It is always a risk to take a leap of faith with a massively successful franchise like Mirzapur and bring it to the big screen. But the film, which released in theatres on September 4, wreaked havoc at the box office. It grossed over Rs 300 crore in worldwide collections. To top it all, the incredible ensemble cast did full justice to their characters and lived up to fans’ expectations.
In conversation with NDTV, ace filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj, who is currently basking in the success of his segment in Lust Stories 3, shared his views on how films are faring at the box office. And according to him, it has nothing to do with how big a star is in a film. He praised Ali Fazal, who gained widespread acclaim for his character Guddu Pandit in the Mirzapur franchise, and whose stellar performance in Mirzapur: The Movie has left a lasting impression.
Vishal Bhardwaj Praises Mirzapur The Movie And Ali Fazal
Vishal Bhardwaj praised the film and Ali Fazal, who also appeared in Lust Stories 3 in a segment directed by Shakun Batra.
“Mirzapur, though Mirzapur may have a great fan following from its OTT series, there is no star in it. There is no star in it. And now it’s going to create its own stars. I think Ali is going to be a big star,” says Vishal Bhardwaj.
Furthermore, he shares an anecdote about the changing times at the movies, recounting a story about his dear friend Imtiaz Ali and his sleeper hit Main Vaapas Aaunga.
Imtiaz Ali and his penchant for sleeper hits have become an undeniable force of nature by now. His labour of love earlier this year, Main Vaapas Aaunga, seemed doomed to be a box-office failure, collecting a mere Rs 1.15 crore net on Day 1, with its first weekend collection culminating at around Rs 5.50 crore to Rs 5.63 crore net. The film, which released on June 12, went from that status to earning an astounding worldwide gross collection of Rs 99 crore by August 8, when it made its Netflix debut. To add to it, the film enjoyed a glorious 50-day run in theatres.
Vishal Bhardwaj shared a little anecdote about the words of encouragement he had offered Imtiaz Ali back then.
He said, “When I watched that film, Imtiaz wanted me to come and watch it during the edit, and I couldn’t because I was busy in those days. Imtiaz is a very dear friend of mine. I was feeling guilty, so I went on the first day to watch that film because, before any opinion or verdict came out, I wanted to see Imtiaz’s film.”
He continued, “I went to see it. There were not many people in the theatre, yes, but the feeling I got after watching the film compelled me to call Imtiaz. I told him, ‘Imtiaz, don’t get disheartened by the first day’s numbers because I think this film is going to do really well.’ It made a connection with people. When I was watching it, I could see that people were emotionally connected to it. The film opened at around Rs 90 lakh or so, and it ended up doing more than Rs 65 crore.”
On Box Office Trends, Audience Expectations And ‘Star Power’
There’s a lot of chatter about whether star power alone can guarantee box-office success these days.
Some recent releases, such as Priyadarshan’s Haiwaan, led by Saif Ali Khan and Akshay Kumar, and Meghna Gulzar’s Daayra, headlined by Kareena Kapoor Khan and Prithviraj Sukumaran, failed to garner the expected numbers.
Meanwhile, a small-budget film like Hanuman Ansh soared on the back of strong word of mouth and increasing social media momentum. The film has grossed over Rs 400 crore worldwide.
So where does star power stand today? Is it enough to get viewers flocking to theatres?
Vishal Bhardwaj said, “I am finding it very encouraging and heartwarming. I’m not saying anything about the two films you mentioned, Daayra and Haiwaan, because I haven’t seen them. I don’t know why they didn’t work at the box office, so I don’t have an opinion on that. But one thing I’m realising is that if the film is good, it’s working at the box office.
“I think it’s a very, very good sign. The minimum guarantee of stars is reducing, which I think is good in a way. Look at the collection of Haiwaan; it has made around six-and-a-half crores at the box office. I am a Priyadarshan fan. I am a fan and a friend. I really wanted the film to do well. But somehow it didn’t. I still have to watch it,” added Vishal Bhardwaj.
The ace filmmaker concludes by posing a potent thought: stars should be vigilant about the cost of filmmaking, ensure they are backing a good film, and share the burden of producers. Producers should not be the only ones losing money.
Speaking of unexpected miracles and good films soaring at the box office, Vishal Bhardwaj smiles and adds, “These are good times. I mean, good times are coming.”
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