Decoding The Success Of 'Aashiqui 2'

'Aashiqui 2' suggests, by its name, that it is yet another of those pointless and completely irrelevant sequels that the Mahesh Bhatt-banner Vishesh Films rolls out ever few months or so. Just think of it- 'Jism 2' was completely different from the first 2004 movie and despite starring porn-star Sunny Leone, critics unanimously said that the film lacked the sexual fireworks which had excited all teenagers back in that year.

Maybe the banner plans to extend the signature popularity of each of their movies in the heyday by launching sequels, which are not really sequels. So, the same purpose seems to drive 'Aashiqui 2' a movie which promises to be as romantic and melodious as the earlier film starring Rahul Roy and Anu Agrawal, the 90s yarn that you remember more for its music and romance than for plot.

So, how does the new movie stack up in comparison? Like in the 1990 movie, the music and romance seems to have propelled Mohit Suri's film to runaway box office success. It has been a full month since the film opened up and pretty much everyone is still raving about how good the film has been.

As for me, I was not that easily roped in. 'Aashiqui 2', for me, had a predictable layout, drawing similarities from superior romantic films like 'Rockstar' and 'Abhimaan' and Suri's direction, other than some captivating bits, falls short of making it refreshing. Much was said about how good the leads were and clearly Aditya Roy Kapur is the biggest takeaway, along with the chartbusting music which carries the film better than its plot. Kapur plays a twisted character with both charm and conviction- his silent moments of brooding and insecurity almost come close to Robert De Niro in 'Raging Bull'. The same cannot be said for the other Kapoor in the film- leading lady Shraddha manages to look good in the key scenes but she is eventually nailed as yet another wilting wall-flower.

But shoot me. I am simply one of the few who did not quite find 'Aashiqui 2' as spectacular as everyone claimed it was. I am here to talk about the people all over the country humming to its songs (which is perfectly valid) and those who are going to watch it again (not so clear).

Where did 'Aashiqui 2' score the most? If you have a look at some of the past romantic films, it can be seen that most of them have turned out to be major disappointments. The rom-com genre is clearly the most abused- exotic locations in South Africa and Australia are now sounding like cliches while some of those low-budget outings are nothing short of grating stuff. Pure romance does not apply any longer- the success of romances like 'Jab We Met', 'Band Bajaa Baraat' and 'Ishaqzaade' is more due to their relatable plots and storylines than the candyfloss essence. Anurag Basu's 'Barfi' came close to being a candyfloss and sweet romance, but its main problem was the distracting mystery which ruined the fun and romance. Last November, the late and great Yash Chopra rolled out his final film 'Jab Tak Hai Jaan' amidst much anticipation. Contrary to the box-office reports, the film found a few real fans (one of them was me as well) because of the meandering storyline, the long running length and the incredulous elements- for instance, a visibly aging superstar playing a 25 year old.

So, maybe people noticed that 'Aashiqui 2' managed to deliver as a romantic film, albeit an old-fashioned one. In comparison to some of the recent candyfloss romances, 'Aashiqui 2' has some strengths. It is fairly economical at a running length of 2 hours, it has some effectivly conjured romantic moments and the music is perfectly used as well. Of course, one can point out some of the technical errors and snags. 'Aashiqui 2' is not necessarily a slick product, as some critics pointed out. The film lacks the technical polish of 'Jab Tak Hai Jaan' or 'Rockstar', but the audience nevertheless laps it up merely because the film sticks to those old-fashioned conventions of romance pretty well. And yes, the narrative, while mostly one-note in the second-half, nevertheless remains firm and strong.

But to call it it a spectacular romance would be a bit of overstatement. Audiences, crazed by the film's music and fresh casting decisions, are willingly calling it a great romance, even going to the extent of calling it better than some of our modern gems like 'Jab We Met' and 'Band Bajaa Baraat'. This seems to be a bit far-fetched. Films like these are known for their clever writing, the romantic chemistry between their leads and their charming characters. Suri's film has a solid chemistry between its leads but it falls prey to the old-fashioned cliches and characters who are mostly caricatures.

Maybe it is because our audiences are badly starved of romance and there was nothing romantic on display in recent months.

Or it is just that our audiences continue to be as fickle as ever.

Whatever you may call it, there is no denying the sheer popularity of a film like this. People are going gaga over it while the lovely songs continue to be chart-busters. They clearly do not mind the predictable layout and many of them are even willing to shed a few tears at the end.

And of course, I will be there for the nitpicking as usual. But yeah, if it is just all about sharing a jacket in the rain with your loved one, then who cares?

Why 'Go Goa Gone' Gets It Right

Last Saturday, I was in the cool, air-conditioned environment of a multiplex standing next to the offices of Balaji Telefilms and Yash Raj Films respectively. What was happening on the screen was something that made us sit up and pay attention. While sticking to a basic Hollywood layout of zombies, slacker guys and gallons of gore, what writer-directors Raj and DK along with their dialogue writers Sita Menon and Raja Sen did in 'Go Goa Gone' was to bring alive the video-game-addicted-teen inside us all. Blending the snappiness of a Woody Allen comedy with a fiery ensemble of invective-laden punchlines and with an off-the-wall zaniness, this crunchy and crisp action comedy also had the right cast to pull it all off. I would not hesitate to call it clearly the 'Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid' of the zombie genre.

Yet, while there is both hilarity and horror with the zombies, this is also a film about youngsters and the amazing part of it lies in how believable these characters feel. The trio of befuddled buddies- slightly reminiscent of a similar troika in the Coen Brothers' 'O Brother, Where Art Thou'- are essentially a pack of blundering boys who refuse to grow up, think about sex even in the face of danger and are far from heroes, but they are loveable in every sense, precisely because they are relatable and far from the stereotypes that most filmmakers painted in the early days. Their characters develop not by excessive sketching- but by the way they behave.

And clearly, after watching the rushes to 'Go Goa Gone' as well as to other movies like 'Delhi Belly', 'Pyaar Ka Punchnama', 'Kai Po Che' and so on, I am tempted to say that all these films have this strong chemistry between their leads that makes them instant hits with a growing youth audience that is willing to spend over 150 rupees for a movie. All these movies may not have extraordinary plotlines or stories but they have the benefit of realistically etched characters and fantastic writing that makes the ordinariness of characters stand out. And in a way, these films, any one of them, stands out better than, say, 'Dil Chahta Hai'.

Look, I have nothing against 'Dil Chahta Hai'. Farhan Akhtar's warm and witty directorial debut is a fine showcase for his talent and I would even go ahead to say that it deserved bigger honors than the over-rated 'Lagaan' which was the talk of the town those days. Akhtar's film is an indvidual achievement, a personal take or perspective on relationships of friendship and romance, told in exuberantly mesmeric style and emotional heft to mint what can be called rightly a masterpiece.

But there is a flip-side to the films's neat edges and the problem is that they are too neat. If reports are to be believed, Akhtar's film did not quite click in small towns and among the middle-class folks. The reasons are obvious- the films's characters are mostly super-rich folks who can afford to go for vacations to Goa and laze around in gorgeous Sydney without a care in the world. Clearly, this is something that does not happen with us all. Not all of us are actually born with a silver spoon in our mouths.

Talking of silver spoons, a rich guy is similarly teased and mocked in a chartbusting song from Abbas Tyrewalla's 'Jaane Tu...Ya Jaane Na', called by some critics as the new 'Dil Chahta Hai' and I agree completely. It is not only an earthy and whimsical take on urban love and friendship. It is also surprisingly free from the smooth edges of Akhtar's work. The characters- including the modest hero and his buddies- are surprisingly simple, middle-class people with simple aspirations. One of the dashing rich characters- a young debonair- also has a darker, mercurial edge to his finesse.

Believability in a youth movie is important as it helps a movie to connect to its young audience and vice versa. Clearly, playing it simple is the trick but there have been notable exceptions where movies with aggressive ideas have clicked with audiences.



DEV-D



LOVE, SEX AUR DHOKHA

Consider Rakeysh Mehra's 'Rang De Basanti', Anurag Kashyap's 'Dev-D' and Dibakar Banerjee's 'Love, Sex Aur Dhokha'. In the first, the values of patriotism are contrasted with the consumerism of young India and the film also portrays how the normal youngsters become sensitive to the problems facing the country. In the other two, there are intriguing stories of a youth awakening to sexual freedom and pushing moral and cultural boundaries yet paying a hefty price. One is a spectacularly twisted and groovy take on a famous classic of literature; the other is an innovative experiment with visual style and storytelling. In both, the fantastic ideas combine with some subsersive, seminal storytelling.



Delhi Belly

But clearly, simplicity is the key and it works really well. And there are many times when the relatability comes in incidentally and takes the whole film to a completely new level. It happens in 'Go Goa Gone' and 'Delhi Belly', films in which the outrageous stories are made believable by characters inhabiting them. They are now viewed as starkly believable portraits of bored and idle youngsters thrown into unbelievable situations. In a smashingly simple film like 'Rocket Singh', which celebrates the underdogs of the corporate world, the youngsters are portrayed as simple people with simple aspirations and ambitions of becoming salesmen, doing MBA studies and so on.

On the other side are people like Akhtar, Siddharth Anand and Karan Johar who have rolled out expensive-looking, stylish outings about youngsters. But do these films really click? Zoya Akhtar directed 'Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara' a film about three friends visiting Spain for an adventure but while it was acclaimed and welcomed, much of its popularity was built on its beautiful locations rather than its characters. And last year, Karan Johar gave us 'Student Of The Year', a glossy, shiny product that gave us some memorable characters and good chemistry between its promising male leads but eventually it was viewed as too good-looking to be actually real.

So, what is a youth film all about? Well, in simple terms, it is about appealing to the youth. And it is about giving us youngsters whom we can relate to. And that is where 'Go Goa Gone' gets it right. Hardik, Luv and Bunny are people who are instantly likeable even as they are far from being perfect.