Gangubai Kathiawadi, RRR presenter Jayantilal Gada reveals biggest takeaway from 2022: ‘If content is very good, star will triple value of project’

Asked about his opinion on the box office performance of Indian movies in 2022, Gada said, “That there is no definite star power and content is the only thing that will work, it won’t matter if the film is glossy and glamourous or filled with A-listers with maximum fan base. But, make no mistake, the star-driven films do help in creating awareness, but further box office numbers will solely depend on content and 2022 made this loud and clear. Ultimately, we can say in a nutshell: if content is very good then star will double or triple the value of the project.”

 

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Asked if filmmakers have a sense of what audiences expect from Bollywood, Gada said, “The audience has moved on very quickly, or rather they have evolved much faster especially due to the exposure of content, they received during pandemic they are now exposed to world cinema, which is experimental and exciting. The audiences love out of the box thinking, we have to surprise them pleasantly.”

 

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When asked how risky the business has been in 2022 when the box-office was so volatile and what are the kind of risks filmmakers have been taking to make sure that they stay afloat, he said, “Firstly, yes, this business is very risky, as we cannot predict that this season, this star or director will be a hit. It’s always a combination of good timing and good content. Even audience is investing their time and money by watching the film in theatres. For them, they want the worth of their Rs 100 or Rs 200 and time they have spent. We have to take risks from time to time, even if the film flops we still have to run the company, we are responsible for people’s livelihoods.”

At the fag end of 2022, do we have a formula that Bollywood filmmakers and producers can follow to not suffer as much as they did this year? Gada said, “Not really! There is no such formula for films, just like life, films never came in a in a set format, some genres or format may have worked or trended for a while, but eventually we have to bring new and exciting cinema for the audience and evolve with them. It can be Rs 1 crore or Rs 1000 crore budget film, they both can end up meeting the same fate at the box office.”

On a parting note, Gada shared his learnings from 2022, and made predictions for 2023. He said, “Again, content driven, out of the box films will work no matter what language or country its coming from, and this trend will continue. They want to have an experience in the theatres and experiential cinema will always work. Theatres are here to stay.”