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| dautari |
Posted
on 24-Sep-03 04:35 PM
From a recent edition of the Indian daily - The Statesman:
Govt, piracy queer pitch for Bollywood in Nepal
Sudeshna Sarkar in Kathmandu
Sept. 23. Kaizad Gustads new directorial venture Boom, in which former Bollywood sex-symbol Zeenat Aman makes a comeback, was slated for release worldwide on Friday. But many people in Nepal saw the film long before that, thanks to pirated video cassettes selling for next to nothing in Kathmandu. It is feared that the pirated cassettes will lead to substantial loss for the films producer, its distributors in Nepal, theatre owners and the governments of both countries. Nepalese distributors are blaming their government squarely for the loss.
According to the Nepal Motion Picture Association, the governments recent regulations on foreign films are especially intended to curb Bollywood blockbusters. Mukunda Dhungana, general secretary of the association, said: A distributor showing Nepalese films needs to pay NRS 10,000 for a licence. Over the last two years, foreign film distributors have had to pay double the amount. Not to mention the extra money to be paid to the Customs. For foreign films, the customs duty is NRS 10 per metre of the reel. But for Nepalese films, it is NRS 3 per metre.
The unkindest cut, according to the association, is the government asking theatre owners to pay a 20 percent minimum seat guarantee for foreign films. The deteriorating security situation in the country since the Maoists called off the truce, strikes and curfews have shrunk the number of cinema goers. A foreign film distributor has to pay the censor board NRS 10,000 for a certificate, while the rate is halved for Nepalese films. Besides, each board member has to be paid NRS 500 for viewing a film and there are five to seven members on the committee. And foreign film distributors now have to pay 15 percent advanced income tax on the screenings instead of settling the score at the end of the year. The government says these regulations are for all foreign films. But the association feels the main target is Bollywood movies.
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Interesting ... Nepal Motion Picture Association is actually the governing body of the cinema owners of Nepal - they are not necessarily the filmmakers or Nepali film industry people although many cinema hall owners are also filmmakers.
It is interesting that they come up with a hue and cry over the issue. As far as I had known, the Nepali film industry people have long been agitating for a special "discount" on taxes and all in order to encourage Nepali films and discourage foreign films in theatre.
There are two schools of thought:
One: Nepali films SHOULD enjoy special privileges and foreign films must be discouraged ... for the prosperity and the bright future of Nepali films. The film industry insiders thing that if they don't have to compete with bollywood (They are not threatened by Hollywood since the viewers of Hollywood films usually don't go for Nepali films where as most of the Nepali film viewers are also the viewers of Bollywood films.)
Two: Nepali films SHOULD compete openly with foreign films because the constant pressure from the competition drives Nepali filmmakers towards more quality.
Well, which point of view do you subscribe to? I, myself, would want to go for the second option .. but actually it is difficult to achieve.
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| Hercules |
Posted
on 24-Sep-03 07:28 PM
If you think 100% from free market point of view you're right that second option is better. However from nationalistic point of view you need to supoort and think of prosperity of Nepali industry.
Just for a moment think why all Indian stuff should come to Nepal freely following free market but Nepali product can not go to India by following same path. You must be aware of why nepali ghee industries are fighting against Indian Gov. policy changes whenever they want to. Another example is failure of Kodak industry in Nepal, etc. etc.
Let's take one more example if US Gov. let foreign car to flow freely in US market what will happen to US motor idustry. Both US Federal and State Gov. have quotas etc to prosper US motor industry.
Being a Nepali, I strongly support option 1. We all unitedly support our industry. This is the only one industry that has created too many jobs in Nepal after democracy in 1990.
Quality will come as it matures with more experience. Competition could be created between Nepali films too not always with Bollywood.
After all I don't see any quality in those Bombay formula Bollywood movies. If you are to compete Nepali movie with Bollywood which has history of more than 50 years, why don't you compare Bollywood movie with Hollywood movie. They are no where close in quality.
Nepali film industry jindabad.
Hercules.
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| dautari |
Posted
on 25-Sep-03 02:11 PM
The majority of people in Nepal do not go to see Nepali movies because of the quality. When I speak of quality it is not the technical quality but the storyline and the script as well as acting and directing. The directors and producers are still stuck in the middle of '80s Hindi movies. They idolize Hindi directors and hindi films. Apart from a few young directors like Chhiring Rhitar Sherpa ("Mukundo") and Navin Subba ("Numafung"), most of the Nepali directors are not even qualified to direct a school play. They think incorporating violence, titillation and good-vs-bad or ultimate revenge storyline is the only option as far as the Nepali filmmaking is concerned. So they take one, two or more Hindi films, change a few things, add dialogues in Nepali .. and present it as a Nepali film.
I, too, go for special privilege for Nepali films. But, hey, the filmmakers need to grow up. And the people in the film industry need to grow up. I became close with Nepali film industry for some years and I was just shocked by the level of intelligence of the majority of the film-industry people. We don't have good actors, apart from a few. Good directors are a rare species. And even rare are good scriptwriters. As for actresses, most of them look and talk like trailer-trash women .. I mean, even in real life. The casting couch very much exists in the Nepali film world.
I like Nepali films because they are Nepali. But, I want to see more films like Mukundo, Seema Rekha, Chameli, and Numafung. I don't want films like Chor, Muktidata, and what have you. Muktidata's makers claimed that it was a strong contender for an Oscar. What it really was a pale lower-than-C-grade copy of Sholay. As long as the film-people don't stop thinking of themselves as the kings of the world after making one next-to-non-existent film, Nepali films will never get better. And people like Navin Subba, Chhiring Rhitar Sherpa and Ravi Baral will always remain in the shadows.
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| dautari |
Posted
on 25-Sep-03 02:31 PM
This is interesting ...
http://www.suskera.com/dec2002/films.html
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| Hercules |
Posted
on 26-Sep-03 07:04 PM
I agree with you on not having quality. I also agree with you we do not go to watch nepali film. However, there are about 20 to 30 movies releases every year in Nepal. My numbers might not be exactly right but I mean too many. Why do you think producers are investing on this industry. Who are the audience?
The audiences are low class people, labors etc. The middle class and upper class people off course doesn't go to Biswojyoti cinema hall these days because they have big screen TV, DVD/VCD players at home. They watch Hollywood/Bollywood movie at home on their big screen.
Those people will not go to cinema hall anyway. If some good quality nepali films are made then they probably will want in DVD. About less than 10% people of whole Nepal population have these options. What do the rest of 90% people do?
It's demand and supply formula here. Producers are making more money from rikshawala movie. Those movies could be shown in any village and people like it.
Some day when population of quality nepali watchers will grow, then more quality movie will be made and invested. So let's keep supporting nepali film industry.
P.S. I'm not associate with nepali movie industry. My dream is just to see grow nepali industry and economy.
That day will come Kollywood will be competing with Bollywood movie if we keep supporting them.
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| dautari |
Posted
on 29-Sep-03 09:24 AM
Anyways, let's find out what are the best Nepali movies made so far.
Paralko Aago will always remain in the top five, I guess. But what I cannot seem to understand the Pratap Subba who made such a brilliant films could only come up with duds after that one flash in the pan.
Seema Rekha is good. But again, I cannot say the same about other attempts by Kishore Rana.
Ugyen Chhopel makes good commercial films. And so does Tulsi Ghimire. Unfortunately, both are not Nepali citizens .. but Indians from seema pari. So, if they even get an Oscar, it will be another feather in the cap for India .. not Nepal. Recently there was an article on an Indian English paper with this headline : ANOTHER INDIAN AIMS FOR THE OSCAR, THIS TIME FROM NEPAL. As I read the article it was about Tulsi Ghimire.
Among Ugyen Chhopel's films Saino does stand out and Nepalibabu is a good commercial masala film. Tulsi Ghimire excels in Kusume Rumal and Dakshina. I did not like the much-hyped Darpan Chhaya. Its follow-up Lahana was a dud.
Other much-hyped movies Prem Pinda and Balidaan are good tries but they don't live up to the hype.
On my list, the number one would be a tie between Tshering Rhitar Sherpa's Mukundo and Navin Subba's Numafung.
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