Ranbir rides in to rescue Yash Raj Films

Yash Raj Films was Bollywood's most powerful production house until only a couple of years ago, spawning one blockbuster after another. But its luck seems to have run out, what with only a couple of hits in recent years.

The last hit from its stable was Chak De India in 2007, which coasted to box-office success on superstar Shah Rukh Khan's shoulders rather than on the banner's strength. The year before wasn't all that lucky either, with Dhoom 2 being its only hit in 2006.

The flops, meanwhile, have been piling up: Ta Ra Rum Pum, Laaga Chunari Mein Daag, Jhoom Barabar Jhoom, Tashan, Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic and Aaja Nachle. Now, the production house is pinning all its hopes on the old Raj Kapoor charm, with expectations that the legendary showman's grandson, Ranbir Kapoor, will bail it out. But can Ranbir deliver? Or, for a leading man who is only one film old, is it merely a case of great expectations?

Yash Raj's next offering – Bachna Ae Haseeno, in cinemas this weekend – features not just Ranbir, but three heroines, two of whom have already proved to be big box-office draws. The sizzling Bipasha Basu, the spectacular debutant Deepika Padukone and the sultry Minissha Lamba are all cast in romantic roles opposite the new RK.

The question, though, is whether Ranbir – whose debut Saawariya was a super flop – is a good vehicle to return on. He flies solo in the film, at a time when Bollywood is looking at multi-starrers to stay safe. And Shah Rukh's Chak De shoes are rather large ones to fill for such a rank newcomer. (Interestingly, King Khan has quietly distanced himself from the banner since their weak spell began; he has just one film coming up with the company.)

This year, too, hasn't been all that great for Yash Raj Films. High hopes were pinned on the Saif Ali Khan-Rani Mukherji film Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic, but they were dashed when the film failed to take off despite heavy branding and marketing. Tashan met the same fate, despite a star cast featuring hit-makers such as Kareena Kapoor, Akshay Kumar, Saif Ali Khan and Anil Kapoor. Madhuri Dixit's comeback, Aaja Nachle, should have performed better, given the kind of fan following she still has, but that wasn't to be either: it earned just Rs150 million (Dh13m). And Laaga Chunari Mein Daag, despite its star cast of Rani Mukherji, Jaya Bachchan, Konkona Sen Sharma and Abhishek Bachchan, barely made Rs190m.

Perhaps the reason that recent Yash Raj Films projects have not exactly been blockbusters is more than bad luck. For some viewers, it's a question of quality.

"We've seen some bad movies come from the Yash Raj Films stable recently. Maybe that's why expectations from its films have been low and openings have been bad," says trade analyst Atul Mohan of the box-office trade magazine Complete Cinema.

Trade consultant Vinod Mirani agrees. "Earlier, Yash Raj would come up with original scripts, which would only get the green light after a lot of work had been done on them," he says, adding that scripts were often in development for as long as five or six years.

"That meticulous work used to show in the quality of films. Now, they only rely on those scripts already available in the market. This might be why their films are flopping left, right and centre," he says.

The director of Bachna Ae Haseeno himself, Siddharth Anand, seems to believe his film's chances at the box-office are about even. "To be honest, I think YRF has taken a risk with Bachna Ae Haseeno," he says, before going on to defend the banner. "It is not the banner's fault its films aren't doing well. The banner will keep giving a platform to various filmmakers. But the problem often lies with the story. No banner, however big it may be, can save a film if the story is not good."

Going forward, besides Bachna Ae Haseeno, Yash Raj will look to Shah Rukh Khan and director Aditya Chopra to deliver a blockbuster movie for them. Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, set for a festival release this year, has already bagged several in-film advertising deals. If the two films do well, the studio's executives will certainly be celebrating Diwali with renewed vigour.

Abbas Tyrewala, who directed last month's hit, Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na, is one person who is sure this will happen. "I have worked with Aditya Chopra in Salaam-e-Ishq. He's a sincere and hardworking person. Yash Raj Films has always given great films and I am sure it will bounce back with Bachna Ae Haseeno. It seems to be a fresh film and Ranbir is a talented guy," he says, adding that it is "silly" to judge a production house depending on the performance of its recent releases.

"Hits and flops are a part of Bollywood. Sometimes, certain stories don't appeal to audiences. I think Bachna Ae Haseeno will change the banner's luck," he says.

His views are echoed by Guru Shenoy, the head of distribution at Percept Picture Company. He too feels that Bachna Ae Haseeno has a fighting chance of box office success.

"It does look trendy and the music is good too. It has the ingredients of a blockbuster but in this industry, you can't predict anything. When Jhoom Barabar Jhoom was to release, we were planning the release of Mahesh Bhatt's Jannat. When I saw the promos of Jhoom Barabar Jhoom I told Bhatt we should postpone our film by two weeks because it was much smaller in scale – but look what happened. Jhoom Barabar Jhoom bombed and Jannat did well," he says.

Even if Bachna flops, Shenoy says, Shah Rukh is a safe bet, and the banner should be able to coast with Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi.

In general, the trade seems to feel Bachna Ae Haseeno will work. Girish Wankhede, general manager (public relations) at multiplex chain Cinemax, says, "The promos are promising. The song has been remixed well and its fresh look is sure to grab eyeballs." But it is Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi that he looks ahead to. "Shah Rukh is hot property in India and overseas. The film already has buyers."

On his part, Bachna Ae Haseeno lead hero Ranbir is sure Yash Raj Films will allow him a second chance at launching his career.

"I signed the film before Saawariya. Yash Raj Films had confidence in my potential and they signed me on," he told Emirates Business. "No, they didn't sign me because I am Raj Kapoor's grandson but because they believed in my talent. I expect the film to do well as it has all the necessary ingredients."

Ranbir feels he suits the character, but shies away from comparisons with King Khan – especially after the two locked horns during Om Shanti Om and Saawariya. Both were released at the same time and Shah Rukh emerged victorious. "I cannot compete with him. All I know is I have done my job well. All I can do now is keep my fingers crossed that the film does well," says the sexy newcomer.

Sanjeev Kohli, CEO and Director at Yash Raj Films, expects the film to click with audiences. "Yash Raj Films believes in every film it produces. Most of our films have been blockbusters globally, including the recent Dhoom 2, Chak De India and Fanaa," he says. "Some films have not done as well as we would have liked, but each of our films gets the same attention, care and marketing. Bachna Ae Haseeno is a film that we hope will do well. It has been painstakingly produced and has created a lot of enthusiasm among audiences."

Also going for the film is the reams of publicity Ranbir's romance with Deepika Padukone has been getting.

So what of the trade? Mirani feels Ranbir might well be able to deliver – despite his youth. "Yash Raj has given the film industry top heroes like Vinod Khanna, Rishi Kapoor and others. So it is just a matter of time."

The verdict is unanimous. Times may be bad for the Chopras but they will bounce back. With Ranbir and SRK to help, how can they not? (Sanskriti Media)

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