Opinion | Why Bollywood Is Desperate For Big Hits

The year 2023 is almost five months old. Bollywood has delivered an all-time blockbuster like Siddharth Anand’s action thriller Pathaan, a potential blockbuster like Sudipto Sen’s social drama The Kerala Story, a few films that have performed below expectations and several failures. The industry must have a few big hits in the coming months — even if none of the upcoming releases emulate Pathaan, a box-office phenomenon.

GREAT EXPECTATIONS

Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan have already appeared as the male lead this year. SRK’s Pathaan was a huge hit, but Salman made little impact with Farhad Samji’s action drama Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan.

That said, how the report card of 2023 will read will significantly depend on the performance of their upcoming films. Salman has Maneesh Sharma’s much-awaited action thriller Tiger 3, the sequel to Ali Abbas Zafar’s Tiger Zinda Hai (2017) and the fifth installment of the YRF Spy Universe that will release on November 10. SRK, on the other hand, has Atlee’s action thriller Jawan, which will reach the viewers on September 7. SRK also has Rajkumar Hirani’s social drama Dunki, reportedly a December 22 release.

Tiger 3, Jawan and Dunki will tempt all SRK and Salman fans, who will rush to the theatres to watch their idols after these films are released. Many of them already believe that these films will become blockbusters. The industry will be an infinitely happier place if that actually happens.

UPCOMING POSSIBILITIES

Om Raut’s mythological film Adipurush scheduled for release on June 16 is an ambitious project. The film’s teaser released on October 2 last year had been hugely criticised, mainly for poor VFX and the bearded look of Saif Ali Khan as Ravana, the antagonist of the story. The recently released trailer has received a far better response, and it seems that the film will attract viewers to the theatres in the first few days before feedback decides its fate at the box office.

Sameer Vidwans’s romantic drama Satyaprem Ki Katha scheduled for release on 29 June stars Kartik Aaryan and Kiara Advani. Aaryan needs a hit, having experienced a setback with Rohit Dhawan’s action comedy Shehzada. Even if SKK does not get a fantastic opening, it might emerge as a long-distance runner if the viewers like what they see in the initial days.

Ranbir Kapoor’s recent release, Luv Ranjan’s urban romantic comedy Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar, was reasonably successful. The actor now has Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Animal, a gangster drama co-starring Rashmika Mandanna that will reportedly hit the marquee on 11 August. Reddy Vanga’s last directorial outing was the controversial romantic drama Kabir Singh (2019), a remake of his Telugu film, the Vijay Deverakonda starrer Arjun Reddy (2017). The industry is hoping that history will repeat itself — and not without reason.

Karan Johar faces the challenge of delivering a success with Ranveer Singh, who has not been successful lately. If Johar’s romantic comedy Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani scheduled for release on July 28, in which Singh’s co-star is Alia Bhatt, succeeds, it will remind everybody that the actor continues to be among the leading young stars.

PREDICTION IS ABSURD

Considering how often films capsize these days, prediction of commercial fate has become riskier than earlier. The odd film does spring a pleasant surprise, but that does not happen often.

Vicky Kaushal is a talented actor, and Sara Ali Khan’s potential is not a mystery either. Can the duo give a hit with Laxman Utekar’s romantic comedy Zara Hatke Zara Bachke, which has been scheduled for release on June 2? They might, if we keep in mind Utekar’s last two films, the romantic comedy Luka Chuppi (2019) and the comedy drama Mimi (2021), which were appreciated by many viewers. Kaushal has another important film, Meghna Gulzar’s biopic Sam Bahadur based on the life of Sam Maneckshaw, the former Chief of the Army Staff and the first Indian Army officer to be promoted to the rank of field marshal, which is scheduled for release on December 1.

Having more failures than successes is not a new experience for the film industry. As it continues to adapt to changing times, however, the need for morale-boosting successes has increased manifold.

Among the releases in the coming months is Amit Sharma’s biographical sports drama Maidaan starring Ajay Devgn, a June 23 release starring Ajay Devgn and based on the life of Syed Abdul Rahim, the legendary coach and manager of the Indian football team. Ayushmann Khurrana must be hoping that his luck will change with Raaj Shandilyaa’s comedy-drama Dream Girl 2, a spiritual sequel to Dream Girl (2019) releasing on August 25. Tiger Shroff has teamed up with Kriti Sanon for Vikas Bahl’s Ganapath – Part 1, a sci-fi thriller scheduled for release on October 20.

If some of these films do great business, makers will start believing that they can deal with the challenges offered by the newly emerging realities of modern times. Will it happen? Everybody, right from industrywallahs to film-goers, will pray it does — for the sake of Hindi cinema.

The author, a journalist for three decades, writes on literature and pop culture. Among his books are ‘MSD: The Man, The Leader’, the bestselling biography of former Indian captain MS