This is a million dollar question, and if any predictive analyst, or fortune-teller can tell, the producer will be eternally grateful. I have been a movie-goer for at least 50 years, and I don't know for sure the answer as to why I watch a particular film.
One is, it is situational. Like a friend and you decide to go out, and a film just appears as a viable option. But which one? You may like a hero/heroine/director and decide on that basis. Or, a good review you read or saw on TV may persuade you. Also, your friends saw it and so you want to.
In the sixties or seventies, there was no TV in India, and we were starved for entertainment. So we ended up watching almost every film - Hindi in my case, and a few Telugu films as I lived in Hyderabad. Many were good, though a bit theatrical, but usually had decent story, acting and production values, though technology was not too advanced, and not digital. They were also long, about 2 and a half to three hours, as they had to deliver value for money.
Anand, Sholay, Hare Rama Hare Krishna, Anjaana, Jhuk Gaya Aasmaan, Aadmi aur Insaan (the song Zindagi, ittefaq hai is in this one), Teesri Manzil, Jewel Thief, Tere Mere Sapne, Zanjeer, Chupke Chupke, Rajnigandha, The Train, Roti, Amar Akbar Anthony, Love in Tokyo, Namak Halaal, were some films I remember from the seventies. Aradhana's songs are still popular. So is Gulabi aankhen jo teri dekhi from The Train. Many songs had an impact, and drove people to watch the movie!
Among recent ones, (eighties and later), Ayushman Khurana films, or Sriram Raghavan-directed films have been usually good. Happy Bhag Jayegi was very good, and I watched it because it was shown in our auditorium at IIM Indore. I liked Finding Fanny also, and a few others on diverse subjects-Vicky Donor, about a sperm donor, or Bareilly ki Barfi, about a small-town girl. Bahubali was great for its special effects, and casting. RRR and KGF were watchable and entertaining as spectacles.
So I guess there's no formula, really. Lost and found worked for a while, with Yaadon Ki Baraat, but the film was well-made with great music too...Chura liya hai tumne jo dil ko is a classic.
2 comments:
Although some movies work without it, mostly a film needs to have a good story to be watchable. A necessary but not sufficient condition, I guess. Screenplay and editing also have their roles. One movie which I felt was total be-sir-pair but became a big hit was 'Kahaani,' ironically meaning story. Ha ha ...
Yeah, editing and screenplay can actually enliven a movie which is otherwise not great. It is said Hrishikesh Mukherjee was skilled at editing..his movies also showcase it. Sholay was edited well, I thought, interweaving comedy with action in a long film.
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