Tamasha: Make or break film for Ranbir Kapoor?
Once again, Ranbir is back with director Imtiaz Ali, who tapped his immense latent potential in Rockstar.
Actor Ranbir Kapoor began his Bollywood career with a bang, although his 2007 debut in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s ambitious project Saawariya bombed.
But a clutch of films such as Bachna Ae Haseeno, Wake Up Sid, Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani, Raajneeti, Rockstar, Barfi and Yeh Jawani Hai Deewani made him a heartthrob of millions.
The purple patch lasted till 2013, though.
In October 2013, Besharam opened to packed houses, but failed to garner a positive response. It was declared a flop. Abhinav Kashyap helmed the film and the audience had high expectations from him after his successful directorial debut in 2010 with Dabangg.
Kapoor hadn’t recovered from this jolt when Roy bombed at the box office too. It was even a bigger failure, but the worst was yet to come.
Anurag Kashyap earned a reputation for himself as a remarkable auteur after Gangs of Wasseypur, so it made heads turn when he decided to cast Ranbir and Anushka Sharma in his dream project, Bombay Velvet. This mega budget film was promoted like crazy and there was hardly a billboard where Kapoor didn’t invite the spectators to halls. But then, the unthinkable happened. Today, Bombay Velvet is among the biggest flops that the Hindi film industry has ever produced.
Now, in such a scenario, Ranbir is back with director Imtiaz Ali, who tapped his immense latent potential in Rockstar.
“I am quite nervous. I didn’t feel it during the last few releases, Rockstar (2011), Barfi (2012), Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani (2013), because I was in a certain zone; I was working more. I think I am not working as much now, so I have more time to think about it. Also, my last film, Besharam (2013), was a big disaster. The perception is that I have two flop films behind me,” Ranbir revealed in an interview with Hindustan Times some time ago.
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But can putting a brave front hide his recent box office record? In another interview, Kapoor explained: “I feel the pressure with every film. But to be honest, my first film didn’t do very well at the box office, so I have a certain acceptance of failure. I have seen failure more than I have seen success.”
He said the audience has trusted him and he didn’t want to take advantage of that. “With my previous three outings, I let them down. It is my responsibility to do better things, and choose better films, and act better. So, of course, I take that responsibility.”
Watch: Ranbir, Deepika in Tamasha trailer
Today, almost every big actor in Bollywood is turning producer and wants to fetch more profit for his or her films. There is no dearth of good subjects. But established actors look more in favour of “formula films” that can turn into money-spinners.
Records are getting broken with each film and every promoter wants his film to cross the Rs 200 crore-mark. That means the pressure is only going to mount on the fourth-generation Kapoor. Will he be able to silence his critics with Tamasha? We will get to know in less than 24 hours.
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