[Reader-list] Culture of Copy :: Publics and Music

[Bhagwati]

dear friends,

over the last two years i have been researching the public practices around 
production and distribution of music and films. Here are some of my research 
notes.

Looking forward to comments.

Bhagwati
(Researcher PPHP, Sarai)
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NEW ASPECTS OF COPY CULTURE 

For the last few years, there is an atmosphere of depression in the film 
world, which is due perhaps to a series of flops. Those connected with the 
film world think that for the last several years, the film industry had to 
incur huge losses. This is mainly because of piracy. What is this ‘piracy’, 
affecting the films so deeply? The concept of piracy means to copy any 
creation like a book, software, film, music, etc, and to sell copies in the 
market. But piracy cannot be understood only in this way. ‘Piracy’ is not 
just a word but a process. A lot of things are interconnected in it. One can 
say that piracy is like a tree with roots, stem, leaves, branches, fruits, 
etc. Every past has a job, discharges a function.

Anyway, here at present, we are discussing piracy in the context of film and 
music. Till last few years, the method of pirating was quite simple: CD used 
to be distributed among small producers, who then used to prepare a large 
number of its copies. Then the copied CD was taken by its maker or salesman 
to the shopkeepers to sell. Then they were sold by the shopkeepers to the 
customers. The customers could acquire them easily because they knew where to 
get them. Everybody was satisfied because all of them got a portion of 
profit. They were satisfied.

Old Methods (2001 - 2002)

In this period the production, distribution, sale, purchase of copied music/ 
film was locality centric. The customer could get the goods from different 
nodes within the locality. This i observed through field work in few 
localities in North Delhi. The reports did not suggest much difference in the 
modes of operation.

But the situation has changed now. The activities over past few months show 
that `piracy` market is no more of the old type. Now everything goes on in a 
more organized manner. Its main reason is the widespread network of `piracy` 
market. Now it does not look for market. It simply fulfills the demand of the 
already established network.

New Concept, New Stage

The locality now is moving towrads becoming a node in a larger network. The 
sites of production is not longer locality specific. It has become 
specialised and distribution is dispersed. The following changes could be 
marked.

>>>Entry of big investors

Earlier, the films in the cinema halls used to be ‘covered’ by video camera, 
and CD from it used to be prepared. This was called the ‘master’. This work 
used to be full of risks. Now there is a slight change in it. Now, in 
addition to the films, the ‘masters’ of the films are also coming from 
outside the country. These master copies carry the advertisements of video 
albums, candy and music companies, etc. The method of their distribution is 
as before, but now only those people can survive in this business who can 
invest heavily. Because of their entry, those who used to prepare 100 CDs on 
computers are now out of business. Bigger investments have made the use of 
better techniques. It has directly affected the quality and nature of CD. 
Earlier, thin paper was used as cover for CD and the names of the films were 
written by hand. Now the cover of the CDs are made of cardboards, and they 
are fine printed. Not only this; now screen printing is possible on the CD. 
The quality and artistic forms make it nearly impossible to tell whether the 
CD is real or fake.

>>>Expanding `illegal-Copy` Market

We felt during our investigations that the sphere of piracy is limited. People 
used to acquire CD from the neighbourhood and nearby shops, because they used 
to be made in nearby homes, shops or factories. But now it is not necessary 
that the thing you are buying is made in your neighbourhood. Wherever you 
buy, the CD will be of uniform type. This makes it clear that the pirated 
items are made at some selected centralized places and then distributed to 
various shops and sale centers.

Actually, in such a situation, the shopkeepers, petty dealers and small 
distributors would prefer to buy readymade things, rather than making them 
themselves. They don’t have to take any risks. The interesting fact is that 
despite the changes in production and distribution methods, the number of 
buyers of pirated CD has increased enormously. If there is a raid at one 
place, the work of piracy goes on unabated in other places. Thus, the piracy 
market has expanded and grown.

>>>New Tricks of `illegal` copy culture.

Profit and loss are inalienable part of the market system. Every job is done 
keeping this aspect in view, and various tricks are also used. Copy of a film 
is usually in two CDs. To accommodate in the given space, some portions of 
the film are cut out. The customer complains that he/she has not been given 
the full film. The dealer explains that actually the film is in three CDs and 
that the third one has not yet come. Therefore he will have to wait. This 
wait covers the extra income. The third CD is made available after some time. 
Thus the dealer discharges two functions at a time—he sets aside any doubt 
about the third CD in the mind of the customer, and in the meantime he 
garners extra income from the third CD. Now-a-days, the CDs are allotted some 
brand names or they are said to be non-DVD, and this way also some extra 
income is made.

Pirated CD: Hit or Flop?

Talk of hit or flop creates an impression that we are making a count down of 
such films. We are talking of the profit and loss of those in the business. 
If it is hit, the director is happy; if it is flop, the director is unhappy. 
It is loudly propagated that the relationship of the happiness or otherwise 
of the director is connected with the relationship between film industry and 
piracy. If the film is a hit, then credit goes to the caliber and labour f 
the director. If it is a flop, then piracy is held responsible. But the 
reality is far from it. Those films are pirated which are a hit or likely to 
be hit. It is on the basis of these estimates that the number of copies are 
made, and repeated according to the needs. So, if the film is a flop, then 
the piracy will also be a flop; similarly with hits. The pirators are unhappy 
are unhappy or happy to the same extent as the director or producer of the 
film. So the argument carries no weight that a film is flop due to its 
piracy. If we study the countdown in piracy market, then in case of the film 
Kabhi Khushi, Kabhi Gham, was a great hit, and therefore was pirated 5 or 6 
times.

HISTORY OF REMIX

Remix means presenting old wine in new bottle. It has been dominating the 
music industry in recent years in India, to the extent that it has been more 
popular that film songs and singers. A section of society is opposed to it. 
They have called it a distorted and vulgar culture, and therefore called for 
a ban it. However, the younger generation is increasing liking remixed songs. 
If one looks into the history of Indian music, one finds that it is not 
really new. It is at least 20 years old. To understand properly, the history 
of remix may be divided into 4 stages:

First Stage: It began around 1983 when old songs were imparted new voices. 
Among the first companies doing this, T-Series was the most prominent. 
Initially, its remix cassettes carried the photos of the main singers like 
Mohammad Rafi, Mukesh, Kishore Kumar, Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhonsle, etc. 
Next to them, smaller photos of the new singes like Kumar Shanu, Sonu Nigam, 
and others were printed. The cassettes carried headings like “In Memory of 
Md. Rafi”, “In Memory of Kishore”, “Melodies of Mukesh”, etc. Thus the 
singers of these tunes got a good publicity.

Second Stage: The songs were the same but they were given new dimensions. 
Music beats were used along with the songs. Disco was very popular and these 
songs were given the form of disco music with the help of these beats, which 
attract the listeners even today. The cassettes came in vogue around 1987 but 
it was printed on them: ‘with beats’. It became a fashion to put in beats, 
whatever the singer. It became extremely popular, so much so that even the 
film audio cassettes carried them; they are available even today.

Third Stage: It began around 1990. Pop replaced the second stage. Use of 
western pop became very widespread. The names of the singers and the tunes 
became secondary and were replaced by the creators of new tunes. Cassettes 
began to be sold in their name. One of them was ‘Bali Sagu’. It was a new 
experiment and became popular. It influenced the films after a few years. 
Whole songs of the films began to be remixed. Some of the films whose remixed 
songs were like very were ‘Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge’, ‘Taal’, ‘Pardes’, 
etc. 

Fourth Stage: The present phase can be called the Golden Age of the remix. It 
is popular as never before. It is related with many things. Its fast beats 
and full of western music. They are used in big and small parties, hotels, 
marriage ‘barats’, etc. People dance and shake to them. The DJ in marriage 
parties is so popular that in their absence these parties are considered 
bore. The bridegroom side demands DJ along with other things. Keeping these 
demands in view, the music companies have begun new remixing. Their beats and 
English expressions force people to shake and dance to their tunes. But in 
the present stage the credit of remix becoming hits goes to their video. The 
videos are such hits that it is there which are demanded by the people at the 
shops. Now-a-days, these videos are known more by the models acting in them 
rather than by their singers and tune-makers. The remix video age has, on the 
one hand, given a new life to Indian music industry, and on the other hand, 
has invited the accusations of the Indian culture having been ‘distorted’ and 
‘vulgar’.

Remix Video

Now-a-days the music channels are full of remix videos. If we try to 
understand the processes of making video, then we will be able to understand 
the reasons for their popularity. Actually, those who are working in the 
remix video industry were earlier in the advertisement field. Therefore they 
know very well as to what caters to the taste of the customers. They 
understand as to what exactly can stay with the audiences for a long time. 
They began making use of their own creativity and imagination to the best of 
their effect. The remix video has gripped the minds of the people. Hit videos 
have many such scenes which the audiences eagerly wait for. For example the 
scenes like the lowering of jeans in the “Kaanta Lagaa….”, display of hips in 
“Kaliyon ka Chaman…”, wet bodies of the girls, DJ, restaurant, bear-bar, etc. 
Actually, three or four female models are selected, locations and dialogues 
are fixed and the videos are made. Then these remix videos are shown on 
through channels so that their market is created.

“Kaanta Lagaa…”!, how deep?

The remix song released last year by T-Series has taken the remix today to new 
heights. Kaanta Lagaa… is such a hit that people at once become alert on 
listening to it. A strange restlessness spreads over their eyes and their 
ears pine for it. A section of the society, no doubt, has objected to it; and 
therefore the Information and Broadcasting Ministry had to notify five music 
channels prohibiting it. But there has been no reduction in the popularity of 
this cassette. Not only this; its words and tunes have been used for other 
‘seasonal’ songs. For example, its tune and wordings were used to inspire the 
Kanwariyas in August: “Kaanta Lagaa…” became “Ghonta Lagaa…”! Then, after 
Janmashtami arrived “Taala…Khulaaa…” in cassette form in the market. Last 
October was released a bhajan “Mera Lagaa..” which topped the Navaratra 
market. Then there was comedy song “Chaanta Lagaa….”, liked very much by the 
customers. The new year and Holi are yet to come. We are likely to see new 
versions of these cassettes. The “Kaanta” is so deep that it has caused a 
boom in this type of video albums. A new tradition has been laid down in the 
music industry, opening new channels of garnering big profits.