Just the way it is
Abhijit Mhamunkar
No goss, no fluff, just pure business! Get to know what went behind Bollywood's biggest deals. Why some films worked and others failed. Cut the crap. This is the way showbiz works.
Bhatt is it about him?
Jul 13, 2008
Amongst the new breed of filmmakers in Hindi cinema, one name that continues to intrigue me for long is that of Vikram Bhatt. He holds the most unenviable record for any Bollywood filmmaker what with 11 flops (or is it 13 if one counts Yakeen and Bardaasht which he wrote the scripts for) in a row in the last six years. But, despite the failures he continues attempting new projects with a casual aloofness about his previous films' fate at the box office.
There has always been a misconception that Vikram is part of the Bhatt (Mahesh 'n' Mukesh) camp, but in fact it isn't true, at least not now. They just share common surnames and his father, ace cinematographer Pravin Bhatt had been associated with the Bhatt camp for a long time. Vikram, in fact joined the industry as an assistant director to Mukul Anand at the age of 14 with Kanoon Kya Karega (1984). Post Agneepath (1990) with Mukul, he entered the Bhatt camp. The Bhatts gave him his directorial break with Jaanam which flopped at the BO. Two more failures (Madhosh, Gunehgaar) later he tasted his first success with Fareb, a blatant rehash of Hollywood hit, Unlawful Entry.
Thus began his inspired (from Hollywood films) journey as a filmmaker. The list of inspirations has been really long. Some of them were successes but most of them were flops. Amongst these he enjoyed success with were Ghulam (On The Waterfront), Kasoor (Jagged Edge), Raaz (What Lies Beneath), Awara Paagal Deewana (Whole Nine Yards). His 'inspired' flops included, Footpath (Angels With Dirty Faces), Inteha (Fear), Aetbaar (Fear again!), Jurm (mix of various Hollywood B thrillers), Deewane Hue Paagal (There is Something About Mary), Red (some Hollywood B Thriller again), Life Mein Kabhi Kabhi (basic premise from Reality Bites) and Speed (Cellular).
Vikram has ended up making such a reputation for himself for the critics that they first Google out the story synopsis of his films before starting to write their reviews, damn assured that it is not original.
Vikram even sought inspiration from his real life story, his estranged relationship with his wife and his affair with Sushmita Sen, for making Ankahee. However, that attempt also flopped.
Earlier, he had also failed to recreate magic with the Kaho Naa Pyar Hai pair Hrithik Roshan – Amisha Patel with a ghisa pita film like Aap Mujhe Achche Lagne Lage.
Before Ram Gopal Varma attempted his Sholay remake, Vikram had already done so with Elaan a comeback of sorts for Mithun da essaying the modern day Gabbar! Result? Yet another addition to Mithun da's attempt to get closer to a world record of many flops in a row! Poor Aftab Shivadasani has almost ruined his market value resting on films with him. He gave six flops in a row in last six years with all been Vikram Bhatt films. Reportedly he was planning to set up a production company with Vikram but dropped the idea after he hit the flop sixer with him!
In all fairness, I have to admit that most of Vikram's films were scripted by Mahesh Bhatt, especially the ones under Bhatt banner which were straight lifts from foreign flicks. So maybe he gets to shoulder only half of the blame. Vikram has always been a master technician (being trained under Mukul Anand) as a filmmaker but it's his script sense that has led him to consistent failures. He was once considered a young whizkid and everyone had high hopes from him but he somehow has not been able to live up to those expectations that he himself created.
His upcoming next, 1920 was unveiled to the media during the coffee table book launch two days back and if the extended theatrical promo is anything to go by, he finally has a winner in hands. The setting is magnificent for a movie starring two rank newcomers and the trailer of this periodic thriller succeeds in giving one goose pimples. He has termed it his most ambitious film till date and one just hopes he manages to stike back finally!
There has always been a misconception that Vikram is part of the Bhatt (Mahesh 'n' Mukesh) camp, but in fact it isn't true, at least not now. They just share common surnames and his father, ace cinematographer Pravin Bhatt had been associated with the Bhatt camp for a long time. Vikram, in fact joined the industry as an assistant director to Mukul Anand at the age of 14 with Kanoon Kya Karega (1984). Post Agneepath (1990) with Mukul, he entered the Bhatt camp. The Bhatts gave him his directorial break with Jaanam which flopped at the BO. Two more failures (Madhosh, Gunehgaar) later he tasted his first success with Fareb, a blatant rehash of Hollywood hit, Unlawful Entry.
Thus began his inspired (from Hollywood films) journey as a filmmaker. The list of inspirations has been really long. Some of them were successes but most of them were flops. Amongst these he enjoyed success with were Ghulam (On The Waterfront), Kasoor (Jagged Edge), Raaz (What Lies Beneath), Awara Paagal Deewana (Whole Nine Yards). His 'inspired' flops included, Footpath (Angels With Dirty Faces), Inteha (Fear), Aetbaar (Fear again!), Jurm (mix of various Hollywood B thrillers), Deewane Hue Paagal (There is Something About Mary), Red (some Hollywood B Thriller again), Life Mein Kabhi Kabhi (basic premise from Reality Bites) and Speed (Cellular).
Vikram has ended up making such a reputation for himself for the critics that they first Google out the story synopsis of his films before starting to write their reviews, damn assured that it is not original.
Vikram even sought inspiration from his real life story, his estranged relationship with his wife and his affair with Sushmita Sen, for making Ankahee. However, that attempt also flopped.
Earlier, he had also failed to recreate magic with the Kaho Naa Pyar Hai pair Hrithik Roshan – Amisha Patel with a ghisa pita film like Aap Mujhe Achche Lagne Lage.
Before Ram Gopal Varma attempted his Sholay remake, Vikram had already done so with Elaan a comeback of sorts for Mithun da essaying the modern day Gabbar! Result? Yet another addition to Mithun da's attempt to get closer to a world record of many flops in a row! Poor Aftab Shivadasani has almost ruined his market value resting on films with him. He gave six flops in a row in last six years with all been Vikram Bhatt films. Reportedly he was planning to set up a production company with Vikram but dropped the idea after he hit the flop sixer with him!
In all fairness, I have to admit that most of Vikram's films were scripted by Mahesh Bhatt, especially the ones under Bhatt banner which were straight lifts from foreign flicks. So maybe he gets to shoulder only half of the blame. Vikram has always been a master technician (being trained under Mukul Anand) as a filmmaker but it's his script sense that has led him to consistent failures. He was once considered a young whizkid and everyone had high hopes from him but he somehow has not been able to live up to those expectations that he himself created.
His upcoming next, 1920 was unveiled to the media during the coffee table book launch two days back and if the extended theatrical promo is anything to go by, he finally has a winner in hands. The setting is magnificent for a movie starring two rank newcomers and the trailer of this periodic thriller succeeds in giving one goose pimples. He has termed it his most ambitious film till date and one just hopes he manages to stike back finally!
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Abhijit Mhamunkar
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comments
Adah sharma the female lead of 1920 is deaf in real lifes.
Hahahah
he did make ghulam and raaz... I didnt like kasoor as
much...
raaz happens to be one of the biggest hits of this decade
considerinng the propertion on money spent and earned...
lets hope he gets it right with this new horror 1920. The
story premise sounds interesting
Well, speaking about vikram bhatt, he is a director having a
good potential but doesn't want to go out of the way for
original script. You have already mentioned about his
remakes form hollywood films, but he also have made footpath
(angaaray) and aetbaar (intehaa). To make it more worse
intehaa & aetbaar both films are directed by himself! :)
O my you guys have to h a v e t o check out the 3 minute
trailer which vikram bhatt showed at his coffee table book
launch.. The press and everyone there were astonsished!!!!!!
Its brilliant! Theres some footage online.
the outdoors are in yorkshire ..Dude snow in filmcity? Get
your facts right before criticizing man!
theres a set of the interiors of 4 rooms in filmcity !
and insider information? The female lead adah sharma is
deaf in real life
1920 does not seem like a winner. You must be out of your
mind. It too is a copy of many hollywood films. Simply the
scene in which the woman is clutching at the bed and the
walls are caving in... Is a copy of a famous hollywood
horror film house on haunted hill. The film had a 1959
version and a 99 version. It is about a house that is
spooked and takes revenge on the inmates
Vikram bhatt's films these days reveal a complete
non-application of mind and intellect. And he writes a
column in ht on relationships and calls himself thinking
bhatt. Thinking bhatt?!
Well 1920 clearly seems to be inspired from stephen king's
"rose red" atleast the promo does indicates that n
thn thr might be bits n pcs from"the haunting" as
well!
Totally agree with you abhijit...Vikram has courage to make
films after giving so many flop films. Hats off! His
forthcoming films looks yet another copy of some hollywood
horror flick.I have scene looks and coffee table book of
that film too. He claims that he shot this film in youkshire
when he had put up it's set in filmcity. I think when
you make a film you should be completely committed to you
vision and audinces too and give them return of their money.
If you cant then you certainly becomes on of the bhatts of
the industry.
I dint know that most of his movies have been 'inspired'.
Thanks for this eye opener of an article. I believe he has
directed only couple of good movies 'ghulam' , the credit
must go to aamir khan and 'awaara paagal deewana, for which
the credit should go to feroz nadiadwala if as we should
also credit him for the failure of deewane huye paagal. We
know how feroz ghost directs his productions... Ahmed khan
has also suffered. Though vikram has directed two films
inspired by fear, his film, by the name, fear, is yet to see
the light of the day. I hope he hasnt copied the film
including the title too.
i would tend to disagree with you on ur point that the
trailers of 1920 look promising. I also saw it during the
screening of jtyjn, and i found it to be extremely tacky. It
might be an original but i dint find it scary.
forgot to mention that i liked his 'life mein kabhi kabhi'
too.
I must admit , i had liked kasoor and ghulaam... :)
awaaraa paagala deewaanaa had great dialogues in
between )
but never dared to see his recent films...
trailors always look good these days... Donno about the
final result...
....