‘Economics is king and the box office is everything’
3 Feb 2014 3:49 AM IST
Tell us about Bullett Raja. Can you share your experience while shooting for the film?
I had actually wanted to work with Tishu (Tigmanshu Dhulia) and he has lots of ideas. I had always wanted to play a mafia, gunda-type gunman. But I thought a city kind of sleek guy would be easier for me, like a Bambaiya kind of mafia guy. Many people make films based on the Bombay mafia. I don’t know how comfortable I would be playing that. So I wondered what it would be like.
But with this Uttar Pradesh mafia role and Tishu directing it, I thought it would be a good chance to play this part. It was a bit of a challenge to understand the body language, the kind of character it is and the language. But once we got the hang of it, it was a lot of fun. Since the character was well defined, I understood it well and am very happy with how it turned out. I have only watched the rough cut and I enjoyed it. So I am confident the final copy will be even better.
At the end of the day, collections matter…
(Cuts in) Collections are everything! It is like God. It is possible to make films like Go Goa Gone only if you also make films like Love Aaj Kal and Cocktail. Small films need their own budget and, for them, everything is based on money. Economics is king and the box office is everything. Hopefully, in a few years, our films will start making Rs 400 crore and that a star should charge Rs 100 crore. The box office is very important but it is not the only thing. The content you are offering your audience should matter just as much.
And what about critical acclaim?
I think it has started mattering a lot now. There was a time where a film would go on to having a 25-week run at the box office but now it’s the first weekend that matters most. We have so many films releasing and we are a film-crazy nation. But we are not very rich and cannot afford to watch a film every week, and today there is a big film releasing almost every week.
Considering how expensive tickets are, it doesn’t make sense to watch Krrish 3, then Ram-Leela, then Gori Tere Pyaar Mein and then Bullett Raja, week after week. So reviews matter because at least someone is saying ‘don’t miss this’. But we need to curb piracy first. The economics of the film industry is ruthless. If we keep on making films for the multiplex audience, nobody will be bothered about single-screens. In a nutshell, reviews are important because, before families go out and spend so much money on a film, they should know if it is worth it.
Also, with competition being ruthless, it is very important to plan your release date, isn’t it?
It’s huge. I mean, in my career of 22 years, I have had only one holiday release and that opening was huge and the biggest opening of my life. So if you have a big film releasing on a national holiday, you’re done!
Coming back to Bullett Raja… How important is it for movies like this to be shot at their original locations?
You have to be honest to your film. If you’re in a hurry, it shows. Films are about taking time and production designing is very important. And locations are almost like a character in a movie. Unfortunately, we have ruined so many parts of our own country. So apart from digital work, the air is very polluted. But if you put up a camera in Mykonos in Greece, the whole sky looks different and the quality of air is different. I mean, location is like atmosphere. And atmosphere is very important to a film. In the case of Bullett Raja, location and story go hand in hand.
You’re a producer and also an actor. What is it like working outside your own banner versus under your own banner?
I like working at home because they spoil me! It’s also a very creative job and I enjoy that too. But it is also nice to work outside and let someone else worry about things. Like in Agent Vinod, the production design was not very good until I got involved. I prefer to act and let other people do their job. It is also really nice to work with experienced producers where you don’t have to worry about anything.
On the other hand, working on your own production is exciting. I enjoy every part of production since it’s a creative job. You think of which film to make; how you want to make it; when you want to make it; and where you want to make it. And then when you make it, there’s poster designing and publicising it.
Over the years, you have worked with solo producers and now the corporate world is here to stay. Do you think this is a boon for our industry?
I don’t really know but I guess it does make a difference. It’s a very good thing on some levels, like tracking whether your film is well publicised or not; creating awareness for your film, a background in marketing; experience in advertising. I am very comfortable working with Fox Star because they seem to know what they are doing, when they take a film, buy a film and release a film.
But knowledge of scripts, what will run and what will work…no one really knows. I am still comfortable trusting one or two people rather than a bunch. Too many cooks can spoil the broth. So you have to be careful. I am also happy that there is a certain transparency in our figures now.
- On special arrangement with Box Office India
I had actually wanted to work with Tishu (Tigmanshu Dhulia) and he has lots of ideas. I had always wanted to play a mafia, gunda-type gunman. But I thought a city kind of sleek guy would be easier for me, like a Bambaiya kind of mafia guy. Many people make films based on the Bombay mafia. I don’t know how comfortable I would be playing that. So I wondered what it would be like.
But with this Uttar Pradesh mafia role and Tishu directing it, I thought it would be a good chance to play this part. It was a bit of a challenge to understand the body language, the kind of character it is and the language. But once we got the hang of it, it was a lot of fun. Since the character was well defined, I understood it well and am very happy with how it turned out. I have only watched the rough cut and I enjoyed it. So I am confident the final copy will be even better.
At the end of the day, collections matter…
(Cuts in) Collections are everything! It is like God. It is possible to make films like Go Goa Gone only if you also make films like Love Aaj Kal and Cocktail. Small films need their own budget and, for them, everything is based on money. Economics is king and the box office is everything. Hopefully, in a few years, our films will start making Rs 400 crore and that a star should charge Rs 100 crore. The box office is very important but it is not the only thing. The content you are offering your audience should matter just as much.
And what about critical acclaim?
I think it has started mattering a lot now. There was a time where a film would go on to having a 25-week run at the box office but now it’s the first weekend that matters most. We have so many films releasing and we are a film-crazy nation. But we are not very rich and cannot afford to watch a film every week, and today there is a big film releasing almost every week.
Considering how expensive tickets are, it doesn’t make sense to watch Krrish 3, then Ram-Leela, then Gori Tere Pyaar Mein and then Bullett Raja, week after week. So reviews matter because at least someone is saying ‘don’t miss this’. But we need to curb piracy first. The economics of the film industry is ruthless. If we keep on making films for the multiplex audience, nobody will be bothered about single-screens. In a nutshell, reviews are important because, before families go out and spend so much money on a film, they should know if it is worth it.
Also, with competition being ruthless, it is very important to plan your release date, isn’t it?
It’s huge. I mean, in my career of 22 years, I have had only one holiday release and that opening was huge and the biggest opening of my life. So if you have a big film releasing on a national holiday, you’re done!
Coming back to Bullett Raja… How important is it for movies like this to be shot at their original locations?
You have to be honest to your film. If you’re in a hurry, it shows. Films are about taking time and production designing is very important. And locations are almost like a character in a movie. Unfortunately, we have ruined so many parts of our own country. So apart from digital work, the air is very polluted. But if you put up a camera in Mykonos in Greece, the whole sky looks different and the quality of air is different. I mean, location is like atmosphere. And atmosphere is very important to a film. In the case of Bullett Raja, location and story go hand in hand.
You’re a producer and also an actor. What is it like working outside your own banner versus under your own banner?
I like working at home because they spoil me! It’s also a very creative job and I enjoy that too. But it is also nice to work outside and let someone else worry about things. Like in Agent Vinod, the production design was not very good until I got involved. I prefer to act and let other people do their job. It is also really nice to work with experienced producers where you don’t have to worry about anything.
On the other hand, working on your own production is exciting. I enjoy every part of production since it’s a creative job. You think of which film to make; how you want to make it; when you want to make it; and where you want to make it. And then when you make it, there’s poster designing and publicising it.
Over the years, you have worked with solo producers and now the corporate world is here to stay. Do you think this is a boon for our industry?
I don’t really know but I guess it does make a difference. It’s a very good thing on some levels, like tracking whether your film is well publicised or not; creating awareness for your film, a background in marketing; experience in advertising. I am very comfortable working with Fox Star because they seem to know what they are doing, when they take a film, buy a film and release a film.
But knowledge of scripts, what will run and what will work…no one really knows. I am still comfortable trusting one or two people rather than a bunch. Too many cooks can spoil the broth. So you have to be careful. I am also happy that there is a certain transparency in our figures now.
- On special arrangement with Box Office India
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