Compromise to Conquer the Box Office

Ajab Prem ki Ghazab Kahaani will go on to become Raj Kumar Santoshi's most successful film, in terms of box office returns. But I don't think Santoshi will be proud of this film. The director, who made both entertaining and sensible films (in the commercial format) like Andaz Apna Apna, Ghatak, Ghayal, Damini, Khakee, Bhagat Singh to name a few, has at last realised that it is better to make a light-hearted, hare-brained entertainer and have a rolling hit than make something more sensible and not get the big bang effect.

APGK reminds you a bit of the Andaz Apna Apna humour, but it lacks the flow of that Santoshi masterpiece. But for the all the failings in the film (script, continuity and story), there is one person who redeems the film in every frame. Ranbir Kapoor is a revelation, and a lot of credit should go to Santoshi for believing in this young actor to deliver the big P. After seeing Ranbir in APGK, I feel he is immensely more talented and spontaneous than SRK in his younger days (this comparison is going to be inevitable, even though they are poles apart in their acting styles).

APGK proves beyond doubt that Ranbit has 'acting' in his genes, but I thought I also saw sparks of Kishore Kumar and Raj Kapoor in some of the scenes. So even though Ranbir has all the makings of becoming a superstar as big as SRK (as I said in my earlier post) he will chart his own path to get there.

Three (Very Old) Idiots

Just caught a glimpse of the teaser promo of Raj Kumar Hirani's Three Idiots, based on the novel by bestseller writer Chetan Bhagat. I hope the film is fun and interesting as Hirani's Munnabhai series. But I felt sad to see Aamir Khan, R Madhavan and Sharmaan Joshi play young IIT students. This is not bad casting, it is about insulting the viewers (to have them believe that these grown-ups are engineering students). Even if the three actors manage to make us believe that they are young guys, it is bad logic on the part of the producer (Vidhu Vinod Chopra. To me, this film starts on the wrong foot with this casting blunder.

Hollywood also makes mistakes in casting, scripting and direction. But it will never have a Tom Cruise or a Brad Pitt playing a college student or a young lover (unless the story demands as in the film The Curious Case of Benjamin Button).

But our group of successful Khans are trying hard to get younger by every film they do. Take Om Shanti Om (SRK), Ghajini (Aamir), Love Aaj Kal (Saif) or Wanted (Salman. In all these films, the Khans are romancing heroines who are probably half their age. But then the public accepts the Khans in whichever way they come, as long as it is paisa vasool . In India, everything is forgiven for superstars (in his last film Sivaji, Rajnikanth romanced Shreya Saran, who is probably forty years younger to him. Before him, NTR and Nageswara Rao in Telugu, and Dr Rajkumar in Kannada did the same).

On another side, I found it funny that our media makes a big story out of a rain song featuring Aamir and Kareena in Three Idiots. Is a rain song so important in a film which has the 'Thinking Khan' starring in it. I really wonder why an actor of the calibre of Aamir has to do such a song, and also talk about it to media. Anyway, just hope that the film lives up to its expectations.

Among the few brilliant films I saw this week was the 1970s thriller classic The Getaway, directed by the maverick American director Sam Peckinpah. The film, starring the 'ever cool' Steve Macqueen and Ali McGraw, had edge-of-the-seat action, thrills and suspense right from the word go. Not only did Peckinpah show how to turn every cliche on the head in telling a crime story, he showed that good films like this one always stand the test of time thanks to a great script and narrative. I also saw Solino, a film directed by Fatih Akin, a German filmmaker of Turkish origin (I saw this on NDTV Lumiere, which is turning out to be my favourite movie channel). Solino is a story of an Italian family which emigrates to Germany in the 1970s. The film shows the parallel journeys (emotional, physical) of transition for migrants who are caught between two cultures.

Beyond Imitating Hollywood

I just finished reading a wonderful piece in the Hindu Sunday Magazine on the new generation directors in Bollywood who are going beyond cut-pasting Hollywood films. In his article, Bangalore-based film maker Vijay Nair analyses the film making styles of the Imtiaz Ali and Vishal Bharadwaj, and points out that they are tuning to the new Indian audiences by "learning to keep themselves open to a more eclectic set of influences."

In other words, even if their films are 'inspired' by literature and films of the West, they have adapted their offerings (Ali's Love Aaj Kal and Bharadwaj's Omkaara and Kaminey) to suit Indian sensibilities.

I really loved the way Nair demolished the Karan Johar school of film making for its ham-handed way of mixing and matching scenes in Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna from the original Falling in Love (starring Robert De Niro and Meryl Streep). It has taken more than 10 years for a Bollywood biggie like Johar to come up with a superior product like Wake Up Sid--and ironically, that one is not directed by him.

Talking about remakes and inspirations, Indiatimes.com has an interesting compilation of the films that Kamal Haasan copied, adapted and remade as a scriptwriter and producer. And more often than not, he has tried to prove the Urdu adage that Naqal ke liye bhi Akal ki Zaroorat Hoti Hai.

Is Ranbir the Next SRK?

Just a day left for the release of Ajab Prem ki Ghazab Kahani (APGK) and it already looks like a blazing hit at the box office. The positive buzz has nothing much to do with the fact that it is directed by the talented Raj Kumar Santoshi; nor is it about the Ranbir-Katrina chemistry. To some extent, the success of Wake Up Sid is making things easier for APGK to hit the screen running. Beyond all these factors, what truly gives the film the big pre-launch push is, what I call, the Ranbir edge.

Ranbir is suddenly beginning to look ready to steal 'the lover boy' label from Shah Rukh Khan. Though he is definitely not in the mould of SRK (the energy levels are different), he has the essential ingredients to fit neatly into that niche.

What is that wow! thing which helps Ranbir dominate the screen with a star-like shine? By Bollywood standards, he does not have the drop-dead looks of Hrithik Roshan nor does he have the brawn to flaunt around. Even his voice is not too impressive. But what works for him is that he comes across as a straightforward, no-nonsense, cool guy (and cute too) to the urban audience. The cute quotient worked for SRK, and it will work for Ranbir too. None would be more happier than Yashraj Films, which is definitely searching for an ideal, young replacement for SRK.

To get into the superstar league, Ranbir need not even do a film like Dilwale Dulhaniyan Le Jaayenge or Dil to Paagal Hai. All he needs to do is the kind of films which will get him a 'secure connect' with the youth. Quite sensibly, Ranbir is not starting off his innings as SRK did in his early years. After the debacle of Bachna Hai Haseenon, Ranbir is attempting to do slightly offbeat roles which offer him the scope for experimentation.

Riding on the success of Wake Up Sid and APGK (as it promises to be) , the young actor will be ready to deliver more aces in the coming months, most notably Rocket Singh-Salesman of the Year (from Yashraj Films). Santoshi has announced that Ranbir and Katrina would be starring in the sequel to his popular Andaz Apna Apna (and arguably one of the best comedies to have come from the Bollywood stable).

But becoming a youth superstar will still take some doing from Ranbir. More so, because SRK is still a youth icon in his 40s, despite a no-show year in 2009. And one never knows what the 'Badshah' might do to keep that crown to himself in 2010.

Ajab Pritam ka Ghazab Music!

I always thought Pritam brought that extra zing to every song he does. He has a fine sense of music arrangement, enviable knowledge of technology and a good sense of rhythm. There is no doubt that he knows the pulse of Indian GenX and makes music that sets the FM channels on fire. Of course, his detractors say he copies left, right and centre. But it does not matter in today's world, where originality is as difficult to find as water in a desert. Pritam is free to get 'inspired' as long as he packages the right mix for Indian listeners. Every song of his in the past year has been a chartbuster (Life in a Metro, Gol Maal 2, Bhool Bhulaiya, Singh is King, New York, Love Aaj Kal)--and that is evidence enough that the audience loves his kind of music.

Methinks that his score in Ajab Prem ki Ghazab Kahani is a great effort, in terms of the variety it offers. Not only are the numbers instantly catchy but some of them like Tera Hone Laga Hoon work their magic better after many listens.

Of course, Pritam has competition in the form of Bollywood's talented duo Vishal Shekhar, who keep springing up surprises like Om Shanti Om, Tashan and Dostana, but they still don't have that consistency about them. The other duo Salim-Suleiman, have shown their mettle in background scores, but still have to give more hits to establish their niche. I don't want to forget Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy who have given memorable numbers during their reasonably long stint in Hindi film music. But despite Taare Zameen Par and Rock On, I still find it difficult to place them among the pop toppers.

As of now, Pritam rules the Bollywood roost (I don't want to bring ARR's name in the race, since he is not really in the competition and is a veteran compared to these younger guys. And to many of these wannabes, he is an inspiration..) Important question: Will Pritam have the staying power to be there at the top for a long time. My answer: I don't see him disappearing from the scene in the years to come. I only hope he evolves as a better musician who can explore new rhythms and melodies to keep music lovers addicted and happy.