Bollywood Producers or Mad Scientists?

As everyone is already catching up with the fast pace of 2015, BollyCurry is also trying its hands on various experiments in B-Town. This time round, the limelight has landed on the backbone of movies without which any movie would fail its physical strength. Unlike actors and directors, producers are not the face of the film, yet they put in double the hard work to make the film shine. What we are looking at in our article today, is the decree of willingness and ability that Bollywood producers entail in bringing an exclusive piece of work to the audience. Let's take a look at which producers have been the most experimental, be it an innovative story, a book adaption, a biographic, or even a Hollywood re-make.

Owner of Dharma Productions Pvt. Ltd., Karan Johar is a well established director and producer. After the demise of the late Yash Johar, junior Johar felt the pressure of living up to the expectation of his father's dreams. After personally directing numerous blockbusters including Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998) and Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (2001), Johar found it crucial to nurture Dharma Productions into an expansion. The expansion came into force in 2003 with Kal Ho Naa Ho, when Johar took the front seat as the sole producer of movie and gave a break to his long time assistant director Nikhil Advani to take the director's spot. While K3G was an intense family drama and successfully managed to make it to third position in the Top 20 Asian Films at the Cannes Film Festival 2002, Kal Ho Naa Ho was a passionate love story involving a man fighting blood cancer; the screenplay currently rests in the Oscar Archives at the Library of Motion Pictures, Arts and Sciences. Johar is also the first Bollywood icon to produce a movie on the largely controversial concept of terrorism and it's relation to Muslims post the incident of 9/11. The movie My Name Is Khan (2010) earned strong critical acclaim and a standing ovation worldwide for it's beautiful portrayal of religion. He then went on to produce various other ventures including Student of the Year (2012), Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani (2013) and 2 States (2014) among others. There's no doubt that Johar has learnt how to play his cards wisely.

Siddharth Roy Kapur kick started his career as a producer under the banner of UTV Motion Pictures. The company, which only produced a maximum of four films per year, went on to produce a minimum of 16 movies within a few years under Kapur's leadership. He knew which concepts would grab the attention of mass audiences and chose those that would garner larger overall net profit. Kapur has lent his hand in producing a number of Bollywood hits including Jodhaa Akbar (2008), Fashion (2008), Raajneeti (2010) and Rowdy Rathore (2012). During 2012, UTV Motion Pictures went through a merger with Walt Disney, after which Kapur never looked back. His first film under Walt Disney India was Barfi! (2012), a critically and commercially acclaimed love story. In 2013, he opted for a book-adapted tale of buddies, Kai Po Che, a movie that tasted success at both national and international levels. After having experimented with serious screenplays, Kapur then produced the  romantic comedy Chennai Express (2013), which failed the critics, although it became the highest grossing Bollywood movie worldwide. By not sticking to the same repetitive genres, Kapur is slowly pushing boundaries and cementing strong international foundations.

Different than the rest, Anurag Kashyap takes pleasure in depicting real life concepts. Under the banners of Anurag Kashyap Films, Sikhya Entertainment and Phantom Films, he has provided hard hitting dramas such as Udaan (2010), That Girl In Yellow Boots (2011), Gangs of Wasseypur (2012), The World Before Her (2012) and The Lunchbox (2013), among others. Kashyap follows of the thinking that there needs to be someone who shows the real India and its struggles to the world. Almost all his films fall under the same category of socio-politcs and every year he manages to dwell a little more deeper. Kashyap is an inspiration to many out there who are struggling to be realistic rather than the larger-than-life concepts that Bollywood often churns.

Among the youngest in line is Excel Entertainment's co-producer, Farhan Akhtar. The wise have once said that "age is just a number" and "maturity comes with experience". Such is the case for young Akhtar who has tasted immense success as a producer at a tender age. He began his tremendous journey opposite Ritesh Sidhwani in 2001 with Dil Chahta Hai, a story based on his personal experience after traveling to various cities abroad. After a fairly long hiatus, he returned with the political drama Lakshya (2004), a fictional version of the Kargil war. In 2007, he produced Honeymoon Travels Pvt. Ltd., a film based on the real life situations faced by a majority in India. The movie was among the very few that brought limelight to homosexuality, a concept that was highly criticised back in the day. Thereafter we saw Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (2013), a coming-of-age comedy that took Indian cinema to a new level. It portrayed the story of three childhood buddies traveling together to make their dreams come true. Akhtar is indeed a man of colossal talent. He has and will continue to take the film industry by waves.

Formerly known as SLB Films, Bhansali Productions was established and is owned by Sanjay Leela Bhansali. The man who recreated the magic of love and portrayed the colourful Gujarati culture through Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999), also gave Bollywood one of it's mega blockbusters of all time, Black (2005). The movie, inspired by Helen Keller's life, exceptionally won 11 Filmfare Awards as it told the tale of a deaf and blind girl falling in love. Bhansali is known for catering suffering and pain in movies, a genre that never seizes to garner massive attention. He went on to produce Guzaarish in 2010, once again a movie that witnessed the struggle of a paralyzed man and his plea for mercy killing (euthanasia). Although the movie blundered at the Box Office, critics praised it for the heart-wrenching screenplay. Finally, Bhansali took a much needed break from emotional movies and took the platform to produce Rowdy Rathore (2012) and Shirin Farhad Ki Toh Nikal Padi (2012). The change did not last too long and 2013 brought back separation in love through the Bollywood version of Romeo and Juliet, Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-leela. Bhansali successfully managed to revive the Gujarati backdrop of Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam as the audience dropped anguished tears. Bhansali may not be very experimental with the concepts he picks, but not many can immerse you in a different culture and make you fall in love with it.

To experiment is to think, to experience, to live vicariously. Among the above producers and many others around B-Town who yearn to make audiences move through their cinematic world, what do you think? Are Bollywood producers experimental? Do you see their vision? Drop us a comment below on your thoughts about the trends set by our producers of today.

Author: Sonia R.
Editor(s): Pooja B. and Jenifer A.
Graphics: Shikha A.

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