20 നവംബർ 2011

Cut & Copy

Happen to notice Cut & Copy program in Reporter channel where Priyadarsan's Malayalam movie named Kakkakkuyil is compared against in original (?) version, an English movie called "A Fish Called Wanda". First thought was that, is this really a news ?, there are tons of such movies in Malayalam and other Indian languages which has one or the other thing copied from foreign movies and everyone knows that. And we never bother to acknowledge the fact that we are using someone else work, but boldly present it as our original work. For instance, I watched the successful Malayalam movie "Udayananu Tharam" by Roshan Andrews just after being in US for a few months where I was sharing an apartment with my colleague who happened to be a avid film watcher, who might have watched almost all the old Hollywood movies available in the near by library. To my surprise udayananu thaaram's last sequence where udayan and company is completing the movie taking the shots following saroj kumar unknowingly were the exact shots from the English movie by name Bowfinger in which Steve martin and Edie Murphy acted which I happen to watch while in US. Noticing this I kept a keen eye on television programs promoting the movie and I haven't noticed a single instance (in programs I happen to watch) where the director acknowledge borrowing the ideas from another movie. Nothing wrong in taking concepts or ideas from others after all we are social animals and we evolved by sharing things and thoughts, but none of our folks never even bother to acknowledge that fact which is very very bad.

Don't understand what is wrong with acknowledging a fact that some one has took some inspiration from some else work ? Being afraid of negative public response ? Negative public response will be there and I am sure there will be an equal number of people who appreciates some one telling the truth. Isn't that better rather than hiding the truth and having to defend it when people like Reporter TV brings it out.

In fact this is not just in cinema industry, but in every walk of life where creativity/innovation is involved. Best known example in recent times would be the success that Samsung is having with its Galaxy S-2 mobile which i believe is conceptualized based on the iPhone in its user interfaces and functionality. Forget about intellectual property rights, royalty payments and copy right violations, why not people show little bit of courtesy to  acknowledge the fact that they are using and benefiting out of some else hard work. While using others works, in academic world its kind o customary (yes, exceptions exists !) to acknowledge and is the same case in many other societies where intellectual rights more valued. With numerous examples around, (with the bloggers world only there are numerous examples i feel) "We Indians" doesn't care about this at all I feel. May be as a society we are not matured enough to expect such courtesy. In that sense I feel Reporter TV is doing a good work at least making (rather forcing) someone to think in the right direction.

കുടകിലെ ഒരു മാര്‍ച്ച് മാസപ്രഭാതം

കുടകിലെ ഒരു മാര്‍ച്ച് മാസപ്രഭാതം