Jailer, starring Superstar Rajinikanth, has emerged as one of the highest grossers so far this year. The staggering box office collections of the Nelson Dilipkumar directorial, which is still going strong, totally surprised trade pundits. Similarly, the numbers posted by Gadar 2 are unbelievable! The Sunny Deol-starrer, also a top grosser, is going very strong. Last year, Kamal Haasan’s Vikram, turned out to be the highest grosser ever, something no one had predicted. These actors had failed to strike a chord with the audience in a series of films earlier, and the trade wasn’t too keen to bet on them. But they’ve bounced back, and how!
Low buzz for Jailer
A Rajinikanth movie once involved tremendous hype around the release. That seems to have been gradually fading. The only times Jailer made news was when the trailer was released, and when the Kaavaalaa song (centred around Tamannaah) became a super hit. But after its release, the film has turned into a blockbuster.
Producer and distributor Suniel Narang, who bought the theatrical rights of some of Rajini’s earlier films and suffered losses, reveals that several people in the trade had cautioned him against getting the theatrical rights for Jailer. “But I paid no heed to them, and went ahead and bought the rights for AP and Telangana,” he says, adding that he believed in good content.
“I was a tad apprehensive,” Suniel admits, but quickly adds, “After the response to the first show, I did not have any doubt. He was confident that the film would be a super hit after that, and his instincts proved true.
He believes the action genre is universally popular. “Especially post Covid, people lap up any film that has mass appeal,” says Sunil, adding, “Jailer’s unique treatment and Rajinikanth’s realistic performance worked big time.”
Kamal’s comeback — no one saw it coming
Just a few years ago, people would have laughed at the notion
that a Kamal Haasan film would become a blockbuster. Many felt that his entry into politics had rung the death knell of his prolific film career. In fact, the actor-filmmaker didn’t taste any remarkable success at the box office after Vishwaroopam (2013). But in 2022, Vikram, directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj, changed Kamal’s fortunes.
The actor celebrated his 68th birthday with the industry’s biggest hit till date — Vikram crossed the Rs.300 crore mark at the box office. “I will repay all my loans and eat to my heart’s content. I will give whatever I can to my family and friends. After that, if I don't have anything left, I will say I don't have any more to give. I don't have to pretend to help others by taking someone else's money,” Kamal said at a press conference last year.
Vikram brought him back into the reckoning and is on a signing spree! He's got Indian 2, Vikram 2, a film with Mani Ratnam (working title KH234) and Vettaiyaadu Vilaiyaadu 2 on his plate.
Sunny Deol was written off
And a short while ago, who would have thought Gadar 2 would script history? In fact, can anyone remember when was the last time Sunny Deol tasted success at the box office? Trade had written off the actor. The buzz for Gadar 2 wasn’t great and the trailer got a mixed response.
But that’s when the tough get going! The 66-year-old has won everyone over with his machismo, emotional dialogues and innocent charm as Tara Singh in Gaddar 2. The Anil Sharma directorial is currently the hot favourite among the people of India!
Akshay’s redemption
After a string of failures Akshay Kumar has been under pressure to deliver at the box office. Despite some strong advantages, including support from the ruling BJP and an efficient PR machinery, his recent films couldn't do well – that is, till his latest release, OMG 2, which has received rave reviews from both audiences and critics. The Amit Rai directorial gave the actor the breakthrough he was desperately looking for. The film, which was released along with Jailer and Gadar 2, was not on par with those in terms of collections, but is doing decent business at the box office and is progressing steadily.
Logic and realism
At a time when audiences are exposed to world cinema, impressing them is the biggest challenge! So what did these actors do differently, that turned things around for them?
Senior writer Sainath Thotapalli comments that no star can singlehandedly make a film a blockbuster. Story, screenplay and direction have their roles to play too. “I watched Jailer, and some of the scenes were written extraordinarily. The presentation of the scenes was fresh,” he comments.
Sainath shares that stars are now willing to accept roles that reflect their age on screen. And audiences are welcoming films where the protagonist is true to his biological age. “The recent films of Sunny Doel, Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan, Shah Rukh Khan, etc., have done well because the actors have played characters who matched their actual age and did not try to be over-the-top,” he notes.
He feels that the audience’s mindset has not changed, post Covid, and asserts that stories that have surprise elements always work at the box office.
If the stories are raw and unique, they definitely find favour with the audience. As film viewers start thinking logically, filmmakers need to come up with smart writing. Screenwriter Gopi Mohan agrees that the intellectual content in films has improved significantly.
“Gadar is a hit film and the franchise has stayed alive in the minds of the audience because the film was screened on television during Independence Days and Republic Days. So when the second instalment was made, the emotional connect was already there,” says Gopi Mohan, adding that the film was well written and crafted as well.
Rajinikanth’s recent films showed him in a cliched light, probably contributing to their failure. But in Jailer, he was shown differently.
The film proved that a hero can have children and grand-children, and age is not a factor in stardom as long as the story makes sense. “In Hollywood, audiences have been accepting action genre films of Tom Cruise, Keanu Reeves, Patrick Stewart, Michael Keaton, etc. They want stories that are logical, and heroes in roles that are rational rather than centred on bashing up the goons,” Gopi Mohan feels
