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With the ‘regular’ being out and major production houses like UTV and others green-lighting several niche films, Yash Raj over the time has been feeling the pressure to keep up with the contextual narrative of present Bollywood and try new things.
Whether it was Jhoom Barabar Jhoom, Laga Chunari Mein Daag, Aaja Nachle, Tashan or Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic, the banner consciously made sure there was an element of ‘progressiveness’ to each of these choices. Some were heroine-oriented films, others took a minimum risk in terms of genre. Yet, none of these worked. That’s because each one of these stories are told from the prism of a make-believe dream world defined in the Yash Raj mould.
The only film to move away from this sphere in some measure was Chak De India. Bachna Ae Haseeno is again an ode to the banner but its success really came from the fact that it attempted to de-construct their leading man (Raj).
To simply put it, the Chopras understand the need to keep pace with a fast evolving industry and for some time now, they seem to be looking at technology and related tie-ups to give them that much-needed fillip. However, where stories and treatment are concerned, the banner still seems to be either lost or stuck-up. Or worse still, — getting nostalgic about their past laurels in every new film. Bachna Ae Haseeno had it in very generous doses and though it can be excused in the overall context of the story, in Roadside Romeo, it’s far more blatant and plug-gish. There’s almost a wistful feeling in these ‘tributes’ that suggests a banner fallen on bad days lurching on to its past glories.
With an animation film like Roadside Romeo, there is an attempt to establish the banner’s pre-eminence as market leaders, but beyond that, Yash Raj doesn’t take the script forward, literally also.
The one question that you keep asking yourself while watching the Jugal Hasraj drected film is ‘why did this story need animation?’ It seems the idea to make an animation film came first. The makers probably thought a story is just incidental in an animation film and the experience of watching cartoons would be good enough. (As I said, this is the problem for Yash Raj – there’s the pressure to come up with new things but their parameters are too limiting in terms of ideas and their own will to go the full hog.)
So it’s almost like watching the most cliched Bollywood film in the world, with not enough scope for ideas to be played around with. There are songs, fight sequences, a villain (in essence could be Anil Kapoor from Tashan) an item song, and finally a DDLJ train climax. In an overt gesture, Adi has plugged even pal Karan Johar’s Kuch Kuch Hota Hai.
While all of this does not make it a bad film (in fact, none of YRF’s have been bad-they’re just not good enough), you can’t ignore this is not a subject that lends itself to animation. What Jugal has put together is enjoyable but this is probably the biggest compromise Yash Raj has made in terms of story and treatment.
Essentially, the Chopras are serving new dishes every now and then but they won’t change their stale curry. What Yash Raj needs is a paradigm shift and I say this whether or not they get commercial success.
-SANDHYA IYER
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beld 24 October 2008
10:26:44 pm
Sandy – I also believe they depend on star power way too much. Sometimes a script is more impactful if the actors are not big stars – take an aamir/wednesday/rock on/etc etc. Tell me one yrf movie without a big star
rks 24 October 2008
10:31:44 pm
Good Commentary Sandy.
sandy 24 October 2008
10:32:48 pm
Beld: I agree. Even Roadside Romeo was promoted as a Saif-Kareena film! Heights really. As long as they will depend on stars, they won’t work enough on their scripts.
neelu 24 October 2008
11:52:37 pm
Sandy – their last big one was CDI, and it boasted of a star and a script!
A C H I L L E S 25 October 2008
12:39:55 am
As expected Romeo is another Flop for YRF.
Last year YRF have 3 flops – JBJ, Aaja Nachley and LCMD.
This year they have given 3 Flops – Tashan, TPTM, Roadside Romeo.
Last year they gave a semi-hit TRRP
This year BAH was a Semi-hit.
Last year CDI saved YRF.
Will Rab Ne become a Blockbuster and SRK save YRF once again?
neelu 25 October 2008
12:45:24 am
Ach – Romeo ko kuch saans leno do bhai. Poor Jugal – after Masoom, let him have one more shining moment! But it could well be history repeating itself for YRF. And also a bad sign for Big HW studio investments in Hindi cinema.
jayshah 25 October 2008
01:36:22 am
Not surprised TBH. They’ve been complacent and in many ways arrogant with the low promotion on some of their movies. The beauty of CDI compared to all the other movies mentioned here is it is the most “un-YashRaj” movie imaginable. SRK as a hockey captain, no female romance to boot and the “look” of the film especially in the first half had hardly not much colour associated with YR. When they went the whole 9 yards, it worked. Everything else seems to come with expectation but disappoint. UTV is way ahead already.
sandy 25 October 2008
01:49:09 am
Agree Jay. Shimit Amin’s stamp on CDI is very clear.
Neelu, it’s not about targeting anyone -leave alone Jugal Hansraj. I’ve just pointed out how Roadside Romeo does nothing in terms of breaking moulds for Yash Raj and this is just symptomatic of their inability to emerege out of their comfort zone even thought they have a desire to experiement.
neelu 25 October 2008
01:58:29 am
Sandy – that was just my “awwww, it is Jugal” moment. I cannot forget Masoom and have to give him a bit of slack just for that
I think animation is a tough genre to succeed in. This is a baby steps experiment, first get into the comfort zone with familiarity of content, then change to real content that is worthy of animation. Seeing how Hanuman, Return of Hanuman, Ghatotkach et al. fared at the BO, it is no surprise that YRF did it this way.
sandy 25 October 2008
02:10:03 am
“Seeing how Hanuman, Return of Hanuman, Ghatotkach et al. fared at the BO, it is no surprise that YRF did it this way.”
This doesn’t appear to be working either. My basic point is a subject must lend itself for animation and this genre is all about thinking out-of-the-box, choosing subjects that cannot be made as well in the conventional format. These may be baby steps but they need to be taken with care.
sandy 25 October 2008
02:20:04 am
Also my entire commentary does not look at Roadside Romeo seperately but in context of Yash Raj and the rut it might be falling into. As I’ve said at other places too, taken as a film on its own, it’s a decent effort and even enjoyable at many places. Just that your heart aches at how YRF turns even an animation film into a cliched one.
neelu 25 October 2008
02:24:37 am
Very good point Sandy. But those others were valid Indian animation stories – coming right out of the Aamr Chitra Katha “type”, and should have worked well. With their lack of success, perhaps YRF thought they WERE outside the box in RR. So now it is back to the drawing board for animation films. We also have to keep in mind that for India perhaps animation has to be one-size fits-all, and parents and children both should enjoy the film. As an analogy – this is why the superhero film Krrish succeeded. If one is going to pitch a film as having big name actors, then maybe a good prototype is A Scanner Darkly – animation that keeps the star persona in place. Frankly I am not optimistic about the success of animation in the Indian market.
rockstar 25 October 2008
03:46:33 am
nice review
anyway anilmation is still in its early stage in india and hopefully we get a powerful brand like pixar and disney though in that regard hanuman was not a bad effort and certain section of audiences lapped it up to atleast it was for kids entirely innovative with a touch of originality
rockstar 25 October 2008
03:51:25 am
“There are songs, fight sequences, a villain (in essence could be Anil Kapoor from Tashan) an item song, and finally a DDLJ train climax. In an overt gesture, Adi has plugged even pal Karan Johar’s Kuch Kuch Hota Hai.”
these cliches should have been avoided even an engaging story which is well presented ( for example like shrek ) could have done the trick certainly that to when u r trying to innovate
cticize 27 October 2008
08:24:20 am
The makers probably thought a story is just incidental in an animation film and the experience of watching cartoons would be good enough. (As I said, this is the problem for Yash Raj – there’s the pressure to come up with new things but their parameters are too limiting in terms of ideas and their own will to go the full hog.)
I so agree with this. I mean an animation movie can be an element of your regular bollywood film but it has to have that additional doses of animatic fun. Many people are saying RR is missing that.