Analysis of Indian Movie Trailers Released in January 2023
January 24th, 2023
January 2023 saw the trailer releases of multiple high-profile films and series. After a somewhat dismal performance in 2022, the Bollywood market is eager to regain a firm standing and usher in a golden period in the Mumbai-based cinema industry. In this blog, I will break down and analyze some of these released trailers.
1. Pathaan
Rating: 4.0
The hype is always massive when it comes to Shah Rukh Khan, but Pathaan being his comeback film after a four-year hiatus makes this movie even more special. Siddharth Anand, who previously directed the highly-acclaimed spy thriller War starring Tiger Shroff and Hrithik Roshan, has left no stops untouched in his efforts to make Pathaan a mass film, and this is clearly evidenced in the trailer. The stunts are breathtaking, and the presence of Deepika Padukone enhances the vibrant atmosphere of the trailer. Of all though, I’m most excited to watch John Abraham essay the role of an antagonist after almost nineteen years. His introduction in the trailer is unbelievable, and seeing him fight Shah Rukh Khan is something many will be waiting for. Overall, from visuals to dialogue delivery to the plotline, this movie seems to have all bases covered.
2. Shehzada
Rating: 2.0
Over the past couple years, Karthik Aaryan has built a reputation as a bankable movie star, and the success of Bhool Bhoolaiya 2 and Freddy enhance that. Hence, when Shehzada was announced with Karthik Aaryan as the leading man, I was very interested. Shehzada is a Hindi remake of the Trivikram-directed Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo starring Allu Arjun and Pooja Hegde. Beating Allu Arjun’s swag in the original was going to be tough to do, but the makers of Shehzada don’t even try to come close to the original film’s quality in the released trailer. All the trailer’s scenes are directly copied from the original, and it gives away a majority of the movie’s plotline, thus creating a disinterested atmosphere. Paresh Rawal looks silly in the role of Valmiki, and his appearance comes no where close to that of Murali Sharma in the original. The same applies to Ronit Roy, whose very appearance gives off a different vibe than the one given by Jayaram in the original. Karthik Aaryan tries his best, but he isn’t able to match Allu Arjun’s acting and dialogue delivery. The visuals are grand, but certain scenes (like the railway station scene) are clearly shot with a green screen, and this again puts off viewers. Overall, Shehzada has the qualities of almost every Bollywood remake of a good South movie: a bigger budget, grander visuals, techno-heavy songs, and no focus on a proper plot.
3. Selfiee
Rating: 4.0
Selfiee, a remake of the the 2019 Malayalam film Driving Licence, stars Akshay Kumar and Emraan Hashmi in the principal roles, with Nushrratt Bharuccha, Diana Penty, and Rahul Dev in supporting roles. The plot revolves around Vijay Kumar (Akshay Kumar), a famous film star and his fan Om Prakash Aggarwal (Emraan Hashmi). Aggarwal and his son are die-hard fans of Kumar and dream of taking a selfie with him. However, things so south over Kumar’s drivers license, with Kumar saying that he will get his license in any way while Aggarwal says he will have to take all the safety tests like a ‘common man’. The trailer displays ample amount of comedy, emotional scenes, and action while not giving away much of the plot, and this increases my curiosity. Raj Mehta, who has delivered hits like Good Newwz and Jug Jugg Jeeyo, seems to have done a good job with this movie, and it may be the comeback film for Akshay Kumar, who has had a forgettable 2022 at the box office, and for Emraan Hashmi, who has had a forgettable past two years in terms of movie performance.
4. Farzi
Rating: 4.5
Shahid Kapoor has been in the Bollywood film industry for over 15 years, and has starred in trademark films like Jab We Met and Chup Chup Ke. Over time, he developed a reputation as the cute and lovable boy next door. However, Kapoor has also looked to diversify his portrayed characters, starring in Vishaal Bharadwaj’s Haider (an Indian remake of Hamlet) and in Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Kabir Singh. Shahid Kapoor continues this trend with Farzi, a crime thriller web series (Kapoor’s OTT debut) centered around black money. In the almost three-minute trailer, we see Kapoor don the role of Sunny, a poor middle-class man who begins to print his own money to ‘break’ the unfair social system. Chasing him is task officer Michael (Vijay Sethupathi), who is equally cunning and a tad brutal in his methodology. Like a cat and mouse, these two circle each other, with others, like Kay Kay Menon and Raashii Khanna, playing pivotal roles. Kapoor looks exquisite as Sunny, with perfect dialogue delivery and mannerisms. Vijay Sethupati looks extraordinary as a government officer, a role that he doesn’t very frequently play; he is known in the Tamil industry as one of the best villains, usually in the form of a gangster. The plot seems full of twists and turns, action, and emotion, with some comedy also threaded in. All in all, Raj and DK seem to have hit a home run in terms of replicating the experience created by The Family Man, and I’m sure we can’t wait to binge this series.
5. Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar
Rating: 3.0
After the success of the superhero movie Brahmastra Part 1: Shiva, Ranbir Kapoor has been basking in the limelight. His next, Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar, is a romantic comedy directed by Luv Ranjan, who has delivered hits like Pyaar Ka Panchnaama 2 and Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety. This film also marks the return of Shraddha Kapoor, who had taken a three year hiatus post Chhichchhore.
The trailer is decent, with mushy dialogues and a vibrant European atmosphere. What makes it stand out is that in the trailer, the characters of Ranbir Kapoor and Shraddha Kapoor are acting; they are each trying to get the other person to break up with them without explicitly saying so. The film is almost an Indian version of the Hollywood hit How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days. The visuals are superb, the music seems catchy, and the plot looks interesting, so this movie may have a good experience in store for viewers.
Overall, 2023 looks to be an interesting year for Indian movies, and it will be a true surprise to watch these movies play out in the international box office!