Forget #BoycottbollywoodCompletely the simple truth is that of all the films produced by the Mumbai film industry every year, there are just 1 or 2 that are actually worth the money spent. The rest you could walk out of in the first 10 mins or sleep through them if you insist.
And I’m not even going into the anti-Hindu narrative or any of that. That comes way down the queue. And this argument that boycotting the films hits not just the producer but the little guys who work on the sets is beginning to sound wafer thin. Because despite the flops being churned out every year, more films just keep coming don’t they? Obviously some people have shitloads of cash to keep churning out the rubbish year after year. Where’s the money coming from to produce these ‘flops’?
Gone are the days when a Raj Kapoor went bankrupt after a Mera Naam Joker and mortgaged his house to make Bobby. Or an Amitabh Bachchan walked over to Yash Chopra’s house to beg for a role because he was broke. I also know that in this day and age, the smart producer gets back his investment and some even before the film’s release.
Also, during Covid the small-time actors, the extras and the technicians were the worst hit. How many of the really big names stepped up and bailed these guys out? There were some, I’m sure. But as an industry did they ALL come together to help each other? I’m sure many died too.
Did the industry as one reach out and compensate their families? And if the industry did come together, I’m thinking, that’s a lot of money coming from one place. We’d love to hear from film journalists of such stories. It will put a more humane face to the industry.
I agree with Suniel Shetty – but only partly – on the 99% don’t take drugs bit. Frankly, I don’t care whether it’s 9 or 99. Half the city’s kids and adults are doing it so what’s so special about actors?
I’ve worked in a 5 star hotel and I’ve seen celebrities doing things that most ordinary people do – like sleeping around, falling down drunk, propositioning female and male staff, smoking banned substances, and worse. I’m not judging. It’s their money, if they want to booze, sniff or snort it away, or sleep around, how is it anyone’s concern?
But don’t blame your lousy script and wooden acting on a silly ban on social media. You guys need to know that with the influx of OTT platforms, especially those from abroad, the paying public, (mainly those who scrimp and save to watch a film or hang around outside a star’s home in the hope of catching a glimpse of them) realises pretty quickly that they are being fed rubbish round the year by the Mumbai film industry.
The days of seeing an occasional Hollywood classic or an Oscar winner are over. Now it’s 24×7 entertainment from around the globe. The good actors are hardly seen even once a year and all we see is mediocrity being churned out day after day. And if the viewer isn’t interested in stereotypes rolled out in every other film can you blame them?
Why do so many small films made on a tight budget do so well? Because they have a good story, crisp script and some really talented actors who know the fate of the film depends on them as well. And why do so many big banners fail? The word ‘ghisa-pita’ comes to mind.
So if you think a boycott call on social media in a country of nearly 1.4 billion people can affect the fate of your film your IQ is even lower than that of a 3-year-old. Look within for an answer.
Been There Done That 