MUMBAI:
After biggies flopped at the box office and economical films hit the bull’s eye, Bollywood has woken up to the importance of a well-written script with suddenly everyone asking for original screenplays.
Those expressing this need include Abhishek Bachchan, who wants to explore plays written by youngsters in India, as well as Subhash Ghai, who says lack of scripts forced him to take a sabbatical “from directing movies”.
The drought of original ideas is obvious from the remakes and sequels that hit the screen. This year the box office has already seen four remakes in two months — Players, Agneepath, Ek Main Aur Ek Tu and Ek Deewana Tha. “When we are remaking, it means there is a dearth of ideas. It is not the right situation; our children should come up with new ideas,” said Ghai.
Dhobi Ghat, Peepli Live, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, Dabangg and Chak De India were among the movies that boasted of a sound script, but such stories are few and far between.
Script: the backbone of a film
In the thriving Hindi film industry, which churns out more than 100 films in a year, the script gets a stepmotherly treatment. Everything revolves around stars. “The story has to be the king, but script has to be the leader. One should know that you need a solid script first and it should be the backbone of the films,” said Anjum Rajabali, who scripted the hit political thriller Raajneeti.
Film-makers and actors may have come out of their slumber, but independent writers are still running from pillar to post to convince stars and producers to support their projects. Additionally, scriptwriters also do not get their due when it comes to payment. Actor-producer Anil Kapoor said, “I agree, they deserve much more. Slowly and steadily, the actors and directors are understanding their importance and giving them their due. But they deserve much more.”
Ghai, who has stopped directing due to the dearth of good scripts, urges everyone to give credit to filmdom’s unsung heroes — the writers. “While promoting a film, please mention writers’ names. The solution is to encourage the new breed of writers and make them understand how to become writers, why to become writers. They are demotivated because they don’t get money and recognition,” he said. IANS
Recent remakes
Players
The film, directed by Abbas and Mustan Burmawalla, is a remake of The Italian Job (1969). What’s different in the remake is that it’s set in New Zealand instead of Italy. Additionally, the remake will have the customary Bollywood song-and-dance between the big heist.
Agneepath
Agneepath (2012), an action-thriller film produced by Karan Johar, is a remake of the 1990 film of the same name. The film stars Hrithik Roshan, Sanjay Dutt and Priyanka Chopra in lead roles. What’s new in this version is that Mithun Chakravarthy’s award-winning supporting character is chopped off. Instead, a new character of Rishi Kapoor is introduced, who plays the most mean and menacing role of the film.
Rowdy Rathore
Rowdy Rathore, the upcoming Bollywood action film, is the remake of Vikramarkudu (2006). Sanjay Leela Bhansali takes a complete U-turn with this production by coming up with an out-an-out commercial action masala flick on the lines of Dabangg or Wanted. In the remake, Akshay Kumar will try to give it a desi-feel with the chaste-Hindi tagline already reading ‘faulad ki aulad’ (son of iron).
SOURCE: Times of India
Published in The Express Tribune, March 21st, 2012.
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