/bollyy/media/media_files/2025/01/13/VF10pEzjzcetjyPYELtv.jpg)
by Shanti Swaroop Tripathi
Apart from 'Stree 2' and 'Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3', not a single film was able to register success in 2024. While the Telugu film 'Pushpa 2: The Rule', dubbed in Hindi, is moving towards a collection of about eight hundred crore rupees in Hindi regions. On the situation of Bollywood in 2024, we spoke to Mehul Kumar, writer, producer and director of 48 super duper hit films including 'Tiranga', 'Krantiveer'. Mehul Kumar expressed his views openly.
What would you like to say about the situation of Indian cinema in 2024?
There were very few good news in Indian cinema in 2024. Only two or three films in Hindi were able to register success. While the films of the South have done wonders. The Telugu film 'Pushpa 2: The Rule' was dubbed and released in six languages along with Hindi and earned tremendously. If I talk about Hindi films, apart from 'Stree 2', only Anees Bazmee directed film 'Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3' has been successful. Due to the big budget, 'Singham Again' could not recover its cost. One or two small budget films like 'Munjya' were successful in recovering their cost. Otherwise there was no block booster film. In this way, the year 2024 was not very good for Bollywood. Now the question arises that if Bollywood films flopped at the box office, then why did the audience watch South films?? So the biggest reason for this is that even today in South films, along with the story, Indian culture, characters of parents, emotions, sentiments, all these things are being served in the right proportion. South Indian actors, producers and directors are still paying special attention to the story. Whereas Bollywood filmmakers or actors, all are keeping the story and creation at bay and are focusing only on making proposals. Due to which not a single Bollywood film is coming which the audience wants to watch or which the audience remembers. Or they go to the theatre to watch that film. Now people go to watch Hindi films only on Friday, Saturday or Sunday for fun or to pass time. From Monday these films are removed from the cinema theatre. Otherwise no one is going for the purpose of watching the movie. Every Bollywood artist, producer, director, musician and writer will have to think seriously on this.
What do you think are the reasons for the failure of Bollywood films?
Look, there are many small reasons. But film making is a creation. But after the involvement of corporates, film making is no longer a creation or creative work, but has become a pure business. Now proposals are being made. No one wants to listen to the story. Corporates ask only one question that who are the actors in the film? On the basis of the names of the actors, they are ready to give several hundred crores of rupees. They do not want to listen to the story at all. If you ask any question from today's new directors or corporates, then only one rote answer comes - "Sir, something different..." Brother, the important question is that what is different? Neither today's filmmakers nor the corporates have the answer to this. Our roots are the same. Our culture is also the same. The festivals of our country are still the same. Our clothes, food, everything is the same. Despite this, everyone keeps repeating the same thing - 'Something different..'. Today people are crazy about technology. Everyone focuses on special effects, VFX in their films, in such a situation the story is ignored. The reality is that whatever you fill in a film by ignoring the story, that film will not work. Because the story is the only thing that takes the cinema to the audience. The filmmaker wants to make every scene so beautiful that the audience remains lost in those visuals instead of searching for the story. But the reality is that when there is no story, the audience cannot connect with that cinema. There is no involvement. The biggest minus point along with the story is music. Today's music is not melodious... Which is the song in 2024 that people want to listen to or hum? The answer will come. There is not even a single song... Earlier, the music of a film used to be memorable. There have been some films which proved to be super duper hits because of their music. But now it is not so. Earlier, the songs of a film were connected to the story of the film, the songs used to take the story forward. If you remove a song, then it was felt that there is something wrong with the story. But today songs are just being stuffed in. Even if songs are removed from the film, it will not make any difference and today's songs are not even melodious. Now there are four music composers in a film, due to which it becomes difficult to say after listening to a song that which film this song may belong to. Now there are four music composers in a single film, due to which the music is also sinking. Not only this, now music companies buy anyone's song and keep it in their library. Then they ask the director to choose from these twenty-five songs and put it in the film. Now what will happen if we put songs which have no connection with the story in the film? That is why songs in today's films have nothing to do with the story. I would like to talk about the film 'Tiranga'. I took music director Laxmikant Pyarelal. He said that the songs of this film should be written by Santosh ji who has written many patriotic songs. I said that he will write. Laxmi ji said talk to me. Those days he was in Lucknow. I called Santosh ji in Lucknow. He told me that now he has stopped writing songs for films. I told him that, 'The story of our film 'Tiranga' is such that you should write the song. I told him briefly about the story. Then he came to Mumbai for eight days and went back to Lucknow after writing the songs of the film 'Tiranga'. I also got songs written by Hasrat Jaipuri, Anand Bakshi, Indeevar. All these lyricists would first listen to the entire story of the film, then write the songs. That is why there was a story in their songs, which is not found in today's songs. Not only this. It is known that the film is over, the credit lines start, the audience is leaving the cinema hall. Then the song comes. But now the audience does not want to stop and watch that song. Despite having four music composers in the film, not even a single song becomes a hit. So these days along with the story, music has also been sidelined. Now our festivals, parents etc. are not seen in films like before. The filmmaker claims that the young audience does not want to see all this. Then what does the audience want to see? If as a producer or director you are not able to understand your audience, then who is to blame? This should be thought about...but now no one wants to think anything. People talk only about two things, money and proposal.
So, does an artist agree to work in any role in any film just for money?
Yes! This is the truth. Earlier, every artist used to listen to the story. But now no artist listens to the story. Now, only their business managers listen to the story. Their business managers do not listen to the story, they say send the story on email. Now you email the story. But did the artist's business manager read the story or script of the film after opening the email? The truth is that he does not read it. An even bigger change is regarding ad films. Earlier, artists did not do ad films, but today every artist is seen doing ad films and he is taking a huge amount for doing ad films. According to my knowledge, artists are getting two to five crore rupees for doing an ad. Every artist is more interested in doing ad films than films. For an ad, he does a maximum of two days of shooting and gets up to five crore rupees. Earlier, the artist used to listen to the story first, after liking the story, the conversation proceeded further. But now money comes first. There is no discussion on story and music. Artists now consider films as business and not creation. After a film fails, every person associated with it should think why their film failed, but no one wants to think.
Telugu film 'Pushpa 2 The Rule' is going to cross the mark of two thousand crores worldwide, which has collected seven hundred and fifty crores in Hindi. What is the reason for this?
I have seen the film. The acting of the hero of the film Allu Arjun is tremendous. The story is very good. In the end, an amazing film has been made by bringing in the angle of parents. As soon as the angle of parents comes, all the emotions and seriousness have come. That is why even today's generation liked this film. It is not just a jugalbandi of technology. It is true that the songs of the film are not superhit, but they are okay. The character of 'Pushpa Raj' and its swag were liked a lot by the young generation. A film gets record breaking success only when the young generation wants to watch it. You may not know, but in South Indian cinema every actor surrenders to the director before working for it. In Bollywood every actor surrenders to the director before joining his film. Bollywood actors do not listen to the director at all. Here the director has been side lined. Bollywood actors work with those directors who listen to them and decide everything. The director is making the film for money, so he bows down to the actor. That is why this is not seen in Hindi films. In earlier films the writer, director and music director were seen. This is the reason why memorable films are not made in Hindi now. They are made in one or two bursts every year. India means the country which makes the maximum number of films in the whole world. Our films have been creating a stir all over the world. The biggest reason for the failure of Hindi films is the budget. Films are also failing due to the budget. I have said this many times, but no one is ready to listen to me. Today, the budget of a film has reached great heights. These corporate companies have started paying 50 lakhs to the artist who used to charge 20 lakhs. Those who charged 50 lakhs started getting 1 to 5 crores. The heroines who were on the top and were charging 25 lakhs, they have started paying 50 lakhs to them. Today, actors are being paid crores of rupees as remuneration, no attention is paid to the story. That is why films are failing. Even today, if the remuneration of the actors becomes reasonable, the budget of the film becomes reasonable, then the films can be successful. The business of films is good even today. In my opinion, the biggest superhit film should be made within 100 crores. Secondly, earlier actors used to focus only on acting, but now actors want a share in the earnings of the film as well. As soon as they get a share, their interference increases.
The way the film 'Pushpa 2 The Rule' is getting success in Hindi speaking areas, it is being said that now South Indian cinema is a threat to Bollywood. What do you think?
There is a threat. Because there was a time when South Indian films did not get cinema in the North. South Indian films were also less successful. But if South Indian cinema is becoming popular due to its content, then what is the need to fear. Jeetu ji i.e. actor Jeetendra had done many South Indian films. Those films made him a star. Even at that time South Indian films were made well. Love story films also had excellent songs along with the story but it is true that at that time the craze for South Indian films on Hindi screen was less. The reason for this was that good films were also being made in Hindi. But today South Indian films have side lined Hindi films. So there is some reason on which everyone should think. But when will those who run after money here think about art? Is it wrong to divide Indian cinema on the basis of language?
This is wrong. Earlier, there used to be only Indian cinema. Indian cinema has been famous all over the world. But now, due to selfishness, we are trying to save our own back by dividing cinema on the basis of language. There should be only Indian cinema.
What can happen in 2025?
Everyone should think seriously on the issues we just talked about, only then will the future of Indian cinema be bright in 2025. But no one seems to be thinking. Corporate companies think of making proposals with big actors. Whatever money is earned in two-three days i.e. Friday, Saturday and Sunday is fine. But even with big actors, if the story is not good, then the films with proposals cannot be successful. One has to think about the budget too. See, the box office figures of films are also given keeping the stock market in mind. The public does not even know what is gross and net collection. Production companies give advertisements only on gross collection. I have questioned this many times. On my questioning, they say, 'Sir, ours is a game of share market. The public does not know about net or gross. Let me tell you here that the gross collection at the box office, whatever remains after deducting expenses from it, is the net collection. In this way, if the gross collection at the box office is Rs 100 crore, the cinema hall gets 70 crore and 10 percent in publicity, the producer gets only 20 crore net, the producer gets money from music and channel. But on declaring the gross classification, the share price of the company increases by ten to twenty rupees, so the company easily earns 50 to 70 crore rupees in the share market.
Read also: