Deathly Hallows for T-Town?

Call it the changing times or in simpler words, the changing taste of the Indian movie goers, but of late, Hollywood cinema ��������� dubbed or in English ��������� have enjoyed huge success with the audience in the state.
Acknowledging the threat of this sleeping giant, Suresh Babu, the newly elected president of the A P Film Chamber of Commerce, was quoted recently as saying, ���������The biggest threat is from Hollywood films which are dubbed in Telugu.��������� With recent Hollywood flicks like ���������Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2��������� raking in ` 15 crore in the first weekend, the regional film industry is feeling the heat.
Bigger, better, bolder
While it might not be easy for Hollywood movies to beat Indian cinema in its own backyard, the growing success has made them more aggressive than ever with their marketing strategies. ���������Hollywood movies are poised to impact the Indian film business as a whole, not just regional cinema,��������� says Suresh Babu. ���������I have friends in Bollywood as well, who have been keeping a close watch on the trend. Hollywood films have been eating into our market and as far as I see it, their share will keep increasing,��������� he points out. Commenting on the growing bolder avatar of the Hollywood studios, Suresh Babu says, ���������Their movies are bigger and made on a larger scale. The marketing is getting aggressive by the day.���������
Shyam Prasad Reddy, producer, too voices a similar opinion. ���������The canvas of a Hollywood film is huge and regional cinema can���������t afford it. With so many Hollywood movies coming into the theatres, the audience gets used to the magnitude of their medium, and in turn, finds our films lacking. It���������s tough to compete with that.���������
Hungry for profits
With English movies enjoying success in Indian territory, the percentage sharing ratio monster once again raised its ugly head recently, when Hollywood studios locked horns with Indian multiplex owners asking for better deals and in some cases even deals equivalent to that of the Hindi/regional cinema. ���������Fortunately or unfortunately, we follow the free market policy here in India. America���������s biggest exports are defense and movies. The standoff with the multiplex owners had to happen,��������� says Suresh Babu. ���������The dubbed versions of Hollywood movies do well. In fact, films like ���������Avatar��������� and ���������2012��������� raked in a lot of moolah,��������� says Allu Sirish of Geetha Arts who bought the distribution rights of ���������Avatar���������. ���������This kind of a scenario sure encourages the Hollywood studios to demand more of the profitable pie, but not just yet, because apart from these two films, none of the other movies have been able to make an impact in South India,��������� he adds.
Taming the monster
While the giant (read Hollywood films), has woken from its slumber, the think tank in the industry are trying to put their heads together to counter the threat. While many agree that a ban on Hollywood films is not what they want, curbing the influence is what will help. ���������There are no issues with Hollywood films releasing in India or the state. But I suggest that instead of dubbing them, they should have subtitles. If this is not done, then our films will be relegated to being ���������niche���������, like Polish or Finnish cinema,��������� warns Suresh Babu.
���������I think the onus should be on the government to help encourage regional cinema,��������� opines Shyam Prasad Reddy. ���������There is no point in banning any kind of cinema. The government can at least do something with tax structuring, to protect the interest of regional cinema,��������� he explains.
Meanwhile, Sirish does not see tax restructuring as a potent force. ���������From a moral stand point we should not try and restrict Hollywood films. By making them pay heavier taxes and increasing ticket rates, we are preventing the audience from watching what they want,��������� he reasons. However, he agrees that a plan needs to be put in place for the long run. ���������It���������s historically proven that within 15 years of entering any market, Hollywood films have dominated the territory. Since we can���������t match up to their canvas, we either follow a China like module where they have a quota system of 20 to 25 Hollywood films releasing in a year. Or increase the quality of our movies so that we deliver more hits to bring in the audience. That would be fair.���������