Reality and issue-based cinema is coming of age in India. No longer tagged arthouse, it is now quick enough to tap topical issues, bold enough to portray gritty truths, commercially viable enough to rope in big stars and directors. Real people form its characters, real events comprise its story. And a whole host of such films are gearing up to hit the screen in the coming months and strengthen a new chapter of realistic cinema in India.

While director Ankush Bhatt is exploring the world of pickpockets in his debut film Bhindi Bazaar, Ekta Kapoor is returning to the magic of South Indian sex siren, Silk Smitha, in the Vidya Balan-starrer Dirty Picture. Actor Irfan Khan is enacting the true story of an athlete-turned-decoit in Tigmanshu Dhulia’s Paan Singh Tomar, and actress Poonam Jhawar is portraying controversial lobbyist Niira Radia in 2G Radia-tion. Santosh Gupta’s Faraar is based on murder convict Charles Sobhraj’s life.

MOOD SHIFT
Gritty reality is a far cry from the world of chiffon saris and snowy Alps, bubblegum romance and domestic melodrama. “Cinema was of late getting stagnant. How long will you flip over the same love triangle saga?” asks filmmaker Onir. His upcoming film I Am is inspired by true stories and explores the tryst of four individuals against the background of pertinent issues of gay rights, child abuse, the Kashmir conflict and single motherhood. “It’s basically four people asking for their right to life with diginity,” says Onir.
Thinking man’s actor Irrfan Khan believes the structure of film is constantly evolving to cater to the perspective of audiences. “Every 15 years, not only the filmmakers, but even the audiences evolve,” he says. He’s playing the lead in the biopic of Paan Singh Tomar, a champion athlete who lived in a small town of Madhya Pradesh, but was forced by circumstances to turn into a gangster, Baaghi, who became a feared name in the Chambal valley. The film has been shot at real locations.
Filmmaker Rahul Dholakia, who made Parzania on Gujarat riots and Lamhaa on the Kashmir conflict, thinks the lack of originality in filmmaking adds to the boredom of audiences. “Bollywood has been borrowing a lot from Hollywood. Lately, very little imagination actually went into making of films,” he confesses.
One has to relentlessly reinvent oneself as a filmmaker to withstand the competition from foreign films, feels Onir.

NOVELTY FACTOR
Filmmaker Sudhir Mishra affirms that a film won’t work unless there’s an edge to it. “There has to be a strong story told in a very engaging yet entertaining manner. Gone is the era when a film was only about pretty clothes and attractive hairstyles. Films will no more work on gimmick,” he says.
The young brigade of filmmakers seem to have got the pulse of the audience. “Along with novelty, moviegoers today also want to relate to the subject,” says filmmaker Ankush Bhatt, explaining his decision to zoom in on pickpockets in Bhindi Bazaar. “We all relish the when-my-bag-got-snatched story. One’s genius lies in presenting the story agreeably, such that it leaves the audiences with a different set of emotions. We are trying to make intelligent films, and through them talk about issues which matter to all.”

MARKET BOOM
Young filmmakers are not just keeping pace with the changing moods of the audiences, looking to festival screenings, eyeing awards, but also aiming for box-office success. “Newbies are keen on this genre of cinema as it’s low lost. The budget is controlled. These are devoid of songs and opulent sets, and anybody can give them a break if the idea is good and priced low. There is definitely a market for these films,” says film trade analyst Komal Nahta.
Also, multiplexes have emerged as new theatrical spaces. “With multiplexes you don’t need thousands of people to make it housefull. The audiences have definitely matured as they have already been exposed to such cinema on TV in some way or the other,” says Nahta.
National Award winning filmmaker Dibankar Banerjee believes that people are willing to adventure into other kinds of films. He is working on Shanghai, a political thriller starring Abhay Deol and Emraan Hashmi about the assassination of a politician. “The key lies in talking about a grave issue while keeping the melodrama intact. This is achieved by bringing in larger-than-life stars,” adds Dholakia.
GLAM QUOTIENT
Interestingly, this genre is no more a forte of the Om Puris and Konkona Sens of Bollywood. Mainstream stars aren’t shying away from playing deglamorised characters, and the new crop of actors are game for walking a new path. “Characters are becoming more important than the stars,” says Irrfan. According to Dibankar, big stars are bored of the monotony of hardcore commercial cinema. “Moreover, these films fetch them awards,” he laughs.
Actress Kainaz Motiwala is playing the lead in Ekta Kapoor’s psychological thriller Raagini MMS, based on a true hidden cam scandal in Mumbai. “It’s a great responsibility to play a person who has been in a tough situation. And talking about the issue is satisfying,” she says.
“What truly matters is the content and storyline. Who doesn’t want to do sensible cinema? Any film that clicks with the audiences is a good film. That means, not all small films are good and not all big films are bad,” actor Arunoday Singh, who made his debut as a terrorist in Sikandar, a film on the Kashmir conflict.

urban eye
So, what makes an ‘unspectacular’ film work? “A film based on a murder mystery or a scandal will always bring audiences to the cinema hall. Here the curiosity element comes into play,” says Santosh Gupta, director of Faraar.
According to Rajkumar Gupta, director of No One Killed Jessica, the topic already being in the news helps audiences relate to it better, but the success depends on the way the theme has been handled. “We offer an interesting blend of fact and fiction. We are telling the stories of today’s times,” he says.
Has the audience matured enough to look real life problems in the eye? Dibakar, who through his films has often been taking a dig at the new Indian middle-class, says that issue-based films are essentially critical in nature. He says, “There are two different audiences, and two different entertainment needs. These films are for urban audiences. They make us think, rather than escape. Urban audiences have a roof over their head and don’t have to worry about their daily meal. The richer you are, the more you have a levage to accept criticism. But the masses in India have a tough life, they want to escape from reality. So, these films don’t stand a chance in rural areas. A large share of urban audiences will see No One Killed Jessica, but in rural areas, only films like Dabaang will work.”