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January 9, 1999
QUOTE MARTIAL
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The star test
Success ratio: 0 With three debacles -- Saat Range Ke Sapne, Kabhi Na Kabhi and Doli Saja Ke Rakhna -- and no success whatsoever, the trade is wondering whether Virasat was a fluke from Priyadarshan. His technical finesse is masterly but the less said about his script sense and editing the better. Suggestion: Don't fall in love with your work, Priyan. Let the editor do his job instead of you insisting that everything you shoot remains in the final print. At least, that's the impression your films have been giving. And yes, go easy on lighting and technique, especially when your films don't have content to match. For, nothing jars more than technical brilliance coupled with a miserable script.
Success ratio: 0 The teenage heart-throb of last year, Akshaye Khanna, seems to be in dire need of a saviour now. Soon after his Doli Saja Ke Rakhna failed miserably, Kudrat dealt another severe blow to his standing among the masses. The result is that distributors wonder if the guy has a future. Suggestion: Don't lost hope, Akshaye. Talent has never gone waste, and it never will. It's a fact that you are a wonderful actor and so, it's only a matter of time before a hit comes your way. In the meantime, take care of your falling hair. And yes, once your career takes a happy turn, try to compensate the distributors who've burnt their fingers by releasing your films. How? By asking dad to produce a film with you and selling its distribution rights to the affected distributors at the most reasonable price.
Success ratio: 30 Her song in a guest appearance in Bade Miyan Chote Miyan (Makhana) became quite a rage all over and contributed to the film's overall success. Sadly, she couldn't repeat the magic in her only other film, Wajood, which is still in search of its non-existent audience. Madhuri badly needs a hit. Suggestion: Besides meaningful cinema, you also need to act in good commercial films because, in this industry, everything is measured in terms of box-office success.
Success ratio: 7 1998 would go down as the worst year in Anil Kapoor's career. Take a look at his track record. First, he came up with the super dud Kabhi Na Kabhi, Then came Gharwali Baharwali, which barely succeeded in one or two circuits. He remained empty-handed and somewhat bitter and bruised with Jhoot Bole Kauwa Kaate. Suggestion: Where's the actor Anil Kapoor? If you are honest to yourself, you will get the answer -- you've not been doing substantive roles. Being more selective helps.
Success ratio: 0 His head-banging act and loud dialogues don't seem to be working with the audience any more. He followed up the failure of his Ghulam-e-Mushtafa in 1997 with two more, Yugpurush and Wajood this year. He would surely be looking forward to Gulzar's Hu Tu Tu to provide his career with a fresh lease of life. Suggestion: Give up your trademark acting style and you will be giving the audience something new. After all, for how long can one eat roti and pyaaz morning, afternoon, evening and night? And yes, try not to dominate every frame of your films.
Success ratio: 0 Yet another star who failed to make any mark this year is Sunil Shetty. All three starrers of his -- Vinashak, Aakrosh and Humse Badhkar Kaun-- bombed at the box-office. Like Nana, Sunil, too, must look at Gulzar's Hu Tu Tu with a great deal of hope. Suggestion: When your action films are bombing left, right and centre, dismiss the urge to act in non-action films. Image is a big thing. Don't ignore that, Sunil.
Success ratio: 40 Undisputedly hailed as the 'discovery of the year', Preity Zinta experienced the highs and lows of fortune in the very first year of her career. Her debut release, Dil Se...turned turtle at the turnstiles, but luckily for her, the film got her noticed. In any case, her next film, Soldier, not only came up trumps at the box-office, but also established Preity as a pretty face, with talent and dancing skills to match. Suggestion: Don't let success go to your head. That is to say, don't hike your price to idiotic levels as is the fashion these days.
Success ratio: 27 David Dhawan started his year with a stale Banarasi Babu which, quite understandably, proved a bomb. His second, Gharwali Baharwali, proved average returns at some circuits. But his last, Bade Miyan Chote Miyan, was a success. Suggestion: Working with a couple of new writers may help to bring in variety in your films, David. Now you need fresher scripts, ones that will do justice to your flair for comedy and your talent.
Success ratio: 10 Jackie Shroff has decided to go the Mithun way -- big time! He released as many as eight films in 1998 -- Badmaash, Yugpurush, Ustadon Ke Ustad, Yamraaj, Hafta Vasuli, 2001, Bandhan and Kabhi Na Kabhi. Other than Bandhan, all the others were bombs. Suggestion: Work with directors of calibre, Jackie, Of your own admission, you are not a good actor. Then why work with bad directors? Two negatives don't make a positive here.
Success ratio: 0 Even though Sunny Deol's performances in both his release this year, Zor and Salaakhen, were well received, the films had a dismal turnout at the box-office, thereby shaking his star status considerably. Suggestion: Once you are through with your maiden directorial venture, Dillagi, concentrate on your acting. It needs serious attention too.
Success ratio: 0 Manisha's career graph went from bad to worse during the year. Beginning the year with a sensitive performance in the miserable Yugpurush, she plummeted further with Achanak, Salaakhen (a special appearance) and Maharaja. But, her biggest cropper this year was Mani Ratnam's Dil Se...The year bore out the fact that her pairing with both Shah Rukh and Govinda, have never been liked by the audiences. Suggestion: Get serious about your career, Manisha.
Success ratio: 13 Urmila was not seen in too many releases in 1998. One wonders why she is doing fewer films. Anyway, her performance in Ramgopal Varma's Satya won her a lot of praise and played an important role in the film's success in Bombay. However, her other release this year, Kudrat, was a damp squib. In China-Gate, she impressed with a dance in a special appearance but the film didn't impress the audience half as much. Suggestion: Urmila, give other directors, besides you pet, Ramgopal Varma, a chance to work with you.
Success ratio: 40 Bobby's balance sheet 'balanced' with one bomb (Kareeb) and one hit (Soldier). The actor must have realised that the audience is more interested in seeing him perform stunts rather than out-and-out teeny-bopper romantic leads. Gupt, his sole success (albeit a partial one) last year, also had him in an action-cum-romantic role. Suggestion: It's good, Bobby, that you've trimmed you hair to a decent level. You look better and you've also improved as an actor. But there is still a lot of scope for improvement. Keep going.
Success ratio: 7 Of her six releases, only Major Saab was a success. Zakhm, Angaaray, Humse Badhkar Kaun, Keemat and Duplicate were all debacles. Suggestion: Sonali, improve your dialogue delivery, your dancing skills and your acting too. They all need to match your pretty face, right?
Success ratio: 0 Duplicate. Then Angaaray. Topped by Zakhm. All the three directorial ventures caused severe damage to distributors. Now that he has decided to call it a day, one can't even wish him good luck for his ventures in 1999. Suggestion: Bhatt, what can we say?
Success ratio: 40 Ajay Devgan, buoyed by the success of Ishq last year, continued in his effort to change his image from that of an out-and-out action hero to that of a performer. To his credit, he has been successful in being accepted by masses in roles that weren't moulded on his established image. Pyaar To Hona Hi Tha again proved the point. His other two releases during the year were Major Saab and Zakhm. Suggestion: It's been a long time since your fans have had an opportunity of seeing you in an out-and-out action film with mind-blowing stunts as in Phool Aur Kaante.. Do one such good film along with the others you are doing and see the results.
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