Bollywood is like "Kawwa Chale Hansa Ki Chaal". Over a period of time it has transformed from art to pure entertainment and so are our senseless janata who supports bollywood. Hence if you ask today any person on the street "why do u watch movie?" 99% his answer will be entertainment. The subtle idea of entertainment from art has lost and converted to entertainment and art if you can see any?
Movie is not entertainment .. It is art ... Wow !!
I hope people take above mentioned statement to heart and start making only art movies. How boring !!
I hope those people who work there hearts out whole week in some mill or factory and go for a Friday movie with their whole family, do not stop watching "entertaining" movies listening to above mentioned statement.
There are all sorts of people in this world and please respect all of them.
This is one of the best article on Indian Film Industry I have seen in recent years. Kudos to Deepa Ghalot. I do not when the Educated Indian will wake up to the fact of life. I am not saying Bollywood is all bad. It is there to entenain us once in awhile, But cinema cab be serious also, which points the finger to your real life. DoN't try to escape. Face the reality. It is a shame for Indian leaving abroad, that they still do not see the right path. If the largest producers of films in the world have to to be known in the world, they have to make meaningfull films, & try sell them to Oscar & Cannes etc. & not Devdas etc.
RE:Cannes: Who Cares
by balaji on Aug 27, 2003 02:02 AM
Wow, this is no different from consuming alchohal after putting long hours at work. If your movies does not promote sense and sensibility, it is no different from dharu. At the same time pl understand that good films are not always boring. I can show you hajar examples for gripping movies which makes a lot of sense. Govinda dance and shilpa shetty item numbers wont take you anywhere. But i beleive bollywood is changing for good, i mean with people like ram gopal varma, manirathnam and farah akthar, there seems to be some hope.
I do appreciate the article. But I would not say that we are Bollywood-centric. Most people go to see the bollywood movie for enjoyment and not to get educated from the film. But surely the art movies are meant for that. So the hype Bollywood films would get, these art movies can't and this is the truth. If you want to promote the art film, do it, but don't blame public or commercial movies for not giving a chance.
Finally someone did nail it.....would have been happier if they had mentioned how 'hey ram', 'maha nadhi' and 'kannathil muthamittal' have been taken into analysis of good film making in movie majors in University. of Pennsylvania nad Arizona... I was deeply hurt when devdas was nominated ahead of movies like kannathil muthamittal(tamil), dweepa(kannada) or azhagi (tamil)..Good cinema or Real cinema need not be talking about misery or filth as one the readers had pointed but rather sensible, and that you could relate to...I hope Rediff advocates highlighting such meaningful cinema in it's forthcoming issues.
To say that entertainment is defined just by mindless run-around-the-tree bollywood drivel is like saying that happiness is defined exclusively by getting drunk on bootleg arrack.
Entertainment can mean different things to different people; it can mean different things to the same person at different times. So even if you happen to adore bollywood drivel, perhaps you could open yourself to other movies once in a while.
Great article. Cinema is a medium just like print. It is entertaining to watch a movie which has something to say. What could be more entertaining than watching something grounded in reality.
Bollywood is really shame for Indian movie industry. And what is more pathetic is that, some of these scraps, had been sent to world famous competitions, like Oscars. I do agree that Lagan is a good entertainment, but not fit even to get nomination to Osacar. For the past 12-15 years, Bollywood creates only scraps, with outdated stories. Good quality movies does not necessarily mean art movies. In regional languages, like Malayalam, Tamil, there are lot of commerical movies, which are considered to be OK kind of movies in respective film circle, which possess quality. Those movies have become success in box office also. I think Bollywood has to go a long way to attain the standard of regional movies. Bollywood movies are scrap in all ways; by virtue of touching stories, realistic approach, in technical aspects, photography, etc. They still hog around outdated love stories and third rate Govida kind of comedies. And survive only through media ......
There is a need to change our mindset. why are we so bothered about our films being praised by foreigners at cannes / oscars? for Aamir Khan the success lay in the fact the entire india loved it - irrespective of the language / caste /creed. The fact that it did not win an oscar didnt matter at all! To understand indian music / indian films one has to be an indian. The pseudo intellect will lap anything that is western and heap lavish praises! Though the films like moulin rouge / chicago may have won oscars, there was nothing great about those movies! When indians make films based on mythology / magic it is retrograde, anachronistic, the same guy would complain about why films like harry potter can be made out here / or like terminator / judgement day.
I personally feel the sucess for indian film / music comes from the appreciation / acceptance it receives from people who can identify / understand it and not from those who can't!
I enjoy entertainment just as much as the other guy, and its sad to see that some people don't realize that movies that aren't 'Bollywood', aren't all so-called 'arty', but instead can be comedies, tragedies, satires, politically-motivated or for that matter slapstick too.
The question in my head is, "Why do I settle for this sub-standard stuff?". Maybe I didn't step out of my box and see the world around me. It's probably in my 'colonized' nature. I settle for what is given to me, instead of seeking out and exercising my choices.
I assure all those who are looking for entertainment to look beyond what they are being offered by the 'limited talents' of our 'Bollywood actors and directors' and you will realize why I call it 'limited'.
I wish just to humour me, you would try to "SEE".
If its entertainment and value for money that you are looking for, just like I am, then you should get what you deserve, and I don't think Bollywood is the answer. It's time we made them work harder for my money.
I stopped watching Bollywood crap. I cannot even watch these 'art' movies because I can't spend money to watch a cheap looking movie. This is the opinion of some quality audience. What is needed is a nice blend of the two kinds. We don't have to look to others to recognize us, we can see it ourselves. Our award commitees should be clean and its values should be refined. I am sure this rejection by audience to most of recent bollywood films will make the high-end film makers scratch their heads and come up with better ones, while some crap-only makers will get out of the market. Atleast I hope so.
