Mahesh Bhat speaks his heart out. In a freewheeling interview with FE-Thinktank's Neeraj Jha, Bhat talks about the Indian film industry's future, the roadblocks on the way and emerging trends. Excerpts:How different is the Indian film industry today?
When I started 27 years ago, box office was the only measure of a film's success. Today, entertainment products can be supplied to customers through various other outlets too including personal computers. Thanks to piracy, the common man today has easy access to foreign films. He need not patronise the expensive cinema halls of today which are sometimes beyond his means. These cinema houses cater to the sensibilities of only the upper class. The man on the street does not care about the viewing experience, the audio and the visual effects or a cinema hall's plush interiors.
But, piracy means loss of revenue to the film industry. What is your argument?
You cannot question piracy. Today, entertainment is the opium of the masses and not religion. Copyright laws and policing will not work.
What trends do you see in the Indian entertainment industry?
When television arrived on the scene, I had said that cinema is an ageing whore and TV is the new bitch in town. Movies indeed have lost their exclusive seduction power in India. Unlike the west, we do not have the means or the know-how for wide-screen technology or the spectacular special effects to seduce the audience. I see cinema getting slowly strangulated and dying with a whimper. However, the consumer base of the entertainment industry has increased. There is greater international interest in Indian cinema and in its creative talent, which should mean a larger market.
Does it mean that film producers will be catering more to the emerging new audiences?
I see two kinds of movies being made tomorrow. One, for the urban middle class, particularly for the youth. And the other for the masses who do not relate to films that cater to the sensibilities of the upper class. I do not celebrate westernization. Not for the reason of swadeshi, but there is something borrowed and superficial about it.
Do you see foreign media conglomerates getting into film production in India?
I do not see foreign media conglomerates getting into film production here in the near future. Bollywood is a strange world and only an insider will understand it. We might see more Indian production houses becoming sub-contractors of big foreign banners which have money power. I hope we can sell our know-how to them on our terms the way it happened in China. In a tie up where I provide the infrastructure, know-how and the work force while the foreign partner brings in only the money, I would like to be the major partner. Foreign players cannot reach out to the Indian masses without using me as a conduit.
Foreign distribution companies are already here. Do you see acquisitions happening?
These foreign distribution companies have the money. We need their money and their technological skills to build our own entertainment industry. We will bring to the table the local feel.
What do you think of the current wave of corporatisation in Bollywood?
It is good for the Indian film industry. It is the age of entertainment today and you need to grab attention. It is a virtual world we are living in and everybody is using bold strokes to get noticed. Corporatisation efforts by Bollywood players do show their aspirations. What role do you think corporates can play in the film industry value chain?
Corporates in the Indian film industry can set aside a certain amount of money and defend production houses which have a track record of delivering the goods. A synergy can be worked out if they can undertake distribution and marketing and we are allowed to handle production. Corporates such as Zee Telefilms and Sony Entertainment Television can produce films because they have satellite channel outlets on which they can base their economics. I see this as a possibility.