Recent hit films with lesser known actors, and flop films of big stars proves that stars no longer guarantee a hit film
In recent years, producers have watched with dismay as movies with stellar star cast bombed at the box office. Despite shelling out astronomical fees to superstars, the films sank without a trace. Films of Ajay Devgn, Ranveer Singh, Aamir Khan, Akshay Kumar, Salman Khan, Hrihtik Roshan, Prabhas, Alia Bhatt proved to be duds. In Tollywood Ram Charan’s Game Changer failed.
On the other hand, films like Stree 2, 12th Fail and the recent Chhaava became hits despite them not boasting of superstar ensemble.
Producer and director Karan Johar, in an interview said he was inspired by the success of Stree 2 because though the film did not have a superstar cast, it was one of the few hits Bollywood has delivered in two years. He clearly said “You do not need stars to make films.”
Does this signal the end of the superstar era?
Bharathi S Pradhan, columnist, critic and author, explains, “The overconfident swagger of stars who believed that their presence prevailed over all else, is certainly over. Otherwise, Salman Khan’s Eid releases or Akshay Kumar’s string of releases, Aamir Khan’s Laal Singh Chaddha and Hrithik Roshan’s Fighter would not have nosedived the way they did. Indeed, SRK’s 2023 hits too were rumoured to have made their collections in an unorganic manner. It is therefore the era of sentiment, scale and sweat, sweat, sweat.”
“The casual, taking-their-fandom-for-granted approach of stars is over in this current phase. Vicky Kaushal (Chhaava) and Allu Arjun (Pushpa) too, cannot afford to be overconfident about their magnetic pull. It’s content alone that wears the crown,” she adds.
At a recent event, Stree2 writer Niren Bhatt said that “the only way to succeed is to make original content. The writer also noted Bollywood’s obsession with remakes. “Out of 25 remakes post-pandemic, 23 are flops,” he had added.
The smart producers
Content, the crucial aspect of film making, is being ignored. Pradhan says that it has to do with producers’ tendency to cater to all star demands. “Producers are to blame for their current predicament. Why have they been capitulating to star demands (astronomical fees, unreasonable clauses) instead of placing faith in their content, their price-controlled production design and sweat, sweat, sweat?
Dinesh Vijan (producer of Stree2) has been the smartest so far, blazing a trail for producers to follow suit by casting actors in content-driven cinema with controlled costs on all fronts,” she says. Referring to the interview where Johar said that producers play a crucial role now, Pradhan adds: “Karan Johar is smart, practical and a quick learner. I see Farhan-Ritesh and Nikkhil Advani also moving towards Vijan’s cinema, an array that ranges from modestly budgeted films like Munjya to spectacular, large screen drama like Chhaava. The producer will have his day the day he stops taking shortcuts by signing on an atrociously costly star and sitting back for magic to happen.”
Tollywood, a slightly different game
In Telugu movies, the trend is slightly different. The star power always works, but it doesn’t work for nonsensical films. The content should be there. The star power will take it further and it will create its impact, but there should be minimal content to go with that,” says film critic Jeevi. “Earlier, star films used to provide openings, at least for the first weekend, irrespective of how the film is, or how the trailers and promotions were. But right now, the trailer, teaser, and other promotional activities are creating an impression on the audience, and they accordingly decide whether to watch a film or not. If a star film doesn’t give you that impression that it has something exciting for the audiences, die-hard fans might watch it, but regular moviegoers will be more discerning because they have a plethora of other options now. That cushioning that stars provided to below-average films is definitely not there anymore.”
