When Daler Mehendi’s haunting rendition of Mirzya first hit the internet, many were captivated by the largesse of the movie. Harshvardhan Kapoor and Saiyami Kher looked ethereal and promising in their period costumes. Cut to the actual movie, and all these expectations fell flat on its grand face.
We know there were many problems with Mirzya, but it isn’t just the filmmaker to blame here. Every newbie’s launch needs to be cleverly marketed and with Mirzya, it was only the music that worked. Columnist, author and critic Bharti Pradhan makes an interesting observation when she says, “ Rakesh Om Prakash was captivated with a folklore which wasn’t so popular, he didn’t bother to explain the history behind it in detail. In reality, I don’t even know what Harshvardhan looks like. Without the beard and the hair, I doubt I would even recognise him on the street.”
True, same was the case with Abhishek Bachchan when he portrayed a dusty, shabby youngster in Refugee. But then the deal with star kids is different. They seem to have a second chance, again and again. Soumyadipta Chatterjee, independent senior journalist and blogger reminds us of the amount of money invested in Harman Baweja, even though he failed to make critics or the producers happy. But as far as first impressions go, there seems to be only one way to ace it.
Image Source: twitter/MirzyaTheFilm
Joginder Tuteja, trade analyst, lists a simple formula - “When you have a newcomer, you need a broad segment for them to reach the masses, for that you need good money, for that you need good output and an assurance of good footfall, which means you have to stick to the Lowest Common Denominator or what is called a massy film or in other words, a commercial flick.” This concept, he says has worked for movies, for the last fifty years. That means right from the time Bobby released.
“Raj Kapoor realized during Mera Naam Joker that he needed something very conventional to stand out and make money. Which is what he did in Bobby, and the same concept was mirrored from there on to movies like Betaab, Qayamat se Qayamat Tak, Maine Pyaar Kiya, Kaho Pyaar Hai, Student Of The Year, Ishaqzaade and Heropanti,” he adds.
Image Source: twitter/karanjohar
“I feel formula films are the best way, because Bollywood at the end of the day is hard-core business. There is a greater chance of ROI (return on investment) with a formula film. Because at best, formula film might turn out to be average even if not a great film,” says Soumyadipta. Case in point, Hero.
Sooraj Pancholi and Athiya Shetty’s Hero wasn’t lauded as the best movie, but it did ring in Rs 36 crores, which means higher number of ticket sales. But since the movie was made on a higher budget, Sooraj and Athiya did not get the kind of response Tiger Shroff is currently cashing in on.
Image Source: twitter/tigershroff
But what a newbie really needs is a movie which showcases him or her. Tiger was all about action scenes and dance moves in Heropanti. But watching Mirzya will not tell you whether Harshvardhan Kapoor can do any of either.
Interestingly, Tiger’s father Jackie Shroff and Harshvardhan’s dad Anil Kapoor were a hit duo in the ‘90s. They were pitted against onscreen in films like Karma, Ram Lakhan, Parinda, Kabhi Na Kabhi and they had a friendship which was tinged with rivalry. 
Image Source: Manav Manglani
Though Anil and Jackie featured in commercial films, their sons’ debuts couldn’t be any more different.
Like Harshvardhan, Ranbir Kapoor too debuted with a ‘hatke’ film, Saawariya. “Ranbir turned out to be a brilliant actor but none of his skills were tapped in Saawariya. So even if the movies are non-formulaic, atleast make sure the actor’s strengths are highlighted. Harshvardhan wasn’t even his handsomest best in Mirzya,” Bharti summaries. She also adds that Anil Kapoor was an an exception as he like his kids, also had an unconventional debut. “But he was showcased right in the movie and it worked!”
Image Source: movieposters
Similar narratives of success stories exist – concept films. “Yes, concept films have a future, we all want them and they are non-formulaic. But it needs a great understanding of scripts, and above all, the ability to take risks, which is where Ayushmann Khurrana was lucky,” Soumyadipta notes and adds, “ But also to be considered is the fact that Vicky Donor was made on a shoe-string budget. It was a hit solely because of word-of-mouth publicity. In the past few years, two non-star launches that stand out (commercially) were Sanam Teri Kasam (Rs 9.5 crores), featuring Harshvardhan Rane and 1920 (Rs 11 crores), with Rajneesh Duggal and Adah Sharma. Sanam Teri Kasam had a hit album composed by Himesh Reshammiya while 1920 had its own formula – with sex, the rise of the horror genre and good music. But even then, formula films don’t really guarantee a megahit. But they do guarantee a definite impression.
Image Source: traileraddict
But there is yet to be another milestone like Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai. “That is because Rakesh Roshan was clever the way he portrayed Hrithik,” says Bharati. It was double role, both being positive characters, it had a beautiful love story and focused on all the right emotions.
Even then, all these numbers go out of the window when it comes to leading ladies. Not one star-kid or a heroine has had a decent release where she is the face of the film. “Even a Sonakshi Sinha needed a hero for her debut. So did Sonam Kapoor.” Well we suppose that’s an argument for another day but as far as launching debutants is concerned, first throw in a few sizzling dance numbers and sign a hardcore stunt master, just in case.
Thumbnail Image Source: twitter/MirzyaTheFilm & UTV Motion Pics