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From 'Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara' to 'Margarita with a Straw'. From '<keyword id="791377" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="yeh-jawaani-hai-deewani" source="Orion">Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani</keyword>' to 'That Girl in <keyword id="1343947" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="yellow-boots" source="Orion">Yellow Boots</keyword>'. Not to forget her roles in <keyword id="1245953" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ott" source="Orion">OTT</keyword> series like 'Made in Heaven' and 'Sacred Games'. What has remained constant in actor <keyword id="39062" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="kalki-koechlin" source="Orion">Kalki Koechlin</keyword>'s trajectory is her ability to zero in on scripts that promise to give her enough room to deliver. "Choosing a script... Well, I think it lies more in the gut than in the mind. Something excites my curiosity. Having said that, sometimes I do agree to go ahead because it is good for the commercial viewership or I need the work," she tells IANS. Born in Pondicherry to French parents, <keyword id="701037" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="koechlin" source="Orion">Koechlin</keyword>, who spent a significant part of her childhood in Auroville and studied drama and theatre at Goldsmiths, University of London, will soon be seen in <keyword id="1292176" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="pushan-kripalani" source="Orion">Pushan Kripalani</keyword>'s 'Goldfish' that will have its World Premiere at the 27th Busan International Film Festival. Stressing that she loved <keyword id="13998" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="kripalani" source="Orion">Kripalani</keyword>'s debut film 'Threshold' and wanted to work with him since, the actor adds, "This script was just powerful and profound, there was just no question of not doing it. I needed to have an English accent: Occam. That was largely my prep and many readings over zoom as we were surrounded by the Pandemic's second wave. Pushan did his own camera work and often ran two cameras at the same time for the length of the entire scene. I loved that process, we could react so truthfully and spontaneously." Koechlin, who co-wrote the drama 'Skeleton Woman', which won her The MetroPlus Playwright Award, and made her directorial debut on stage with the tragicomedy 'Living Room' smiles when asked if she still felt like an 'outsider'. "I feel like an actor. And there is no space big enough to hold all our dramatic endeavours." The National-award winning actor feels that while OTT has ascertained much employment and a chance for talent to shine, good content, whether it be in film or OTT is still hard to come by. "If I have anything to crib about, it is that there is too much content to read, and since I always insist on reading the entire thing not just a synopsis, it can get exhausting when the content is not great." Koechlin, who recently wrote the book 'The Elephant in the <keyword id="61809" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="womb" source="Orion">Womb</keyword>', which, among other things talks about the social stigma of abortions and unmarried pregnancies, the toll that pregnancy takes on a body and the unacknowledged domestic labour of women, may not have any plans to write another book soon, but she has surely has learnt how to deal with commentary on her personal life. "Mostly I ignore. Also, I have accepted that as part of the job. If I need privacy, I just switch off my phone." Recalling the lockdown days, she says they were hard. "And I happened to have just given birth. It was a lonely time, and the news was so grim I was afraid to get connected with the outside world. The whole period was an emotional grind, but writing 'The Elephant in the Womb gave me some respite. I was so grateful to have a little part of me still creating, it gave me some routine to the endless feeling of those days." The actor, who just shot for 'Kho Gaye Hum Kahan' is now working on the third season of her podcast with the BBC 'My Indian Life'. "I am really hungry to do more theatre. I have not gotten there yet, with the mum and work balance, but hopefully soon," she signs off. SEE ALSO : <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/non-profits-wanting-to-get-listed-should-have-no-ongoing-it-scrutiny-sebi/articleshow/94341181.cms">Non-profits wanting to get listed should have no ongoing IT scrutiny: SEBI</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/lucknow-to-soon-get-all-women-market/articleshow/94341248.cms">Lucknow to soon get all-women market</a>

Be it film or OTT, good content is hard to come by says Kalki Koechlin

<ul><li>OnePlus releases new film shot on the OnePlus 8T 5G, feat. <keyword id="39062" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Kalki-Koechlin">Kalki Koechlin</keyword>.</li><li>The poetry underlines the downsides of being hyper-connected and highlights the need to disconnect while reiterating use of technology and digital platforms for what they were originally intended - platforms to create, connect and collaborate. </li></ul>The film, titled ‘Stop at Nothing’ highlights the importance of digital consciousness in our daily interactions with technology. OnePlus, a global technology brand officially released a new film titled, ‘Stop at Nothing’ emphasizing the need to use the technology around you productively and taking the time to disconnect. Starring acclaimed actor and writer, Kalki Koechlin and produced by Lightstream, the branded content studio owned by <keyword id="7638538" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Rainshine-Entertainment">Rainshine Entertainment</keyword>, the film has been shot entirely on the OnePlus 8T 5G and showcases beautifully the video camera capabilities and versatility of the flagship two weeks after its official unveil. <div type="Youtube" id="suAzCoy_nQM" title="Stop at Nothing feat Kalki Koechlin - Shot on OnePlus 8T 5G" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/suAzCoy_nQM/mqdefault.jpg"></div> Narrated through spoken-word poetry written by Kalki Koechlin, ‘Stop at Nothing’ underlines the downsides of being hyper-connected and highlights the need to disconnect while reiterating use of technology and digital platforms for what they were originally intended - platforms to create, connect and collaborate. OnePlus, as a brand has recognised the need for digital consciousness and believes in creating products and features while remaining cognizant of how users will interact with these features. Making the technology ‘burdenless’ is a key tenet of product design at OnePlus and is aimed at creating tech that serves as a tool to help you perform tasks rather than something you become dependent on. Commenting on the campaign film, Siddhant Narayan, Head of Marketing - India, OnePlus said, “We live in a time where our smartphones have become our one-stop destination for everything from work and news updates to entertainment and connecting with loved ones. As a technology brand, we understand how important it is to perceive our devices as an extension of the self, for helping us boost creativity and productivity and not something that we become dependent on. With this film, we hope to make people cognizant of using technology for the betterment of ourselves, emphasizing the importance of disconnecting from time to time.” In addition to driving awareness, OnePlus has also created software innovations to promote digital consciousness such as Zen Mode that focuses on taking a quick break from your smartphone everyday and Work-Life Balance that allows you to toggle between Work Mode and Life Mode to control the notifications you see on your device, helping separate the activities on your device to avoid distractions. Sharing her experience, Kalki Koechlin says, "As we all continued to stay indoors since March, it has completely changed the way we consume content. Personally, I was using various online platforms for a range of activities including cooking, exercising, reading, and discovering new interests. Additionally, being a new mother, it was also important for me to strike a balance between work and keeping myself entertained, which led to a significant increase in my daily screen time. While I was constantly switching between apps and spending a lot of time across social channels, I realized the importance of staying away from the noise and negativity on the internet and using the digital space to enhance creativity and productivity.” “The OnePlus ‘Stop at Nothing’ campaign gave me the perfect opportunity to champion this thought and talk about digital wellbeing and the importance of using technology in a healthy manner. Shot entirely on the OnePlus device, the campaign filming felt very authentic and simple to me. For someone who has always shot with heavy equipment and big cameras, I truly enjoyed every step of this fun journey, exploring the versatility the OnePlus camera had to offer. Looking back at the process and now the final content, I am happy that I could be a part of such a relatable campaign, especially in the current scenario,” she added. Speaking about the initiative, <keyword id="2936397" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Anuraag-Srivastava">Anuraag Srivastava</keyword>, COO, Rainshine Entertainment, &amp; CEO, Lightstream, says, "The current times have highlighted the importance of smartphones in making our lives effective and efficient. That said, there is a need to drive awareness about the downsides of being hyper-connected. The OnePlus 'Stop at Nothing' film does a superlative job of delivering this message through the power of Kalki Koechlin’s spoken-word narrative. This film was a special one because a smartphone shoot is never easy when one wants to push the visual envelope in a limited execution duration, but the OnePlus 8T 5G surpassed all expectations with it’s superb 4K sensor, terrific response time &amp; variable features like multiple lensing, fantastic slow motion and definitive image vibrance. This initiative also connects deeply with Lightstream's mission of delivering high impact, purpose-driven brand stories for our clients."

OnePlus launches Kalki Koechlin's spoken-word poetry titled 'Stop at Nothing'

<ul><li>Every week, Business Insider India picks up all the new releases across theatres and different OTT platforms in India for the readers. </li><li>This week you can watch The Sky is Pink on Netflix. </li><li>Visit Business Insider India for more stories. </li></ul>Every week, Business Insider India picks up all the new releases across theatres and different OTT platforms in India for the readers. Here’s what you can watch this weekend: The Sky is Pink on Netflix <div type="image" title="8F3FE1A1-72CF-49B0-945E-01CB36D99693" msid="72525171" hostid="261"></div>

 Director: <keyword id="85919" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Shonali-Bose">Shonali Bose</keyword> Stars: Zaira Wasim, Priyanka Chopra, <keyword id="5015" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Farhan-Akhtar">Farhan Akhtar</keyword> IMDb: 6.7/10 Description: The Sky is Pink is an emotional love story of a couple — Aditi and Niren. They struggle to save the life of their teenage daughter — Aisha who is suffering from a terminal illness. What critics say: The writer and director Shonali Bose bounces from tone to tone, livening the somber subject matter with bright hues, quippy dialogue and an ever-jubilant score, says Teo Bugbee from New York Times Ribbon on Hotstar and Apple TV <div type="image" title="ribbon-movie-review-2" msid="72525131" hostid="261"></div>

 Director: Rakhee Sandilya Stars: Kalki Koechlin, <keyword id="1320517" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sumeet-Vyas">Sumeet Vyas</keyword>, Abhudar-Al-Hasan IMDb: 6.9/10 Description: Ribbon is a story about a young working couple who have to deal with an unplanned pregnancy. What critics say: It addresses subjects that Bollywood and even parents sometimes shy away from addressing their children, writes Kriti Tulsiani from News 18. <keyword id="8443744" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Inside-Edge-2">Inside Edge 2</keyword> on Prime Videos 
	<div type="image" title="inside-edge-season-2-1091129" msid="72525454" hostid="261"></div>

 Director: Aakash Bhatia and Gurmmeet Singh Stars: <keyword id="13902" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Vivek-Oberoi">Vivek Oberoi</keyword>, Angad Bedi, Richa Chadha, Aamir Bashir and Sapna Pabbi Description: Inside Edge 2 is the second season of the behind-the-scenes story of a powerful cricket league. It also introducers viewers to the politics of cricket and its two villains-- Bhaisaheb -- the president of ICB and his arch nemesis Dhawan played by Vivek Oberoi. What critics say: The Game gets murkier and more thrilling, writes Rohit Vats from News18. Spider Man: Far from home 
	<div type="image" title="spider-man_far-from-home_16x9" msid="72525428" hostid="261"></div>

 Director: Jon Watts Stars: Tom Holland, Samuel L. Jackson, Jake Gyllenhaal IMDb: 7.6/10 Description: Spider Man’s sequel deals with the aftermath of Avengers:Endgame. Peter Parker is taken aback by the death of his mentor. However, he has to deal with another catastrophic event that might wipe out Earth. What critics say: It feels comfortably like the end of a chapter, the beginning of a new one, an epilogue, and a palate cleanser all at once, says Clarisse Loughrey Independent (UK) Saaho on Netflix 
	<div type="image" title="download" msid="72525345" hostid="261"></div>

 Director: Sujeeth Stars: Prabhas, Shraddha Kapoor, <keyword id="297" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Jackie-Shroff">Jackie Shroff</keyword> IMDb: 5.4/10 Description: Saaho, the mega-budget movie of South Indian superstar Prabhas is an action thriller. An undercover cop and his partner realises that the robbery case they were trying to solve is actually a murder case of a crime lord. What critics say: “The movie is crisply, sometimes stylishly shot, but it's too muddled to be slick and too lacking in charm to establish any emotional stakes,” said Rachel Saltz from the New York Times

Weekend Watchlist: Here's what you can binge on Netflix, Amazon Prime and other streaming services

<ul><li>Kabir Singh was the most searched film on Google in India followed by 3 exceptional Hollywood movies — Avengers: Endgame, Joker and Captain Marvel. </li><li>Everything related to Kabir Singh was a success. The film became the highest-grossing Indian movie after minting ₹276 crore </li><li>Marvel’s Avengers: Endgame became the highest-grossing film of all time with its total box-office collection hitting $2.789 billion. </li></ul>As 2019 draws to a close, Google narrows down the top movies that users searched for the most in India. Kabir Singh was the most searched film on Google in India followed by 3 exceptional Hollywood movies — Avengers: Endgame, Joker and Captain Marvel. Here’s a list of the top 10 movies searched for on Google in 2019: Kabir Singh <div type="image" title="Kabir_Singh" msid="72475823" hostid="261"></div>

 Everything related to Kabir Singh was a success. The film became the highest-grossing Indian movie after minting ₹276 crore. Its music album was the ‘most favourite’ on Spotify music in 2019. Kabir Singh, starring Shahid Kapoor and <keyword id="1788525" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Kiara-Advani">Kiara Advani</keyword>, is a remake of the famous Telugu hit film Arjun Reddy. The film revolves around a self-destructive lover who struggles with anger issues gets addicted to drugs and alcohol after his girlfriend is forced to marry someone else. Avengers: Endgame <div type="image" title="PRI_95933080" msid="72475830" hostid="261"></div>

 Avengers: Endgame was the most awaited movie from the Marvel Comic Universe — the final film in the Avengers trilogy. Most of the fans wanted to know what Doctor Strange and <keyword id="6414070" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Iron-Man">Iron Man</keyword> will do to reverse Thanos’ snap, which killed off half the human on Earth at end of Infinity War. Marvel’s Avengers: Endgame became the highest-grossing film of all time with its total box-office collection hitting $2.789 billion. It broke Avatar’s record, which it had for almost a decade, of $2.788 billion. Joker <div type="image" title="maxresdefault" msid="72475867" hostid="261"></div>

 Joker is one of the oldest villains in DC's comics — and famed for being Batman’s arch-nemesis. This film is based on his origin story which has been evolving since the 1940s. It portrays how a disturbed loner Arthur Fleck, with difficult parentage and childhood, turns into a sociopath. Joker grossed $331 million in India. Globally, Joker’s collections hit $234 million, with $140.5 million coming from 73 offshore territories. Joker grossed $93.5 million globally over its first weekend, making it the best October debut ever. Captain Marvel <div type="image" title="_105912023_marvel1_disney" msid="72475876" hostid="261"></div>

 Captain Marvel introduces the Marvel Cinematic Universe's (MCU) first standalone, female-franchise title character, Carol Danvers or Captain Marvel. The film follows Danvers' journey as she becomes one of the universe's most powerful heroes. It released in India just before Avengers: Endgame and garnered $427 million. It is among the highest grossing US films in the country. Super 30 <div type="image" title="E80B6AAF-D127-4C31-B8E0-E3268124FAA6" msid="72475883" hostid="261"></div>

 Super 30 is a biopic starring Bollywood’s Hrithik Roshan who plays the role of an inspiring teacher, Anand Kumar. Based on a true-story, Kumar revolutionises the education system in the heartlands with his Super 30 programme. He coaches talented but underprivileged children who wish to crack engineering entrance exam of IIT-JEE. Hrithik Roshan’s Super 30 crossed ₹100 crore mark, 11 days after its release in India. Its overall earning were ₹147 crore. Mission Mangal <div type="image" title="ED13004A-DD88-44AA-97A5-0E227DEE2B6F" msid="72475892" hostid="261"></div>

 <keyword id="2823" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Akshay-Kumar">Akshay Kumar</keyword>’s Mission Mangal is based on India’s space mission to Mars. And, one of the many reasons it caught the attention of the masses was because ISRO was simultaneously planning its real-life launch of Chandrayaan 2 — India’s second mission to the moon. It was released over the weekend — owing to the holiday on August 15 for Independence Day— which boosted collections. Mission Mangal crossed ₹29 crore within 24 hours of release covering 20% of the movie’s total budget of ₹140 crore. Overall, it earned around ₹192 crore. Gully Boy <div type="image" title="201911035_1-h_2019" msid="72475899" hostid="261"></div>

 Gully Boy is loosely based on the life of street rappers, Divine and Naezy. The film was shot in Dharavi — one of the world’s largest slum. The movie stars <keyword id="143436" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ranvir-Singh">Ranvir Singh</keyword> as the lead with Kalki Koechlin, Vijay Raaz and Siddhant Chaturvedi in supporting roles. 'Gully Boy' was India's official entry to the Oscars in 2019. It earned ₹134 crore at the box office. War <div type="image" title="_d4ebc3ea-e4f2-11e9-939f-ba4a7f73df5c" msid="72475905" hostid="261"></div>

 War is an action thriller where an Indian soldier Khalid, played by Tiger Shroff, is assigned to kill his mentor Kabir, Hrithik Roshan — a spy gone rogue. The movie crossed ₹250 crore within 11 days of its release, according to film critic Taran Adarsh. It became the second-highest grosser of 2019, a title previously held by Aditya Dhar’s Uri: The Surgical Strike. Housefull 4 <div type="image" title="104308-houseful4-trailer1" msid="72475915" hostid="261"></div>

 The third Akshay Kumar movie int Google’s top 10, Housefull 4, earned ₹53 crore in the first three days of its release. The incarnation dramedy involves three brothers who are supposed to marry three sisters but things go haywire after one of the brothers ‘remembers’ their past. The film features Akshay Kumar, Riteish Deshmukh, Bobby Deol, <keyword id="210696" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Kriti-Sanon">Kriti Sanon</keyword>, Kriti Kharbanda, Pooja Hegde and Chunkey Pandey. Housefull 4 has also earned a whopping ₹77 crore in international markets. Uri - The Surgical Strike <div type="image" title="806551-uri" msid="72475923" hostid="261"></div>

 Uri - The Surgical Strike starring Vicky Kaushal is a jolting reminder of India's surgical strikes against Pakistan in 2016. The movie was lauded for triggering the patriotic feelings in India. The film earned an estimated ₹342.06 crore. It is the first midrange movie to cross ₹200 crore.Both Kaushal and Uri’s director won the national award for the film.

From Kabir Singh to Avengers Endgame — Top movies that Indians looked for on Google

They say there is no business like the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Mid-year-assessment-It-was-a-roller-coaster-ride-for-Bollywood/articleshow/47830513.cms">movie business</a> and indeed every Friday we have at least one new movie tossed at the audience. And by Sunday, we get to know whether the movie will be a hit, a miss or just an average fare. 
	 
	So far, 2015 has been quite an interesting year from Bollywood’s perspective. Why I say so is because on one hand we had magnanimous opus like Baahubali achieving great success and on the other, there were small budget movies such as <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Relive-the-90s-with-Dum-Laga-Ke-Haisha/articleshow/46395043.cms">Dum Laga Ke Haisha</a>, NH10 and Badlapur, that managed to swoon the audiences and the critics. 
	 
	Sequels like Tanu Weds Manu Returns managed to outshine their last offering and then we had Piku that conveyed human emotions in a brilliant way and also got the cash register ringing.
<table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>
				Movie Name</td>
			<td>
				Budget</td>
			<td>
				Earning</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>
				<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dum_Laga_Ke_Haisha">Dum Laga Ke Haisa</a></td>
			<td>
				Rs 15 Crore</td>
			<td>
				Rs 100 Crore</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>
				<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Badlapur_(film)">Badlapur</a></td>
			<td>
				Rs 25 Crore</td>
			<td>
				Rs 119 Crore</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>
				<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NH10">NH10</a></td>
			<td>
				Rs 13 Crore</td>
			<td>
				Rs 32.1 Crore</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>
				<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanu_Weds_Manu_Returns">Tanu Weds Manu Returns</a></td>
			<td>
				Rs 30 Crore</td>
			<td>
				Rs 252 Crore</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>
				<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piku">Piku</a></td>
			<td>
				Rs 42 Crore</td>
			<td>
				Rs 141 Crore</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>
				<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baahubali:_The_Beginning">Bahubali: The Beginning</a></td>
			<td>
				Rs 120 Crore</td>
			<td>
				Rs 600 Crore</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

	So should we conclude that the era for clichéd, formula-based movies, is coming to an end? 
	 
	Not really as in 2015, we had movies like Hero, Tevar, Roy, etc that banked on the predictable story line to woo the audience and managed to garner mixed acceptance. 
	 
	But, if we see a larger picture, new concepts with small budgets and strong script are doing well. 
	 
	The success of Dum Laga Ke Haisha, Tanu Weds Manu Returns and last year’s Queen hinted that directors and storytellers should venture with newer concepts to engage and entertain the audience. 
	 
	To this trend, Komal Nahata, trade analyst, said, “I would not like to say that there is a trend shift that is happening. From the past three-four years we have seen some small budget movies doing pretty well. The market for such films is also growing. Earlier they used to do well only in certain multiplexes, then it grew to few cities but now in pockets pan-India, they do well.” 
	 
	While it is true that there are quite a few experimental movies that are being screened, but multiple sources in the industry, on conditions of anonymity, told us that about 60-75% of the movies that go on the floor never see light of the day. 
	 
	 
	 
	A lot of these movies are actually finished products but fail to make it to cinema halls as the distributors are unwilling to buy them or the producer has lost confidence in the movie and does not want to spend more money in promoting them. 
	 
	Despite of the fact that some movies do well in global markets, they are not released in India. The movies that have found place in this list include Peddlers, The Coffin Maker, Dekh Indian Circus, etc. 
	 
	Mind you, not all of these shelved movies have lesser known faces as their star cast. The Coffin Maker stars Naseeruddin Shah while Nawazuddin Siddiqui features in Dekh India Circus. 
	 
	Siddiqui said, “It is rather unfortunate that a lot of content-oriented movies in India are still struggling to get funding in the country and there are a few completed projects that are not able to secure a release. Not just Dekh India Circus, there are a few more of my movies that are currently not released and I have started taking more commercial projects since last year with the hope that if I become a little more known face, it will be easier for my directors and producers to get the pending projects released.” 
	 
	And off-beat movies that managed to secure a release, had to face a tough time in the process. 
	 
	For instance, Shonali Bose’s “Margarita With a Straw”, which has Kalki Koechlin as the leading lady, garnered accolades at Toronto International Film Festival and Koechlin also bagged the best actress award at The Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival in 2014. After much delays, the movie finally released to Indian audience on April 17, 2015.
<div style="page-break-after: always;">
	&#xa0;</div>

	Unfortunately, not all the movies are lucky as this one. There are quite a few of these Bollywoods' lost children that fail to get a screen space in the midst of high-brow glitterati. 
	 
	I managed to see the world premiere of one such movie in the very heart of London’s film world. Being a movie enthusiast, I had heard a lot about London’s prestigious Raindance Film Festival and it was quite a coincidence that I managed to see a Bollywood movie listed as an `official selection’. 
	 
	Curiosity got the better of me and I reached just in the nick of the time to see ‘Peter Gaya Kaam Se’ (PGKS) (aka The Goa Run). The super plush Vue Cinema in Piccadilly Circus was almost full and the first theatrical screening for this lost Bollywood baby was a complete entertainment package. 
	 
	John Owens' action packed adventure tells the story of a motorcycle taxi driver from Goa (Rajeev Khandelwal) who falls in love with Mira, a beautiful and beguiling drug smuggler from London (Lekha Washington). This out and out commercial flick was originally produced by UTV Spotboys but got shelved and largely forgotten during Disneys' protracted takeover of the company. 
	 
	Director John Owen, who has worked in India for many years as one of MTV and Channel [V]’s head honchos, had penned and directed this story. The movie was shot extensively in Goa and took about a month to complete. It turns out that, the Raindance founder Elliot Grove took a personal interest in the film. 
	 
	 
	 
	Says Owen, "Raindance loved the film and were determined to host the world premiere, especially as I am the first Brit to direct a Bollywood film. A fact that makes me very proud. So when Disney finally gave permission I flew over to Mumbai, finished the sound work we had pending at my cost, did the subtitles myself and had a high end digital print made. The quality of the screening was just superb.” 
	 
	Raindance is in its 22nd year and has become one of the world’s premiere film festivals and very highly thought of by the industry itself. 
	 
	Owen adds, "We didn’t have any money to promote the screening so it was all word of mouth and the buzz of social media. People came from all over the country, it was amazing." 
	 
	Ironically, on the very same weekend Disney's Khoobsurat was premiering in the UK and I could see a theatre just across the street in London's Leicester Square showing it. 
	 
	When I put this point across to Owen, he chuckled and said, "It's funny because Shashanka Ghosh and I have been friends since our MTV days. I stayed with him when I was over in Mumbai fixing up the film in September and we joked about him being Disney's loved and me being their unloved child.” 
	 
	Given the response this movie managed to get sans any promotion and that too in London, I was curious to know what plans Owen or Disney have for this movie. Owen shared that some high-flying industry folks were amongst the excited audience and they saw real potential for the film in the UK and the US. 
	 
	No wonder, UK distributors are showing interest in the movie. Even in India PGKS is well-liked amongst industry insiders who were given personal screenings by the director. After all, the film does come with some pedigree. Anurag and Abhinav Kashyap were `creative producers' and UTV’s top producer on the job at the time was the visionary Vikas Bahl (who has given movies such as Chiller Party and Queen). So, what happens now to Peter Gaya Kaam Se? 
	 
	Owen picks on a philosophical note and shares, "It's all about love and timing. PGKS came along at the wrong time in the marriage of UTV and Disney. So, it’s the unwanted child. A bit like how Danny Boyle’s Slumdog Millionaire was for Warner Brothers. Warners’ just didn’t like the film so they let Danny go off and find a new home with Fox Searchlight. Fox loved the film, supported Danny, and made Slumdog a massive box office success. The film industry does not work like a science. Sometimes it comes down to personal taste. When I get depressed about the whole thing I think of Danny and Slumdog and get inspired all over again.” 
	 
	While Owen never had the resources or connections to find buyers for PGKS, on its own, he is looking to crowd funding and other ways to get this movie to be released.
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	It is noteworthy, that UTV Spotboys was the pioneer of small budget, content-oriented movies in India. 
	 
	Khosla Ka Ghosla was one of the first movies in this genre that was produced under UTV Motion Pictures. Later between 2008 and 2009, under the UTV Spotboys banner, they released movies such as Dev D, Oye Lucky Lucky Oye, Welcome to Sajjanpur, A Wednesday, Mumbai Meri Jaan and Aamir. All these movies managed to get a fair share of success at the ticket window. 
	 
	 
	 
	Another coincidence worth pointing out in the case of Peter Gaya Kaam Se is that it went on floor almost at the same time as Paan Singh Tomar. 
	 
	The latter, too, was produced by UTV Spotboys and managed to get a release on March 2, 2012, almost four years after it was complete and it managed to be a box office success largely due to word of mouth. 
	 
	The bigger coincidence is that Paan Singh Tomar, too, was premiered at the 2010 British Film Institute London, almost two years before its domestic release. 
	 
	We spoke to Rucha Pathak on why it was such a challenge to make a movie like Paan Singh Tomar. 
	 
	Pathak was the associate producer of Paan Singh Tomar and Sr. Creative Director at UTV (now Disney India) when this film was being made and is now Head of Creative &amp; Development at Fox Star Studios. 
	 
	“The main challenges we faced while trying to make Paan Singh Tomar was that because it was probably the first time a film like this was being made people did not realise what it was going to be like and it was therefore completely against the trend in those days,” she said. 
	 
	Also we could not help ask her if is it really possible to get any small budget movie out there in the market to which she answered, “It is difficult to release small and medium budget films these days but not impossible. I think if one can find the right marketing budget and the right target audience that you want to reach out to, then it’s possible to release a film. It is really critical these days to make films at the right budget and market films at the right budget. Once that is under control then I believe one can get a film out to reach an audience that it is meant for.” 
	 
	While Pathak emphasised on the budgeting bit, Nahata feels, “Exhibition or the release strategy is very detrimental to the business of content driven movies. The moment there is a big movie coming in, they are thrown out. Most such movies need time for the word of mouth to pick up.” 
	 
	
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The distributors today are looking for instant gratification. They would expect the movie to have 80 to 90% occupancy rates for its release Friday itself. If the movie does not show results by Sunday, then on Monday it is thrown out. This was not really the case earlier. I still remember when Maine Pyaar Kiya released, it had just one cinema hall in Mumbai, later when the word of mouth spread, the movie was given more space and it was a such a huge hit,” shares Ami Shah, co-founder and creative director of IntelliAssist (a company that has handled social media mandates for Bollywood movies). 
 
Indeed, distribution is one big challenge for small budget, content-oriented movies in India. However, Director Onir mentions that it is not the only one. Just to give you a perspective, Onir is an Indian film maker, who has churned out movies such as 'I AM, My Brother Nikhil’ and Bas Ek Pal. He had crowd funded his movie I AM, which released in 2010 and also bagged the national award for the same. 
 
Ask him if given a chance would he again crowd fund a movie or give any other director struggling for funds the same suggestion and he replies, “No it is one thing to make a movie and altogether another to get it to the cinema. Marketing a movie, especially a content-oriented one is a hard job.” 
 
I would agree with his point that it is tough nut to market a movie that does not have bankable stars. Like, Filmistaan, the 2014 movie was an endearing tale of wannabe actor, who gets kidnapped by terrorists and held in the home of a Pakistani who deals in pirated Hindi films. The tale captures how both of them bond over movies. 
 
The trailers of the movie looked very bland and I was not sure whether I would want to waste time watching this movie. Fortunately for me, one of my friend dragged me to this movie and I would admit that it was actually one of the best movies of 2014 that I managed to see and yes it did manage to win a national award as well. 
 
The cost of marketing in itself is quite high as well and it is not just important to buy ad space but also to connect right with your target audience. This is perhaps one lesson that the movie Queen managed to do well and of course the word of mouth helped it consolidate its position over a period of time. 
 
Onir also mentions that the government will have to play a greater role to help protect content-driven cinema in India. “The approach that our government takes is that they treat Bollywood as a business and not art. However, it will have to realize that like any art even movies need a bit of support”. In his opinion, there could be plenty of other avenues where movies can be showcased. 
 
Now talking about television, we have 24-hour movie channels that end up playing same movie almost every weekend. Most TV channels pick up movies that have done well on the box office, so that they don’t have to do much in terms of marketing and yet they can have good TRPs on their so-called “World Television Premiere”. It is a possibility that some of these movies that are left biting the dust, some might be ideal for the TV watching audience but so far these gems are not able to get any real support for this medium too. 
 
With the coming of 4G, it is expected that some of these movies might get a fresh lease of hope. There are producers and directors that are looking for alternative channels to monetize their movies via online ads and pay per view models. Currently none of them has been able to come out with a full proof plan and hence some great marvels of Hindi cinema continue to rot in their graves, while the others in the hands of resilient makers are fighting it hard to get to their audiences.

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