations with. Notice, how every film maker in Bollywood, has a great working relationship with everyone from the cast and crew, he'll repeat them for every project maybe, but never the producer. Same goes for the producer, he does not want to work with the same film maker again. He has his own set of belief systems and personal interests vested in the film. His goal is different in the film he is producing

The standard process for most film makers is simple, fix rounds of meetings with a producer or a production house, and make all the biggest promises under the sun about your film. The script is the last discussed factor here, while every producer knows, without content all these don't mean anything. The producer does not bother about script developement, for him writing is just someone who is hired to type words, because they can't find a typist to type 120 pages with words. Most producers do not want to work a professional way, starting from a story thread, and working with the writer and director in fleshing out of the concept. They want ready made blockbusters like Sholay from a hungry writer, who is thinking about paying his next cell phone bill, and all the writer cares is somehow finish the screenplay. Why give his best, when his function or contribution is fully ignored.The writer too has needs and personal gains in the film, his goal is different with the film that is going to be made, somehow it should be on floors. There exists no working relationships, or mutual respect among the producers with writers, they are the most detached with the writer. The concept of script development is non existent in Bollywood for most producers. Most directors pay from their pockets for script developement with the writer, I have the utmost respect for such directors who value this process and understand the importance of feeding your writer, so his imagination is in your film and not on the cell phone bill. All the producer is interested is when the director will lock the script. He will rarely read the script. He has also locked his finances, his interest rates are soaring. Get the script done, somehow.

Then comes the crucial question during the meetings with the producers, "Why should the producer invest in this film?". Some standard answer given by directors , because it has so and so star or it has known faces and music by blah. That answer is enough, cause the game does not end here. The producer all he cares about is selling his film, like a vegetable vendor he wants to make sure he gets out his stock before it begins to rot. Eventually who is bearing the loses, the distributors. Their revenue stream is popcorn, samosas and movie tickets sold. This cycle has been abused so bad, new film makers are not given a fair chance in the process. So content repetition is bound to happen, we will be seeing the same recycled love stories and crappy stories featuring stars, because that's play safe. The distributors will buy if they have a star, and for the distributors having a star means more sale in their samosas and pop corns . Most productions manage to make just about money to break even. Everyone is covered. It was the case till Kites and Raavan happened. Now I am interested in hearing from the producers who think this model is safe. So getting to basics again, even the Producer does not care beyond his personal gains.

For most film makers they think their job ends with making the final cut. The rest of the release, promotional activity etc is the producers headache. They'll give interviews because they are supposed to do it. Most new film makers don't care about a release, as long as they have a film to their credit, but it's lying in the cans. They think the producer is not doing anything for the film, there is definitely no concept of working together in the same boat and making it to land. Once the film is made the producer is in a different boat. Post the film release, the director moves on with other producers, for his own personal gains. He has made his film, don't care what happened to his film, it's now the next producer to axe. As for the producer, he is looking for the next film maker who can give him a killer deal to axe the next set of distributors. Eventually in the whole axes that are grinded the audience are the biggest losers, where is the great film that was so talked about and promised? It's just random stars, songs, half hearted plot and a convulted ending. They go back cribbing another weekend money is wasted on samosas, popcorns, parking, movie tickets for a pointless film.

As for the regional producer, he said his film had miserably bombed, leaving no money for his own acting fees, that he had to do it free in his own film. Some random festival in Korea had picked it and 5 people turned to see it. The film maker thinks it was a super duper hit in one part of the state, it failed in the other because it had religious undertones. In the whole process of getting the film made, it was about money,stars, numbers, relationships, marketing, contacts, PR, all the associated blah blah and never about the actual film. The common goal about a good film was lost. Who had it in the first place ?

The Rocket in You

2009-12-15T10:31:00.011+05:30

" Risk tho Spiderman ko bhi lena padhta hai "

Rocket eventually learns a lot from this line in the film and I was thrilled to know that once upon a time I was Rocket, except no one told me that line. Rocket Singh - Salesman of the Year is a film that I personally connected and felt nostalgic about by "non-filmy" days. We see these characters in everyday lives, yet few stories have been written about them. Jaideep Sahni and Shimit Amin deserve full marks for believing in the story, and for bringing it to life. It does not aim to be clever or gimmicky, yet communicates with a powerful message. Rocket does not take a safe path, infact he does not have a safe path, since he failed. He takes up a career in sales considered risky by everone else, he eventually goes on to become an entrepreneur. There was a message unknowingly deciphered by Rocket in the film, like a clarion call.

Rocket finally decides he wants a change of industry using his sales skills. When Rocket enters the new indusrty, he realises everyone in this indusry knows how the product should be made. Rocket learns the ropes around the organization with time. Film industries also functions like an organisation, so for someone like Rocket how is the film industry an organisation or like an industry. When Rocket first enters the industry he studies his products. He begins understanding his product is a film, there are multiple companies making films. Rocket by conditioning of his Dadaji realises that Ramayan and multiple stories told to him are good stories. A film is a good story and good stories have soul, becomes his mantra.

So Rocket starts with his R & D department to develop a good product for the market, he decides to have everyone on the same strategy as he formed Rocket Sales corporation. He decides all partners work in profit. Rocket applies the strategy and a system from his sales organisation. Rocket meets a passionate director who has a vision and a story to tell. Together with the director, Rocket hires a writer. Rocket trusts his writer and director to spend months doing R & D on the product. Rocket moves on to find other people in his team. Rocket makes sure that his marketing team, stars, actors does not influence the script and his R & D dept, their work is to their respective functions and not to write scripts. He makes sure people hired for different functions stay within their skill set.

Finally the day arrives, Rocket realises his R & D department is ready to move to implementation and developement phase. Rocket spends months raising funding and selling his product in the market, finally a buyer surfaces. Rocket treats his every pitch as cold calls and sells his product with passion to every investor. Rocket convinces his investor that he will give the ROI (Return on Investment). The film audience is Rocket's consumer, he realizes the value of 150 bucks spend by the consumer while consuming his product. He has to give them an satisfying experience, that they keep coming back for more. Rocket begins implementation with the rest of the team, backing the director at every step. Rocket realises the importance of support to the director and his vision, The director goes on to direct everyone from the script writer, actor, cinematographer, musicians and technicians, fully supported by his producer. Months later, Rocket makes his product for the consumer, he is happy he has made a good product that he would consume himself.

He continues selling his product at each stage hoping one fine day, his product will be consumed by his target consumer, when it is out in the market. What happens next stays unsure? Rocket either goes on to start a production house, churning quality films after films, since his organisation works like a proper organisation or Rocket initially finds a lots of hiccups, ups and downs and finally wins, but as of now the story is still under developement. Importantly, after every step Rocket remembers Spiderman.

There are many Rockets in every industry, but how many Rockets can sell their products with conviction at every stage. Many Rockets become disheartened, loose hope and finally return to a no risk arena. How many rockets are able to think independent ? Many Rockets bringing in new knowledge to the industry are afraid to challenge the existing norms. Many Rockets simply deliver a product in haste without thinking twice, eventually their products fail and they discourage other Rockets. Some Rockets go with vengeance, some with indulgence, some miserably fail, some fail to understand their own product. Some are selling it because their families are selling it. In the whole scheme of things, only few Rockets really stick it out like our Rocket Singh, because he knows his product and believes in it, more importantly he approaches his work with integrity and that's what brings out the soul, Every step rocket is independently thinking every moment on he can get his product or service out there.

Surprisingly and maybe unknowingly YRF, Jaideep and Shimit, have given out a clarion call. If you can find the Rocket in you, very soon, you will be out there selling your product or your service, doing what your beleive in, cause that is the only thing you can sell best. So be it an actor, doctor, writer, musician, journalist, scientist you need to know how to sell what you beleive in. So taking this forward, I shall remember the spiderman quote.

"Risk tho spiderman ko bhi lena padtha hai, main toh phir bhi Salesman hoon "

Bollywood landing on Moon

2009-07-20T13:47:00.015+05:30

1969
It's been forty years since man landed on the moon, then considered one of the best achievements for mankind. There were talks then that in twenty years man would colonize the moon, travel to the moon would be a regular affair and all that futuristic science fiction stuff. They were excited..

Cut to

2009
..I am still excited thinking about it. Forty year's have passed, I haven't found a colony yet, forget getting a visa to the moon. Somewhere a future prediction went wrong, a prediction that could have been possible if there were enough studies, research and funding diverted towards it. There was just talk, not much done in terms of action. Today we could have been sitting on the moon and could have dealt with global warming with a larger perspective. Hopefully in my life time I get to see that happening.

So with that thought I hope population will grow, they will be need for entertainment in Moon. As you read on different newspapers everyday, everyone quotes the same thing, Indian cinema today is going through a wonderful phase, amazing time for Indian cinema, I am fortunate etc... By the time we land on moon, I am hoping entertainment would have evolved in India and the content that goes out of Bollywood to the moon. I am so thrilled to be part of this growing process. There are great plots, almost every movie seems to be great films. Alternative film makers are slowly becoming mainstream. With so many great films, Bollywood today is no more known only by song and dances, but a unique form of cinema from India has evolved and found a voice. Actors are now supporting alternative cinema because the artist in them thirsts to be creative with their work, so they support off beat film makers. In fact the word "off beat" will be outdated. I am so excited. Wow, my phone's ringing, a production house has just decided to give me an offer to make our first film..... Strange sound. Poof. Flash of Lighting. Gone.

Flash. WTF ?

2049
Bollywood Division, Mumbai Dome, MOON TERRITORY

4 hours since Earthrise
I am in front of a mob holding placards. That man on the placard looks familiar, there is some protest. The police arrive in some flying ships open tear gas. Part of the crowd disperse, I move through the crowd and reach a clearing. Oh shit I recognize that face on the placard, it's one of the alternative film makers of our times. He is been publicly executed. There are cheers. A group of women break into a a Bollywood dance, in the end, the film maker is killed.

I continue running, this is a different world, i see an old face begging, he used to be one of a fellow writers during my struggle years, what happened? There is poster of a movie produced by some Kumar clan called "Galatic Ishq", wow and the poster is playing a song, it a remix that played on radio, sounds familiar. Oh my Gosh, News flashes in a signboard. SRK and GURU Dutt to team up? Technology has made it possible.

The beggar comes behind me and speaks to himself " They don't need stars anymore, there are lots of virtual stars everywhere. All created by the Clans, Bollywood is now ruled by clans who are off springs of the Bachans, Khans, Chopras, Roshans. UTV buildings have been bombed, Hollywood is waging a war of creativity with Bollywood. War Against Creativity. The rest of the world only gets Bollywod films and other markets have their own versions of bollywood films. Even the Chinese have broken into the territory. Every movie is the same plot, with different faces. Writing job does not exist anymore. The alternative film makers have been arrested and executed. Some still teach the craft, they are branded as terrorists and revolutionaries for thinking different. They run these training centers in some remote places hard to penetrate. Some underground market sells those films like drugs peddled in the crater areas of the moon. Very expensive, good cinema is illegal. Youngsters roam about with blue tooth enabled phones, downloading stuff (films) from the peddlers. Writers are been executed." A chill runs down my spine

I am still trying to grasp on how I landed here, I walk away from the beggar, I walk down the street, people begin staring at me. I receive an MMS. LAST WRITER SPOTTED. He looks familiar. It's me. I am surrounded by the cops in the small space ships. The cop points something at me. A jolt.. Black Out.

BOB DYLAN SONG PLAYS ..

Come writers and critics
Who prophesize with your pen
And keep your eyes wide
The chance won't come again
And don't speak too soon
For the wheel's still in spin
And there's no tellin' who
That it's namin'.
For the loser now
Will be later to win
For the times they are a-changin'.

ONE May

2009-04-28T20:19:00.004+05:30

Our First Teaser www.firestillburns.org

Fire Still Burns with AGNI

2009-04-20T23:41:00.006+05:30

Fire Still Burns in a campaign initiated by Artistic Revelations to bring change by doing what you know to do the best.

AGNI- the organisation who introduced the concept of Advanced Locality Management in Mumbai; one of the first propagators of the Clean & Green Mumbai idea; an organization that challenged strikes of essential services in Mumbai; an early starter to utilize the power of media to spread their message…

To cut a long story short - a visionary team who has withstood the test of time in working towards creating a better tomorrow.

And we are thrilled to announce that this visionary team is partnering with our movement to combine the energies of the youth with the expertise of the elders. A wholly voluntary association, AGNI is operated by citizens like you and me.

The details of the association will follow as we go along – as always ideas to make the association meaningful are welcome…

Keep the fire burning.

http://www.blackbridge.co.in/agni/activities.asp

Thinking without Thinking

2008-12-18T19:31:00.010+05:30

(First Published on www.passionforcinema.com)
http://passionforcinema.com/thinking-without-thinking/

Thinking without Thinking and Visual Language in Indian Cinema.

Disclaimer: I am a student of Cinema, for a lifetime. I have not attended any film school so whatever expressed on the article is based on my observations and understanding of this medium by watching movies. I just have two short films to my credit and currently writing for someone detested here on PFC, every thing expressed here is purely my opinion, meaning no offense to anyone.

Recently I came across the trailer of Dev D on PFC, after watching the trailer on the comments section I impulsively wrote “Reminds me of Requiem for a Dream.” Later on however I thought, I should not have made the comment without seeing the whole film. It set me thinking why that happened. If you have read Malcolm Gladwell’s Blink, he puts forth the theory of “how we think without thinking”; it was a similar situation, impulsive reaction. The whole thing nagged me and later that night I sent the trailer link to a friend in US to get a different point of view. He immediately responded after watching, it reminded him of Trainspotting. My immediate retaliation- why can’t two directors have the same idea while making a film? They can result in different stories, both original. Does watching a huge collection of foreign films give us a right to compare a genuinely original film to some foreign one? It could be a mere coincidence that the trailer reminded you of a particular film. His answer was pretty interesting “thoughts and ideas can be the same, but not the same visual language”.

Another incident, on a TV show, Anurag Kashyap recommends “Battle of Algeirs.” I managed to get hold of that film and watch it; the opening scene of the film has soldiers questioning a bearded man in his underwear shivering, not able to speak. The soldiers are trying to get some information out of him. The soldiers even offer him water. Déjà vu !!! Black Friday, Mumbai cops questioning the Memon’s manager in the jail cell. It could be tribute, inspiration or a sub conscious decision to do it that way. What stood out was what my friend called Visual Language, it was similar. Tribute and inspiration is acceptable, but if it’s a sub conscious decision to attempt it, the problem needs to be addressed.

Being original in your scripts and stories is not enough, it is fine as a writer, but a director needs to approach his original work backed with original execution of visual language. Other examples, which I would like to point out here, the last scene of RGV’s Bhoot reminded me of Exorcist, many scenes from Mani Ratnam’s Nayakan had a Godfather hangover, Bhansali’s BLACK had the Road to Perdition look, there are countless examples if you dig deep. Again I emphasize on the point on having a tribute or inspiration, with due credit, but if it’s a sub conscious decision to execute it that way I am not sure what the solution to the problem is. Are the directors aware that they are following the same visual language of the originals while trying to be an original film? Are we pushing the craft in terms of visual execution or is it cool way of doing it because “I have seen it in this film” and “I can work it into this film I am making”?

Visual Language, of what I have to come to understand over the years, is the use of all elements of cinema and creating the visuals within the rectangular frame in front of you. Placement/actions of actors, cinematography, editing cuts, props, lighting etc.

At the Screenwriter’s conference Sriram Raghavan spoke about the Cinema greats of India who brought in a particular persona to their films over the years and through their works. Abbas Tyrewala spoke about the last of the Giants of Cinema and how we no more have them as times pass, which I disagree. Over the time in search of finding true Indian stories Indian film makers forgot the importance of visual language or execution. The Giants and the greats were also original in their execution of visual language with respect to their stories, be it in India or abroad.

When I asked a director on visual language problem, the reply was “A new visual language is extremely hard to invent.” Hard not impossible. As much as there is talk of craft developing in Indian cinema, barring a few, most film makers who talk of their craft are already doing tried and tested methods set by the giants, or because it is not done before in the Indian scenario. I refuse to believe that new methods and craft in film making are no more possible, it’s firmly about pushing the craft from the seed idea. As much as we are progressing towards better stories and content, there should be more focus on developing the Indian film making technique along with the stories. And I don’t mean the use of songs into films, the so called Bollywood films, but visual styling is lacking in India; I am also talking of the niche, alternative wave of cinema that’s mostly discussed in these forums. Visual language is the last factor paid attention to in those movies and they seem to be inspired originals in terms of visual execution. I am not sure how many directors get their cinematographers to read the script, sometimes cinematographers seem remotely disconnected from the scene. Directors are not able to create original visuals by the references of countless films provided to the cinematographer to achieve a look, maybe not time invested to work out a visual language for the entire film. There could be mighty budget restrictions, but even budget restrictions can be used to an advantage in achieving unique visual language, thinking original in these circumstances. In the broader sense, somewhere in execution and in production values our films are lacking and are unable to raise the bar while competing internationally.

I do not claim to have the solution to this problem, merely pointing it out as a problem. If people think it’s alright for film makers to attempt already attempted visual techniques because their stories are original. The cleverer ones build it into their narrative making sure even the original film maker who first attempted the techniques cannot figure it out. It might be something that we need not worry at this stage since we are waging a war with the commercial star driven format for now; we have a long way to go before our film makers try stuff like Citizen Kane, Forrest Gump etc. The larger implications of this problem is that we might never really have the so called “Unique Indian film” as times pass, just Bollywood musicals without soul and alternative, different cinema with techniques tried, tested and aped from the west or set by the Giants, we will just have content imitations of world cinema and Hollywood visually. An example of a seed idea pushed by craft of film making to final execution is Sholay. Wikipedia quotes “The Indian film Sholay (1975) borrowed its basic premise from Seven Samurai and The Magnificent Seven. The film was declared BBC India’s “Film of the Millennium” and is the highest-grossing Indian film of all time.” We might never find an original visual language in future, but as an independent film industry we definitely should try to find one.

So coming back Dev D, I haven’t seen the film, read it’s an adaptation of Devdas, definitely not Trainspotting or Requiem for a Dream, but the visual language definitely reminded me of other drug movies I have seen. Now why did I think before thinking?

A Year Later...

2008-10-16T12:17:00.013+05:30

Nothing can be worse, like a power cut when you have just typed out what you wanted to say on your next blog entry. I did not save it while typing. Lesson learned , there is no perfect order for the things you set out to do, circumstances change. That's what been happening over the year. "Life is what happens to you when you are busy making plans"

A lot has changed in the year that went by, I was surprised to see the date on last entry in the blog was last November. There was a reason that it was not updated simply because we did not know such things had to be ever updated.

Grown wiser, know to read people and judge them better, taking them at face value , "sab log bolta hai". The past year has been impressive for me with the number of people I met and networked. Directors, Producers, actors, writers and of course my partners in crime in Bollywood, the eternal struggling souls that I gain inspiration the ones up there, who have managed to sell their souls to the devil.

I managed to get my first contract as a writer with a very established Director/Producer. Honestly, after the contract was signed there is now, a famous name tag in my resume, the project has to be still on floors. People are more accessible, willing to meet and yes willing to hear me out. I continue pitching projects. For those who asked me about The last Painting project, it has finally been shelved, due to various issues.It won't be made in malayalam, with the same budget we could even make it a multiplex film in Hindi. Who will fund you? No one to blame, but sometimes my own choices. Why would anyone want to fund a new director, who claims to know to make films, without working under anyone as an assistant or a bollywood set. A question that bothers many, few ask me and the only answer is the confidence in my script and my vision, because I am yet to make that film.

With ' The Last Painting' not happening, I decided to boost my resume with some names, not knowing whether it would be possible. More the names, better for investors, " "Aah this guy has worked under so and so...he has written so and so ...project etc". I collected contacts from all possible sources , started messaging and calling up the established names in the industry, asking if they would be interested in hiring a writer for their projects. I actually started with the Director for whom I am currently working. After numerous messages, he finally gave me a meeting. From there on after multiple meetings and discussions, he finally signed me in March. I ACTUALLY RECEIVED MY FIRST INDUSTRY ADVANCE. My Cheque!!!! Thursday the 13th of March, 2008!!!

During that period I had also pitched to other directors, so ended up making multiple plot lines during those pitches. Some producers even made me work for six to seven months, but when it came to the money, they simply vanished. I was Cuba Gooding "Show me the money Jerry!!! "..only problem is Jerry hung up the phone other end.

What came out of the meetings, is some great ideas, concept notes, treatments that lie in my email Inbox waiting to take off someday into the celluloid. Someday I wish to start a production house, happy, that I have original concepts and stories, I finally have my own bank, that I can either pitch, produce or direct, the ones that I beleive in. I have registered all of them in my name.

Yesterday I had a meeting with a director at CCD near Fame andheri. I reached there and waited for sometime for the director to arrive, I kept looking around the tables, what I saw models, an actress, glamour, the usual show shining, contracts being read, a group discussing song lyrics, lifestyle week been discussed, a college couple smoking a hookah, a casting guy looking at a model's snaps, someone saying he knows the A list stars and can get them. I suddenly felt very alien to that world, I don't belong there, the worse part Bombay has banned smoking in public spaces, that makes me a full alien in public place. Dunno, how many of them are actually telling the truth, how many are serious and how many meetings there will finally take off into something concrete.

The Andheri west belt scares, that is not the real Bombay, that is reality for some, not for me. I prefer taking a rickshaw ride to andheri from chembur, enjoy the sights and sounds of bombay, including some of the traffic, except when I am in a hurry. The rickshaw rides gave me numerous ideas, concepts, plots, gave time for prep before the pitches and I also met a rickshaw guy who worked for TCS in Oklahoma as a Java consultant, he has also passed Police Service exam, did not get a job because they demanded bribe from him to be a cop, he thought investing on his business was a better decison than paying the bribe, now works in a factory as a skilled turner( dunno what exactly it means) and invested, rents out and himself drives the rick for four hours daily, finally makes it home on time to watch BIGG BOSS. How inspiring, modern india, post liberalisation !!!!

I paid him, said "thank you", he replied " welcome". Something that struck me as I walked away " We are all part of some vicious system struggling to fight our circumstances and outcome of the choices." Sorry for this preachy shit !! I wish I could have sold my soul to the devil, but something that comes to my mind is when the Oklahoma school bomber Timothy MacVeigh was executed, he wrote a note to the people who insisted on seeing his death execution " I am the master of my fate and the captain of my soul." He is not the right example here, but what I loved was you couldn't break his spirit, causing the people who watched his execution more grief.

Over the year we have become more adamant, stubborn, maybe focussed...and it's next to impossible to break our spirit, no matter how the circumstances changes.

Orson Welles advice to Ed Wood Junior in the movie Ed Wood (1994) " Visions are worth fighting for. Why spend your life making someone else's dreams? "

Goodluck and Best wishes to all.

Someone wrote it....

2007-11-13T12:34:00.001+05:30

The Screenwriters have decided to strike in Hollywood. They are demanding a share of loyalty on DVD rights, internet and mobile content. Scripted televisions show will have difficulty in showing new episodes. Advertising on those shows will be affected. So revenue affected. The Writer's Guild of America has authorized the strike now. Currently 12,000 Writers have participated in the strike. Actors and celebrities are now supporting their cause. California Terminator Arnold is desperately trying to terminate the strike. Several shows are now been repeated. Many crew members are loosing work and finding it hard to find more work. Many will be forced to shut shop soon.

Sounds like some revolution happening there. Do we have the same power and voice in India ? Most writers are not even aware the kind of power and voice they have. Most directors and producers are still working without bound scripts. Sadly no one even realizes the importance of a good writer in a film. For the producer, the writer's work is never seen physically in the film. His pages are in the dust bin once the rough cut of the film is ready. What was his work in the film except write the story? Nothing really, the producer just has to pay a meager sum to write the story. He also writes a screenplay. Really? What's a screenplay? I have never seen one. The movie made money for the producer. Yeah of course it had stars, songs; yes also the idea was new and fresh. It was treated different. The writer did nothing for the film. He was someone hired to type away words for his film.

The director, the writer just gave me the idea, it was really my treatment. The writer is justified in his payment. After all what does the writer know about film making, the angles, the shots, making a film, and writing a film are two different jobs. His job is to just work like a typist to the story I have in my head. The writer knows no form, style and content. It's me. I created the story. He just wrote it. It's all my imagination. My office boy has told me some better stories than the writer.

The actor is now really concerned who the writer is, how much can I cry, emote, shout, scream do action in this story. What's the writer got to do with all this that I do for this film? Will my audience accept me if I do this role? What did the writer do for this role? It’s me, myself and my image. Screw the writer. Who is the writer ?

Cinematographer "what kind of lighting? The script? No why?... just tell me what you have in mind. I don't need to read the script. Anyways what does the writer know about cinematography, why should I care. It’s me anyway shooting it. Balls to the writer I follow the director and his vision. I have no connection to the writer of the film.

Same is the case of the rest of them involved in the film, the editor, the musicians, the technicians. The writer’s job is forgotten in the director’s and the producer’s office. The production companies are too busy listening to he directors and the stars. “Arrey…Don’t worry we’ll just hire a writer. It hardly costs anything? We’ll be anyway spending on the stars , promotions, songs, look, style, etc what the writer writes on the page has nothing to do with the cost of the film.” . Well this cribbing can continue forever, we don’t have the voice or the power. Most of them don’t know we exist. Did someone actually write about a film writer's job. I am reading this because I wrote it. Anyone else reading this ? Hello ? Is there anybody out there ?

Does anyone even know or care what’s a film writer’s job is?

Steven Spielberg once remarked " We all have a job in films , because there is someone to do a film writer's job."

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Film Appreciation in Gods Own Country

2007-04-27T21:04:00.001+05:30

The Kerala government recently announced their decision to include a course in Film Appreciation in the school syllabus. A move the Malayalam film industry has welcomed with open arms.

Quality and content had once ruled the Malayalam film industry during the 80s and the 90s. The end of 90s and start of this century suddenly saw creative vacuum in the quality of films. The content of Malayalam films deteriorated during this period, mindless comedies, poor scripts and focus towards gimmicks to sell the film was prominent. Very few films stood out during this period. The films in a way started aping the Bollywood song and dances. Before this period the use of the songs always justified the story telling. Mindless song and dances done by starlets from the Tamil and North Indian states started getting work in the Malayalam industry. The industry showed a decline in content and viewers started looking for other forms of entertainment. Worse, the execution of the youthful song and dance, the campus stories were all done by film makers for whom this culture was alien as they were from an earlier generation. They were forced to work around this content to forcibly cater to this new teenage audience. Poor execution, bad costumes, vulgarity and poor production values too prevailed.

A career in films, by and far is seen as a social stigma in almost all of India. The general perception of parents is to make sure that their children pursue a career in engineering or medicine, get a secure future. Films are not seen as a career at all, but their general perception is that films are for low scoring, good for nothing students who couldn’t figure what they wanted to with their lives. A career in technical area of films they believed could only be afforded by the rich. Films are a mode of entertainment, not a career option, stay away. Of course a lot of this can be attributed to the shocking tales of exploitation, casting couches and gossip stories told behind the sets, which the media enjoy publishing and people enjoy reading. A content called Masala. But then, the same people fail to understand that there is Masala in every industry and again there are positive sides to every industry. Your social stigma is wiped out the day you make it big in films. The day you can boast of a fat bank balance and an award.

Approach and attitudes to career in films will only change with moves like the Kerala government. Film appreciation will encourage children to see films in a different way; it will encourage young minds to imagine in a positive way. Understanding the fine nuances of a good film, will only encourage them to think of a career in films. They will choose better content over crap that is available in the market. A lot more will choose to pursue films as a career option since their basics of a good film is sound; they have grown watching good films. Actor Mammootty insisted that the subject should be kept optional, since that will only attract students who are serious about approaching this subject, which I agree.

A state that can boast of 100 % literacy, an industry that can boast of more National awards than any other state in the country in the area of films, a state where the two big superstars Mohanlal and Mammootty are great actors first and superstars later, only film industry in India to publish screenplays as a books will finally see the come back of good content and international cinema with the Kerala government’s decision.

There is hope.

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Mind Manipulation

2007-03-28T23:08:00.001+05:30

(this is a an old piece that I had written after watching Rang De Basanti )

We are a nation that makes over 800 films a year, no country can ever match that, even Hollywood that has the biggest market share all over the world, do not even come close to even 150 films a year. Hollywood has tried and failed constantly to gain control of our movie market and has failed. Let’s admit the qualities of their films are far superior to the crap that is dished out every Friday in Bollywood.Bollywood is a term that I personally hate; I think we did not even have the originality to name our own film industry, in spite of gaining an industry status.
The trend continues even to regional cinema; if you want to name your own film industry just replace the first letter. Mollywood, Tollywood etc. Just a thought that crossed my mind, what do you name the Bhojpuri industry? Bihariwood?

Regardless, moving on, why isn’t our cinema responsible anyway? When I say cinema being responsible, let’s take the case of the recent hit Rang De Basanti, this is one film hugely responsible for the way protests were done in our country. The characters in the movie protested against the system who blamed the death of the pilot to irresponsible handling of the airplane, when the real reason was the airplance had faulty parts. The movie showed characters holding candles and holding peaceful protests at India Gate. So did anyone have a sense of Déjà vu, when the system failed to acquit the people behind the murder of Jessica Lall? The news networks were flooded with images of people protesting with candles and banners in front of India gate. The police re-opened the case. Who gets credit? Was it Rakesh Mehra or the movie which communicated to its audience? Did a generation awake? Sometimes I felt the cameramen from the news network were inspired to do the shots straight from the movie, a picture of Jessica Lall with the sunset taking place right behind her picture frame. Remember the shot of Madhavan’s picture frame with the rays of the sun radiating right behind.So now protests took a different turn with the Quota issue, burning candles and peaceful protests. Again a generation awakes. Well there are people who would beg to differ with my example, saying the protests were always done in a peaceful manner and Rang De Basanti did not invoke any generation. Personally this is an observation and not a debate. The point behind the example is cinema is a powerful medium to communicate. The communication is perceived in different ways and not necessary it might be the right message.Our film makers should understand that cinema is a form of communication.Movies inspire, make you think, laugh and move with the character’s journey. All this while, the director is manipulating the audience thinking. It might seem hard to believe, but he or she is constantly feeding your sub conscious with what he thinks or what he thinks might commercially work, . It might be a scary thought to some that their thinking is manipulated once they walk out of the theatre. Remember the age old saying, reel life inspired by real life or is it really real life affected by reel life. If you can manipulate someone’s thinking, in a way you are manipulating how someone goes through their daily activities. Imagine if 300 people walked out a particular show, thinking about Rang De Basanti on their way back home. I remember I walked out of the theatre debating with my wife and friends about what the characters did and what was right and wrong? The movie plainly manipulated my mind for the next one hour. At least 100 of them must have debated like me on the way back home and their thinking was affected. So manipulating someone’s mind I believe is great power. Like the Spiderman movie said “ Son, with great power comes greater responsibility.”

So why hasn’t the Indian film industry understood this? Why is the focus purely on aimless entertainment? When people say “I want to watch a movie leaving my brain behind at home and watch a movie” do they actually leave their brains behind? Our cinema largely focuses on themes that deal with escapism. Indian audiences like to see smiling families, girls and guys dancing near cliffs, the hero fighting all odds to get his girl and elope. We have seen obsession, passion, love, hate, anger and laughter. Escapism in a way is feeding you with these emotions to escape frustration. So people actually don’t leave their brains behind in fact they think it is better to feed my brain with all these emotions for three hours. So while they feed themselves with these emotions, they choose to ignore logic. This kind of escapism was alright in times of economic struggle, much before our reforms happened, during the eighties and nineties. Film makers fed their audiences with this and the next generation of film makers got their brains tuned to this logic i.e. escape without logic. So the few people who dared to think different either survived and reached the top, while the sons of film makers got the best grooming to make this kind of escapist fantasy cinema. People who thought different still had to make do with fantasy and escapism, but they tried to bring in logic into their scripts and story lines.

Others simply fail at this and fall into a dilemma.

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EXT - Film Writers Association

2007-02-28T02:00:00.001+05:30

I realised getting a break in this industry is not easy. There were strugglers and dreamers, and people who had work, but no fame, people who made money, but dreamt of making their films, technical people who were happy doing their own work and their were other's who are there accidentally, because they took that job in a young age. There were actors, producers, directors, cinematographers, secretaries, production companies and posters that provoked a feeling within "If they can do it, why not me? "

There were all kinds of people, it dawned on me that how much the celluloid meant to those people, and soon I was going to be part of them. We were at the Film Writer's Association to register our project. There were people from all over India there, some had come directly from the railway station, with their luggage waiting outside the office to get their writing registered. There were teens who could afford print-outs and spiral binding, there were song writers and story writers who had hand written papers, and finally the typical writer types with long hair and kurta, and people who were dreaming.

We stood their in the hope, like others who stood their, that someday our work will be translated on screen through those hand written and printed papers. Registering requires a membership. I signed up for it. They asked me a passport size photo to be attached to the 'Writer's Card'. After the card is stamped and signed by the Association, I was officially a Writer.

Film Writer's Association is not as sophiscated or organised like the Writer's Guild of America. It's does not have archiving, the paper's are registered under a writer and a journal entry is made. Then they are signed and stamped by a Member. It roughly takes 45 minutes to 2 hours to register a 110 page screenplay depending on the rush there.

The Association does not provide the facility of doing an online registration like the WGA, nor does it exists on the cyberworld. The walls of the office are adorned with pictures of Ramanand Sagar, Premchand etc all in black white. One corner of the room has a listing of different presidents of the association along with their tenure.

After the registration, we approached another production company with out project. The lady who did the new script evaluation walked in with a newbie who was under training to listen to our pitch. She had a deep plunging neck line, which I gaurantee was hard for any guy to resist, at least looking once. :) We played our audio presentation and then I continued my narration. She was just looking at me and trying to act as if she was interested, but she was thinking of something else. I cut shot my narration, I always do this when there is lack of attention. She looks at the new comer and tells " I have to read the screenplay, we have a three week evaluation method, where different members of our team will read it. ". My gut feel said we were wasting our 170 bucks, the cost for printing, binding and the cost of Cds of our showreels, but then at that moment, we just handed and hoped that something postive may work out. Of course Warrier, she is training the new comer in the room in 'how to handle energetic film makers who come with fire and stars in their eyes.' Probably thats how she saw us.

Three weeks, later she had not read it. She was travelling in Delhi and gave me a story on how her flight got delayed. She was back in Bombay and after pestering her for five weeks, I got her to read my screenplay, and she is ready with her feed back. I call her on the phone, she starts " Well, I know what you are trying to do with this film, it all works out fine, but then, the woman angle is not so strong." I was puzzled I reply " But the movie is not about the woman, she is a supporting character who moves the story." She replies " But, without a heroine, anyways your character looks very hung up about the guy " I was getting a hint as to where this conversation was going, I ask her "whats your point?." She replies " I think this project won't work, since this does not have a woman and having another meeting is a waste of your time and my time. and Manu, If you do have any other projects to submit, you are always welcome. It's was nice knowing you"

I hung up the phone. I was upset. 'Not a strong woman character ?' . Is it how our scripts are judged or Did she take the story too personally ? " your woman is very hung up about the guy" or Are there fixed rules to make a film one of them being " you shall not make a movie in bollywood without a heroine". All these thoughts just started spreading the fire faster. We were determined, by hook or crook, we will make this film happen, and we wanted to make sure that evaluation lady from the production company watched it....

Fade in EXT - Shell Colony

2007-02-26T00:53:00.002+05:30

Artistic Revelations happened when I was with Vinayak and another cousin, we casually sat down near the stinky nallah. We , grown up in shell colony, were immune to the smell of the nallah, which was infested with mosquitoes and filth. I casually put in the idea of working on another short film to Vinayak. "Yes. Why Not? " came in the response .

We started searching for the subject, when off hand the subject suggested was madness. "Madness" as in a unstability of the mind. We started bouncing off ideas. Even made a rough plot line about a man who could not distinguish dreams and realities. But somehow, we were not convinced.

Few days later, I met a film maker who told me that dark, disturbing cinema was boring and he certainly did not consider it as creativity. He was in a way right, though a lot of people may disagree. When I look back at what I made in my two short films, the writing was heavily personal, I had some how assumed a personal voice in the stories that I told, though I swear nothing in the movie actually happened to me or any of my friends or none of the people who worked in the films. Still they had a personal touch, that of some cribbing, frustration, anger and depression. My feelings and attitudes, reflected in those stories, and I thought a true film maker should be able to work outside these personal issues keeping creativity and logic intact. I suddenly realised I had to grow.

So we moved on, still searching for a subject, we toyed with different ideas, till we finally reached our million dollar idea. We were convinced, that we would work on it.

That was August, 2005, Bombay had just recovered from the heavy floods and chaos of BMC.

As soon as work on the screenplay started, the work on the opening background score too started. The track was shaping out fine, and few days later, listening to it continously, Vinayak pointed out that it was getting monotonous. He said he was going to call Prasad.

Prasad Ruparel had done some work on my second short film, he played the lead on the last track " When credits roll ". He came in to work with us on the opening background score. Composing and work on the tracks were done by them, they completely controlled the creative aspect of how the background score should shape up even before the film was completely written on screenplay level. My inputs came in only in different levels. We were working towards a common goal through different media, and seeing the same vision. My writing too started achieving a goal and the product got tighter and tighter.

During those days, a visit from an old friend, S , happened. I chose not to name him or the company he worked for. He promised to put us across the chief creative officer of the production company he worked for. We were excited and prepared for our presentation. We wanted a producer.

They initially refused to listen to us, since we had not registered our concept, but they gave us a subsequent meeting in two days. The creative officer loved what we presented, but it sparked off an argument within their team, as to whether the audience were ready to digest our end product. After four weeks, we get an email from them, mentioning "thanks for the submission. At present it does not match our policies. However, your story is good."

There was anger, frustration and hurt. But somewhere down the fire had already started burning and it was fast spreading.......