Emotions on sale

The title of this blog looks like as if we are talking about some deep social issues or may be someone somewhere getting exploited, But believe me here the point of thought is something that touches lives of each and everyone somewhere or the other. Though in definition it is termed as non personal way of communication but in a more weird sense they reach lives too personally. Yes here we are talking about the business of “ ADVERTISING”.

Being in regular touch with the industry I am not left with the doubt on the time and heavy brainstorming that is required in making a 30sec ad or a still for newspapers and outdoors. Suddenly while going through Agencyfaqs in the morning a deep thought cam to my mind that advertisements depict thousands of emotions related to human life and there featuring of right emotions and situations of daily life make their brand stand apart from the crowd of other brands or competitors. There were a league of ads of separate brands that started hovering at the back of my mind. I felt as to how leaving all a few brands get that space in the mind of an individual depending on their tastes and choices, now that’s the magic of efficient brand positioning. Airtel has been producing one great ad after another setting its league apart from the regular cellular ads the company’s agency (Rediffusion DYR) decided to have an emotional promotion for its brand the speakup commercial is one such master piece that enables you to express yourself depicting various situations out of the regular life of people touching approximately everyone and really makes an urge within ourself to express freely whats there within us, I do sit and wonder how the magician director Shaad Ali conceptualized, captured insights from the minds and habits of Indians and their way of expression for the same and the clip in the ad where the candles are lifted is breath taking and remains in the mind even after the ad is over.

The TATA Safari campaignes coming from the stable of o&m are a treat to watch, now here the planners and conceivers of the ad have a very interesting emotion to depict, with their Reclaim your life campaign the brand understood and analysed the psyche as to how all of us do a lot many things in our life that we take up unwillingly or due to some pressure, these may include a career decision a wish to fly arrond the world and even when we hardly know what we want out of us. So this commercial really makes you think about how it would be if I reclaim ma life and lead it my way.The other one for the same is the latest LINES commercial that inspires leadership , the campaign shows how lines touch our lives and their various classifications but at the end the lines that matter are the ones that you make , leaves with a deep thought of a lifetime and one realizes how real that is for a person to think that way and yes it true the lines that finally matter are the one drown by you o your journey of life.

Advertisers have a tough time creating commercials that although aired for 30 seconds leave an impact for a lifetime and touches the viewers in such a way that he gets the brand on the top of his mind. Various positioning options are worked out based on the consumer usage and mindset and finally the one that matches the brand requirements and needs of the targeted consumers is finalized. We sitting in front of the tv sets hardly realize as to what it takes to create that but really hats off to the masters who gets the right insight and moulds it into right set of emotions with the right directed motive of selling their product.

Mee Mumbai Dairy Part I

Getting an opportunity to visit and live in mumbai was a dream come true for a small town guy like me who was madly in love with the film industry. From the very first day the quest began to gain more and more information about cinema, that had been a childhood passion. the marching steps stopped at a small film firm that used media for social change. My association became firm with the organization with regular meetups and sharing of thoughts on cinema. Here I got an opportunity to shoot for a short film that covers all the social and economic diversities in Mumbai. The movie was to be shot as a part of a film festival within a time span of 101 hours. So there I was with my first film assignment, a city still stranger to me and a mumbaikar partner to work with me.

For the very first meeting to discuss about the film we decided to meet at the churchgate station. The first time that day when I switched on our handycam and looked through lense , I saw mob like I had never before, this was the mob that represents Mumbai and its life that includes hard work to keep the clock of life ticking. The scene that we witnessed during the peek hours at the station could be easily termed as a cinematographer’s delight as we shot thousands of heads moving in one direction. After churchgate station, at mcdeez we just sat to see the footage and figure out the complete storyboard of action. Suddenly my codirector (a creative gal from Mumbai) threw a question at me as to what have I noticed about the city and my answer was like anyother outsider from Mumbai could have given, I talked about film city, 24x7 life of Mumbai and yes the open culture and the red light hangout, but deep inside somewhere I wasn’t satisfied with answer and her look and way of saying ‘ok’ was enough to clear me of my doubt. Suddenly an idea came to her mind to shoot in a local train and the next movement we were off to our journey on a local train to a unknown destination. As the train left the station we saw small kids hiding from the eyes of ticket checker frisked into the moving train with a small dirty bag in his hand. When he managed to get a space in the crowded train he started off with his business and that was of selling comic and colour books in the train. I couldn’t have missed the opportunity to film the boy who was hardly 4-5 years of age. As we tried to get friendly with the kid and startoff with the shoot 3 of his partners came to scene from different part of compartment, we got their story, that was somewhat similar to that of my dad who started off at the age of 5 with the business of selling petty items in the train at a small margin to support the family and in them I found kids of the future who would be proud of their dad just like me. We were about to reach Bandra that was where the kids were supposed to get down and suddenly tension started to get mounted on their faces as they had been involved with us and haven’t even sold a single book. We somewhat understood the reason behind there tension and it made me feel mean so I decided to buy their four comic books, but apart from me paying them I also wanted something from them and that was a footage of all of them smiling and being happy and believe me that footage is my favorite and the best one in the film.

The station arrived and the kids jumped off and this time I saw a glimpse of happiness on the faces of kids and soon they disappeared in the massive crowd but gave me a hangover that I wont ever be able to come out off. Train was about to move and we too decided to getoff too. Stepping down on the platform made me realized that this was the journey towards the transformation of my life and it was the wisest decision for me to shoot this film which was going to be more than just a film for me. Walking towards the end of the station made us feel that the film was about each and every person residing I this beautiful city no matter where one one belongs to, this is everybody’s city…. So that was the time she first gave the name “MEE MUMBAI” which was our first and the last choice as the title of the film.

The Show Un-Veiled

A play is a dream of a group of story tellers who believe in a concept and as a team come forward to narrate it.We all go out for plays, watch it enjoy and if the play is good we bring back some memories from the play that lasts for a lifetime. We see actors who entice you with their performance and some who fail to leave an impression. We get well connected with the life onstage as soon as the veil is drawn off the stage and a story starts to shapeup scene by scene.

The one thing that remains unveiled to the viewers is what goes on the back of the mind of an actor before the show and during the performance. Its not just a story it is life for an actor which he lives for the duration of making and performance.

After long sessions of rehersals and practice over and over the day of performance arrives and it brings along the time for bonding between an actor and each and everything present in the auditorium. Lying down on the stage with eyes closed and trying to feel each and every inch of it gives a feeling of being connected to it as an important organ, the stage assures you complete support which you can fall back on. The rays of light over the stage assure you to be in the sight of the viewer and never in the dark. Touch of each and every prop on the sets to be used during the performance, gives the feeling of trust and mutual understanding , just like the touch of a beloved. The crowd starts to pour in and there is just the partition of a curtain between the on and off the stage, that’s where the tension starts to build up I the mind of each and everyone connected to the show, although you cant see the crowd through the veils but the mixed sounds of thousand of people starts humming into your ears.

Finally the team comes together for a final huddle, for a second in the huddle everything is so quiet that you can feel the air close to your ears, then its time for the director to give you important motivating speech that really works at that time and then a few points to be kept in mind are specified and after a hug the team disperses and the first bell rings and all the actors and crew member take up their specific positions. At this juncture the actor is completely intoxicated into the role and everything around him gives the feeling of motivation and a responsibility to work it out to the best of abilities. The second bell rings and the curtains are drown the lights fall on the stage and illuminates the arena and the actor behind the side walls takes a deep breath with eyes closed and steps ahead to face the crowd, for a second it gives u a feeling of fear to be in front of the viewers and makes every part of ur body realizes that you re being watched . But as one gets into the act the fear all fades off and things start coming naturally and the confidence sky rockets when he receives the sounds of clapping hands and whistles at his first fadeout and so the story carries on till the end.

The cast introduction and the sounds of clapping hands and hooting does it all for an actor to move ahead in life and work even better than before , the hugs of team mates after the performance without even uttering a word says that yes we have done it . After the audi is empty then comes the time of introspection sitting on the chair of a viewer here comes the time for the actor to realize the things that went wrong and the improvements that could be made for making the situation better next time.

This is a piece of sharing from personal experiences as an actor who really aspires to act well in life ahead.