‘Tough to carry a film on sheer star power’

Veteran actor Anupam Kher, who has been a part of over 500 films in his career, feels that content is slowly becoming the most important factor that decides the fate of a film.

He adds that big-budget films failing is not a new phenomenon, but maintains that star power alone cannot decide the success of a film.

“I wouldn’t say that the lull (for big films at the box office) is happening only now, or that only now it is that big budget films, with big stars, are not working. [Back in the 70s] If there was a blockbuster like Sholay (1975), there was film like Immaan Dharam (a 1977 multi-starrer), which was a flop. Storytelling has always been of prime importance. But now it is difficult for stars to carry a film on their star power without a good story,” the 62-year-old says.

Commenting on the wide range of options available to viewers today, Kher says, “Earlier, the only source of entertainment was films. Now, there are web-based platforms, some 50,000 satellite channels, and other sources. So, the story needs to be good for the audience to like it, and one needs to evolve with time,” he opines.

Kher cites the example of actor Akshay Kumar as someone who has understood the importance of content.

“I think Akshay is one of the few who have understood this trend. It’s not only socially relevant films that he’s doing, but his films have storylines that appeal to the masses,” he adds.