Shyam Benegal: The old star system doesn’t work now
Veteran filmmaker Shyam Benegal doesn’t take any sides when asked about the ongoing OTT vs theatre debate. Having witnessed several changes that the film industry has gone through over the years, the 85-yearold says, “Everybody has got a point. It’s a lot to do with the fact that nobody is in full control. Let’s see how things settle. I hope they get better; they’re already so bad that we can only hope they look up now.”
It all started after a host of direct-to-OTT releases were announced recently, and theatre owners sought support from filmmakers, expecting them to wait for cinemas to reopen.
But since OTT releases offer a level playing field to all films, big or small, is it going to change the star system that has been prevalent? Benegal thinks so. He reasons, “Why should we only think of India when it has changed worldwide! The old star system doesn’t work anymore. You can’t say so and so is a star and drawing power is great. Who’s there in the film industry today who can claim that? Nobody! We don’t have a Dilip Kumar or Amitabh Bachchan in his heyday, nobody whose presence is enough to draw the audience like a magnet.”
The National Awardwinning filmmaker adds that unlike the big screen, television doesn’t create such stars. “It’s about a largerthan-life personality, no? You’ve to see that also. Everything is evolving. You don’t have stars like in the older days, where there was no way he or she could walk on street without creating a riot,” he says.
Asked how he views the Covid-19 phase where films aren’t releasing on the big screens for which they were originally made, Benegal says the film business has gone through many changes.
“So today, when you make a film, you’re not thinking in terms of it getting revenues only from cinema halls. You’ve to think how it’ll maximise audiences and revenues. The methodologies have changed. It’s no longer how it used to be,” he concludes.