New Hindi films ride on marketing hype

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Asin Thottumkal is on the cover of Vogue India this month. The Malayalee actress, who has already made a big name in Kollywood, is making her Hindi film debut opposite Aamir Khan in Ghajini, a remake of the Tamil thriller (of the same name) and slated for a November release. For Yash Raj Films’ Aditya Chopra’s new film after eight years, he has picked newcomer Anushka Sharma to star with Shah Rukh Khan. It is clearly a new trend in the industry, say analysts, and the reasons are many for Bollywood experimenting with fresh faces.

As it turns out, there are a host of newcomers knocking on Bollywood’s doors and many are getting a look-in because everyone in the industry—from directors to producers—is willing to try out something different to bring people to multiplexes.

“The sheer number of films that are being produced is helping producers and directors launch new faces,” explains one insider.

“Also, there’s the cost factor. With actors hiking up prices, it often makes sense to try out a new face for a film, especially the small budget ones,” says another. Then, say analysts, corporate funding, too, has given a new lease of life to the industry as more production houses are signing on new faces for out-of-the-box films.

Take UTV Spotboy’s Aamir. Directed by debutant director Rajkumar Gupta, who assisted Anurag Kashyap in Black Friday, it tells the story of an ordinary man—played by television’s favourite hero Rajeev Khandelwal—caught in extraordinary circumstances.

Aamir has fared well at the box-office, thus assuring producers in the industry that films with relatively unknown faces do work if the content is good. Says Khandelwal: “There are dramatic changes in the industry. People are willing to experiment and make films with lesser-known stars.”

From debutant actors and directors to unconventional story lines and inventive camera work, Hindi cinema has undergone a revolution over the past few years. Says director Anurag Kashyap: “Over 80% of the film makers in Bollywood still prefer to go safe with conventional scripts.” However, he is quick to point out that the Indian film industry has certainly come of age and is now more open to experimenting with unusual subjects and casting new directors as well as actors.