Showing posts with label Ratnaa Sinha. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ratnaa Sinha. Show all posts
OTT no longer a haven for small films, say experts
2:40 PM
As theatres make a post-pandemic recovery, makers shed light on whether content still triumphs over big budgets on OTT
Rishabh Suri (HINDUSTAN TIMES; November 12, 2022)
Content does all the talking on OTT — this is the popular notion that has been attached to the medium for some time now. The OTT boom that was witnessed during the pandemic further strengthened this belief as a barrage of fresh and unique content flooded the web space. However, is the scenario still the same, now that theatres have become operational again? Is it still easy for small films, which are driven by good content, to get an OTT release? Experts weigh in.
‘OTT IS NOT A MESSIAH’
Recently, Manoj Bajpayee told us in an interview that it’s a struggle to release films regardless of the medium. He said, “What I have gone through in getting films like Aligarh (2016) and Bhonsle (2020) to cinema halls, and then OTT, has been quite a journey. One gets tired.” Attesting to the same, Devashish Makhija, director of Bhonsle, recalls, “Originally, we wanted a theatrical run, no matter how limited. But when Covid-19 hit, there was no scope for it. That’s when we got in talks with some OTT platforms.”
Makhija says the expectation for OTT to be a messiah for smaller films shouldn’t exist in the first place. “It’s filmmakers like us, who ascribe a lot of value to alternative mediums. I don’t remember OTT saying, ‘We are here to champion independent films’,” he says, and adds that they just got lucky as a newly-launched platform took a chance with them with Bhonsle. “Today, a big platform turns away original voices. They say, ‘We want to make money, we’re answerable to our bosses’,” he adds.
Echoing similar sentiments, Vinod Bachchan, who produced Jahaan Chaar Yaar, starring Swara Bhasker and Shikha Talsania, says he is yet to find an OTT platform for his film. “Sirf content criteria nahin hota. Many OTT platforms have grouped together. They don’t care whether the content is good or bad, but focus on stars,” he says.
NOT ALL OTT
However, there are also some makers, who have had a good experience on the medium in the recent times. Director Ratnaa Sinha, who created Middle-Class Love, starring newcomers Eisha Singh and Prit Kamani, says the journey becomes easier for a small film when a production house owning a streaming platform, gets on board. “It is really difficult to make a film with new faces. Very few people believed that we could actually pull it off. Once we got a producer on board, however, it was fine. They gave us a good theatrical release, and since they own an OTT platform, we will get a release there automatically,” she says.
Palash Muchhal, director of the film Ardh, says the trick for him was to not approach any OTT platform, but to instead produce the film and then present it to the web teams: “We decided that we will sell the rights to the first platform that approaches us. I produced the film by selling off my car, but made back double profit.”
BOX OFFICE MATTERS
How a film performs at the box office is also a parameter now for OTTs. Trade expert Atul Mohan says films, which failed to attract footfall, were let go of by streamers. “During Covid-19, majboori thi OTT platforms ki as there was a lot of demand. Later, they realised yeh film jiske liye humne Rs. 20 crores diye, yeh toh Rs. 10 crores ke layak nahin thi. The journey is difficult for small films,” he says. Tara Vs Bilal was one such film whose OTT deal fell through after a dismal box-office run, a source reveals.
Actor Vineet Kumar Singh, whose film Siya got a theatrical release recently, says, “Things are changing fast. I’ve heard from people that streamers say, ‘Release in theatres first, we’ll take your film after that’.”
Middle-Class Love director puts no-dating clause in actors’ contracts
8:17 AM
(From left) Kavya Thapar, Prit Kamani and Eisha Singh
Middle-Class Love director puts no-dating clause in actors’ contracts, says co-stars being in a relationship would have ‘hampered the dynamics’
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; August 29, 2022)
How often have we heard of two co-stars dating ahead of a film’s release? Over the past many years, it has become almost a staple promotional gimmick to grab eyeballs and pique curiosity around the movie. Ratnaa Sinha’s upcoming directorial venture, Middle-Class Love, stands in stark contrast to the practice. Ahead of the shoot of the campus caper that launches debutants Prit Kamani, Eisha Singh and Kavya Thapar, director Ratnaa Sinha and producer Anubhav Sinha included a clause in the actors’ contract that forbade them from being romantically involved off screen during the film’s making.
Ratnaa reasons that the clause, unusual as it may be, was put in place to ensure that the equilibrium on the set was not disrupted. “Right when I hired my actors, I ensured that their contracts have a clause asserting that off-screen romance during the film’s making is off-limits. The film has three leads, and a situation where two of them were dating would have hampered the dynamics. We wanted to ensure that everyone is comfortable and feels like the film belongs to each of them,” she explains.
This isn’t the first time that such a clause has been effected in Hindi entertainment. In 2016, the makers of the show, Rishton Ka Saudagar — Baazigar, had made lead actors Vatsal Sheth and Ishita Dutta sign a no-dating clause. Nidhhi Agerwal, who forayed into Bollywood with Munna Michael (2017), was made to sign a similar contract. In a telling sign of the industry’s patriarchal ways, the film’s hero Tiger Shroff was not bound by such a clause.
In Middle-Class Love, however, Ratnaa asserts that the rule was laid out for all three actors, thus creating a work environment that was transparent and fair. “I am glad we put this rule. The actors were more than forthcoming when this was brought up. They are bright, ambitious, hard-working, and are here to make a career. I was impressed by their work ethic. Now, this is among the things that we all joke about.”
Repeatedly pushing people with limited talent is unfair-Anubhav Sinha
8:17 AM
As he launches rank outsiders with Middle-Class Love, Anubhav says it’s up to directors, press and audience to break B-Town’s cycle of nepotism
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; August 10, 2022)
Filmmaker Anubhav Sinha has a knack for challenging the norms with his movies — be it Article 15 (2019) or Thappad (2020). This time around, with Middle-Class Love, he is throwing his weight behind rank newcomers Prit Kamani, Eisha Singh and Kavya Thapar. Sinha, who is backing the Ratnaa Sinha-directed offering, begins, “This film demanded newcomers. How else do you make a campus film?”
It’s refreshing to see new names in the billing at a time when it’s common for star kids to bag big-ticket projects. Nepotism in Bollywood has been called out time and again, but there is little on-ground change. “I am not saying that it’s not an important discussion to have, but it mostly gets into mudslinging. There are children who were born in Bandra and Juhu, they played in the backyards of movie stars and filmmakers. It’s only natural that they would get their blessings. [But] repeatedly pushing people with limited talent is unfair. When [it comes down to choosing between] a child from the industry or not, that becomes unfair. I am an outsider, and it’s my responsibility to make sure that whenever I get an opportunity to work with newcomers, I [rope in] people from outside of the industry. I worked with newcomers in Tum Bin [2001], and with Bipasha [Basu] and John [Abraham] in music videos. They became popular, not because of me, but because of who they were. For Middle-Class Love, Ratnaa found these kids who did commercials, television and music videos until they landed a lead part.”
Casting star kids has certain advantages — they grab more eyeballs, thus becoming a more lucrative proposition. However, the filmmaker says everybody, from the media to the audience, has to do their bit to make it a level-playing field for newcomers. “It is more lucrative to [rope in] this one’s son and that one’s daughter from the announcement perspective. But it’s important to choose outsiders. I also blame it on the press. They don’t write as much about the other newcomers. [The press will] blame the readers who don’t read articles about them. It’s a cycle. Ratnaa has made a great film. Now, it’s up to the media and audience to bless the kids because they need those extra blessings.”
From left: Kavya Thapar, Prit Kamani and Eisha Singh
Artificial intelligence helps Shaadi Mein Zaroor Aana bag 100 screens
9:03 AM
Shaadi Mein Zaroor Aana picks up pace in third week after employing intelligence platform for its promotions
Sonia Lulla (MID-DAY; December 1, 2017)
"Would you and I ever be able to decipher that there's a strong correlation between fans of Rajkummar Rao and those of [American rapper] Jaden Smith," questions Akash Bhatia, in what appears to be an obvious negation. The man behind artificial intelligence platform Infinite Analytics is responsible for the notable success that Rao-starrer Shaadi Mein Zaroor Aana has garnered in its third week of release, with the makers celebrating the recent request for 100 additional screens across India.
MIT tech wizard Bhatia is among the first to use the AI technology for Bollywood. Using a series of personality traits as reference to figure if the audience member will display an interest in watching the film, the platform enabled the makers to ensure that the trailer reached the right eyes. Director Ratnaa Sinha is only happy with the results.
"Receiving a request for hundred additional screenings in the third week is unheard of. In the first week, we were unable to bag any prime time shows, which affected the collections. While in the second week the competition stiffened due to other releases, the positive word of mouth increased interest. As a result, the third week was even better," she says. After having struggled to procure screenings during the coveted late-night hours, Sinha says most of her shows have now been slotted for those durations. The accomplishment, she is certain, can be credited to the use of the AI platform, owing to which the film's trailer hit five million views on Facebook. "Users saw the trailer, watched the film and spoke well about it. That made us realise that the film was indeed reaching the right audience through to AI."
Highlighting how the system works, Bhatia points towards a platform that analyses multiple facets of human behaviour. "We were shown the film during the editing, and made notes of the elements that might pique interest — like the anti-dowry plot or the use of fabric," he says, as Sinha adds, "The team even analysed how many people like the colour pink, since, in my film, the female actor wears the shade often at her lover's behest." That the film has an appreciable IMDB score of 8.4, placing it alongside Aamir Khan's Secret Superstar, is testimony that the trailer reached people who later showcased interest, Bhatia says.
Shaadi Mein Zaroor Aana is a tailor-made role for Rajkummar Rao-Ratnaa Sinha
7:45 AM
MUMBAI MIRROR (November 9, 2017)
After directing innumerable hit music videos and producing several fiction and non-fiction shows, Ratnaa Sinha (wife of filmmaker Anubhav Sinha) makes her directorial debut with the family entertainer, Shaadi Mein Zaroor Aana, featuring Rajkummar Rao and Kriti Kharbanda and produced by Vinod Bachchan.
Touted to be an endearing small town tale of romance, the film features Rajkummar and Kriti paired opposite each other for the first time as Sattu and Aarti respectively.
Interestingly, Rajkummar was the first choice for Ratnaa once the script of her debut directorial venture was locked. She informs, “The minute I heard the story, I could only think of Rajkummar and nobody else came into my mind to play this role. It’s a tailor-made role for him. He (Rajkummar) is very open to good ideas.”
While Rajkummar is known to be a prolific performer and has portrayed all his characters with great aplomb, was there anything in particular that the filmmaker discovered while working with him? “He is very receptive to good stories and characters that are well etched out. And his conviction in the film eventually made the film happen. When we started shooting the first lip sync romantic song, he was a little hesitant since the songs are imaginary and do not belong to the real world. But when he saw himself on the monitor, he got convinced and performed with all his heart,” she explains.
Ratnaa feels privileged to have worked with Rajkummar in her debut film. “I was lucky enough to get a good actor who is also a good human being for my debut film. I was shooting with a thorough professional and also developed a friendly bond with him and that shows on the screen,” she says.
Shaadi Mein Zaroor Aana releases this Friday and is presented by Deepak Mukut and Soham Rockstar Entertainment. The film is a Soundrya Production, produced by Vinod Bachchan and written by Kamal Pande with Zee Music Company as the film’s music company.
UP government refuses to grant subsidy to Shaadi Mein Zaroor Aana makers due to Rajkummar Rao's injury
8:05 AM
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; November 6, 2017)
The makers of Shaadi Mein Zaroor Aana will not be able to avail subsidy from the Uttar Pradesh government because promotions for the film can’t take place in the state.
A source tells mid-day, “The entire movie has been shot in Lucknow and Allahabad. As per the subsidy norms of the state’s film policy, the subsidy is given when the final product is ready. Film promotions in prime cities are a major part of the process. The Shaadi Mein Zaroor Aana team had planned promotions in Lucknow this week, but they had to be cancelled after Rajkummar suffered a leg injury on the set of a reality show.”
Adds the source, “Until Saturday, director Ratnaa Sinha was certain that they would be able to pull off promotions in Lucknow, but it looks unlikely now due to time constraints. Ratnaa doesn’t see any sense in putting everyone through the hassle [because of Rao’s injury].”
When contacted, producer Vinod Bachchan tells mid-day that his lead actor’s well-being is his topmost priority: “Raj has been advised complete rest by the doctors. He is pushing himself as much as possible. He will be promoting the film in Delhi, but Lucknow and Allahabad won’t be possible. As far as subsidy goes, we don’t make movies to earn benefits. This film is made from the heart and the actors are our priority.”
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