Anees Bazmee: Are the critics mad?
Post-Welcome, Anees Bazmee has suddenly found himself in the limelight. No Entry may have announced his arrival. But Welcome has truly established him as the next comedy king. And Bazmee's journey has just begun. In an interview, Bazmee talks to us about everything - from Akshay to Katrina to movie critics.
How does it feel to deliver two back to back hits with No Entry and Welcome?
Top of the world! No Entry became the biggest hit of 2005 and Welcome, the biggest hit of 2007. I am happy both my producers have made profit and are happy. If a film is a hit all the people connected with the film also get praised. And that makes me a happy man. But unlike most others, I don't celebrate too long or take a long break after my films' success. For instance after Welcome I have started work on Singh Is Kinng and after Singh Is Kinng I plan to work on another film. The show must go on. [READ: What makes Singh is Kinng one of the most expensive films in 2008]
Choose between Welcome and No Entry, big hits but bad reviews?
Certainly Welcome because No Entry was closer to real life and Welcome is larger than life. In today's time such movies don't run. Till now all the films made on the 'Don', like Godfather and others were serious. And any movie, which is hilarious, is rated slapstick. I have shown my don as a comic character and yet it worked. [WATCH: Audience simply loves Welcome]
You were criticised by some of the top reviewers who predicted it will not run. Comments?
Regarding critics, I feel their job is to write. They too have their own thoughts and ideas. They earn their living by writing. But I feel that some of the reviews for Welcome, were by some respected journalists who may not have seen the film. When I read their reviews I feel they are very funny and wonder if the 'respected journalist' is in his senses or is he mad?
But I am sure the kids of these crictics would have said, "Papa are you crazy or what, the film you don't appriciate is a hit. Papa please take us to see this movie for the fourth time." And when he perhaps goes to watch the film he thinks to himself 'how come I didn't enjoy the film which my wife and kids seem to like so much'.
"serious films about the don, like godfather".
how come you forget mickey blue eyes??? :d
and a critics job is not to predict the bo collections. There are people to do that. They are called trade analysts.