Are people getting tired of watching biopics? Are they more connected to regular fiction or films with Hindu mythological elements? Yes, to a large extent, that seems to be the case.
When we think about biopics, the first big hits that come to mind are 'Mahanati' in Telugu and, of course, 'Sanju' in Hindi – both based on the lives of film artists.
Among these two, 'Mahanati,' the biopic of Savitri, was a huge success, while 'Sanju,', the life of Sanjay Dutt also did good at the box office.
Another successful biopic worth mentioning is 'Gangubai Kathiawadi,' the story of a prostitute turned lady don played by Alia Bhatt.
'M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story, did well but not up to the expectation in sync with Dhoni's popularity.
Then there are films like -
- 'The Accidental Prime Minister' depicting Manmohan Singh's political life,
- "Main Atal Hoon" portraying Atal Bihari Vajpayee,
- 'Thackeray,' of Bal Thackarey's life,
- 'NTR-Kathanayakudu and Mahanayakudu,'
- 'Thalaivii,' the biopic of Jayalalitha,
- Biopics of cricketers like Dhoni and Mutthiah Muralidharan.
- 'Yatra', the biopic of YSR
- 'Sam Bahadur,' the biopic of India's first Field Marshal SHFJ Manekshaw, were all either flops or colossal disasters.
So the moral of the lesson is, a biopic itself doesn't guarantee success, even if it revolves around top-notch leaders, cricketers, or film stars.
It's often the dramatic narrative, presented in a fictional style, that may capture the audience. Mere chronicling of an individual's life in a heroic way rarely works.
One significant observation is that people don't usually find much interest in biopics about individuals who are currently active and frequently appear on TV channels, whether it's Narendra Modi or Jagan Mohan Reddy.
Making biopics always carries a risk as only one out of many may work. Unless filmmakers secure funding through alternative means, getting into making biopics may prove financially fatal.