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Harder than it looks: Bollywood's tryst with biopics is far more complicated than it seems!

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DailyBite
DailyBiteJan 25, 2019 | 15:55

Harder than it looks: Bollywood's tryst with biopics is far more complicated than it seems!

So, does scandal sell?

As two biopics Manikarnika and Thackeray hit the theatres, here are a few figures to consider.

In 2015, Bollywood produced eight biopics. The number reached 12 in 2016, which included Dangal, Neerja and MS Dhoni. The year 2017 saw the release of six biopics.

And 2018 was no exception. There were Padmaavat, PadMan, Sanju, Manto, Paramanu, Gold, Soorma  — all driving the main plot from real-life personalities or incidents.

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And well, we are in 2019 already.

The list is only growing. It now also includes The Accidental Prime Minister.

Yes, it’s a craze.

There’s no sure-shot success formula in Bollywood. But at least, if you make a biopic, nobody is likely to trash the plot of the film, saying it's a no-brainer. There will be curiosity — the narrative will be questioned, the motives behind making the film will be scrutinised, of course — one group will like your narrative, another won’t.

And that’s how biopics stay topical.

And successful.

But it’s not easy. While we mostly credit/discredit the actors and the directors involved, there are several other issues behind the box office fate of a biopic.

1.). Not always a success

A lot more is actually at stake when you choose the middle path between fiction and non-fiction. Not all these movies are comfortable with the tag of a ‘biopic’ as the story has been worked on. And box-office success is not always guaranteed.  

Soorma, Gold and Paramanu were critically acclaimed and made moderate business. But they were not like Padmaavat or Sanju.

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PadMan was a necessary biopic about A Muriganantham — and menstrual hygiene. (Photo: Twitter)

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2.). Which personality matters?

So, was the audience more interested in knowing about the ‘scandalous’ life of Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt than the real Padman, Arunachalam Muriganantham? 

So, does scandal sell?

Even if it does, we can’t say the same about non-scandalous DangalBhag Milkha Bhag or Chak De India.

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Sanju faced flak — but it had a great run at the box office. (Photo: Poster of Sanju)  

3.). Is it necessary to become a spitting image of the titular persona?

Be it Anupam Kher (the onscreen Manmohan Singh ) or Madhavan (the onscreen scientist Nambi Narayanan) — the actors are very serious about looking exactly like the real-life characters they play.

But how necessary is this? If it's a very popular personality, the audience expects similarities. However, Sushant Singh Rajput didn’t look like MS Dhoni. Neither did Priyanka Chopra look like Mary Kom.

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Splitting Images? How important is it to look exactly like the character? (Collage: DailyO)

On the other hand, we couldn't stop talking about how Ranbir Kapoor actually went inside the skin of Sanjay Dutt, or, for that matter, how Nawazuddin Siddiqui switches from Manto to Balasaheb Thackeray with utmost ease.

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No wonder Viveik Oberoi's looks in the upcoming Narendra Modi biopic have already become a laughing stock.

It's considerably safer to play historical figures as no one can debate over Khilji or Rani Laxmibai's exact looks.

So, looking similar helps, but it's not absolutely necessary.

Neither, sometimes, is an exact storyline. Bollywood's biopics can, well, look similar to their subjects but otherwise, be 'inspired' to go a few steps beyond. 

Last updated: January 25, 2019 | 15:56
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