Filmmakers give tried-and-tested formulae a miss to embrace new genres and techniques When a gigantic alien mothership enters the orbit of the earth, outer space creatures take over the city's skyline, as fireballs cause massive destruction. A glimpse of this sequence seems straight out of Hollywood blockbusters such as Independence Day or Transformers — but only till you look at the image closely and notice the Bandra-Worli sea link. For Chaand 2013, action moves to this Mumbai landmark, as Bollywood gets ready to roll out its very first sci-fi 3D thriller. The first look of the film promises nail-biting 3D action sequences. Such a venture nicely fits into iRock Media's plan of tapping the youth audience, close on the heels of the production house's tryst with a spy cam for Ragini MMS. "We have hired a group of writers, who are always looking to provide us with something that's not been tested before. Today, the audience, which mainly comprises people between the age group of 15-30, is not looking for tried-and-tested formulae," says Sid Jain of iRock Media. Considering that storylines featuring vampires have made younger audiences go crazy, the next from the iRock stable is Bloody Veer, apart from a zombie comedy (popularly known as zom-com) with Abhay Deol, called Shaadi Of The Dead. Before you credit iRock for bringing in newer genres to the industry, check out the list of some upcoming movies with very unusual subjects. The fascination of Indian audiences with ghosts, spectres and ghouls will be extended to zombies with Saif Ali Khan-produced Go Goa Gone. Another vampire movie will come from Satish Kaushik, who is directing a movie based on Shantanu Dhar's book The Company Red. With a more conventional subject, but fresh treatment, is Remo D'Souza's dance-based movie, in which he has packaged Prabhudheva's unmatched steps with 3D effects. "Shock them with your moves," says Remo. "You must always give something new to the audience every time. That's the only way you can stay on top," he adds. Jain, who is trying his hand at three different genres, agrees with the choreographer-director. "A new genre can work only if the idea is commercially viable," says Jain. Indian filmmakers always nurtured an unbridled love for action, drama, song and fight sequence. But with the changing times, their love has undergone a transformation too — propelling them to flirt with various genres. "A couple of years ago, people would laugh at us when we came up with the script of a zombie comedy. Today, the producers want to read your script only if it is something different," states Krishna DK, who will be co-directing Go Goa Gone, along with Raj Nidimoru. What Bollywood finds novel today, Hollywood has seen years ago. For instance, the sci-fi genre became a rage with Jurassic Park and Independence Day creating box-office records. "The technology and special effects used in these films weren't easily available in India then, but now they are," says Anthony D'Souza, director of Chaand 2013. With the thrill of trying out a new genre comes a host of challenges. "When I am making a film on vampires, I have to be very attentive to the logistics — costumes, make-up and others. So the backing of a reputed production house is mandatory," he adds. To ease logistical problems, DK has hired a foreign crew for his zom-com. "The director, the cast and the crew need to be on the same page," he says. Despite the hiccups, Jain feels that the new school of filmmaking is not phasing out in Bollywood anytime soon. "We are looking at a booming market. With audiences lapping up anything that's different, such movies have turned viable," he adds. Source: Indian Express
