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Journalism of Courage
In movie terms,exciting times lie ahead. So far,this year has been remarkable on several fronts. For one it got off to a good start by shattering the January jinx with the success of Dil To Baccha Hai Ji,No One Killed Jessica,Yamla Pagla Deewana and a moderate earner Dhobi Ghat. 7 Khoon Maaf,the other notable,did not deliver to its promise but the lull,fortunately,did not last. Yeh Saali Zindagi,Ragini MMS,Tanu Weds Manu and Pyar Ka Punchnama were the proverbial dark horses that took everyone by surprise. And post-IPL,July has proved to be an uncannily good month with small,medium and big hits.
Delhi Belly once again rewrote a few rules an irreverent film in English worked the crowds enough to inch its way to the major hit category. And Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara once again proved to be a game- changer in terms of the numbers it garnered for a film with very urbane sensibilities. So did Ready,Double Dhamaal,Murder 2 and now,Singham. And then of course,we had the Hollywood biggies like Hangover 2,Pirates Of Carribean 2 and Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows-Part 2 that went down pretty well with the Indian audience.
The move away from any single type of film hints at an industry that is gradually maturing. It also suggests that the audience in India is developing an appetite for all kinds of movies 8211; world movies,Hollywood blockbusters,European cinema,noir films,regional cinema and more. Our leading actors Aamir Khan,Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan have noticed the winds of change and are in a mood to experiment which bodes well. As artistes,they are increasingly convinced that creative ideas need to be supported in more ways than one and it is crucial that studios put their money where their mouth is. With serious competition from Hollywood,reinvention is perhaps a good survival tactic. Fortunately studios,home-grown or partnered by foreign investors,are taking note. Among others Reliance,UTV,Yash Raj and Viacom 18 have shown a propensity to back new directors and subjects.
As the soothsayer said,exciting times lie ahead.
