MUMBAI ( 2008-09-24 11:34:10 ) :Indian cinema is getting hi-tech, as Hollywood increasingly influences its themes and plots away from traditional love stories and towards spectacular superheroes and fantasy.
Directors are turning to special effects to woo younger, more upwardly mobile and middle class fans, spawning home-grown computer-generated imagery (CGI) firms and tie-ups with established figures in the United States.
"Indian audiences are very much exposed to Hollywood films and they draw parallels with our cinema when it comes to visual effects," said Rakesh Rohan, who produced and directed the 2006 science fiction film "Krrish."
"So, here we want to prove that Bollywood is no longer less than Hollywood."
"Krrish," which cost nearly nine million dollars to make, draws much from the 1978 blockbuster "Superman." It raked in 33 million dollars worldwide and was one of the biggest grossing Bollywood films that year.
"To take a big risk is better than making a common film," said Rohan. "Indian audiences don't want to see the same wedding scenes all the time. They want something new and we have to give it to them."
The latest film to follow the trend for special effects is "Drona" (Saviour), which is released worldwide on October 2, station and distribution company Red Chillies Entertainment for that purpose.
The venture proved lucrative in his film 2007 "Om Shanti Om." The film is thought to have made 44 million dollars at the box office, making it one of Bollywood's biggest ever hits.
"The mode of entertainment is changing and we really don't know what the future will be," said Khan. "Tomorrow, mobile phone may be the biggest platform of entertainment.
"At this time I feel India's entertainment industry is booming and many Hollywood companies are looking for production services over here. So, I feel it is a good time to cater to them with VFX (special effects) facilities."
More than a dozen Indian companies are now catering for the trend.
In February 2008, "The Golden Compass," starring Nicole Kidman, won an Oscar for Best Visual Effects, using a team of Indian digital artists from California-based Rhythm and Hues.
Darby has also linked up with another Indian production and distribution firm, Eros Entertainment, to found the Mumbai-based EyeQube with the aim of creating a world-class special effects facility in India.
"A visual treat is what makes a film in Hollywood a good grosser," he said in a recent lecture on the subject here. "The real star of the film is the film itself.
"And of course if there is a good script then it is surely going to be success."
Copyright AFP (Agence France-Presse), 2008
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