By Joginder TutejaChandni Chowk To China hasn't worked but Anees Bazmee doesn't blame Akshay Kumar for that. Someone who has always maintained that a star alone cannot make or break a film, Anees Bazmee has always believed that there are number of factors other than the presence of a star that impress an audience.
Maintaining the same comments as he did after a successful Singh Is Kinng and a flop Tashan, he continues in the same vein when the topic of Chandni Chowk To China comes up.
In a candid conversation with Joginder Tuteja, he maintains though that Akshay Kumar is too hardworking a man to be bogged down by one failure and his future films would make him wipe away one aberration that goes by the name of Chandni Chowk To China.
Chandni Chowk To China hasn't performed at the box office. A setback for Akshay Kumar?
Come on, this is such a ridiculous piece of gossip that I am seeing floating around ever since the first paid preview of Chandni Chowk To China got over. How could one film make or break a star, and that too someone as huge as Akshay Kumar.
He has reached the position where you do expect him to deliver in every outing of his. But is it humanly possible? You do make mistakes, you do err and this film could well have been an error in judgment on his part. But that's ok, he is a hardworking man and the last thing you want to say is that his positioning in the industry is threatened.
But everyone believed that the star presence of Akshay Kumar would be good enough to pull in audience in hordes for at least the opening week?
If the presence of a star was good enough for a film to succeed, why would you need a story writer or a director? Why not just take a good looking guy? Why would a star himself ask for a story from the filmmaker?Won't it just suffice for him to say that 'Chalo, I am on board and so we don't need anything else'? He may as well make a movie all by himself, isn't it? There is a definite role for anyone in the process of filmmaking and then you have the captain of the boat, the director. Most of all, he certainly has to perform and bring everything together for the success of the film.
Something that you maintained in case of Tashan, Welcome and Singh Is Kinng too...
That's right. Tashan was the best available set up that any filmmaker could have dreamt of. There were A-list actors like Anil Kapoor, Akshay Kumar, Saif Ali Khan, Kareena Kapoor, the music was popular (Vishal-Shekhar), the banner was huge (Yash Raj Films), the hype was there and we all saw what happened to it.
Agar story hi nahi hogi to aapke sab star kya karenge? On the other hand, Welcome and Singh Is Kinng worked because though they too were out and out commercial flicks; there still was something definite happening throughout the narrative. They weren't just being gimmicky or piggy banking on a star's popularity.
What happens for Akshay from here on?
I am no one to comment, he is experienced enough to know what he has to do. He has been around for a couple of decades and knows how to handle such situations. See, he has so much going for him, a) He is very hard working, something that is his biggest strength, b) He is good looking and only getting better with age and c) He can do everything that a mainstream Bollywood hero is required to do.Please go on…
He can do everything. You want him to do comedy, he will. You want him to do action, he will. He can do drama, perform well on emotional scenes, romance his heroines. In a nutshell, he can do everything that is expected from a 'masala' hero.
Don't forget that he is the same man who has been the darling of the masses and given so many back to back money spinners over the years. He has achieved so much in life in such a short time period. You would be foolish to write him off.
That's right. And in any case he has biggies like Kambakth Ishq, Blue, Housefull, Tasveer 8X10 and De Dana Dan coming up...
Yes, an impressive line up but again a word of caution here. If a film is bad, no one can help it. Neither an actor nor a star. I just hope and want that his films are well made indeed. Akshay bahut mehnati ladka hai and I am sure he will have a great run at the box office from here!