[icernet] How to catch a falling star

[Arul Selvan]

  The Big B did it in Bollywood. Rajnikant did it in the South. There 
was the bankable Chiranjeevi in Telugu films and the dependable duo 
Mammootty and Mohanlal from Kerala. They guaranteed hits, attracted 
audiences to theatres on the strength of their name alone, and turned 
producers lives around. They could also afford to have a string of 
flops in a row, and get away with their image intact. But no longer. 
There is trouble in paradise. The superstar is fading.
The Indian film industry has always been star struck, which worked 
favourably in the 80s and early 90s. But now this abject devotion has 
had a crippling effect on the industry. Star power is no longer a sure 
winner. In fact, they are not able to assure even a decent opening 
anymore. The last couple of years have been bleak for the film industry 
both in Bollywood and down South.

So why cant a superstar carry a film completely on his shoulders 
anymore? One of the reasons could be the change in audience profile and 
a wider variety of choice. Earlier, these stars had a loyal fan 
following which used to ensure them of at least a decent initial. These 
fans were mainly unemployed youth with stardust in their eyes. But with 
the economy opening up, the coming of cable TV, and rampant video 
piracy, all that changed. After all, the repeat audience responsible for 
turning a hit into a blockbuster could watch the scenes and songs from a 
new superstar film on any TV channel, even rent a CD of the film if 
necessary. As for the stars older fans, they either lost interest, 
shifted their allegiance to television soaps or just disappeared.

Source:
http://www.newindpress.com/sunday/sundayitems.asp?id=SEH20030426051243