Will `LIGER’ bring back crowds to a Bollywood movie?

 

The much publicized and waited Vijay Devarkonda’s Bollywood debut movie /PAN India movie LIGER is all set to release on the 25^th August, 2022.   One hopes this movie will put an end to the drought in Bollywood box office collections.   

Vijay’s Bolloywood debut

Telugu movie heart throb Vijay is making his Bollywood debut with this Hindi/PAN India movie, co-produced by Karan Johar and directed by top Telugu Director Puri Jaganath.   Vijay is a self-made star in Telugu industry without any backing of filmy family unlike most of other top Telugu stars.   He is tall, well built, smart and charming with captivating smile.  With surprise super hit of low budget Telugu movie `Geeta Govindam’ he established himself as a bankable star and with bold and brave `Arjun Reddy’ he stormed into the top league in Telugu industry.    Every college going youth has become big fan of Vijay.   Thanks to OTTs he became very popular beyond 2 Telugu states and many young heroins like Sara and Jahnvi confirming their crush on Vijay it made things easy for him.

With so many Telugu/South Indian movies doing so well in Hindi belt, it is natural that Vijay too set his eyes on Bollywood and to his fortune a top producer Karan Johar has decided to launch him in Bolloywood to leverage his unprecedented popularity not only in Telugu states but in Northern belt too.  

Is Liger a safe launching pad for Vijay?

I doubt.    Vijay is extremely charming and has a `lover boy’ image and is yet to act in an action movie in Telugu.   His `Geeta Govindam’ was such a cute romantic comedy which could have been remade in Hindi with him.    He was sensational in a very bold role in `Arjun Reddy’, though that movie was remade in Hindi as Kabir Singh, Vijay lost the remake to Shahid Kapoor who had biggest hit of his career.   So Vijay missed the Bollywood bus twice.

Coming to `Liger’ he is risking with an untested territory of action movie for the first time that too in his debut in Bollywood.  But it is to his credit he beefed up and looking terrific as a Boxer.   Secondly, the movie is based on the life of a boxer.   So many movies are already made on subject of boxer in all languages including Hindi and we find the same type of story line in such movies.    I wonder what new thing Liger has to offer.    Going by the teaser, the biggest let down for me is Vijay, who has a very peculiar style of dialogue delivery which caught up the imagination of youth, is made to stammer in the movie.   That always turns out to be irritating.  

Karan and Boycott prospects

The Bollywood is facing an unprecedented Boycott, film after film, for some reason or the other and it is making huge impact on Box office collections..   Karan is in the fore front of allegation of encouraging nepotism in Bollywood and some calls for Boycott of Liger too making rounds though not as intense as in case of Lal Singh Chaddha. 

Puri’s inconsistent track record

Puri Jaganath is a maverick director delivering industry hits like Pokiri (which was remade in many language including Hindi as Wanted, which resurrected Salman career), Badri, Temper Ismart Shankar, followed by movies which tanked without trace like Bujjigadu, Mehbooba, Rogue and Loafer.   With Puri you are never sure what is in store and it is always fingers crossed  

Massive Prelaunch Publicity

The producers have not left anything to chance.    The movie was in the news ever since shooting has started and media was kept fed with its progress and Vijay has been very well projected and promoted.   Boxing star Mike Tyson has been roped in for the first time in a Bollywood movie.    For the last one month Vijay and unit of Liger are going around India holding roadshows and succeeded in creating a positive buzz.  

Though co produced by Karan Johar as a Hindi/PAN India movie, with Vijay and Puri it has Telugu Tadka  and may ride the wave of South Indian hits.  

We have to wait and see if Vijay’s charm can pull Liger through despite KJO factor.  

S. Prabhakar

24.8.22