AFTER 2 DRY FRIDAYS, WILL THE AUDIENCE COME TO CINEMAS IN HORDES FOR BATTI GUL METER CHALU?

The last 2 Fridays have been disappointing for Hindi films, box office wise. Last Friday was slightly better than the previous one with Manmarziyaan putting up respectable numbers. But yet, it has been an underperformer. This Friday will see the release of 3 films, out of which the first one has potential. My analysis:

BATTI GUL METER CHALU: It stars Shahid Kapoor, Shraddha Kapoor, Yami Gautam and Divyendu Sharma and is directed by Toilet – Ek Prem Katha director Shree Narayan Singh. The film talks about the problem of electricity theft and inflated electricity bills which is quite common in rural areas. The trailer is hard-hitting and has some light, funny moments as well. It seems to be in the zone of Jolly LLB. The locales of Tehri are very well shot. Songs have got noticed but haven’t worked big time as such. The buzz is also limited and the film can open in the Rs. 5-6 crore range. The figure might go higher if the word of mouth is too positive. If this film gets a good response, it can have a healthy run at the box office. Sui Dhaaga, which releases next week, is a big release and it’ll surely dent into its collections in Week 2. But if Week 1 figure is good, then Batti Gul Meter Chalu can sustain in the forthcoming weeks as well!

MANTO: It is based on the life of controversial writer Saadat Hasan Manto. It marks the return of director Nandita Das after Firaaq which released almost 9 years ago. Nawazuddin Siddiqui stars in the leading role in this film which also features Rasika Dugal, Tahir Raj Bhasin. Rishi Kapoor, Javed Akhtar, Neeraj Kabi etc feature in cameos. The trailer of the film has been liked and the film has done the rounds of several film festivals. However, it looks too niche. The opening day figures can be very low, in the Rs. 1-1.50 crore range. A good word of mouth will help the film to sustain in the urban high-end multiplexes.

ISHQERIA: It stars Neil Nitin Mukesh and Richa Chadha and is directed by Prerna Wadhawan. The film went on the floors almost 5-6 years ago and came to a standstill when Prerna’s father and the film’s producer Ravi Wadhawan passed away in a road mishap. Due to the delays and rising costs, the promotions are low-key. Sadly, the buzz is negligible for the film and many are not even aware that this film is releasing. Also, the theatrical trailer is badly cut and doesn’t look great. The opening hence can be disastrous, in the range of Rs. 30-40 lakhs.

WHICH FILM WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE AND WHY? DO LET ME KNOW!

Producer of Richa Chadha-starrer Ishqeria says movie was screened for exhibitors in China as it gears for simultaneous release across both nations
Upala KBR (MID-DAY; September 12, 2018)

mid-day had previously reported that Richa Chadha and Neil Nitin Mukesh’s romance drama Ishqeria was gearing up for a release, four years after the filming had concluded. Now, we hear, the film will simultaneously hit screens in India and China, making it the first Indian movie to do so.

Producer Yusuf Shaikh tells mid-day that the film has received the green light from the Censor Committee in China. A chain of distributors, we’re told, watched the film yesterday to zero in on who will pick it up. “Chinese distributors are confident that good Indian content works for their audiences too. Thus, they will try to minimise delays in releases to avoid piracy. Hopefully, we will be able to release the movie in India and China on September 21. After the Censor Board gives its certificate — a procedure that takes 24 hours — the film is screened for distributors so that a call on its exhibition can be taken,” he says. Pointing out that China has 70,000 screens, Shaikh says it makes for a big market for Bollywood filmmakers.

Having been approached by Mauritius-based Liv Worldwide — a company that bridges the gap between filmmakers and distributors — Shaikh says CEO Nadeem Shah had assured him that the film will release on the stipulated day with Chinese subtitles.

Trade analyst Atul Mohan tells mid-day that the development gives credence to the fact that “a new market is opening up abroad for Indian producers.” “China has the second highest number of screens in the world after USA. In India, we wait to gauge the box-office performance of a film before pushing it for a release there,” he says.

Ishqeria revolves around a small-town girl, played by Chadha, who heads to a city-based college and falls for the institute’s sports star. Her friends then go to great lengths to play matchmakers for the duo.

The film, helmed by débutant director Prerna Wadhawan, also stars Bani J and Raj Babbar. After the shooting had wrapped up four years ago, it faced several hurdles, including the death of Wadhawan’s producer-father Ravi Wadhawan.

Prerna had then told mid- day, “We have finally overcome all the odds. We managed to get the ball rolling.”

As Papon well and truly puts a child molestation charge behind him to tour and make music, the industry calls #metoo a media preoccupation
Aastha Atray Banan (MID-DAY; September 9, 2018)

Last Friday, Angarag Mahanta, popularly known to his fans as Papon, tweeted about his latest song from the Richa Chadda-starrer Ishqeria. He has both, sung and composed Toofani Hawa. A day prior, he spoke of headlining Chandigarh's Lager n Barrel Festival, and thanked organisers for the vibe at the Chalo India Convention in New Jersey, a three-day event hosted by The Association of Indian Americans in North America. Last month saw him heap praise on the team of veteran composer Anu Malik and writer Varun Grover, with whom he had earlier collaborated on the hit track Moh Moh Ke Dhaage in 2015. The trio is back with Chaav Laga, from Varun Dhawan/Anushka Sharma-starrer Sui Dhaaga. "So much love coming our way for this song," he wrote about the track that has enjoyed 11 million views, since it released a week ago.

Malik, with whom he also worked in the Qarib Qarib Singlle track, Daana Paani, refused to speak and his manager suggested we reach out to Papon himself. An abrupt break in the singer's Twitter timeline after February 24 until he resurfaced in June to discuss Qasam Kha Li from Bhavesh Joshi Superhero, speaks of why Malik prefers to distance himself from the discussion.


Papon posted a picture from the Chalo India convention he played at in New Jersey, on his social media handles. Pic/Instagram

After a video surfaced online showing Papon kissing a minor female contestant of a reality singing show on which he was judge, Supreme Court lawyer Runa Bhuyan filed a sexual assault complaint against the singer. Following a media blitzkrieg, Papon shared a lengthy post where he argued, "to show affection for an 11 year old child who I have been mentoring for a while is not an alien concept for me…However this is not to say I haven't made a mistake… I am sorry for that." A day later, he announced that he was stepping down as judge and disappeared from social media.

When Ye Tishnagi, a song from the film III Smoking Barrels, a story set in the North East, released last month, observors said it was Papon's comeback from the doldrums. Speaking to a news website, the film's writer-director Sanjib Dey said, "We got Papon to sing the song because he is not just an extremely talented singer but also because he connects with the North East as much as the rest of the country. It was a great experience collaborating with him."

A talent manager from a leading record label insists that it's Papon who decided to lie low. "He is actually one of the smartest music directors around, that's why people like working with him. He understands indie and commercial needs and operates accordingly. He gives you what you want." A friend who has known him since his early days in Delhi agrees. "He sees it [the incident] as water under the bridge, and doesn't want to come across as a sob story."

But his 'comeback' may have in fact, happened earlier in June when he performed at a music festival back home in Assam, his first gig after the controversy broke. An organiser, who didn't wish to be identified, said that she saw a different person. "He came across as mellow. He was of course, excited about the performance. It was as if he felt that if he performed here and was accepted, people would forget what had happened."


A grab from the controversial video

The organiser team was prepared for the worst, and was expecting protests. "But a surprise lay in store. Fans from all over the North East turned up after travelling in buses and trains overnight. They had Papon tattoos and T-shirts on. The energy was immense and the show was fantastic. They were sentimental about seeing him perform after so long." Fan pages like Papon Army (7,590 followers) and Papon Universe (9,564 followers) actively supported the festival and pushed for attendance on their forums.

"So many of us from the industry couldn't believe he did it, although the video was before us and we had watched it repeatedly. He is one of the nicest people around, and sure, he may have made a mistake, but most of us feel he didn't intend to do it," said a live sound engineer, who has known Papon personally and toured with him. He says there was talk of the singer having lost a few film songs and tours right after the controversy. "If he did five gigs before, he may be doing one now."

But a popular young singer, who has had his fair share of hits last year, says that the industry doesn't care for ethics. "It's ruthless here. I have given some big hits in the last year, but the recognition hasn't been all that much. It's because I don't network. But Papon, that guy is influential. I have met six different people, all of whom claim he is their best friend. He has built some strong relationships, and whether you get work depends on it. It [the sexual assault case] may have dented his personal confidence, but, it has not affected the work he gets."

And that brings us to the age-old question — can you separate the artiste from the person? How many of us stopped watching Woody Allen films after his adopted daughter accused him of sexual exploitation, or dropped House of Cards when Kevin Spacey was accused by 15 men of sexual misconduct? A popular music director-singer says, "Papon is a genius. Of that, there is no doubt."


Toofani Hawa from Ishqeria, has been sung and composed by Papon

An accomplished music writer explains it in detail, "He's definitely a pioneer in the Indian folk-fusion music scene and one of the brightest stars to have consistently put out quality work in the field even after branching into Bollywood. His fame has dimmed after the incident but only slightly." Nirmika Singh, Executive Editor, Rolling Stone, said that if she was asked to be on a panel with, or moderate a discussion that involved Papon, she would turn it down.

"In India, we are so star-struck by celebrities that we ignore criminality. We worship anybody and everybody seen on a big stage, big screen or TV, and think they can do no wrong," says the singer-songwriter, who once said in an interview that she would love to write lyrics for Papon. "But I can't say that now. In music, the student-mentor relationship is considered sacred. If a mentor is found guilty of sexual harassment, or if there's compelling evidence that suggests criminality, he/she should be subjected to the harshest punishment by law and also boycotted from the fraternity. Unfortunately, that hasn't happened. And that crushes my faith in the music industry."

Tarsame Mittal, founder of TM Talent Management, the firm that organised the All About Music conference in Mumbai last month, told us, "it's only the media that's asking these questions". "Isn't it the case in court? Aren't you innocent until proven guilty? I have known Papon for long and like him, I am from Guwahati. The subject of discussion at the conference was non-filmy music. It was right up his alley, and honestly, we didn't even think about the controversy when we invited him."

A poster for Lager n Beer festival

Prerna Wadhawan, Neil Nitin Mukesh and Richa Chadha on the set of the film

As the love saga Ishqeria gears up for release four years after it wrapped up, Richa Chadha, Neil Nitin Mukesh lend a helping hand in promotional work
Shaheen Parkar (MID-DAY; August 8, 2018)

Neil Nitin Mukesh and Richa Chadha's film Ishqeria is set to release next month, four years after it wrapped up. Directed by debutant Prerna Wadhawan, the love saga faced several hurdles after filming concluded, including the death of Wadhawan's producer-father Ravi Wadhawan.

"We have finally overcome all the odds," says Wadhawan, adding, "Dad passed away suddenly in 2014, in a road mishap on the Yamuna Expressway. My world came to a standstill. He was handling the project, everything had come together because of him. He connected with financers too. It took me a while to gather myself. Releasing the film looked like an uphill task. Everything fell apart, so I didn't push it."

It was only earlier this year that Wadhawan decided she would work towards getting the film to theatres. It had first kicked-off in Mussoorie in 2012. "I had to pick up from where we left off. It was tough, but we managed to get the ball rolling. We got distributors on board." While Mukesh has been part of gritty thrillers, this venture will see him romance Chadha, who plays a small-town reserved girl. "Although Richa is currently filming the Shakeela biopic, she told me she would take time out for promotional work of the film. Neil too flew down to New Delhi to enquire about the developments."

Shaheen Parkar (MID-DAY; January 25, 2014)

Neil Nitin Mukesh and Richa Chadha’s long-in-the making film Ishqeria has already faced several roadblocks and is yet to see light of day, but it looks like the love story’s release has been pushed ahead again. This time though, the delay has been caused by the wedding of debutant director, Prerna Wadhawan.

Confirms Prerna, “Yes, I am getting married to a person who is not from the industry. But the film is now in post-production and we will soon lock in a release date.”

On her part, Richa has been looking forward to the film’s release as she plays a role drastically different from the ones she has played so far. Her costar Neil, known to be part of dark, edgy films, will also be playing a typical lover boy for the first time.

It may be recalled here that work on Ishqeria began in 2012 in Mussoorie and Allahabad.

The unit then faced problems due to the rough weather and production constraints; there was also some buzz about the hotel accommodation in Allahabad being shoddy.