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Decoding the role of television in the lives of Amitabh Bachchan, Salman Khan, Allu Arjun and now - Yash
Numbers and records don’t lie. TV has never really gotten the due credit from the industry presently, it’s among the most powerful soft powers in today’s world.
Television is conventionally known as a medium that has roots spread in the heartland of India. Despite the advent of the OTT medium, the medium continues to be the most powerful soft power in a country like India. While Bollywood producers might disagree as they are swayed away by the wave of digital India, the essence of the nation continues to be in Bharat. Historically, television has created brands and very few have managed to establish a connection with the audience on the small screen.
Let’s get back to the early 2000s when Amitabh Bachchan’s career was shaken due to the entire fiasco around AB Corp. The megastar had lost his connection with the audience, and there was a certain amount of negativity in the media around his aura. That’s when he decided to be a part of every household with Kaun Banega Crorepati. And this did wonders for him, and in a way, gave his career a new lease. The Big B made himself a brand on television and a persona that audiences could relate to. His audience got used to seeing him with the classic salt and pepper French beard, and the angry young man became the style icon in no time. This made his transition into the senior author-backed roles easier. The same set of people who termed “Bachchan is over”, started to see him as someone who is “defying age by reinventing himself”.
Just at the time when his reputation was at the rock bottom, came Dus Ka Dum, a show that made Salman Khan a household name. Basically, he re-established his connection with the audience with Dus ka Dum and reruns of Wanted, and then came Dabangg, and the rest as they say is history.
Himesh Mankad
Cut to 2008 when the media had officially termed Salman Khan the bad boy of Bollywood, who can’t take the right step. Just at the time when his reputation was at the rock bottom, came Dus Ka Dum, a show that made Salman Khan a household name. While the fans always believed in the human side of Salman, it’s the show which rubbed off the myth of him being the notorious man in the Hindi film industry. His interactions with the contestants on the show were as real and as organic as they get. He felt for the pain of his contestants, went out of the way to help the ones in need, and didn’t shy away from becoming one among the common man at regular intervals. It showcased the humane side of Salman. The change in perception was followed up with a series of blockbusters, with Khan witnessing a box office run like no one else in the history of Indian cinema. Basically, he re-established his connection with the audience with Dus ka Dum and reruns of Wanted, and then came Dabangg, and the rest as they say is history.
Today, the South Indian dubbed films have penetrated the Hindi markets in a big way. But this isn’t a process that happened overnight. One needs to go back to the late 2000s, when films like Don No. 1, Meri Jung, Shivaji: The Boss, and Simmha to name a few were slowly gaining traction on the television screens. The actors from the Southern part of the country had started to find a way to the television screens of the ones in the North. The success of limited content paved the way for more dubbed films, majorly from the Telugu film industry. It started with Mahesh Babu films like Businessman, Khaleja, and Okkadu to name some and the trend continued to grow with stars like Allu Arjun, Prabhas, Jr. NTR, and Ravi Teja entering the world of dubbed cinema.
In a nutshell, OTT can give an actor fame, but for stardom, one needs television and theatre. OTT is more of a leisure-based platform, whereas the other two are appointment viewing...TV has also created a brand out of two directors – Karan Johar and Rohit Shetty
Himesh Mankad
In no time, channels like Set Max, Zee Cinema, Star Gold were flooded with dubbed content and there was no way for the audience to escape this wave. They were omnipresent. While Mahesh Babu was among the first of modern generations to become a known face in Hindi markets – thanks to his Thumbs Up advert and the run of dubbed films on TV, Allu Arjun films were fast climbing the ladder of success. Aarya, Aarya 2, Yevadu, Race Gurram aka. Main Hoon Lucky Racer, DJ, and Sarrainodu proved to be a blockbuster of epic proportions. The reruns continued in the lockdown too and made Allu Arjun a household name. It laid the platform for the release of Pushpa in Hindi and once that happened, the results were there for everyone to see. Allu Arjun Films have been on OTT for a long time, but it’s television that made him a brand in the audience, especially in tier 2 and 3 cities, the places which saw Pushpa run to packed houses. In the time to come Pushpa: Part 1 will also become a television rage and the same will translate into Pushpa: Part 2 taking a historic opening. One shouldn't be surprise if it emerges an all time opener in the Hindi belts. Today, Mahesh Babu can also make a smashing debut in Hindi belts, as he is already a household name due to the aforementioned factors.
Aarya, Aarya 2, Yevadu, Race Gurram aka. Main Hoon Lucky Racer, DJ, and Sarrainodu proved to be a blockbuster of epic proportions. The reruns continued in the lockdown too and made Allu Arjun a household name. It laid the platform for the release of Pushpa in Hindi
Himesh Mankad
Cut to the present times, when KGF: Chapter 2 is on its course to take a historic opening in the Hindi belts. The entire trade was shocked seeing the hype as the first part had merely earned Rs 45 crore in Hindi. But honestly, I am not. A macro analysis of KGF: Chapter 1 and we can say with utmost conviction that the film had reached out to its target audience via repeat runs on television. The Prashanth Neel directed film fronted by Yash, found its audience on the small screen to make Rocky Bhai an iconic figure for cine-goers in tiers 2 and 3. In the early days of its premiere, KGF was to find a place in the top 5 most viewed films on television as per BARC ratings. Every screening upped the potential target audience for the sequel, and that, in turn, has translated into ticket sales. The historic run on the TV was supported by some popularity on the OTT platforms too and it’s the consolidation that worked, though a major credit for penetrating the heartland of India goes to TV. While we as an industry often emphasize OTT success, seldom have we seen the run-on OTT help the star create a brand. But history is full of examples when TV has helped the star consolidate their position and become a face that can sell tickets in cinema halls. In a nutshell, OTT can give an actor fame, but for stardom, one needs television and theatre. OTT is more of a leisure-based platform, whereas the other two are appointment viewing.
TV has also created a brand out of two directors – Karan Johar and Rohit Shetty. While the direction and production aspect gave them a name, it’s television that gave that name a face and culminated in the duo turning into a brand. In fact, it’s just Karan and Rohit, who have a strong face value among the audience among their peers. Credit? TV. Ditto for Aamir Khan, who much like his films, took a unique route for television, and that just supported the distinct brand that he was trying to create among the audience. While TV has never really got the due credit from the industry in recent times, it’s among the most powerful soft powers in today’s world. As they say, numbers and records don’t lie.
ALSO READ: Mirroring The Industry: Yash, KGF franchise and the subsequent rise of Kannada Film industry
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