Drab plots, jarring music, bland acting and unimaginative direction have once again spelled failure for Bollywood which is still looking for another elusive blockbuster such as "Sholay" and "Lagaan". The only consolation to the Indian film industry in 2002 was "Devdas". However, the media hype as well as tremendous publicity given to the film failed to bring it close to the business done by "Sholay," "Lagaan," "Hum Aap Ke Hain Kaun" and "Kuch Kuch Hota Hai." "Devdas" took off but could not sustain itself at the box office over a long period. Certainly it did well abroad, but at home it did not come to expectations.
Bollywood has attached much hope to Yash Chopra’s "Mujhse Dosti Karoge," starring Bollywood’s blue-eyed boy Hrithik Roshan as well as Kareena Kapoor and Rani Mukherjee. Yash Chopra who in the past has given super performances in "Dil To Pagal Hai" and "Mohabbatein," failed this time to catch the imagination of Indian fans and was found too repetitive and bland. The film attracted crowds for only one week.
Indian film enthusiasts confirmed that big names, superstars and a big cast could not lure them in. In all Hrithik Roshan had three films released this year and all three went bust at the box office. Similarly Salman Khan had two releases and both flopped. Ironically, his director brother Suhail Khan made his acting debut in "Maine Dil Tujh Ko Diya" and it did moderately well. Govinda, Bobby Deol, Sunny Deol, Akshay Kumar and other stars too had releases but all of them failed to do business.
Ajay Devgan was lauded for his performance in the "Legend of Bhagat Singh" but the film did not do well at the box office — primarily because Indian audiences are now sick and tired of repetition. "Bhagat Singh" did not present anything new except for a gross distortion of Indian history. The film portrayed Mahatma Gandhi as a villain of the Indian independence movement and the Indian audience which still reveres him could not accept this of their national hero.
Indian audiences are looking for substance, storylines and original music in a movie. Music lifted from old Indian films or from Western sources now has no appeal. Similarly they want a worthwhile story which is rational and logical rather than absolutely insane. Famous film critic, Khaled Mohammed also believes that audiences are hungry for new ideas with social relevance and stories in which filmgoers can identify themselves. "They should not feel either outside or alienated," he said.
If that is the argument, then why do films such as "Jani Dushman" and "Devdas" do well at the box office? The success of "Jani Dushman" baffled Bollywood critics but they say the film did well because of its technical finesse which is something new for Indian audiences. "Devdas" also did well because of its technical displays, media hype and a general curiosity among Indian filmgoers to see how Shah Rukh Khan’s Devdas compared to Dilip Kumar’s film.
"Indian audiences are maturing. No doubt they want entertainment but that does not mean they will accept an irrational or illogical story. And if a director wishes to take his audience to the world of fantasy, then he will have to give them what Steven Spielberg, Raymond Chandler, Roman Polanski and Nathaniel West do," said Anand Mohan a film journalist.
Indian audiences can no longer be taken for granted or emotionally blackmailed by patriotic storylines. A series of patriotic films released after "Border" crashed at the box office. Indian film enthusiasts want entertainment and value for their money. In order to give them what they demand, directors will have to sharpen their skills. Musicians will have to stop merely copying notes and actors will have to project and convince. Only then will Bollywood see golden moments once again.
Arab News Review article 28 November 2002