After action, romance, family dramas, mythology and mumbo jumbo the new sure shot box-office formula is a biopic. Producers and directors are scouring sources to zero in on a character, past and present who will inspire and entertain, on-screen. It’s not a new phenomenon but is a rage now and a nearly readymade script makes it easier. From Dawood to Dhoni and Dhirubhai Ambani, Phoolan Devi to Mary Kom, Sobhraj to Subhash Chandra Bose crooks, politicians and sportsmen have been immortalised on-screen with equal enthusiasm. The results at the box-office have been more than encouraging save a rare Mangal Pandey and ‘Raees’. History, mythology and biographies are interpretive which makes it convenient for filmmakers to sprinkle with spices and garnish with emotional manipulation. Biopics are supposed to be inspirational but there are some like ‘Sanju’, made by the redoubtable Raj Kumar Hirani.
You wonder what purpose a film about a spoilt wayward star son who imbibed nearly every harmful substance, mixed with the mob and is definitely not the embodiment of social behaviour served. There is not an iota of sympathy for somebody who had everything going but blew it more knowingly than otherwise. Raju revived his career which was in tatters and should have left it at that. The film managed to showcase the remarkable talent Ranbir Kapoor is. It takes consummate talent to portray a performer whose emotions never each his eyes whatever be the situation. Well, there have been films about Arun Gawli, Dawood’s sister Haseena, Charles Sobhraj and a bootlegger called Abdul Latif played by Shahrukh Khan. There’s an inexplicable fascination for crooks and gangsters and I plead guilty too. The best among these was ‘Pan Singh Tomar’ about an accomplished athlete forced to become a bandit.
Biopics about politicians have received a lukewarm response be it Narendra Modi, Manmohan Singh, Thakeray, NTR or YSR. I guess we get enough of them from newspapers. Bhushan Kumar wants to make a biopic about his father Gulsha, who was mercilessly murdered in public by the mob allegedly at the behest of a music director. While a film has been made about Silk Smita, another about Shakeela is on the floors. A Saina Nehwal story has been finalised with Parineeti after Shraddha walked out but with Sindhu becoming world champion the project may have lost some sheen. There was a film about Azharuddin too, not because of the great cricketer which he was, but his getting embroiled with the betting mafia. You wonder if it was an apology or an explanation. Authorised biopics like biographies seldom tell the whole truth because it’s what the subject chooses to reveal.
If it’s a biopic it must be Akshay Kumar, well nearly. Akshay may have a Canadian passport but he’s basically a simple hardworking Punjabi ‘ Puttar’ who can play himself if a film is made about his inspiring climb from chef and waiter to superstar. The internet is abuzz with rumours that he’s playing Puella Gopichand but a wag smirked, “I thought he was playing Sindhu.” Akshay has transformed from acting in action and pea-brained comedies to mature performances reprising real life characters however coloured. He’s collaborated thrice with Neeraj Pandey starting with ‘Special 26’ and a fourth is being planned about Ajith Doval National Security adviser to Narendra Modi. ‘Mission Mangal’ is done and raking it in with women thronging theatres and applauding every smart line. The film leaves you with mixed feelings. It’s a clever script. There’s more about the travails of a working woman than their scientific pursuit which is fine because you don’t want lessons in science.
While the women juggle chores and work, they do need a man, their boss to grapple with budgets and superiors. Nothing personal is revealed about the scientist Akshay plays and professionally his scientific pursuit is limited to egging on and applauding the work of the women and getting budgets approved. His role is equivalent to the character of the coach Shahrukh played in ‘Chak De’. The film has every ingredient you find in a run of the mill pot-boiler. It’s more about the claustrophobia women suffer in their personal life than outer space. There’s the villain, a scientist who swears by things ‘videshi’ and works overtime to scuttle the mission. Nitya Menon’s mother-in-law accuses her of being able to carry everything, but a baby in her stomach whatever that means while the husband is a mute spectator. Keerthi plays a Muslim whose being shown the door by prospective landlords because of her religion till she’s offered accommodation by an aging South Indian strictly vegetarian colleague since their son has abandoned them. Sonakshi smokes and orders a stud to beat it after a purely physical tryst even offering to pay him. It’s Vidya Balan who has a well-etched character and performs with aplomb. She’s grappling with a frustrated husband struggling to impose authority on his kids, a son who thinks changing his religion will make him as talented as A.R. Rahman and a daughter who wants more freedom.
The film is saved from being reduced to ‘Mangalyawn’ by smart one-liners and a gentle nudge for women’s empowerment.
There’s an unnecessary fight in a Metro with Akshay for a change a mute spectator applauding while the women beat the thugs. ‘Mission Mangal’ is smart because it speaks about the space women need to discover their true calling, more than a trite tale about satellites and outer space.
sshivu@yahoo.com
