Content is the new A-lister

If film reviews and audience reactions are anything to go by, a successful filmmaker’s tag is not enough to rake in the moolah. Take Befikre for instance. Despite Aditya Chopra — who once made Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge, the pinnacle of romance in the ’90s — helming the new-age romance, and Ranveer Singh as its leading actor, the movie has received negative reviews. Some have said “it’s the worst film so far from the YRF camp.” Last month, it was Karan Johar’s Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, which was in the line of fire for faulty content.

Both Aditya Chopra and Karan Johar are rated as top notch directors, but obviously their recent ventures didn’t do justice to the tag. Some say they can’t believe these films are from the same directors who directed the superhit DDLJ and Kuch Kuch Hota Hai respectively.

As the audience exposure to films from across the world increases, it would seem that they are no longer satisfied with just watching their favourite stars on screen. Content is king. Perhaps this is why films like Pink, Neerja, and M.S. Dhoni — the Untold Story did well despite not having a line-up of A-listers.

Producer Pritish Nandy, says that an A-List star-cast needs to be backed by a good story — an element essential to make it work. Trade analyst Omar Qureshi says, “The audience is absolutely bored of clichéd plots. Filmmakers don’t want to step out of their comfortable safe zone or experiment.”

Filmmaker Rensil D’Silva states that Indian audiences are waking up to the importance of subject matter, making it more difficult for film-makers. “Recently, content driven small-budget films have been doing extremely well. Take for instance Kahaani and Pink, their story lines were so good that they worked. Dum Laga Ke Haisha is a classic example of a story, which was so simple and beautifully told, that it did wonders. It’s the merit of the story that is the way forward for Bollywood now,” he asserts.

Shah Rukh Khan starred in big-budget films like Dilwale and Fan, which didn’t set cash registers ringing at the box office. If trailers for his next release Raees are something to go by, the actor seems to have challenged himself with a story-oriented film. Pritish Nandy is happy that Bollywood bigwigs themselves are beginning to look beyond masala movies. He says, “I think stars themselves are waking up to the fact that people want more than just popular Bollywood masala. Aamir Khan has recently been doing decent films, and Dangal is something I am looking forward to. Shah Rukh Khan has also been taking a few risks. Raees looks promising.”

Weak script cannot salvage a film
Audiences are far more critical and discerning these days. Far more vocal, too. Social media opinions impact a movie far more than advertising hype. While star power counts for a lot, viewers prefer a strong connect. A weak script or concept cannot salvage a star driven film. Sairat in Marathi is the best example of content winning over all else  —Shobha De, Columnist

A strong script is the key to a successful film
Recently, content driven small-budget films have been doing extremely well. Take for instance Kahaani and Pink, their story lines were so good that they worked. Dum Laga Ke Haisha is a classic example of a story, which was so simple and beautifully told, that it did wonders. It’s the merit of the story that is the way forward for Bollywood now    —Rensil D’Silva, Filmmaker