Choices, cinematic choices

Illustration/Uday Mohite

And so, we drive towards Andheri, to meet a leading film distributor. Our film, "Pune Highway" is ready, the last pass of sub-titling is done, and so we drive, Bugs Bhargava Krishna and I… excited to show our year and half labour of love to him - it's the first screening to a neutral person. The distributor, dear reader, as the term suggests is the person/team, who distributes your film, market it, if you choose to go "big" - he will tell us, any one of the following things… We should refrain from risk, stay with OTT, or maybe he will advise that the movie has elements that will appeal to a larger mass, maybe we should undertake a conservative 100 multiplexes in Maharashtra, before it finds its resting home at one of the OTTs. Or he may say, this is potentially a sleeper hit, let's go to 1,000 cinemas in select cities, our film has bits of everything, whodunnit, whydunnit, howdunnit, bromance, romance.

My banker says, with some fear in his eyes - "Rahul Bhai, your film is OTT, not for the masses but the classes" (that's such a cliché I think to myself) - do you want to compete with s0me big SRK release?"

I see where he's coming from, conventional wisdom states, cinema releases are reserved for big blockbusters, whereas streaming platforms are for smaller content driven films. (Though recent history suggests that there is no ready formula for guaranteed success).

As we head towards Andheri, many questions go through my mind - ideally, how do I want my film to be seen - on a phone? On a Panasonic home theatre screen? Or in a PVR? Gen Z will watch me on a handset as they rush for lectures, others will watch me on a giant 65-inch Panasonic with surround sound speakers.

But I also want to be witnessed on a cinema screen, possibly wedged between Dune 3 and Ek Tha Tiger 4. Larger than life, where the audience hears every note of Clinton Cerejo's background score, and every intake of Jim Sarbh's breath.

Content is king, in cinema, but in India so is timing. Eid is a hallowed day for the premiere of a movie, and yet nothing can be taken for granted. Take Maidaan, exquisitely made, a sports drama, but three hours long, launched on Eid and failed - "people want to be entertained on this joyous occasion," I'm told. I'm thinking, a biopic about the legendary coach who led India to her first Asian Cup gold, isn't that an entertainer enough… probably not. On the same day, Chhote Miyan Bade Miyan releases, big action stars, foreign locations, overturning cars… and yet not enough takers. Both these films - "Nahi yaar, three hours, boring" - the same people sat through three hours of Oppenheimer. Did Maidaan sag in bits? I've learnt one thing about movie making, people have 200 choices in the year, and limited movie watching time… they need a compelling reason to pick your film.

What is that one thing that will make them come to see you… and then talk about you long after they've left the movie hall? Different films have different overriding elements. "12th Fail', the story of a man overcoming all odds to achieve success; Chamkila, Hmmmm, AR Rehman's music, plus Dosanjh.

And then Laapata Ladies. Yes, Aamir produced it, but no known star cast, and yet, everyone's talking about it.

Every woman I've met felt the film spoke to her, in an organic deep-seated way - few films cut through so powerfully to the soul of a person. Crew did too. Are women-centric films here to stay?

Every filmmaker wants their film to be released in the best possible way, to an audience that wants to receive their "offering", no bullshit, no shortcuts, tell the story well, keep it gripping, keep it tight.

And as we enter Andheri, I ask Bugs Bhargava. Why should audiences watch us - is our film entertaining, emotional, escapist? What is the one thing that remains? I wish for one thing, as two people engage, "Have you seen Pune Highway? "No, but it's on my watch list, I've heard good things", or "Yes, you should see it, I saw it in the cinema, I'll see it again when it comes to OTT."

Rahul daCunha is an adman, theatre director/playwright, photographer and traveller. Reach him at rahul.dacunha@mid-day.com