This tube is bright

Jasmine Singh

In the world of entertainment, the words commercial success and critical acclaim are self-explanatory. However, something like a YouTube hit is rather new, at least for the Punjabi film industry. There are films that do not do well otherwise, but have managed to garner good viewership on YouTube! This social media success is, in fact, a hope-giver to many producers and artistes. So, can success on YouTube mean more and more films are on their way?

“If a film runs well on YouTube with viewership running into millions, it means it has been liked,” shares Kartar Cheema, actor who played the role of a student leader in Punjabi film Sikander. The film did well internationally, but couldn’t weave the same magic on the home front. On YouTube, however, it is one of the most-watched films. “We are getting calls from fans who liked Sikander and want us to make a sequel now,” he adds. 

Being social 

A director like Amit Prasher doesn’t ignore the strength of social media. “I am not saying that box-office hit or flop has lost its meaning, it never can. Social media too cannot be ignored. Sometimes a film doesn’t end up with a good box-office collection, but it picks up through YouTube or DVD, like what happened with Hindi film Andaaz Apna Apna and Punjabi film Carry On Jatta.”

Amit also sees a young generation banking on social media for entertainment. “If they find a nice film on YouTube, they’d pass on the link to friends and colleagues. And without realising, the film gets over 40-50 millions views.”

Punjabi films like Rupinder Gandhi 2, Tu Mera 22 Main Tera 22, Ardaas, Chaar Sahibzaade, Jatt and Juliet, Munde Kamaal De, Jinda Sukha have done well on YouTube. Some films out of these have tasted commercial success as well, but they cannot ignore social media. 

Confidence booster

Gippy Grewal-directed Ardaas broke all records at the box-office as also on Youtube, where it has over 1.9 million views. “Ardaas was a commercial hit, but I am also bothered about how well it did on YouTube because it must have been seen by non-Punjabis as well,” says Grewal. 

Not all filmmakers support Gippy’s idea though. For director Hardev Singh, YouTube is a medium for those filmmakers who do not have budget for a commercial release. “YouTube views for a film are a morale booster, but the truth still is that only if a film gets commercial success on the big screen is it considered a hit.” 

jasmine@tribunemail.com