Bollywood’s New Role

Small Stands Tall

No One Killed Jessica,the first release of the year,became a sleeper hit. This was followed by other successful small-budget experimental films such as Dhobi Ghat,Tanu Weds Manu,Shaitan,Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster and The Dirty Picture. But,every now and then,the audience proved that they love a big-budget,star-studded,action-packed masala entertainer. The bare-chested heroes,six-pack abs and their passionate love stories helped Ready,Singham,Bodyguard and Force rake in the moolah.

Moneybags

One of the first few present-day actors to turn producer was Aamir Khan. By co-producing all the films he signed and later backing small-budget but quality cinema,he set a trend in Bollywood. This year saw close to a dozen actors like John Abraham,Vivek Oberoi,Jimmy Shergill,Hrishita Bhatt,Ameesha Patel,Preity Zinta,Sonu Sood,Lara Dutta,Dia Mirza and Zayed Khan follow in his footsteps. While a few like Patel and Zayed Khan probably did so in the hope of reviving their careers,others such as Oberoi chose to back films they believed in. “It makes good business sense in all ways — an actor can choose to be a part of it if possible,a good film will win acclaim and a small-budget film is easy to break even with,” points out Oberoi,whose film,Dekh Indian Circus,won the Best Film award at the Busan Film Festival.

Back in Business

The year proved lucky for many in Bollywood who attempted a second coming. Sunny and Bobby Deol,along with their father Dharmendra,proved in Yamla Pagla Deewana that they still have a connect with the audience and can do more than just punch the baddies. Rani Mukerji,who had,for years,limited herself to working for Yash Raj Films in jaded roles,made a crackling comeback with Rajkumar Gupta’s No One Killed Jessica. However,the most surprising re-entries were by Jackky Bhagnani in Faltu and Mimoh,who returned by the name Mahaakshay,in Haunted. Written off by both the industry and audience previously,they proved that the first impressions may not be the last ones.