Tie up with Hollywood more about economics than creativity: Big B
By chennaivision at 22 July, 2009, 11:22 am
New Delhi, Amid a lot of talk about the increasing collaboration between the Indian film industry and Hollywood, Superstar of the Millennium Amitabh Bachchan feels that tie ups between the two industries have more to do with economics than creativity.
”I think…this (a closer collaboration between the Indian film industry and Hollywood) has got to do a lot more with economics rather than sharing creativity.
The West and Hollywood would have to realise that when they come to India with Hollywood products, there is a difference between the cultures. Not every film that comes out of Hollywood is…as readily acceptable as they would be in say, Europe,” Mr Bachchan said in an interview to CNN’s ‘Talk Asia’, to be aired on Saturday.
On the growing trend of Hollywood majors investing in productions coming out of India, Big B said,”What they are doing now is, obviously because they are very healthy in their finance, they are using their money to invest in productions that are coming out of India. And in that respect, yes, holding hands with Hollywood companies or any other company has now become– almost a routine.” On the increasing number of Bollywood films making rounds at international film festivals, the actor felt that it was not because Indian filmmakers were trying to translate contents of their films in tune with the West, but because of increasing acceptability for typical Bollywood films in the West.
”I’m not sure that Indian producers are deliberately making products that will reach out to a Western audience, but yes, if there is an opportunity, they will. I’m actually very happy with our content,” the suprestar said.
”Even though we were ridiculed, and…and the West was very cynical about the way we made our films and the content that it contained -you know, the songs, the dance and the music is something that is kind of looked down upon many years ago -that very aspect has now become, Bollywood’s USP almost, and people love to see that. And therefore, I would not want to change that. I expect that this is how and what our cinema is all about,” Mr Bachchan said.
Asked whether the affect of Global recession had been felt in the Indian film industry, as some of the media reports suggested, the superstar said,”in comparison to the rest of the world, India has faced the recession in…in much better shape and has been in much better shape than some of the other Western countries.
I think what is important is that you still have the desire to make films, and that hasn’t stopped. And we still continue to shoot and we make our films. It’s not as though everything has come to a grinding halt, and we’re just sort of sitting idle. We’ve all been working and… at practically the same pace, perhaps with a little less finance, but…but that’s okay.” On his turning down an honorary doctorate from an Australian university, the actor said,”I just felt very strongly that with all this happening there, with me to, visit the country, to accept an honour or be honoured when other members of my country are being dishonoured, didn’t seem right. And I just took a personal decision and…asked to be excused.
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