Mirzapur The Movie: A film for the fans, by the fans, that shows how fan service can be good storytelling
Here's the latest update from the Bollywood world:
When Mirzapur first arrived on the Prime Video some seven years ago, we all knew it was pathbreaking. There had been gangster dramas on streaming before it, but nothing set the trend quite like it. Every streaming service wanted ‘their Mirzapur’. To the original’s credit, it sustained the hype for three seasons. And now, it has expanded with a successful movie. Yes, only five days have passed since the movie rolled out in theatres, but it is already a runaway hit. And beyond the ticket-window numbers, Mirzapur The Movie ’s success lies in how it has worked with the followers to create a movie that is arguably the most ‘democratic’ of them all.
Adding to this, Divyenndu, Pankaj Tripathi and Ali Fazal reunite for Mirzapur The Movie as Munna, Kaleen and Guddu. A movie for the followers Videos from the theatres screening Mirzapur The Movie emerged on Friday morning itself. You had followers cheering in theatres as Munna and Guddu went toe-to-toe, or when Kaleen Bhaiya delivered yet another classy one-liner to shut someone up. The movie’s opening and subsequent box of fice avalanche are proof that its loyal support base is expanding. It is a franchise that has existed for seven years, growing in the heartland of India, a territory where the movie is selling out.
Meanwhile, We now see pictures of followers getting tattoos of Ali Fazal ’s character’s face and putting Divyenndu’s one-liners on their vehicles. This is taking the movie to mainstream pop culture in a way that only the likes of Sholay have gone before it.
Notably, Mirzapur is a movie made for the followers. The decision to bring Divyenndu’s Munna Tripathi is enough proof of that. But it is also made by the followers. Every character gets a moment and an arc. Ravi Kishan’s villain gets to flex his green flag qualities, while Divyenndu and Ali Fazal get great action sequences. Even new entrants like Mohit Mallik get their fair share of not just screen space but impact. The most-talked-about track from the movie (I’ll avoid spoilers) involved Rasika Duggal and Mohit, and not any of the leading men. And when you see Abhishek Banerjee and Shaji Chaudhary also get their moments in an action set piece, you marvel at just how the makers managed it. Could the movie have been shorter? Sure! But does it feel too long? Not for a second!
As per the latest buzz, The problem is that when an Avengers: Endgame brings together 50 characters, giving each their moment, and neatly ties the franchise together, we call it ‘marvellous’, but when Mirzapur does a version of that, arguably not on that scale, we dismiss it as ‘mere fan service’. But none of that negates the movie’s quality. It is an entertaining ride, backed by solid storytelling and cleverly-woven tropes. Yes, it may be predictable, but one does not go into the theatre expecting a thriller. We want to be engaged, entertained. Mirzapur The Movie does it.
In further updates, Mirzapur, the show, created the blueprint for small-town gangster drama on Indian streaming platforms. The movie’s success will inspire more movie adaptations of successful web series. Now, it will be seen as a lucrative business idea, even though only months ago, many industry insiders questioned Amazon MGM Studios and Excel Entertainment’s decision to back such an audacious idea. Hats off to the makers’ conviction, even as they kept hearing questions like: ‘Who will watch a gangster drama without stars?’ The answer is: most of the country.
On top of that, Mirzapur: The Movie, directed by Gurmeet Singh and produced by Amazon MGM Studios and Excel Entertainment, is running in theatres, and is set to gross ₹ 200 crore rupees worldwide in just seven days.
Abhimanyu Mathur is Deputy Editor, Entertainment at Hindustan Times. With almost 15 years of experience in writing about everything from films and TV shows to cricket matches and elections, he inhales and exhales pop culture and news. Currently, he watches movies and TV shows and talks to celebrities for a living, while occasionally writing about them as well. A journalism graduate of Delhi College of Arts and Commerce, Delhi University, Abhimanyu began his career with Hindustan Times at the age of 20, swapping classrooms for newsrooms at an early age. He began his journey in the early days of digital journalism, later switching to the madness of print journalism. Work has led him to far off places like Japan and Jordan, as well as to the interiors of Haryana and the Indo-Pak border. He dabbled in city reporting in places like Meerut, Gurgaon, and Delhi, covered the Olympics and Cricket World Cups, before finding his calling in entertainment and lifestyle during the pandemic. A Rotten Tomatoes Certified Movie Critic, he is equally at home covering stories on ground as he is interviewing celebrities and studios, and sometimes prefers to shepherd teams in delivering traffic through the day. Even as his role has evolved from reporter to supervisor over the years, his first love remains writing (and of late, talking on camera). With a good understanding of cinema and its trends, and a keen eye for detail, he continues to spark conversations around showbiz for readers around the world. Read More
Source: Hindustan Times