16.9.09

How do Samir Karnik and Nikhil Advani get funding?

Ram Gopal Varma had this amazing idea when he started out as a director. He would make a film and before that got released, he would have already started his next. That was at a time when he wasn't producing films, but only directing them. So he would ensure that he would always have a film up his sleeve even if his new one fails at the box office. That way he would get another crack.
I don't know whether some of the Bolly directors too are following Ramu's footsteps. But I would really like to know how some of them are getting funding. I want to know what Samir Karnik tells a producer when he meets him. He must be doing something right because he has managed to make four films, when he shouldn't have been allowed to make a single one. Read his filmography and you are bound to agree with me — Kyun Ho Gaya Na, Nanhe Jaisalmer, Heroes and Vaada Raha. The last one released last week and despite having Bobby Deol and Kangana Ranaut in the lead, no one turned up to watch it.
Then you have Nikhil Advani. Now, he did start with Kal Ho Naa Ho but by now we all know how much of it was Nikhil and how much of it was Karan Johar. Most pass off KHNH as a KJo flick. Then Nikhil fought with his mentor, directed Salaam-e-Ishq and Chandni Chowk to China. The combined budget of those two films must be over Rs 120 crore. With that amount, Rituparno Ghosh could have made at least 40 films! And at least 39 of them would have been better than Salaam-e-Ishq and CC2C combined. But Nikhil's making another film with Akshay and Anushka Sharma and Patiala House must cost another 40-odd crore.
And Navdeep Singh, who made the memorable Manorama: Six Feet Under, is struggling to get finances for his second film for over three years now. 
Such is life!

4 comments:

  1. It pained me really if I can say that without sounding melodramatic :(

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  2. its all about having the right contacts i guess and sticking with Kjo would have given Advani enough opportunities to make those....
    somehow i always felt Nikhil Advani is a better director than his films show him to be!

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  3. ...also its surprising that Navdeep Singh cant find finance for his films, in today's times i guess its easier and safer to back a film like MSFU than CC2C!! Bollywood producers have really bad market analysts i guess :)

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