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Polemics of piracy
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Special edition DVDs of Telugu films will become a reality only if piracy is tackled, says Nagarjuna
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WHAT IS the best thing about a DVD? Apart from the crystal clear sound and the razor sharp images, the add ons are something a cinephile would die for.
The outtakes, the footage that did not make it to the theatre, interviews with the cast and crew - literally taking one behind the scenes makes the DVD experience like working your way through a box of chocolates.
Imagine the fun of hearing Ramesh Sippy, Salim-Javed, Amitabh Bachchan and Dharam paaji talk about the Sholay experience. Imagine if you could get to see the original ending of Sholay - where Thakur kills Gabbar and then weeps for the emptiness of the revenge.
Unfortunately we are still waiting for the director's cut DVDs to make an appearance in India. And the blame for this state of affairs lies squarely on the "scourge of piracy," according to superstar Nagarjuna.
"It all boils down to numbers. When you talk of Hollywood, it is two billion and compared to that, Telugu would be about a million. Making a DVD with interviews with stars and the director would be very expensive and no one is going to buy a special edition DVD just for an interview!"
So any idea of a box set of Shiva and Antham with interviews with Ramgopal Varma and Nag about the dynamics of cycle chain shot will have to be in cold storage till "the government enforces stricter anti-piracy laws. All my movies including the latest (Sivamani 98480 22338) are legally available in the USA. We are afraid of bringing it here because someone will immediately make a copy."
"A cinema buff who would rather wait for the original DVD is one in hundred. For others, they would like to see the movie as quickly as possible and if it is a pirated print then so be it. For instance, a pirated print of The Last Samurai is already available and people would watch it and only if they like the movie would they wait for the original."
Nagarjuna brought Hollywood to Hyderabad by inaugurating the Hall of Fame at the coolest DVD store in town, Cinema Paradiso (55107474/7575). Very much the people's superstar, Nag gamely signed autographs and posed for photographs before making his palm impression as well as footprints and signature on the red clay and cement mixture.
Nag, who is known for his exhaustive rock music collection, says he does not have "much of a DVD collection. I have the classics. The newer movies I prefer to rent out." The last movie Nag bought was the multiple Oscar winning swords and toga epic The Gladiator. Nag who watches DVDs everyday says, "Cinema Paradiso is a boon to the cinema buff as it stocks legal DVDs."
So all ye who wish to check out some real cool world cinema and also foil the pirates of the industry, head straight for Cinema Paradiso.
MINI ANTHIKAD-CHHIBBER
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Metro Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Coimbatore
Delhi
Hyderabad
Kochi
Madurai
Thiruvananthapuram
Visakhapatnam
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