With over a 1000 films being churned out in 10 or more languages every year, the Indian film industry is more than capable of satisfying the needs of the billion-strong movie aficionados in the country. Yet if I was to count the number of those movies released even in the last 5 years that had a different content, I would be left with a considerably small number. Why is this the case? The answer very much lies in the risk management topic of sociology which highlights the strategies adopted by movie producers in ensuring profits with their movies.but with much less at stake.
The case of the Indian film fraternity is no different. Its first and most significant strategy has been to conform to certain conventions related to the content of the movie: which I describe as the dance+romance+fight formula. Almost all Indian movies, be it in "Bollywood" or the many smaller regional industries always seem to contain these three elements in some form of the other; almost as if it were a requirement. It shouldn't be surprising then for an audience to find the hero and his lady crooning to tunes in the posh locales of Switzerland, only seconds after he saves her from the evil schemes of the villain. The hyperbolic,exuberant impression of life that these movies generate is all but a distraction from the rigors of reality and perhaps this is why this tried- and-tested mantra has continued to work wonders on audiences.
The other noticeable issue that could possibly cause a continuum of traditional genres is the imbalance in power between different production houses. With successful businessmen entering the field of movie production and their influence on casting bankable stars and promoting their movies through aggressive campaigning; the chances for the others to release a successful movie reduce significantly, regardless of the quality of their content. There have been several instances where movies with great stories have been sidelined by their much more popular, more extravagant counterparts. As a consequence, audiences are left with watching movies these bigger production houses present, which are often formulaic and hackneyed.
Overproduction is at present, an obvious factor that the Indian film industry depends on heavily. It is founded on a belief that by creating far more movies than the industry needs, the few big hits would compensate for the losses incurred by the many flops. It is this belief that I consider to be at the heart of the issue of similar content in films. Why need 1000 films to establish a successful industry, when out of those 1000, most of them are gone without a trace? Producing fewer movies would give room for experimentation both on the producing aspect and the film-making aspect; thereby giving room for unique plots and ultimately satisfying audiences.
While, this alternative idea is yet to be fully explored by the Indian film industry, in recent years there have been quite a few movies that have challenged not just the famous dance and romance formula but also the stereotype that lower budget films can never reach the kind of success that those with a famous cast can.
Here are some of those exceptional movies that are still revered by audiences :
Here are some articles describing the Indian film industry :
Indian film industry
stereotypes in indian movies
http://www.inbollywood-movies-from-the-soul-that-will-rule-the-world-842327.html
The case of the Indian film fraternity is no different. Its first and most significant strategy has been to conform to certain conventions related to the content of the movie: which I describe as the dance+romance+fight formula. Almost all Indian movies, be it in "Bollywood" or the many smaller regional industries always seem to contain these three elements in some form of the other; almost as if it were a requirement. It shouldn't be surprising then for an audience to find the hero and his lady crooning to tunes in the posh locales of Switzerland, only seconds after he saves her from the evil schemes of the villain. The hyperbolic,exuberant impression of life that these movies generate is all but a distraction from the rigors of reality and perhaps this is why this tried- and-tested mantra has continued to work wonders on audiences.
The other noticeable issue that could possibly cause a continuum of traditional genres is the imbalance in power between different production houses. With successful businessmen entering the field of movie production and their influence on casting bankable stars and promoting their movies through aggressive campaigning; the chances for the others to release a successful movie reduce significantly, regardless of the quality of their content. There have been several instances where movies with great stories have been sidelined by their much more popular, more extravagant counterparts. As a consequence, audiences are left with watching movies these bigger production houses present, which are often formulaic and hackneyed.
Overproduction is at present, an obvious factor that the Indian film industry depends on heavily. It is founded on a belief that by creating far more movies than the industry needs, the few big hits would compensate for the losses incurred by the many flops. It is this belief that I consider to be at the heart of the issue of similar content in films. Why need 1000 films to establish a successful industry, when out of those 1000, most of them are gone without a trace? Producing fewer movies would give room for experimentation both on the producing aspect and the film-making aspect; thereby giving room for unique plots and ultimately satisfying audiences.
While, this alternative idea is yet to be fully explored by the Indian film industry, in recent years there have been quite a few movies that have challenged not just the famous dance and romance formula but also the stereotype that lower budget films can never reach the kind of success that those with a famous cast can.
Here are some of those exceptional movies that are still revered by audiences :
Here are some articles describing the Indian film industry :
Indian film industry
stereotypes in indian movies
http://www.inbollywood-movies-from-the-soul-that-will-rule-the-world-842327.html
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