‘When you’re part of a film, you may lose the audience’s point of view’
Actor Mohnish Bahl might belong to the old school of cinema, where a film’s success is primarily judged on the number of days it ran in the theatres, rather than the first-weekend collections, but the actor gives equal importance to the latter, too.
The 58-year-old was last seen in Panipat (2019) as Balaji Baji Rao, but the film was a commercial letdown. Mohnish says, “Commercial success is important. Kya hota hai, picture chalti hai, toh sab kuchh achha chalta hai. But when the film doesn’t work, good reviews will only take you so far. I’m happy that journalists appreciated this presentation of me.”
Directed by Ashutosh Gowarikar, the film was recently declared tax-free in Maharashtra. “Kind of late,” pat comes the reply from the actor, who adds, “I don’t know why it didn’t work, I can’t put my finger on it, I liked the film. Sometimes, when you’re a part of a film, you lose the audience’s point of view.”
Explaining why box-office collections matter, Bahl draws a comparison to the 1980s and the ’90s and says how they are important now. He says, “Earlier, it was about the number of days, silver and golden jubilees. But a film’s budget is higher now. In our time, one producer made three films, I used to work in two out of those three. Now, two-three producers make one film. So, now, the number of films being made has reduced drastically. The kind of investment hinging on box office is much more today than in the past.”
The risks, says Mohnish, are also higher now because of the money involved. “In those days, video piracy had just started. Just before that, every film covered its cost unless it went out of hand. Audiences had only theatres to go to, since there was limited form of entertainment available. Today, that’s not the case. You have all sorts of entertainment in your hands. Now, going to a theatre costs about five thousand bucks (with family). The stakes are higher,” the actor concludes.
I don’t know why it (Panipat) didn’t work, I can’t put my finger on it, I liked the film.
MOHNISH BAHL ACTOR