Script is king
DESPITE its recent successful penetration into India, Hollywood’s earlier forays were far from picture perfect. Their marketing and promotion concentration notwithstanding, the synergy between Hollywood and its Indian counterparts produced a slew of flop Hindi films.
For instance, Jaane Kahan Se Aayi Hai (2011) produced by Warner Bros and People Tree Films fell flat at the box office. Saawariya (Columbia Tristar) – which starred Sonam Kapoor and Bollywood’s current heartthrob Ranbir Kapoor – was another dud. Akshay Kumar’s matrix-style stunts in Chandni Chowk To China (Warner Bros) which was shot extensively in China also bit the dust.
Roadside Romeo (Walt Disney Pictures) and Saas Bahu Aur Sensex (Warner Bros) met with a similar fate.
This continued failure, say analysts, could be attributed to the fact that though Hollywood studios had the clout and the moolah to back big films, they were lacking in judging good scripts. This led to bad investments in films with poor content, say experts.
In other words, big names, renowned directors, superstars and hefty budgets does not entail a successful film make. It is the script that is king.
Hollywood studios quickly wised up to this fact and though they have made bad investments before, they are now considering medium and small-budget films provided that they have strong content.
Fox Star India’s My Name Is Khan, produced by Dharma Productions and distributed by Fox Star Studio, helped change the game. Fox had made its Bollywood debut with the film and it set the cash registers ringing. The studio is now looking at co-productions in India and is forging a strong distribution and marketing network in India to leverage its international network.