Showing posts with label Akaal. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Akaal. Show all posts
If Pushpa can work in Punjab, Akaal can do well in south-Gippy Grewal
8:26 AM
Ready with his ambitious period drama Akaal, Punjabi star Gippy Grewal discusses teaming up with producer Karan Johar to take the film across India
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; April 3, 2025)
Right when we begin our chat, Gippy Grewal tells us that he is averse to the term ‘pressure’. Writing, directing and starring in the ambitious venture, Akaal, must have been an arduous responsibility, but the Punjabi actor-director says he had prepared himself mentally before setting foot on the set.
“When I go on the set, I never go with pressure. I know exactly the performance I have to deliver, what to extract from my actors, and how to shoot. I was prepared for [all the hurdles] when I decided to do this,” he says.
Set in Punjab of the 1840s, Akaal tells the story of Sardar Akaal Singh and his village as they are attacked by Jangi Jahan. As he retold a chapter of Sikh history, Grewal says that he was mindful about not depicting any community in a bad light.
“This story is of Sikhs, but Hindus, Muslims and other religions have been shown in a positive light because I believe it’s not about religion. In the past, a lot of people have [furthered] these divisive narratives. Even during the partition, if there were bad people on both sides, there were good people too. We’ve told the story of Sikh warriors, but we’ve not shown that people belonging to any particular religion are bad—that will never happen in my film,” he asserts.
With a larger-than-life central figure and its roots in Punjab, Akaal—also starring Nimrat Khaira—has the same palette as The Legend Of Maula Jatt (2022). Was the film an inspiration for him? “I have seen the new Maula Jatt, and the old one [1979]. It’s very interesting, but has no parallel with ours. Our film is based on our Sikh principles and Sikh warriors.”
Akaal is being touted as the biggest Punjabi film of the decade. It also marks producer Karan Johar’s foray into Punjabi cinema. Grewal says that Johar came on board after being captivated by the film’s vision.
The actor recalls, “When we decided to release it in Hindi as well, we went straight to Dharma [Productions] and showed the content. We met Karan and in half-an-hour, everything was locked. He loved the trailer. Language is hardly a barrier anymore. It’s about marketing a film in a big way. If Pushpa can be a rage in Punjab, Akaal can do well in south too.”
Bollywood producers go regional to beat box office blues
10:06 AM
Faster turnaround time, lower costs, easy IP creations draw big brands to regional films as Hindi box-office lags
Rajesh N Naidu (THE ECONOMIC TIMES; March 18, 2025)
Mumbai: Prominent Hindi film studios are moving into making regional language films as they look to break the dry spell caused by funding constraints, high costs and low confidence in starting fresh films. In the last one month, Dharma Productions, Luv Films, Baweja Studios, and Junglee Pictures are among the production houses that have announced films in Punjabi, Marathi, Tamil and Malayalam.
Dharma Productions announced a Punjabi film 'Akaal' with actor Gippy Grewal, while Junglee Pictures announced its Malayalam foray with the film 'Ronth' (night patrol).
"The Hindi film industry is in a flux. Big films and stars are unable to draw audiences to theatres. It will take at least twelve to fifteen months to deal with these challenges," said Naveen Chandra, founder and CEO of 91 Film Studios, a production house that makes, finances and distributes regional films.
"In the interim period, Hindi film production houses are experimenting with a few regional films."
After Covid, repeated failures of big-budget Hindi films have forced the industry to reassess. Similar challenges persisted even for mid-sized Hindi films as audience's interest in these films waned.
A key parameter which works in favour of regional film is the turnaround time. "The turnaround time for regional films is faster than mid-sized Hindi films," said Chandra. "Generally, it takes 8-12 months to make a regional film, whereas a mid-sized Hindi film takes 1-2 years."
In recent years, mid-sized Hindi films have been taking longer to complete production as actors associated with them are committed to web series, endorsements and events, too. Due to this, producers said, these actors have not reduced their remuneration even after their films have failed in the box-office, making the economics of mid-budget films unfavourable. As per producers, regional films are a more viable proposition. A regional film can be made for Rs. 2.5-15 crore, whereas a mid-sized Hindi film would require Rs. 15-30 crore. Also, regional films require a considerably low investment of Rs. 50 lakh to Rs. 2 crore for promotion and advertising. For mid-sized Hindi films, this would be Rs. 5-15 crore.
Performance of regional films in recent years has also been encouraging, thanks to their engaging and rooted-in-culture stories. According to media and entertainment research firm Ormax Media, in the January-February 2025 period, regional films accounted for 52% of the total box office of Indian films, while Hindi films accounted for 45%.
Producer Anand Pandit, known for regional films in Marathi and Gujarati, said, "Today, viewers have a greater connection with regional films, as these films are largely based on original stories. A Hindi film which does an average business has an occupancy rate of 10-15% in theatres. But a regional film which does an average business has an occupancy rate of more than 25%."
Another aspect which works in favour of regional films is intellectual property (IP). Producers shared that it is easier to create IP in regional films given their sharp and defined demographics.
Suniel Wadhwa, co-founder and director of Karmic Films, said, "A prominent Hindi production house enhances the production value of a regional film. But recovery of investments (sale of satellite and digital rights) will depend purely on the quality of storytelling and unique content."
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