Rohit Khilnani in Mumbai
Not so long ago when a director approached a producer to pump money into his film, the first question usually asked was, 'Hero kaun hai?'
That seems passe now.
With the kind of buzz and business female oriented films like The Dirty Picture, Kahaani and Raaz 3 have generated, producers these days have more confidence in their female leads.
Trade analyst Taran Adarsh says, "If one is to work with only the top five male stars, it will be a long wait for any filmmaker. The business of female-oriented films has been phenomenal and so producers are now willing to back such projects. This is a healthy trend for the film industry because the market is opening up to new genres."
Going by the numbers, the business of female-oriented films is clearly growing. The Dirty Picture, which was a big hit, collected Rs 52.5 crores in it's first week and now Raaz 3 has left that record behind making Rs 55.25 crores. Now one hopes the gap between the pay packets of male and female stars will also be bridged to make Bollywood a truly equal industry.
Here's a look at the female-oriented movies coming up this year.
Heroine
Starring: Kareena Kapoor, Arjun Rampal
Producer: U TV Motion Pictures and Bhandarkar Entertainment
Director: Madhur Bhandarkar
Release Date: September 21
The kind of hysteria being generated by Kareena Kapoor's Heroine is as much as any film with a strong male lead would produce.
Madhur Bhandarkar, the director of Heroine says, "I am very happy with the hype. I couldn't have asked for anything more. Since Chandni Bar, I have always believed that female stars can draw crowds too and I have proved it each time. That's the reason why I have made films like Page 3, Fashion, Satta, Corporate and now Heroine. As long as the story is topical, the script is good and the film is made within the right budget, it doesn't matter if you have a male or female protagonist."
With rumours of Saif Ali Khan and Kareena finally tying the knot soon after the film's release gaining momemtum, Heroine is all the more important for the actress as she would like to get as much appreciation as possible so that her fan base stays intact until her next release, which usually becomes a problem once female actors are married. Of course, her next release is Talaash, co-starring the ever dependable Aamir Khan.
Still, Heroine is all about Kareena, where she will not share credit with anyone else if the film becomes a hit.
English Vinglish
Starring: Sridevi
Producer: Eros International & Hope Productions
Director: Gauri Shinde
Release Date: October 5
English Vinglish marks the silver screen return of Sridevi, one of the few female actors to have gotten her due in her hey days.
English Vinglish is a heartwarming story about a woman, who does not know English and is made to feel insecure about it by those close to her.
The actress essays the main role of Shashi, who goes on to learn the language and prove a point to the world.
The actress essays the main role of Shashi, who goes on to learn the language and prove a point to the world.
English Vinglish is important for Sridevi because it once again puts her back in the limelight after her last film Judaai, 15 years ago.
If this film becomes a hit, we're definitely going to see more of Sridevi on the silver screen.
Aiyyaa
Starring: Rani Mukerji, Prithviraj
Producer: Viacom 18 Motion Pictures & AKFPL Production
Director: Sachin Kundalkar
Release Date: October 12
Rani Mukerji is not new to the genre of female-oriented films. Her roles in No One Killed Jessica and Black were much appreciated. Still, she is still waiting for that one performance that could change things for her. Since she is the popular Bollywood face in Aiyyaa, things could work for her if the film managed to do the right business.
The cost of production of Aiyyaa and English Vinglish are both within Rs 15 crore while Preity Zinta-starrer Ishkq in Paris could be slightly higher. Since all the three films are made within controlled budgets, it shouldn't be difficult to recover the money, keeping in mind avenues other than the box office to make money, like home video and satellite rights.
Taran Adarsh adds, "They are family films which is very good because the chances of returns are higher if an entire family can watch the film together."
Taran Adarsh adds, "They are family films which is very good because the chances of returns are higher if an entire family can watch the film together."
Ishkq in Paris
Starring: Preity Zinta
Producer: PZNZ Media Productions
Director: Prem Raj
Release Date: November 2
Preity returns on the big screen after four years with her home production, Ishkq In Paris.
In the film, her character Ishkq meets Akash (played by former television actor Rhehan Malliek) on a train from Rome to Paris and they end up spending the evening together in the romantic city.
Using her experience, Preity is leaving no stone unturned to promote Ishkq in Paris and to add to the star power, she managed to rope in good friend Salman Khan to do a cameo in the film.
Taran Adarsh added, "This is a very important film for Preity because she chose to act in it and produce the film herself. It's going to be very interesting to see her as this is a mature story."
Taran Adarsh added, "This is a very important film for Preity because she chose to act in it and produce the film herself. It's going to be very interesting to see her as this is a mature story."
Post Ishkq in Paris, Preity will be seen next year in Neeraj Pathak's Bhaiyyaji Superhit alongside Sunny Deol and Mithun Chakraborty.
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