Frugally yours!

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Yes its time to cut costs. Or as some people put it..its time 'to tighten your belts'. And the entertainment sector is not in a different world away from markets and its certainly not far away from the corporate world and the world in general being affected with recession...so get ready to see a rather frugal way of functioning in the land of plenty called 'Bollywood'.Entertainment companies have urged their CEO's to start travelling economy class. A top tv producer's budgets for a mythological series has been slashed by one third. And no longer is a tv soap with a name starting with 'K'..the most sought after by GECs. Because these days a little 'Ballika Vadhu' has created a furor making the GEC's want something 'hat ke'! It's a different world. It's a difficult world. The people who dance and sing, cry and laugh to entertain you, are certainly feeling the pinch of the global economic slowdown. And the ongoing impasses between broadcasters and producers about workers demands is just the beginning. It's a year that even Mukesh Bhatt, spokesperson for the producers, believes will certainly be the test of the survival of only the fittest and could probably seal the fact that the ever increasing media bubble has finally burst. 2009 will be the year when profits in the entertainment world will dip. So while television channels are going back to the re-work their balance sheets, some other channels are on the brink of a shutdown. And what you probably have'nt heard is that some channels have already started downsizing...yes some video editors and camera people have been fired in some companies. And no, they were asked to leave not because they were incompetent, but because of the simple fact that channels simply cannot have the luxury of excess employment, which is the case in most television channels.

And while the television world is undergoing a cost cutting syndrome, even film stars will soon see a cut in the inflated fees they charge. Shoots in foreign locales will be wrapped up as quickly as possible and if need be even cancelled. Producers are going back to their drawing boards (the ones who believe in making them!!) and figuring out costs of future projects, minimising unneccessary costs. So in these so-called 'depressed times' can we hope of better films coming our way or better television content? Well most producers are of the view that only the smarter producers will survive, so get ready to see less bombardment of projects, marketing and publicity of films will soon be based on research and using of visibility opportunities prudently and possible better content driven films. But here's the good news, despite the stock market lows that began just before diwali, it was a fantastic diwali for Bollywood with both Golmaal Returns and Fashion raking in the moolah at the box office. And the even 'Dostana' has opened to good boards of houseful...happy days are indeed ahead...but this time you'll see a Bollywood that's rather cautious and stingy in its spending. But yes the dash to snow clad mountains would still be there....(bollywood is bollywood after all) but maybe a little less of it will happen....and yes it would be great if films with great storylines would also be in the offing...Let's hope that there's nothing like depression to give a little those creative minds to dole out fresh entertainment for us.