The BIG fight - Filmmakers v/s Critics 
By Amjad K. Maruf, March 19, 2007 - 08:38 IST
The fight between the critics and filmmakers has been going on for decades. Just like the critics have the right to express their views even a filmmaker has a right to go for a repartee. So neither party should make a hue and cry about it. In today's times a bunch of sensible critics have been caught up in vortex of playing favourites. In their reviews, often their bias shows excellent performances are ignored or criticized while mediocre or bad ones praised to the skies just because the critic is fond of a particular actor, director, etc. For e.g. a veteran critic gives 5 star rating to average films like KKHH and K3G and gives only 3/4 star rating to brilliant films like Iqbal, Black, Sarfarosh, Chandni Bar, Hazaar Khwahish Aisi, Dor, etc. Due to the biased critics many filmmakers are forced to say: “Why should we make a critic's opinion the yardstick of excellence? Everyone puts in their best efforts according to their capabilities", “Let the films be enjoyed and reviewed solely through the unbiased purity of the audience's eyes - the only true critics”.
The critics are either confused lot or have different criteria for different filmmakers while reviewing. The critics aver that large number of Bollywood movies flop due to lack of good story. But is their assertion right? We have many examples where movies without any story have become super hits - Dhoom, D2, Bunty Aur Babli, etc. When this is pointed out to the critics, they say that such movies at least have entertainment and style if not story. Fair enough. But then why do the critics blame the absence of story for the failure of Bollywood movies in large numbers. What they fail to realize is that due to lack of good story it is the quality of movies that is affected, and not the success or failure of a film. In my opinion a film, flops not because of lack of good story but because of lack of entertainment. There have been many movies that had no story but were successful due to entertainment factor and there have been many movies that had great story and direction but failed due to lack of entertainment.
Moreover, many critics are inconsistent in applying the style-n-entertainment criterion while reviewing movies. For e.g., Films like Kaante, Mujhse Shaadi Karogi, No Entry, etc, were entertaining & stylish films with no story & bad direction but still many critics panned them and the “lack-of-story”, “bad direction” factors were highlighted and the “style-n-entertainment” factor was completely ignored but movies like Dhoom, D2, Main Hoon Naa, Bunty aur Babli, etc were praised as entertainers in spite of misdirection and glaring loopholes in the story. Also, aren’t these critics, hypocrites because on one hand they demand for a good story but when they find one, they don’t give much stars compared to the entertainers devoid of any story. The recent example being D2, Salaam Namaste and Phir Milenge compared to Dor, Iqbal, Hazaar Khwahishein Aisi, etc where the difference in the rating for these movies was just half a star and in some cases films like Iqbal, Maqbool got less stars than KANK, D2 and Salaam Namaste. The critics criticize the vulgar songs and skin show in Bollywood movies but play favorities here also. So while their favourite filmmakers are given the benefit of doubt in the name of “aesthetic portrayal”, the non-favorites are criticized heavily. Some film makers get away scot-free without being criticised for skin show and vulgar songs in their movies just because their movies are family entertainers compared to other film makers who make no such pretensions.
Also, the critics sometimes try to kill two birds in one stone. While reviewing a bad film made by “established banners” the critics criticize the movie but in the end they end up giving 3 stars (good) rating for the movie. In this way they make the established filmmakers happy by giving good rating and by criticizing the film they also express their honest views. Believe it or not, but there are many who go to see the movie after seeing only the rating given to the film. They don’t bother to read the whole review. Filmmakers are also not off the mark when they say that critics fail to assess the commercial values of the film. There are so many instances wherein the films have been hits despite being criticized by the critics and so many films have flopped in spite of getting praised by the critics. The filmmakers say that it is very easy for the critics to criticize someone’s work but difficult to make a movie themselves. Fair enough. But this holds only true for the critic who is a fellow filmmaker reviewing a movie of another filmmaker and not for the professional critics. It's like castigating a food critic by saying that he should know how to cook if he is reviewing a delicacy or that he would falter if he himself tries his hand at cooking.
The filmmakers are wrong to criticize all the critics because we still have many honest critics who are forthright in their reviews and are not biased at all. We need such honest critics to inform the makers about their shortcomings, their mistakes in the movies. If the makers take note of this then it will only improve their knowledge of the films and will help them make a better film next time. Therefore the filmmakers should look critics in a positive manner because they are the one who point out mistakes that normally the viewer may not be able to. Finally, there are many people who might read a negative review but will still go to see the film regardless of the critic’s opinions and they may even like it and there are many who might not see the movie in spite of good reviews. But this holds true only for films made by small and medium filmmakers. The critics should know that there are still some people who read reviews before deciding to watch a movie. Therefore a biased review might reduce the chance of a film, made by a relative small filmmaker, making a mark at the Box office. This is unfair to small or non-established filmmakers because the big filmmakers are immune to critics review most of the times because people anyway watch films made by established producers like Yash Chopra, Karan Johar regardless of the reviews, good or bad.
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