In 2017, Bollywood gave us new-age films such as Newton, Secret Superstar, Hindi Medium, and Shubh Mangal Saavdhan among others. But the box office Goliaths were still typical masala movies like Judwaa 2, Golmaal Again, and Tiger Zinda Hai. After Hrs analyses the trend...
Hindi cinema is 100 years old, but one thing has always remained constant. While realistic, relatable stories have given us lots to rejoice, there’s a spoiler at the end of it. And in 2017, this was proved yet again. Though Toilet: Ek Prem Katha, Newton, Hindi Medium, Shubh Mangal Saavdhan, Bareilly Ki Barfi, Secret Superstar, and Lipstick Under My Burkha got people talking about their out-of-the-box subjects and won rave reviews, the ones that set cash registers ringing were the over-the-top, commercial entertainers. And that’s the gospel truth.
The box office, which is the industry’s Bible, shows that this year’s top grossers are star-studded potboilers like Tiger Zinda Hai (TZH), Golmaal Again, Judwaa 2, Badrinath Ki Dulhania, and Raees. TZH has crossed the Rs 217 crore mark in a week and the tiger is still roaring!
On the other hand, despite faring well, content-rich movies with less star-power like Secret Superstar, Hindi Medium, Newton, Shubh Mangal Saavdhan, Qarib Qarib Singlle, and Lipstick Under My Burkha figured way below masala films in the top 50 list (as per Box Office India). The exception being Toilet: Ek Prem Katha that propagated the message of Swachh Bharat with Akshay Kumar championing the cause and adding star value. Does that mean people still prefer watching larger-than-life, escapist cinema over realistic ones? Do content-rich films need star power to get the numbers?
“It is a given that hatke cinema can never compete with big-ticket films. And, however much we talk about content, it has to be complemented by a superstar to get those Rs 200-300 cr films,” says trade analyst Komal Nahta.
While he agrees that middle-of-the-road cinema has its heart in the right place, he argues that doing well and bringing in huge footfalls are two different things. “Compared to their cost, they work and bring profits, but there is a limitation to the profits. On the other hand, Golmaal Again and TZH not only bring in footfalls and profits as compared to their cost, but also huge numbers. However, what content-rich cinema proves is that the script is the real star and other stars don’t matter,’’ he explains.
According to filmmaker Sajid Khan, cinema is for entertainment, not realism. “At the end of the day, box office is the place where the truth unfolds. No amount of PR or hype can prove it otherwise. When the numbers come in, it means that the film is accepted. If not, then it hasn’t. It’s that simple,” he says. But isn’t a small-budget film costing Rs 10 crore and earning Rs 20 crore a success? The director, who is an avid film buff, replies, “It is, but cinema doesn’t differentiate between budgets. Multiplexes charge you the same amount. For instance, you will still pay Rs 500 for a TZH and the same amount for Newton. But a Newton has done a business of Rs 16-17 cr while Tiger will go on to do about Rs 350 cr business. So, it’s not about celebrating the success of both the movies, it’s about knowing how much money people have spent in buying tickets.”
He adds that mainstream cinema is about pleasing an audience which is not very social media savvy, and this constitutes a large percentage of the film-watching audience. “Because numbers always prove it! TZH, Judwaa 2, Golmaal 4 and Badrinath... are commercial films. They have song-and-dance sequences, are over-the-top, and lapped up by Indian audiences worldwide, but they are also good films,” he says. However, he is quick to point out that there is always space for films that are not so commercial.
In short, though there is a market for sensible, down-to-earth cinema, it still has a long way to go before it can take the place of masala entertainers at the BO. “This year has been encouraging for different cinema and it won’t be reversed. They will continue to be made and top actors will do an occasional film of this kind which will give it a boost. Alia Bhatt will be seen in Raazi and Varun Dhawan is doing October. Such films will co-exist beautifully with big-ticket entertainers that rely on stars, but they will never be able to compete with an Aamir, Akshay, SRK or Salman-starrer at least for the next 10 years,” signs off Komal.
GEMS OF 2017
- Toilet: Ek Prem Katha
- Hindi Medium
- Secret Superstar
- Newton
- Shubh Mangal Saavdhan
- Bareilly Ki Barfi
- Lipstick Under My Burkha
- Tumhari Sulu
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