“2018 is the year when the ‘Content is King’ mantra really ruled”, declares a whole lot of yearend articles that’s now available online. This “content is king” declaration is now almost as boringly ancient as the other predictable observations which are made every other year, such as “Small Films Make It Big” or “Women-centric Films Ruled the Box-Office” and so on.
People who are harping on the “Content is King” mantra, also need to please explain the success of a film like Satyamev Jayate. The John Abraham film was deservedly trashed by critics, but it’s apparently a box-office success. Or even the blockbuster status of a Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety.
But 2018 was truly special in one aspect - it saw the failure of all the 3 big films toplined by the 3 Khans - Salman Khan, Aamir Khan and Shah Rukh Khan. These three superstars are among Bollywood’s most powerful and influential actors and the debacle of their ambitious ventures have affected each one of them in varying degrees.
Back in 2005, Aamir Khan’s Mangal Pandey: The Rising underperformed at ticket windows, and so did Shah Rukh Khan’s Paheli. While Salman also delivered a couple of flops that year, he also hit it out of the park with the painfully absurd No Entry, which became one of the biggest hits of the year.
But things are different now, over a decade has passed and the Khans are well into their 50s and every film that they are now a part of is closely scrutinised and heralded to be the first nail in the coffin (of their careers) or a shot in the arm which will give them a lease of life for another 5 years.
Admittedly, Race 3, Thugs of Hindostan and Zero were found wanting in the script and screenplay department. Though crores were spent on making, mounting and marketing these films - they all ended up quite not hitting the bulls eye at the box-office. While they may be ranked as Rs 100 crore + earners, these films still need a long way to go to recover their costs. Conclusion: the public is no longer enamoured by a star vehicle to jump aboard and join a ride. If the product is bad, the film is bound to derail.
But again, remember this was also the year of Satyamev Jayate.
Now, if we are really want to test the “Content is King” mantra this year, we’ll have to wait for the fate of the last big release of the year - Rohit Shetty’s Simmba. Featuring Ranveer Singh and Sara Ali Khan, the main cast of the film has got everything going for it. This is Ranveer’s first release after his mega wedding with Deepika Padukone. The actor’s popularity is at an all time high and he already started the year with a bang with his portrayal of Alauddin Khilji in Padmavat. Ranveer has been all over town promoting the film with his co-star Sara Ali Khan. Coming to Ms Khan, she’s easily this year’s most favourite debutant. Though Kedarnath may not have exactly set the box-office on fire, Sara Ali Khan has won hearts all across. The public wants more of Sara and they’ll be coming in to watch Simmba for exactly that.
Also, there’s the Rohit Shetty factor. The filmmaker who has given multiple back-to-back hits (with the exception of Dilwale) is one of Bollywood’s most bankable filmmakers when it comes to ensuring a hit. But if you have seen the Simmba trailer, you already know that there isn’t much to this run-of-the-mill rape and revenge drama. The thing about Shetty’s trailer is that it doesn’t hide anything from you, it plays on the WYSIWYG factor, yes, What You See Is What You Get - and so you already know what to expect here.
A viewer familiar with the Rohit Shetty school of filmmaking knows that there isn’t going to be any subtle layering or meta moments in this loud, action-packed melodrama. So, will the audience lap up Simmba for Ranveer, Sara and Rohit Shetty, or will it roll up its sleeves and demand something more than just another hybrid version of the Singham and Golmaal series? We’ll know this weekend for sure. Let’s hold back the victorious “Content is King” war cries till then, shall we?
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