Indian media's crisis of confidence

Censorship, loss of revenues, violence - can the Indian media and entertainment industry be independent of its fears this August 15?

A free market, a robust democracy and total freedom of expression — these are some of the axioms of a healthy, profitable and world-beating media and entertainment (M&E) industry. Without this foundation in place, you could have all the infrastructure but M&E will lack soul and a local connect. China has more cinema screens, more internet and TV connections than any other country. But going by one estimate for every ten hours of content needed to fill all that media, China has only one. On the other hand, the US and Europe have both — reach and content — along with a robust democracy. That means even aberrations such as the rise of the right-wing doesn’t mess with Hollywood’s right to make the films it wants or The New York Times’ ability to call out President Donald Trump’s lies. 

India is somewhere in the middle of these two models. Unlike China, it is a democracy but without the experience of the US and its superb institutional checks and balances. Or without the confidence with which Europe mixes socialism and capitalism. Our founding fathers were fiercely dedicated to democracy at a time when the colonised world was rejecting it. If they hadn’t been, India could easily have become what parts of Africa and Central Asia did after British rule ended. 
 

Much of its immaturity, lack of checks and balances, and the lack of confidence in the whole idea of democracy are now showing up in each segment of its wonderfully creative Rs 1,473 billion M&E industry. 

Take the Indian film industry. It has survived over 100 years of official neglect to survive and thrive. It is one of the handful of local film industries that holds its own against Hollywood. Remember unlike China there is no quota, no limits on foreign films coming into India. It is a free market in the truest sense of the word — and yet given all the choices, Indians like to watch Indian films. More than 90 per cent of the Rs 156 billion the film industry earned last year came from local cinema. Its recent success in China with Dangal, Secret Superstar and Bajrangi Bhaijaan has the Chinese worried about its lack of soft power. This iconic industry now lives in fear. After the ugly controversy and violence over several films, especially Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Padmaavat in 2017, self-censorship is the norm. Hundreds of film writers and makers rewriting and redoing scripts.  

Consider Indian news media. It has never been world class. But it has, largely, spoken truth to power, brought down bad and corrupt governments or seen that they are voted out. Now TV news channels and newspapers push any valid analysis of policies, politics, and economy aside. The fear of losing ad revenues, cable blackouts, tax raids et al has meant media owners are servile or self-censor.  

Sometimes it may not be the state; it may just be the fear of upsetting a large, comfortable boat. Television is the largest segment of the Indian M&E industry. It gets a huge chunk of its revenues from Hindi entertainment which is losing its share in a growing market. This is because TV companies have become too afraid to try new things. Given that storytelling on TV in India operates within several constraints — it is largely a one-TV home market, TV is a family watching activity and pay revenues are tough to get. However, even Doordarshan in its heyday in the 80s or Zee TV in its early years in the 90s experimented more than a Star TV, Colors or Zee do these days. Talk to programme producers who moan about the hundreds of rejected pilots, shows being pulled off air before they have a chance and the analysis-paralysis that plagues TV. On the other hand, streaming services are having a ball with storytelling much to audiences’ delight. 

Remember that TV is a huge, growing medium in India. There has been no drop in the hours watched or overall growth. In fact across M&E — print, TV, films, radio, and digital — there is no crisis of growth. Why then are Indian film makers, TV channels or news media afraid to push the envelope? Why do they not have the confidence that over 70 years of independence, democracy and free speech should have given this industry by now? Is it because audiences are not ready or because the media isn’t? 
 

Happy Independence Day. 

The author tweets @vanitakohlik