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Barely four months ago, Ranbir Kapoor was relishing the success of Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, a film directed by his buddy Ayan Mukerji. The film, which focuses on friendship, romance and family, collected Rs.190.03 crore at the box office and saw Kapoor enter the league of superstar. Always recognised as a talented actor, this was Kapoor, 31, signalling that he was here to challenge the box office domination of the fortysomething group which includes the Khans - Shah Rukh, Aamir and Salman - and Akshay Kumar and Ajay Devgn.
Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani wowed audiences with its peppy soundtrack filled with chartbusters ("Badtameez Dil, "Balam Pichkaari", "Ghagra", "Dilli Wali Girlfriend") and healthy balance of humour and drama. But at the centre of it was the chemistry that Kapoor shared with his ex Deepika Padukone. Both of them delivered earnest performances that struck a chord. It was enough to ensure that Kapoor had delivered his second-straight Rs.100 crore film.
When the trailer of Besharam first appeared in last week of July, the reaction to Kapoor's OTT act varied from lukewarm to scathing. Kapoor fans were baffled with Kapoor's new avatar which saw him passing lewd remarks in his quest to woo a girl and peeing in public crooning "Tujhe Dekha". What was he thinking? This wasn't the Kapoor that his die-hard female fans were accustomed to seeing.
That Kapoor chose to go through the action comedy/mass-entertainer route shouldn't come as a surprise to anybody. The careers of Salman Khan, Akshay Kumar and Ajay Devgn survive on it. Recently, Shah Rukh Khan joined the club with Chennai Express, which beat 3 Idiots to become the highest grosser till date. Besharam was Kapoor's way of showing that he belonged to the pack. Largely known for his romantic roles, Kapoor perhaps wanted to get out of his comfort zone and present himself in a lesser-seen action-oriented avatar.
But Besharam fell short on many counts. The film fell flat in the first 20 minutes, with little to lure audience into the story. The pairing of Kapoor and Pallavi Sharda didn't create any fireworks. The soundtrack was abysmal. The jokes were few and far between. The toilet humour, in this case literally as evident in the scene in which Neetu Kapoor teases her real-life husband, Rishi Kapoor, as he is seated on the commode, didn't appeal at all. There was too little of the Kapoor clan together. With no narrative, Kapoor tried desperately but in vain to infuse some energy into the lifeless vehicle. Abhinav Singh Kashyap, who regaled audiences with his debut Dabangg, had delivered a dud.
Opening on 3,600 screens, the biggest for a film so far, Besharam started off with a bang with Rs.21.56 crore collections on day one. It wasn't surprising given that it was the sole release on October 2, a national holiday, and hogged most shows in cinemas. People flocked to the theatres to see the new star - Ranbir Kapoor. It was expected that Kapoor would score a hat-trick with yet another Rs.100 crore success. Working in Besharam's favour was that it had no big release to contend with until Oct 16, when Akshay Kumar-starrer Boss released.
Then the negative worth of mouth spread. Poor reviews started pouring in. Those who thought that Grand Masti couldn't touch Rs.100 crore mark now had to eat their own words as over the weekend even the adult comedy was giving the film a run for its money. Besharam has sluggishly reached only half of the mark - Rs.100 crore - it was estimated to hit.
No wonder then leading multiplexes are desperate to say goodbye to Besharam and welcome new releases War Chhod Na Yaar and Baat Ban Gayi. Viewers should also head to see Alfonso Cuaron's magnificent action-drama Gravity. Set in space, the film is a riveting ride centring on an astronaut floating in space for most of its 91 minute running time. Meanwhile, the golden boy, who wears a tacky gold leather suit in Besharam, has lost some of his shimmer and pride too. Kapoor, will have to wait for releases in 2014 - Roy, Jagga Jasoos and Bombay Velvet - to bounce back.
Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani wowed audiences with its peppy soundtrack filled with chartbusters ("Badtameez Dil, "Balam Pichkaari", "Ghagra", "Dilli Wali Girlfriend") and healthy balance of humour and drama. But at the centre of it was the chemistry that Kapoor shared with his ex Deepika Padukone. Both of them delivered earnest performances that struck a chord. It was enough to ensure that Kapoor had delivered his second-straight Rs.100 crore film.
When the trailer of Besharam first appeared in last week of July, the reaction to Kapoor's OTT act varied from lukewarm to scathing. Kapoor fans were baffled with Kapoor's new avatar which saw him passing lewd remarks in his quest to woo a girl and peeing in public crooning "Tujhe Dekha". What was he thinking? This wasn't the Kapoor that his die-hard female fans were accustomed to seeing.
That Kapoor chose to go through the action comedy/mass-entertainer route shouldn't come as a surprise to anybody. The careers of Salman Khan, Akshay Kumar and Ajay Devgn survive on it. Recently, Shah Rukh Khan joined the club with Chennai Express, which beat 3 Idiots to become the highest grosser till date. Besharam was Kapoor's way of showing that he belonged to the pack. Largely known for his romantic roles, Kapoor perhaps wanted to get out of his comfort zone and present himself in a lesser-seen action-oriented avatar.
But Besharam fell short on many counts. The film fell flat in the first 20 minutes, with little to lure audience into the story. The pairing of Kapoor and Pallavi Sharda didn't create any fireworks. The soundtrack was abysmal. The jokes were few and far between. The toilet humour, in this case literally as evident in the scene in which Neetu Kapoor teases her real-life husband, Rishi Kapoor, as he is seated on the commode, didn't appeal at all. There was too little of the Kapoor clan together. With no narrative, Kapoor tried desperately but in vain to infuse some energy into the lifeless vehicle. Abhinav Singh Kashyap, who regaled audiences with his debut Dabangg, had delivered a dud.
Opening on 3,600 screens, the biggest for a film so far, Besharam started off with a bang with Rs.21.56 crore collections on day one. It wasn't surprising given that it was the sole release on October 2, a national holiday, and hogged most shows in cinemas. People flocked to the theatres to see the new star - Ranbir Kapoor. It was expected that Kapoor would score a hat-trick with yet another Rs.100 crore success. Working in Besharam's favour was that it had no big release to contend with until Oct 16, when Akshay Kumar-starrer Boss released.
Then the negative worth of mouth spread. Poor reviews started pouring in. Those who thought that Grand Masti couldn't touch Rs.100 crore mark now had to eat their own words as over the weekend even the adult comedy was giving the film a run for its money. Besharam has sluggishly reached only half of the mark - Rs.100 crore - it was estimated to hit.
No wonder then leading multiplexes are desperate to say goodbye to Besharam and welcome new releases War Chhod Na Yaar and Baat Ban Gayi. Viewers should also head to see Alfonso Cuaron's magnificent action-drama Gravity. Set in space, the film is a riveting ride centring on an astronaut floating in space for most of its 91 minute running time. Meanwhile, the golden boy, who wears a tacky gold leather suit in Besharam, has lost some of his shimmer and pride too. Kapoor, will have to wait for releases in 2014 - Roy, Jagga Jasoos and Bombay Velvet - to bounce back.
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