The scoop on how
technology is helping Bollywood get to the billion figure mark with alarming
regularity…
Bollywood. An opulent set of a large haveli abutted by
sunflower fields on one side and the Swiss Alps on the other. Inside,
everything’s covered in white cloth, except for a table in the center, with the
industry’s biggest names (that will not be mentioned here to protect
identities) seated in a huddle.
A baritone voice boomed across the table. "I'm sick and
tired of our films being compared to Hollywood's technical wizardry all the
time. Why should it always be about their technology, digital marvels and
software simulations? What should be done to add technology to Bollywood?”
“I've brought in a couple of young computer guys who have a
few suggestions…” a senior director mumbled. “Ok, we need technology that will
give us access to any song, movie, plot, script or story that we might take a
fancy to,” a producer winked as he proceeded to brief them. “And we should be able
to search across 130 languages.”
The pair began their presentation. “We’ve been put through a
crash course of the 100 kitschiest Bollywood blockbusters and have spotted the
areas where technology can be of the greatest help to you.”
“We’ll begin with an audio application called Shazam,” said
the first techie. “Just install it in your mobile, turn the application on and
hold it near an audio source – it will automatically identify the song and it’s
all yours.” “You mean we could take any of it and be… suitably inspired,
right?” the famous lyricist wanted to know.
This tendency to ‘copy left, right and center’ had already
led to an abbreviated use of the expression - copyleft, a term which meant that
every piece of work was freely available to be downloaded and open to
modification. It was Bollywood’s contribution to technology, but then, the
world was not yet ready for such shocking revelations.
“Incredible! And what if I know the tune, but don't have the
song with me?” asked the music director. “You could use Midomi. Hum the tune
into the mike - the application will instantly find the complete song. The
other option is Musipedia - a virtual keyboard will appear on your screen and
you can play a tune on it. The original song will be located at once.”
“What about scenes? We love to lift scenes as well, you
know...” stated the writer. “There is AnyClip, a website that has categorized
scenes according to genre, year of release, actors, whatever...” The second
techie continued. “You can even enter a line of dialogue and it will help you
identify the movie.”
“We make around 1000 movies a year - we can't write the
stories for all of them, you know...” the maverick moviemaker trailed off. “You
could enter key words like boy meets girl, brothers separated at birth, lost
and found or love triangle in Jinni.com or IMDb – it’ll throw up several plots
and storylines for you to choose from,” the first techie added.
“What about complete scripts? There are times when one needs
to rip off complete scripts,” said the head of a leading production house.
“IMSDB would assist you on that. Musicals, award-winning scripts, family drama
- take your pick,” said the duo.
“But the future is all about 100 crore blockbusters – can
you ensure that?” enquired the lead actor. The duo shrugged. “You could launch a
start-up and hire us.” “How will that help?” asked Team Bollywood.
“Even if your movie doesn’t sell, your start-up will – you
are sure to make your billion.”
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