Revisiting History …..100 years of Indian Cinema

“100 years of Indian cinema is being celebrated by people who know Indian cinema only for the last 30 years”- this was the opening line of Rafiq Baghdadi who runs the Movie Club at the Mumbai Press Club. Two weeks ago he had organized a short discussion along with two screenings –one documentary on 100 years of Cinema and the other film was Dilip Kumar starrer ‘Amar’ where for the first time he plays a negative character: 

We got to know of lot of trivia associated with Indian cinema. I am sure all of these are available across several books on Indian cinema. But, to hear it from a man who eats, breathes and lives cinema is different. Some of these are facts like 

** In 1896-the first film was screened and show to public in Mumbai at the Watson’s hotel- (Which still exists and is one of India’s oldest surviving iron cast buildings. The building stands on Iron stills and the building was shipped from York and assembled here). 

** Theatres in Mumbai started as single cinema talkies in 1920s. Dadasaheb Phalke’s Raja Harishchandra was screened at Olympia Theatre and Coronation Cinema in Girgaum. There were several other theatres around Grant Road, Girgaum, Dhobi Talao and Mumbai Central. The old theatres then had a ticket costing of Rs 1 to Rs 2.50. 

** Mumbai was the hub of Indian cinema but, did you know that the Mumbai University does not have a Phd programme on Indian cinema. 

The documentary took us through the history of cinema. The film also had important personalities from the world of cinema giving their opinions. 

The French might have introduced the concept of moving images, but little did anyone know that India would one day become the largest film industry in the world producing over 1000 films a year.

Indian cinema has a unique identity. Dadasaheb Phalke introduced us to cinema at a time when cinema was not considered a good profession. Working in films was considered a taboo. But, after the release of Raja Harishchandar several filmmakers in Bombay and Madras (Mumbai and Chennai now) started making silent films. 

By the mid 1920s, Madras had become the epicentre for all film related activities. Raghupathi Venkaiah Naidu, SS Vasan, AV Meiyappan (AVM) set up production houses in Madras to shoot Telugu and Tamil films.

The silent era came to an end when Ardeshir Irani produced his first talkie, 'Alam Ara' in 1931. The film released on 14th March at the Majestic Theatre. For the first time the film had songs and since then music became a defining element in Indian cinema. 
Indrasabha, a film adapted from a play by the same name was released by Madan Theatre in 1932. The film had 69 songs.   

South Indian films also saw the beginning of a talking era during the same year. The first talkie films in Bengali (Jumai Shasthi), Telugu (Bhakta Prahlad) and Tamil (Kalidass) were released in the same year. 
Early 1930s saw the emergence of the studio system in Indian cinema. Prabhat Studio established in Kolhapur by V Shantaram, V G  Damle, S Fatelal and two other film technicians was one of the leading studios of that time. It eventually moved to Pune. The studio’s first films Sant Tukaram was released in 1936. 
Popular literature became the main source for film subjects. ‘Devdas’ was one such film among several others. 

40s and 50s Indian cinema was institutionalized. Every individual became the individual became the institution by his work and contribution to Indian cinema. 

Another theme or subject that took the fancy of filmmakers was social issues. The social films of V. Shantaram, more than anything else, paved the way for an entire set of directors who took it upon themselves to interrogate not only the institutions of marriage, dowry, and widowhood, but the grave inequities created by caste and class distinctions. Some of the social problems received their most unequivocal expression in Achhut Kanya ("Untouchable Girl", 1936), a film directed by Himanshu Rai of Bombay Talkies. The film portrays the travails of a Harijan girl, played by Devika Rani, and a Brahmin boy, played by Ashok Kumar. 

The disciplined Studio system however got a jolt during the 2nd World War. Money then started coming into the industry from wealthy individuals. This upset many filmmakers who made films for a passion and not for commercial reasons. Independent filmmakers started concentrating on music more than the story. Infact. 40s and 50s was the golden era of music.  

Shankar Jaikishan, O.P. Nayyar, Madan Mohan, C. Ramchandra, Salil Chaudhury, Naushad, S.D. Burman - all had their distinctive style. Each vied with the other to produce some of the most unforgettable melodies India has ever known. 

50s and 60s were considered as the Golden Age of Indian cinema. Filmmakers like Satyajit Ray, Ritwik Ghatak, Guru Dutt, Bimal Roy, Mehboob Khan, K Asif, Raj Kapoor, KV Reddy, L V Prasad and Ramu Kariat made waves in their respective film industries and they went on to make classics like Pather Panchali, Madhumati, Do Bheega Zameen, Shree 420, Awaara, Pyasa, Mother India, Mughal E Azam, Mayabazar and Chemmeen among many other films. 

In the south, N.T. Rama Rao, M. G. Ramachandran, Sivaji Ganesan, Rajkumar, Prem Nazir dominated the film industry for more than three decades before making way for the next generation of actors like Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan, Mammootty, Mohanlal, Chiranjeevi and Balakrishna.

The 70s completely changed the way films were made, especially in Hindi film industry. Changing social norms and changing economies influenced movies and the companies that made them. The narrative style changed. The story structure changed. Characters changed. Content changed. The genre promised instant attraction and had great entertainment value. 

While Indian commercial cinema enjoyed popularity among movie-goers, Indian art cinema did not go unnoticed. Adoor Gopalakrishnan, Ritwik Ghatak, Aravindan, Satyajit Ray, Shyam Benegal, Shaji Karun and several other art film directors were making movies that gave India international fame and glory.

Indian cinema, despite all its peculiarities, has been a reflection of the socio-economic, political and cultural changes that took place in the country. Here's hoping that Indian movies continue to entertain us the way they've been doing since 10 decades.

BARC sees traction: Appoints a new CEO

Finally, there seems to be some traction at the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC). The 
Audience research joint body formed by Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF), the Indian Society of Advertisers (ISA) and Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI) has finally found a CEO in Partha Dasgupta. Dasgupta, who has been earlier in the media industry with companies like Times Now and Future Media will be responsible to put the organization in place and roll out BARC’s services in a tight frame of time. 
Broadcasters push for an independent audience measurement system to fit into the emerging digital media world led to the formation of BARC. 
BARC story is an old story that started almost six years ago. Over the years there has been considerable debate in various forums, extending even to the Parliament, about the TV audience measurement system, referred to in popular parlance as TRP system. A number of committees were formed, the most recent being the MIB's appointed and Dr. Amit Mitra chaired Committee on TV Audience Measurement. A key recommendation of the Mitra Committee was the establishment of BARC representing the interests of all key stakeholders.
Then the idea was to set it up as a joint venture between the IBF and the ISA on a 60:40 ratio and initial investment of Rs 300 million. However, ISA wanted AAAI also to be a part of the joint body.
BARC has been formulated on the lines of BARB (Broadcasters’ Audience Research Board) of UK. Just like BARB, BARC will also not conduct audience measurement directly but commission independent specialist research vendors.
Unlike Television Audience Measurement (TAM) Media & Research firm which is currently the only TV audience measurement system in India, BARC, will not conduct audience measurement directly but commission independent specialist research vendors. They are also clear that they will not compete with TAM and the primary objective of BARC is to conduct and commission media research using appropriate research methodologies, to provide accurate, up to date and relevant findings relating to broadcast audiences, including TV ratings. 
Currently, according to the broadcasters the major challenge will be to cover all the broadcasting modes in the research – terrestrial, cable & satellite, DTH platforms, developing and new platforms.
BARC will engage in extensive industry consultations with stakeholders, specialist research consultants, existing & potential measurement service providers to identify the key concerns and requirements with regards to audience measurement.
The system of generation of Television Rating Points (TRPs) has come under the close scrutiny of the Government following reports about several lacunae in the present rating system in India. Since TRPs have a major impact on the programming content of Television channels, issues of accountability, transparency and objectivity in TRPs assume greater significance as false and misleading rating can hurt not only broadcasters and the advertisers but more importantly the viewing public.
Most Broadcasters who currently subscribe to TAM data say that there is nothing wrong in the data provided by TAM, but it is inadequate. In a sense that TAM only has 9602 people meters in households across 225 towns in India and the total TV viewing universe in 153 million. 
Dr Amit Mitra Committee report also took a serious view of this small sample size used by TAM. The Committee observed that the rural areas have been left out from the current system of TRP measurement. The Committee has recommended an increase in the current sample size of people meter homes to 15,000 urban & rural households, over a period of two years, and then to 30,000 (Thirty Thousand) over the next three years covering urban areas, rural areas and small towns, J&K, North east  thereby providing a complete geographical coverage of the country.
TAM's initial mandate it got from the industry stake holders was to cover Class I towns (all towns and cities with a population of 1 Lac+). As of today  TAM has increased its coverage to include also Semi Rural Towns (Less than 1 Lac population). 
TAM has never denied to issues in methodology. It is willing to increase the sample size but, the investment to do is very high. For TAM with a top line of a mere Rs 50 crore or so doing this by itself is a tall task. 
Funding has been an another issue when it comes to the increase of sample size. TAM which was also formed by the industry body was never funded by the industry to increase sample size. 
As is understood from sources within the industry till about four years after TAM was launched by a joint industry body (JIB) in India, the initial funding was there. But, after 2002, JIB's interest in funding TAM depleted. Current, increase in people meters  by TAM has been funded through internal accruals.
But, with regard to BARC, Dr Mitra committee report suggests broadcasters, advertisers and advertising agencies should pay a certain percentage of their relevant turnovers to BARC on an annual basis to fund the expansion of sample size for TRP measurement. 
The total cost of expansion of TRP measurement system over 5 years would be around Rs 660 Crores which is approximately 0.32% per year of the total TV industry size in India. The committee feels that this level of expenditure should not be very difficult for the industry to meet. 
Interestingly, the industry bodies that have been so vehemently opposing the methodology of TAM, the above suggestions in Dr Mitra's report has been borrowed from TAM's Methodology Report. 
Will stakeholders who formed BARC be open to setting aside a certain  percentage of their turnovers of this purpose and secondly whether the suggested increase in sample size to 30,000 actually help in getting better results. That’s anybody’s guess.  Mere increase in people meters in households will not do wonders, there has to be a scientific methodology in also selecting the correct sample size to deliver accurate results.  
One will really have to wait and watch how BARC pans out and what services it rolls out and will it be a win-win situation of all the stake holders. 

Feel good about yourself and your beauty: Real Beauty Sketches

How many of us feel that we are not beautiful? How many of us keep comparing ourselves to others? I guess these are natural human tendencies where one tends to be harsh about one’s own self.

In Dove's “Real Beauty Sketches” ad it shows how women imagine their own faces. A forensic sketch artist is shown asking questions to subjects whom he cannot see and each of these subjects describes   herself to him. Later, he draws her again, this time as described by a stranger who has just chatted with her. The stranger’s version usually looks more attractive.

In the ad all the women conclude that they look more beautiful in the sketch described by a stranger about them. One woman in the ad says: “We spend a lot of time as women analyzing and trying to fix things that are quiet grey. Instead we should be spending more time and appreciating things that we do like.” The ad ends with the line ‘you are more beautiful that you think’.

The international ad has two versions -a 3 minute version and a 6 minute version and has gone viral on youtube. The longer version is understood to have got over 1.6 million views on Youtube.

The ad has also received several criticisms from International ad critics. Slate, a well known online magazine for news, Politics and culture found the ad cynical and even labeled the campaign as both racist and misogynistic. It felt that this ad was another example of Dove “using a faux representation of ‘real’ women.” Well, yes the women shown in the ad are all young, fairly good looking, but I think the concept is interesting and it’s a brilliantly made ad.

According to me the ad goes to prove that all women should be confident about themselves and their looks.  

Dove included this description with the video:

Women are their own worst beauty critics. Only 4% of women around the world consider themselves beautiful. At Dove, we are committed to creating a world where beauty is a source of confidence, not anxiety. So, we decided to conduct a compelling social experiment that explores how women view their own beauty in contrast to what others see. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpaOjMXyJGk#aid=P-j-ppcGERs

Savita Bhabhi The Movie to release tomorrow !!

Indian cinema has truly come of age as in its 100th year for the first time ever an animated porn film-Savita Bhabhi The Movie will release on savitabhabhi.com this May.

I am sure everyone remembers Savitabhabhi.com, the promiscuous Indian housewife’s sexual adventures on the Internet which was first launched in 2008. Well, for all those who have missed her for a long time due to the ban by the Government in 2009 as part of the Internet censorship in India, she will be back soon now in a celluloid format.

While, the 30 minute animation film made for internet will release in the US and UK on May 4 (tomorrow) for a mere $24.95 (approximately Rupees 1,347), in India fans of Savita Bhabhi will have to wait a bit for its release here. But, the film will be available for fans over a year.

The movie, deals with the subject of Internet Censorship in a humorous way with Savita Bhabhi as the heroine who saves the day. Set in India 2070, the world has changed a lot. Freedom of speech has taken a hit to the nuts and censorship is everywhere. Citizens seem to have accepted it. But one man, his fat nerdy friend and the hottest fictional character India has ever seen are not about to take the injustice lying down!
To save herself and the future of the Internet in India, Savita must find a way to fight the powers that be with the help of two young men who brought her into the predicament that she finds herself in the first place.

“Savita has always been at the forefront of the fight against internet censorship, and in support of freedom of speech. The 30 minute animation film, the first ever Savita Bhabhi movie is a roller coaster ride thru different dimensions, sex and bringing down bad guys. Our Bhabhi who has for years now found herself in precarious situation finds herself in the most precarious situation till date! She not only has to find a way to get herself out if it, but also help out the two best friends Suraj and Hari AND save the world in the process,” says Puneet Agarwal aka Deshmukh, the originator and maker of savitabhabhi.com .

Savita’s inaugural venture on the big screen is a full of surprises, twists and LOTS of sex. But it’s also a movie with a message – it’s time Savita fought back against the people who banned her, says the maker.

Savita Bhabhi, the toon character porn comic strip which first debuted online in 2008, was banned by the Indian government in 2009. All Internet Service Providers were asked to block SavitaBhabhi.com, which featured a married woman’s sexual adventures.

When asked about the release in India Deshmukh explains, “Ironically, because of its controversial storyline and central character, we are expecting a backlash to the movie itself. However this is a story that needs to be told, and we are more than willing to take on the additional effort of justifying the making of this movie”.

The creators of the movie initially will start off a dialogue on the site www.SavitaBhabhiMovie.com where more information about the movie will be periodically updated.

“We are targeting India with our initial release. Since its going to be fairly difficult to get theatres to show our movie in India, we have embarked on a very novel concept for the premiere of the Savita Bhabhi Movie,” Deshmukh adds.

It is the first time in India that a premiere is going to be streamed live at a particular date and time. All our VIP ticket holders will be given access to watch the live streaming movie - and the makers are currently getting the infrastructure ready for an expected 10,000 users simultaneously watching the premiere screening of the Savita Bhabhi Movie.

The team that has created the animation film has been truly international. The animation process started off in Europe with the storyboards and then was passed on to a Canadian animation company for the actual work.

“We've had our team members’ right from the Philippines to Lithuania working on the website and promotion of the movie. Unfortunately though, due to the position of the Indian authorities on Savita Bhabhi though, we could not do any work in India. Hopefully the message of Free Speech and Non censorship of the Internet that we are trying to put across with this movie will make a difference and maybe we can produce the sequel in India itself!,” says Deshmukh

The massively popular strip moved to subscription based website Kirtu.com after the ban. The website Kirtu.com gets more than 1.8 million hits a month now. Infact, soon after the ban a campaign to save the website was launched.
It’s understood that when the ban was declared on the internet site in 2009 the story was in its 11th episode. Currently, the makers inform that Savita Bhabhi is in its 36th episode. Deshmukh and his team started working on the film a year ago and are ready for release now.

Even as the Indian government is mulling over the ban of Porn in the country one will have to wait and watch the fate of Savita Bhabhi The Movie here.