Can Bollywood soon supply more Pathaans?

There is euphoria in the air. Siddharth Anands Pathaan’s spy action drama is a blockbuster. Success, however, cannot be a one-time event. Teasers and trailers for upcoming big-budget films reveal a focus on mass performers as the industry hopes to hit the jackpot more often in the coming months.

History cannot be created every week. Although most viewers posting their thoughts online found the trailers to be impressive, the films face the real challenge of pleasing the crowd.

Focus on the hero

Salman Khan has been around for over three decades. Farhad Samji’s action drama Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan features him in an action-packed avatar that shares similarities with Shah Rukh Khan in Pathaan for a while. Salman is bearded, has long hair, and even sits on his knees during an action sequence like the latter does in Pathaan. Director Samji’s last film was Akshay Kumar actor Bachchhan Pandey which sank at the box office. He hopes to have better luck this time. So will Salman as he plays the brother, falls in love, and takes on his opponents as an action hero.

Rohit Dhawan’s next comedy, Shehzada, will be a test for Kartik Aaryan. Popular among the masses as a romantic hero due to its theatrical releases, Aaryan in the Shehzadas trailer is featured as a bidi-smoking young man who rides a scooter and battles his opponents in action sequences. incredibly unreal. The young star is a gifted performer, but it will be interesting to see how he fare as the larger-than-life hero of a typical entertainer in which the focus is entirely on him.

too many remakes

In Lokesh Kanagaraj’s gripping Tamil-language action drama Kaithi, a character tells his companion (the protagonist played by Karthi) on a perilous late-night journey. Movies these days only work if they have a good story. Kaithi has what her character is about: a good story. The result is Bholaa, the remake of Kaithi directed by Ajay Devgn, in which one can’t help but notice the character of Tabus from a cop, the antagonist from Deepak Dobriyals, the titular character from Devgns and sequences of fantastic actions. Devgn is an underrated director, and what’s in evidence suggests a thrilling theatrical experience.

Bholaa, however, is susceptible to comparisons with the original. The remakes, apart from Abhishek Pathaks Drishyam 2, have also not worked lately. The recent release of trailers for remakes, however, is a reminder that the industry will continue to make such movies if it isn’t beset by many more failures.

Samjis KKBKKJ is a remake of action drama Sivas Tamil Veeram while Shehzada is a remake of action comedy Trivikram Srinivass Telugu Ala Vaikunthapuramaloo. The latter stars Allu Arjun as a man who never saw his true wealth because he was raised in a lower-middle-class family after being swapped at birth. Can Aaryan match Arjun’s swag in Hindi remake? His fans hope so.

Another remake, whose trailer was released recently, is Raj Mehtas Selfiee which stars Akshay Kumar and Emraan Hashmi. A remake of the film Lal Jrs Malayalam Driving License starring Prithviraj Sukumaran as a superstar and Suraj Venjaramoodu as a motor vehicle inspector, the story tells what happens after its protagonists engage in a clash of ‘ego. Selfiee is a pivotal film for Kumar, who suffered a series of setbacks last year. Playing the superstar, he puts a smile on the viewer’s face as he digs into the real Akshay Kumar when he talks about his much-criticized prolific production in the trailer. Will the selfie be as entertaining as the driving license? All that can be said for now is that Kumar and Hashmi were well cast in the acting and commoner roles, respectively.

A romantic comedy

Luv Ranjans Tu Jhoothi ​​Main Makkaar is not a remake. The romantic comedy starring the two Kapoors, Ranbir and Shraddha, is naughty, witty and urban. The story focuses on its fun-loving protagonists, who believe that getting into a relationship in modern times is easy, but getting out is hard! Ranbir and Shraddha seem perfect for their roles, and the trailer is all it takes to prove that they share great on-screen chemistry. A big surprise in the film is the presence of stand-up comedian Anubhav Singh Bassi as Ranbirs’ friend. Bassi is hugely popular among stand-up comedy fans, and his unique style of delivery and presence could have an impact.

The recent release of several trailers is a reminder of what lies ahead. Moviegoers, who like to celebrate blockbusters in packed theaters, should hope that another Pathaan is on the way.

The author, a journalist for three decades, writes about literature and pop culture. Among his books are MSD: The Man, The Leader, the bestselling biography of former India captain MS Dhoni and the Hall of Fame series of movie star biographies. The opinions expressed are personal.

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