B-town's male-bonding

Housefull, 3 Idiots, All the Best, Kaminey, Golmaal, Dostana, Munnabhai, Rang De Basanti, Badmaash Company, London Dreams, Kismat Konnection, Heyy Baby, Dhamal, Dus, Dhoom, Shaadi No 1, Mujhse Shaadi Karogi, No Entry, Heroes, Shootout At Lokhandwala, Kaante, Garam Masala, Deewane Huye Paagal... a good look at these movies released in the last few years highlights one factor that’s common to all of them.
That they all are bound by the common thread of friendship and this theme of male-bonding seems to have blanketed the whole of Bollywood. The camaraderie the male actors shared with each other on screen in these movies was at times more sizzling than the chemistry the heroes shared with their heroines. And some of the biggest hits in Bollywood history have been films exploring this bond to the fullest. Munnabhai, Sanjay Dutt’s friendship with Arshad Warsi’s Circuit, created more waves than Dutt’s on screen histrionics with Vidya Balan or Gracy Singh. One cannot think of Shah Rukh Khan in Om Shanti Om without thinking of Shreyas Talpade, just like it would be difficult to think of a 3 Idiots without the bonding shared between Aamir Khan, Sharman Joshi and R Madhavan.
One would think that with male-bonding being a screen favourite right from Sangam to Sholay, the audience would have had enough of it already. But a look at the positive response these films have garnered at the BO just proves that Bollywood is into a prolonged season of male-bonding-oriented flicks, with the boys often stealing the thunder from right under the heroine’s noses.
Sajid Khan swears by this famed bond that Bollywood holds in reverence. Little wonder then that the filmmaker dished out heavy doses of the Akshay Kumar-Riteish Deshmukh camaraderie in both Housefull and Heyy Baby. Offering an explanation, he says, “Friendships in Bollywood have always been treated seriously by filmmakers. While love stories mostly tend to limit themselves to being just about love, friendship provides a lot more scope for all emotions to be explored. Besides, I think most of us see a little bit of our own friendships on screen. And just like love, friendship can never go out of demand.”
Sharman Joshi who’s 3 Idiots is a shining example of guy-bonding says, “Guys easily identify with on-screen friendships. Back in the earlier days, friends were often the support system apart from families. However, today we give more importance to friends than families and somewhere that reflects in the films as well. Somewhere, such films fan the hope that all of us would have at least one such good friend in life and those who already do have, see themselves in their on-screen heroes.”
Trade analyst Taran Adarsh agrees. “Bollywood has always celebrated the everlasting friendship between two young men. Right from Sangam that was as much talked about for Raj Kapoor and Rajendra Kumar’s friendship as it was for Vyjanthimala’s chemistry with the two heroes to the Amitabh Bachchan-Dharmendra starrer — Sholay, the film that became an anthem for male-bonding. From Dil Chahta Hai and Golmaal to the more recent films like Rock On and 3 Idiots, all celebrate this friendship in all it’s glory. Some have even dared to stop short of just about crossing the line like the Abhishek Bachchan-John Abraham starrer Dostana and the film that had started it all — Kal Ho Na Ho — by giving male-bonding a whole new meaning.”
According to trade pundits, what makes their onscreen chemistry click is also largely due to the fact that many of these actors often share a good friendship off screen too, like in the case of Abhishek Bachchan who shares a close friendship with several all his co-actors in his hit films — like John Abraham in Dhoom and Dostana, with Riteish in Bluffmaster and Zayed Khan in Dus. Similarly, SRK and Saif are known to be good buddies even off screen.
Riteish, whose recent films too saw him bond not only with his actresses, but had him share great on-screen vibes with co-actors, feels that friendship is a much cherished relationship across board. “It ensures a feel-good-factor, has an instant connect with the audiences and is a more real relation. One may or may not have a girlfriend or a love in life, but they all have friends.” As for them being buddies off screen too, he adds, “Yes, being good friends off the camera definitely helps. There’s a certain comfort factor that co-actors who are also good friends share. I guess that translates well on screen for sure.”
For Tusshar Kapoor, it’s a film in totality that does the trick, “I think all films need to have a little bit of all elements. Films centering around three or four friends automatically lends itself to a lot of hilarious, yet believable situations. In fact, many a times, several comic on-set events are incorporated into the scripts or several times, certain goof-ups are retained in the film. That only happens when actors share a good freindship off cameras too. It feels more natural, so work out better on screen.”
Filmmaker Rohit Shetty feels that male bonding has come a long way in Bollywood. “Why only Bollywood, even Hollywood has been exploiting this theme to the fullest,” he says citing examples of the recent hits Hangover and Hot Tub Machine.
Bollywood or Hollywood, the film industry’s love for friendships is here to stay and the audiences are certainly not complaining about this bonding!
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