Khoon ka fountain, lash ka mountain… Danger, danger, danger
Ramsey Brothers might have used this iconic line for their horror films, but it looks more befitting for Indian cinema today. Action,in the last few years, has transcended from kicks and punches to slashing off villain’s minions with axes and bludgeoning them to death with whatever is at hand – gas cylinders, fire extinguishers, or hammers.
The hero, with the first few buttons of his shirt open, is more keen to get wet and dirty (no puns intended). And then starts the hacking, coupled with masochism in most films. What started off with KGF, and was explored more freely on OTT (remember how graphically Hathoda Tyagi bludgeoned his cousins to death with a hammer, earning his name, in Paatal Lok). But, what the audience has been watching on the big screen in the last few years has been unprecedented. Even more interesting to note is that the audience loves these films – though these are not U/A-certified films that can be watched with your family. So, why are such films being made, and why are they loved by the audiences?
ANIMAL AND THE RISE OF STYLISED GORE
Gore was presented on the big screen with Prashanth Neel’s Kannada blockbuster KGF, featuring Yash as the lead. However, what really made an everlasting impact was Sandeep Reddy Vanga’s Animal featuring Ranbir Kapoor. The audience was hooked to the lungi-clad Ranbir hacking the masked men to death one after the other as Arjan Vailly played in the background, heightening the tension and the thrill. That was just one of the gory sequences that the film had.
In just seven months, another film was released – Kill. It was already made by the time Animal was released. Being advertised as the ‘goriest film of India’, it was different from Animal in the sense that the masochism was missing, but the gore was indeed in abundance. This film, too, was well-received by the audience.
The most recent film that left an indelible mark was the Malayalam film, Marco. Helmed by Haneef Adeni, the Unni Mukundan-starrer raised the bar by several notches. This was no longer a fight where men were shedding blood. From dogs being torn apart to the ear of a human being bitten off to children being hanged and bludgeoned to death to a pregnant woman being hit in the belly so that the baby comes out and then killed – Marco had reportedly made people throw up in theatres. But, its success, especially in the Hindi belt, scripted new history.
At the same time, it needs to be noted that not all gory films have seen success. Films like Yudhra and Fateh failed to do well and leave a mark on the audience.
WHY IS GORE WORKING ON INDIAN BIG SCREENS
The biggest question that comes to our mind is, why is gore working on the big screens. Sure, the Indian audience has seen gore in Hollywood and South Korean actioners, and even on Indian OTT, but never before has this worked so well in theatres.
Marco actor Unni Mukundan feels that watching something gruesome on the big screen makes the audience, who want to fight back in their lives, feel validated.
“I think people always want to fight back in their lives. From a layman to an office-goer to a big shot, everyone has this instinct to fight back and win. When you see a character trying to do the same on a big screen, you feel validated. In Marco, the cruelty and gruesomeness mirror the animal instinct that we all carry,” Mukundan told India Today Digital in an exclusive interview.
He added that on big screen, it becomes a cathartic shared experience. But, why resort to such detailed grisly sequences instead of leaving it to the audience’s imagination?
Mukunadan feels, “We have also progressed as a society, we are more exposed. So just cutting off arms – like was shown in Sholay – does not suffice. For a filmmaker, it is now even more difficult to convince the audience. It was easier to make the audience believe earlier, but now we know the tricks behind the magic. So making them believe what is happening is real is a very difficult task and if we have done it, we should be appreciated.”
Senior trade analyst and film critic, Taran Adarsh feels that the fact that OTT made the Indian audience accustomed to gore on small screens is why it might be doing well on the big screens too.
“Action has been an integral part of Indian films, right from the 70s and 80s. But, with the advent of OTT, uncensored stuff was shown on screen. What happened was, people got used to the violence. Then, Animal came in between, which had a lot of gore and which shocked the audience. But, people loved it also and the film was a huge success. Then came Kill – again it was a different experience and people loved it. Most recently was the Malayalam film Marco, which also performed well in the Hindi belt,” Adarsh told India Today Digital.
Coming to why such films are doing well, Taran Adarsh opines, “If something catches on with the audience, be it romance or action, then makers feel that they need to go notches higher.”
National Award-winning critic, Deepak Dua feels, “Film with an overdose of bloodshed had not been released for a long time. So, when such films were released, the audience got to see something ‘hatke’. For example, Animal was a well-packaged entertainer with great direction and big stars. Kill had a different vibe, but it was also gory.”
THE GORE OVERDOSE
Recently though, there has been such a steep rise in films with an abundance of gruesome sequences that gore seems like a trend that everyone wants to follow. What’s the reason for that?
Deepak Dua attributes it to the herd mentality that Indian cinema, especially the Hindi film industry, follows.
“When a certain kind of film works, people start following it, especially in the Hindi film industry that follows a bhedchaal. Filmmakers feel that if this flavour is working, more such films should be made. However, if there is an overdose, the quality of content will fall and it will stop working.
He also emphasises that content is king, and compares gore added to a film with good content to flavour like pizza seasoning.
“Films do not work as much for their flavour as compared to their content. We have examples of good gory films doing wonders, and ones with poor content failing to perform well. This is the same for every genre – be it horror comedies or anything else. It all boils down to content. If the content is strong, the filmmaker can add whatever flavour they want to, and it would work,” Dua notes.
ARE GORY FILMS INFLUENCING THE AUDIENCE THE WRONG WAY
Another criticism that gory films are facing is the fact that violence is being glorified. This is a criticism that Animal and KGF especially faced. The same can’t be said for Kill.
Mukundan defends Marco, saying that it was simply a gangster drama and adding, “I did not want to make them good gangsters.”
He adds that the burden to educate the audience about an ideal society needs to be removed from films.
“I feel cinema is for entertainment only. I don’t like to propagate life through cinema – for that you have good books, family, society and culture. I don’t want to burden filmmakers into being torchbearers of good things. Films such as Marco lifts your spirits,” Unni Mukundan tells us.
To validate his point, he says, “I have also done a film called Meppadiyan which is family-oriented. I have two kids, I go to Sabrimala Temple. I never saw people becoming religious after that! So, it’s just the experience that people watch a film for.”
MORE GORY FILMS FOR INDIAN SCREENS?
So, will the Indian audience get to see more violent actioners in the coming years? Taran Adarsh feels the answer is yes.
“Violent films are on the rise. In days to come, with Sandeep Reddy Vanga releasing Animal Park, the audience might get to see more gruesome visuals than what they have watched before, and it can only be decided by the censor board.”
But will all of them be successful? Adarsh aptly summarises it and says, “Makers can make anything, but when it reaches the public domain, it is for the audience to decide what they want to watch.”
