SCARCITY OF GOOD WRITERS IN BOLLYWOOD?

What has happened to Bollywood? This industry used to churn out such fine comic capers. In fact, in 2007 itself we got such wonderful entertainers like Bheja Fry, Ek Chalis Ki Last Local, Cheeni Kum, Partner, Heyy Babyy, Dhamaal, Dhol, Bhool Bhulaiyaa, Jab We Met, Om Shanti Om, Welcome etc. Notwithstanding all the flaws, these films managed to entertain and impress the audiences a lot. Films like Bheja Fry, Ek Chalis.. and Jab We Met have even become hits in the DVD circuit.

Forward to 2008. Suddenly, audiences were presented with script-less and senseless comic films. It all started with Kukunoor’s Bombay To Bangkok and after it followed Sunday, Rama Rama Kya Hai Dramaaa, One Two Three, Dhoom Dadakka, De Taali, Money Hai To Honey Hai (one of the worst films I have ever seen), Ugly Aur Pagli, Singh Is Kinng, Maan Gaye Mughall-E-Azam, Rafoo Chakkar, Hari Puttar, Hello, EMI, Meerabai Not Out etc. Many of these films had big celebrities and were backed by reputed production houses. Yet, so many of these failed miserably at the BO. It proved that script is the king.

But the flow of nonsense films continued in 2009 as well-one of the first of them being Chandni Chowk To China. ‘Entertaining’ films like Chal Chala Chal, Kisse Pyaar Karoon, Jai Veeru, Lottery, Ek Se Bure Do, Detective Naani, Maruti Mera Dosst, Zor Lagaa Ke Haiyaa, Paying Guests etc didn’t manage to lure the audiences to theatres due to the weakness and glitches in their scripts. And last Friday’s mega release,Kambakkht Ishq, proved to be a major disappointment for lots of viewers who went for it with high hopes. Reason is simple-the film had no story at all. Many scenes were unimpressive. Wherever the writers couldn’t think of any humourous one-liner/situation in some scenes, they added vulgarity and skin show under the guise of entertainment. And you expect viewers to accept such kind of a film?

Is there a scarcity of good writers in our industry? Or is it that producers are not interested in investing in good scripts? Whatever the reason may be, but off late, Bollywood has been churning out disasters after disasters. On one side, the industry is coming up with such out-of-the-box interesting films, making people believe that Bollywood will finally stop or at least reducing making nonsense films. But lo! We still are getting such nonsensical flicks that kill our hopes!

Its high time things improve. Films like Kambakkht Ishq may earn a lot of moolah but the makers should not bask in its glory-they should take note of audience’s disappointment too. Youngsters should be given a chance to direct only when they are completely ready. For instance, Kambakkht Ishq’s director Sabbir Khan was grossly unprepared as a director and writer too. He may have done a better job if he had donned the director’s hat after some years. Also, vulagarity and double meaning jokes should not be encouraged so much in films as it limits the impact of a film. For instance, a film on college friends, Jaane Tu…Ya Jaane Na was loved by everyone, even oldies, since it was a simple and ‘clean’ entertainer. And finally, a film should not have more than 2 writers. Kambakkht Ishq had 4-maybe the producer felt that more the writers better would be the script! In my opinion, these 4 writers messed a lot! Same happened in Delhi-6 where 3 expert writers-Rakeysh Mehra, Prasoon Joshi and Kamlesh Pandey came together and yet failed to create magic.

I wished Kambakkht Ishq had failed at the BO. Then maybe, it would have given a lesson to the big honchos and we would have got better films in future. Anyways, umeed pe duniya kaayam hai…let’s hope for better times!