FLOP FILMS is a very interesting category. It takes a lot of effort to make a movie (or any other creative product), and viewers decide the movie’s fate, at the Box Office.
If we were asked to name the HIT movies that should have been FLOP, we would list at least 50-100 such movies.
How about the FLOP movies that deserved to be HIT?
It isn’t easy to name such movies. That is because we forget flop films easily.
Here is an attempt to give credit to some good movies- they tried to do something different, and I appreciate that.
These movies are not huge hits, but they have touched the hearts of viewers. I am mentioning a few that were released during the past 10-15 years .So, be ready for a memory exercise. Let’s talk about flop movies!
1) Name: - The Legend of Bhagat Singh
What’s it about: - Real Life Story of Great Indian Revolutionary Shaheed Bhagat Singh who was hanged by the firangs
“People like us, who are proud to be revolutionary in every sense, should always be prepared to bear all the difficulties, anxieties, pain and suffering which we invite upon ourselves by the struggles initiated by us and for which we call ourselves revolutionary.”
(Bhagat Singh in a letter to friend SukhDev)
He was one of the greatest sons of the soil, who gave up his life for his nation.
‘The legend of Bhagat Singh’ is a sincere movie, made with a lot of hard work. Those who have seen it will agree with me- the atmosphere of violent freedom movement was created to perfection. The scenes in the revolutionary capital of India (Kanpur) were perfect.
Ajay devgan has given an excellent performance. Yet, the Legend of Bhagat Singh failed to capture attention of viewers.
Why did it flop? There were five movies on the same topic. Obviously, all five movies were perceived as ‘exploitation of patriotic spirit for money-making’
====================================================
2) Name- Kaun
What’s it about- suspense thriller
RGV’s thriller ‘Kaun’ was one of best movies made in this genre. It has all the typical ingredients of a thriller- dark night, rains, a killer on prowess, huge house in secluded area, a shocking climax etc. The movie completely involves the viewers as they see Urmila talking to Manoj Bajpeyi, the arrival of the ‘cop’, etc.
In short, it is a great fast-paced thriller. It had no songs. The performances were great. I would say Kaun was actually better than RGV’s ‘Bhoot’. I found ‘Bhoot’ to be rather slow and dull. Besides, Kaun has a great effect though it has just three characters, while Bhoot has many big stars.
Why did it flop? I don’t get it! I guess the movie didn’t have mass appeal.
====================================================
3)Name- Doli Saja ke Rakhna
What’s it about- Lovestory
The title seems to be inspired from the DDLJ hit gaana- mehendi laga ke rakhna.
I saw this movie on cable one afternoon, and it turned out to be a decent flick. Directed by Priydarshan, it has some great music.
One attraction of the movie is Akshaye Khanna. This movie is one of his earliest works, during his ‘good hair days’, and he looks great, and acts well too.
So boy meets girl, they fall in love, their families oppose, and they elope to marry.
Now we have seen this a zillion times in movies, and so the first half is boring.
But there is a twist. The boy and girl reconsider their decision, decide to put their families first, cancel the marriage plans and return to their respective homes.
The families are relieved, and start looking for ‘proposals’. Meanwhile, the misunderstandings get cleared, and the two families decide to get the kids married to each other! The second half of the movie was quite interesting. The hero and heroine look, act, and think in an essentially Indian manner- not corrupted by foreign influence, and hence it was very pleasant to watch it.
Why did it flop- I am still wondering? It was a great movie. I guess, the slow paced and somewhat boring first hour of movie spoiled the show. The real movie starts only from the point where the boy and girl decide to return home instead of getting married.
====================================================
4)Name- Akele Hum Akele Tum
What’s it about- marital problems of a modern Indian couple
It’s a great movie about relationships. It was running at Metro for almost six months after its release, but we have to call it ‘flop’ as the movie did not get the success it deserved.
It has everything- good story, perfect direction, and solid performances by the leading pair, good music and a happy ending.
Why did it flop? It’s a serious movie, with not much comedy or celebration. It was released during the days of HAHK and DDLJ; perhaps people were not ready to see the serious side of life.
====================================================
5)Name- Sardar
What’s it about- Movie+Documentary on life of Sardar Patel.
Sardar Patel was chosen as the greatest leader during freedom movement in a recent poll conducted by Zee News.
Sardar is a film about this patriotic leader. It is not a boring or biased movie. It is fast-paced, fact-based and brutally honest. I wish such movies about our freedom struggle would get as much attention as a Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham or Kaho Na Pyar Hain. (The day that happens, our nation will become great!!)
Why did it flop? It was not perceived as a commercial venture.
On a concluding note, box office success is no indication of a film’s merit.
