Seldom is a Bollywood filmmaker in the limelight before the release of a film. That, unsurprisingly, is the case with Karan Johar, whose romantic drama Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani will hit the marquee on July 28. RARKPK features Alia Bhatt, who has experienced considerable success lately, and Ranveer Singh, who needs a good result at the box office after his recent disappointments. The film also stars veterans Dharmendra, Jaya Bachchan and Shabana Azmi, whose presence and performance should make a significant difference to the film.
BACK IN THEATRES AGAIN
The film’s trailer reveals trademark Karan Johar characteristics such as bright costumes, great locations and grand sets. The story focuses on Rocky (Singh), a flamboyant Punjabi lad without much education and Rani (Bhatt), an educated Bengali girl, who decide to spend time with each other’s families to explore whether adjustment for life — which is a must in a marriage — is possible. Pritam’s compositions, Tum Kya Mile, Ve Kamleya, and What Jhumka, the last adapted from Madan Mohan’s pop classic Jhumka Gira from Raj Khosla’s Mera Saaya (1966), have become popular. RARKPK, in short, has those ingredients that attract viewers to the theatres in the first weekend of release. Many of them will have a common question in their minds. Has Karan Johar, the director, delivered mass-friendly content – once again?
It is not difficult to understand why Johar has given rise to such high pre-release expectations. He has helmed a full-fledged feature film after a gap of seven years, although his last directorial was a segment in Lust Stories (2018), an anthology of four short films on Netflix. The treatment of the story, focusing on a sexually dissatisfied married woman (Kiara Advani), was Johar’s brave exploration of a real subject from day-to-day life. And, it worked.
Unlike Lust Stories, however, RARKPK — with which Johar is returning to the theatres — is a big-budget commercial film. Among his potential viewers are those who have watched a lot of content on OTT platforms, and their expectations from a theatrical release have been redefined. Many will share their views on social media after watching the film, and a few will even post their post-interval ‘review’ videos on the web. Internet-savvy film-goers will, in any case, dissect RARKPK a little bit more because it is a Karan Johar film.
A BOX-OFFICE SUPERSTAR
RARKPK might easily be a strong temptation for the masses after the first Sunday because of its star cast, the songs, a story that seems to be interesting, and the maker’s track record.
After all, many film-goers would not have forgotten that Johar was a young man when he had helmed Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998), a romance starring Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol and debutant Rani Mukherji, that became a much-loved national award-winning blockbuster. Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (2001), a family drama with an ensemble cast revolving around a multimillionaire family, was a spectacle with many big stars in major roles. The film, which offered an engaging story with a generous portion of melodrama, was a significant commercial success.
His next film, Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna (2006), which dealt with the themes of the impermanence of love, disillusionment in relationships and infidelity in marriage, was his third commercial success.
My Name is Khan (2010), an emotionally powerful film about a Muslim man with Asperger’s syndrome and his Hindu wife, followed. The man and his wife experience racial prejudice after the 9/11 attacks, a subject that moved many viewers and resulted in commercial success. Student of the Year (2012), his next film featuring newcomers, did not impress much, but his contribution to Bombay Talkies (2013), an anthology, received much appreciation. Ae Dil Hai Mushkil (2016) was a good-looking film of the Johar kind about modern-day relationships without much of a story that nevertheless was a commercial success.
A MAN WHO WEARS MANY HATS
Even when Karan Johar does not make films, he is frequently in the news for one reason or another. His choice of designer outfits attracts the paparazzi. Koffee With Karan, his seven-season-old talk show, has loyal viewers mainly because of his interviews with celebrities from the entertainment industry. He has judged reality shows and hosted award functions. He owns Dharma Productions, a production and distribution company, which has given many successful films. He also entered the business of OTT-based entertainment with the establishment of Dharmatic Entertainment in 2018. However, he is best known for directing big-budget family entertainers that succeed at the box office.
Bollywood is desperate for big hits. Industry observers must be hoping that Karan Johar will cast a spell on the viewers again.
The author, a journalist for three decades, writes on literature and pop culture. Among his books are ‘MSD: The Man, The Leader’, the bestselling biography of former Indian captain MS Dhoni, and the ‘Hall of Fame’ series of film star biographies. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18’s views.
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