2006 would always have been a tough act to follow. A year when the box office sizzled with mega hits and a bunch of young, talented, new age film makers promised to take Bollywood where it had never gone before.
A year when Rakesh Roshan gave Indians their first superhero in Kkrishh and Karan Johar gave us his take on adultery in Kabhi Alvidaa Na Kehna. A year when Munnabhai met the Mahatma and Omkara met Othello, and Rahul Bose met a fully-clothed Malika Sherawat. A year that began with Rang De Basanti and ended with Dhoom 2. A year when the usually reclusive Aamir Khan had two releases, both superhits, and Farhan Akhtar let Shahrukh Khan mouth that memorable line : "Don ko pakadna mushkil hi nahin, namumkin bhi hai."A year when Bollywood laughed all the way to the bank.
After a year like that, 2007 clearly had its task cut out. Yet there was an optimism in the air, after two happy years of box office business. But things haven't followed the script this year. As flops have piled up, hits have been few and far in between, with the notable exception of Guru, Namaste London, Shootout in Lokhandwala and Life in a Metro, and the sleeper hit, Bheja Fry.
The year started badly with Nikhil Advani's Salaam-e-Ishq bombing spectacularly at the box office. Then Vidhu Vinod Chopra's Eklavya won ciritcal acclaim, but was cold shouldered by the masses. And now Jhoom Barabar Jhoom, touted as YashRaj Films' showpiece of the year, has sunk without a trace. Shaad Ali who gave us Saathiya and Bunty Aur Babli, tried to be too cute with his new film, and ended up being acute.
Ram Gopal Verma's Nishabd floundered with Jia Khan looked sultry, but also terribly miscast as Amitabh Bachchan's love interest. Cheeni Kum came a couple of months later and proved the audience was ready top accept Big B wooing women half his age provided the movie was well directed. Tabu looked simply fabulous and acted even better.
Yet through this maze of hits and misses, few indicators have emerged that point the way towards the future of Indian showbiz. Spiderman 3 has been a whopping success across the country. Dubbed in Hindi, Tamil, Telegu and yes Bhojpuri, the friendly neigbourhood Spidey has done roaring business not just in the big metros but even in mofussil India. Shrek 3 is having a good run at the Indian box office too.
And the biggest moneyspinner of the year so far has been Shivaji, starring Rajnikant. In India alone the movie has so far done Rs. 95 crore worth business. The movie could well earn over Rs. 200 crores.
When you are in the business of selling dreams, optimism is often the only way forward. So after -- and despite -- a summer of discontent, Bollywood is looking towards a handful of movies slated for release during the second half of this year to shore up its bottomline.
Leading the biggies are Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Saawariya and Ashutosh Gowrikar's Jodhaa Akbar. Both are big budget extravaganzas in true Bollywood ishtyle.
Rishi Kapoor and Neetu Singh's son Ranbeer and Anil Kapoor's daughter, Sonam are being launched as romantic leads in Saawariya. Bhansali's lucky mascot, Salman Khan and Rani Mukherji also star in what is being touted as the year's biggest movie. The movie is scheduled for a Diwali release.
Hrithik Roshan and Aisharya Rai, who set the screen alight last year in Dhoom 2, come together in Gowariker's historical epic, Jodhaa Akbar. It remains to be seen if they can reproduce the same chemistry in a movie that Gowariker has described as a historical with a romantic angle.
Bollywood's biggest production house, Yash Raj films has three films slated for release this year -- Chak De India, starring the bankable Sharukh Khan, Aja Nach Le, the comeback vehicle of Madhuri Dixit and Laaga Chunari Mein Daag, starring Abhishek Bachchan, Rani Mukherji, Konkona Sen Sharma and Kunal Kapoor.
Chak De India, directed by Shamit Amin who impressed with Ab Tak Chhappan, is loosely based on the real life story of former Indian hockey goalkeeper Mir Ranjan Negi who let in seven goals as India went down to its arch rival Pakistan, 1-7 in the 1982 Asian Games. Negi never played for India again, but redeemed himself twenty years later as the coach of the Indian women's hockey team which went on to win the gold in the 2002 Manchester Commonwealth Games.
Laaga Chunari Mein Daag is director Pradeep Sarkar's second movie after his critically acclaimed debut, Parineeta. The film is a remake of a 70s Rajesh Khanna-Mumtaz starrer, Aina. Rani and Konkona play daughters of Jaya Bachchan and Anupam Kher. It is the story of two sisters who move from their small town home to big bad Mumbai.
Like Pradeep Sarkar, choreographer Farah Khan is coming with her second film as director, Om Shanti Om, which pairs the stunning Deepika Padukone, daughter of former Badminton ace Prakash Padukone opposite King Khan. The story revolves round a reincarnated Shahrukh Khan.
Then there is David Dhawan's Partner, starring Salman Khan and Govinda. Katrina Kaif and Lara Dutta (two gorgeous women and two very good reasons why I should watch this, first day, first show) provide the eye candy. Govinda is confident that his off-screen partnership with director and long time friend David Dhawan and his on screen chemistry with Salman Khan will ensure the move is a big hit.
But the movies I am most looking forward to are Taare Zammen Paar, Gandhi, My Father and Blue Umbrella.
The story of a dyslexic child, Taare Zameen Par marks the debut of Aamir Khan as a director. It is co-directed by Aamir and Amol Gupte who has written the film's story. After Lagaan, Taare... is Aamir's second home production. It is the reclusive actor's only release this year.
Actor Anil Kapoor is launching his production house with Gandhi, My Father, a film about Mahatma Gandhi's personal life, his relationship with his eldest son Harilal Gandhi, played by Akshaye Khanna. The buzz is Khanna has come up with a performance of a lifetime.
The movie, directed by Feroz Abbas Khan, veteran theatre director, is perhaps the first one to look closely into Mahatma Gandhi's personal life. I have been a great fan of the director ever since I watched his Tumhari Amrita, an unforgettable theatrical experience. It remains to be seen whether he proves as adept at handling films as he is with theatre.
Rounding off the list of my favourite films is Blue Umbrella. The movie has already done the festival circuit, winning critical acclaim for director Vishal Bhardawaj and is now slated for commercial release in the latter half of this year. Also known as Chatri Chor, the film is a heart-warming adaptation of a novella of the same name by Ruskin Bond. It stars old Bhardwaj favourite, Pankaj Kapur, in a lead role.
The fare for the next six months promises to be interesting, a potpourri of comedies, period dramas, remakes and typical Bollywood extravaganzas. Only a crystalball gazer could predict their fate at the box office. Lesser mortals like me will just faithfully queue up, Friday, first show.
A year when Rakesh Roshan gave Indians their first superhero in Kkrishh and Karan Johar gave us his take on adultery in Kabhi Alvidaa Na Kehna. A year when Munnabhai met the Mahatma and Omkara met Othello, and Rahul Bose met a fully-clothed Malika Sherawat. A year that began with Rang De Basanti and ended with Dhoom 2. A year when the usually reclusive Aamir Khan had two releases, both superhits, and Farhan Akhtar let Shahrukh Khan mouth that memorable line : "Don ko pakadna mushkil hi nahin, namumkin bhi hai."A year when Bollywood laughed all the way to the bank.
After a year like that, 2007 clearly had its task cut out. Yet there was an optimism in the air, after two happy years of box office business. But things haven't followed the script this year. As flops have piled up, hits have been few and far in between, with the notable exception of Guru, Namaste London, Shootout in Lokhandwala and Life in a Metro, and the sleeper hit, Bheja Fry.
The year started badly with Nikhil Advani's Salaam-e-Ishq bombing spectacularly at the box office. Then Vidhu Vinod Chopra's Eklavya won ciritcal acclaim, but was cold shouldered by the masses. And now Jhoom Barabar Jhoom, touted as YashRaj Films' showpiece of the year, has sunk without a trace. Shaad Ali who gave us Saathiya and Bunty Aur Babli, tried to be too cute with his new film, and ended up being acute.
Ram Gopal Verma's Nishabd floundered with Jia Khan looked sultry, but also terribly miscast as Amitabh Bachchan's love interest. Cheeni Kum came a couple of months later and proved the audience was ready top accept Big B wooing women half his age provided the movie was well directed. Tabu looked simply fabulous and acted even better.
Yet through this maze of hits and misses, few indicators have emerged that point the way towards the future of Indian showbiz. Spiderman 3 has been a whopping success across the country. Dubbed in Hindi, Tamil, Telegu and yes Bhojpuri, the friendly neigbourhood Spidey has done roaring business not just in the big metros but even in mofussil India. Shrek 3 is having a good run at the Indian box office too.
And the biggest moneyspinner of the year so far has been Shivaji, starring Rajnikant. In India alone the movie has so far done Rs. 95 crore worth business. The movie could well earn over Rs. 200 crores.
When you are in the business of selling dreams, optimism is often the only way forward. So after -- and despite -- a summer of discontent, Bollywood is looking towards a handful of movies slated for release during the second half of this year to shore up its bottomline.
Leading the biggies are Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Saawariya and Ashutosh Gowrikar's Jodhaa Akbar. Both are big budget extravaganzas in true Bollywood ishtyle.
Rishi Kapoor and Neetu Singh's son Ranbeer and Anil Kapoor's daughter, Sonam are being launched as romantic leads in Saawariya. Bhansali's lucky mascot, Salman Khan and Rani Mukherji also star in what is being touted as the year's biggest movie. The movie is scheduled for a Diwali release.
Hrithik Roshan and Aisharya Rai, who set the screen alight last year in Dhoom 2, come together in Gowariker's historical epic, Jodhaa Akbar. It remains to be seen if they can reproduce the same chemistry in a movie that Gowariker has described as a historical with a romantic angle.
Bollywood's biggest production house, Yash Raj films has three films slated for release this year -- Chak De India, starring the bankable Sharukh Khan, Aja Nach Le, the comeback vehicle of Madhuri Dixit and Laaga Chunari Mein Daag, starring Abhishek Bachchan, Rani Mukherji, Konkona Sen Sharma and Kunal Kapoor.
Chak De India, directed by Shamit Amin who impressed with Ab Tak Chhappan, is loosely based on the real life story of former Indian hockey goalkeeper Mir Ranjan Negi who let in seven goals as India went down to its arch rival Pakistan, 1-7 in the 1982 Asian Games. Negi never played for India again, but redeemed himself twenty years later as the coach of the Indian women's hockey team which went on to win the gold in the 2002 Manchester Commonwealth Games.
Laaga Chunari Mein Daag is director Pradeep Sarkar's second movie after his critically acclaimed debut, Parineeta. The film is a remake of a 70s Rajesh Khanna-Mumtaz starrer, Aina. Rani and Konkona play daughters of Jaya Bachchan and Anupam Kher. It is the story of two sisters who move from their small town home to big bad Mumbai.
Like Pradeep Sarkar, choreographer Farah Khan is coming with her second film as director, Om Shanti Om, which pairs the stunning Deepika Padukone, daughter of former Badminton ace Prakash Padukone opposite King Khan. The story revolves round a reincarnated Shahrukh Khan.
Then there is David Dhawan's Partner, starring Salman Khan and Govinda. Katrina Kaif and Lara Dutta (two gorgeous women and two very good reasons why I should watch this, first day, first show) provide the eye candy. Govinda is confident that his off-screen partnership with director and long time friend David Dhawan and his on screen chemistry with Salman Khan will ensure the move is a big hit.
But the movies I am most looking forward to are Taare Zammen Paar, Gandhi, My Father and Blue Umbrella.
The story of a dyslexic child, Taare Zameen Par marks the debut of Aamir Khan as a director. It is co-directed by Aamir and Amol Gupte who has written the film's story. After Lagaan, Taare... is Aamir's second home production. It is the reclusive actor's only release this year.
Actor Anil Kapoor is launching his production house with Gandhi, My Father, a film about Mahatma Gandhi's personal life, his relationship with his eldest son Harilal Gandhi, played by Akshaye Khanna. The buzz is Khanna has come up with a performance of a lifetime.
The movie, directed by Feroz Abbas Khan, veteran theatre director, is perhaps the first one to look closely into Mahatma Gandhi's personal life. I have been a great fan of the director ever since I watched his Tumhari Amrita, an unforgettable theatrical experience. It remains to be seen whether he proves as adept at handling films as he is with theatre.
Rounding off the list of my favourite films is Blue Umbrella. The movie has already done the festival circuit, winning critical acclaim for director Vishal Bhardawaj and is now slated for commercial release in the latter half of this year. Also known as Chatri Chor, the film is a heart-warming adaptation of a novella of the same name by Ruskin Bond. It stars old Bhardwaj favourite, Pankaj Kapur, in a lead role.
The fare for the next six months promises to be interesting, a potpourri of comedies, period dramas, remakes and typical Bollywood extravaganzas. Only a crystalball gazer could predict their fate at the box office. Lesser mortals like me will just faithfully queue up, Friday, first show.
1 comment:
Hi Rajan,
Your blogs appear to get more newsy these days. I enjoyed reading this one. I agree with you, last year was possibly on of the best years in Bollywood. I thought Munnabhai was great, and loved Omkara too, but wasn't that impressed by Rang De.
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