Influencing In Cinema Is About Opinion Generated, Not Number Of Followers
Industry experts came together to discuss the impact of influencers in cinema and more
The media is an ever-evolving industry, and the latest trend is that of influencers who can make a dent in the consumer’s thoughts and decisions not only with the number of followers that they possess but also with what they choose to vouch strongly for. From the media, this effect of influencers has also trickled into cinema and films.
In a Special Session chaired by Anshu Khanna, Founder, Goodword Media, and panellists such as Vani Tripathi Tikoo, Member of Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), Actor, Filmmaker and Producer and Suvir Saran, Chef, Cookbook Author, Columnist & Educator – there was enough to deliberate on the topic – ‘The changing face of media and its impact on cinema’.
Indian Cinema and the Art of Influencing
On being questioned about how influencers have impacted cinema, Tikoo was quick to reveal that despite being a producer, she realises that in cinema, we are not dependent on a money bag or a financer to make good content.
“It’s a fact that Indian content has now begun to impact global content. Thanks to Netflix, Amazon Prime and OTT, content has been democratised,” she underlined.
Elaborating on her role in the CBFC, she outlined, that being a hyper-sensitive nation where people get offended at the drop of a hat, it is not easy to certify film in these binaries – and now the new normal is ‘content’.
“Influencing is not just about the amount of followers you have. It is truly about the kind of opinion you generate. And cinema is one of the opinion-making industries of the world. India is the highest film-producing nation in the world. Indian cinema (I refuse to call it Bollywood) is a poor cousin/step-cousin of Hollywood which does not represent us either globally or even in the domestic market,” Tikoo brought out, shedding light on influencers in cinema.
What impacts us? “We are not scared to tell takes which are not dreamy and fantabulous. Today content and what is influencing is very ‘real’,” she said. She quoted about the instances of stories of rural India.
It is well understood that it is a great time for celebration of content in the country, and nobody is falling short of finding stories. Tikoo mentioned, “We are a land of storytellers. Every nook and corner of this country, this room – is full of people who have various stories to tell.”
She expressed that it is a great time for making content and being called an influencer not in the generic sense, but creating opinion and debating it.
Seeing the Positive side of Influencing
Saran was honest enough to express that the word ‘influencer’ is terrible. “The only ones whom you are influencing are your friends and followers.”
He cited the instance when he was approached by Smriti Irani, an Indian politician and former actress, fashion model and television producer – to mentor her daughter. “It was delightful to see that even in the lockdown, Irani’s mind was creating hashtags – she was giving urban and rural people the connecting links that were bringing their stories into a commonplace, where they could share and create magic and could amalgamate rural and urban India’s vastness of ideation of hopes and aspirations that bound them together.”
Saran seconded the thought that if one is an influencer who is doing something good, the number of followers doesn’t matter. “If your content is rich, it gives you a household name – because you can give people a connection to their past, something to do in the present and hope and aspirations for the future.”
Talking at the e4m IPRCCC 2023 which was held on 14 June, 2024 at The Leela Ambience, Gurgaon, Saran wrapped up his thoughts and seeing the positive side of all this, emphasised, “It is this magic which is taking away from boring cinema and giving content to people on their iPhones that keeps them busy, happy hopeful and complete when they are broken.”
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