Maybe it was Baahubali, or maybe the KGF and Pushpa films. But something did change in Bollywood’s approach to ‘big’ films after the pandemic. As slice-of-life stories and ‘daring’ genres fell flat after the lockdowns, big stars resorted to the only formula they felt was safe – mass action, south style. And suddenly, every actor wanted their own Rocky bhai or Pushpa moment. When even the king of romance (here’s looking at you, Jawan) and National Award winners (remember Manoj Bajpayee in Bhaiyaji) were clamouring for mass action, Akshay Kumar is quietly bucking the trend. He had a decent outing with Housefull 5 last year, and now has three out-and-out comedies up for release, becoming the only major star to return to his roots. And it just may be the best thing for Bollywood this year.
Akshay Kumar bucks the mass action trend
The first era of south-style mass action in Hindi cinema began in 2009-10 with the success of Wanted and Dabangg. And even as Salman remained the poster boy of this trend, with many hits, Akshay was one of the early adopters. He gave hits like Rowdy Rathore and Khiladi 786, which were steeped in this filmmaking grammar. After ‘pan-India’ mass films returned to Bollywood’s consciousness in this decade, other stars again followed suit. Shah Rukh found success in Pathaan and Jawan, Salman’s fortunes were mixed with Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan and Sikandar, but Ranbir Kapoor also found success with Animal. Even smaller films – Maalik with Rajkummar Rao, Subedaar with Anil Kapoor, and Bhaiyaji with Manoj Bajpayee – followed the trend.
Yet, Akshay kept doing his thing. This time, there was no Rowdy Rathore from him. Experiments like Ram Setu and Raksha Bandhan did not land, but the actor persevered. He tasted some success with OMG 2, Kesari 2, and Jolly LLB 3, and eventually found his way back to comedy.
No one does comedy like Akshay Kumar
Even though he began as an action star, Khiladi Kumar’s transformation into comedic genius was pretty organic. After Hera Pheri, he gave several hits, mostly with Priyadarshan. And during his golden phase (2007-19), the actor invariably had one comedy hit each year. His comic timing has made most of those films cult classics, and his scenes meme fodder. Akshay’s return to comedy began with Housefull 5, a film that did well at the box office but still drew a lot of criticism.
So, it is a relief that he takes that forward with his most trusted partner, Priyadarshan. The two are combining for three films – Bhooth Bangla, Haiwaan, and Hera Pheri 3. Two of them are comedies, with Bhooth Bangla all set for release this year.
Why Bhooth Bangla is important
And before you label me calling it ‘the best thing for Bollywood this year’ hyperbole, let me explain. The thing mainstream Bollywood films have been missing of late is variety. Every film looks like every other film. It seems there are but two genres right now – mass action and chirpy romance. ‘Different’ films like Tu Yaa Main and Ikkis arrive every now and then, but minus the firepower of big stars. The once-in-a-generation success of Dhurandhar is largely due to Bollywood, as it is on the shoulders of a filmmaker who has largely followed tropes.
Mainstream Hindi cinema has been churning out the same kind of films for a while now. So, Akshay and Priyadarshan bringing out something lighter, on a mega scale, is something to be appreciated. The trailer has evoked words like ‘nostalgia’ and ‘clutter-breaking’, which should tell you everything you need to know about what the audience wants.
Bhooth Bangla, directed by Priyadarshan and produced by Balaji Telefilms, also stars Tabu, Paresh Rawal, Wamiqa Gabbi, and Rajpal Yadav. The film arrives in theatres on April 17.
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