Mumbai, Jul 2 : Megastar Amitabh Bachchan today thanked all his fans and well wishers for the support and warm response to his latest release ‘Bbuddah Hoga Tera Baap' even as he questioned the integrity of film reviewers, whose opinion apparently sways the commercial results of a venture.
“There is need to acknowledge the tremendous amount of voluntary work done by the fan clubs, the EF, the TwFmXt and all other admirers and well wishers for the phenomenal work done by them all for the promotion and awareness of BHTB. Thank you. And my sincere thanks to each and every individual that went out beyond the call of duty to express solidarity with the cause...the movie,” Bachchan said on his blog.
Directed by Puri Jagannath ‘Bbuddah Hoga Tera Baap' starring Amitabh Bachchan, Hema Malini, Sonu Sood, Raveena Tandon and Sonal Chauhan released on Friday.
“The audience reactions to me have been the ultimate judge of merit of film...there are several pundits, both self styled and appointed to give the gory details of why particular films run or not, or what their prospects shall be in the future. By the fact that they are the yard sticks, or considered yardsticks that mould opinion in the market, they are a revered lot,” Bachchan said.
In an almost 100 year Industry filled with so many makers artists producers, to have a couple of gentlemen that decide fate and success factors of the national cinema, does sound a bit incongruous. So what is surprising for me is that two individuals or three or even thirty have the power and capability of being able to assess the choice, likeness and dislikeness of a billion people ??!!, he said.
But the 68-year-old actor says its the audience response that matters to him the most.
“For me though the people and the masses are the true trade guiders. They make or break us. They go and spend the kind of money that gives them access to our work and therefore, they get all my acceptance marks when judgement is to be confirmed,” Bachchan said.
According to trade pundits, ‘Bbuddah Hoga Tera Baap' saw an occupancy of 15-20 per cent in Mumbai. It seems Big B is disappointed with the way the number game at the box office.
“A recognised Tv channel that runs a programme through a recognised anchor, shall review a film and give it 1.5 stars. That is bad, really bad. It spells doom for the film at the box office. But the film goes on to become the biggest successes of all time! So where the review, where the anchor and where the genuine state,” Bachchan said.
“They tell me that perception in these exercises builds a temperament for any film and that, what emanates from reviews, needs to be paid attention to. Give an individual the semblance of being the ultimate voice and it is generally seen that they seem to choke on their own words at times. I may be entirely wrong and unguided in this matter, but does not the integrity of the reviewer come under a scanner, when it is determined that the particular review could form the commercial result of any venture,” he said.
“Can perception and thereafter fate of the product, be subject to practices that would not entirely be above board. Would not those that depend on the verdict of these merry few, be tempted to seek approval from them at any cost. Or am I thinking that in this very closed and puritanical league there are those that do not at any cost encourage misinformation or corruption ??!!,” he added.
Bachchan feels a film's success should be gauged with the number of footfalls and not with the money generated at the box office.
“In France, I think I may have touched upon this subject before, they do not judge the success of a film by their collection in dollars or francs or rupees - they judge them by the number of footfalls there were for a particular venture..I found that to be a more realistic practice,” he said.
The actor also wondered how the trade pundits come to about the money that the film has generated. “The accountability of every venture is under question and there is no detail fit enough to be accurate there, yet the ventures internal financials are confirmed and authenticated ??Strange!!,” Bachchan said. PTI
