Sunday, January 6, 2008

Director's Choice - Best and Worst Bollywood Directors

Unlike Bollywood stars, who happen it relatively easy to resurge back to celebrity after five floating-point operations in a row, things are no cosy for directors. Random-Access Memory Gopal Verma, the rebel manager whose movie Satya (the lone movie to acquire a 5 Star evaluation in Times of India) epitomized as a work of social class and mastermind have disappointed Bollywood with 'Ram Gopal Verma Ki Aag.' The film which was supposed to be a testimonial to the classic superhit Sholay ended up as an abusive parody, and that too with dollops of boredom.

The Mumbai Mirror,a newspaper from Times Group, India, have reportedly stated that it takes three floating-point operations in a row for Bollywood managers to seize with teeth dust. If you can do bend around and do a good commercially successful film after the first couple of disappointments, you may still be in the reckoning. If you still don't repair your ways, you are as good as forgotten unless you bask some good will in the industry. As we all know, Bollywood have a short attending span. Where is Joy Augustine, the shaper of Tere Mere Sapne...He along with his hero Chandrachur Singh look to have got disappeared in oblivion.

There are a batch of illustrations to understand how managers direct to their doom. Ramesh Sippy who have given Bollywood's greatest hit Sholay and television's greatest success Buniyaad, had a merry unit of ammunition of hits with Shaan, Sakti and Saagar. However after Akayla and a couple of forgettable films, Sippy was nowhere in the picture(no punning intended). Subash Ghai, a pompous manager consistently gave hits in the word form of Karz, Vidhaata, Meri Jung, Random-Access Memory Lakhan, Khalnayak, Pardes, Afrikaans and then...the drape drop on him. Subash Ghai faced double whammy with Yaadein and Kisna. Kisna in fact did not just seal the fate of Subash Ghai but almost finished Vivek Oberoi's calling until Shoot out at Lokhandwala resurrected him three old age later in 2007.

Raj Kumar Santoshi gave us Ghayal, Damini, Andaz-Apna Apna(the greatest picture hit) but failed with a twine of flops-China Gate, Lajja, The Legend of Bhagat Singh and Family(the greatest flop in his repertoire). There was Khakee which had flashes of directorial glare but overall his study card is questionable. Dharmesh Dharshan tasted fortune with Raja Hindustani, but then steadily went downhill with floating-point operations like Haan Pine Tree State Bhi Pyaar Kiya, Bewaffa, Aap Ki Khatir. He still goes on to give floating-point operations with the up-to-the-minute flop -Shakalaka Boom Boom.

Let us now take the war-hero J.P. Dutta, who directed the unbelievable film Border. JP Dutta who was the toast of histrions during the shot of LOC, establish himself alone after Refugee and LOC Kargil bombed. Whatever little religion the audience and histrions had in him diminished, after he delivered the mindless Umrao Jaan.

Sooraj Barjatya, the male monarch of clean love affair talented us with the invaluable Pine Tree State Pyar Kiya. He later followed it up with the greatest success in Bollywood Hum Aapke Hain Kaun, the milepost film which inspired many other movies. However his expression and experimentations went all incorrect thereafter. His Hum Saath Saath was too traditional for people to digest. He changed gear wheel and began to present glamor and dare-bare display of female tegument in Main Prem Ki Diwani hoon. This too bombed badly because Sooraj was no Random-Access Memory Gopal Verma or for that substance Feroz Khan, who could show window female sensualness very well. Sooraj Bajatya then went back to his old style of film-making and made a squeaky make clean love affair Vivah. The film was a economy saving grace for Barjatyas as it did well in UP and Bihar. If this movie had bombed too, people would have got asked Sooraj:Hum Aapke Hain Kaun.

Well, what about managers who are still in the top bracket but somewhat in the danger of being either stereotypic ? Let us look into them one by one:

1. Kunal Kohli: He directed Mujhse Dosti Karogey, showed promise but the movie failed to deliver. Kunal showed his heart in Hum Tum. The movie had a sound script, bouncing music, fabulous public presentation and astonishing direction. Kunal Kohli had to reaffirm the success which he did with Fanaa.

2. Farhan Akthar: One of the high-grade managers of Bollywood, Farhan scored high with Dil Choctaw Hai. He then cheated the audience with an insipid Lakshya. Sense prevailed in Farhan as he bounced back again successfully with the fast-paced and zany DON, which is touted as the best refashion in recent times.

3. Madhur Bhandarkar: A personal favorite, Madhur Bhandarkar have the Sir Philip Sidney Sheldon attack for directing movies. His movies have got an analogy of a page-turner. Madhur Bhandarkar's movies including Chandni Bar, Satta, Page 3, Corporate were all box-office success although Satta didn't make that well. However Traffic Signal barely managed to be a committee earner. Of course, Madhur Bhandarkar is still in the race as he researches less sought out subdivisions of the society like beggars, theoretical accounts and page 3 people for his films. However his way and the daze value which he sets in his movies have got travel predictable and it stays to be seen how far he can go...

4. Rakesh Om Prakash Mehra: After directing the forgotten Aks, Rakesh Om Prakash Mehra quietly worked on his adjacent venture Rang Delaware Basanti, which is the 'sholay' of today's generation.

5. Abbas-Mustan-The directorial couple Abbas Mustan is the most inconsistent batch when it come ups to direction. Like their movies, these managers are unpredictable. For every Baazigar, they have got a super-flop 36 People'S Republic Of China Town and Naqaab. Though overall,their movies are watchable, they are so only when they work their forte-thrillers. Family plays and comedy is never their cup of tea. People'S Republic Of China Town and Naqaab were major disappointments, though one did experience commiseration for Naqaab which had a batch of shock-value dumped in the last 10 proceedings of the movie.

6. Karan Johar-Karan Johar directed two super-hits Kuch Kuch Hota Hain and Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gam. Though he have a championship of his best friend and trump card card, Shahrukh Khan, his film Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna was below expectation, partly owed to the slow gait and partly owed to the bold and unconventional subject which did not travel well with the society. Let us see how he pulls off to draw his next.

The best Bollywood manager with a consistent path record:

5. Anurag Basu: He have directed some of the best movies of late with Murder, Gangster and Metro. Anurag's movies have got good performances, a nice narrative line, and of course of study fantastic music.

4.. Raj Kumar Hirani: The manager of the Munna Bhai series looks promising with every film he makes. It is surprising how he can bring forth immense hits in this age of particular personal effects and Swiss Confederation venues with simple but heart-warming stories.

3. . Ashutosh Gowariker: After getting the hugely successful 'Lagaan' and the superb Swades, Ashutosh is getting the pick of stars in his most illustrious Akbar Jodha.

2. Sanjay Leela Bhansali-His Khamoshi flopped but till day of the month Khamoshi goes on to be a beautiful movie revered by many. Sanjay Leela Bhansali is the most sought-after manager in Bollywood with an amazing, almost envious batch of movies like Hum Dil Delaware Chuke Sanam, the superhit Devdas, and the truly cinematic Black. Sanjay Leela Bhansali's movies are always backed by sufficient research and detail. Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Saawariya is the most awaited movie of 2007.

1. Rakesh Roshan and Nagesh Kukunoor: Rakesh Roshan have a fabulous path record of quietly giving hits after hits till domestic dogs come up home. Along with his boy Hrithik Roshan, he have delivered a dull hat-trick with Kaho Na Pyaar Hai, Koi Mil Gaya and Krrish. If you look at all

his superhit movies, Rakesh Roshan have just one subject in all of them-resurrection. In the first half, the hero is always shown as coy, vulnerable or simple. The 2nd one-half shows the smarter, bolder side of him-which the histrion is talented with thanks to circumstances(Krrish), co-incidence(Kaho Na Pyaar Hai), reincarnation(Karan Arjun) or an external power(Jadoo ,Koi Mil Gaya). Rakesh Roshan decorates a typical Bollywood expression film with his alone style and do certain it is packaged well...Result-unquestionable success in the box-office. Now in his next, we have got a superhero Hrithik and a super-villain Hrithik pitted against each other.

Nagesh Kukunoor, on the other hand, is a low profile manager who impetuses from the usual styles of making films. His movies are contemporary, entertaining, yet thought provoking. His Hyderabad Blues made on a shoe twine budget, the highly recommended Iqbal and the charming Dor are illustrations of his directoral flamboyance.

All the above managers and many more than not included in the listing should observe one thing-to make modern-day , different movies and move with modern times instead of sticking in the rut and coming up with icky 'what the heck is that' movies like Yaadein, Umrao Jaan, Main Prem Ki Diwaani Hoon and Random-Access Memory Gopal Verma Ki Aag. After a couple of flops, the manager should seek to change his expression or make a film which is entertaining and contemporary..Rang Delaware Basanti, Dhoom and Chak Delaware would be some examples.

1 comment:

Fathiya said...

Subhash Gai is a good director, his movie"Yaadein" wasn't good, but had some nice songs, but his movie "Kisna" was a good movie, what ruinned his moive his wrong selection for Vivek Oberoi as a hero. Vivek's acting wasn't good in the movie, Vivek Oberoi won people's heart in his debute (Saathiya)but just don't know what went wrong with this actor's performance?! He tries to be funny and doesn't suit him!!
Ram Gopal Varma has to retire, his movies Aag, Darling, Darna Zaroori Hae were very bad movies.
No one can say that Saawariya is a bad movie, but it's the best of Mr. Bhansali's movie ever, and whoever says anything different, has to see the movie again with his (OPEN)eyes and ears, and I don't think that SLB would be able to do any better job. Saawariya is the best.