B’wood’s big budget has little global impact
Filmmaker Rakesh Roshan recently commented on how Bollywood cannot achieve high production standards in terms of technical effects and expertise when compared to its counterparts in the West. Ra.One was the closest to have come to a Hollywood film in terms of technical production, experts say.
Considering it is the second biggest film industry in the world, how can Indian cinema achieve a perfect balance between setting high technical standards and great story-telling?
Many filmmakers are of the opinion that India simply cannot afford the budget of advanced technology seen in Hollywood flicks. The budget and various other financial aspects are just the tip of the iceberg, with budget being the foremost concern. Some of the other shortcomings of Bollywood include the market and the reach of the two industries.
The budget of an average Hollywood flick is way higher than the most expensive film in Bollywood. While speaking about his upcoming flick Krrish 3 Roshan says, “In terms of stunt spectacle and action, we have gone way beyond the earlier Krrish films. But we can’t compete with Hollywood. One of their action scenes is equal to my entire budget. We can’t afford the bigness of the Hollywood superhero films.”
Action director Allan Amin, who is credited for bringing Hollywood action to Bollywood says that one cannot compare a Rs 1,000-crore budget film like The Amazing Spiderman with a Rs 100-crore film like Blue. “The budgets speak for themselves. Also, we are a Hindi-speaking nation with our films appealing to a limited audience. Hollywood can cater to the whole world for its market. It’s not the same for Bollywood,” he says.
Director Sanjay Gupta agrees and says that Bollywood filmmakers cannot even think of breaking even with that kind of budget. “Hollywood films are popular worldwide and they are sure about raking in huge profits even after spending so much. Filmmakers here cannot be sure about that,” says Gupta.
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