The Asians are Coming! The Asians are Coming!
The power of the greenback outweighs any pride that a filmmaker takes in dismissing the American opinion. In a country that just registered a total box-office revenue of $9.48 Billion (National Association of Theatre Owners) for the last year, who wouldn’t want a piece of that American pie? In the last ten years of cinematic globalization at its fiercest, Asian filmmakers are gradually catching up with their European and Latin counterparts in their relentless pursuit of US box-office success. Asian success on the American screen is no longer synonymous with martial arts masters flying through bamboo forests thirsting for revenge. This is the age of awe-inspiring visual effects, urban, experimental themes and techniques, and of course, universally accessible and identifiable personal stories. It comes as little suprise that studio bosses and their marketing mavericks have woken up, because in this land of immigrants craving for their cultural representation on center stage, there is a lot more money to be made.
Building on the successful example set by companies like Miramax, Focus Features, and Lions Gate Films, bigwigs like Warner Bros., Paramount Studios, 20th Century Fox and Sony Pictures have all pursued the indies more aggressively than ever in the last five years. Interest in the nuances of the cinematic arts is at an all time high, and while the Pirates of The Carribeans and Lord of the Rings continue to make their billions, not to mention exceptionally lucrative chick flicks and toilet comedies, a relatively niche, but booming market has evolved to satisfy the more adventurous viewer. As the American indie scene ploughs its way to success converting huge chunks of the film-obsessed audience, the rest of the world too has spotted a significant opportunity to cater to viewers that seek out a different experience than the one American mainstream films have provided for the last century.
Following the explosion of the Bruce Lee phenomenon, Chinese cinema has reaped great fortunes through Jackie Chan and Jet Li’s immensely entertaining fight choreography and John Woo’s stylishly creative violence. After a blockbuster Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon and Hero, the affinity for Chinese martial arts too has softened, as exemplified by the relatively lukewarm response to the expensive House of Flying Daggers, and The Curse of the Golden Flower. The demand of the day in the American market is originality and more importantly, novelty.
That incessant demand for novelty has led to an alarming number of Korean (drama), Japanese (horror), and Hong Kong (crime) movies being re-made in the last three years. Regarded by many as the greatest American director of all time, and the inspiration for three decades of crime cinema in Asia, even Scorsese had to apply his spin to an Asian film, Infernal Affairs, to pick up his first Oscar and one of his most significant box-office victories. The advent of Asian attraction has not been limited to scripts alone, as diverse directors like Takashi Shimizu, the Pang Brothers, Mira Nair, Hideo Nakata, and Infernal Affairs’ very own Andrew Lau have been lured in to direct star-studded films.
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As the American audience in general takes a liking to stories previously told in Asia, the diaspora in the country also showcases a massive chunk of the viewership. Films like Better Luck Tomorrow that are set within the diaspora have found satisfied customers, viewers and distributors alike. This economically robust community has added largely to the demand for authentic Asian cinema in American theatres as well. So much so that large festivals like the AFI Fest (American Film Insitute) in November dedicated a large section specifically for Asia. As the result of the response in festivals like the one mentioned, Korean and Japanese films have acquired a cult viewership for their dark subject matter and experimental style. For example, this week saw a limited release of the Korean film, The Host, a Hollywoodish monster film with creative special effects and a dysfunctional Korean family at its core, using a very indie sensibility to tell its story. Unanimously celebrative critical response will keep the film in the theaters for the next few weeks, as the audience gradually diversifies beyond the Korean diaspora.
The same day also saw the release of an adaptation of a popular novel The Namesake, directed by Mira Nair, whose previous film Monsoon Wedding enjoyed a $14M dollar US theatrical gross. Having already created a small fan base for herself, Nair’s film though released only in Los Angeles and New York, led the charts with a per screen average of $41,425, almost double that of the mammoth war saga 300. With non-diaspora audiences flocking to the screens and appreciative reviews in the press, Fox Searchlight is celebrating yet another success with an Indian-centric subject following Water’s Oscar nomination and $3.2M theatrical gross, the highest yet in the US for a Hindi-language film. Even more impressive is the importance that Fox Searchlight has put into marketing these two films, targetting the educated, sophisticated viewer alongside the Indian diaspora. Who would have thought five years ago that a film starring Irrfan Khan, Tabu, and Kal Penn would have opened so admirably?
While many may argue that many third-world films that find success in the American market are tailormade to satisfy the Western audience by exoticizing and stereotyping their respective cultures, one needs to look beyond those simplistic and defensive assumptions. That Americans only want to see the poverty and strife of India, or for that matter Brazil (City of God), or South Africa (Tsotsi), is but a ridiculous assumption. These films have worked because they have managed to unearth charming, poignant stories and characters within that poverty and strife. Those stories and the people that they are about attract viewers, not their setting.
On an optimistic note, one would like to believe that this is the beginning of a prominent period for Asian and Asian-American filmmakers in the US market. The interest level among audiences for culturally diverse perceptions is growing, or else the fat cats would not be parting with their dough in buying such films. With the popularity of Netflix easing the accessibility of world cinema, even traditionally resistant audiences are begining to open up to the idea that entertaining and enlightening movies can be made outside Los Angeles. This is not the time for proud, talented Asian filmmakers to dismiss American film festivals claiming they are only making movies for their own audience and not for Western approval. The numbers in the last few years have clearly shown that there is growing market here, however small it may currently be. Western approval may not be important on its own to many, but these people must remember that if the cards are played right, that approval can often be accompanied by a fair amount of green. And I sure as hell ain’t talking about trees.
Tags: Direction, Production
Anurag Kashyap
Abhay Deol
Dibakar Banerjee
Hansal Mehta
Khalid Mohamed
Kundan Shah
Anish Kuruvilla
Jaideep Verma
Manish Gupta
Navdeep Singh
Bhavani Iyer
D. Santosh
Onir
Ashvin Kumar
Ramu Ramanathan
Sudhir Mishra
Pankaj Advani
Revathy
Saurabh Shukla
Shilpa Shukla
Sujoy Ghosh
Suparn Verma
Santosh Sivan
Shashank Ghosh
Shivajee
Pavan Kaul
Partho Sen-Gupta
Prroshant Naryannan
Sam Langoria
Satish Kasetty
Well said Vijay. Must say I agree with your optimism. The elevators still on the ground floor, and its ready to start moving on up.
On a side note, the limited release strategy for “The Namesake” is creating a great deal of hype and, more importantly, positive anticipation. Many I’ve talked to, even those who don’t normally prefer “crossover” cinema (I’ll raise my hand as one amongst them) have read the glowing reviews are can’t wait for the film to release here in Vancouver.
so true. just to begin with…if they r catering to western need, i dont c anything wrong their. liek water…its compltly exotic..prostitution + benras + widows + sex + child marriage + Gandhiji!!….its deadly,what more do u want. but hopefully it should slowly open bigger market as well.
I think this decade belongs to the KOREANS.
They have taken over from the Japanese as the edgiest filmmakers. As far as india is concerned only after a film made in india by an indian director(not MIRA NAIR) breaks through here can I feel that pride.
Someone like Anurag or Sudhir or Manish Jha.
We can do it.
Shekhar Kapur proved it.
Mira Nair is very much an Indian director. What classifies a director as Indian is sensibility and not area of residence or citizenship. Monsoon Wedding was a film that did break through, and it was about distinctly Indian people in India, and the film enjoyed box-office success in India and overseas. What crossed over to the audience however was a universally accessible story about a father’s love for his family.
To cross over and connect across diverse audiences, the core of any film has got to be the character. Audiences do not like to be alienated. A different cultural interpretation/perception on the core story will fascinate them, as in the case of Mira’s films. I don’t think a film focusing on characters and values specific only to India have a potential to cross over significantly.
I agree with you.
Mira Nair IS the FACE of India right now.
But what i meant was i wish someone from bombay makes a film in bombay(or anywhere in India) like Mr VENGENCE of MEMORIES OF A MURDER or other various foreign film from their country & which breaks through the international audience.
Black Friday is the only film with that kinda potential acc to me.
That would be awesome. A truly proud moment for us.
I hope u know what i’m trying to say.
Mainak I understand what you’re saying. Filmmakers like Mira Nair and Pan Nalin make hugely successful films with non-Indian financing, and often an international crew.
Black Friday is a great film and one of my favorites, BUT, I must disagree with that it has any potential of crossing over. My reason for that opinion: While it explores a common issue of terrorism that the whole world can identify with today, the specifics of its characters and the events it explores are so significant to the film, that it demands a certain amount of pre-existing knowledge from its viewer in order to appreciate it. The market in America is alien to those events and people – the main point of reference for the film. Even though I personally lived in Bombay through the blasts, I don’t personally identify with the characters as much as I do with the event. So while non-Indian film-literate audiences can appreciate what has gone into making the film, I think the details the movie relies on (which is fascinating for Indians) prevents it from connecting with those unaware of the Bombay blasts.
I understand the point Mainak is making. Films like “Monsoon Wedding”, “Bend It Like Bechham”, “Bollywood Hollywood” and “The Namesake” may have aspects and elements of our culture, but they’re not quite representative of mainstream Indian cinema.
That’s why Indian moviegoers were so proud to see “Lagaan” get the kind of exposure in the west that it did, because it also found mainstream appreciation from Indian audiences.
When a Canadian friend of mine wants to watch a hindi film, what I show them is a mainstream hit film, something that represents popular Indian cinema. I show them films like “Dilwale Dulhania Lejayenge”, “Sholay”, “Chupke Chupke”, “Amar Akbar Anthony”, “Rangeela” and others. Like them or hate them these are the landmark films in the history of our cinema.
As good as “The Namesake” is, to me it’s never going to be as Indian as “Rang De Basanti” or “Munnabhai”.
“Lagaan” worked across a global audience because it was the kind of film that people were familiar with. A good vs. evil tale, with a clearly defined 3-act narrative structure that these audiences are used to. In America, the Academy members at least (the non-diaspora theatrical release was a huge disappointment), loved it because it was so much like so many movies they have seen before. It’s the classic tale of underdog victory, but it was different and fascinating for them because of the extravagant style, the color, the music.
Definitely Tony, a Monsoon Wedding or a Namesake wont be as distinctly Indian as our mainstream cinema. But a lot of our bad mainstream films have created a laughable stereotype in overseas markets that creates a resistance toward Indian cinema for that audience. Therefore, films like Namesake, Water, Monsoon Wedding with their more realistic styles are the way to attract the market to our filmic culture, and in turn slowly expose them to quality mainstream films.
I don’t know if most of these foreign films break through the box office internationally anyways. What i would be happy with is recognation from cinema freaks & festivals.
That i think will be the 1st step for us. People may not identify with BLACK FRIDAY but i’m sure( or hoping) atleast people who love films will atleast appreciate that its a great film.
A film made in india by indians with indian paisa! LAGAAN is the right example of such a film. I can even say MONSOON WEDDING also because atleast the film was totally indian irrespective of where the funds came from or where the crew was from.
Few key things, which are missing from the Indian directors, which I have observed are:-
Lack of getting beneath the subject. Films are often based on an incident or social issue but are very loud instead of been subtle and bringing out the crux of the situation.
Lack of special treatment in terms of shooting and editing. The shooting style remains same using steady cams, jimmy jib and what not. Same style of shooting irrespective of the subject. Very few directors actually understand cinematography and can not visualize the impact of camera treatment. I do not remember watching an editor’s film yet from India. Please let me know if there is any.
Then there is little awerness about a thing known as ‘directing actors’, which could be seen in few film-maker’s films, majority of them are not aware, what importance it has.
Majority of the scripts are written in hast, without refinement. Catchy dialouges replace visual story telling.
Thats why we do not have great films coming out of our country. We have abundance of subjects, which would be a heaven for a film maker. Yet we suck coz of the above mentioned reasons!
For indian films to make it big on the international scene, the only way out is to make the masses who patronize movies understand what film making is at its basic level. Our confused fixation towards sudden and un natural song sequences can be quite a “jerk” to international viewers.if the song and dance routine can be intelligently “naturalized”, and preserved only for a romantic “opera” movie, then film makers can churn out “genre” movies and that way our global appeal will be guaranteed. All this only for makers who make good movie and have to unwillingly shoot song sequences into an emotional drama or an action movie. Otherwise we have million more stories to tell the world compared to tiny nations like korea and jappan.
I might be in the minority here, but why the need to change our filmmaking style to please foreign audiences?
Songs have been a part of our cinema for decades now. I can’t imagine “Mugle-E-Azam” without the immortal “Pyar Kiya To Darna Kya”. A film like “Anand” may not have required songs, but gems like “Kahin Door Jab Din Dhal Jaaye” and “Zindagi Kaisi Hai Paheli” add a beautiful dimention and emotional depth to the narrative. That’s something that’s exclusive to Indian cinema.
Agreed not all films need songs, and that not all songs are well-placed, but let’s not discredit their value when well-executed (a small film like “Bas Ek Pal” benefitted immensely from “Tere Bin”) and let’s not forget the importance in our filmmaking heritage.
Sorry if I went off on a tangent, I’m really passionate about filmi gaane.
Tony I am with you on this one. Jaiganesh, you have a point in that non-Indian viewers at large tend to find the songs hampering the flow of the film, or just plainly unrealistic. But again, if done right, those very songs attract and enthrall viewers who have never experienced something like that before. In Sanjay Bhansali’s films or films like Lagaan, the songs are part of the narrative and progress it. So when it’s part of the storytelling process and not a mere gratuitous gimmick, it’s a very strong thing to have. As Tony said, music in filmmaking is part of our heritage, and part of the Indian filmmaking identity. We should certainly preserve that.
At the same time, the local Indian market is getting more diverse and open to different styles, and specifically financiers and distributors need to be open to nurturing and investing in those filmmakers by keeping an eye on niche marketing. There are a lot of filmmakers trying to do something different in India, that could be receptive to an American indie market because of a universally accessible story. These films will help create an awareness for Indian films.
Manjeet, you have a point too. From what I see in Indian movies, most directors, cinematographers, editors are essentially looking to ape what is being done in mainstream Hollywood cinema. Instead of focusing on using the technique, the shot, or the cut that is most effective to communicate the story, they tend to go for the “cool” factor. Instead of getting flashy, it would behoove them to return to the classical filmmaking style. Another point to consider is that even these “cool”, flashy styles change so often, that by the time they are used in Indian films, they have already saturated in films made in the west. So while many of them think they are being cutting edge, their films in fact end up looking dated.
Manjeet you hit the nail man….
i agree with every word you said….
I have worked among them…i know exactly what you are talking about…
the fascination with Jimmy Jobs & Steady cams….
Thank god i worked with someone who is one of the few who knows the aesthetics of cinema….
but when i looked around thats all i saw…all these cool shots in jimmy jibs…
there is no connection between the framing & the story….
Jaignesh i don’t this you can blame it on the masses for not having good taste,… That has been proved wrong.
RGV has made movies without songs that have worked…so has a lot of others… Masses are smarter than we give them credit for… just because a movie has no songs doesnt make it good(though there was a time when i would watch any movie that has no song …so as to encourage more people to do that & maybe someday people will be able to make films without songs if they didn’t want to..)
cheers
Manjeet, I agree with ALL your points whole-heartedly, especially about scripts written in haste. These are areas where our films could use drastic improvement.
At least our technique is seeing a vast improvement over the last 10 years or so. I mean, watch any mid-90’s film and compare it to the films made even a couple of years back. Stories, budgets, techniques have all, for the most part, shown some progression. Not saying we’re there, but at least we’re on our way.
On scripts, whenever I watch an Indian film, I think lot of filmmakers seem to be obsessed with a given idea, than the story and characters. That’s why a lot of these “hatke” films disappoint, because the only thing “hatke” about them is the concept, nothing further. Audiences are smarter than that. Most RGV films for that matter put forth interesting ideas, but barely 1 or 2 really work.
One film from the last few years that really impressed me, though it flopped badly, was “Shabd”. I found the idea quite innovative, it was told interestingly within mainstream parameters, and on the whole I really enjoyed the film which was aesthetically quite pleasing as well.
“I think lot of filmmakers seem to be obsessed with a given idea, than the story and characters”
ahh.. the stars.. you forget their obsession with the stars…
Star-obsession tho hai yaar. That goes for the majority. But I am specifically talking about even the smaller films that are made without big names. For example, I remember seeing a movie called “Kal”. Then there was “Dansh”. These films tried to do something different, but they were trying to sell their film on idea alone. Ditto for Madhur Bhandarkar’s films – he relies only on shock value – I’m gonna show what nobody else dares to show, regardless of whether or not its pertinent or necessary. There are tons of those movies that could have been something.
The other thing, which I realised discussing on the same lines with a friend. In his words,”Bollywood benchmark itself is so low, that anything which is slightly better is considered great.” Which is the saving grace for mediocre directors saying that its better than average bombay flick. We also make them demigods, who infact are ignorant about the craft of filmaking:)
yeah.. point noted. that’s where gems like khosla ka ghosla stand out.. the idea was drafted into such a tight screenplay with fleshed out characters, just the right amount of humor, not going overboard on the senti or romance angles because they felt like “they had to”.. i sincerely hope KKG becomes a cult classic!!
Manjeet you bring up a very important point. I may be wrong here, but I tend to feel that the “benchmark” if I may, is low because the industry still has an obsession with the use of technology rather than story telling. I think the parameters that we seem to use to gauge quality in mainstream Indian films is wrong. Use of new technology is lauded, but storytelling is ignored. Rameshwar Bhagat (editor) and Sanjay Ghadvi use split screens in Dhoom with quick cuts, throw is some very basic bike chases and all of a sudden the media is praising it to the skies saying its technically on par with Hollywood. Ridiculous, but the emphasis everyone seems to place is on the usage of technology.
I also feel that the reason for this is because advanced technology came into Hindi cinema really late. It wasn’t till ‘93-’94 that we even had Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound in Hindi movies. I don’t think films were even being cut digitally till the mid 90’s. After an economic boom, technology from the West became abundant, and people got obsessed with its usage, losing focus on storytelling.
People talk about technology today allowing us to make great action films. Look at the action in Amitabh’s “Don” which was made in 1978. I find those action sequences and chases far more thrilling than the crap we see in the Dhoom movies. It’s because even those chases and fights in the older days told stories.
Benchmarks is low because Indian film industry has been dumbing down the audience for decades. Now we are paying for it. People will believe that blackmailing god works (banging yer head until god comes and saves you)but any real stuffs.
Another thing people easily term actors like Rajpal Yadav, KK, Konkonan Sen etc as unconventional actors and their films are noncommercial. Now I do not get that. Their is nothing unconventional about them – they do proper acting and all films are commercial, otherwise people would not make it. IMO, actors like SRK, Rani, Hrithick are unconventional actors as they do not act in their movies.
I agree with honhar goonda.
Film making is a universal art and even hollywood and european movies have songs and soundtracks. it is the unrealistic dance with 200 other people routine in an attire that you wouldn’t wear on a crazy party that spoils the fun.
Look guys! There have been masters like guru dutt
and Bhim Singh in South who have included songs in the script and canned them well. That is the right way and we have lost it trying to please the
knucklehead MTV generation that treats films as pure escapist entertainment.
Not that entertainment is bad. But misusing films and then eating up the space that should deservedly go for unperverted artists is the wrong thing that is happening here.
That is why the stupid “multiplex” masses need serious education and exposure as to what is realy a good movie and how we, as a nation (not north, south, east or west) have made wonderful movies in the past
and what is the standard today? Gimmickery and skin fest passes off as “bold” film making, while plagiarism is crowned and celebrated by mainstream media and off late even the government.
Unless we start making movies reflecting our ethos and culture ( I strictly feel what is shown in films these days as songs and dances are a million miles away from what is really our
ethos and culture. And I do believe artful portrayal of sex is in our ethos) we cannot compete with a Pan’s Labyrynth or a “Life is beautiful”. Simply because our storylines are plagiarized for stupid consumption. With this reality hitting us in the face, if someone says, ” This is the way we make movies”, then they must atleast take care to wipe the eggs off their face before they start speaking.
I also thing the economics of songs in films is a major factor in holding us back. From the producer’s POV it literally assures their money back in CD sales of the soundtrack. So they really don’t need to push the script beyond the formula. You have a music director , a star & a idea. Thats all you need. Everything else falls into the scheme of things.
If you see 90% of the promos on TV they only show songs….now how the fuck would i know what is the movie about from a song shot in New Zealand? Nothing. That used to piss me off so much. Much it makes perfect economics. Because people advertise their selling point…in this case the songs & the stars. Story is there as a support system.
I know songs are our heritage & all that but i think it is one of the main factors hindering us in our progress as a filmmaking nation. I mean how can a notion making the highest number of films in the world not make a few groundbreaking films every few years…. every few years…now thats not asking too much!
I agree with you Mainak. I think the attitude really stems from the fact that most of the producers are financing movies as a business primarily. Unlike other places where you decide on the script first, protect the director’s vision, and you mould your business strategies based on what the film is. In a lot of mainstream Indian films, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, you name it, the business bit comes first, and the film is moulded to fit into the business scheme. I have met so many people who have told me “I want to make a crossover film”, or you read interviews with filmmakers saying “I want to make a thriller”. But they dont know what they are going to make and write a script just for the sake of making a film in that genre. There needs to be a hunger to tell a particular story first. Then see what genre it falls into.
I agree with you guys tht the art of scriptwriting has been lost in our film industry and even so called wannabe directors or some of them who do show sparks of brilliance tend to lose out on the girp of the movie because they have failed to pat attention to the script and end up paying more attention to the so called slickness or razzle dazzle that is added to the movie…but no notice is paid to the loose ends in the script or not even an iota of interest is paid to tighten up the script…
All they know is to ignore the scriptwriter and keep him underpaid while wasting loads of cash on songwriters music directors and choreographers.
As pointed by you guys they do not know how to arrange the songs around the story or try to make it an integral part of the story and thus these so called songs end up hampering the pace of the movie and breaking the continuity and flow of the story wven if it progressing at a good pace.
These people still need to learn a lot more abt film making and the importance of a good script to elevate the experience of moviemaking.
I do agree that songs have been an integral part of our movies since those old days but that does not mean that we cannot make good movies without any songs.
Does somebody remember a fine example of movie making in those old days?
A movie by the name of Jaagte raho made by raj Kapoor which had only one song at the end of the movie and was nearly without any songs.
And to think tht it was made by a filmmaker who has made movies based purely on beatiful songs.
It all depends on the sensibilities of the filmmaker asto how he would like to create the movie……….