In an industry which equates success with commercial gain, it is quite strange that the first half of the year has had more than a handful of films winning critical acclaim, and only a few making the cash registers ring at the box office. On the one hand, there have been films such as Black & White, Subhash Ghai’s attempt to get serious with a crossover film about a guy forced to take to arms post-Gujarat 2002. Or for that matter, the more recent Aamir which again talked of the tendency to taint the Muslim community with the same brush: here the victim was the accused too. On more or less the same lines, a little earlier came Samar Khan’s Shaurya, an Indian adaptation of A Few Good Men that got the critics raving. Much like Mithya.
Unfortunately, despite good reviews and favourable word-of-mouth publicity none of these films can actually be considered a blockbuster, a term reserved for otherwise masala entertainers such as Race and Jannat. The former had a prolonged skin show, the latter capitalised on the cricket fever in the country during the IPL. Both reaped dividends at the box office, as indeed did Jodhaa-Akbar that performed creditably in some pockets, and only average in many others. Similar was the fate of Sarkar Raj, people across the country dismissed the film but it collected more in
U, ME AUR HUM
Ajay Devgan joined hands with wife Kajol to spring a tale about an Alzheimer’s patient. The audiences forgot to queue up at the turnstiles, and the Devgan couple was left ruminating ‘you, me aur hum’.
HALLA BOL
The year got off to a traditional inauspicious start with Raj Kumar Santoshi’s loose take on Safdar Hashmi biting the dust at the box office. Not even the presence of Ajay Devgan could get an initial opening and the masses failed to understand what all the fuss about Halla Bol was.
JIMMY
Mithun Chakraborty’s son Mimoh made his debut with this belated release. He tried everything which made Papa Dear a darling of the masses. The only problem was nobody was watching. And the cliché-ridden film went back unseen, unsung.
Nagesh Kukunoor’s attempt to go ribald went kaput. This story of a chef from
TASHAN
Yash Raj Films’ date with mortality, Tashan, proved that resources are no guarantee of quality cinema as director Vijay Krishna Acharya goofed up big time with a star cast that included Akshay Kumar, Saif Ali Khan, Anil Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor. Easily the biggest disappointment this year.
RAMA RAMA KYA HAI DRAMAAA
This confused comedy failed to raise any laughs at the box office, only proving that there is only so much comedians like Rajpal Yadav can do. And actresses like Neha Dhupia can only dish out certain kind of appeal. With all its numerology-inspired name, this was a drama even Rama could not save.
MEMSAHAB
The very fact that the film finds a mention here is probably more than it deserves. Starring Yuktaa Mookhey trying desperately to prove that height is no deterrent in commercial cinema, the film was replete with the stereotypes we thought we had left behind. And to think this utter disaster was based on the anti-Sikh riots of
Anupam and Kirron Kher’s son Sikander made his debut with this tautly made film. The only problem was there was not much support for the debutant, and at a little less than 90 minutes, some traditional cinemagoers felt cheated. Too small, too quick. Sikander’s second outing with Summer 2007 was similarly more talked about than seen.
FORGOT THEM
Ah! There were others, films which were released at the box office, and as immediately got a release from it. Names such as Mr Black Mr White, One Two Three, Sirf, Pranali, Don Muthuswamy, Haal-e-Dil, Hastey-Hastey, Thodi Life Thoda Magic… come to mind. Then there were others such as Bhram, Dasavatar, Krazzy-4, Mere Baap Pehle Aap…. Yawn.
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