Bubblegum balance-sheet

So far,there is no conclusive evidence to prove or disprove the commercial viability of youth films (in India) as a genre unto themselves. But it is clearly a space that is being keenly tracked. The success of I Hate Luv Storys,Wake Up Sid,Dev.D and suchlike,has encouraged dedicated youth cinema divisions such as Y Films or Viacom 18’s Tipping Point Films to spring into action. Youth films comprise a wide segment with several sub-genres,the most widely acceptable ones being high school dramas,delinquency or horror. A glance at the aforementioned names will confirm that Bollywood is following a similar blueprint. The genre is also particularly challenging since there are no clear differentiators from family dramas and entertainers. For most part,love stories and romcoms with a new hero and heroine have been youth staple as also the family audiences. Or rebellious,edgy fare like Dev.D.

Clearly this is a good time to explore. For one,youngsters in the age group of 15-20 enjoy greater independence in terms of cinema-viewing choices courtesy a more liberal socio-economic scenario. Multiplexes and their varied offers — early morning shows at discounted rates,buy-one-get-one free deals etc — go a long way in making things accessible to the young viewers. But the fate of youthful releases this week indicates that clever marketing and price strategies have to be supported by good content.

So while there may be sound logic in making movies for a younger niche audience,plain dumbing down,clearly,won’t make the grade.