What happened?! As Shaad Ali’s Kill/Dil, his first film in six years, hit theatres last week there were gasps of dismay and disbelief all round. Henceforth every filmmaker who makes a comeback and fails would be thought of as “doing a Shaad Ali” on the audience.
Here’s looking at directors before Shaad who have made disastrous comebacks.
Kamaal Amrohi in Razia Sultan: The original Shaad Ali disaster plan. Kamal Amrohi completed and released the immortal classic Pakeezah in 1972. It took Amrohi 11 years to direct another film, the purported magnum opus Razia Sultan which turned out to be one of the worst disasters in the history of Indian cinema. Hema Malini in the title role had to learn Urdu. The joke went, Kamaal Amrohi unlearnt direction while his leading lady learnt Urdu.
Gulzar in Hu-tu-tu: Three years after he made the memorable and moving Maachis, Shaad Ali’s mentor Gulzar directed Hu-tu-tu with the same actress Tabu in a another film about terrorism and the individual’s moral crisis. Hu-tu-tu was a critical and commercial failure. Gulzar never directed a film again.
Muzaffar Ali in Anjuman: Shaad Ali seems to have inherited his father Muzaffar Ali’s career pattern of a lengthy hiatus from direction. Shaad directed Saathiya and Bunty Aur Babli within a gap of four years. He then did the disastrous Jhoom Baraabar Jhoom and disappeared for seven years. Muzaffar made Aagaman quickly after the grand success of Umrao Jaan. But after Aagaman he made no feature film for four years. Anjuman in 1986 with Shabana Azmi and Farouq Sheikh failed to recreate the magic of Umrao Jaan. Muzaffar has directed no film since the aborted Zooni.
Suneel Darshan In Karle Pyaar Karle: Returning last year to direction seven years after the disastrous Shaka Laka Boom to launch his son, Suneel Darshan’s Karle Pyaar Karle was an even bigger disaster.
Aziz Mirza in Kismat Konnection: After the very successful Chalte Chalte featuring Shah Rukh Khan and Rani Mukherjee, Aziz Mirza disappeared for five years. He returned to direction in 2008 with the Shahid-Vidya Balan starrer Kismat Konnection. Aziz never made a film thereafter.
Shimit Amin in Rocket Singh Salesman Of The Year: The mother of all aborted comebacks. In 2007 Shimit directed Chak De, one of the most acclaimed films of recent times. Filled with original innovative ideas Shimit followed it up with Rocket Singh Salesman Of The Year, arguably the biggest flop from Yash Raj production. Shimit has not returned to direction since then. We are still waiting.
.....And Shaad, hoping for a quick recovery rather than a long layoff from you.
