Despite NEW YORK, disasters continue to dominate

Ok, so NEW YORK has been a huge success while coming weeks promise jumbo size entertainment as well, what with KAMBAKKTH ISHQ, SHORTKUT - THE CON IS ON, SANKAT CITY, JASHNN, LUCK, LOVE AAJ KAL, AGYAAT and KAMINEY arriving in quick succession. However, it would still be too early to forget some of the recent disasters that Bollywood has faced during the fortnight gone by.

First and foremost let’s talk about RUNWAY, the film which released alongside NEW YORK. The film has been kicked and buried deep down with not many being even aware about this Amarjeet Shukla and Tulip Joshi starrer. Despite some melodious music, the film would be most remember for it’s shoddy direction and downmarket treatment.

Films that released a week earlier have been ‘red’ as well for their investors. PAYING GUESTS, for all the claims by it’s makers to be a success, has bitten the dust and is hardly in the reckoning in it’s second week. The film is a flop, what with just 6 crores coming from it’s first week in spite of a big release of 500 cinemas. A comedy, it has just not excited the audiences and should soon be finding a release on home video. The only person who has come out unscathed is Shreyas Talpade who has done well once again in a comic outing after GOLMAAL RETURNS. However, it would be a surprise if PAYING GUESTS would ever ‘return’ despite producer Subhash Ghai and director Paritossh Painter being gung-ho about coming up with a sequel.

The other three films that released alongside PAYING GUESTS have been all disasters, as indicated by less than 10 lakhs that they all have earned between them. Yes, you read it right - sum total of collections of LET’S DANCE, HUM PHIRR MILEINGE and RAFTAAR hasn’t even crossed 10 lakhs. While Gayatri Patel’s debut flick LET’S DANCE, which was centred on dance, was the best reviewed of the lot, it’s 4 lakhs total in week one immediately qualifies it as a box office disaster. As for Sarvar Ahuja, the young man continues to make poor selection of movies that hardly justifies the talent that he possesses. His HUM PHIRR MILEINGE has managed just 2 lakhs across the country. Similar are the collections for a small time film called RAFTAAR which released without any promotion and disappeared over it’s opening weekend itself.

If one talks about the bigger films then KAL KISSNE DEKHA, which cost quite a fortune for it’s makers, has completely drowned with a fall of more than 80%. With just 1 crore more coming in the second week, the film has almost closed shop at 6.5 crores. As for Mithun starrer ZOR LAGAA KE HAIYAA, lesser said the better. The film’s 20 lakhs total is lesser than what Mithun Chakravorty’s Ootywood movies have made in the past.

With such pile up of movies expected to be a thing of the past, one sincerely hopes that the era of disasters is over and better months are there ahead for the Hindi film industry.

Kabir Khan now wants to drop ’serious filmmaker’ tag

His “Kabul Express” was critically acclaimed and his latest release “New York” has turned out to be a commercial success widely appreciated by critics as well. Ecstatic with the phenomenal response that his film on terror has generated, director Kabir Khan now wants to move on to lighter subjects.

“I am getting a little uncomfortable with that ’serious filmmaker’ tag that is being gifted to me,” laughed Kabir whose “New York” has got the best opening in a year that has spelt terrible business for Bollywood.

“In a way it’s a two-edge sword. While I have been able to build an identity after the first two films of mine, I don’t wish to be slotted as someone who can only make films belonging to a particular genre”, he added.

Both “Kabul Express” and “New York” have been based on terrorism. While his directorial debut took viewers to Afghanistan, his second film explores life for Muslims in the US after the 9/11 terror attack.

“Yes, both these films dealt with issues, but my next won’t have an issue dominating the proceedings. Of course, there will be a certain context to what I’m trying to deal with in the film’s storyline. However, the issue will be subtle. Yes, once again I will be looking at telling a tale set in contemporary times,” he said.

Kabir believes that filmmakers often suffer because they don’t set their stories in a particular time period and zone.

“I can’t dream of making a film in la-la-land. In fact, I believe that it is easier to make a film when you know which time period and zone it belongs to. It’s so easy then to get the right actors in place and make them understand what is expected out of them. It gives an altogether different peg for your film,” he explained.

When it comes to telling a sensible tale with an issue being in the midst of affairs, Kabir believes “Lagey Raho Munnabhai” is an ultimate example.

“Look at that film - even that had an issue, but it was never once in your face. Raj Kumar Hirani kept it all so subtle and yet conveyed the message so well. It was as commercial as it gets and audiences too were thoroughly entertained. That’s the way to make movies because it not just made all parties happy but also had a satisfied director at the end of it all,” he said.

Apart from Hirani, he feels that one can learn a lot from Mani Ratnam, who made films like “Roja” and “Bombay”.

“His are what one can term as truly humane films. The man has made so many marvellous films over the years and all so different from one another. Still, one can’t miss his genius in any of his films. He is someone who has got it just so perfect when it comes to pleasing masses as well as intelligentsia,” said Kabir.