OOMPH POWER: Shilpa Shetty will soon be seen in a Bhojpuri film

Saira Banu is doing it. Saroj Khan is doing it. Ekta Kapoor is doing it. Even Deepak Sawant, makeup man for Amitabh Bachchan, is doing it. They have all decided to make films ? hold your breath ? in Bhojpuri.

Welcome to the happening world of Bhojpuri films that has got Bollywood notables falling over themselves to jump on to the Bhojpuri bandwagon. So much so that even well known producers and top-of-the-line stars are keen to make their debut in Bhojpuri films. Mukta Arts is toying with the idea of making a Bhojpuri film, as is actress Jaya Prada. The Jains of Venus Films have just released a Bhojpuri film and it is believed that even Vijay Mallya’s film company is currently shooting a Bhojpuri movie. Not just that, you will soon see Amitabh Bachchan in a Bhojpuri film called Ganga, Bhagyashree of Maine Pyar Kiya fame is to star in Sajanwa Uthaile Hamaar Ghungta and even Hema Malini and Shilpa Shetty are waiting in the wings to appear in Bhojpuri films.

So what has fuelled Bollywood’s sudden interest in the rustic charms of Bhojpuri films? The simple answer is that they are making lots of money these days. For example, Panditji Bataai Na Biyah Kab Hoyee, a recent Bhojpuri film made on a budget of Rs one crore, has raked in more than Rs 10 crore in returns. Again, Sasura Bada Paisawala, another hit Bhojpuri film, made on a budget of Rs 30 lakh garnered Rs one crore at the box office. Points out Sultan Ahmed, co-producer, Saira Banu Productions, “The films can be made at 1/15th the cost of a Bollywood film. Yet they have a huge audience and the returns are good.”

Bhojpuri is a dialect of Hindi, spoken mainly in the western part of Bihar, the eastern part of Uttar Pradesh and some adjoining areas of Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand and Nepal. Bhojpuri influences have always been present in Bollywood. Whether it is in movies of yesteryear like Ganga Jamuna or in hit songs like Chalat musafir, Nain lad jae hai and even Kajra re, Bhojpuri words have always been part of the Bollywood lexicon.

But now Bhojpuri films are filling the space left by multiplex-bound Hindi movies that target sophisticated urban audiences. Says Kunal Singh, a veteran Bhojpuri actor and film producer, “Bhojpuri films cater to the masses whose heart still resides in villages.” Ramesh Yadav, a taxi driver in Mumbai, can vouch for that. He has been living in Mumbai for the last 15 years but he has not forgotten his roots in a small village near Ballia, UP. Says Yadav, “I cannot watch Hindi films with my family as they are too vulgar. Bhojpuri films remind me of my village and offer clean entertainment.”

Singh says that in the 1980s, Bhojpuri films had low production values and had stories borrowed from Hindi filmdom. They also struggled to find buyers. Since 2001, though, Bhojpuri film makers have been producing quality films. Today, around 26 films are made annually ? a substantial jump from the 1980s, when not more than 15 films a year were made ? and the Bhojpuri film industry is now a Rs 100 crore business. Little wonder that virtually all of Bollywood is now keen to have a share of the Bhojpuri pie.

Bhojpuri films usually have a rustic theme and many of them revolve around problems of the zamindari system, exploitation of women and other social issues. Some may argue that Bhojpuri films also use a lot of vulgar innuendoes, but Singh shrugs it off as something that’s part of north Indian culture where a bit of naughty word play is permitted.

Today, Bhojpuri films are not just earning big bucks but have also become the salvation for many a Bollywood write-off. Ravi Kishan is one such example. Kishan came to Mumbai from Jaunpur, UP, with dreams of making it big in Bollywood. But he only managed to land a few small roles. Then in 2001, Manoj Tiwari, a veteran Bhojpuri film producer, approached Kishan with the offer of a leading role in Saaiyan Hamaar. The movie was a runaway hit and Kishan became a huge star. Today, Kishan is a matinee idol of sorts, with 15 of his 17 Bhojpuri films being declared super hits. Says Kishan, who now works with stars like Amitabh Bachchan and Bhagyashree, “I am thankful to Bhojpuri films that have made me a big star and also showcased my talent to a wide audience.” Naghma, another Bollywood also-ran, is now considered the number one heroine in the Bhojpuri industry. Says Naghma, “I want to make Bhojpuri hip like Bollywood.”

With mega stars like Amitabh Bachchan and others agreeing to work in Bhojpuri films, their budgets are no longer quite small beer. In fact, most of them have budgets of Rs one crore or more and many films have also begun shooting in foreign locales a la Big Brother Bollywood.

But though Bhojpuri films are clearly going places, veterans like Singh are worried that in the general euphoria over foreign locales and mega stars, the industry might lose its roots and alienate its core audience. “There is also the question of infrastructure,” says Singh. “If the governments of UP and Bihar take steps to build film studios, we will not have to shoot in Maharashtra and Karnataka. This will make our films more authentic,” he adds.

But for now, the Bhojpuri film audience isn’t complaining. All it wants is some good clean bucolic entertainment. Whether it’s shot in Bangalore or Ballia is immaterial.