An anniversary is always a special occasion and when a publication with a 59 -year legacy behind it,successfully navigates its way in a universe crowded with websites,blogs,etc.,then even more so. Screens anniversary issue packs in whole lot of the cyber- space activity between the pages. Brevity was never quite the virtue that it is today,thanks to the new media. What follows therefore,is an attempt to put out relevant information in 140 characters. So here goes. King Khan,between his hi-tech Ra.One shoot and a dozen commitments,graciously agreed for a cover story. For Screens 59th anniversary issue,who better than SRK to hold forth on new media technology and more? In his characteristic style,the superstar unravelled the new media phenomenon,and gave us a sneak-peek at his upcoming Ra.One. For those interested in tracking the evolution of Hindi cinema,SRKs interview is a must-read. From superhero to super-tech cinema,he covers it all with characteristic aplomb. But thats not the only star attraction in this issue. Screens Annual Survey 2010,about new media and its usage pattern in English-speaking urban India,as usual springs surprises. About Twitter versus Facebook,media/political personalities versus Bollywood stars,Hollywood versus Bollywood; so on and so forth. And Big B leads as the Bollywood personality best acquainted with new media. In an interview,Mr B once again impresses us with his wordplay and wisdom so evident in his blogs,tweets etc. For those of us in the media,the survey offers several points to ponder . People,for one,prefer to get news about celebrities preferably from celebs themselves,who have gone online with a vengeance. This finding echoes SRKs sentiments when he says that traditional media may find tough competition from celebrities. Incorrect reportage across media platforms both print and electronic,have been cited as reasons for looking out for ways to connect with fans. Western influence? Perhaps. Ashton Kutcher and Paris Hilton were among the early Twitter users. Mallika Sherawat,since her move to LA,has morphed into a prolific tweeter,but has not landed herself a prominent place in our survey! Priyanka Chopra,on the other hand,has impressive online presence. Most certainly the leading lady on the new media front. Incidentally,PC has been pretty regular in posting photos from film shoots,international visits and updates on her life. But before we assume that its the young and restless that have a better handle on the new media,a look at the hard facts suggests otherwise. While Ranbir Kapoor is the next big thing in filmdom,it is grand-uncle Shammi Kapoor who wins in the online activity stakes. Shammiji was among the first Apple (Mac) users and brand ambassador of sorts for Yahoo India! The youngest and prettiest actresses on the block are falling over themselves for chai-coffee meets with Mr Kapoor. Messrs Javed Akhtar,Mahesh Bhatt,Shekhar Kapur and Pritish Nandy have also managed a daunting online presence. Couplets,activism,film promotion and more they form the undisputed been-there-done-it Twitter brigade. Karan Johar of course,though younger in years,maintained a clear lead in shouting out loud on Twitter to introduce friends and colleagues. In this weeks opinion.com,we have views from a cross-section of industry professionals about the use and impact of new media and technology. The Teams favourite section though would have to be the compliments to Screen from Bollywood hotties. But obviously,it was widely read,putting a smile on everyones face,:-). After the hard work the Teams put in,poring over Internet wonders,online debuts and more,a pat on the back is well-deserved. And before I log out,I would urge you to read on and tweet your responses or e-mail us the bouquets and brickbats.
