Not Just Bollywood, down South and regional cinema the film industry is fast changing. Gone are the days when top salable stars charged a hefty fee. The latest trend sees saleable stars becoming co-producers. Akshay Kumar, whose Hari Om Productions (established 2008) has an impressive hit record, also owns three more production houses: Grazing Goat Pictures. Mrs Funnybones Movies, and Cape Of Good Films. All have produced hits like Singh IS Kinng, OMG – Oh My God, Airlift, Rustom, and Pad Man.
Akshay Kumar’s Journey As A Producer
Speaking about his role as a film producer Akshay Kumar said, “The highpoint of being a producer is that it provides opportunities to fresh talent who are creatively gifted but lack platform. Most of my films have introduced such novel talents like Raja Krishna Menon, who directed Airlift. Raja had earlier done a flop film Barah Aana in 2009 and was discarded from the industry.” “He kept struggling but in vain. ‘However, when Raja Krishna Menon approached my production house with the script of Airlift, the heroic act of a Kuwait-based Indian businessman, who played a gallant role in evacuating Indians during Saddam Hussein’s Iraq invasion of Kuwait, overwhelmed me,’ Akshay Kumar informed.
Besides, giving break to the struggling director Raja Krishna Menon, Akshay Kumar has discovered many more talented film directors like Umesh Shukla (OMG – Oh My God) Shree Narayan Singh (Toilet: Ek Prem Katha), Tinu Suresh Desai (Rustom) , Anurag Singh (Kesari), Jagan Shakti (Mission Mangal), Raj Mehta (Good Newwz), etc.
Tanhaji- The Record Breaking Film
Ajay Devgn whose latest Home Production Tanhaji is breaking box-office records admits, “I started film production with the good intention of making quality films. The entire focus was on producing good films but alas the idea failed. Most of my earlier films like Raju Chacha, Blackmail, U Me Aur Hum, All The Best: Fun Begins ended in sorrow.” He added, “However, after Bol Bachchan, I realized that film making is a shrewd business proposition. It is definitely profitable provided if played with intelligence minus passion.”
Besides Bollywood, Ajay Devgn also ventured into Marathi film production and made successful films like Vitti Dandu, Apla Manus. Interestingly, Ajay Devgn even made a Punjabi film Singham (2019) which is an official remake of Hindi film Ajay Devgn‘s hit film Singham (2011).
Ajay Devgn states, ‘As a film producer, we are more involve ourselves in filmmaking, unlike executive producers. We make creative decisions beyond just acting, which positively impacts film quality and guarantees a hit.’ He added, ‘A producer’s most crucial quality is assessing viable scripts and their cost. Recent corporate houses, however, are all-equipped; MBAs often misread the public pulse.’ They apply business principles to the film industry and it fails. Hence foreign production Walt Disney Company ended with flop like Mohenjo Daro, Fitoor, Tamasha, Katti Batti and Phantom. Three other global biggies – Sony with Saawariya, Fox Star with Bombay Velvet and Warner Brothers with Chandni Chowk To China have failed to click.”
Leave a Comment