This story is from July 7, 2016

Social Media has created stars in very wierd way

Ashok Amirtraj talks about Indian market for Hollywood films, and combating piracy
Social Media has created stars in very wierd way
Ashok Amritraj, on a stopover in Chennai on his way to Malaysia, where next project, Prey, is being shot, spoke exclusively to Chennai Times on the Indian market for Hollywood films, combating piracy, why he hasn���t produced a Tamil film since Jeans, and more���
Tell us about your current project���
We are shooting a movie called Prey right now in Langkawi, Malaysia.
It is a mainstream film ��� a dramatic thriller ��� about a kid who is caught on an island. Franck Khalfoun, who did Amityville: The Awakening, is directing it.
But don���t you need well-known stars? After all, aren���t they the face of a film in the international market?
Take Star Wars, Warcraft or any of the superhero films today, and you���ll find the stars have become less important. There are movies for which stars are important, but unfortunately, less and less of these movies are being made today. Star power is not what it used to be. People are not going to see movies to see a particular star as much they used to in the olden days. Maybe there are a handful of guys ��� a Leo DiCaprio or a Brad Pitt, but earlier, there used to be at least 25 names! I���m a big movie fan and like watching movies in theatres with other people, but to get my kids, who are 22 and 18, to go to the theatre is much more difficult. And I don���t think they���d go out just to see a star. They have got so many others things to do that you got to give them a real event movie to make them take that trip to the theatre.

Would you say social media has lessened the aura around stars?
I���d go in the opposite direction and say that social media has created stars in a very weird way. Kim Kardashian is a star and you have all these people with all these million followers. To be honest, I don���t get it. I���m not on Twitter, and I don���t need to be on social media. But the phenomenon of these social media stars has definitely attracted young viewers. They market themselves really well, whereas the movie stars don���t do as much. Though, I think Indian movie stars are actually doing a good job because I hear they are constantly on social media. I would say that foreign markets still have a bit of glamour over the stars. So, you have to balance what kind of movie are you making, and what its needs are with the requirements of the international market.
Where does India figure in the international box office?
Revenue-wise, it is not one of the top countries, but compared to the revenue 10 years ago, there has been exceptional growth. I think the audience here is starting to get spoilt by being exposed to the quality of the Hollywood films and the level of their visual effects and storytelling. So, there are going to be comparisons drawn and I think, in a way, this is going to benefit Indian movies because they will have to keep pushing the bar to stay at par with what Hollywood offers.
The Tamil film industry has been struggling to tackle piracy. How does Hollywood handle this menace?
We have been going for day-and-date releases. And still, we lose about $5 billion a year to piracy. Taking security precautions is the only way to curb piracy. And then, you penalise the offenders. If we find someone pirating, we do not let them get away easily by making them pay only a fine. We shut him down, put him in jail, make him pay heavy fines. But for that, you got to have very strict copyright laws. And the penalty has to be carried out for stealing copyright. Today, a lot of people don���t think it is a crime to steal a copyrighted work. That���s because it is not like breaking into a place and stealing something. But you are actually coming into my house and stealing my money. That���s the way we see it. That���s the way the government, the courts and everybody has to look at it and protect those with copyright through laws.
Talking about Tamil films, you haven���t done any Tamil film after Jeans. Why is that?
We have two more films coming up, we have about a dozen TV shows right now, and we have partnered with a digital company to create content for the digital space. But I���d love to come back and do something here.
Are you in touch with Shankar?
The last time I saw him was a couple of years ago at Cannes actually. We haven���t really kept in touch and we only bumped into each other there. I did see him in LA when he had come there. In Chennai, Rajini���s family have been friends for a long time, since the days we did Bloodstone. He is a wonderful human being and Latha is a very dear friend.
Do you keep track of the Tamil film industry?
I know the overall of what���s happening, but I won���t be able to give you details if you ask me about specific films. But I hear from my friends when I come and go ��� Chennai is, obviously, still my home. My wife is a fan of Indian films and we get DVDs from friends here. But, for me, it���s not easy to keep up with the films.
Is it possible for Indian films to break into the mainstream American market?
I don���t think it is easy. The movies that you make here are different from what an American wants to see. Especially today, when even American movies are trying to find their audience. It is very difficult, for that matter, for any foreign film to find an audience of any significance. For an Indian movie to be distributed in a theatre in Lincoln Square in New York or Century City in LA, you have to put in a lot of money. And for a distributor, it���s not going to make sense to spend so much because that is not your audience.
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