BEHINDWOODS CELEBRITY COLUMN

While new words like twerk, phablet, babymoon and selfie are getting themselves an official place in the Oxford dictionary, I stumbled upon a new usage of the most printed and talked about word on media of late, by an active member of the tweeple clan. It was a comment about the sharp falling ‘rupee’ that suggested that we might as well use it as a verb now as: ‘I tripped and rupeed’. With reactions of the rupee slide on social media ranging from ‘rupee being a senior citizen’ to ‘rupee on ventilator and dollar on escalator’, the economic fervor is indeed on the dampening side. Macroeconomics was one of my most favorite subjects in my graduate course and it was interesting to understand the concepts of current account deficit, purchasing power parity, pro-recessionary forces and inflation, all on paper. But it sure is not as enjoyable to be affected on real-time basis including the depreciation of the rupee; a sentiment most would nod their heads to.

While economists and financial analysts are exchanging notes over the current not-so-benign situation, I pondered over all things related to movies, movie making and the moviegoer in such a disconsolate scenario.  What does a weakened rupee translate to our movie outing / watching experience? While rise in petroleum products will affect our overall commuting expenses, I wonder if people will still travel the distance to their favorite multiplex however far from home. Earlier, if you didn’t get tickets at a theatre near your house, you wouldn’t mind driving the extra distance wherever tickets were available elsewhere. If your friends didn’t have a transport arrangement, you wouldn’t hesitate being generous about picking and dropping them back to their homes. Some actors who would use their own vehicle to reach the shooting spot would not even claim for the conveyance expenses. Most others who did get the allowance wouldn’t haggle much about the difference paid and incurred. All that is likely to change in the way we approach travel costs.

Even if you intend sitting at home and catching a movie with a home-delivered pizza, that favorite pizza made from imported special kitchen equipments is going to cost you more that you might just settle for a home-made humble cutlet or pakoda. As for the movie-making side, the ripple effect could continue to the production food that is served on the sets of shooting. Either the budget will have to increase or the spread and quantity of veggies will have to be trimmed with an indirect transportation cost scaling high with fuel prices. Anything with an imported component in the source or end product is going to cost us more.

As for our fancy songs shot in currency rich countries, directors might re-consider economically viable locations and base their movie’s plot in alternate countries with relatively affordable exchange rates. With every problem lies a solution and there’s never been a better time for Incredible India to promote it’s internal tourism destinations to travel companies and film producers / directors. While a director like Mani Ratnam has always succeeded in scouting for the most gorgeous of locations well within our country with ample support from his cinematographers to showcase it, it may not be a bad idea for others to follow suit until the rupee recovers and stabilizes. As for the audience wanting to see the world through our film’s songs, let’s take a break and visually experience the beautiful country that India is.

When Kavignar Kannadaasan wrote his famous ‘Varavu ettanna, selavu pathanna, adigam rendanna, kadaisiyil thundana’, it was more a reflection of the time they lived in to advocate people to live well within their means. But today, even for what is within our means, we will have to pay more to purchase the same quantity or pay the same to purchase lesser quantity. As for Indian rupee in another witty tweet, it says the only time the rupee is high is during a cricket match toss. Tough times ahead but this too shall pass. Looks like at least the jokes on Indian rupee has accelerated at a faster pace than the fall of the rupee while I leave you with a couple of more off the net:

‘It has been announced that the concept of free falling in physics will be explained using Indian Rupee as an example.’

Disneyland is opening a new ride in which you freefall a great height in just a few seconds. They’re calling the ride ‘The Indian Rupee’!’