Flickers

Sometime back, I met a friend who wants to write scripts for film. Most probably that’s the ‘very rare’ and most in demand commodity in the industry.

But you never know, who has got what in him. So I asked him if he has any concepts, and he says still thinking. I encouraged him to go ahead, and gave him some basic ideas like how to create and develop a concept and how to write treatment etc, he listened seriously and then one fine day he comes to me with a story line.

I read it and at once I knew he flicked from two or three foreign language films. I don’t blame him, as it is a generational practice, going on in this Indian Film Industry (Especially Tamil, those directors who talk too much about Promoting Tamil cinema and compare their films with classic films and who does not like to hear if their films are flicked ones, regularly flicks from foreign language films only).
Anyway lets not blame them also, as they are too busy thinking about money and lost their creative goal somewhere into their wealth.)

I am not really sure why one should get into the industry, especially as director, or music director, when he is not able to make his own original concepts and original presentation. Is it for money? Then You have another half side of the industry where they treat the film reels as mere ‘cans of luck’ and gamble
Or if one don’t want to gamble then he should not be looking at all at this film industry. They can have grocery store, fancy shops steel business whatever.
Current trend is that those who has no job, no education, no money, and no thinking, but who wants to become filthy rich quickly, are the ones dominating Tamil Industry. For them, what you got to do is some how, repeat somehow join with a somewhat known director, learn the language he talks (very important), and try to impress the hero (somehow at any cost) and tell your story. The stupid hero will one hundred percent okay the subject just because you are with ‘so and so’. Make a movie in a time span of Maximum 2 years) not even a time taken for one to be graduated. The film flops, does not matter, film hits box office, you reached your goal.
Its not a collective abuse, but dominant part is true.

However, lets go back to the friend of mine who wants to write scripts.
He readily agreed that it is from so and so films and tried to make sense out of it. I appreciated him for his efforts (took him a month) and then I told him, how to go about it. And as we discussed the theme, along the line, slowly the theme diverted from the original version and then at a point we had a original story concept. He happy, and me happy
The point is, there is no harm in being inspired by a particular film, as any good film is made to be inspired by the audience. You may even get a concept from a badly made film, or may be even a character in a film, but no one ever thinks about it anymore. All they want is to remake the whole damn film, (Tamilization) inserting couple of songs, dances and there you go, you have wasted some thousands of feet of film roll and producers money.
I am not saying that you are not suppose to remake a film, you can, but keeping in mind,
In what sense that particular film was made and how you can improvise to fit into this audience without the original essence being lost. And willing to give some credit to the original story you really need guts for that. Not because those guys are going to sue you, overcoming your ego is the toughest part.

Of course, above is valid only when you are so much inspired by the concept and making, that you think you will never be able to make another film or story of same kind. (Which is a disgrace of course. After all, those films are also conceived by human brains only. And not outwardly God like creatures).
And not because you need a script urgently as the Producer is ready with Hero's dates.

Cinema is a beautiful and most creative invention human ever made. And a Director is the one who dictates it. If he wants he could make or break a star, or a financier.
It is going to be most pitiful situation if it’s in wrong hands.