Size doesn't matter

Priyanka Gehlot / TNN / Jul 10, 2007, 00:00 IST

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Small-budget characterbased movies are making big bucks compared to big ticket productions. AT gets the right picture

Small-budget characterbased movies are making big bucks compared to big ticket productions. AT gets the right picture.
The Hindi film industry's half yearly report card has been pretty dismal with six 'declared hits' out of the 50 films released so far. Small films without starry credits seem to have recovered their production costs. Wondering how? Dark horses like Bheja Fry, Aap Ka Suroor, medium budget films like Honeymoon Travels Pvt Ltd,Life In A...Metro rocked at the boxoffice because of their rock solid script and powerhouse performances by actors. Surprisingly well-packaged and much-publicised films like Jhoom Barabar Jhoom, Eklavya,Ta Ra Rum Pum, Salaam-e-Ishq and Nishabd couldn't live up to expectations. Trade analyst Taran Adarsh explains : "The audience doesn't expect much from small budget films as there are no pre-release hypes about them. Big budget films like Jhoom Barabar Jhoom failed because they were actually bad films."
Mumbai's dream merchants can no longer afford to take the audience for granted. The discerning audience looks for better storyline and treatment. "Story should be the hero. Big actors can't pull us to the theatres any more. One has to think out-of-the-box to create that magic on screen. Marketing and pre-release hype can't fool us," says Mukambika Pillai , a movie-buff . Filmmaker Ravi Chopra agrees, "The size and budget of a film hardly matters to the audience. Either they like the film or they don't like it." Filmmakers are keen on small and medium budget films because their success ratio is high as the costs are low and therefore risks are minimum. So filmmakers like Subhash Ghai who used to make big budget films are now making small budget films too. "Small budget films have less risk and investment, so when they click they make money," says film distributor Ramesh Sippy. There are no clear-cut formula that can create wonders at the box-office . Himesh Reshammiya's Aap Ka Suroor got a better opening than the big ticket Apne and the more hyped Awarapan . Several filmmakers feel that it pays to play safe and produce lowbudget films. But distributors don't really agree. "It's a myth that only small budget films are becoming successful at the box-office . If one big budget film fails that doesn't mean all big films will meet failure," says Sippy. So as Bollywood waits for its next big ticket success in 2007, small and medium films continue to rule the box-office . priyanka.gehlot@timesgroup .com

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