The NRI audience VS the Single screen

Having been assaulted with marketing for the two big movies releasing this month - Karan Johar's We are Family and Arbaaz Khan's Dabangg -- I am actually very interested in how successful each is going to be. The way I see it, Family represents what the Chopra / Johar camp farm as 'urban-sensibilities' - aka - 'What NRIs want to believe the Indian urban sensibilities represent' and Dabangg represents a no-apologies milking of Salman-bad-boy- status along with corny and probably tired story.

While Karan has officially bought the rights to the Stepmom story and adapted the screenplay - a first - I am just not excited about the movie. I am willing to bet that each and everyone of the characters is uni-dimensional - Kajol probably plays the mother who is about to die (Kajol will give another example of strong 'natural' and 'instinctive' acting with her crying into the screen --- didn't we just see My name is Khan?) and Kareena the hot girlfriend (er.. ok just think of the past 5 movies) with Arjun probably with no room to emote in his sometimes cool boyfriend and sometimes cool dad (this is easy -- think ALL his films besides Rock On and Don). But most of all I actually shudder to think about the kind of dialogues the Johar camp will force the kids to spout --- ewwww! --- probably either saccharine sweet (think Kuch Kuch Hota Hai) or WAY beyond their years. The Indian film industry's inability to depict children properly is an entire blog posting by itself..... (right now I'm imagining 'sexy' from Cheeni Kum) ... shudder!

Dabangg on the other hand has Salman wearing a thin mustache in a cops uniform which screams 'corrupt' , a lady love who looks very cute and very 'innocent' and who is already spouting 'no exposure' lines in the media and a kick-ass Malaika rubbing Zandu balm on her sexy ahem! ... I mean .. ok call me regressive - but I am SO going to see Dabangg. Hell! give me the zandu balm over jailhouse rock anyday!

Just look at the marketing!! I have no doubts that Family will make some money, specifically from the NRI junta -- but a case in point is the film posters -- while family screams 'boring!' -- Dabangg screams 'watch with friends and popcorn!'

While Karan is coming to 'Entertainment ke liye kuch bhi karega' with the 'family' and they're dancing to 'let's rock' ... (seriously?) and having tete-a-tetes with Kajol and Kareena on his talk show .. (is there really something we HAVEN'T heard before?) .. Dabangg I have to say is really employing smart marketing.

Just check out this Sallu promo for him on Emotional Atyachar yaar! -- that's a match made in heaven! ... Great way to reach out to young punks in cities who get their guilty-pleasure updates from the show ... just mouth-watering marketing ... :)

And ... brilliant! Sallu maama will make an entry in Colors' show 'Laagi Tujhse Lagan' to save the damsel in distress! Nice! The show itself is getting good TRPs and the story has also been written to accommodate this guest appearance. A very nice win-win for both the show and the movie with Sallu again reaching out to des and generally tapping into a lot of the single-screen audiences without leaving the multiplexes behind.



A Case in point -- just check out the promos for Sallu promoting Dabangg on 'Sa Re Ga Ma Pa' and Karan-Kajol-Kareena chat....' --- very clear indication of the sort of audiences both movies are targeting. Even the website for Family has overseas showtimes listed :) I am sure the NRI audiences are going to come running, but as for me -- I am also glad that there is a movie that is looking to the single screens and employing smart marketing to reach out to all audiences. From what I see Dabangg is not hiding behind a veil of sophistication and understanding urban India. I mean seriously -- forget Hollywood remakes, just watch 'Wake up Sid', 'Rocket Singh', even 'Mixed Doubles' and 'Metro' to get a clue about movies that can attempt to show slices of urban life in a manner that does reach out to diverse audiences.

While with a title like 'We are family' - the movie marketing ironically is keeping away standard audiences with the high school popularity brigade --- Dabangg just screams 'come hither - bring friends' ... and I think audiences across India are going to take up Dabangg on it.

For me - it is case closed! -- I am buying advance tickets for Dabangg with friends :)