Show business is not paved with gold for the creators of its tinsel towns.
He sits quietly in his brother’s Lexus, as it wings its way toward his destination, where thousands wait in excited anticipation. As the car pulls up to the exclusive parking spot, he makes the mistake of lowering the tinted window. He makes eye contact, there is a stunned silence and then a mass of humanity goes ballistic trying to rush him for a glimpse, a touch, before security intervenes. So who is the man? It is Sunjay Dutt being mobbed at a Bollywood concert in Chicago.
It’s the 1990s … the side walks are swarming with desis dressed to the hilt, young teenyboppers in bridal attire, the parking decks in downtown are overflowing. Is it the festival of India? A tycoon’s family wedding? No it’s Amitabh Bachchan’s first show at Atlanta’s Phillips arena, setting a record for the largest public gathering of desis in the history of Georgia and that is how it has been in every major city in the nation for the past decade and more.
Megastars, a superlative display of technical wizardry, fireworks, pulsating special effects, an enticing invitation to come on stage and dance with your favorites, if you buy the first row tickets that can range from $500 to $5,000, that’s Bollywood star power for you.
The dream merchants who make this possible for the millions of star crazy South Asians are the promoters, who have created a tinsel town on stage and golden memories for themselves and the people in their home away from home. The Bollywood shows are now a megabuck business, but is all that glitter really gold?
Genesis
The current Bollywood hangama has its roots in the early 1970s when a handful of Indians living in New York began hankering for the culture of India in the United States. They came from all walks of life, mostly professionals with no Bollywood connections or background in show business. Among the first few to dabble with these shows were Yashpal Soi, an industrial engineering and management major from Columbia University, and Amit Govil, a CPA in New York.
Soi had always been fond of music and while in college in the late 1960s he would reminisce with other Indian students during weekends about news and music from India. Soi was asked to start a radio program. “It was almost mission impossible, because most of the programs in 1969 were in English. I kept looking and finally got one spot at a New York station covering the tri-state area at 8 am on Tuesdays,” recalls Soi. “It soon became very popular not among just Indians alone, but Pakistanis, West Indians and anyone else who came to know about it. We featured community news and beautiful music from India and later interviewed dignitaries like Mother Teresa and Morarji Desai.”
The show became so popular that in 1983 the New York Times called Soi the cultural ambassador of India. From radio the next step was bringing Indian cultural programs to the United States, which Soi says was the main reason for his involvement. “I am a professional engineer, which is what I do to this day, but my passion for music got the radio program going.”
In 1973 film actress Asha Parekh and Kathak maestro Gopi Krishna came with 35 dancers and showcased folk dances of India all over the country, but they did not have a New York engagement. They approached Soi, who booked them at the Lincoln Center. “I wanted India represented in the most elegant way and what better place than the Lincoln Center.”
The performance received rave reviews in the New York Times the next day. Soi then brought the legendary singer Mohammed Rafi to Madison Square Gardens, and fondly recalls how he secured the best limousine and tried to impress Rafi by speaking in American English, while his brother-in-law for some reason kept grinning. Later on he was told that Rafi didn’t know a word of English, but was gracious enough not to take the wind out of the sails of this cocky young man who was trying so hard to impress him.
“Rafi sahib was a saint and a magician on stage. We were sold out and had to go an hour over, because people would not leave. Rafi Sahib said you will lose money in thousands for going over time and I said go back and have fun, we all love you, and I want to listen to you as well. I really cherish the show, because he came here in 1979 and he died in 1980.”
Soi went on to bring all the legendary singers from Talat Mehmood to Manna Dey to Asha Bhonsle before switching to star shows. One of the biggest events he organized in June 1987 was with Asha Bhonsle, Sridevi, Amjad Khan, Jeetendra and Prem Chopra. “The place seats 40,000 people and was jam-packed and in 1987 I paid $179,000 as rent for the night. It was mind boggling.”
Amit Govil was 10 years old when he came to this country and grew up with mostly non Indian kids. While in college he realized not only that he wanted more contact with other Indians, but also that he was getting tired of the stereotyping, the ramu shamu and snake charmer jokes by his mainstream friends. “There is so much more to India and I wanted to bring that to the people, and that really was the driving force for my getting into the business,” says Govil.
He decided to start an India club in college and hit the first snag. “To start the India club you needed a minimum of 10 people and we could not find 10 Indians, so I had to rope in my American friends and we were able to open it.”
Govil then organized a festival of India for a week in college and invited dignitaries from the Indian embassy. It was followed by a huge Indian culture show called “India in New York” for people in the tri- state area. It was sold out. He was approached to help organize the annual Festival of India, and Govil convinced the organizers to host a beauty pageant instead of the fashion show they had been hosting the previous 6-7 years. The beauty pageant wasa roaring success and is now known as The Miss India-USA pageant.
The show biz bug bit Govil in real earnest when he attended a concert by Manna Dey and was aghast at the poor organization. He thought that with his connections, creativity and organizational skills he could provide the audience a better value for their money. He laughs as he recalls how his very first show was a total disaster and taught him an important first lesson about the lack of business ethics amongst his Indian counterparts.
“It was supposed to be a concert featuring Asha Bhonsle and Kishore Kumar and it involved a group of people who had not negotiated properly with the stars in India and had misrepresented the facts to us. Some of the contracts were fake and I made all kinds of poor business decisions by relying on them, because I was going by my experience of business with the westerners. We did have a concert three months later, but because of all that had happened it was a flop, and probably holds the record for the lowest attendance. It was a big financial loss, but it made me smarter.”
Govil continued with successful shows until 1994 after which he withdrew from the rat race as it became financially riskier. Monty Hudda came to this country in the mid 1980s and after dabbling in several businesses moved to Atlanta and began screening movies in a theater. “In those days there was no Indian media or entertainment in Atlanta, while in Houston where I had lived previously it used to be a huge social event for people to see movies, eat out, meet others. I decided to start something similar in Atlanta, but lost money on every single film in the first six months. The expenses were close to $4,500 per film and earnings about $1,200.” He was about to throw in the towel when the idea of starting a radio program was broached to him and the show took off in a big way.
For Hudda who has acted in films as a child, the desire to get into the Bollywood business was his craze over Amitabh Bachchan whose show he finally hosted in 1993. “I was lucky that in the entire south eastern region there was only one show, so I was able to generate an audience from other states.” It was a show Hudda actually made money on. Since then he has hosted the very expensive Craze 2001 and the Hrithik Roshan shows.
Mark Premji originally hails from Mumbai, where his family had been in the automobile business for three generations, moved to Atlanta in 1994 and got into show business there. One of the Morani brothers, perhaps the most recognized names in the Bollywood concert tours, choreographing and directing most of the megashows, was an old friend. During one of the shows in Atlanta, Premji hosted the Moranis and the film stars and was really enamored by it all.
He asked the Moranis to let him handle one of their futre shows. It was three years before Premji got his start in the business and brought the Salman Khan show to town. Premji says he did a lot of homework, talked to people who had done previous shows and it took a while for him to establish his credibility. “In the past some of the promoters have taken people for a ride and I had to pay the price for that. It meant winning the confidence of the people and starting from scratch to build credibility. I was also lucky to get good shows jam-packed with stars. I had met Ali Morani in 1996, and then there was a two-year gap before the Salman Khan show came and so the crowd was eager and the show was sold out.”
The next artist Premji put on was the Lata Mangeshkar, one that he says is his most memorable as well as the best show he ever organized. Since then he has brought all the megastars to town from Amitabh Bachchan to Shahrukh Khan.
Bharat Jotwani worked for Air India for 20 years in public relations and would often bump into the stars as they passed through. He quit Air India and started his company Pujanka Enterprises, which has been organizing Bollywood shows since 1995. “The main reason I am in it because of the glamour, but it requires a lot of hard work,” Jotwani says.
As with Govil, Jotwani’s first show never took off, because of problems with the international promoter who he says pocketed all the money he collected from the local promoters and did not pay the stars. Jotwani spent one month refunding money to patrons, a lot of it from his own pocket, but then went on to establish his credibility and to host the most successful show of the year at the Trump Taj Mahal Casino in Atlantic City.
“I brought Salman Khan, Karisma Kapoor with Abhijit. That show was not only was sold out, but for the first time 2000 people had to be turned away and VIP tickets were being sold in black.”
Jothwani hosted the recent Hrithik Roshan show in New Jersey. He says the organizers at the arena where it was held had never hosted an Indian show before and were mightily impressed by the state of the art equipment, which they compared the show to mainstream shows, like Michael Jackson’s.
Sudhir Vaishnav has been a marketing consultant with Lufthansa airways for many years and got into show business by first showing movies, and later expanding his involvement by organizing shows as they were brought to the United States by the same people he was in the movie business with. Vaishnav has organized shows with several artists like Kishore Kumar, Hema Malini and Asha Parekh when they were at their peak and says he was never star struck, but wanted to bring high quality shows.
His biggest challenge came in 1976 during the bicentennial show that the creme de la creme of the political world had been invited to see: Mukesh and Lata Mangeshkar in concert.
Unfortunately the previous night Mukesh passed away in Detroit. The show was sold out and not only did he have to bear the losses, he had to help transport Mukesh’s body. Lata Mangeshkar and Nitin Mukesh thoughtfully returned early next year to make up for the cancellations.
Vaishnav also recalls that Amitabh Bachchan was first introduced to the U.S. public in one show featuring Lata Mangeshkar. His audience included not only people from South Asia, but also Indians from the Caribbean, especially at the premiere of the film Mera Naam Joker with Raj Kapoor.
Perhaps the only man with a film background to dabble in Bollywood shows is Manoj Kaytee, who started his career as an assistant director to Manoj Kumar. Kaytee made a couple of movies before migrating to the United States, where he married and settled down in Los Angeles. He had already done hundreds of live shows in Europe and London as well as India. “The very first time Amitabh Bachchan came on stage or Helen danced in a tour was in my shows.”
After his marriage he discovered that his wife’s uncle was very interested in show business and he proudly recalls that ever since he got into Bollywood concerts in 1988 he has never had to cancel a show, which was not uncommon earlier because unreliable people has gotten into the business and sometimes because of poor ticket sales.
He remembers being the national promoter for the Lata Mangeshkar show as his most memorable experience and the tension over the Craze 2001 show, which almost didn’t happen on Sept 23, as it was so soon after the 9/11 World Trade Center disaster.
“We depend on the last two weeks for ticket sales. Instead we were sitting there refunding money, and then one day the phone rang and a white guy called and asked why are you doing the show. I said Madonna has done 3 shows in the first 7 days and if she can do it so can we. Life must go and we are trying to continue with our life. He said Madonna is white and you are colored people and there would be trouble if we went ahead. We did call the police. The stars were supportive, but I still remember at the door there was very tight security and everyone, including the stars, put up with the thorough check they were put through.”
Changing Times and Trends
Since the 1970s to the new millennium, the shows have undergone tremendous changes, according to the promoters. Hudda says that technically things have improved tremendously and the shows are exceedingly professionally done. “Earlier there used to be a singer after every 20 minutes and people got bored and would be walking in and out. Now the shows are so fast paced that everyone thinks twice before getting up from their seats. Earlier we could compromise on the cost of sound and lighting, but now we cannot and for the consumer that is the good thing.”
Jotwani says that many desis are attracted to the shows by the music and Bollywood events are getting a lot of press coverage. The South Asian population has exploded and promoters have started doing shows in bigger arenas, the stars are a lot more professional and now very image conscious abroad and work very hard.
“Two years back when I brought Shahrukh Khan for the ‘Wanted Live’ show he was running 103 temperature, but he went on and performed because he did not want to let the fans down. The prices have gone up 100 percent. I do shows in New York and it’s one of the most expensive areas for doing a show and with all the expenses of arena, security, publicity, hotel, transport, cost of the stars the cost comes to about half a million dollars.”
Sudhir Vaishnav and Yash Pal Soi miss the vintage shows with a full orchestra and live singing by legendary artists. Says Vaishnav, “Most of the shows now feature stars who come, take their shirt off, lip sync to the same songs over and over again. In the very first show Raj Kapoor said, I am just a body, Mukeshji is my soul. People know of me because of Mukeshji. That is no longer there. It’s like a Bollywood mass production now.”
Govil says that he is really proud of the fact that while in business in the 1980s and 90s the stars respected the fact that show business is not just saying namaste and talking and leaving, but putting on a greatshow. “Making them understand that was not easy. It meant going to India a lot, staying there, getting them to practice hard, getting halls in India and picking them up from their homes to take them there to practice. They felt they didn’t need to act, just because they were stars and that their name was a good enough incentive for people to come. The only stars whose concerts were well planned were Amitabh Bachchan and Rekha, because they were so conscientious.”
Manoj Kaytee says that he is also seeing many more teenyboppers in the audience, which they never saw 15 years ago, and attributes that to the advent of Bollywood music and the cinema theaters that started showcasing Indian movies. He says the stars also love doing these shows because it brings them closer to the audience that has made them what they are today. “Also doing stage shows helps these stars promote themselves in the overseas market.”
Megabucks or does money talk suck?
For all the glamour and the glitter of show business, with the exception of Govil, every promoter says contrary to perception, Bollywood shows send them crying to the bank on a regular basis. Manoj Kaytee quips that there is no business like show business, but also show business in truth is no business. “If you get into these shows thinking this will be your bread and butter, you will die hungry.”
The prices of shows have sky rocketed. “The audience will come to a Hrithik Roshan show the first time and pay big bucks, but the second time they won’t. How many times can you see Shahrukh Khan do the same thing?” he asks.
Jotwani agrees. “Its not a lucrative career. You cannot survive on show business alone. It’s like going to a casino or Wall Street. You win sometimes and you don’t at others. Most of the promoters, including me, cannot and have not made a living out of it. The only people who make real money every time are the stars, who get paid very handsomely.”
Dhimant Doshi got into the business in 1979 and helped host many megastar shows, but as the prices sky rocketed and the demands of the stars grew he opted out and now does smaller shows with musicians, which he books for a month and can actually make some money showcasing their talents at conventions and events.
Sudhir Vaishnav says people who really want to be in show business desperately should be willing to handle the high risks and sleepless night that go with the package. “A lot of times these shows get postponed by 18 months and then there is also the question whether the star will be successful still by then. Today when you commit to a show you don’t know what you are getting into. It’s a shot in the dark.”
Govil says that he actually did well financially despite some setbacks, and though only one or two dig concerts are held annually, the volume of smaller shows has gone up and may be cutting into the market. He feels a lot of people are blinded by the glamour and glitz and mindlessly get into the business. He finds it amazing that whereas other business proposals are closely examined, when it comes to Bollywood shows, the glamour blinds people, who sign on the dotted line without checking the facts and losing their shirts in the bargain.
“I got out of it because it stopped being a financially viable option,” Govil says.
The Dark Side
In recent years there have been sinister rumbles and whispers of underworld involvement in the Bollywood industry. The ongoing Bharat Shah trial and disclosure of secret recordings have fanned these rumors. The underworld associations have filtered into the Bollywood shows with stories of kickbacks allegedly being demanded by underworld dons or other underworld connections of stars and Indian show promoters. Several promoters went on record with their thoughts on this reported infiltration by the Indian Mafia. A promoter in the South said during the Hrithik Roshan Show he received threatening phone calls with demands for premium tickets or there would be trouble. “I think a lot of the people are petty crooks who take the names of these so called dons and get these little petty favors from us. The big guys have bigger things to do and probably do not even know what is going on.”
Manoj Kaytee agrees. “Who has heard the voice of a don? I have been reading about it in publications like India Today, but to this day we have never got a call from anyone. Even in India growing up I had only heard of Haji Mastan, but he was known as a smuggler and not a don. As far as only a few people controlling the shows is concerned we need to go back ten years, when no one talked about mafia infiltration. Even then we had only two, three international promoters, Farhat Hussain, Vijay Taneja and Peter Walia in Canada. So in truth nothing has changed. Yes it seems artist are coughing up cash in India to these dons, but then it seems the links are to these actors and that is unfortunately the price you pay for success.”
Jotwani adds, “U.S. police is very tough and even more so after 9/11. I don’t think there is any involvement in the shows. They seem to be very involved in the Bollywood film industry, but then in India, mafia is involved in most things, since the government does not seem to be doing anything or maybe does not have the resources, because these dons don’t live in India .”
Back to the Future
So what do the promoters see in their showbiz crystal ball for the Bollywood biz in America? Innovation, freshness, and new and creative ideas are necessary for survival is their unanimous verdict.
Something Kamal Dandona cashed in on. Unlike the herd mentality of those who joined the Bollywood concert bandwagon Dandona chose to be unique and four years ago started the ZEE Bollywood Awards night. He roped in celebrities like Michael Jackson, Steven Seagal and Richard Gere to add a truly international flavor to his shows apart from the top stars from Bollywood and adds that though so far it hasn’t been lucrative, taking into account the time, effort and the expenses, he is hoping to take the company public shortly, hoping that will bring dividends.
His innovative idea has got him amazing visibility. “We broadcast the event worldwide and last year CNN gave us 11 minutes of coverage, which was more than the Prime Minister of India got for the whole year.”
Jotwani says that people are tired of seeing the same thing again and again. Unless the shows get more creative they will not be very successful down the line. “There are exceptions like the ‘Craze 2001’ show where Aamir Khan recreated Lagaan on stage, the ‘Wanted Live’ show with the themes of earth, wind, fire and water, and that was very innovative. People loved Hrithik Roshan, but he is a phenomenon that does not happen regularly. How many times can you see the same star perform the same thing and the prices are going through the roof these days. After $75 there is a big resistance for a family of four to buy tickets. Somewhere something has to give: either promoters will be bankrupt or the stars will have to bring the price down or the future of these shows is uncertain.”
Jotwani also adds that the industry in India has also become greedy. “They think money grows here on every tree and now you have new amateurs who made money in the stock market who think these shows can give them millions. There has been a time we have had shows every two weeks and that is too much.”
Premji feels that the demand for these shows is declining, especially after 9/11. “There have been too many shows and even the major star shows have not done well, including the Hrithik show, which I hear lost money in 15 out of 18 venues. Now with the availability of so many satellite channels there is such a wide choice to watch so many different shows.”
Govil remains cautiously optimistic. “There is a much larger population in USA now and many more people are buying tickets and even with the economic downturn, people always have a budget for entertainment. As long as you have one or two major shows annually and create new and innovative ways to make the shows exciting and unique you will be able to attract the audience and with the right management and business plan even make money.”