Biopics have emerged as a bankable genre but conditions apply
The success of Bhaag Milkha Bhaag breathed life into biopics, a genre which was always on the radar of filmmakers but had gone into a slumber. The film grossed Rs 100 crore at the box office and ever since, many filmmakers have been trying their hand at the genre.
Thus, in the next few months, we will be treated to the biopics Mary Kom (of celebrated pugilist Mary Kom) directed by Omang Kumar, featuring Priyanka Chopra; Rakumar Hirani’s biopic on actor Sanjay Dutt, which is likely to have Ranbir Kapoor in the lead role; and Anurag Basu’s biopic on singer Kishore Kumar, also featuring Kapoor.
Wait, there’s more. Producer Manish Goswami has decided to make a biopic on the life of ace filmmaker Guru Dutt and has acquired the rights to a biography based on him. Director Vibhu Puri is helming an ambitious biographical film on Shivkar Talpade, the man who arguably built and flown India’s first unmanned aircraft in 1895. The film, titled Hawaizada, will feature Ayushmann Khurana in the lead role. Director Ketan Mehta is also making a biopic on the life of Dashrath Manjhi, the man who carved a path through a mountain in the Gehlour hills so that his village could have easier access to medical attention after his wife died from a lack thereof. The title role will be played by Nawazuddin Siddiqui. Another project that has been gaining momentum and hype is Prawal Raman’s Charles Aur Main featuring Randeep Hooda.
It is common trade knowledge that Indian filmmakers as well as viewers have a healthy appetite for biopics. So in the past, there have been times when five films based on freedom fighter Bhagat Singh hit cinema halls. And despite the numerous films on the same person, one or two did manage to do well at the cinemas.
More recently, films like Shahid, The Dirty Picture, Paan Singh Tomar have proved their mettle. All three films not only set the cash registers ringing but also won critical acclaim for their lead actors in the form of the National Awards.
Now with a stellar line-up of biopics all set to hit the marquee, here’s the industry’s take on the box-office potential of these films:
Ajit Andhare, COO, Viacom18 Motion Pictures
We don’t look for biopics, we look for great stories but many biopics happen to be great story material. The challenges that a biopic presents are usually the same as in any film, so the real question is, does the story hold out appeal, does it have cinematic potential, do characters stand out, and will it make an impact on the audience. Is the subject marketable and what cast will make the film feasible? If these questions can be answered in the affirmative, you have a winner on your hands.
Amar Butala, Creative Director, Studios, Disney India
Over the last few years, Indian audiences have been responding very positively to biopics. UTV has had had an incredible record with this genre, where not one, but two of our films , Paan Singh Tomar and No One Killed Jessica, enjoyed a dream run at the box office. The challenge with biopics is that while you want to tell the real story and not misrepresent facts, one needs to make the storytelling compelling and the film accessible to audiences. The biopic on Kishore Kumar’s life focuses on both his personal life and professional accomplishments but it also pays homage to the genius of Kishore Kumar. The other is a sports biopic based on two female athletes who did India proud at the Commonwealth Games, which is an extraordinary story of the triumph of the human spirit.
As a studio, we aren’t only researching interesting biopics but also working on presenting the stories we want to tell in a unique way. We believe there are some awe-inspiring stories waiting to be told, and if we can take these stories, be true to them, and yet keep the film entertaining, there is a huge audience for these films.
The challenge is to find stories that will resonate with the audience today, and to tell them in a way that will engage them. Take the example of UTV’s Rang De Basanti. We took the story of Bhagat Singh and made it relevant to audiences today by setting the film in modern times. There were other films made on the life of Bhagat Singh, but it was Rang De Basanti that created box-office history and has cult status.
