Pre-release punditry has become as notoriously inaccurate as exit pollsters at election time. While everybody waited for the Chhaava baton to pass on to Salman bhai and then Sunny paaji, the Khan paled into box-office irrelevance while Deol’s Jaat opened precariously. On Thursday, a Mahavir Jayanti holiday, the 10am show of Jaat had barely 20 people at a prime spot like PVR Juhu. But the 68-year-old dhai kilo ka haath is faring far better than the age-inappropriate swag of Sikandar with the Deol family’s loyal audience in Haryana going balle balle and collections slowly picking up in single screen theatres elsewhere. But it is a slow shuffle forward.
On the other hand, the celebratory party thrown by Dinesh Vijan had so much youthful energy from actors like Rajkummar Rao (Stree 2) and Vicky Kaushal (Chhaava) that you could see how the power axis had slowly but surely shifted. Of course, there was also energy emanating from the dance floor from other Vijan-discovered actors like Veer Pahariya (Sky Force) but not all have shown the spark of Rajkummar or Vicky and Sunny. Sunny’s Shiddat (2021) with Vijan did not fare well but he too is an impressive actor.
Years ago, when former banker Dinesh Vijan and actor Saif Ali Khan co-owned Illuminati Films, which produced successes like Love Aaj Kal (2009) and Cocktail (2012) and duds like Agent Vinod (2012) and Happy Ending (2014), the actor was the bigger name. Stardom will always have its fan following but in the market ratings, it is Dinoo who’s struck gold after going solo in 2014. Imagine notching up Munjya, Stree 2, Sky Force and Chhaava in less than one year.
Dinoo produced duds too (Raabta in 2017, Made In China in 2019, Roohi in 2020) but found his funny bone with Hindi Medium (2017), Stree (2018) and Bala (2019). The common link in all his movies: robust Indianness with themes centred around small-town Bharat.
It’s the same with his Rajkummar-Wamiqa Gabbi film Bhool Chuk Maaf, which has the actor at his riotous best. Once again, it’s about a pre-wedding haldi ceremony set in Benares. For the trailer launch, guests were cajoled to wear yellow, and vibrant yellow potlis with a pair of kangans, a hand mirror and some chocolates were distributed to everybody.
Like Dharma, YRF, T-Series, Farhan Akhtar-Ritesh Sidhwani’s Excel and Nikkhil Advani’s Emmay, Dinoo’s company has opened its doors to new filmmakers too. Amar Kaushik (Stree, Bala, Bhediya) is one such talent. Aditya Sarpotdar (Munjya) and Karan Sharmaa (Bhool Chuk Maaf) have also got their breaks in Hindi cinema from this production house. As for actors, Sharwari Wagh (Munjya) arrived last year. Saucy Wamiqa Gabbi (first noticed in the hit web series Jubilee), with a lopsided smile like Madhubala and Madhuri Dixit, will take centre stage soon.
“It has been overwhelming,” sighed Dinesh Vijan, who really is the man of the hour.
But there are old horses still galloping. Seven years after a successful Raid, Ajay Devgn returns as no-nonsense I-T officer Amay Patnaik in Raid 2 (same character with a new wife as Ileana Dcruz gets displaced by Vaani Kapoor). It works well when Ajay teams with other heroes where he’s Mr Upright and the other is a social menace — Saif in Tanhaji (2020), Madhavan in Shaitaan (2024) and the underrated Riteish Deshmukh in Raid 2.
Even when the industry is feared to be sinking, it is an interesting time as actors like Riteish juggle with comedy (Housefull 5 coming up) and villainy (serial killer in Ek Villain, vertically-challenged antagonist in Marjaavaan) besides doing extremely well as a filmmaker. Apart from producing substantial Marathi films, Riteish also directed Ved, a ₹15 crore movie that made ₹75 crore, one of the most successful films of 2022. The actor was not at the trailer launch of Raid 2 as he’s busy producing, directing and acting in Raja Shivaji.
Wonder what this politician’s son will have to say about Aurangzeb in his film on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
