Issues in Global Cinema Introduction Each year, filmmakers submit their work to a variety of film festivals hoping to have their movies premiered to the audience that attends the festivals. Film festivals provide a platform where upcoming film-makers can showcase and market their films, form partnerships with film distributors, and increase the likelihood of their work winning recognition internationally. Many of today’s famous filmmakers such as Quentin Tarantino and Darren Aronofsky launched their careers by showcasing their creations at film festivals (Renault & Aft, 2011). This essay traces the journey of Om Shanti Om (Farah Khan, 2007) from a little-known Indian movie, to an internationally acclaimed and award-winning film. It seeks to examine how the movie's showcasing at various film festivals contributed to its recognition. In 2007, Om Shanti Om, an Indian movie, created and directed by renowned Bollywood film director, Farah Khan attracted international attention. The movie became popular, especially in India, where it was a box office hit because it parodies Bollywood itself. Its cast is made up of approximately forty famous actors from countries across Asia, North America, Europe, and Africa.
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Plot Summary Om Shanti Om is the story of Om, a junior artiste of the 1970s who is infatuated with Shantipriya (Shanti) a popular Bollywood celebrity. Shanti is in a troubled marriage with Mukesh, a movie producer, and is, therefore, welcoming of Om's advances. After meeting a few times, they fall in love (Dom, 2017). While still accepting Om’s advances, Shanti falls pregnant by Mukesh, who wants to keep their marriage a secret and also wants to marry the daughter of a wealthy businessman. Mukesh is angered by his movie’s financial loss and sets fire to the set of the film with Shanti trapped inside. Om tries to rescue her from the fire but is not successful, and they both die. He reincarnates thirty years later as Om Kapur, and once he remembers the events of his past life, he vows to exact revenge on Mukesh. Shanti, also reincarnated as Sandy, stops Om Kapur from killing Mukesh and through supernatural events, allows a chandelier to fall on him causing his death. Reception Om Shanti Om gained significant attention worldwide due to its star-studded cast, excellent cinematography, and compelling storyline. Between 2008 and 2009, it won 33 awards and 21 nominations, as well as hundreds of positive reviews. According to Indian film critics, the movie was highly entertaining because of its combination of comedy, drama, and action. The movie was also lauded for its depiction of 1970’s Bollywood. Abroad, Om Shanti Om received positive reviews due to its entertaining and successful mixture of movie genres. To date, it is one of the most famous Indian movies (Devasundaram, 2016). Om Shanti Om was screened in approximately 800 cinemas globally and earned US$14 million in India
alone, and US$10 million in total from overseas collections, making it one of the highest grossing Indian movies. Effect of Geographic Origins on the Success of the Movie Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood is one of the most vibrant film industries in the world. Film production in India dates back to the early 20 th century; by the 1930s, the industry produced approximately 200 films per year. Currently, Bollywood releases almost 2,000 movies annually compared to Hollywood’s 700-1000 films (Lieberman, & Esgate, 2015). Additionally, India has the world’s largest film culture; over ten million people watch movies in theaters daily. Indian movies are known for their entertaining musicals, colorfulness, dramatics, and humor and therefore have a large international audience (Dudley, 1984). Om Shanti Om quickly became an international favorite because it pays homage to classical Indian movies of the 1970s, while also maintaining a modern twist. Its storyline offers a combination of timeless drama, music, romance, and comedy. Gaining International Attention The movie gained both local and international attention by casting some of the world’s most renowned actors to play its leading roles, such as Shah Rukh Khan, Priyanka Chopra and Salman Khan. To gain international attention, Om Shanti Om held its global premiere in Leicester Square, London. Prior to the premiere, the movie was promoted aggressively through posters, trailers and multimedia advertisements; therefore, by the time of its screening thousands of fans were already interested in watching it. In 2008, the movie also gained significant attention when it showcased at the Berlin International Film Festival. At the festival, the movie tickets sold out almost as soon as they were offered for sale online. The
film premiered in several other film festivals around the world where it had fans of all nationalities. Bollywood movies have a wide international audience due to their exaggerated dramatics, humor and rich cultural influence which is shown through song and dance (Ganti, 2012). Om Shanti Om connects easily with the audience because it is both a parody and a tribute of earlier Bollywood movies. International audiences can relate to it due to its references of well-known Western classics such as Phantom of the Opera and Singin’ in the Rain; while its colorfulness showstoppers such as the choreography and constant change of costumes make the movie even more entertaining (Bajaj, 2014). Conclusion According to Dudley, film festivals are a crucial channel through which filmmakers introduce their movies to local and international audiences. The success of Om Shanti Om is an indicator that besides the Western film industry, there are other high-quality, entertaining movies from other parts of the world. Om Shanti Om drew the world's attention to the Bollywood productions and demonstrated that the components of a successful creation are not its origin but high-quality content, excellent performance by the actors, good cinematography and utilizing film festivals as a movie promotion platform. Om Shanti Om contains rich cultural references such as Indian songs and choreography, which appeals to global audiences. The success of the film also shows that marketing a movie through popular channels such as social media, television, and print is an essential aspect of facilitating its success. The film's global reception is also a sign that international audiences are more receptive of well-scripted movies that contain aspects that they can resonate with, such as the Western classics contained in Om Shanti Om.
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