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50 Years of Sholay

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Sholay was released on the 15th of August 1975. Fifty years later it remains one of the most iconic, celebrated and loved films in the annals of Indian cinema. Let’s first check-out it’s box office impact which transformed the fortunes of Hindi cinema in the mid 70’s. Planned with an ambitious budget of ₹ 1 crore (2x the budget of a well-mounted Bombay produced film); but the shooting and processing span of 27 months cost GP Sippy Films a staggering ₹ 3 crores. After a dismal start over the first weekend, it gained momentum to become the all-time cultural phenomenon it now is. This happened in an era where there was no social media and with several newspapers and magazines giving mixed and even negative reviews. Indeed, the Emergency had been declared just 2 months earlier. It was word-of-mouth excitement that sparked the Sholay explosion.

Thereafter, even the main-stream media got onto the bandwagon to celebrate its massive collection of ₹ 15 crores in its first run. Sholay had a 50-week (hallmarked as a golden jubilee) run at 28 cinema halls. At Minerva Theatre in Bombay, it was featured for a continuous run spanning an astonishing 5 years. Over the next 7 years of releases and re-releases the film had minted a historic ₹ 35 crores. Many trade experts in 2024 projected the movie’s inflation adjusted earning at around ₹ 2,750 crores. Surpassing the ₹ 2,000+ crores of Dangal (propelled by its humongous success in China) and Bahubali 2 at around ₹ 1,900/ crores. One simple fact to end all debates- Sholay sold more than 25 crore tickets – the highest by any Indian film ever.

Let’s connect with the nay-sayers in August 1975. The country had 11 film circuits including 6 major territories. The Rajesh Khanna starrer, Haathi Meri Saathi (1971) had created a record of ₹ 90 lakh gross in a couple of major territories. But the ₹ 3 crore budget itself signaled disaster. The 198-minute-long film had too much of violence and action and no romance or family values to pull in the crowds; an unknown villain Amjad Khan was pitted against 3 big stars in Dharmendra, Sanjeev Kumar and Amitabh Bachchan. (by the time of the film’s release AB had become the Big B). To make matters worse, Gabbar Singh’s dialogue delivery was considered weak and that too in some rustic dialect; a similar story Mera Gaon Mera Desh with Dharmendra, Asha Parekh and Vinod Khanna had set the box office counters ringing in 1971. Indeed, the tall, well-built Vinod Khanna was impressive in the villain’s role as Jabbar Singh. (Sound familiar? What?). Writer Salim Khan’s father had been a senior police officer in Central India and had talked about a dreaded dacoit called Gabbar Singh in the Gwalior ravines who spread terror by slicing of the noses of those who went against him.

But why has Sholay become such a cultural phenomenon? Why has it become the subject of research for so many social- scientists? There are several dialogues which have entered the common spoken language. Audiences remember names of side characters who barely had screen time for a few minutes. Certain characters and dialogues have contributed to numerous viral and trending memes on YouTube and TikTok. The film itself does not look dated even today. The epic rail chase and encounter with dacoits and the sounds of horse hooves, the steam engine puffing and coaches rattling and rifle shots stunned audiences in 1975. The pulsating back-ground score added the X factor to the 70 MM spectacle as did the expansive lens of the cinematographer, Dwarka Divecha. Even today one wonders how they pulled it off. Delving into some of the back stories surrounding the making of the film may provide some answers about its stupendous impact beyond the darkened single-screen cinema theatres (Author’s note: These nuggets have been mainly consumed from various YouTube interviews of Ramesh Sippy, the director, and the writer duo Salim-Javed + a sprinkling of Sholay  trivia  stock-piled over the years)

What really stands out is the passion, confidence, commitment and teamwork of the entire Sholay unit. Let’s start with producer GP Sippy. Yes, the success of Andaz and especially Seeta aur Geeta (both directed by his son Ramesh Sippy) must have emboldened him. But a ₹ 1crore budget was unheard of in the Bombay film industry at that time. Salim-Javed had approached GP Sippy films with the complete script of what became Majboor which could be wrapped up in a reasonable budget and with limited schedules. However, the film mogul wanted to do something big and Sholay happened. The 27-month shoot in the rugged, rocky terrains of Ramanagara (near Bangalore) and the drastic spike in budget -spend to ₹ 3 crores did not deter the production-house, director, star-cast, technicians and crew from giving their very best. Nothing underlines this more than the fact that when the film’s obituary was being written in the early days after release, Salim-Javed took out full page ads in the Screen and other papers asserting that the movie would gross ₹ 1 crore in every major territory.

GP Sippy Films wanted to retain Dharmendra, Sanjeev Kumar and Hema Malini ( the endearing tangewali Basanti)for their next project after the super-hit success of Seeta Aur Geeta. Amitabh Bachchan was backed by the writer-duo and signed on by Ramesh Sippy after watching his performance in Anand and in the popular Kishore da bus song in Bombay to Goa. Jaya Bahaduri came on board for a small emotional role. Danny Denzongapa was the first choice for the Gabbar Singh character but did not have the dates as he was shooting for Feroz Khan’s Dharmatma in Afghanistan. Again, the just 26-year-old director and the writer team stepped in. Amjad Khan (the son of veteran actor Jayant) and having some theatre experience stepped in. Amjad Khan became Gabbar Singh. The rest, as they say, is history. The debutant actor, himself, gave credit to RD Burman for creating the eerie, unsettling background score when his character was first seen and then adding a palpable aura to his later scenes as well. The Avadhi dialogues became a smash hit with the masses and resonates even 50 years later. ‘Kitne aadmi the?’ (Translation: How many were there?), ‘Ab tera kya hoga Kaaliya?’ (Translation: What will happen to you now Kaaliya?), ‘Yeh haath mujhe de de Thakur!’ (Translation: Surrender your arms to me Thakur- with the implication of cutting his arms off), ‘Bahut yaarana lagta hai!’ (Translation: They look quite close! – said in an amused and calculative way), ‘Holi kab hai? Kab hai Holi?’ (Translation: When is Holi? When is Holi?) have all become part of the spoken lexicon. An interesting trivia is that the cassettes of the Sholay dialogues were specially released on huge public demand and sold more copies than the film’s hit songs.  And let’s listen to Javed Akhtar on why the Gabbar Singh character fascinated the public- ‘…he was pure evil with no back story to justify his cruelty; another reason was that the villain was not a pervert or lecherous, which would have undermined his impact.’

For me, one of the most intriguing aspects of Sholay power is that the names of small characters with limited screen time are still remembered after decades. Gabbar Singh’s side-kick Sambha (played by Mac Mohan) says only three words in the entire film’s run-time- ‘Purre pachas hazaar’ (Translation: A full ₹ 50,000) when the dacoit pointedly asks him about the bounty put on his head by the Government. That too, says Javed Saab, because a supreme egotist like Gabbar can’t boast of it himself. The faithful Sambha has to say it out loud for the other gang members to hear and remember why Gabbar is to be feared- an implicit psychological control over the rest. The venerable and blind Rahim Chacha is remembered for one poignant line, ‘Itna sanaata kyon hai bhai’ (Translation: Why is there so much silence?) when the village is aghast when the body of his dead grandson is brought to the village. The Hitler caricature, bumbling jailor (played by Asrani) has inspired hilarious memes especially with his ‘Aadhe idhar aao. Aadhe udhar jao. Baki hamare saath aao.’ (Translation: Half of you go over there. Half of you over there. The rest follow me- said in a petulant way by a tinpot dictator who is desperately trying to be in command). And who can forget Mausi (so naturally played by Leela Mishra)? And the one-and-only Soorma Bhopali (played by Jagdeep), who entertained us with scenes of situational comedy and flavored by his unique delivery of lines.

Another striking fact about Sholay is that the complete bound script, dialogues and even scene sequencing was handed over to the production house before filming. Only one scene was added and one scene changed. Veeru’s water-tank dramatics was added later to give Dharmendra more screen time, as the star was at the peak of his popularity. Also, in the original film Thakur (Sanjeev Kumar) stamped, kicked and trampled Gabbar Singh to death with his spiked footwear. The CBFC would have none of it and so the cops made their timely entry, arrested the villain and took him away, in a bid for a more palatable ending. When the movie was not doing well after its first weekend, Ramesh Sippy, Salim-Javed and Amitabh Bachchan met to discuss whether the ending with the death of Jai be changed. As by August 1975, Bachchan had become a bonafide superstar with a growing fan following. However, the original death scene remained, as does the legend of Sholay with the fake coin.

As mentioned earlier, the humongous impact of Sholay went far beyond the box-office numbers. Barely a year after it was released, in 1976, Amjad Khan featured in the Britannia Glucose-D ad with the tag-line ‘Gabbar ki asli pasand’ (Translation: Gabbar approved!- Note how the evilest character became  a brand spokesman!). Kailash Surendranath (the admaker) himself remarked on this turn or events, ‘…from being the most feared villain, to the face and brand ambassador of a majorly children consumed product was really something?’ The marketing gold mine was tapped for government campaigns, by major corporates and even down to the Goli Vada Pav joint franchise- ‘Ab goli kha’ (Clever wordplay, where you don’t take the bullet but translation: Have the vada-pav at a Goli franchise) to resonate with the masses.

Even today 50-60 people buy tickets of ₹ 25 each to visit the Ramanagara village- the fictional Ramgarh (off the Bengaluru-Mysuru expressway) to see the rocky locations where the film was shot. On weekends the number of fans goes up to 250. The ticket is ostensibly for the Vulture Park entry, but all the tourists are flocking to see the sites where the iconic film was shot even though nothing related to the film set remains.

As I write this blog, Sholay is being re-released in a 4K restored version (204 mins) at the Toronto International Film Festival. When the film is re-launched in India (re-release is not the word), the senior citizens and the 50+ will throng the cinema halls in millions. The Millennials and the Gen Z may wonder what the buzz is all about and some may even go to end their FOMO (fear of missing out).

Movienomics

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The trending news from Bollywood is that Reliance Jio Studios is in the final phase of discussions for buying the major stake in Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions. Earlier talks with Mr Sanjiv Goenka’s Saregama Group fell through because of valuation issues. Founded in 1976 by Mr Yash Johar with a resounding hit ‘Dostana’, the Company has produced 63 Hindi films with 3 on the floors. So why is this such a big deal.?! Karan Johar represents the centre of the elite and entitled Bollywood club; an omnipresent mover and shaker; other than his films, there is the much-watched, controversial TV show, fashion walks and his celebrity Emcee avatar at all the glittering film awards functions. His considered decision to offload much of his stake (90.7%) and his mother’s stake (9.3%) starkly reveals the tumultuous state of the Hindi film industry.

Listen to his comments also. How has the Mumbai film industry run itself to the ground? First, the stars demand high fees, but the films open poorly, creating unstable economics for producers. The budget structure is skewed so heavily in favour of stars (50%) that there is little left for the technical crew. Simply put, if A-listers cannot generate hits, how do they justify their high fees?! Saif Ali Khan has responded that movie stars should not charge exorbitant fees but…shrug…. shrug, this is a part of the economics of the industry. (Read- Dharma Productions itself is complicit in creating this unbalanced structure.)

The Bollywood mogul has also ranted about the high-ticket costs and F&B charges which have driven audiences away from cinemas. His take is that the average cost for a family of 4 works out to Rs 10,000/. Visits to the cinema have plummeted from 8-10 a year to just one or two. The Multiplex Association of India (MAI) has responded that cinema prices are dynamic and flexible depending on location, day of the week, seat zone, film format and star hype. Higher ticket prices also prevail in the first week, weekends and holidays and even night-shows. MAI has said that the average ticket price at PVR-INOX (1700 multiplex screen leader) is Rs 258/. Plus Rs 132/ as average cost for food and drinks- total expenses of Rs 1560/- for a family of 4. Methinks, the IMA has halved the normal expense for a family movie outing at a multiplex. Mr Ajay Bijli of PVR has said that only 14% of the tickets are priced at Rs 350/ with the rest between Rs 180/- and Rs 200/-. Experience suggests otherwise. The ATR for All India Theatres in 2023 was stated at Rs 130/.

Let’s shed some light on Mr. Vashu Bhagnani’s plight. He became Producer No 1 in the 90s with his rollicking David Dhawan- Govinda movies. His recent release, ‘Bade Miyan Chote Miyan’ made on a whopping budget of Rs 350 crores sputtered to a lifetime collection of Rs 64 crs at the BO. Mr Bhagnani had made tall claims of Rs 1000 crs collections at pre-release events. Alas, the film disaster has reduced him from Bade Miyan to Chote Miyan. With Rs 200 crores of debt he is selling his Juhu Office to, he says, redevelop the building into a luxury residential tower. The film’s director, Ali Abbas Zafar, has sued the producer for non-payment of Rs7.3 crs; accusations of unpaid wages to crew members are also doing the rounds. So, what about the 2 lead male stars, Akshay Kumar and Tiger Shroff? With reported paychecks of Rs 80 crs and Rs 40 crs they are laughing all the way to the bank.

Let’s delve into the Indian cinema ecosystem. We produce the largest number of films in the world- 1500 to 2000 every year- in 20 languages. Our huge country has only 9742 screens as compared to 65,500 in China & 35,280 in the USA. Hindi, Telugu and Tamil are the leading film industries, with Malayalam, Kannada and Marathi cinema also punching above their weight. In 2023, South Indian cinema surged ahead of Bollywood with 47% BO market share against 44%. South India also houses 47% of the cinema theatres. According to researcher Mr Hemant Chaturvedi, the number of single screens in India has declined from 25000 in 1990 to less than 6000, with many of them not operational. End of an Era. With the rising cost of real estate, many have been converted into malls and commercial complexes. Even a smaller theatre costs Rs 5 lakhs for monthly upkeep and maintenance plus the pressure of keeping the projection room, sound system and screen in the best condition. The GST on cinema tickets is 18%, but most States levy an additional entertainment tax of 20% to 30%, the highest tax ratio for any sector in India. Business uncertainties add to the gloom.

The Hindi film industry traditionally had 6 territories, which are now defined as 11 circuits. The profit-sharing ratio generally for a single screen owner/ distributor is 25:75; sometimes, it is 20:80 or even 30:70. The Multiplex owners have all the heft and clout—Week 1 is 50:50, Week 2 is 60:40, and Week 3 is 70:30.

For the Producer, the cost of the film is Budget + Promotion and Advertising expenses. They also sell OTT rights to streaming platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hotstar, Sony Liv… to help recoup their investment. Earlier OTT contracts were pre-sold, and even if a film performed poorly in its theatrical run, the contract was adhered to. This proved to be the lifesaver for the Kartik Aryan film, ‘Shehzada’ which mustered only Rs 32 crores at the cinema counters against a budget of Rs 70 crs. Reportedly, Netflix had paid Rs 40 crs for the streaming rights. Trade analyst Karan Taurani says that now there are clauses in the streaming deals regarding the theatrical performance of the film-where streamers say that only when a film reaches a certain threshold in theatres will the overflow or agreed additional amount be given.

It’s the distributor who takes significant risks when they purchase the rights to distribute a film. They hedge their bets by acquiring the satellite and music rights for the movie. T Series bought the audio rights for Pushpa 2-The Rule for a staggering Rs 65 crs. SRK’s Jawan’s rights had earlier been bought by T series for a record-breaking Rs 36 crs. Tamil-Nadu, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh have a large and passionate fan base for film music. Film songs become chartbusters and are played on a loop on FM stations and streaming platforms like YouTube, Spotify & Rasso. Flashback to the Iconic film ‘Sholay’. In 1975, its dialogues album sold 500,000 copies. By 1979, the platinum 1 million mark was crossed. The film exceeded its Rs 1 crore budget 3X. It grossed Rs 35 crs worldwide and brought in another Rs 35 crores in re-releases. Adjusted for inflation the box-office figures exceed Rs 3000 crores.

The ‘Adipurush’ disaster saga is a cautionary tale for distributors. People Media Factory bought and backed this Rs 550 crs budget film confident of a pan-India hit because of the Prabhas factor; the director Om Raut had delivered a hit with ‘Tanhaji’; plus the fact that it was inspired by the Epic Ramayan meant nothing could go wrong. Superficial performances, shallow storyline, poor VFX and cringeworthy dialogues scripted a mega-disaster. The character, ostensibly inspired by Lord Hanuman, was spouting tapori-style dialogues. Social media was outraged, and the distributors were looking at Himalayan losses of over Rs 150 crores.

The financial challenges for the Indian film industry have been cited as a big drop in audience footfalls, rising cost of production and the growing popularity of OTT platforms offering many options. The Covid lockdown has opened the eyes and sensibilities of audiences to better and more engaging cinema from all parts of India and worldwide. Reliance Jio Studios already holds stakes in Balaji Films and Viacom 18. The phenomenal success of the horror-comedy film Stree 2, which they co-produced with Maddock Films, must have propelled them on. The biggest Hindi film hit of all time with net collections of Rs 600 crores plus and riding on a budget of just Rs 40 crores. The lead actors Rajkumar Rao & Shraddha Kapoor don’t fall into the celebrity guest profile for’ The Koffee with Karan Show.’

Content has become the King. The Vijay Sethupathi-helmed film ‘Maharaja’ is a stellar example. Made on a budget of Rs 20 crores it closed its theatrical run at Rs 107 crores. This masterpiece is jointly produced by The Route, Think Studios, and Passion Studios. Many large and mid-budget films are now following this joint production template. This highly emotional action thriller is a case study in moviemaking. Impactful performances, master-class direction, great screenplay and editing with jaw-dropping twists and turns, real dialogues and photography that make the visual experience so intimate. Since being released on Netflix in July 2024 and with an IMDb rating of 8.5, it has become the most-watched Indian film of 2024. Content is King. Whether it is the true, relatable and inspirational story of ‘12th Fail’ or the real survival and rescue thriller Manjummel Boys. It is the biggest Malayalam hit film ever without marquee names like Mohanlal or Mammootty. The Marathi classic ‘Tumbad’ became a cult film on OTT and is drawing large audiences on its theatrical re-release.

The assembly line productions of Akshay Kumar films- wrapped up in 40 days- no longer work at the BO. One of the greatest duds from the house of YashRaj Films is ‘Pruthviraj Chauhan’ where this star is said to have charged a whopping Rs 60 crores. Many shows were cancelled due to zero attendance. The film fans went hoping to see a glimpse of Samrat Pruthviraj; all they got was Akshay Kumar in every frame. The audience has become unforgiving; social media can influence the fate of a movie on the first weekend itself.

The Soft Power of Indian Cinema is immense. But again, it’s all about the quality of content and the entertainment quotient. Stories with human appeal and emotional connect, catchy music or well mounted large screen spectacles. RRR rode high at the Japanese Box office on all counts. In China, Aamir Khan’s ‘Dangal’ and ‘Secret Superstar’ minted Rs 1400 crores and Rs 810 crores—mind-boggling numbers. Strong storylines created social, cultural & emotional phenomena.

It’s time for Bollywood (and the Indian film industry) to acknowledge their self-inflicted problems. It’s time for them to recognize that good films are created out of collaborative teamwork – where writers, editors, cinematographers, music directors, production designers, and VFX specialists – all play a significant role. They must be recognized and rewarded for their creative contributions. It’s also time to acknowledge that audiences today will flock to the cinema halls in large numbers only if they feel that both their money and time is well spent.

India Positive

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Photo by Naveed Ahmed on Unsplash

Rainbow Nation was a phrase coined by Archbishop Desmond Tutu to describe post-apartheid South Africa after the 1994 elections as the country peacefully and remarkably transitioned into a democracy.  This was to bolster the blending of diverse cultures and traditions to create a colorful and vibrant society. India with its huge geography and 140 crores + population defies any such paradigm. Just consider this. 122 languages adding up to 234 including dialects. Hindi is said to be spoken by a major segment of the populace. If you count dialects like Awadhi and Bhojpuri… and even the tapori slang of the Mumbaikars and the Hyderabadi lingo’s twist and flavor. 6 recognized religions (Christianity, Islam) & including 4 great faiths born in India- Hinduism, Sikhism, Buddhism, and Jainism. Add the small Parsee community of Zoroastrian tradition and Jews who sought refuge in India from persecution elsewhere. An ancient civilization that dates back to 6000-7500 years ( historian Tim Dyson).

Today’s India has truly started to churn as a melting pot. This cultural acceptance is being fostered by the job opportunities and economic interdependence of ordinary Indians which has led to mass relocations, which in turn is driving the wheels of commerce. Travel and tourism have led to millions of Indians discovering new sub-cultures and traditions and even taking a liking to their food and apparel habits. INDIA POSITIVE- a story not following the script of the divisive politicians and their acolyte media influencers.     

Food for Thought. Whether the sweet delicacy Rasgulla originated in Puri as an offering to Lord Jagannath or in the State of Bengal does not really matter; as also whether the original recipe of Sambhar can be traced to the royal kitchens of Maratha ruler Sambhaji Maharaj or is a Southern India concoction as considered today. Whether the famous Idli dish originated in Tamil Nadu or Karnataka or as Kedli by the cooks of the Indonesian Hindu kings more than 1000 years ago also does not matter. Today be it Punjabis, Gujaratis and Bengalis are drooling over some delicious variants of the Idli & Sambhar or the Dosa, Uthappam, or Appam. The Rasgulla is a must at large corporate events and weddings as a preferred dessert. The Lucknawi or Hyderabadi servings of the biryani or kebab are hot-sellers across the country. The Chola Bhatura, Aloo Paratha, and Rajma Chawal from up North are the stuff of thousands of Swiggy orders every day down South. The Bengali Doi Maach, Goan, and Kerala fish curries are culinary bestsellers. The very thought of farsan items like the Dhokla Khaman virtually transports us to Gujarat as does Daal-Baati-Churma to Rajasthan.  The delicious Momo –a staple in Leh-Ladakh, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh – has spread its food-print all over.  A visit to Indore is not complete if you do not sample the fare at Chhapan Bhog (the 56 eateries’ food lane) or taste the night offerings at the Sarafa bazaar.

During a recent visit to Chennai, I was struck by the number of Tea Shop chains across the city- Chai Kings, Chai Waala, and Chai Galli. Although the aroma of filter coffee still fills the metropolis the young Chennai crowd is having their sips of the other beverage also. A young woman from Chattisgarh was attending the order desk and language was hardly a barrier in handling local customers and the delivery boys. At one such crowded joint, I noticed the ubiquitous Mumbai fast food Vada Pav selling like hot cakes.

During a 2-day hotel stay in Chennai, I learned that the Supervisor and the entire Housekeeping staff were from Tripura. Disciplined, polite, and making an honest living a long way away from home. At a reputed South Indian restaurant chain, the entire waiter service staff was from Bihar and spoke the Maithili dialect. One of them told me that he had been working for them for the last 5 years and that he and his buddies were decently looked after.  Other than the specialities the restaurant is known for they had expanded the Menu items to Naan, Paneer Kulcha, and Rajma Chawal. For me, Chennai is the Bellwether of cultural shift and change.

More than 13 million domestic tourists have visited the Kashmir valley this year with 3 months of the season still to go. The hotels and guest houses are full as are the cabs, buses, and Shikaras.  Some of my friends who have returned after a memorable vacation are not just full of the beautiful scenery but also about the warm hospitality from the locals. Travel is good education. It changes perspectives and dismisses prejudices. The North East is now firmly on the Indian traveler’s map and as I have been there multiple times it is an experience to cherish. The backwaters of Kerala, the coffee hills of Coorg, the beaches of Goa and Puducherry, the wildlife sanctuaries, and the tranquil spots of Himachal and Uttarakhand are already attracting hordes. The less visited spots of the tribal hills of Araku (Andhra Pradesh) or the lush forests, icy lakes, and monasteries of Sikkim will soon turn into attractive tourist destinations. Odisha will not remain “ India’s best-kept secret’ for long and with the Governments of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Gujarat putting their weight behind scaling up the tourism economy good times are ahead for the tent stay in the Rann of Kutch, the Jaisalmer desert festival and the Kanha Tiger Reserve Park. The younger generation is on the move and they are seeing and finding the Real India. Their passion for long trips by car or bike and for trekking and adventure sports is a good omen.

When one does the ‘Matha Tekna’ at the Golden Temple in Amritsar one is bowing down to show respect to the message of the Gurbani. Then there is the heart-warming concept of the Langar. In Sikhism, the Langar is the community kitchen of the Gurudwara which serves free meals to all irrespective of caste, creed, gender, or economic status. During the Covid lockdown, the Langar was God sent for lakhs of migrant workers and the jobless and the destitute. Putting a Chadar at the Ajmer Sharif Dargah is on the wish list of millions of Indians cutting across faiths.  The Sufi saint and philosopher Moinuddin Chisti is celebrated in the A R Rahman song,’ Khwaja Mere Khwaja’ in the 2008 film ‘ Jodha Akbar’.  The Sai Baba temple at Shirdi attracts millions of devotees every year and is second only to the multitudes that pay respects at the Lord Balaji temple at Tirupati. Just imagine the seismic effects when the Ayodhya temple of Shri Ram is opened to the public. Crores of faithful will line up for darshan. But it will also do wonders for the local and neighborhood economy and will serve the Greater Good. The Buddhist and Jain circuits in Bihar are testimony to India’s rich spiritual heritage. A look at the beautiful paintings at the Jain temple in Mount Abu or the pristine sculpture work at the Meenakshi temple in Madurai gives us a glimpse of who we are as a people. The St Thomas Church in Palayoor Kerala is believed to have been established by the Saint himself as far back as 52AD. The celebration of Merry Christmas in India is not confined to the lighted-up and decorated churches and the Midnight Mass. That Santa Claus caps and little glittering Christmas trees are sold at the city traffic lights a week before the Big Day speaks of the festive spirit which has taken over.

The Soft Power of Indian films, music, and dance has reverberated across Asia, Africa, the Middle East, South America, and Europe and is now making waves in North America. Dangal has been a huge blockbuster in China. The ‘Naatu Naatu’ dance sequence from RRR has captivated the world. But now in India Bollywood no longer rules the roost. Bahubali 1 & Bahubali 2 did huge business in the original Telugu and other South Indian languages but the Hindi dubbed versions broke all box-office records. Paving the way for the big success of Pushpa & RRR (Telugu) & KGF & Kantara (Kannada) in the Hindi heartlands.  Southern stars like Yash, Prabhas & Vijay Deverakonda are now well accepted and applauded by Hindi film audiences. So much so that many Bollywood biggies do not release their films when a mega South film is about to hit the cinema theatres. The Covid lockdown and the streaming channels also have played a big role in the breakdown of these regional film barriers. Audience tastes are now conditioned to the quality content and performances from Malayalam, Tamil, Bengali, and Marathi films.  Tumbbad is a stellar example of a classic Marathi movie. Vijay Sethupathi (Tamil) and Fahadh Faasil (Malayalam) have developed a fan following of their own beyond South India. I was not surprised when on a trip to Kochi I saw a corporate gathering at a hotel grooving to the beats of ‘Zingaat’ (Sairat, a Marathi blockbuster). Nor was I surprised when I saw baraatis at a traditional Maharashtrian wedding in Pune doing the rousing Bhangra. People are now opening up to other cultural influences.

 Rabindra Sangeet strikes a popular chord much beyond Bengal with its distinctive rendition whilst singing. But the music is a fusion of Bengali folk music, Carnatic music, Hindustani classical music, and the occasional Western note. Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore created a pan India scores much before Independence. More than 100 years later we are still understanding the notes.

For the last 2 decades, many of India’s top cricketers have come from India’s smaller towns. Dhoni (Ranchi), Jadeja (Jamnagar), Shami (Saharpur-UP), and Bhuvaneshwar Kumar (Meerut) to name a few. India’s most popular sport is no longer about the metros. And for the fervent fan of the Men in Blue, it does not matter if the winning runs are scored by Kohli, Gill, or Sanju Samson or if Mohd Siraj or Ashwin wins the match with the ball. That a man from Jharkhand is anointed as Thala (Leader) by the Chennai Super Kings fans and is embraced as one of their own is a potent, emotional story. Mr. Naveen Patnaik’s Odisha government sponsoring and supporting both the men’s and women’s hockey teams has resonated well with sports buffs across India.  These impactful undercurrents are not restricted to big sports. A Pro Kabbadi League (an indigenous sport with the scent of our desi soil) was launched in 2014 and attracts full stadiums and a good viewership on Star Sports. It has brought into prominence Indian stars like Maninder Singh from Dasuya, Punjab; Nitin Tomar from Malakpur in UP; Kashiling Adake from Sangli, Maharashtra. Plus professionals from countries like Iran & South Korea. Times are changing.

The gender barrier is falling on all fronts. Sticking to the sports narrative we have medal-winning woman wrestlers from conservative Haryana. Mary Kom (Boxer- Manipur) & Deepika Kumari (Archer from Jharkhand) who both have tribal backgrounds are now pan-India sporting ICONS. Mary Kom has had a successful Bollywood film made about her life and achievements. PV Sindhu & Saina Nehwal (Badminton) and Sania Mirza (Tennis) are household names and brand ambassadors for many products and services. Earlier this year the lucrative and glamorous Indian Premier League for women’s cricket was launched and the first season had good audiences and good TV ratings. Some of the Indian women cricketers are already celebrities on social media.  Top women corporate and business leaders are no longer outliers; many successful start-ups are being driven by women entrepreneurs. It’s still a work in progress but with the tipping point in the not-too-distant future.

In a sense, this can be seen as the quiet confluence of India’s mighty rivers, criss-crossing across our vast land. The Brahmaputra, the Ganga, the Indus, the Narmada, the Godavari, the Tapti, the Krishna, and the Cauvery and their tributaries flow into and merge into the other with the mythical and hidden Saraswati beneath the surface. A myriad of sub-cultures reach out to understand, appreciate, and live with each other. This is not wishful thinking, being naïve, or misplaced idealism. The story of India Positive-around the Idea of India-is not making any headlines but has started happening. It is gradually enriching and reinforcing the national ethos. Just let people be.

The Bollywood Bazaar

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Image by dan123ny from Pixabay

Behind the glamour and glitz of Bollywood is the Hindi film industry. It churns out 350-400 films a year. Most go unnoticed and do not recover their costs. Some quality movies get very limited releases but then hopefully a fresh lease of life on the streaming OTT platforms. A few do well in the C & D centres. A significant data point is that there are only 6,700 single screens + around 2,400 multiplex screens in India for 1,600+ films a year, compared to the 40,000 in the US and 55,000 in China.

With the Mumbai film world also in a lockdown, let’s look at how the real business works. Brush aside the myths and make-believe narrative about the mega-stars and the celebrity film makers. After all, these are tales spun by PR agents, TV anchors, critics and trade people on their pay-roll. Social media facilitators take the hype and hero-worship to another level.

Glorify, hype, manipulate, seduce, deflect, misinform are all tricks of the trade. Add snuff- out competition.

The big production houses, superstars, media outlets and the social media apparatus have together created powerful cabals which dominate B-Town.

Let’s look at some real numbers. Sushant Singh Rajput’s Chhichhore grossed ₹ 200+ crore last year on a budget of ₹ 45 crore. It managed to get a 1200 screen release in September last year and the audience lapped up the content. Uri-the Surgical Strike, with Vicky (who??) Kaushal in the lead, garnered ₹ 245 crore in domestic collections alone, on a budget of ₹ 25 crore only.  Again a 1200 screen opening. A smash hit, wouldn’t you say. The chatter media has largely kept quiet, even played it down.

Salman bhai’s magnum opus Bharat, has a 2,000 plus screen grand release. Just touches ₹ 200 crore with inflated ticket prices at the multiplexes. Production costs are touted at ₹ 80 crore. But it is the time to go ga-ga. This is the tried and tested formula for Mr BO. His films come out on a major festival which along with week-end gives it a 7 day free run with no competition to speak off. His die-hard fans plus the holiday mood kicks in. All the moolah is raked in over the first week. Then it is all down-hill.  The average cine-goer forgets the movie as soon as he/she steps out of the theatre. Tubelight and Dabangg 3 have flickered briefly and flopped. No industry insider dares to say so. The Sultan continues to walk with a swag.

Take the case of King Khan. A disappointing run for the last 6-7 years but his stardom has not dimmed. A few average movies and some big duds. Remember Zero. Fades in comparison to Kamal Hassan’s Appu Raja and AB’s Paa. A critic for a leading paper panned it with a 1 star rating. But couldn’t resist saying that it was not worthy of the SRK talent. I naively thought that he had the clout to command scripts, choose directors and co-stars… In fact the works. Mainstream actors like Matt Damon and Tom Hanks use their stardom to get better projects and quality content. Jab Harry met Sejal was a disaster. The critic in another leading English paper drooled, “SRK is like old wine. The more he matures, the better he romances.” Are these guys made of Teflon? Nothing sticks to them. Is it too much to hope for a Swades again!!!

You can now see why we wallow in such mediocrity. The eco-system pampers the stars and the so-called show-men. There is no reality check. The camp culture keeps them in a comfort zone. They have become lazy and repetitive and are taking all of us for granted.

Only politicians and movie stars get away with such trash in India. A 2 time world cup winning captain like Dhoni is asked if he is past his shelf life. Take another analogy. Will investors be gung-ho about a corporate which has given average or negative results over the last 12 quarters.

Let’s move on to the accomplices- like celebrity critics Rajeev Masand & Anupama Chopra, whose bias and fandom is there for all to see. Fortunately, independent You Tube reviewers and Netizens are pushing back and calling a spade a spade. Both these big names refused to review a significant film, The Tashkent Files presumably as the filmmaker is a BJP supporter.  Based on a validated expose of how from the late 50’s the KGB had infiltrated and possibly compromised people at the highest levels of the Indian government, academia, media and even the film fraternity. It was this stuff which was difficult for their ideological gut to digest. And the mystery of Shastriji’s death was too much to handle.

The A-list filmmaker, husband of one of these reviewers released Shikara on the streaming platform, billed as ‘the Untold Story of Kashmiri Pandits’. Sadly the story remains untold. The film makes little mention of the genocide, violence and rape which led to the exodus of half a million of this community from their centuries old homes. If anything, more screen time is given to justifying the cause of the militants- funded and armed by our ever friendly neighbour State.

A few more examples- Tanhaji (₹ 200 crore club) was treated by these intellectuals with some disdain. A Maratha warrior taking on the Emperor Aurangzeb. Really? Research and history be damned. Ajay Devgns third film on unsung Indian heroes may calm their nerves. It celebrates the great football coach- Syed Abdul Rahim- and the golden period of Indian football from 1952-62. I look forward to this homage to a sporting icon.

Akshay Kumar’s terrific run at the box-office is shrugged away as hyper-nationalism.  Mission Mangal, Kesari and Airlift are inspiring, true stories and make for good cinema. I recall that their take on Uri was punctuated with the word ‘Jingoism’.

Bollywood is loath to admit the superior quality of films from other regions, esp. the South and Maharashtra in recent times. More movie buffs are discovering the same on Netflix or Prime. Consider Kumbalangi Nights and Virus (Malyalam), Super-Deluxe (Tamil) or  Tumbbad (Marathi). They ooze with creativity and story-telling.

The Hindi films award shows are a farce.  Gully Boy getting ten! LOL!  An engaging film. Not an all-time classic. Think of the opportunity missed in hailing some real actors and technicians. It must be great to belong to this close-knit clique.

Their inflated egoes will never acknowledge the biggest box-office bonanzas which have been helmed at other centres. Bahubali 2 tops the India box office with a staggering ₹ 1400 crore collection. Surprise, Surprise-its Hindi version topped ₹ 570 crore. Rajnikanth’s 2.0 follows with ₹ 564 crore (multiple language release). Then Dangal with ₹ 538 crore and Bahubali – the Beginning at ₹ 516 crore. KGF (Kannada) scored a BO century on home turf itself. Sairat (Marathi) made at a modest ₹ 6-7 crore breached the historic ₹ 100 crore mark. It was immediately remade in Hindi with star kids.

Global BO numbers of Hindi films are largely driven by the Indian diaspora. Very few have made the cross-over and resonated with foreign audiences. Dangal has smashed records in China pulling in over ₹ 1,000 crore. Earlier 3 Idiots had really connected with audiences in South Korea, China, Japan & South East Asia.  Secret Superstar (made for ₹ 15 crore) had an India score of ₹ 75 crore and a China tally of ₹ 750 crore.  Andhadhun also hit the ₹ 300 crore jackpot in China. But this also is not trumpeted in the media domain.

The Bollywood kitty of the world box-office revenue of $40 billion is just under 5%.

Some earlier films to make the breakthrough were Awara & Shree 420 ( Soviet Union & China), Mughal-e-Azam,  Naya Daur,  Anand, Sholay, Deewar, Trishul, DDLJ, Lagaan, My Name is Khan…..Disco-Dancer had Russians and East Europeans dancing to its tunes. Rajni’s Muthu touched the hearts of the Japanese. Satyajit Ray’s films created a loyal, niche audience especially in Europe.

Let’s turn the clock back for another interesting take. How much would the blockbusters of yesteryears taken at the ticket counters today. An eye-opener for today’s movie nut clued into the ₹100/200/300 crore clubs instituted by the trade people. Adjusted for inflation, Sholay and Mughal-e-Azam would probably rub shoulders with Bahubali and Dangal in the ₹ 2,000 crore stratosphere. Mother India would have set the cash registers ringing for say ₹1,300 crore. Awara would be in the ₹ 1,000 crore club. Mass entertainers like Johnny Mera Naam, Amar Akbar Anthony & Disco Dancer would have crossed the ₹ 700 crore mark. To be fair, DDLJ and Hum Aapke Hain Kaun would also have pole vaulted into the ₹ 1,000 crore collection zone in today’s times. But the perspective to take here is that Raj Kapoor, Dilip Kumar and Amitabh Bachchan would have featured in the top grosser list many times over. (These are estimate numbers sourced from articles on the internet by cinephiles, journalists and pundits.)

Those were also times when this abject sycophancy did not exist. Raj Kapoor’s Mera Naam Joker was called out as a flop. In contrast SRK’s ambitious Ra-One was quietly laid to rest. In the mid-70’s itself Rajesh Khanna was being discussed as a super-star in decline. I recall reading in a popular magazine that his mannerisms had become stale. Indeed, trade papers and critics had dismissed the multi-starrer Sholay as a dud in its first week itself. They had to eat their words for the next 5 years and more.

Till the end of the seventees it was not all about the stars. Technicians were given their due. DOP’s like Dwarka Divecha and Fali Mistry were feted and lauded. Musicians and lyricists had their names on hoardings and posters. The legendary singers-Mohd Rafi & Kishore Kumar, Lata Mangeshkar & Asha Bhonsle…. could pack concert halls on their own. Today they piggyback on a star tour. Everybody had their place in the sun- the directors, character actors, editors, choreographers, production designers.

The raw business truth is that today it is the distributor and exhibitor who are taking the real risk. The star packaged product is sold out to all the 11 territories by the big production house. Plus they rake in the big bucks from the overseas markets, the music rights and deals made with other media and streaming outlets.

Finally, it is upto the audience to demand better value for money. The success of Andhadhun, Chhichhore, Uri, and Article 15 shows that there is a large and growing market for good content films. The distributors and exhibitors should wake up to the fact that this involves lesser risks and higher margins and ROI. More screens and shows is the only way for good talent to show what they are capable of.  The creative juices will then really flow in the Mumbai film world. A good story, well told, will carry the day.

The show must go on. But it is high time that we as consumers call for a more fulfilling experience.

SANJU-The Art of Manipulation

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“Sanju” is his fifth block-buster in a row and Raj Kumar Hirani is being justifiably feted as the film-maker with the Midas touch. His formula of injecting emotion ,drama or laughs into every other scene has paid off handsomely. His creativity is being discussed across TV channels, news media and at other forums.

It is a clever film. The performances of Ranbir Kapoor in the eponymous role and Vicky Kaushal as his close buddy are excellent. The screenplay and editing is sharp and keeps the audiences engaged. The tabloid type serving of masala has hooked the cine-goers.

But does it qualify as a credible bio-pic. ‘One Man….Many Lives’ is a good tag-line. However, the movie faithfully spins Sanjay Dutt’s take on his own life. He is this well-meaning guy with a big heart- a victim of unfortunate circumstance, a fall-guy for a sensationalistic media. Hirani becomes a willing accomplice to this project. After-all the star has been his friend and collaborator over three successful films, going back to that first hit-‘Munnabhai MBBS.’

To get sympathy for his seriously flawed protagonist, Hirani performs a delectable sleight of the hand. We are quickly introduced to the two most likable characters –the noble father and the endearing friend. The redoubtable Sunil Dutt and the very funny Kamlesh play the perfect foil to the troubled Sanju and down-play the dark sides of his personality.

The producer-director-writer strongly rebuts that he has’ white-washed’ the character. He has shown the ‘drugs , guns and girls’. What more do the critics want?

Let’s start with the drug addiction to which a considerable amount of screen-time is given. Sanju cannot come to terms with the tragic loss of his mother and falls prey to an unscrupulous, drug-traffiking friend. His father being a strict disciplinarian does not help matters. Give us a break! Sanjay Dutt is a privileged, spoilt star-son and a weak person. Period.

Next. The illegal possession of an AK-56 for which he went to jail. He procured this assault weapon to protect his family. Threatening calls after the Mumbai riots had left him with no other option. So say Sanjay Dutt and his friend Hirani. What is left unsaid is that the weapon was supplied by the underworld, which masterminded the bomb blasts in the city. Yusuf, whom Sanju appeals to recover the gun from his house and destroy it was sentenced to 5 years behind bars for this helpful deed. The real Sanjay Dutt has shown his fascination for guns and hunting in TV interviews. His close bond with the underworld is in public domain. Listen to his recorded conversations with gangsters on You-Tube. He is on comfortable, first name and even family terms with some of these criminals.

But Hirani chickens out. The only bizarre reference is to a Hindu hoodlum who wants Dutt’s presence at a Ganpati Mandal event which he is organising. The film-maker again goes for the soft target. He does not have the guts to call-out the real underworld dons who are now notified as international terrorists.

The film hits other narrative lows especially when Sanju admits to an author (Anushka Sharma) that he has slept with more than 300 prostitutes and sundry more women. Anushka’s (a surrogate for Hirani himself) broad grin is cringe-worthy. It is as if our hero has done something medal-worthy. His frankness deserves our admiration. The light music in the back-ground makes light of the situation-trivialising this objectifying and conquests of women.

He continues with this wink and shrug approach. When Sanju sleeps with the girl his friend Kamlesh wants to date, he passes it off with, “She is not fit to be my Bhabhi (sister-in-law).” Look, who’s talking!

The film is already one of the biggest hits of all time. Hirani is laughing all the way to the bank. At the small cost of compromising on his professional integrity.

Raju Hirani will be reuniting with his ‘Sanju baba’ soon. For the third instalment of the lovable Munnabhai  franchise.