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Film critic Anupama Chopra has been facing an existential crisis lately. Content-deficient films such as Chennai Express, which the Shahrukh Khan-adoring writer panned with a heavy heart, have gone on to earn hundreds of crores at the box office. "It makes me wonder if we critics have become gnarly. Why are our tastes and popular tastes so far apart?"
Indeed, there seems to be a yawning disconnect between the reception of a film by critics and the audience. With the exception of 3 Idiots and Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, nearly all of the top grossers were not praised by the experts. In a discussion during the Mumbai Film Festival, director Nikhil Advani too had called into question the relevance of reviews. "Today a major part of the promotion and advertising money goes into the PR of a film. Hence, even if critics pan a film, (there are) ways of giving it a spin through PR to show a film in good light."
Opinion writers have now realised that star-driven vehicles like Dabangg, Bodyguard or Rowdy Rathore are largely critic-proof. "They are event movies. No one waits for the reviews to go see them," says Chopra. Fellow critic Mayank Shekhar, editor of thew14.com, agrees. He recently compared the exercise of reviewing a Salman Khan film to the futility of "ironing a pair of jeans." Such films are "built-in blockbusters" and any negative analysis instantly meets with brickbats. "Have I re-thought a review because a film became a hit? No," says Shekhar. "But I do consider the box office collection as a sort of public review."
Further, critics say it would be condescending to expect that reviews can affect the revenue of a film. "It is just about 700-800 words as against the monstrous machinery of filmmaking and publicity on TV, radio spots, the web and hoardings," notes Shekhar.
It is often the smaller, independent films such as When Hari Got Married that can really benefit from good reviews. Vicky Donor had a tepid opening but picked up following positive feedback and word-of-mouth publicity. "My approach is just to talk about the experience as a consumer who got to try something before others," says Chopra. "We can only try to shine a light on less visible films or point out details that would not have been noticed otherwise."
While reviews do not make or break a film, film makers do give weight to critical acclaim as it brings them respect, says publicist Himalee Shah. Private screenings are held for select top reviewers with a member of the lead cast and the director. If the makers are confident of their product, parts of the film are even showed to critics in the post-production stage. "If reviewers are excited and tweet or talk about it, it is great for the movie," says Shah.
