Ever since the lockdown was imposed in March this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, the film trade has been passing through terrible times. Unlike all other industries, which too have been badly hit due to the closure, Bollywood has also had to contend with negativity towards its people after the suicide of Sushant Singh Rajput on 14th June. A handful of industry insiders and electronic media (TV news channels) as also social media have been painting such a horrendous picture of the Hindi film industry that it would appear, Bollywood is the hotbed of all things evil — it is full of drug addicts, murderers, plotters and planners, backstabbers, scheming and manipulative crooks and what not. Of course, matters are changing from today (3rd October), now that it is reported that Sushant was not murdered, as the frustrated industry insiders, electronic media and social media bots and trolls would have the world believe.
Of course, matters are changing from today (3rd October), now that it is reported that Sushant was not murdered, as the frustrated industry insiders, electronic media and social media bots and trolls would have the world believe.
In such a climate, created by vested interests to serve their ulterior motives (into which there is no need of going), even the industry people had begun to wonder whether people would boycott cinemas and Bollywood films when the cinemas reopened, because that’s what social media trolls have been posting on social media. But if the example of Khaali Peeli is any indication, Bollywood still has the huge support and immense love of the people. Zee Studios, Ali Abbas Zafar and Himanshu Mehra’s Khaali Peeli was released at a make-shift Drive In cinema in Gurgaon yesterday (2nd October) alongwith its multi-platform release (Zeeplex, Zee5). Believe it or not but the show at Supermoon Drive In on Friday (2nd October) was packed to capacity, after taking care of car-social distancing. Although there was place for 300 cars, the number allowed was 100. The entry fee per car was Rs. 999. There are two shows being held today and they are house-full in advance. On Sunday (4th October), there will be three shows, and each of the three shows is also full. Now this should come as music to the ears of the industry people as also film buffs. But those on social media, who predicted doom for Bollywood, merely due to the machinations of the handful of industry insiders who turned out to be snakes, and because of the biased reportage of the electronic media would now not know where to hide their ‘faceless’ faces.
But those on social media, who predicted doom for Bollywood, merely due to the machinations of the handful of industry insiders who turned out to be snakes, and because of the biased reportage of the electronic media would now not know where to hide their ‘faceless’ faces.
Incidentally, a similar make-shift Drive In cinema in Bangalore was scheduled to screen the film in the weekend but the authorities in the city revoked the permissions at the eleventh hour.
Anyway, if this is the response to a film in a Drive In cinema, even before cinema halls have reopened, one can safely predict that people are waiting to embrace their favourite stars once again. No sooner do people start feeling safe enough to visit cinemas — hope, that happens soon! — you can be sure that people will come in huge numbers. The box-office may see footfalls of the kind never seen before. Yes, trolls and bots and TV news channels and the devious industry insiders, you are all in for a terrible shock. The writing on the wall is clear. Smell the coffee!