Mumbai: Bollywood star Akshay Kumar, who had a string of flops just lately, desires to proceed engaged on social issue-based movies that may affect society. In an interview, the 55-year-old actor stated that the Indian movie business goes via a metamorphosis and the whole lot is shifting to a hybrid mode. He claimed that, not like what the business says about him charging exorbitant charges upfront, he has began engaged on profit-sharing—backend—offers. “If Selfiee has flopped, I get much less cash. Rakshabandhan has not misplaced cash for the producers. I’d have earned extra if these movies had labored,” he stated. Kumar added that he can at all times do business movies and sequels to earn extra money. Edited excerpts:
You’ve had 5 back-to-back flops. Is it as a result of audiences have modified or because of the unsuitable choice of motion pictures?
Sure, a few of my current movies haven’t labored on the field workplace, and there are various causes for it. So much has modified put up covid. Most individuals need to watch larger-than-life epic movies in theatres, and others are prepared to attend a month or two for movies to come back on OTT or TV.
You need to perceive that covid was like an enormous earthquake, and it’s about time when the change has come. My business is studying quite a bit now, and the best way I see it, it’ll take perhaps the top of 2024 for the soundness to come back in when all people realizes what sort of movies to make and what to not make.
Many a time, actors’ charges have been questioned. The excitement is that you simply ask for a hefty upfront charge—near ₹127 crore—for a movie. Do you assume that is justified?
It’s not true. I’m not charging upfront. I’m the associate within the movies. If Selfiee has flopped, I cannot get cash or will get simply 10% of what my charge was. In the present day, in case you come to me with an concept and if we work on the movie, we are going to work as companions and launch it collectively. If it really works, each of us will earn. If not, we each will earn much less or by no means. However it received’t go in minus.
In the present day’s actuality is that each actor has to work on the backend mannequin. To present you an instance, even though Selfiee and Rakshabandhan didn’t work on the field workplace, Disney or Zee haven’t misplaced cash due to these movies. On Rakshabandhan, which was distributed by Zee Studios, all of the losses had been taken by me. For Selfiee, me and my associate Karan Johar took it. And I wouldn’t even say loss as a result of we might have earned extra in case of successful, and now we received a smaller quantity. That’s it. Earlier, an actor might earn much more, however these days, the best way movies are performing on the field workplace, it’s important to comply with earn much less.
Coming again to your choice of motion pictures, there was recently a way that you’re solely doing explicit varieties of flicks, principally with nationalist themes. Would you agree?
I’ve carried out just a few issue-based movies, and whereas a variety of issues have modified and never many individuals need to see these sorts of movies, I’d nonetheless need to make movies with a great message. I’m making a movie on intercourse schooling in colleges as a result of I really feel it’s a uncared for topic. I made movies like Bathroom-Ek Prem Katha, a movie on sanitary pads (Padman). Some labored, some didn’t. It’s not going to disappoint or dissuade me from making such movies. What satisfies me extra is that a lot of such movies have made an affect on individuals of their private life.
For me, it’s not about how a lot cash they are going to make as a result of I can simply make a Singh is Kinng half two, or a Rowdy Rathore half two or Namaste London. I’ve carried out so many movies which may have a number of sequels, and I can do this. However that’s not the best way I need to go about it. I need to make movies which make a distinction in society. Since I’ve turn out to be a producer, I’ve made movies like this, even when they make much less cash or have a smaller potential. As a result of I do know it’ll have a bigger affect on somebody someplace. I’m not working after cash. I need to make content material that can make some distinction.
In the present day, in case you make Bathroom-Ek Prem Katha, it could not work on the field workplace, and folks would say we are able to watch it on TV two months later. However that’s not going to cease me from making such motion pictures. If a great script comes up, I’ll make it.
However with this entire concept of watching it on TV or OTT after two months, don’t you assume the price of such movies should be corrected?
For my part, the business is now altering—the whole lot is hybrid. Each movie can have its funds and medium, however the filmmaker and actors have to determine first as to the place they need to take it. It’s the identical in every single place, even in Hollywood. We have to know if the movie is supposed for theatrical or OTT launch …
The most important difficulty is that lots of people simply get into bhed chaal (herd mentality). If one thing works, they begin doing the identical factor. The place are your creativity and satisfaction? So many individuals informed me let’s not make movies with social affect as a result of they aren’t working. However why not? Superb, if it’s not working on the field workplace. It should have some affect.
You spoke about OTT and TV, however the actuality of India is simply 30-40 million individuals watch motion pictures in theatres. Are we making sufficient motion pictures for others to come back to cinema halls?
Sure, you might be proper. Solely 30-40 million individuals go to theatres. However are you aware why? The difficulty is accessibility. China has 82,000 screens, and we’ve 5,200. For a rustic like India, we’d like at the very least 20,000- 25,000 theatres.
Up to date: 29 Could 2023, 12:22 AM IST