Shah Rukh Khan proved he’s still got what it takes to deliver a blockbuster with Chennai Express.
Bollywood producers discovered that the ‘masala’ low-on-content-high-on-stars formula (Himmatwala, Phata Poster Nikhla Hero) won’t fly with viewers.
And directors who stuck their necks out with unique films (Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, Fukrey) laughed all the way to the bank.
Welcome to Bollywood 2013.
The top ten grossers of 2013 is a eclectic list: Alongside sure-fire hits such as Khan’s romantic comedy Chennai Express and superhero flick Krrish 3, starring Bollywood hunk Hrithik Roshan, there’s Akshay Kumar’s no-frills conman drama Special 26, the biopic on Olympian Milkha Singh and love tragedy Aashiqui 2, with a pair of relative newcomers, Aditya Roy Kapur and Shraddha Kapoor.
Superstar Salman Khan, who did not have a release this year, hit the bullseye with a prophetic declaration: “This space [masala films] will die totally. I think this was a beautiful format where we had films like Wanted and Dabangg. Now everybody has overdone it,” Khan told reporters in India earlier this year. “These films are popular but the creativity is becoming less. I don’t know which genre will click now,” said Khan.
Film trade analyst Taran Adarsh described Bollywood in 2013 as “varied”.
“The audiences have been open to all kinds of genres in 2013. They are willing to give filmmakers, artists a chance and that’s always a good sign. But what worked this year are films that entertained,” said Adarsh.
According to Amrita Pandey from Disney UTV, the success of films such as Irrfan Khan’s delectable romance The Lunchbox, the friendship saga set against the Gujarat riots called Kai Po Che and dance drama ABCD underlines that “content takes precedence over all else”.
“What makes this year special is that our audience have really gone to the movies and have been appreciative of speciality genres, first-time filmmakers [and] new talent just as much as they have been of crowd-pleasing genres, big stars and renowned directors,” said Pandey, executive director, International Distribution, Disney UTV, in an email.
Producer-actor John Abraham, speaking in Dubai while shooting his film Welcome Back, is convinced that the viewers are thirsty for movies that go beyond the traditional song-and-dance routines.
“Somebody has got to do it. When you support films like Vicky Donor or Madras Cafe, you are making films about serious issues in an entertaining manner. I don’t back films wondering whether the movies will bring in those box-office numbers. The questions is: are we making films that are credible and does it have a good screenplay? That’s the way I want to play it. If my senior won’t do it, I will do it,” said Abraham. He may have taken a stand to produce content-led films under his eponymous production banner, but this year has also been about breaking existing box-office records.
Crore club
The latest sport in Bollywood is watching who enters the billion-rupee club (also known as the Rs100 crore club) fastest, something that’s religiously followed by viewers, industry insiders and studio giants. Khan’s Chennai Express entered that revered club within four days of its release, while, as you read this, Aamir Khan’s Dhoom 3 is smashing records.
“The moment I tweet about the opening day figures of a movie, the interest it generates is immense. I get questions and requests for details. These days, the viewers want to be clued into the figures. Trust me: 2014 going to be a year of Rs300 crore clubs,” said Adarsh, adding that several of the films that have made big bucks at the box-office this year were panned by critics.
“Have you ever heard a filmmaker ever making films for those handful of critics sitting in Bombay, Delhi or Bangalore? They make movies for the masses and it is their acceptance they seek. Today, it all about screen count [number of screens that movie is shown on], timing your release well, ticket sales and how uniquely you present your content,” said Adarsh.
Director Sajid Khan and actor Ajay Devgn, while making Himmatwala, told tabloid! that they consider critics “eunuchs” who didn’t know how to do their job well and that the pseudo-cerebral lot should stop flocking to theatres in the hope of learning cinema. But their rewrite of the 1983 Jeetendra-Sri Devi starrer didn’t get any love from critics — or their fans.
2013 was also a year of sequels. While some worked — such as action drama Dhoom 3, adult comedy Grand Masti and risque thriller Race 2 — many perished. Akshay Kumar’s much-hyped Once Upon Ay Time In Mumbai Dobaara! and the Deol-led Yamla Pagla Deewana 2 sank without a ripple. Films that relied on real-life family members to ignite chemistry, such as Ranbir Kapoor’s Besharam, in which he acted alongside his parents Neetu Singh and Rishi Kapoor, didn’t have takers. Shahid Kapoor, who tried to morph into a mini Salman Khan with over-the-top masala films such as Phata Poster Nikhla Hero, wasn’t rewarded for his efforts.
“In our movie industry, star power is here to stay. However it is a year where high-concept movies have seen a truly rewarding run. The Lunchbox, Kai Po Che, The Ship of Theseus and ABCD are just a few such cases. What we’ve also seen is that even big stars need movies powered with entertaining content to take the movie’s performance to the next level. What has also been a high point is the rise of new stars and talent, not just acting talent but also writing and directing talent,” said Pandey.
Women
Bollywood 2013 has also been a game changer for several women.
Vidya Balan, who had a phenomenal 2012, failed to cement her position in Bollywood with her lacklustre satire Ghanchakkar. But if one actor ruled Bollywood, it was Deepika Padukone, who had four blockbusters this year, with roles as varied as a desi Juliet in Goliyon Ki Rasleela Ram-Leela; the nerdy Naina in Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani; the scheming seductress Elena in Race 2; and a gangster’s daughter in Chennai Express, Padukone proved that she can hold her own in a male-dominated Hindi film industry.
“They say Deepika is the biggest star in town now. And boy, am I glad that I have her on my side,” said Khan during the Access All Areas concert in Dubai on December 1.
What’s also intriguing about Bollywood 2013 is that heavy-hitters in Bollywood such as Kiran Rao, Aamir Khan’s influential wife, supported indie films such as Anand Gandhi’s Ship Of Thesues and made sure that it was seen and heard in Mumbai. Producer-director Karan Johar, who is known for his glossy musicals such as Student Of The Year, tried his hand at directing one of the four short stories in a non-traditional Bollywood film, Bombay Talkies, and was happy to co-produce The Lunchbox.
Creativity that appeases the soul and feeds the bank account is likely to be Bollywood’s quest in 2014.
Like Shah Rukh Khan told tabloid! during a Chennai Express promotion junket: “Numbers don’t excite me — whether I am number 1 or 7 in the top actor list or my films do Rs2 billion (Dh118 million) or Rs2.30 billion. It’s the process of work that excites me and not the result itself.”
Sounds fair. Until Salman Khan’s Jai Ho, released in January 2014, starts trying to outdo Chennai Express box-office collections, that is.
