1] I don't agree with the ticket-price thesis; If Jannat can be a hit and people are willing to pay money to see that, I think any decent film can be. The problem is at the supply end, not the demand end; there *is* a quality issue with the films that come out. I think the industry is going through a transitional phase because of the market splintering into different segments, and they'll sort it out duly.
2] Many films not classified as hits in India in the traditional sense still make a profit for their makers: low-budget films often recover money through the multiplex crowds; the Yashraj types make money from overseas audiences. 3] I don't see how piracy can be a reason for new releases not being hits. At most, piracy is one reason why DVD revenues aren't lucrative enough. Online piracy is even less of a problem, imo: internet penetration in India, despite the hype around it, simply isn't high enough for it to matter. Again, if Jannat can be a hit, film-makers should just stop passing the buck and learn the basics of good storytelling (not that Jannat is an example of it!). -- Amit Varma http://www.indiauncut.com
