SMS ka naya funda: Filmi tales

SO you already knew that Shah Rukh Khan has cancer and dies in Kal Ho Na Ho, a week before the movie released.
A few of you probably are even aware of the exact number of stars who will die in the forthcoming LoC.
The secret behind this new-found clairvoyance among film-buffs is courtesy nothing but that addictive SMS service that seems to have caught on like wild fire.What better subject to discuss than the universally understood Hindi movies.
The trend, of course, started with the suspense-thriller Gupt, where fans got a strange kick out of revealing the name of the killer. That was followed by the romantic triangle Deewana Mastana, where senders were keen to let others know who bags the heroine in the end. The craze really grew with Sanjay Gupta’s Kaante, where SMSs flew thick and fast about who the traitor was. luckily, it worked in favour of the film because there were rumours that the producers themselves were sending conflicting messages to create more confusion.
But producers and distributors alike are aware of the lethal power of this little instrument in completely ruing the chances of their films. Like it happened with producer Vashu Bhagnani’s Out of Control. “On Friday itself, there were SMSs about how it was a horrible film and people should stay away. Today, when word-of-mouth publicity is so important, we can’t afford this kind of verdict,� he says.
“There is always a thrill derived in spelling out the climax of a suspensepacked film, which is what many people do. There is no doubt that the SMS trend is going to make and break several films,� views distributor Isak Moosa.
Housewife and film enthusiast Manisha Gupte isn’t too impressed, “These are cheap thrills and completely ruin the impact of a film. Imagine, I already knew who was getting who in Kal Ho Na Ho,� she says.
sandhya.iyer@timesgroup.com