Posted:
Can films work without stars?
10 Jun 2008, 0000 hrs IST
,TNN
| Rajeev Khandelwal (TOI photo) More pics |
Raj Kumar Gupta's directorial debut has wowed audiences.
The thriller featuring Rajeev Khandelwal as the lead character has been hailed by many critics as an 'outstanding movie'. In recent times there have been other low-budget movies that have also managed to do well though they've had little or no star presence in them. Movies like Bheja Fry, Superstar, Dor and Parzania have all managed to make a mark at the BO. In contrast, mega-star flicks like Tashan, U Me Aur Hum, Halla Bol and Bhoothnath left many disappointed.
It's the same with multi-story movies; while Life in a... Metro and Dus Kahaaniyan worked, Salaam-e-Ishq was a box office disaster despite having some of the biggest names of Bollywood. So is star power less important now than ever before?
"Having a superstar still matters," says Vikas Behl, executive vice-president of the production company for Raj Kumar Gupta's movie. "But now the story and script get equal importance. We are a country of great stories and at times we lose track. But a good story always works," says Vikas. That's why he was confident of the movie's success even if the cast was all newcomers. "We did consider the risks but then we were sure about the story and the cast," he says.
But actress Mandira Bedi maintains that the number of low-budget movies that make it big at the BO is still small. "While there are movies that have succeeded without a big star cast, there have been many that have failed as well. I just hope the recent trend of small movies making it big continues," she says. She points out that Taare Zameen Par might not have been that big a hit without Aamir Khan. "It had a great concept, but Aamir Khan being in it added to the movie. Movies like Bheja Fry and Parzania are great movies, but they never were blockbusters," Mandira says. "The reason star-backed films make it big is because the stars still attract the audience. Small movies have to be totally dependent on the story and the performances," Mandira explains.
Gul Panag, who has acted in hits like Dor and Manorama... Six Feet Under, says that eventually it's the script and performances that determine the fate of a film. "Besides, how many movies can these superstars do? They can't do all the movies released in a year. Finally, it's the story and the performance that counts more than star power," says Gul.
LEENA GHOSH
leena.ghosh@timesgroup.com
The thriller featuring Rajeev Khandelwal as the lead character has been hailed by many critics as an 'outstanding movie'. In recent times there have been other low-budget movies that have also managed to do well though they've had little or no star presence in them. Movies like Bheja Fry, Superstar, Dor and Parzania have all managed to make a mark at the BO. In contrast, mega-star flicks like Tashan, U Me Aur Hum, Halla Bol and Bhoothnath left many disappointed.
It's the same with multi-story movies; while Life in a... Metro and Dus Kahaaniyan worked, Salaam-e-Ishq was a box office disaster despite having some of the biggest names of Bollywood. So is star power less important now than ever before?
"Having a superstar still matters," says Vikas Behl, executive vice-president of the production company for Raj Kumar Gupta's movie. "But now the story and script get equal importance. We are a country of great stories and at times we lose track. But a good story always works," says Vikas. That's why he was confident of the movie's success even if the cast was all newcomers. "We did consider the risks but then we were sure about the story and the cast," he says.
But actress Mandira Bedi maintains that the number of low-budget movies that make it big at the BO is still small. "While there are movies that have succeeded without a big star cast, there have been many that have failed as well. I just hope the recent trend of small movies making it big continues," she says. She points out that Taare Zameen Par might not have been that big a hit without Aamir Khan. "It had a great concept, but Aamir Khan being in it added to the movie. Movies like Bheja Fry and Parzania are great movies, but they never were blockbusters," Mandira says. "The reason star-backed films make it big is because the stars still attract the audience. Small movies have to be totally dependent on the story and the performances," Mandira explains.
Gul Panag, who has acted in hits like Dor and Manorama... Six Feet Under, says that eventually it's the script and performances that determine the fate of a film. "Besides, how many movies can these superstars do? They can't do all the movies released in a year. Finally, it's the story and the performance that counts more than star power," says Gul.
LEENA GHOSH
leena.ghosh@timesgroup.com
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