Col_Needham

Employee

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4.7K Messages

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148.4K Points

Wed, Dec 14, 2016 8:05 AM

IMDb India

We are excited to bring to you an IMDb experience catered to the interests of the millions of movie & TV fans in India. Today we launched www.imdb.com/india. Now, in addition to using IMDb as the authoritative destination for international films and TV shows, you can rely on us as an entertainment destination that will keep you up to date on the latest and greatest Indian movies.

Bookmark www.imdb.com/india/trending to stay current with “What’s Trending in India” across upcoming movies and celebrities,updated daily.

You can now plan your movie nights based on the “IMDb TopRated Indian Movies” list that includes movies in Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam,Telugu, and Bengali. The list is ranked by a rigorous formula which includes the number of ratings each movie received among other criteria. To complement the movie recommendations based on inputs from IMDb users, you will also discover recommendations based on our editors picks. Our editors put me through an Amitabh Bachchan quiz today. I scored a measly 5/10 – clearly I have more BigB movie watching to do.

I am proud and humbled to see millions of people across the world using IMDb every day. IMDb was born out of my personal film diary and lifelong obsession with cinema. IMDb’s first version was the simple database I created on my computer of every film I saw since the age of 13. I encourage you to visit IMDb and join the community of passionate movie fans across the world.I have 234 Indian movies on my watchlist currently, and my most memorable Indian film is 3 Idiots (2009). What is yours? Tell us using the hashtag #IMDbIndia

Col Needham,

CEO & Founder

Responses

vidushi_tiwari

5 Messages

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150 Points

5 y ago

This reply was created from a merged topic originally titled Film releases and charts.

Can someone tell me how to stop seeing the releases from your own country. IMDB has recently started displaying Indian releases and charts on my home page which i don't want. How do i switch this off? I tried switching my location to United States, but that doesn't seem to help.

vidushi_tiwari

5 Messages

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150 Points

5 y ago

My query just got merged into this, so i see that I'm not the only one with the problem. Is nobody from IMDb reading this? How is there no solution for this yet? If you can read my message and understand it and merge it into this conversation, you surely can send us all some response. I cannot see Priyanka Chopra's face or Salman Khan's life history for another second.

l_boyd

34 Messages

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966 Points

They understand, but they don't give a shit about our opinion. A staffer named Kurt did reply 2 weeks ago, and basically said nothing will be done.

If you have an ad-blocker with element selector, use it to block the India-specific sections. Will not solve the problem of missing out on international trailers, but at least you won't be plastered with Bollywood faces all over the site.

P.S.: Keep in mind its a continuous process. They keep on creating new elements with India specific content, cause they want to shove that content down our throats whether we want it or not.

5 y ago

avik_kumar_maitra

5 Messages

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248 Points

Frankly, I never expected IMDb to be this tone-deaf to its non-American user base.

5 y ago

l_boyd

34 Messages

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966 Points

Its the same mindset that Facebook had when it launched the "free internet" campaign and advertised it as if they were doing us a favor by providing us with content THEY deemed proper for us. No options. These companies genuinely seem to think they are doing us a favor. Its just sad.

5 y ago

vidushi_tiwari

5 Messages

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150 Points

Thanks for your help people, I will try the blocker thing.This is very disappointing and sad though. I have been an IMDB user for 10 years now, I don't want to stop using the platform. Is anybody listening?? Hellloooooo!!! Please fix this for us, you have a huge following in our country, you simply can't let this go unheard.

5 y ago

dinesh_patel_8zy1zjz5hm8qb

4 Messages

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102 Points

They all suck

5 y ago

manisha_lakhe

3 Messages

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210 Points

5 y ago

This reply was created from a merged topic originally titled hate geographical tagging.

why is it that Indian top 20 films show up when i'm searching for information on a film like A Monster Calls? It's very annoying to be tagged for Indian films just because of my geographical location. totally unnecessary.

manisha_lakhe

3 Messages

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210 Points

5 y ago

this is the dumbest idea ever! i DONT want you to tell me what Indian content to watch! I want information about international movies and tv shows, not some idiotic suggestion based on assumptions. I want news about world cinema. we have enough content and more about indian movies. if you want to make use of the enormous data you could generate with indian movies, start a tab for god's sake.

how does a big chunk of space with a picture from failed film 'saala khadoos' make any sense with the page for A Monster Calls? this is as supremely stupid an idea as adding indian actors to hollywood films for bit parts because there is an audience of a billion people.

DON'T FORCE CONTENT. or for that matter advertising. or traffic will just move to other sources. i review movies, and this 'Indianisation' is ridiculous, to say the least.

nirupam_das_7ck53qvjsept8

3 Messages

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102 Points

Same here. I'm annoyed watching all the Bollywood and South Indian movies all over my home page :(

5 y ago

steve_sparks_6gcfjmsl9i79t

4 Messages

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162 Points

Sweet lol

2 y ago

rustywho

6 Messages

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146 Points

5 y ago

Why are you people so hell bent on making IMDB an Indian Movie Database? At least give us the option to switch back to the old layout. While we are not against your latest mission to try and appease Indian audience, but have some commitment towards your existing users. This idea was thoughtless and implementation was even pitiful.

Also, let us know how are we supposed to gain your attention? There has been a public outrage on Facebook and Twitter over it. So far there has been no useful reply from your staff on this forum. What is it gonna take for you guys to realize your mistake and work on it?

Remember that Cinema has no boundaries but you have just put them right there, with this move.

dinesh_patel_8zy1zjz5hm8qb

4 Messages

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102 Points

5 y ago

This reply was created from a merged topic originally titled How to Change Industry Preferences for Movies Viewed on Home Page.

Hi,

I would Like to Change My Homepage Viewing of Movies and other Stuff Viewed on Homepage, Currently it is Showing Details from Bollywood, Hollywood and Other Industries, I would Like to Change that to Only Hollywood and Other Industries Except Bollywood, Can this Change

Thanks,

suresh_after_it_1081797

14 Messages

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328 Points

5 y ago

Hey everybody!
After lots of Firefox/ Chrome plug-ins that messed with every other site over the past month...

I have a 'juugard'

Admittedly, it's damn annoying (because it is so unnecessary, if only IMDb would listen to Indian client feedback instead of force-feeding us this baby-food, horse-shit, that everyone hates) , but so far it works okay,
If you dont want to pay to get rid of the Indianized IMDb rubbish via a third party VPN..
and btw, I've installed many VPN plug-ins for my main browsers and they all mess with every other site.. Including IMDb.

DRUM ROLL....

"TAH- DAHHHH!!!"

Opera browser now comes with a built-in VPN. (I don't work for this company, btw)

http://www.opera.com/

VPN is easy to 'google search' for the uninitiated.
A VPN (or Virtual Protocol Network) is a way to tell a website etc that you are surfing in a different country from where you are really surfing from..

If IMDb is told by your VPN that you are surfing from New York, why on Earth would they show you 'Dangal' box office stats???

Exactly!

Don't get me wrong, it's seriously f**king annoying to install..

A WHOLE F*******KING BROWSER!!!!!!!

... in order to see the old IMDb that we love so much, but the VPN service is free and I've had the VPN (very easy to set up and free) set to Canada (there's also VPNs for US, Netherlands, Germany, Singapore) for the past couple of weeks (since IMDb dropped this rancid donkey turd) and none of their Bollywood nonsense is showing up!

btw Canada doesn't have "Trending in Canada" click-bait splash-screens BS all over every page??

IMDb hates Canadian cinema????? Are we special????

Discuss.

l_boyd

34 Messages

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966 Points

The point is not that this can be subverted with a VPN. The point is the total disregard for the sentiments of the Indian user base by stubbornly refusing to make the setting optional.

Plus, IMDb is not that special of a site that I have to:
1. Install a separate browser just to use ONE website.
2. Switch to and fro browsers and/or VPN access just for the sake of using ONE website.

I use IMDb mostly for keeping track of the movies I have seen and want to see. I used to use it for watching the latest international trailers too, but now I have subb'ed a few youtube chans for this. As soon as I find another site that helps me keep track of my movies, I am outta here. I am not using a site that has no respect for the opinions of its user base and is haughty enough to think it knows better than its user base about what they want.

P.S.: Its easier to just use an ad-blocker's element picker to hide all the India specific elements on the site rather than use a separate browser + VPN.

5 y ago

vhavnal

217 Messages

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11.2K Points

5 y ago

And to think that less than 6 months ago, they basically had no images for Indian celebs (or very poor ones). I think IMDb India was launched too soon and it should atleast come with an opt-out option.

rik_7ss8e0suntg71

1 Message

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60 Points

5 y ago

Thanks for this utter nonsense. Only reason I used to come here because of the movies I like, not for the movies you are shoving on our face. I have deleted my account. Thanks again.

sahil_s

4 Messages

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130 Points

5 y ago

This reply was created from a merged topic originally titled stop showing me indian movies....

i hate indian movies. so can you please STOP showing me indian movies, and anything about india on my imdb-homepage.

sahil_s

4 Messages

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130 Points

5 y ago

This reply was created from a merged topic originally titled please stop showing me Indian ( Bollywood ) movies... on my IMDB home page..

before few days. I was checking IMDB website at least twice a day form my home PC. ( i think it was an addiction ).. But now a days, when I open IMDB i get flooded with information of Indian (bollywood) movies. I am Indian, I love my country. But bollywood film-maker do not make movies. They just want to waste 3 hours of people of Indian and steel money from pocket of common citizen by deceiving them on name of entertainment. In whole year only 2 or 3 movies are worth watching. That's why I hate bollywood. So now, when I open IMDB, I just get irritated by home page. I tried to changing county in profile but, no effect.... I request IMDB administration - please give us (users / IMDB fans ) at least choice of what we can see.

- Thank You.

nikhil_singh_7240759

1 Message

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66 Points

5 y ago

One thing you can do is to show content based on person's browsing habits rather than country of access. How can you assume that all Indians watch India movies? On the contrary most Indians specially imdb users hate Bollywood, hence they are making a hue and cry.

thomas_jacob_a3zofvh5ry99r

2 Messages

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82 Points

5 y ago

This reply was created from a merged topic originally titled Please get rid of irritating Bollywood content on IMDB India!.

Please get rid of irritating Bollywood content on IMDB India! At least give those of us who are in India and not Bollywood fans an option to see the international IMDB website.

nirupam_das_7ck53qvjsept8

3 Messages

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102 Points

5 y ago

This reply was created from a merged topic originally titled I don't want to see Bollywood movies all over my page..

I don't want to see Bollywood movies all over my page. My imdb home page is showing Indian movies based on my location. I prefer Hollywood movies. How to stop imdb targetting my locaion and forcing me contents that I dont wanna see?

l_boyd

34 Messages

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966 Points

They implemented this feature with no opt-out option. Seeing as all Indians just burst into song and dance every minute of our lives, we must ALL want to see Bollywood content everywhere, right?!

I bet if this was a western country, they would not have dared to make such an update without an opt-out option.

5 y ago

suresh_after_it_1081797

14 Messages

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328 Points

5 y ago

Firstly, thank you L Boyd for the feedback inorder to letting me figure this out..

Why would I need a whole browser with VPN?

Hmmm... aacha!

IMDb, as we already know, is owned by Amazon.

Amazon Prime Video is a new streaming service (from IMDbs' boss company, btw) provided in India to go up against the mighty Netflix.

They provide free 30 day trials, if you opt in on Amazon Prime delivery services, etc etc.

Netflix is totally owning the TV streaming service (not only in India, but everwhere else) since they started in India.. Amazon wants a slice of that cake.

IMDb is their 'Film/ TV database'

Now for the *SPOILER*

Both Netflix and Amazon Prime Video are both investing a bucket load of money to show 'original Indian content' from 2017.

Now.. this is just between us,

But Amazon (and Netflix, btw) are both now approaching film production houses to make:
Original content (first tier)
Then they will go after TV/commercial names (2nd tier)..
Then everyone else with a short film once they've established the brand (3rd tier).

This is why IMDb is pushing local content on you. MARKETING.

The reason we are enduring this is because Amazon Prime Video will push Original Indian content on it's subscribers from Summer, 2017.

They want you to fall in love with Bollywood again. Simple.

This Indianized IMDb crap won't end and IMDb don't have a say... Amazon decides.

If you want to get rid of it...

DON'T SIGN UP FOR AMAZON PRIME VIDEO.

https://www.netflix.com/in/

I don't work for Netflix, btw (..... but then, Netflix aren't f**king with IMDb)

l_boyd

34 Messages

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966 Points

No disrespect, suresh_after_IT, but the first thought that came to my mind is... "No shit, Sherlock!"

I think most people know WHY they did it. That is not the point. The point is HOW they did it.

They basically assumed that they know better than us about what content we want. They assumed this because a racial bias exists. They have no real respect for the people of this country. They just want to milk it because it is an untapped market. THAT is my fundamental problem with this IMDb India feature. They think we should not be entitled to the same rights and options that their western users enjoy. Knowing WHY they did it is not enough. Calling them out on it and demanding that we be put on par with our western counterparts is required. Inaction will feed into their bias and make it stronger.

Not signing up for Amazon Prime is not the solution. It will be months, even years before there will be any change if they don't see their users leaving immediately.

As for me, I have found other options for 2/3 things I used IMDb for:

1. International trailers - Sub'ed a couple of youtube chans.
2. Tracking TV shows - Found an alternate site, which is actually more robust than IMDb.
3. Tracking watched movies and watchlisting movies to watch - Looking for alternatives. As soon as I find one, bye bye IMDb.

I am a global citizen and I demand the same rights as my global counterparts enjoy and are entitled to. Else I leave. Its as simple as that.

5 y ago

Col_Needham

IMDb India

vidushi_tiwari

vidushi_tiwari

l_boyd

avik_kumar_maitra

l_boyd

vidushi_tiwari

dinesh_patel_8zy1zjz5hm8qb

manisha_lakhe

manisha_lakhe

nirupam_das_7ck53qvjsept8

steve_sparks_6gcfjmsl9i79t

rustywho

dinesh_patel_8zy1zjz5hm8qb

suresh_after_it_1081797

l_boyd

vhavnal

rik_7ss8e0suntg71

sahil_s

sahil_s

nikhil_singh_7240759

thomas_jacob_a3zofvh5ry99r

nirupam_das_7ck53qvjsept8

l_boyd

suresh_after_it_1081797

l_boyd

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