Predictions: ‘Budgets have to be controlled, content writers empowered’
Film-maker Karan Johar shares how Bollywood can overcome its ongoing financial crises
Johar made his directorial debut with 1998’s Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. PHOTO: FILE
As one of Bollywood’s most celebrated film-makers, it is no surprise that Karan Johar has a number of concerns regarding its future. In a recent interview, the Kuch Kuch Hota Hai director spoke about the threat of digital content and what it could mean for the Indian film industry.
“What I am afraid of is that digital will become our parent, television the annoying mother-in-law and cinema, the troubled child,” The Indian Express quoted Johar as saying. “If we don’t take care of the troubled child, things will get out of hand. Digital is the future…just give it 10 years. I am a film-maker first and my heart lies in film but we have to give all our attention to this, right now!” In this connection, he said there is a need to empower the digital medium. “We don’t have a large market right now so we need to spend more to create this market,” he said.
Johar — whose upcoming productions include the Katrina Kaif and Sidharth Malhotra-starrer Baar Baar Dekho — highlighted the need to restructure India’s studio system. His statements come soon after Disney India decided to end operations in Bollywood, thanks to the weak performance of its latest release Mohenjo Daro. But for Johar, the entry of international studios has never mattered. “We have never depended on Hollywood money to be who we are. Bollywood has always been powerful because of its audience base. No international studio brands can fill the seats, only movie stars can do that,” he claimed.
According to the director, the problem lies in human resources. “People who don’t understand the ethos of Indian cinema are employed in high positions. But one really has to love the movies to make them. You can’t just take someone from a business background and put them in charge.”
Even in the West, Johar pointed out, studio heads are people who have been film students or associated with films in some way. “Film-making is a business but this is also a creative industry. You have to strike a balance between commerce and art but the tilt will always be towards art.”
Johar went on to suggest a few solutions to the problems as well. “Our budgets have to be controlled and content writers, empowered. The problem is that we pay the actors and directors a lot of money but no one wants to pay the writer, who is the most important resource,” he said. “No director can go beyond a poor screenplay. You can’t correct it! You can probably make it a little better but no one can make it great.”
Published in The Express Tribune, September 6th, 2016.
“What I am afraid of is that digital will become our parent, television the annoying mother-in-law and cinema, the troubled child,” The Indian Express quoted Johar as saying. “If we don’t take care of the troubled child, things will get out of hand. Digital is the future…just give it 10 years. I am a film-maker first and my heart lies in film but we have to give all our attention to this, right now!” In this connection, he said there is a need to empower the digital medium. “We don’t have a large market right now so we need to spend more to create this market,” he said.
Johar — whose upcoming productions include the Katrina Kaif and Sidharth Malhotra-starrer Baar Baar Dekho — highlighted the need to restructure India’s studio system. His statements come soon after Disney India decided to end operations in Bollywood, thanks to the weak performance of its latest release Mohenjo Daro. But for Johar, the entry of international studios has never mattered. “We have never depended on Hollywood money to be who we are. Bollywood has always been powerful because of its audience base. No international studio brands can fill the seats, only movie stars can do that,” he claimed.
According to the director, the problem lies in human resources. “People who don’t understand the ethos of Indian cinema are employed in high positions. But one really has to love the movies to make them. You can’t just take someone from a business background and put them in charge.”
Even in the West, Johar pointed out, studio heads are people who have been film students or associated with films in some way. “Film-making is a business but this is also a creative industry. You have to strike a balance between commerce and art but the tilt will always be towards art.”
Johar went on to suggest a few solutions to the problems as well. “Our budgets have to be controlled and content writers, empowered. The problem is that we pay the actors and directors a lot of money but no one wants to pay the writer, who is the most important resource,” he said. “No director can go beyond a poor screenplay. You can’t correct it! You can probably make it a little better but no one can make it great.”
Published in The Express Tribune, September 6th, 2016.