Where's the hype yaar?

Article Updated 21 May, 2005 02:27:19 AM IST

Where's the hype yaar?

Where's the hype yaar? This is the thought that comes to mind when one realizes that the release of 'Bunty Aur Babli' is just a week away. Coming from the house of Yash Raj Films, it's a surprise when one still gets queries on the exact date of movie's release.

'Dhoom', 'Hum Tum' and 'Veer Zaara' - all the three successful films in 2004 had been able to build up a substantial hype at least a couple of weeks before their release. The promos were all over the place and no stone was left unturned. Promotional numbers for both 'Dhoom' (the version by Tata Young) and 'Hum Tum' ('Mere Dil Vich Hai Hum Tum' by Rishi Rich) were unleashed just around the release that created a sensation all around. But in the case of B&B, the title track (the rap version) picturised on Big B has surprisingly not created the same level of impact as one would have initially had expected after hearing the rip-roaring number.

First, the promotion of the number has been patchy with not much television coverage. Second, the picturization itself is no great shake despite an innovative getup and dance steps for Bachchan Sr. Third, there is absolutely no buzz/word of mouth happening around the track despite the fact that it's been on air for about a week now.

To add insult to injury, the most recent of the other three songs released - 'Nach Baliye' - has been hardly exciting. Quite sad, as these days both Abhishek Bachchan and Rani Mukherjee have been riding high. Not many have taken a liking to the song that has both Chota B and Rani appearing to be Hrithik Roshan and Karishma Kapoor clones. Give us the wonderfully composed and picturised 'Dhadak Dhadak' any time! This is where both of them seem to be in their right elements.

Nevertheless, something needs to be done very (very) quickly to build up a craze around B&B, which has immense potential to be an engaging fun 'n' frolic ride. The word of mouth needs to be positive in order to bring in the crowds. But for an all-important initial, there are still seven more days to go for an all out publicity assault!!

Talking about publicity, one film that has gained a lot in just under three weeks is the Urmila starrer 'Naina'. No one may know who the director is (Shripal Morakhia) or the producer (iDream Production) or the lead actor (Anuj Sawhney). But by now, everyone knows that what 'Naina' is all about, its genre, who has given the background music (Salim-Suleiman), the look of the film and what to expect!

Last but not least, they know when it's releasing! The producers have gone all out to have the promos bombarding the screens, special daily slots on portals, newspapers and FM. And then there are interviews galore. No doubt the curiosity to watch 'Naina' this weekend has built up immensely. The slick look of the film promises a lot and this seems to be another addition to the small movies (after Page 3 and Zeher) that may reap dividends.

Another small movie that seems quite promising is Arshad Warsi starrer 'Sehar' (Morning). It's only been a couple of days since the promo came out and the movie is already being noticed for its hard-hitting appeal. A movie that marks a tangential shift for Arshad Warsi's image, it is designed as a hard hitting drama about a young SSP in the state of UP, who brings together a group of like-minded cops to challenge the nexus between politicians, mafia, police and builder. At the very root level, it sounds like just another cop movie but one is bowled over after looking at the intense promo that showcases the characters of brilliant actors like Pankaj Kapoor, Sushant Singh and other talented artistes like Suhasini Mulay, Pratima Kazmi and others. Direction by debutante Kabeer Kaushik appears to have a stark and rustic look and gives glimpses of a crossover between 'Satya' and 'Haasil'. This one should be on a 'watch out' list!

Will small turn out to be BIG again after the avalanche of biggies dominating the months of April and May (Lucky, Waqt, Kaal, KKHH, MAHH, JBSN)? This Friday should be able to answer the question with the release of 'Naina', 'Nazar' and 'Shabnam Mousi', all of which are low to medium budget flicks. While 'Naina' is all over the town, 'Nazar' too is not too far behind with the Indo-Pak angle, the smooch controversy and statements by Mahesh Bhatt and Meera making the rounds. Forget the title similarities and enjoy the flicks. May the best 'eye' win!

About the author: An IT guy by profession, 1977 born Joginder Tuteja loves to hear, see and write about Bollywood. Having watched more than 2000 movies in his short life span so far, he charms himself in hearing every music album and watching every movie that releases in Bollywood. He believes that there is no entertainment industry that can beat the Hindi movie industry. Completely fascinated by the moving images on the silver screen, he dabbles in writing and loves doing previews, reviews and features that appear on numerous websites and newspapers. Have a thought to share? You can contact him by clicking Here.

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