Where Bollywood Comes Alive
Posts tagged Shailesh Kapoor
Is the novelty of 3D already wearing off for Bollywood?
19 months ago
by Fenil Seta
in Bollywood News
Sharmila Ganesan Ram | TNN (THE TIMES OF INDIA; August 21, 2012)
In Bollywood, UFO generally refers to the audience’s vision of Akshay Kumar before a stage performance. But in the soon–to-be-released Joker, the stunt-prone actor will be the one who spots the Unidentified Flying Object, the “udta firta omelette” as his character calls it.
Had it not been for a recent change of plan, this omelette and its extra-terrestrial inhabitants would have come flying at you from the screen. “The initial plan was for Joker to be the first 3D film with a big star,” says director Shirish Kunder. “But taking into account the recent responses to 2D versus 3D ventures, we decided to reach out to a wider audience.”
Kunder’s sense of caution is shared by much of Bollywood. “Big production houses are extremely sceptical about using 3D,” says trade analyst Komal Nahta, who does not see a bright future for 3D films in India. And the primary reason, feel insiders, is that 3D is being used more as a “gimmick” than a genuine creative tool.
Three years ago, it was James Cameron’s Avatar, whose multi-billion-dollar box-office returns started it all. Almost every other Hollywood producer, to justify higher ticket prices, started converting 2D films to 3D. Predictably Bollywood, too, jumped on to the conversion bandwagon with Ra.One and Don 2—both, however, did not do as well in the 3D format as they did in 2D. “Releasing a film in 3D is not a sureshot success idea unless it is backed by content that More >
Why are comedies so sexualized?
011 months ago
by Fenil Seta
in Bollywood News
Bharati Dubey | TNN (BOMBAY TIMES; June 10, 2012)
Suddenly, sex is not taboo in Bollywood. No one knows how and when the script changed and the plot of Bollywood comedies thickened with sex-heavy vocabulary. Probably it was Delhi Belly, written by Akshat Verma, that changed the rules. In a scene in the blockbuster, a lead character gate-crashes a wedding and throws the familiar line to the guests: “Yeh shaadi nahi ho sakti’’. Then he drops the bomb. Pointing a finger at the bride, he says, “She has given me a **** job.”
This line made millions of jaws drop. It just blew away the old-style comedy, generally a mixture of slapstick and stupidity. With Hrishikesh Mukherjee-style humour gone out of fashion long time ago, the industry as well as the audience lusted for change. So now, silly comedies have made way for adult comedies. If Vicky Donor, Masti, Delhi Belly, Kyaa Kool Hain Hum, Housefull and Housefull 2 are anything to go by, comedies with bold themes and bolder dialogues are mainstream now.
So how did the change happen? “The success of these films only goes to prove that a novel concept with good humour and a sprinkling of sex makes it a fun watch for the viewer,’’ says trade analyst Taran Adarsh. But media commentator Shailesh Kapoor attributes it to the change in viewer profile. “In 10 years, college-going youth have become the primary drivers of viewership. They expect their language and their psyche to be reflected on screen. And sex is definitely an important More >