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It’s business after all Aamir Khan with Darsheel Safary, his co-star in ‘Taare Zameen Par.’

But Mehta, Khan and Mishra are not just a lucky few. To make his first big budget film, Fashion, Madhur Bhandarkar has come under the protected wings of UTV Motion Pictures. And now, even directors like Shyam Benegal has joined the coterie of people who don’t mind their films being produced by a corporate house. Hence, his forthcoming film, now a big budget, romantic comedy M ahadev, is being produced by UTV. Not just this, he has signed more films with UTV. Well, such a trend spurts many interesting questions. So, does this mean that corporatisation of Bollywood has begun? What happens when business houses take over the responsibilities of a film’s marketing and distribution? Does it mean something like the studio culture of old Hindi films is on a comeback trail? Also, will it benefit the film industry and keep the audience happy at the same time? What are its ‘side effects’ after all?

Opines Shyam Benegal, “Corporatisation is a new phase in the Indian cinema. It is good for the industry. Making films has never been as easy as it is now. If it had come earlier, I would have made some more filmsEvery director needs money to make a film of his choice, and whoever would like to finance it, he would go with it.” Benegal feels today’s talented young and aspiring directors are very lucky. “They make films on the subject they want to without caring for where the money is coming from. See Anurag Kashyap, he is very talented. He wouldn’t have been able to make films as he is doing today if he didn’t have corporate support,” he says. But then, the ace director says, “It is a highly competitive business and that’s why there are greater opportunities too.”

Adds actor-director Anupam Kher, “Corporatisation is an announcement of change in the system. If the system changes, there are several people who oppose it too. It is definitely helping good directors.” Corporatisation or not, he says, “You are telling a story after all. Corporatisation is like serving tea in a five star hotel. You get the same tea in a dhaba too.Now it’s up to you if you have come for the tea or the ambience.”

Points out director Sudhir Mishra, “If you get your film financed by a corporate house, it makes one thing very clear to you and that is, you have to compromise on the content part. They tend to encourage entertainment-based films to generate maximum profit. .” He says, “You often lose your independence too. For instance, you lose the editing rights. They may just give you a DVD to shoot. All the rights as to how the film is designed and presented go into their kitty. All films are shot and made according to their whims and fancies.” Pointing at the positive side of the trend, Mishra says, “ I believe that if on one side, it may mar the creativity of a director, it might organise the industry on the other side.” Kher feels, “I wouldn’t mind some changes in my script as I would like to make the film than not making it at all.” But Benegal adds, “It’s not that the script is always the casualty. I am getting my films produced by big corporate houses without compromising on my script.”

But corporate houses are not ready to take these blames. Admits Sanjeev Bijli, Marketing Manager, PVR, “We do approach filmmakers to produce films as we did Aamir Khan for Taare Zameen Par because we know his credibility. We are entrepreneurs first. We have been in the film distribution and exhibition for 17 years, so we have a good idea about what sells.” Bijli admits, “If we fund a film we do get involved in its making process, from reading scripts to marketing the film.” Bijli feels, “Corporatisation brings in more transparency, discipline and accountability.” Adds Siddarth Roy Kapoor, Marketing Manager, UTV, “We do exhaustive research when we fund a film. We set our target audiences, use the media as a vehicle to promote the film. We do sit with the director at the script level and every change is done mutually. We don’t pressurise anyone.”

But is it possible to get a film produced by a corporate house and still not submit to their conditions? Mishra feels, “More you take money, greater is the independence you lose. If you stick to your budget and take just some extra money that you need from them, you won’t have to compromise on your script, etc.People with a big clout get away with their conditions, small filmmakers have to submit to their wishes. If such a trend continues, creativity might be the greatest casualty.” And with new corporate and advertising companies foraying into films, it is all the more possible. Promodome Communications, a premier advertising agency, has just forayed into films. Its wing, Promodome Films has announced the launch of its first feature film, Jugaad. (stars Manoj Bajpai and Rohit Roy). The company has signed up Anand Kumar (of Delhi Heights fame) to direct it. Says Sandeep Kapoor, its COO, “Today even a small film can earn us more money through the sale of music, distribution and TV rights, etc. A producer is home with his finances whether the film works or not. We forayed into films after a great research, especially from the money-back point of view.”

Finally, money is a great factor and hence “there will be struggle between creativity and finance,” says Mishra.

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