In 2013, Salman Khan predicted the end of his own career, as he spoke of how masala films have worked, but will die, being overdone.
That specific year, Wanted, Ek Tha Tiger and Dabangg had resuscitated Khan’s career and he had Jai Ho ready for release, with Kick and Prem Ratan Dhan Payo on the floors.
“…It seems the same stuff is happening. I don’t know which genre will click now. The whole thing where one person beating up 50 people and them flying around…” Khan, who turns 56 today, spoke on the OTT genre of films, having spent three decades in front of the camera.
This was, of course, pre-pandemic when watching a movie in a theatre was an experience. In 2021, it would seem, OTT, which now means something completely different — is the nemesis of Khan’s brand of Over-The-Top cinema.
Khan’s appeal clearly cuts across generations and his films are critic-proof. But as we head towards what could be a third year of living with the pandemic, the question remains – are Salman Khan films pandemic-proof? The evidence, for now, points to the answer being an overwhelming ‘no’.
Khan has had two releases this year, starting with Radhe: Your Most Wanted Bhai. The makers of the film opted for a hybrid release model where it screened in theatres around the country and international territories like Middle East, Australia-New Zealand and Europe, while also simultaneously premiering on streaming pay-per-view (PPV) service ZEEPlex and four DTH networks.
The problem was that Radhe didn’t have many takers.
Zee said that the film garnered 4.2 million views across online and DTH platforms on the film’s opening day and that the unprecedented traffic temporarily brought down their servers that day. There were estimates that the film made Rs 100 crores on opening day, but the claim was grossly inaccurate.
Theatrically, Radhe made about $1.875 million over its first weekend overseas. In contrast, Salman’s 2019 films Dabangg 3 and Bharat earned $4 million and $6.25 million respectively on their release days alone. The final twist of the knife is that Radhe has found a place in many ‘Worst Film of 2021’ lists.
A lot has already been written and said about how the pandemic has changed our viewing habits. Even as theatres around the country are still waiting for that one Bollywood film that will signal a return to ‘normalcy’, it’s Spiderman: No Way Home that’s ruling the Indian box office.
Should they be making more of the Salman’s brand of films where the focus is more on the star than the story being told? Or has the audience now developed a greater appetite for films younger stars like Ayushmann Khurrana are helming – the kind that’s more than five blockbuster songs, great locations and designer outfits?
There’s OTT that’s reminded the desi audience that it is possible to be entertained without having to put your brain aside. And, of course, the pandemic that continues unabated making viewers afraid to return to theatres.
