Let there be Tubelight

We are already in the middle of 2017 and there have hardly been any surprises, or game changers, or blockbusters coming from the Bollywood bowl - unless, of course, if you count the dubbed version of S.S. Rajamouli's Bahubali 2: The Conclusion, that has now smashed most box office records.
Not surprisingly, expectations are sky-high from Tubelight that is all set to release soon. Salman Khan's entertainers often premiere during the festive week of Eid or a few days before. Audiences who usually tend to stay away from the theatres during the Holy Month of Ramadan return in droves to watch his films. In accordance with the custom, the film - set against the backdrop of the Sino-Indian war of 1962 - is more than likely to inject spark in the fluctuating movie business.
Lately, a concatenation of expensively-mounted fantasies like Raabta, a take on reincarnation with shades of the hit American series Game of Thrones, have tanked at the cash counters. Meanwhile, Salman Khan's popularity across generations has only soared. As it happens, he returns to the screen after a hiatus of almost a year: Sultan had released in the first week of July to an overwhelming response and had been declared a huge hit as soon as it unspooled at the multiplexes.
With Tubelight, many believe Salman will complete a hat-trick of hits with director Kabir Khan, who has extracted tremendous crowd-pleasing performances from the actor earlier with Ek Tha Tiger (2012) and Bajrangi Bhaijaan (2015). The latter, though, would be a tough act to surpass. Salman's tongue-in-cheek performance, an endearing act by child artiste Harshaali Malhotra, soulful music and the emotional theme of border issues between India and Pakistan were the aces up the sleeve of Kabir Khan.
This time around, the filmmaker has admitted that the screenplay of Tubelight has been adapted from the 2015 war drama Little Boy, an emotionally charged account of an eight-year-old boy who sets out on a mission to find his father, presumed to be dead on the battlefield during World War II.
Apparently, the eight-year-old has been adapted into an adult (played by Salman) and the missing father has been re-scripted as a lost-in-action brother (Sohail Khan). To add a touch of difference, Chinese actress Zhu Zhu was recruited to play the leading lady. Incidentally, the late Om Puri can be seen in one of his last performances.
If all this wasn't enough, Salman's off-screen sometimes-foe-sometimes-friend Shah Rukh Khan pops in for a cameo. On the face of it, every element of a blockbuster has been gift-wrapped here and the opening days will, no doubt, witness serpentine queues at the ticket windows. Fingers and toes crossed! After all, since time immemorial, there has been no fail-safe recipe for what the audience may or may not accept. Even in the midst of Salman-mania, his Jai Ho (2014) did turn out to be a crashing disappointment.
Whatever the fate of Tubelight, which will be reported by trade trackers with unbridled curiosity, the 51-year-old actor is at a key juncture of his 28-year-old career since Sooraj Barjatya's Maine Pyar Kiya (1989); he has established that he can pull off romance as well as action hijinks with ease. Salman doesn't labour for effect, or plunge into the depths of internalised acting. He seems to act off-the-cuff, indicating that he has a flair for improvisation and spontaneity.
By contrast, his other colleague Aamir Khan has consistently banked on study and an implosive intensity, making him an actor of gravitas. In fact, Salman and Aamir have had diametrically opposite approaches to acting. The two did team up for Rajkumar Santoshi's cult comedy Andaz Apna Apna, but that was way back in 1994. Since then, Aamir and Salman have evolved and each commands his own distinct legion of fans.
Salman, Aamir and Shah Rukh, besides being the reigning superstars in the 50-plus age group, have also set up their own production banners. Any project featuring them ensures a whole line-up of producers, corporate backers and investors. Aware of their top slots in the power list, it is but natural that the trio often elect to act essentially in their home productions.
Right now, Salman is also busy wrapping up Tiger Zinda Hai, which is being produced by Aditya Chopra's Yash Raj banner and directed by Ali Abbas Zafar, who helmed Sultan. He will also be seen in a dance-centric film to be directed by Remo D'Souza. Following months of uncertainty, it has been announced that he will host the upcoming 11th season of the hit reality show Bigg Boss.
However, at this very moment, as the new Salman Khan opus unspools, the unanimous chant in Bollywood is: let there be Tubelight.
wknd@khaleejtimes.com