He writes blog… so cool!

It catches attention no matter how bad the actor/actress is. If you come to know about the blog, you will definitely have a sneak-peek. Blogs are most useful for actor to reach to fans which otherwise not possible. Actor can express himself, convey his message to fans. In return receive replies and reactions from readers directly.

Does it matter?

Blogs by actors came into limelight when Aamir started writing one. It reached highest publicity in media when Aamir wrote the controversial blog entry on Shahrukh khan.

Now Aamir's blog receives total media attention, everyone has close eye on what Aamir writes next. Aamir’s every blog entry is news now. See Aamir congratulates Abhinav Bindra and Blog and tackle!

Beyond reaching fans: the utility of blogs for marketing

Aamir’s blog have lot of expectations from media and Aamir lived upto expectations by providing them time-to-time stories and making them happy. Aamir invited Imran and Jenelia to write on his blog. Both of them are starcast of his own production ‘Jane Tu Ya Jane Na...’. It was enough to create gossip material for urban youth which was also target market for the film. At the same time Aamir is also creating the pre-release excitement for its forth coming movie ‘Ghajini’ using the blog. And all this advertising is coming at no cost at all.

Take example of Payal Rohatgi. She is using her blog consciously moving from her sex-symbol image to a much respected actress. She writes about her film shootings, her media appearances. The blog has mix of her family and movie photos. Agreed, she doesn't write well but after visiting her blog you will certainly look at her beyond an item-girl. Check out yourself.

Now the downside!

If you are celebrity, you do not have 'freedom of speech'. You need to have strict control over your expression. It might not matter for Aamir to make any comments on Shahrukh but for anyone else it might backfire.

You need to maintain regular frequency of blog-posts, any laziness of this front will lead to reduced interest of blog-readers. Blog will die along with its popularity if loyal readers are not provided daily dosages of blog-posts. Bloggers know that it is not an easy task.

Other Bloggers

Check out the list of Bollywood bloggers (Lot of efforts went into searching of them). Many of these blogs have specific purpose of existence, some obvious, some are beyond obvious.

Amitabh Bachchan

Aamir Khan

Ram Gopal Varma

Payal Rohatgi

Anurag Kashyap

Rahul Khanna

Shekhar Kapoor

Karan Johar

Art of Product Placements

It is very common in movies these days. Broadly, Product placement is classified as

1. That provides only clear visibility (product/brand name shown)
2. That is used in scene
3. That has spoken reference
4. That provides hands-on use and mentioned by a main star

Most Indian films make mistake of going for the last type of product placement and spoil everything (Read my last post Advertisements within movie). There is art of product placement which is perfected by very few Indian films. One such good example is ‘Hum Tum’ directed by ‘Kunal Kohli’. The film placed within products like Times of India, Kodak, Fanta and Lays.

Saif Ali khan was shown as Times of India cartoonist. ‘Hum Tum’ cartoons were published in TOI even before film was released and continued to appear till the movie was running. These cartoons were successful in creating curiosity about movie. Movie was hit on box-office. And cartoon strips were smash-hit and are forwarded over e-mails till the date. Recent news is that Yash Raj films are making cartoon series of Hum Tum over television. Film has 2-3 highest points, film freezes at those points. Photo-clicking sound along with ‘Kodak’ moment appears on these screens.

I liked the films over its Hollywood inspiration ‘When Harry met Sally’. Film didn’t do foolishness of placing newspaper now-and-then neither hero explained the efficiency of Kodak cameras. Everything seemed real and nobody was making any conscious efforts of popping up products. Movie also had Saif eating Lays and Rani drinking Fanta. Both the brands are completely match to their personality and didn’t look odd to eyes. All the brands were blended so well with the films story that it becomes the part of the movie. Product placements of such type benefit both the parties’ brands as well as the movie. I am of the personal opinion that product placement should not play with film’s aesthetics.

But now comes the main question, will the advertisers be agree to spend lot of money for glimpses of their product in some corner of film-frame which may or may not catch viewer’s attention.

This lead to the fundamental question, ‘Does subliminal advertising work?’

Advertisements within movie

Hindi films have advertisements and not subtle product placements like Hollywood movies. I was thinking of giving an exaggerative example this. The movie which came to my mind was Virudh, Directed by Mahesh Manjarekar and acted by Amitabh Bachchan, Sharmila, John Abraham and Sanjay Dutt.

I knew the film mastered in awful placement of products. But was not able to recollect anything, but writing scenes was necessary for highlighting my point. I took little help of the Yeh picture kyun bani... and I am very Virudh product placements for writing on the advertisements in movie.

• Elf lubricants: Ever seen all the mechanics at a service station togged out in spotless navy blue Elf lubricant overalls? Standing under an Elf signboard?? There's a small lecture thrown in too - on the importance of using the 'correct' engine oil.
• Nerolac paint: Mera beta do saal ke baad London se aa raha hai! So, Papa and his four friends - all age 60 and above - paint the house. They can afford Nerolac emulsion but not a painter. Nerolac's commercial plays in the background as Amitabh Bachchan paints the house to welcome his son back from the US.
• Western Union money transfer: Amitabh asks Sharmila - 'Aap ke paas paanch hazaar rupaye hain? Lawyer ki fees deni hai". Then he reminisces... how his son used to send him money from London (most students I know of ask their dads to send them money nut never mind!)

Son on the phone from London: Dad ek short code hota hai ...
Dad: Mujhe paise mil gaye
Son: Itni jaldi?
Dad: Yes, thanks to Western Union
Or well, something like that....

• Calcium Sandoz: Amitabh offers Sharmila Calcium Sandoz during the movie to keep her bones healthy. The bottle is distinct in all the scenes. Later in the movie Amitabh shoots son's murderer and is arrested and giving deeply moving speech - there is again a praise of Calcium Sandoz, Calcium Sandoz???!!! I mean this is a part of the dialogue. Products hit in this movie when you’re down and in a teary-eyed moment.

Good script, great actors, finest director
+
Excessive advertisements (not a product placement)
=
Bad movie experience

Such shabbily-handled product placements are not useful for products. Rather, there is possibility that such placements will backfire and products can be hit to negative feelings of disappointment with movie. Consumers watch to movies to watch movies and not commercials. Hence product placement should be intelligent enough to be a commercial.

Found this funny post on same subject - Bollywood making idiots out of automobiles
Worth reading :)

See next post for: Movie that perfected product placement.

Come on we don’t copy! It is inspired.

I initially thought of writing on all the movies those were copied from the Hollywood. I sat and Listed few names which I knew. After searching on internet, I found that this research work has already been done.

Link 1 : Bollywood Inspirations
Link 2 : Bollywood films and plagiarism
Link 3: Whose movie is it anyway?

I am feeling cheated after reading the list. I was sad after reading names of movies which I rated as great. Bollywood is notorious for copying (Read: getting inspired) the music, plot, scenes and sometimes entire movie frame-to-frame.

Reasons

• You do not require brain.

• Many producers want to repeat the success of the films that is hit somewhere. It is highly likely that the remake will also be hit. Most reasons of copying are same as motive behind masala movies (Read to my earlier post on psyche behind masala movies)

• There is no threat of punishment from coping, you simply copy and forget.

But as the bollywood market size is growing, even west will have eye on the India. In the past, there were talks of sony sueing Indian partner for copying 'Hitch' , but it dint not happen. But suppose if such things happen, it will be act as to all copies thereafter.

Actually, one unsuccessful suing attempt was done in past on ‘Karishma’ serial telecasted on ‘Sahara Television’. Author ‘Barbara Taylor Bradford’ claimed the serial was based on her novel.

Author lost, thanks to Sahara lawyers. It saved India’s face in front of entire world. Let’s hope judiciary systems will favour India like this always.

Yeh India hain bhai.. yahan toh aisehich chalta hain…

3 things that Indians are crazy about are... cricket, politics and movies. You be in any of these and be sure you have lots of money and celebrity status. Few even reach position of god. But at the end it’s all business. More money you put, the more you get. And film industry is not exception to it. A lot of money is being spent on making movies. 50-core movie budget doesn’t raise the eye-brows anymore. Actors don’t talk below cores.

Pouring huge amount of money in movies is increasing but the quality is not. Many failed to understand what happened to the Indian cinema which had glorious past of creating great films which reduced to dumb, senseless bollywood masala movies. It is not that India was deprived of talent for all these years. Everything was done with some purpose … and that is business. Let’s see how.

Customer is god.

But we need consumer. Who is consumer of movies? If you think that the answer is everyone. It is not. Everybody watch a movie but not everyone is paying for it. From a producer’s point of view the very first customer is distributors, whose customers are theatre owners whose customers are people who go to theatres to watch movies. So, ultimate consumers who matter the most for producers are people who go to theatre for watching movies.

[For those who are unheard of this marketing lingo, consumer and customer are two different concepts. To explain in simple words, ‘customer purchase a product’ and ‘consumer is consumes it’. For example, Mother buys dairy milk chocolate for kids. Here, Mother is customer for dairy milk and kids are consumers.]

The point that I want to make out from above discussion is movies are NOT made for people who watch it on television channels or on pirated CDs. But for the people who take trouble to come to cinema hall to watch it.

Well that doesn’t mean that this is ‘the’ only way of making money. Producer can sell overseas rights, broadcast rights, music rights and etc. But money earned by the other means is function of success at the box-office or to be precise prospects of the film’s success at the box-office. As many of the rights are sold before movie is released.

What consumer wants?

[I tried to get hands on some study on which did profiling of people who go to theatre and what takes them to theatres. Unfortunately I didn’t found anything. So I will make a profile based on my understanding.]

Prominent segments are college-crowd at weekdays and families at weekends. Both of the segments look at the movies as mean of entertainment. They want spend some time away from their routine problems. Movies show them what they just can dream about. Big houses, trip to foreign, sensuous girls, comedy situations, item number, and good wins over bad. But this what the consumer wants? No one is interested in watching the cruel social reality of what is happening around. That they see anyways on newspapers and channels. They are in cinema hall for 3 hours of fun. And no one can do entertainment job better than a masala movie. Considering that Indian viewer is not yet mature it makes logically sensible to put your money in masala movies.

[Let’s finish the post with bollywood-style-ending…]

Masala movies are past, now things are changing….

Off-beat movies like ‘Lagaan, ‘Rang De Basanti’, ‘Swades’ ‘Chak De India’ and ‘Taare Zameen Par’… are well accepted by audience….

This will prompt more film makers to take up and this will bring revolution …

Movie lovers will be freed from evil crutches of masala movies…

And Indian cinema will get back its past glory….

OKEY… it was just a too-good-end-to-be-real… But isn’t what movies do too… selling dreams...

I have got the formula…

Lately Indian movie producers believed in giving value for money to all its viewers. They found out a formula for films which is followed blindly over the years till now. The formula is “Masala film” (A mixture of many spices). A Masala Movie will have comedy, drama, romance, action, and a dozens of songs. A mixture of all the elements required to make a box-office-hit-movie. Unlike western movies, a masala movie cannot be easily classified under single genre. They believe if you mix all elements at right quantity. It’s not that India forgot its legacy of making thought-provoking films; just the numbers of such films were countable using fingers (might be of just one hand… ).

A typical story for a masala movie will have a handsome-young hero with muscles-and-dancing-abilities, young-beautiful heroin with perfect-figure-and-insufficient-cloths, dream sequence at foreign locations, cunning villain creating numerous hurdles for hero, songs after regular interval as short toilet breaks, a comic character which pops out time-to-time, an item-number from item-number-specialist [ ;)] , a deadly fight sequences with villain, ends of hero-heroin meeting each other and living happily thereafter.

Some tried to have uniqueness by trying permutation-combination of rich-guy-poor-gal, poor-guy-rich-gal. Some movies changed villain by parents, gangster, dacoit, politician, police, second-girl-in-love-tringle, second-guy-in-love-tringle.

A (mis-)management case : Is there really a formula?

Some years ago management guru (self-proclaimed!) Arindam Chaudhuri (IIPM fame) announced in the press that he has found a magic formula to succeed at the box office. And his new movie is going to be a smash-hit. Read the old news article here

http://www1.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/890576.cms

Story after that: He released an extremely unbearable movie called Rok Sako To Rok Lo (RSTRL). The movie was a super-duper-flop everywhere. And with this so called scientific approach, exhaustive marketing research, focus groups analysis, failed along the movie miserably.

Very few films try break out from this year-old success (so called??) formula of masala movie to make different kind of movies. But a point to ponder is success ratio of these off-beat films is much higher than all the masala movies made ever.

Read next post for: Psyche behind Masala Movies.

The story of Indian Cinema

It all started with Dadasaheb Phalke’s ‘Raja Harishchandra’ in the year of 1913. This first Indian film was hit and the formula was replicated in scores of films in later years. Noteble ones are Satyawan Savitri, Satyavadi Raja Harischandra, Lanka Dahan, Shri Krishna Janma and Kalia Mardan. All these mythological were based on the epic stories of god and goddess with lot of drama.

Indian cinema learned to talk with Alam Ara produced by Ardeshir Irani in the year1931. Needless to say singing and dancing soon followed it. At the same time, Mumbai was rising as a hub of Indian film Industry.

Movies of thirties and forties were social type mainly contributed by V Shantaram, a legendary director. His films took up issues like like cast system, religious bigotry and women's rights. Ayodhya ka Raja, Amirt Manthan, Dharmatama, Kunku, Admi, Dr. Kotnis Ki Amar Kahani, Do Ankhen Barah Haath.

Next era of Indian cinema was associated with director such as Raj Kapoor, Bimal Roy, Guru Dutt and Mehboob. Cinema of this period dealt with subjects like caste, feudalism, rural India, urban migration. These include Guru Dutt's Pyaasa and Kaagaz Ke Phool, Raj Kapoor's Awara, Shri 420 and Jagte Raho, and Bimal Roy's Do Bigha Zameen, Devdas and Sujata, to mention a few.

Popular movies of the seventies and eighties movies were had lots of dhishum-dhishum scenes (read it as fighting). Hero was typically a common working-class angry-young man who stands against the corrupt system. These movies were just reflection of the sentiments of rising workers, students at that time.

This was the broad classification based on the subjects that cinema handled. Many remember these periods based on the actors’ at those times like Raj Kapoor, Dilip Kumar, Dev Anand, Rajesh Khanna, Amitabh Bacchan. But I felt it is more important to know what changes cinema went through rather than who made the changes.

Read next post for: Suddenly after this, every Indian movie produced fall under only one genre. It was beginning of Masala Movies.