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Matter of choice
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Though satellite channels have had an impact on Tamil cinema, the panelists at the Metro Forum held recently, felt that if the film industry responded to viewers' tastes, the two media could co-exist.
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IT IS 6:30 pm and you are back home after a long and tiring day at work. You decide to give yourself a break. Some entertainment, perhaps? A movie would be just perfect. You run your eyes through the entertainment page of a newspaper and just as you are doing that, you start thinking of the traffic, the crowd at the cinema and whether the air-conditioners in the hall will be used and what's more, it is not going to be inexpensive by any means.
You then look at the TV listings. Two new films, four not-so-new ones, three countdown shows and four mega serials to choose from. Will you still make the effort to drive to the cinema? Chances are that you may not. At least that seems to be the popular opinion. The question is: "Have satellite channels spelt disaster for Tamil cinema?''
That's exactly what the Metro Forum decided to address.
The panel comprised Manicam Narayanan, a film producer, Suresh Iyer, Head of Programming, STAR Vijay, Sushila Ravindranath, head of Hansazone, Radha Bhaskar, a Carnatic musician, Ashwanth, a college student, Padma Narayanswamy, a freelance journalist and Ajay, a student of journalism.
Here's what they had to say:
Suresh Iyer: "Internationally cinema and TV co-exist. TV is a medium for the film industry to showcase their products. It has begun to work well even in the case of Bollywood. I don't see a clash but given the fact that a movie (in a cinema hall) is a lot more demanding as a medium, the quality of films has to improve and the quality of cinemas need to improve as well. The concept of television itself is evolving with interactive TV and Broadband Internet and all these changes mean that movie making is going to need a different attitude.''
Sushila Ravindranath: "I think the converse is true. Today, a lot of films have done better because of the promotions on television. I have watched quite a few films because the clips on television were riveting. The truth is that the film industry is behind time. They need to adapt quickly and use television effectively rather than look at it as a threat. Look at Hollywood. They use television to their advantage."
Radha Bhaskar: "The urge to go to a cinema has been reduced by television. When I watch clips of new movies on satellite channels and feel that the film is not good enough, I just don't make the effort to go to cinema hall. That apart, the whole process of going to a movie has become cumbersome.''
Ashwanth: "Tamil cinema is different. We tend to look only at urban centres. What about semi-urban and rural areas? Satellite channels have certainly affected these areas. On any given day, there are at least five-six films being telecast. Why would anybody in these areas take the trouble to go to the halls? The other thing is that a lot of new films get aired in no time on television. In fact, ever since the film guild decided to impose restrictions on airing of film clips, the box-office collections for the prime-time shows have increased. Is this not enough evidence?''
Padma Narayanswamy: "I agree with you. It has become a lot more convenient to watch movies in the comfort of one's drawing room.''
Manicam Narayanan: "When a film fails at the box-office, television gives the producer an opportunity to offset a fair percentage of loss if he sells the rights in good time. But it's true that television has had an adverse impact on cinema. Having said that, if the quality of the film is good people will still go to a cinema hall. Tamil cinema has a much smaller market than Hollywood or Bollywood and that means the same scale of grandeur is not possible. Most of the recent hits in Tamil have struck an emotional chord with the audience.''
Ajay: "Both media need to learn to co-exist. Today's audience is more demanding and film makers have to respond to that challenge and pay greater attention to detail and quality.''
The verdict? Satellite channels have certainly had an impact on Tamil cinema but the panellists feel that if Tamil cinema responds positively, the two can co-exist and also contribute positively to each other's fortunes.
When that day comes, the drive to the cinema will certainly be worth it; more so if the quality of all cinemas improves.
ASHWIN RAJAGOPALAN
Pics by T.A.Hafeez
The topic for the next Metro Forum is: Do CBSE or State Board schools represent the best choice for children?
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