Deep Impressions

    Hollywood’s Writers’ Dilemma : Striking A Balance     The search for one-stop-all solution for the dilemma Hollywood Writer's is future and could lead into more complex situation.                      - - - - -     - - - - -     - - - - -     - - - - -     - - - - -     - - - - -     - - - - -     - - - - -     One of the world’s biggest soft power is in news for having some hard time. Hollywood is on a standstill for over 100 days as writers have stopped working and want the studios to address two key issues – firstly, challenges faced by AI and secondly, the issue of residual payment based on viewership levels on streaming platforms (Netflix, Prime etc.). Enough has been discussed about the former, it is the latter that has some interesting but less discussed complexities.    Entertainment business is known for fl...

  100 years of Salim Anarkali  : Love, Legend and Longevity There are certain faces that make certain stories legends. Besides other factors, adaptations and the reward system too play a key role in the process Also published in The Quint                - - - - - - - - - - - - - -          - - - - - - - - - - - - - -         - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  Yes. You are reading it correct, the story of Salim Anarkali is only 100 years old. The legendary story was penned by the eminent playwright Syed Imitiaz Ali Taj in 1922. And since then, this story has been experienced by audiences in multiple formats - Radio Play, Theatrical play, Silent film, B&W film, Colour film, Book and Broadway style musical.   As a legendary story, its uniqueness lies in it actually being just 100 years old. Most legendary stories that have survived the time are actually several centuries old ...

      The Survival of Bollywood….How & Why ?      The problems with Bollywood are far more structural than cost management. And survival of Hindi cinema and cinema halls is not for their employment potential, but for more strategic causes                     - - - - - - -    - - - - - - -   - - - - - - -   - - - - - - -    - - - - - - -   - - - - - - -    Lot of discussions have been around the disastrous numbers reflected in Box Office collection of Bollywood. Initially, it was believed that the Bollywood is under attack from South films. The state of Bollywood then was like that of the high cost American car manufacturers of 1970s when they, for the first time, felt competition from the cost-efficient Japanese cars and did not know how to react. But now with Telugu film industry also feeling the cost pressures, it is clear that the problems of Bollywood are not just...

  The United Celebration of India Add Bollywood and Cricket, and you and a super success formula, yet only on two occasions, the formula has reached exceptional excitement levels  ( Also published in  movietalkies.com  )      - - - -  - - - -  - - - -  - - - -  - - - -  - - - -  - - - -  - - - -  - - - -  - - - -  - - - -  - - - -  - - - -  - - - -  - - - -  - - - -  The two big forces that have the potential to connect people across the length and breadth of India and also connect Indians across the globe are Bollywood and Cricket. So, when the two together get connected, it’s no surprise that the excitement reaches a new dimension. Be in Anju Mahendroo/Gary Sobers or Sharmila Tagore/Pataudi or Kohli/Anushka, eyeballs in all generations have been spinning stories. But these have been personal events. On the business front, Bollywood and Cricket have come together on m...

    Cinemahalls : Reeling A Reincarnation ?   Against its previous rivals (TV, VHS, Cable TV et al), cinemahalls could flex their muscle through technological innovations. But as they reopen, they face a unique rival.              ------- ------- -------   ------- ------- -------  ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- ------- When the first Indian film  Raja Harishchandra    (1913) was screened, the cinemahall had remained silent.    During 1910s, Cinemahalls would face tough competition from theatre – which then had    voice . With talkie films, Cinemahalls surpassed theatre,    as writers could write stories for cinema that could not have been narrated in theatres.     During 1940s to 1970s, Cinemahalls in India, saw a rapid growth. When during 50s & 60s, cinemahalls in US faced competition from television, it was countered through technological innovation called...