New Delhi: Sometimes, 'mass entertainer' seems like a term which has been coined to cover up the shortcomings of a hugely compromised script. Most of the films that have become massively successful in last 3-4 years fall into this category, and they are invariably devoid of good and innovative plot points. Recently released 'Chennai Express' is already on its path to become another so called 'mass entertainer', but are these films really cutting across all age groups or they are just a by-product of generously funded publicity drives?
Before we proceed, let's try to understand the reasons that turn a film into a mass entertainer, in short, what are the essential ingredients of a mass entertainer?
Songs: It's more about being catchy than good. Had it been about good songs then why do albums like 'Gangs of Wasseypur', 'Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola', 'Soundtrack' and many more films fail to lure the herds of audience! You may point out the success of 'Aashiqui 2' and 'Barfi' in this regard but very few of musical hits also showcase good content. A look at 'Rowdy Rathore', 'Ek Tha Tiger' and 'Dabangg 2' will convince you that it's primarily about the star value than the quality.
Identification: In 1970s, films that talked about the issues of the common man went on to make money. Slowly and steadily, the central theme started endorsing escapism. The more fantasised a film is, the more is its chance to hit the goldmine, for example, 'ETT', 'Dabangg' and 'Jab Tak Hai Jaan'. The hero has become a person of another world who just doesn't possess any fallacy. Be it 'Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani' or 'Son of Sardaar', he exactly knows his next step. Gone are the days when Ray, Sen, Ghatak, Mukherjee and Anand used to mould their characters as per normal human traits. The question of identifying with the hero is out of the frame, unless and until you are heartbroken in love, so much so that you don't understand the difference between stalking and striking a conversation.
Cleanliness: Almost every director, who intends to make a 100 crore film, is using below the belt humour to evoke some laughter. From 'The Dirty Picture' to 'Kya Super Kool Hain Hum' to 'Bol Bachchan', films are capitalising on the front bench potential. Sleazy jokes and crass humour have evolved as a bankable trick for successful films. As per the current market statistics a moderate budget production can become profitable with a bit of smart marketing, so a popular filmmaker doesn't think twice before using the double meaning jokes.
Superstars and promotional drives: A mass entertainer also means a film with superstars. Further, it should be promoted hysterically. This ensures a good visibility in the first three days which paves the film's way to become a hit. Surprisingly, films like 'Dabangg 2' and 'Chennai Express' deliver what was promised in the trailers. The critics slammed the films univocally and they went on to become superhits. Such a situation raises two questions, are these films immune to criticism or the critics are expecting these films to be something that was never promised in the trailers? The answer lies somewhere in the middle. The 'informed' audience takes film criticism seriously but they are not many in number so it doesn't stop the film from becoming a monster hit. Secondly, every film can't be another life changing experience. A negative criticism by popular reviewers can dent the film's business by some crore, however it still remains a money spinner because overall business crosses the Rs 100 crore mark. Word of mouth works wonderfully for small budget films and indie films. Here, the potential consumer wants to be sure before shedding a few hundreds. Blame the star system which has become stronger in recent times that a 'Table No 21' or 'Akaash Vani' or 'Chor Chor Super Chor' couldn't find the right amount of buyers. 'Ship Of Theseus' couldn't have become such a talked about film in absence of UTV and Kiran Rao's backing.
Subject: The novelty of the theme is a big attention fetcher, ask the makers of 'Vicky Donor' if you don't believe me. Mass entertainers dodge us at this juncture as uniqueness is probably the toughest thing to search in these films. The same character and story graphs can be found in almost all the blockbusters. The formula is set, get a witty dialogue writer who can pen scenes through dialogues rather than writing dialogues for a scene. The mass vs class debate is eternal and it used to happen even when Shyam Benegal was making socially oriented 'successful' films. This debate is baseless because only those films hold value after some years that have given something to the society. The believers of the star system forcibly try to connect the propaganda of a hit film with social objectives. This argument helps the stars in coming up with a worse film.
Making a hit film at any cost is the maker's choice. One can't be forced to make a film that he or she is not comfortable in doing but then they should also not hide their flaws in the name of popular choice. A common movie enthusiast shouldn't be fooled just because he or she is not aware of the types of films that are being made in other parts of the world. The icing on the cake is that they are further prompted to believe mass entertainers as the real reflection of the contemporary society. We desperately need depth in our films otherwise that day is not far when we would have to accept mediocre films as the films of the century.
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