Would Taare Zameen Par have had the same response if it did not have Aamir Khan? Or Chak De have done as well without Shah Rukh Khan? Would Saawariya have worked if it had Hrithik Roshan instead?
The answer to the last question at least is a resounding no, Saawariya was a bad film and even all the Khans put together couldn’t have saved it. Having said that, Khosla Ka Ghosla, Bheja Fry, Metro, Johnny Ghaddar, Gangster… are just some of the movies that had no big star attraction and yet won over the crowds as well as the critics.
Does it mean that Bollywood is slowly getting over its ‘star power’ fixation? That finally content will be the ultimate king and does it mean more good cinema in 2008?
And the nominees are…
The list of nominees for one of the earliest movie awards – Star Screen Awards – is already out. Chosen on the recommendations made my industry insiders, the top contenders are Taare Zameen Par (17 nominations), Metro (15), Guru (14) and Chak De (12)…
In a year that saw many sequels and remakes – Ram Gopal Varma’s Aag and Umrao Jaan being the biggest duds – the viewer appreciated fresh content. With added technical improvements and improved production values, 2007 saw some unlikely movies making it big while run-of-the-mill, big budget flicks brilliantly bombed at the box office.
At the same time, SRK’s stick-to-the-formula Om Shanti Om brought in the customer and the cash as well… So what really is working with the viewer? And again, would a Taare and Chak De have pulled in the people without the star attraction of Aamir and SRK respectively?
“Metro didn’t have any star cast so to speak and has got 15 nominations, that’s three more than Chak De… Even Khosla Ka Ghosla and Bheja Fry, which did not have any star content performed well at the box office. It proves that content is still king in a way,” points out Ram Mirchandani, executive vice president, UTV Motion Pictures, the distributors for all three movies.
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There is reason why Mirchandani and UTV will sing the low-budget-no-star-cast tune. The company had earlier burnt its fingers with the big budget Ashutosh Gowatrikar directed Swades, which incidentally starred Shah Rukh Khan. Despite having both the content and the star, Swades did not do well in India. So did content fail there, or SRK, and what really ensures a movie will do well?
“While even so-called big films need to be a combination of factors, you cannot completely rule out the star power aspect,” feels Raj Malik, AVP India theatrical distribution, Eros Multimedia, the guys who gave us Om Shanti Om. “If a Bhool Bhulaiya and Hey Baby work, Akshay Kumar is definitely responsible for it. For Taare, OSO, Chak De, Aamir and SRK have huge roles to play,” he adds.
How about some role playing?
While both Malik and Mirchandani agree that Bollywood is slowly getting fresh, different, original content, both say that the importance of ‘stars’ cannot be downplayed, particularly in today’s multiplex age.
The advent of multiplexes has caused some drastic changes in the way movies are marketed and distributed in the country. For one, the time a movie ‘stays’ in the theatre has reduced. With more movies releasing every Friday, the viewer has more choice and the movie has more competition too.
A movie’s box office performance is largely dependent on its opening weekend… Once a movie sees a good initial three days, it’s over to content/ packaging to take it further.
“While there are no doubts that a Taare is a brilliant film, I do wonder if a Vinay Pathak in the lead role would have pulled in as many people on the opening weekend,” feels Mirchandani. “Aamir and his name ensured that people came in for the weekend and then word-of-mouth ensured that Taare would have people coming in on Mondays as well,” he adds. Point to be noted: While Aamir might have pulled in the crowds, only good content can ensure good word-of-mouth.
And when it comes to weekend movie politics, it’s mostly about star power and how well that power is marketed. Cool creatives, cheeky taglines, sleekly cut promos, hot posters, Internet viral marketing, making-of-the-movie DVDS, interviews with the star cast… Movie marketing is breaking new grounds everyday and creating a movie-recall amongst the consumers.
As Malik points out, “The consumer has a lot of choice today when it comes to watching a movie, if you’ve missed it in the hall you can get it on home video or satellite. In such a scenario, it’s marketing – and the star attraction – that ensures viewer urgency reaches a point where they rush in to see a film on the first day, first show itself.” The rest of course, depends on your content and how it is packaged.
With stars trying out new things, quality improving everyday and production values becoming better, Bollywood is perhaps getting better at marrying the commercial formula with the critical acclaim.
A big movie star will still draw the crowds, but if the viewer has to be retained, the content better rock. As Mirchandani puts it, “Bottom line is: If it’s good content, it will make it to the BO.”
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