Arise, Real HEROES

The initial euphoria about a grand reopening of the magical jukebox that is Bollywood appears to have fizzled out, giving way to cautious optimism. Bruised and battered beyond recognition by the coronavirus pandemic, the Hindi film industry looks a pale shadow of itself, waiting, then waiting some more, for the elusive turnaround.

A proverbial glimmer of hope, however, may well be around the corner this weekend. Come March 11, B-town will get an inkling of the future when Rajkummar Rao-Jahnvi Kapoor starrer Roohi hits the big screen. Seldom has the industry anxiously waited for the audience’s verdict on such a modestly mounted venture. The reasons are not far to seek. Roohi is the first major mainstream Hindi film to see the light of the day since the Centre allowed theatres to reopen with 100 per cent occupancy. Its footfalls over the first weekend will more or less determine if the industry has a real chance of springing back on its feet after an annus horribilis beset by insurmountable financial losses.

True, film-maker Dinesh Vijan’s horror-comedy may not be a big-ticket ext­ravaganza per se but expectations are soaring. In 2018, its prequel of sorts, Stree, had minted over Rs 180 crore at the ticket counters. But then, three years is a long period in an industry where destinies are overhauled every Friday. As of now, the film fraternity appears to have collectively risen above petty rivalries to pray for a Stree-like success for Roohi, as it will signal the beginning of the end to the most depressing era in the history of Indian cinema.

However, statistics paint a dismal picture. According to a recent KPMG report, the film segment will contract by 67 per cent over FY21, registering revenues of Rs 6,100 crore, as against Rs 18,300 crore the previous year. Nonetheless, the industry is hoping to ride on the charisma of its mighty sup­erstars in its bid for full recovery.

Last month, a jubilant Bollywood had welcomed the withdrawal of all res­trictions imposed on theatres. It anno­unced release dates of many a potential blockbuster, headlined by the biggest stars and directors. However, it was not long before a ren­ewed burst of COVID-19 cases, especially in Mumbai, dealt a cruel blow even before the industry could apply fresh make-up and heel off to the sets. The industry has since sought to put up a brave face with its time-tested weapon: the theatre release of new projects. Watching movies on the big screen, in a darkened auditorium, has been a national pastime for generations, when ‘over-the-top’ only meant ‘loud’ acting. No Machiavellian digital platform darkened Bollywood’s familiar turf.

Roohi is among a dozen-odd Hindi movies, including John Abraham’s Mumbai Saga and Yash Raj Films’ Sandeep and Pinky Faraar, that are set for theatre releases this month. Even so, Bollywood watches with bated breath, with audiences showing no discernible haste to stomp back into theatres.

Indeed, Bollywood’s caution has to do with its still surveying the depths of the nationwide lockdown, which forced the closure of around 1,000 single-screen theatres. On top of that, while it gasped for air, global OTT gia­nts like Amazon Prime and Netflix quietly penetrated into tier-II and tier-III cities and grew exponentially at its exp­ense by streaming new movies like Gulabo Sitabo, Lakshmi, Shakuntala Devi and Coolie No 1. Theatres—sites of dreams woven and unfurled—had lost its monopoly. Much to Bollywood’s relief, most movies released directly on OTT platforms have failed to create a buzz, helping the film fraternity believe that theatres haven’t lost its atavistic pull.

Still, it is a herculean task to bring audiences back in droves to theatres, now that they are used to consuming content from the cosiness of their drawing (and bed) rooms for a year. The industry believes that it is up to battle-scarred superstars to prove their worth by rising to the occasion. It app­arently exp­ects the likes of Salman Khan, Akshay Kumar, Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan and Ajay Devgn, with their impeccable credentials at ticket counters, to pull off a real-­life rescue. The onus is on these mandarins to deliver a string of blockbusters in the weeks and months ahead.

But is it easier said than done? Trade experts, for one, appear to be sceptical of unvarnished trust in star power. “The days of the Rs 200-300 crore blockbusters seem to be over now,” movie trade analyst Atul Mohan tells Outlook. “It will be enough if any film manages to earn even Rs 50 crore today.” Mohan, the editor of Complete Cinema, says that everybody is waiting for the audience’s response to Roohi to get an idea about the future of theatres. “Many movies of superstars are lined up next for release this year, but times have changed. Superstars alone can no longer ensure enough footfalls,” he says. “The industry is not likely to recover completely before 2022.”

Mohan adds, “The scenario has not yet looked up despite the Centre’s clearance to reopen theatres with 100 per cent occupancy. Many states are yet to give the nod. It has dissuaded makers of big movies from releasing their films.”

Mohan cites the example of Rohit Shetty’s multi-starrer Sooryavanshi and Kabir Khan’s 83. Sooryavashi boasts of an awesome star cast comprising A-listers such as Akshay Kumar, Ajay Devgn, Ranveer Singh and Katrina Kaif. And yet, its makers have put its release on hold for nearly a year, apparently waiting for things to return to normality. Although PVR Pictures, the distribution wing of the multiplex major PVR Ltd has announced that Sooryavanshi and 83 will release in the first weeks of April and June respectively, it apparently all depends on how the audience responds to the other new films being released in the next few weeks.

Sanjeev Kumar Bijli, joint managing director, PVR Ltd, says it is reassuring to have cinemas reopen across the country and in most parts of the world. “We are looking forward to showing our films to audiences on the big scr­een at the soonest possible,” he says.

Kamal Gianchandani, CEO, PVR Pictures, concurs. “No one wants films back on the big screens more than we do. We are looking forward to supporting our partners in the exhibition with a steady supply of world-class films, while also giving moviegoers an opportunity to see some amazing films. We are grateful to our movie studios and filmmaking partners for working with us and responding to these circumstances”.

Meanwhile, theatres, especially single-screens, wait for their deliverance. Even though many of them partially reopened last October after seven months, the occupancy rem­ained abysmally low. As big filmmakers held back their new movies, theatre owners had no choice but to re-run old films or low-budget new flicks, which had few takers. As a res­ult, many theatres had to be shut down again. Theatre owners later sent an SOS to Salman Khan, asking Bhaijaan to release his next movie, Radhe: Your Most Wanted Bhai in theatres and bail them out like a caring, real-life brother.

Salman has since responded, having already announced that Radhe would open in theatres on Eid in May. He, however, thinks that the scenario rem­ains bleak. “Many theatres have shut down and they have the feel of a graveyard,” he said at a recent promotional in Mumbai. “It’s a real Catch-22 situation.”

According to Salman, he already has three movies lined up for release this year (Radhe, Antim and Kabhi Eid Kabhi Diwali), apart from the next editions of his blockbuster franchise, Kick and Tiger, which will go on the floors. But will he be able to draw his fans with his much-touted star power as in the past? No way, says National Award winning film writer Vinod Anupam. “The era of superstar-driven Hindi cinema is over. The audience has had enough of superstars. Now, they want to see good content, not merely a superstar,” he says.

Anupam, however, hastens to add that content alone might not be enough to bring the audience back to theatres. “A film with good content, with good actors like Pankaj Tripathi, can still be watched on a six-inch mobile phone,” he says. “The film-makers will now have to make movies on an epic scale, something people will not be able to enjoy on their phones. That is the only way forward for theatres to flourish.”

Where does it leave the film industry, which has pinned all its hopes on a slew of big movies starring the most saleable names of Bollywood? Busybee Akshay Kumar, for one, has at least three movies, Bell Bottom, Atrangi Re and Prithiviraj, lined up for release this year. Shah Rukh Khan has begun shooting for his ambitious comeback vehicle, Pathan, which stars Salman in a cameo. Aamir Khan wants to leave this year on a happy cheer with the Christmas release of Laal Singh Chaddha, an official remake of Tom Hank’s Oscar-winning Forest Gump (1994). Ajay Devgn, too, is busy wrapping up the shoot of May Day and Maidaan. Then there are others like Ranbir Kapoor and Ranveer Singh, who have two to three big films slated for release this year.

Bollywood, therefore, has enough cans of prepared film to project its wishes on the bare walls of a year gone waste. Right now, it lives in hope that its big stars will make 2021 radically different. The jury on the fate of the film industry is still out, and the situation puts its haloed star system under a scanner like never before. Their time starts now.