In my opinion Rajamouli’s RRR has raised the standards of entertainment. Now the audience is hungry for more magic and cinematic experiences. Bigger budgets, multi-languages, more action- fantasy films will be the trend in the coming years. More sequels and franchises will be made. K.G.F Chapter 2 released in 1000 screens will soon announce KGF Chapter 3 and RRR will announce a sequel. The climax of Pushpa: The Rising has prepared us for a sequel and is probably work in progress at the moment.

In the 70s Pushpa may have been identified with Hindi cinema’s Rajesh Khanna, who tilted his head and said, “I hate tears’ but in the year 2022 Pushpa is universally identified with superstar Allu Arjun and this time it is Inspector Shikhawat who tilts his head and says
with a drawl, ‘Ae Pushpa’.

Moral of the story, nothing lasts forever, not success, not stardom because showbusiness is changing every moment.

Concluded

Entertainment like fashion, changes every few years, so does the business. In the olden days, Hindi and South cinema superstars never crossed territories. Bollywood stars could not speak their language and South stars even when they attempted Hindi language were never accepted by Hindi audience. Be it Kamal Haasan or Rajnikant, they failed to make a mark in Bollywood. Dhanush is currently the only exception and his presence is limited to niche movies. But last few months prove that it is not just the trends but attitudes are changing. The Hindi audience, who never liked South stars are lapping up to Pushpa, RRR and KGF. There has been a shift and it is time for our Khans and Kapoors to reassess their stardom.

Who would have thought that an Akshay Kumar’s Bachchan Panday would not work at the box-office? Who would have imagined that The Kashmir Files would take over box-office by a storm? In all fairness Ajay Devgn is the only star to consistently sparkle be it a special appearance in Gangubai Kathiawadi, RRR or make his debut on the OTT platform with Rudra. Ranveer Singh’s 83 did not garner the figures expected and Ranbir Kapoor’s Bhramastra has been in the making for years. Shah Rukh Khan is still unsure of what to make nex and Aamir Khan has been dragging feet over Laal Singh Chadha ever since covid. Salman Khan brand of movies have been working so far but will they after the southern wave I’m not sure.

To be concluded

SS Rajamouli of Bahubaali fame was ready with his ambitious RRR but had to wait for the
right time to hit the theatres. There were small and big delays but the reactions were
euphoric! The film collected 1000 crores in less than two weeks and now Hollywood was
checking out Rajamouli profile. Mumbai’s top producer and exhibitor Jayantilal Gadda who
has had a hattrick- Gangubai Kathiawadi, RRR and Attack held three grand parties attended
by the entire film industry.

That is not all, last week we have another big South release, Kannada film K.G. F Chapter 2
starring superstar Yash. Written and directed by Prashanth Neel, and produced by Vijay
Kiragandur, this is a sequel to the 2018 film K.G.F: Chapter1 this time with a bigger budget,
100 crore and more Bollywood actors, Sanjay Dutt and Raveena Tandon and just the advance
booking Chapter 2 promises to be another blockbuster.

It has finally happened; Indian cinema has crossed barriers of language to unite in creativity.
This is a big moment for the entertainment industry. A crucial time for our superstars and
super filmmakers to redefine their art.

To be concluded

Bollywood superstars may not like this but the South film fraternity have taken over the
entertainment business all over the country. Time was when countrymen waited for the latest
Hindi blockbusters but ever since the theatres closed down during the pandemic, most people
I know are binging on Telegu films dubbed in Hindi. There is high demand for these
entertainers on the OTT platform and it reflects a changing mind set.

The Telugu action-thriller Pushpa: The Rise was in a way the beginning. Superstar Allu
Arjun starrer opened theatrically on December 17 2021 to a thundering response at the box
office and was simultaneously released in dubbed versions including Hindi, Malayalam,
Tamil and Kannada languages. The official Twitter page of the OTT made the announcement
for the movie and its digital premiere and the film collected Rs 247 crore in the worldwide box-office – Rs 1,51,00,00,000 in its first week and the second-week collection recorded earnings of Rs 41, 00, 00,000. The celebrations had just begun.

To be concluded

Currently you are doing more films abroad than in India, “Yes, because I’m getting better offers abroad than here. I don’t want to do any more run of the mill roles for sure. From now on it will only be quality films for me”. And what is the difference in the shooting of India and outside? “See, I don’t want to undermine our home productions but there is no comparison with their efficiency. They are masters in detailing, so there are less chances of blunders but I also have to add that they make as many bad films as us”

What are the other differences? “They have better resources, bigger budgets and newer technology but that’s not the issue because we have the best technicians and artistes. The biggest difference in my opinion is in our responses. While we respond to everything emotionally, I think they are more mechanical about everything.” Does Gurinder Chadha fall in the same category? “No, because Gurinder Chadha does not intellectualize her craft, there is no snobbery towards Hindi cinema in her films. She is a storyteller and has the capacity to portray extra-ordinary characters in ordinary circumstances be it Bend it Like Beckham and Bride and Prejudice. Working with her is like working in a Bollywood film because she is Punjabi at heart”.

What about you, do you miss India when you are shooting abroad? “Well yes and no, because I know I’ll be returning home as soon as my schedule is over and I have learnt to live from day to day because there is a famous saying, if you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans.”

So, what is the plan ahead? I asked Anupam Kher. “From now on I will do different things and will do it my way.”  And how will you juggle your time? “Everything we do, does not require our time. It requires concentration and if your intention is good everything falls into place. There was a time I was shooting 23 films a year. Today, I’m shooting only two and both on start-to-finish schedules. When the mind is peaceful, you are able to divide time between cities and countries”.

What have you learnt from your low phase? “The lows in my career taught me seclusion, I discovered that Hindi cinema functions in camps and people meet only when they are working together. If you are not working together, even if you are friends, you become an outsider. I decided it was time to divert focus, so, I launched my play, wrote a script and built my Acting Studio”

Is it that simple? “See, a new vision calls for a new discipline. It was around this time I adapted the habit of making notes of all I needed to do. I had seen Vijaya Mehta do that during the shooting of Pestonjee, then I noticed that filmmaker Yash Chopra used a planner and even Sam Pitroda made frequent notes on his mobile phone. This was a revelation because I had never done it, I had always worked at random but now I make notes for everything. I am more systematic”.

To be continued

Today, Anupam Kher is associated with international cinema, quality theatre, his acting school and his alternate career as a motivation speaker. But time was, some twenty years ago, when after riding the crest of success, he was drained as an artiste. This happens to the best actors at some point in their careers and that is the time to get off the tread mill and introspect.

Anupam Kher did that. He stopped signing mundane, mediocre, multi-star projects. He stopped meaningless events and frivolous parties. Once he had finished with his backlog, he signed select films and interacted with select people. He diverted his focus to bigger dreams and got ready for bigger responsibilities. I met him during this time and sensed the change to come. I asked him how he felt after the sabbatical and he was as always optimistic.

“I am finally doing what I want to do rather than what I have to do. In my play Kuch Bhi Ho Sakta Hai there is a line, ‘This is the interval of my life’, for me this is reality and my We actors come to Mumbai for a career and get trapped in the rat race without knowing it because in this industry one is judged by the number of films you sign. It takes courage to break free of the shackles. I have done that.

To be continued

Sharmaji Namkeen is the perhaps the only film where two actors play the same role at the same time. After Rishi Kapoor passed away Excel Movies requested Paresh Rawal to fit into his shoes and completed the film as it is without changing the story or the role, as a result we have Rishi Kapoor starting the scene on many instances and Paresh Rawal completing the scene. It is the only film where a son, Ranbir Kapoor introduces a father, Rishi Kapoor. Watch the film for the memory of Rishi Kapoor.  The other remarkable film, also unique is Marathi film Mee Vasntrao whereRahul Deshpande, grandson of the legendary maestro Vasantrao Deshpande, plays the title role. The film is long and pace is slow but it is because the director introduces all the artistes and their music like live performances.