Gujarati cinema: A battle for relevance

For a state that breathes entrepreneurship, it’s ironic how the Gujarati film industry found itself in the wilderness after it failed to realise the pulse of its audience. Almost eight decades after the first Gujarati talkie film (Narsinh Mehta) was released, the industry is fighting its way back from the abyss of gloom. While the newcomers leading the resurgence are hopeful that it will herald the best that the industry has to offer, old-timers are more cautious about the wave of optimism.

The rural-urban divide
A trait unique to the Gujarati film industry is the rural-urban divide. When Kevi Rite Jaish, a film by first-time director Abhishek Jain, found favour with the urban audience, newspapers and media houses sat up and took notice. The film, a comedy-drama, depicting a particular Patel family’s desperation to land in the USA, struck a chord with the multiplex-going youth. While Jain’s film was garnering praise, Vikram Thakore, the current heartthrob of Gollywood, was busy cementing his position as the superstar. But few in the urban areas know of the actor whose six films have earned over Rs3 crore each in revenue. That is because Thakore mostly stars in movies that concentrate on village audiences. “In Gujarat you can either make movies for the rural masses or the urban class. This is a dilemma that no other industry faces. There are just a few movies like Desh Re Joya Dada Pardesh Joya that work with both audiences,” said Ritam Bhatnagar, founder-director, Freeway Film Company. Movies with urban story lines are few and far between.

“Thakore is the current superstar and that’s because he knows his audience (it’s rural) and is clear that he wants to make movies for them,” said Prashant Jadav, who has penned several songs for Gujarati movies.

Driving forces: Audience or content?
Those who have watched the industry closely attribute a lack of audiences for driving the industry to churn out poor quality films that are solely aimed at recovering the cost and a reasonable profit. Others, however, feel that a lack of quality content is keeping audiences at bay.

“There is no doubt that over the years, the quality of Gujarati films have deteriorated. So much so that there was a time when the entire set of actors and technicians would be repeated in movies that had more or less the same story line. The only thing different would be the title. This bored the audience,” said Deepak Antani, a director and writer, whose three films garnered critical acclaim but failed to make money. Antani also believes that it is the Gujarati’s lack of love for their language that exacerbates the situation. Bhatnagar, however, does not buy the argument.

“Hindi is similar to Gujarati and most the people here follow it. So when they failed to get quality films in their own language, they had the option of Hindi films. I believe that if you give them quality, you can still win back their loyalty,” he said.

A golden past
Gollywood was not always about poor quality films struggling to recover their money. The industry, too, had its golden period during the ’70s and the early ’80s when it produced movies with striking storylines, starring actors like Sanjeev Kumar, Kiran Kumar, Aruna Irani, Rita Bhaduri and Upendra Trivedi. “In those times, many films were adapted from novels that were not only popular, but also probed the society’s conscience. Movies like Kumkum and Bhavni Bhavai are examples,” said Jadav.

The story of Gollywood’s downfall is the story of an industry that refused to change with the times, according to Antani. “The audience found better content in television and Hindi films, and drifted there. By the time they decided to pull their act together, it was terribly late,” said Antani. Interestingly, he added that the downfall of Gujarati cinema was synonymous with the rise of its own Amitabh Bachchan — Naresh Kanodiya.

“The only other actor who had seen such fame as Kanodiya was Upendra Trivedi. Kanodiya’s rise came during the darkest days of Gujarati film,” said Antani.

Growing numbers but quality content?
Film historian Harish Raghuwanshi, who has closely studied the facts and figures of Gollywood feels that the number of films being made in Gujarati is on the rise. This year, 65 films have been made so far and a few more will follow before the year ends. This is the highest number of movies ever made in this industry in any given year, asserted Raghuwanshi.

He adds that an increase in quantity does not necessarily translate into a rise in quality. “Most films continue to be poor quality low-budget movies, barring a few exceptions. But still, I think we have hope,” said Raghuwanshi.

Interesting Tidbits About Gollywood
First Gujarati talkie: Narsinh Mehta (1932)
(Director: Nanubhai Vakil)

First Gujarat colour film: Liludi Dharti (1968)
Director: Vallabh Chokshi

Jogidas Khuman, a Gujarati movie that was made thrice (1948, 1962, 1975). All three movies were directed by Manhar Raskapoor.

Avinash Vyas is credited with giving the music score  for most Gujarati films (188). He also gave music for 61 Hindi Films.