Romance cannot go out of fashion. Sameer Vidwans’ upcoming romantic drama, Satyaprem Ki Katha, which stars Kartik Aaryan opposite Kiara Advani, is a love story with a twist. The plot revolves around a Gujarati man named Satyaprem (Aaryan), who gets attracted to and eventually marries Katha (Advani). The trailer, which has snatches of lively music, comedy and emotional drama, indicates there is an unknown fact of Katha’s life that changes the course of the plot. What is that fact? We will have the answer after SPKK’s release on June 29.
SPKKS, a crucial film for both Aaryan and Advani, will prove whether or not they can deliver a non-ensemble cast success in the post-pandemic era. While Aaryan’s fan following among youngsters is undeniable, the actor’s well-promoted action drama, Rohit Dhawan’s action drama Shehzada, had tanked not long ago. SPKK, in other words, must have what it takes to attract the judgemental modern-day viewer.
Bollywood has delivered two spectacular commercial outcomes this year: Siddharth Anand’s spy action thriller Pathaan, a record-breaking blockbuster, and Sudipto Sen’s small-budget social drama The Kerala Story, whose success surpassed all expectations. At the same time, significant commercial success eluded most other films.
As the industry tries to adapt to changing times, makers of big-budget films, in particular, have become acutely aware that they cannot hope for good outcomes because of the mere presence of big stars with massive off-screen appeal. The most important need for a new film is an original, well-written story. Although producing remakes continues to be a temptation, the number of such films will inevitably decrease if those in various stages of production fail to perform at the box office.
Will SPKK succeed in this challenging environment? Content will decide the outcome, not Aaryan’s off-screen appeal.
The KJo Factor
As first-day film-goers wait for SPKK’s advance bookings to begin, the industry is looking forward to two other upcoming films with hope. Karan Johar’s romantic comedy family drama Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahani starring Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt will hit the marquee on July 28. A KJo film is a big event, and RARKPK is no different.
Johar is returning to the big screen with a full-length feature film after his musical romantic drama Ae Dil Hai Mushkil released in 2016. RARKPK will cater to the far more mature and selective viewer, whose exposure to quality content in entertainment has increased manifold. The trailer highlights classic KJo trademarks such as grand sets and great costumes. RARKPK also has veterans Dharmendra, Jaya Bachchan and Shabana Azmi, whose presence has increased expectations from the film.
Bhatt has enjoyed significant success in recent times. She is, quite clearly, the number one actress at the moment. Her performance in the central role in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s fascinating drama Gangubai Kathiawadi shows how rapidly she has evolved as a performer. Singh, on the other hand, has experienced a string of failures, among them Kabir Khan’s sports drama 83 (2021) and Rohit Shetty’s period comedy Cirkus (2022). He needs a hit desperately.
RARKPK will attract viewers in the first weekend because it is a lavishly mounted family drama and a well-promoted KJo film. Of course, the film can hope to have a great final result if the content has mass appeal, the most important selling point for any big-budget film.
This Animal Can Make A Killing
Ranbir Kapoor has explored new possibilities as an actor and achieved considerable success in recent times. The actor’s only significant recent failure is Karan Malhotra’s period action drama Shamshera (2022), an ambitious film with a weak screenplay. Kapoor’s most recent success was Luv Ranjan’s romantic comedy Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar, an urban romance that worked in spite of its weaknesses, among them its many exasperating monologues and the screenplay’s moving away from its initial focus on two free-thinking people. What helped the film succeed was Kapoor’s solid performance, his pairing with Shraddha Kapoor and the songs. Most viewers liked what they saw, resulting in a success.
Kapoor’s upcoming release is Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Animal, the much-awaited action thriller that will hit the marquee on August 11. The film also has Anil Kapoor, Rashmika Mandanna, Tripti Dimri and Bobby Deol in pivotal roles. Reddy Vanga’s last Hindi film was the romantic drama Kabir Singh (2019), a remake of the writer-director’s own Telugu film Arjun Reddy (2017). Criticised for glorifying misogyny, Kabir Singh became Shahid Kapoor’s highest-grossing solo lead film.
Animal’s pre-teaser indicates it is a stylised, action-packed film. Kapoor’s look is partly revealed, while it is abundantly clear that his character is at the centre of much violence. A gangster drama and a father-son love story, Animal is assured of a great first weekend because of the overwhelmingly positive response to the pre-teaser.
Amit Rai’s satirical comedy-drama OMG 2 and Anil Sharma’s period action drama Gadar 2: The Katha Continues, both August 11 releases, can also add to Bollywood’s tally of commercial successes in 2023. At the same time, there is considerable focus on SPKK, RARKPK and Animal, three films with younger stars that seem perfectly capable of making their producers smile.
The author, a journalist for three decades, writes on literature and pop culture. Among his books are ‘MSD: The Man, The Leader’, the bestselling biography of former Indian captain MS Dhoni, and the ‘Hall of Fame’ series of film star biographies. Views expressed are personal.
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