Jazbaa: Will ‘less is more’ work?

Sanjay Gupta’s next film Jazbaa is being touted as Aishwarya Rai Bachchan’s comeback vehicle after years off the screens. There’s a problem though. Compared to the publicity rush her colleagues unleash in Bollywood, Ash has been low-key... in fact, she still remains “rarely seen”.

The cast of the movie are some of the biggest names in the business —  Irrfan Khan, Jackie Shroff, Shabana Azmi, etc. One would expect quite the chatter. So, why is the world so quiet?

Trade expert Komal Nahta says, “Director Sanjay Gupta is not really known for his body of work (he’s had very few hits). And you can’t expect this film to be as hot as a Salman Khan or a Shah Rukh Khan-starrer. But it’s true that Aishwarya and Irrfan should be more visible and audible since their appearances can make a whole lot of difference.”

And at a time when publicity campaigns start months ahead, Jazbaa has only released a few songs. Mumbai-based exhibitor Akshay Rathi, who is confident of the film’s release says, “They will be releasing a Sachin-Jigar track next, which is completely different from the other songs. Plus, they are also attaching a new trailer with Singh Is Bliing on October 2. It’s a film for a specific market so, they are only releasing it in 2,000 screens. By the time, the film releases, the buzz will be enough.”

However, the question remains — is it wise to bet on Sanjay? Komal adds, “Today, all actors are first looking at the script. A director actually is the last thing on their minds. Now, whether a movie works or not is a chance they have to take.” Also, will the strategy of ‘doing less is more’ work in this case, considering it’s a high-profile film? Trade expert Joginder Tuteja says, “See, it’s really not a Bajirao Mastani. They are not aiming for '100 crore. It’s a good, medium-budget film and they are treating it accordingly, rather than getting pressurised by promoting it as Aishwarya’s comeback film. Now, this strategy could go both ways. After all, we all know what happened to Katti Batti and Hero, which were promoted for months.”

Hopefully, just Brand Aishwarya should be able to hold the film. If it fails, her next film will be called a “re-launch” again — just like what happened to Kajol.