Hundred per cent democracy in cinema is a utopian dream. The director is the captain of the ship and his style determines the formation of a cinema. It’s the structure of cinema worldwide. During our times, the director, writer and producer decided whom to cast. Story was important. More important was its narrative style. The producer, director and writer (who remain the creative cream) had an aesthetic commitment towards the audience. They were concerned about the audience feedback.
Today, I doubt whether there exists such a commitment. They are no longer producers, but arrangers. It’s now a Mammootty movie while earlier it was a Bharathan movie, Padmarajan movie, Hariharan movie, or a Sasikumar movie. Now a movie is being made, marketed and celebrated using the name of the star. I am not against actors. But directors should be confident about their capabilities and their creativity. A lion’s share of the cost of a movie is today recouped from the sale of satellite rights. It depends on the advertisements given by the corporates, who are not bothered about the content or narrative style. They only want known faces in lead roles.
When K.G. George and I were at the helm of MACTA, we used to resolve disputes involving various associations amicably by holding mutual talks. We had created a strong leadership position and had intervened creatively. With the financial structure of cinema changing, the audience no longer decide the fate of a movie. Actors are also producers, distributors and theatre owners today. That’s not wrong. But it goes wrong when they get driven by the interests of caucuses around them. Directors should have the courage to say that they would try a newcomer instead of stars. Cinema will survive. The bubbles will burst. New movies and stars will emerge. We have recent examples to prove this — Dileesh Pothan’s Thondimuthalum Driksashiyum; Zakariya’s Sudani from Nigeria, Lijo Jose Pellissery’s Ee Ma Yau, etc. The audience are thirsting for change. It’s not just the new generation of filmmakers, but a new generation of audience has evolved. Those who can join this change will survive. Others will perish.
(As told to G. Krishnakumar)