Half-a-dozen biopics are set to release this year. We find out what are their prospects...
Chaya Unnikrishnan (DNA; January 11, 2016)


Aligarh is based on the shocking story of Professor Ramchandra Siras (played by Manoj Bajpayee), who was suspended from his job because of his sexual orientation. Azhar explores Mohammad Azharuddin’s trail-blazing career, which ended with him being banned from the sport. Emraan Hashmi essays the stylish cricketer. M S Dhoni: The Untold Story sees Sushant Singh Rajput playing the India ODI cricket captain in all his glory. Dangal has Aamir Khan playing a wrestling coach training his two daughters to victory in the sport. Airlift is based on a historical incident where 1,70,000 Indians were airlifted from Kuwait to India during the invasion by Iraq, with the help of businessman Ranjit Katyal (played by Akshay Kumar in the film).

More have been announced
Besides these films, there’s Haseena which will see Sonakshi Sinha as Dawood Ibrahim’s sister. Then there’s Kangana Ranaut who will be seen as a bank robber in Simran, which is based on the life of an Indian-origin nurse Sandeep Kaur who pulled off a series of heists in three American states. Kangana was also supposed to bring tragedy queen Meena Kumari to life on screen, but that film has been put on hold.

History of biopics
While biopics seem to have caught the fancy of filmmakers, the genre has a chequered past. None of the Bhagat Singh biopics fared well. Mangal Pandey, starring hit machine Aamir Khan, also failed. Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey, based on the Chittagong uprising tanked at the box-office. Sushmita Sen tried to make a biopic on Jhansi Ki Rani, but it never took off. Even the biopic on Kishore Kumar that was to star Ranbir Kapoor, has been shelved. Yet, the reason biopics are being made with alacrity is the success of films like Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, based on athlete Milkha Singh and Mary Kom, on the life of the Olympic winning pugilist. Even The Dirty Picture, loosely based on South actress Silk Smitha’s life despite an ‘A’ certificate, did a business of nearly Rs 80 crores at the box-office.

Trade prospects
According to trade analyst Amul Mohan, biopics are a budding genre in India and people are excited. “However, there is a danger of overkill, too. For instance, we have two biopics on cricketers, Azhar and Dhoni coming up this year. No doubt, the two bring out different spectrums — while Azhar’s career was tainted towards the end, Dhoni is about the current national hero. However, the fact that Azhar is releasing first, may lead to an overkill by the time Dhoni comes. But again with a newer angle and vision, it could attract audiences, especially as it is about somebody who is still playing.” As for Dangal, he says it’s completely different because Aamir is associated with it. “He elevates it to another level even if it is based on a real-life personality,” he quips.

Trade observer Taran Adarsh is of the view that as long as the biopics are authentic, are relatable to today’s audiences, and the storyteller is not taking too many cinematic liberties, they have a good market. “Dhoni is known to one and all. Neerja is somebody one needs to salute and Sarabjit’s story had hit headlines. Also, the latter is being made by Omung Kumar, the same filmmaker who directed Mary Kom, so he will be sensitive to the subject and not deviate from the core issues,” adds Taran.

Also, Amul feels that unlike American biopics, which are more in the context of the nation’s history, our biopics like Neerja, Sarbjit and Aligarh are based on isolated incidents. “They were in the news when the incidents happened, but not everybody is aware of it. Biopics here are still a shot in the dark. Once we find our feet, we will be good,” he says.