Whom do you produce for?

Whom do you write for, produce for, the common man with less intellect or the intellectuals. If you produce for the intellectuals, then they are few and you do not gain that much popularity. For in that case the masses don’t understand your produce. You are celebrated but not exactly popular. If you come out with something which is for the masses, you are celebrated, you are admired and even if you are not exactly revered, you are compensated.

What does a artist do in such a case. Does he perform or produce something which would be accepted more by the people or does he only follow his heart and produce the thing which he likes.

How do you rate in such a case. For the sake of an example, consider “Swades” and “Lagaan”, both movies directed by Ashutosh Gowariker. “Swades” was something more close to his heart while “Lagaan” was commercially more successful. He was able to create “Swades” and get better coverage from the Press because he was the “Lagaan” Director. Imagine Swades to be released before “Lagaan”, would he have got the same credibility ?

The celebrated writer Arthur Conan Doyle, made the most of his fans because of the legendary character Sherlock Holmes. Though even Sherlock Holmes was brilliant stuff it prevented Sir Arthur from writing literature which was what he intended to be known for. Because literature is not in demand since its often beyond the grasp of the common man.

Adi