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Hi Folks,

As I go about my debut project and learn a little more about the very people I grew up amongst, but now view them professionally as opposed to personally, I get more fascinated by how “unimaginative and by the book” is the creative, “imaginative,” and “percieved as out of the book” film industry (both this side and that side of the Atlantic or I should say Pacific for me and also the LA and Mumbai film industry).

So as is generally my take in life, challenge everything and never take anything or anyone for their reputation or media perception, scratch beneath the surface. Here is to debunking myths

a) MYTH # 1: When Selecting Directors, Give More Weightage to Those With Films Under Their Belt:

This one I take great pride in beating up first, cause I think it is propulgated by the very people who are being glorified here, aka, the experienced directors. In fact the contrarian in me thinks that the converse is true. Experienced (and that is the key word) newcomers, bring an oustside and fresh perspective, which has not yet been Bollywoodized and also as people they are not surrounded by simialr beings, which could potentially stunt their growth. By experienced newcomers I mean people who may not have made a feature but folks who have mastered their craft in other mediums, be it ad films, television, as AD’s, in the world of theater, etc.

HERE’s PROOF: Saajan (Lawrence), Tum Bin (Anubhav), Sarfaroosh (John), Don (Chandra Barot), 16 December (Mani Shankar), Hyderabad Blues (Nagesh), Samay (Robby Grewal) etc, were all commendable, commercial success, efforts by first timers, who were experienced.

MORE PROOF: Almost all in the above list, except perhaps Nagesh, got “Bollywoodized” enough in their second project that their career and films showed one trajectory thereafter….downwards.

VERDICT: Give me a TV freasher any day.

b) MYTH # 2 - A subset of of a) above - TV directors are best suited to TV, keep them away from Films-

Have heard that snide remark many a time amonst folks in both the woods (Holly and Bolly), “oh but can they do the same job on the larger screen, where the stakes are high?” You betcha they can!! and do a better job than the “filmi hand,” cause I know for a fact that current TV conditions in India are high opportunity, but also very high pressure. Director have to learn to bear the stress and discipline of week in and week out soaps/episodes/ on limited budgets with new set of actors and at times crew and very little time on hand…unfortunately…you cannot delay episode 26 of Ghar Ek Sapna or Saat Phere…because of “Taran Adarshish” reasons like rain, cricket match, diwali, etc….the show has to go on and the survivors of this production machine become efficient and world class in their craft. I’m sure ditto is the case in the US and England.

HERE’s PROOF: Why go further than PassionForCinema and why go further than the name Anuraag or if you’ve been to the Numerologiest, Anurag. Anurag Basu and Anurag Kashyap are both did a lot of TV work and now they are one of the most happening directors of Bollywood.

MORE PROOF: TV also gives a director the feel of the pressure of “winning over the masses.” Again proof in the pudding, both the Anurag’s make films that are distinct in character, yet aimed at making commerical statements (may not be blockbusters, but certainly meant for a larger audience).

VERDICT: Trash that film school and “chotu” AD role in “no name” film, spend that time making TV “saas bahu.”

LET’s STAY ON TV and that brings us to MYTH # 3

c) MYTH # 3: TV actors should stay on TV cause they don’t transition well to FILMS, oh and since we made that statement, let us give you a reason, they are seen “daily” on TV so they loose their “exclusivity.”

The latter part, aka the “daily” part really helps me break the myth. Stars of the film world, aka, those that did not belong to the allegedly “lower” world of TV are seen not only daily, but “minutely” on the print or television media of Hindustan and nobody seems to get sick of them. Some of the most successful actors come from a TV base and some of the most successful actors return to TV and make no impact.

PROOF: A serial by a former army officer came weekly, if not daily, in the late 80’s. It was about commando officer’s and it had an actor, who was viewed week after week by the audience….that actor was also coming in another serial at that same time…so we saw him more…for people who live in Delhi, he was also coming in plays at that time…so we saw him more…then in the 2000’s we saw more of him…and more…and we continue to see more…and we will continue to see more…..so how come the world has not gotten “tired” of “daily” actor Shah Rukh Khan and how come “television” actor SRK is making filmi star kids look like …well “kids.”  Or let’s take a more recent trend. Actor Rajat Kapoor is now one of the most sought after actors in the FILM world. Actor Rajat Kapoor is also frequently, need I say perhaps daily, seen on Television, so how come Film people still line him up for roles (and thank god for that). And waht about a certain Irfan Khan…also TV…ah…but the trend is male dominated…really… try telling that to Gracy Singh, or Sophie or Malika (ok the latter two are not really known as actors, but they transitioned to the big screen). In the males also include Ranvir Shorey and Vinay Pathak !!

FURTHER PROOF: A certain Amitabh Bachhan fell out of favor for a while, a certain TV show helped him become a Karoreparti once more. Rohit (or is it Ronit, does it matter) Roy is now getting a second innings (captained by Sanjay Gupta) after TV got him back in the reckoning. In fact last I heard, almost all the film folks were running to TV and it was not for having a cup of coffee with Karan Johar or shedding a tear with Simi Grewal.

VERDICT: Give me a TV actor anyday and certainly anyprimetime.

d) MYTH # 4: Stay in your Geography aka NRI’s don’t succeed in India and RI’s don’t succeed outside of India.

It give me great pleasure to denounce this theory and rather than get into the reasoning, let me talk about the the universal common threads in humanity…we don’t always react differently to different species…some are liked and admired universaly. And “success” is a relative term. Amitabh and Oliver Stone are not neighbors and probably will never work together, but both have a mutual admiration society. Mira Nair may or may not make a movie with Jhonny Deep and AB, but I’m sure that would be “high” on her list of to do’s, as would it be for Johnny.

PROOF: Boundries break when talen abounds. Bollywood Ash is probably more popular in Hollywood than all the Indian American actors of Hollywood. NY born and brought up Vinay Pathak, or LA brought up Shimit Amin are probably more popular in Mumbai than a lot of actors and directors who have never left their “home” turf of Bollywood. Canadian Indian, Ruby Bhatia became a rage in India long before the sleepy town of Whitby and the rest of Toronto started taking pride in her (although she was Miss India Canada). Ditto for Kamal Sidhu. Indian “born and educated for the most part” Deepa Mehta/Mira Nair/Shekhar Kapur are about as popular if not more in Canada/US/UK. When Hollywood made it’s foray into Bollywood they made it with dismal flops called Marigold and Saawariya, but they went with Salman and Ranbir, aka Mumbai mulgas, not LA based Indian American, by the same token Atlanta “paida and palla” Ash Chandler has a way more bigger fan following in his “non native” Mumbai as opposed to Atlanta.

MORE PROOF: Karan Johar makes movies with Mumbai actors, does not relocate from Mumbai (except when scripting and shooting the film), but appeals to average “NRI” New Yorker way more than when above average “NRI” NEw Yorker makes films, for his own “brown brothers and sisters,” who stop behaving like bros and sis when it comes to personal taste’s in movies.

BOTTOM LINE: Have talent, have adaptability, success is not Geographic, have no talent, have a bad attitude, success even on your own “tile” is almost impossible….the rest is all justification

Sincerely,

Vivek “live life to prove everything that has been said before wrong and let the wrong then become the life going forward” Kumar