It was after a really long while that I found myself at Mumbais G-7,one among the most revered single- screen survivors (though in reality,the complex has seven theatres). The occasion was a press/promotional screening of the Salman Khan starrer Ready and the frenzy that surrounded the screening of the film was a throwback to simpler times before the arrival of plexes. The crowd on that particular day was a motley mix of underprivileged children,mendicants (according to my colleague Onkar Kulkarni) Salman fans and the media. The usher informed us that the star had distributed tickets to his fans. And the fans were not disappointedSalman put in an appearance with co-star Asin and was greeted with a hysterical roar and applause from the crowds. Conducting the crowds with great ease,Salman urged them to settle into their seats and enjoy the movie along with the popcorn and samosas for which the theatre is so famous. And enjoy they did once the lights dimmed and the film started. Taking cues from the shouts and whistles,the box-office fate of the film could be anybodys guess. Whether it was Salmans tomfoolery,his signature moves in Dhinka chika or some boorish lines (Main kutta,tu meri kutiya or something to that effect),every move was gleefully applauded. Clearly his fans could not have enough of him,profanity be damned. Besides,why pick on Ready when Hindi abuses,after item girls,are the new clutter-breakers in Hindi films! Last heard on the way out a group of middle-aged ladies in a huddle exchanging notes The film is so-so but for him (Salman),I will watch it a second time. Just a couple of days earlier,a very different scene had unfolded on the precincts of the plush Imax theatre at Wadala in Mumbai (among the first members of the plexes group). A posse of security personal stood on alert,at a moderately-inhabited precincts of the venue where the theatrical trailer of superstar Shah Rukh Khans Ra.one was to be screened for scribes. Needless to say,as always the excitement within members of the Fourth Estate at any opportunity to interact with Khan was palpable. Here too there were members outside of the media who were present,corporate guests and the likes obviously a well-heeled set that can easily buy tickets worth Rs 400 without any murmurs of protest. And predictably when Khan stepped into the glare of the flashbulbs in front of a huge poster of his film at the Dome theater,women in the row ahead were suddenly transformed. The hitherto cool composure crumpled within seconds of the stars arrival and very soon they were lustily shouting and waving at him,husbands and august company be damned! The one-minute rather impressive trailer only served to heighten the effect ,and as we trooped out of the hall,one could witness that the tribe of ardent fans lurking around for a photo-op or even a glance was on the rise. Different venues,different demographic and yet what was abundantly clear is that stars,depending on their personality and movies they act in have their own kind of following,almost like a distinct,unique biometric ID. Salman very clearly enjoys enviable popularity among the masses that flock to cinema halls in search of paisa-vasool entertainment laced with Hindi/desi surroundings and people (Ready though shot in Bangkok doesnt dwell on the foreign element). With Shah Rukh,the audience expectations are different only in that they like to see him in urban settings. Like Dev Anand,who was a great success in the urban milleu and not the rustic rural characters played so well by Dilip Kumar. There was a time when the metros contributed to 40-45 per cent of the box-office collections and smaller centres 55-60 per cent. The advent of plexes has changed that ratio a little bit with metros contributing a greater share to the box-office. Be that as it may,the appreciation and following that these superstars enjoy as was evident in the aforementioned events should be good news for the industry. It reaffirms that today,more so than before,different kinds of cinema can co-exist and live happily ever after. Write to the Editor at priyanka.sinha@expressindia.com
