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Why Don't Movies Run for long these days?

Topic started by Unmai (@ 24.130.233.129) on Fri Aug 9 11:23:20 EDT 2002.
All times in EST +10:30 for IST.

Do movies run for 100 days these days? If not? why? Cable TV or Bad quality or Video Piracy?
I think only people who are in rural areas watch movies in theaters. I can recall some of the movies that ran well. Kamalhasan was never considered to be a masala hero. In Came Sakalakala vallavan. It ran for 250 days. His market picked up. Rajini was already a superstar.
Around the same time Payum Puli came. It ran only for 100 days. Some of my classmates who were rajini fans became kamal fans because of Sakalakala Vallavan. Kamal came up with another hit in the form of Thoongathe Thambi Thoongathe which ran for 250 days. Munthanai Mudichu ran for 365 days. Mudhal Mariyadhai and Sindhu bhairavi ran for more than 100 days. Salangai Oli ran for 200 days i guess. Payanangal Mudivathillai ran for 175 days. Naan Padum Paadal ran for 100 days.
Vaidegi Kathirundal ran for 100 days. Udhya Geetham ran for 100 days. Poove Poochudava started slowly and ran for 200 days. Thendrale Ennai Thodu ran for more than 100 days. It was a dream period. Mouna Raagam ran for 175 days. Fazil made an impressive debut in tamil movie with Varusham 16. It ran for 100 days in 15 theaters. Even junk movies like Naan Sigappu Manithan and Kakki Chattai ran for 100 days.
Then came Karagattakaran. It broke many records.
It ran for 365 days. Maniratnam enjoyed great success. I don't think movie don't run that well these days. Why is that?

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Responses:

• Old responses
  
• From: Ravi (@ 129.120.84.21) on: Mon Feb 9 22:47:57 EST 2004
  
  "If this piracy catches on like mp3 songs, Hollywood will cry soon. IF POSSIBLE, they will go after all the p2p programs and shut down the network like they did to Napster. "
  
  Right now DVDs are just flying off the shelves. And people don't want to watch crummy quality video on computer screens. Unlike Indian video and DVD consumers, there would be an outcry if there were consistent VHS quality DVD releases like with Pyramid DVDs and a large number of Hindi DVDs.
  
  Even when I go to the arthouse theater there are usually quite a few people in the audience. I don't think Hollywood has to worry about piracy in the US so much. Piracy in SE Asia, yes, but not in the US. But who knows, some Indian might come up with a broadband breakthrough that will make it fast to download movies :-)
  
  
• From: meerafans (@ ) on: Fri Feb 20 13:47:57 EST 2004
  
  http://www.meerafans.tk
  meera jasmine fans home page
  130 pictures
  12 wallpapers
  forum
  and more
  
  
• From: C~P (@ 61.95.159.16) on: Fri Feb 20 13:52:27 EST 2004
  
  MeeraJasmine-ku fans? avungalukku home page? adhula 130 pics? 12 wallpapers? forum? and more?!
  
  JK! :-)
  
  
• From: kumar (@ 157.95.211.50) on: Fri Feb 20 15:39:19 EST 2004
  
  To stop Piracy in India, producers must first start making original movies.
  
  Copying styles, scripts, and storylines (not to mention music) is so predominant that movie makers are ashamed to ask people not to download. Kamal Hassan is one such copycat. I cannot remember one original movie of his(original script and style)in recent times.
  
  If I make something new and wholly belonging to me, I have an exclusive right over it, and reason to protect it. If not, I better shut up and be content with the money that I am making.
  
  
• From: T (@ 12.33.141.40) on: Fri Feb 20 16:28:09 EST 2004
  
  cp, andha sitela poi paatha 5 photo thaan irukku.. 130 illai :)) ..
  
  
  
• From: kumar (@ 157.95.211.50) on: Fri Feb 20 18:28:03 EST 2004
  
  T,
  
  Neenga seriya paakala. You have to scroll. Naan count pannala, but definitely more than 50.
  
  
• From: Vatsa (@ 160.83.32.14) on: Fri Feb 20 18:36:14 EST 2004
  
  Hi All,
  
  80s was good because of very good directors, who wrote good scripts and screenplay. The "tight screenplay" element is missing nowadys. If you see some of the very good movies of the past (whose genre is of least interest now, like achamillai achamillai, uthiri pookal) were fresh, had good script and screen play. No one wants to take very good novels nowadays and make a movie. Also, there were atleast two or three movies in a year in the 80s which were very good entertainer/scripts. Also, the music was apt. IR should be praised for that. The script made sense and the music elevated it to a higher level. Movies like veedu and uthiri pookal, were enjoyed. Infact many would have watched these movies. Great music, sensible story, no unnecessary sentiment scenes, neatly done script without any big hero/heroine.
  There were some great directors like Mahendran, Mani Ratnam (except for some annoying one word dialogues ), Balu Mahendra, Balachander (though I hate some of his directorial touches), Bharathiraaja, Fazil (nice different scripts), K Vishwanath. Because of this we saw some enjoyable and good performances from Karthik, Prabhu, Satyaraj. These guys produced some constant good movies along with some couple of good movies from one or two people.
  With the widespread piracy,
  
  Directors felt the change their style to attract people to cinema halls with some great visuals. I guess many like KB, Visu were unable to do this ... and so, they moved on to TV and was a great success. They exploited people who are 30-70 age group with their serials. The crowd who will be watching movies alot in the 80s because of boredom (reason for Karagattakaran runno run???), mainly because of no widespread VCRs and DD1 ,DD2 began to watch sunday tv programmes, pirated movies and in some cases, the comedy bits on TV, if you filter out the comedy bit from the movie ... you will not be watching it for 1/2 an hour. When DD2 metro tamil programme was introduced there was some huge expectation which was short lived after the himil version of serials like Junoon came up. Everyone in this group is tv crazed now. And everyone in this group will reserve going to movie halls as some special occassion, when a popular movie comes out. So the few who are able to attract constantly were MR, Kamal and Rajni (some of his movies are nightmare ... but its far better than most of the hero's movies now). Some of their movies like Kuruthi Punal, Indian and Mahanadhi, Alaipayuthey and Roja. Mahanadhi had neat screenplay, visuals and BGM. Roja, Bombay and Alaipayuthey had good script, music plus some fresh feel. Its sad KM, a very good movie did not run. Few gave some good movies here and there like Fazil, Bala and Balumahendra (Sathi Leelavathi)
  
  Others like Shankar make movies for 10-30 age group. Who would like to watch movies, its one favorite pastime and nice way to skip lectures. Also great fun if you watch a movie with friends (occasionally Narasimma kind of movies). Not many know how to make a movie similar to hollywood standard to attract audience, and end up copying some movies in desperation (or can we call it lack of imagination or talent). Other way to attract crowd is have some scenes so that the 10-30 age group will enjoy. Now, the formula is action + heroism + Vivek comedy + some vulgar scenes/concept = make money. Thats why Simbhu (like Chimps) are heroes and out in the jungle. Infact nowadays I think Rajnikanth's acting is far better than all these guys. Hopefully, Vikram, Surya, Madhavan, Pasupathy and some new character artists can put up some good performances in the future and make us go to cinema halls. Other option is somehow(??) reduce piracy and add pay per view through TV.
  
  Vatsa
  
  
• From: kumar (@ 157.95.211.50) on: Fri Feb 20 18:48:41 EST 2004
  
  I dont think it has any thing to do with artist performance. I was surprised on my visit to Bangalore last december. Almost every house has a dvd or vcd player.
  
  The only way to stop piracy is the government bringing more stringent laws and for a change enforcing them. Pay per view is not a concept that will work without the law enforcement. VCD manufacturers will get better quality movie with only one pay-per-view instead of camera print.
  
  
• From: C~P (@ 61.95.159.16) on: Fri Feb 20 23:42:24 EST 2004
  
  T,
  Neenga MeeraFan-a? :-))
  andha site-la 130 photos irukkumpa...dif-a seyyaraennu left-right scroll poattu paduththi eduthutaanga! :-D
  
  

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