Judgmental perspective is quite often observed in the entertainment industry. You commit one sin, and people might keep pointing it out for rest of their lives. To err is human, but this quote acts as an exception in this field. Vigilance and carefulness is what you need to keep in mind while framing your film project. Films are criticized on the basis of amounts they make at box-office counters; the films who have reached in 100, 200 or even 600 crore clubs are declared super blockbuster ones, while the essence-filled movies go unnoticed. But it is said that hard work never goes in vain and such unsung movies later on win and rule the hearts of audiences. A glance at such eccentric, exceptional movies which embarked on their journey from flop to the top:
- Sholay:
It is indeed very tough to believe, but yes, this cult classic was initially a major flop. Released during 70s, it was highly criticized by leading dailies and magazines. Due to its different story, people found it hard to digest. Film journalist Anupama Chopra revealed that people teasingly called it ‘Choley’ and made fun of it. But only god knows what kind of miracle happened, after few days people started queuing outside cinema halls as the shows were houseful. Ten weeks after its release, the movie was declared a super hit. Today, it is considered as an ideal film with a great blend of action, romance, emotions and feelings.
- Andaz Apna Apna:
You will not be tired of watching this movie again and again, once you watch it and you will be left wanting more. This is one epically hilarious film which will leave you in splits. You will find no single person today who will criticize it. Howbeit, this Salman-Amir starrer was surprisingly a failure at box-office. Its comedy track was not well accepted, maybe because of the particular types of films which released during that phase. But once it was aired on television, it became an instant hit and won everyone’s hearts!
- Mera Naam Joker
A story of a sad clown, his numerous heartbreaks and his circus journey from childhood till his last act; Mera Naam Joker, in a nutshell, carries true essence of life. In 1970, when it was initially released, it was a critical as well as lucrative debacle and marked doom period for Raj Kapoor. The reason being its plot, which was way too ‘forward’ for the audiences at that time and secondly, its running time which was nearly 4 hours. Considering the same, an abridged version was later released in 1980 when it finally became a hit at box office. And today, it is one of the iconic films Bollywood has ever seen and holds a special place in our hearts.
- Swades:
This Shah Rukh khan starrer truly defined nationality quotient and also received wonderful critical acclamations. But it was declared as average earner at box office maybe because it didn’t match with the time. It is all about a scientist from NASA who has Indian origin and one day returns to India with a quest in his mind. Perfectly scripted, flawlessly plotted, and impeccably directed, but still was a lukewarm player. It was a time period when people were used to watching particular genres like comedy, action, drama, romance and amidst all this, Swades team decided to play unsafe bet. But what happened afterwards, we can say it was worth it!
- Rocket Singh:
Rocket Singh- Salesman of the year showed Ranbir Kapoor in a different avatar of Sardar boy wearing turban and beard. It showed how youngsters in the sales field have to face struggles. This content-driven film didn’t work at box office, the claimed cause was that it was not promoted well. Ranbir’s prior success of Ajab Prem Ki Gazab Kahani had predicted Rocket Singh’s success, but reality turned out to be ironical once it got released. It, however, won praises from critics and Ranbir even bagged a Filmfare accolade for it!
- Lamhe:
Sridevi and Anil Kapoor’s love saga- Lamhe had out of the box story. Sridevi’s double role and a love story between an old man and a young girl, at that time, audiences weren’t so matured to accept these ‘different from the flow’ facts. Age plays no barriers when it comes to love, audiences got this fact as the time evolved, and eventually the movie was accepted and loved immensely.
All these above films might be initial failures, but hard work that had gone into making of these flicks never went in trash. They struggled at box office to make their strong mark, but gradually they crawled till top, and hence, their struggle bouts were never a waste!
Tags: bollywood
