Optimism energised Bollywood after Siddharth Anand’s action thriller Pathaan became a much-wanted blockbuster. The masala entertainer starring Shah Rukh Khan in a lead role after four years collected an estimated Rs 1,050 crore globally to become the second biggest Hindi film of all time after Nitesh Tiwari’s sports drama Dangal (2016), which had grossed an incredible Rs 2,024 crore worldwide. Pathaan’s success showed that filmgoers were willing to go to the theatres if what was on offer had viewer-friendly content — even if each critic did not give it a four-star rating.
FAILURES AND MODEST SUCCESSES
What followed had a strong message for the industry. Remakes, even if backed by superstars and big budgets, will struggle to invite filmgoers to the ticket counters. The most disappointing washout was Raj Mehta’s comedy-drama Selfiee, a remake of Lal Jr.’s Malayalam film Driving Licence. Starring Akshay Kumar and Emraan Hashmi, the film reportedly grossed less than an estimated Rs 25 crore. Rohit Dhawan’s action drama Shehzada, a remake of Trivikram Srinivas’ Ala Vaikunthapurramaloo, crashed, grossing an estimated Rs 47 crore. The person who experienced a critical setback because of Shehzada’s failure was its hero, Kartik Aaryan.
Farhad Samji’s action comedy Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan, a remake of Siva’s Tamil film Veeram, opened on Eid. The first Friday was ordinary for a Salman Khan film, and the next two days better because of the unconditional support of the superstar’s fans. The film has ultimately grossed an estimated Rs 181 crore, which is not significantly better than its big budget of Rs 150 crore.
Ajay Devgn’s action thriller Bholaa, a remake of Lokesh Kanagaraj’s Tamil film Kaithi, has grossed an estimated Rs 120 crore worldwide. Like KKBKKJ, Bholaa’s collection is more than its Rs 100 crore budget. These two films cannot be dismissed as fiascos, mainly because they have earned more by selling OTT and satellite rights. But Khan and Devgn would have been far more satisfied had they fared better at the box office.
THE KERALA STORY’S SUCCESS
Sudipto Sen’s social drama The Kerala Story, a hard-hitting film that focuses on the realities of conversion and radicalisation, has invited much controversy recently. The film featuring non-stars has collected an estimated Rs 137 crore in ten days at the Indian box office. The performance is extraordinary, if one keeps in mind its reported budget of Rs 15-20 crore.
Why is TKS a blockbuster despite an official ban in West Bengal — and an unofficial one in Tamil Nadu? The depiction of women trapped in tragic circumstances has moved many viewers, although left-liberals have been highly critical of how Sen has approached the subject. Will the latter’s criticism stop TKS from becoming a bigger success story? It will not.
Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri’s social drama The Kashmir Files, which was made with a similar budget but reportedly grossed around Rs 340 crore last year, had been similarly attacked by its critics. Revolving around the exodus of Kashmiri Hindus from their home state, the equally controversial film found many viewers, who expressed their appreciation for Agnihotri’s treatment of the subject. TKF was heavily criticised for its bias and distortion of history by left-liberals, who, it is clear, also watched the film and contributed to the numbers at the box office.
BOLLYWOOD SINCE 2022
After Pathaan became an all-time blockbuster, it seemed that Bollywood’s recovery after a series of setbacks in 2022 might happen soon. While films like Ayan Mukerji’s fantasy adventure film Brahmastra: Part One – Shiva, Abhishek Pathak’s crime thriller Drishyam 2 and Anees Bazmee’s comedy horror film Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 worked last year, too many other films tanked noiselessly. There was, in short, too much bad news.
How most films have fared since the beginning of this year is a reminder of their failure to make an impact with their content. A superstar like Salman Khan can attract audiences to the theatres during the first weekend after release. If the film is disappointing, however, its chances of success are much less compared to other mediocre Salman Khan successes in the past. Akshay Kumar has experienced several setbacks. He must deliver a couple of hits soon to rejoin his fellow actors leading the list of A-listers from the industry. Ranveer Singh has slipped, and Kartik Aaryan has had a significant failure.
The success of TKS is a wake-up call for Bollywood. While most makers will not make films dealing with similarly controversial subjects, they should now realize that producing a remake or just any other film with an established male star without adequate emphasis on the content is not an option today.
The author, a journalist for three decades, writes on literature and pop culture. Among his books are ‘MSD: The Man, The Leader’, the bestselling biography of former Indian captain MS Dhoni, and the ‘Hall of Fame’ series of film star biographies. Views expressed are personal.
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