‘A’ films: What’s the big deal

The days when Indian filmmakers chased Hollywood appear to be over. Ironically, though, two of the world’s biggest producers of movies seem to be on a divergent path on making adult films. While Hollywood traditionally led the way in steamy sex scenes to push sales, Indian filmmakers are now churning out far more “adult” films these days, with April-December 2012 statistics listing 142 “A” films. A land that gave the world the Kama Sutra cannot be shy of sex even if cultural mores of later centuries imposed greater restraints on Indian society as a whole. Funnily, Hollywood has been going off sex scenes for the past 18 months fearing an adult-only tag is losing it younger audiences. Indian filmmakers, after getting a reputation for providing “wholesome family entertainment”, have now veered off into films certain to get the “A” tag, also automatically putting them in late-night television slots. And while the government denies “item” numbers will also be rated as “A” entertainment, Indian films remain some of the most strictly censored worldwide. Hollywood, even with more liberal certification norms, is also going off sex scenes partly because so much is now available on the Internet and special effects are far more likely to entice younger people to the marquees. Of course, the film version of the bestseller Fifty Shades of Grey by Universal Pictures could well change things once again.