Who Decides Bollywood Film Title: Making a film is not just about having actors act in front of the camera and shooting it from behind the camera. A film is first identified by its title. Many times, before the poster or trailer of a film comes out, people start guessing what the movie is about just by its name. This is the reason why choosing the title of a film in Bollywood is also like a process. Many times the name of the film is kept according to the story. So many times the makers decide on a name which is short, easy to remember and liked by the audience.
However, does the name of the film be decided only by the director? This is not necessary. Behind the title of a film, the opinion of the producer, director, writer, creative team, marketing team and sometimes even the actors themselves are taken. After this, we move towards registration and legal aspects regarding title. Let us understand what is the entire process of a Bollywood film from deciding its title till its finalisation.
First of all the name of the film comes from the story
To decide the title of a film, its story is first kept in mind. When a writer prepares a story or screenplay, he has the main idea of the film's characters, its world and the story in his mind. In such a situation, many times the most important character of the story, an incident, a location or a special line becomes the title of the film. For example, if the entire film revolves around one character, then the name of that character can become the title. At the same time, if the story is based on a particular relationship, incident or idea, then a title related to it can be created. However, the initial name is not always final. Along with changing the story, the title can also change.
Opinion of writer and director is important
The writer who prepares the story of the film may also have the initial idea of the title because he understands the emotion of the entire story of the film better. The director also gives his opinion regarding the title, because he knows how the film will be shown on screen. Many times the writer suggests several names and the director likes one of them. In some films the director himself may suggest the title. After this it is discussed with the producer and the rest of the creative team of the film. That is, it is not necessary that choosing the title should always be the decision of just one person.
Are big decisions in the hands of the producer?
The producer of the film looks after the entire financial matters of the project. Therefore his opinion regarding the title is also important. In such a situation, the producer can see how well the title idea given for the film fits with the story and how it will fare from the marketing point of view. Suppose the story of a film is serious, but its name is such that the audience thinks it is a comedy film. In such a situation, the title can be re-thought. Similarly, a very difficult or long name can also be changed because it can be difficult to remember and use in promotion.
Marketing team can also give opinion
In today's time, marketing of a film is not limited to just posters and theater releases. Social media, trailer, teaser, songs and digital promotion play a big role in increasing the reach of a film. Therefore, many production houses also look at the title from a marketing perspective. The marketing team tries to understand whether people will remember the name easily or not, whether the title will be easy to use on social media or not and how well that title will suit the rest of the promotional purposes of the film. This does not mean that the marketing team alone decides the name of the film. Rather, his opinion is given importance, so that there is no problem in the marketing of the film.
Actors' opinion can be taken
If there is a big star in the film, then many times his opinion is also taken. After all, the title of the film is also going to be a part of the promotion of the same star. But this is not necessary for the title of every film. An actor may like a name or may suggest another name. However, the final decision lies in the hands of the production team and the filmmakers. Therefore, it would not be right to believe that every big star himself decides the title of his film.
A film can have multiple names
The interesting thing is that the title of the film may change more than once during its making. Initially the writer or director can work on the script under a temporary name. Later, when the final form of the film is revealed, they can finalize another name. Many times the title is reconsidered even after the shooting begins. Sometimes the genre of the film changes, sometimes the story changes. Not only this, sometimes the makers feel that the audience will like the new name more. Therefore the title can change more than once.
What happens after the title is decided?
After finalizing the film title, it is not enough to just decide that the film will be released under this name. Makers also have to check whether there is any other film or project associated with that name. The use of film titles requires scrutiny and registration under the procedures of film organizations and the industry. At this stage, it is also seen whether the chosen name is so similar to any title that it does not create further controversy. This is the reason why many times a final name has to be left aside and another title has to be decided.
Are trademarks and legal aspects also important?
The name of a film is not just a creative idea. It is part of the film's identity and business brand. Therefore, trademark and other legal aspects are also taken into consideration. If there are already rights on a name, then there may be controversy over its use and further problems may arise for the production. Therefore, the makers do legal investigation before finalizing the name. This is the reason why in the film industry, a lot of attention is paid to the title from the initial discussion till the final announcement.
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