A Hard Kick in the Solar Plexus
Given the low publicity budget of Hulla, a lot of us were not that concerned because we felt the reviews would help us overcome this. We thought that the originality of the story, the humour, the pace, the performances, and the overall tone of the piece would get us through that hurdle quite easily, especially with reviewers who keep talking about originality and script and stuff. And especially after the warm response from viewers and critics at the Osian festival in July. Hulla got many mentions in pieces where it was pointedly praised (Outlook, TOI Delhi among others). Even if we got mixed reviews we’d be ok with a film like this, we thought.
Boy, were we wrong.
Review after review has torn the film apart. Sometimes with a peculiar glee and viciousness that borders on something beyond mere appraisal. Most of them say the same thing – the first half works big-time, but not the second half. But even if that were true, the ratings somehow do not even seem to reflect this. (All of us who worked on the film, and those who saw it in Osian felt the second half was actually better than the first; some, like Nandita Das who seemed to like the film a lot, thought the end was perhaps too grim, but just the last 5 minutes or so). Apparently, at the press screening this Tuesday, people were laughing away till interval and the buzz was good – they were saying good things about it. But at the end, despite leaving seemingly happily, there was a feeling that the second half had not gone down well for some. As it appears now, more than a few. And in such a homogeneous way?
There is no doubt that the film has more funny moments in the first half, and it gradually becomes edgier and more disturbing (but the humour is still very much there, but in smaller doses and it also gets more and more understated). It does seem that after having got into comedy mode for such a long time, these people had a problem with adjusting. It can be argued that that is a problem with the script and the film, but equally it can be argued that it is a problem of expectations (comedy, comedy, comedy, from the makers of Bheja Fry). It is a fear I had expressed many times before on the film’s blog (silenceonthefloor) whilst they were re-thinking titles and cutting promos. But I never imagined the fears would be so emphatically revisited.
The other problem they seem to have is that the basic premise is a flimsy one and the film cannot sustain that flimsiness. Well, I always thought the basic flimsiness, which gradually became something more and more substantial because of the two egos of the people involved, was the strength of the film actually, and post-Osian that had been strengthened. Outlook’s piece on Mumbai films in August actually began with that aspect of Hulla and how that worked so well for it. But, sadly, not for these people.
Sadly, because it is highly unlikely that anyone will come and see Hulla in theatres now. Not after such a unanimous drubbing. I wouldn’t either, unless the premise excited me, which has also been attacked pretty directly here. It has taken a lot of well-wishers of the film completely by shock, because suddenly their strong recommendations are superseded by so many supposed “expert” views. I always knew this film evoked extreme reactions in people, but somehow I always felt that there’ll be enough people rooting for it. I believed in its freshness and its originality (despite careless comments made about it being “inspired” by the Tim Robbins’ starrer Noise and even an unnamed Marathi film) and more than anything, its humour and spirit. I still believe in the film and am proud of it, and whatever time does to my perceptions of it, fundamentally my view on it will not change. I’ve lived way too long with this project to also not already have some distance from it.
The unanimity of the dismissiveness has staggered me though. (It’s strange how there was much more varied feedback at Osian than now.) They seem to suggest now that this is one of the worst films of the year, despite our obvious attempt to do something genuinely different in plot and tone – no one seemed to have even considered factoring that in. But even more surprising is the strange convergence of viewpoints. For example – this writer from a film website got in touch with me saying he had loved Hulla at Osian and wanted to do an interview. Later, I invited him for the press screening (which I was asked not go for protocol reasons apparently) and he told me that he “thoroughly enjoyed it the second time” and could “easily see it a third time”. Then he did the review and gave Hulla two and a half stars out of five. The funny thing was that he said mostly complimentary things about the film and it was totally incongruous to me. When I asked him about this, he said, “OK to cheer you up at the end of the day, I’m revising the rating”, and made it three stars. “I’m not talking about myself but you must learn to accept what the “big critics” have to say, probably because they do influence the audience,” is what he had to say after that. I don’t know man, but this is too bewildering for me.
People are telling me, don’t worry, it will find its audience they way Andaz Apna Apna did, which was murdered quite the same way by critics when it came out. But even if Hulla has those kinds of merits, I’m just a first-time filmmaker, I will most probably not get the benefit of doubt that someone like Raj Kumar Santoshi did to keep making films and proving people wrong. Time will tell if the film finds its audience, but it will not help the people who worked on it one bit now. The producer and distributor of Hulla have already made profits, as per BollywoodHungama.
I’m just very disappointed that the core audience of the film will not go to see the film now. I have never believed this to be a multiplex film – I think its humour is relatable by anyone, but that will not get tested now. The reviews are one thing, but even the ticket costs (Rs 280 and 300 for a single ticket at the 3 multiplexes I went to) and bizarre show timings (10 a.m. at INox, Nariman Point for example, and elsewhere too) sure as hell don’t favour it.
Some are saying that this buzz of first-timers having made the film for a small budget has backfired because people are looking for reasons to pronounce the film amateurish. They are saying I give too much credit to people of thinking for themselves. I find this hard to believe; at the end of the day, the story unfolding in front of you either works or doesn’t. Do people really get swayed by such things? I said all those things because I am proud of the film and the work the entire team did on it, and will continue to be.
There are murmurs of the “Bollywood mafia” crushing small films, and though some fairly persuasive examples connected to Hulla were given to me, I find it difficult to subscribe to such conspiracy theories.
Some are saying that my constant criticism of the media on the blog of the film has resulted in these scathing reviews (which do seem very disproportionate). But I find it very hard to believe that these people have time to read a first time filmmaker’s blog on such a film, and even harder to comprehend that they could behave in such a petty, vicious way to destroy so many people’s prospective careers. No, I think they just haven’t connected with the film at all, or “got it” as people who believe in the film are saying.
Maybe there is nothing to “get”, and it is genuinely a bad, slight film. Even though it does not justify the reactions of many well-known intelligent people around us and even people like Edouard Waintrop, the director of the Fribourg Festival, who came up to after the Osian screening asking for the film in his festival because he “did not remember the last time he laughed so much in a film”. But as I have always believed, Hulla is a film for common middle-class Indians, more than anybody else. And most of them won’t even see the film before they reject it, and that hurts.
Yesterday was the single worst day of my life (my mother’s recent death notwithstanding) also because it blew up some of the parameters of my belief system about storytelling and cinema into smithereens. It is not just the humiliation of being dismissed so emphatically – that I can take, but finding myself suddenly bereft of that compass is very unsettling. I hope it is a temporary thing.
Finally, for all those who now decide not to see Hulla after the media reviews, I do understand and obviously don’t hold it against you. But I still will hope (against hope) that some of you will see it and make up your own mind about it.
Anurag Kashyap
Abhay Deol
Dibakar Banerjee
Hansal Mehta
Khalid Mohamed
Kundan Shah
Anish Kuruvilla
Jaideep Verma
Manish Gupta
Navdeep Singh
Bhavani Iyer
D. Santosh
Onir
Ashvin Kumar
Ramu Ramanathan
Sudhir Mishra
Pankaj Advani
Revathy
Saurabh Shukla
Shilpa Shukla
Sujoy Ghosh
Suparn Verma
Santosh Sivan
Shashank Ghosh
Shivajee
Pavan Kaul
Partho Sen-Gupta
Prroshant Naryannan
Sam Langoria
Satish Kasetty
hi jaideep…
i can understand ur disappointment…..
i really wanted to see Hulla but couldnt as Welcome to SajjanPur released on the same day…and it had better and convenient show timings….
i sincerely felt it shud have released next week..wud have been much better..i know these things are sometimes not in the hands of the director…..
u know the strange thing abt our critics and their star ratings is that sometimes their entire write up is full of bad things about a movie but nevertheless they give it 2 or 2 1/2 stars…..
and sometimes like in the case of Hulla….they praise a movie to an extent and give it the same rating ie 2 stars..
Most of the people do not even read the entire review..they just look at the star rating and decide whether to watch it or not
so it is really unfair….but unfortunately nothing is changing on that front…
also in such times all the conspiracy theories that earlier seem to be too bizarre actually seem plausible…
may the force be with u…and these critics have to eat their own words..
will defintely try to watch Hulla…..
Hi, i haven’t seen the movie but for sure i’ll be seeing anyways i feel the promos are very badly made and are too quick and short for anyone to notice, if you compare promos of WTS and hulla there is a sharp contrast, UTV is very aggresive. Please try and depict theme of your movie which in my POV is the strong point in your promos.
All the very best.
Regards
Gunjan
I was looking forward to watching Hulla, but there are no convenient show timings in Bangalore. Even PVR with 11 screens hasn’t put up a 10 pm show. The producers should have ensured that it gets at least a 10pm show in each and every multiplex of the major cities. That’s the timing which is most suitable for people who go out to watch movies. Rest all shows are filled up with people who have nothing else to do on a weekend. Will try to catch up sometime tomorrow
i really wanted to catch it yesterday but there were no night shows in south mumbai area. Had not read any reviews so went to SBAS – utter crap. no more movies without consulting Rajeev Masand.
today after reading the reviews I shall watch WTS. Now I can’t watch more than 2 movies a weekend so Hulla will have to either wait till next weekend by which time I doubt if it will be playing anywhere at a convenient time.
Like someone on another thread made the point, there are too many HATKE movies releasing together.
Well Ram, you could see Hulla this weekend, and see WTS next weekend, as that will definitely be playing then. :-)
This timings thing is a major problem, but the producers don’t seem to care for Hulla. Like Gunjan, I think the promos are crap too, and all my comments were ignored at the end. It is almost as if they want this film to show up as a loss in their balance sheet or something. A lot of people connected to the film have been saying that, probably out of frustration but who knows?
Yes Azad, I agree. Timings of shows are really important
Hey Jaideep,
chill man. You are giving in too much to the conspiracy theories. And giving too much value to the reviewers.
I haven’t seen too bad a review for your film…and in fact, all of them UNANIMOUSLY say that the first half is very good! I think I have seen Hulla getting 2.5 to 3 stars everywhere. (Now how you look at it is entirely your frame of mind, but crib is not the only way out I guess.)
Me, for one, don’t believe reviewers much as Cinema is purely an instinctive thing for me. So, if the trailers excite me, or the cast, or the director, or sometimes that x-factor, I go and watch it. Hulla is on my list…will go next week.
(And btw here’s a zen exercise for you: The all-star enterprise of the week starring Farouque Sheikh and backed by Warner Bhai-log, has got 1 star rating across the board. Are you judging that film on this rating or still going to watch it?)
Oh Jaideep!!
i hope , after writing this article you must be a relieved man. you spilled a lot of disappontment. I am not in your positon and hence can’t dare to say ” BE POSITIVE”, for at times,life really looks miserable and as a first timer , you definetly deserve some basic things in right frame, REVIEWS,SHOW TIMINGS,PROMOS etc etc and unfortunately everything has gone otherwise.
i am in Panvel this weekd and goddman it.. there are no cinema forget about multiplex. will be back to Andheri tommorrow and will definetly try to catch HULLA silently
simply ,it was a bad film.accept it and move.try to connect with audience.
jaideep, you can write pages and pages of blogs but that won’t help! ajayji is absolutely right… there’s nothing in the film to merit a good review…it’s okay to be different but trust me it’s not different to be just okay!
I couldn’t catch Hulla on Friday for reviewing because of the odd show time and hence had to catch Welcome To Sajjanpur instead. And the reviews did admittedly put me off, and I decided against watching the film today. But, your impassioned and candid post compels me to see the film. I shall definitely be watching Hulla soon- your sincerity makes me want to watch the film. I can understand your disappointment- what can I say, life can be unfair sometimes. Don’t lose heart Jaideep, keep trying and keep the passion alive. And I am confident that you shall, as the cliched saying goes- succeed at last.
I saw the film today, and I apologize for the comment I made on a previous post that it is a copy of “Noise.” It clearly is not. It is too bad a film to be a copy.
I think it shows a lack of class to praise yourself as you are doing, and the “originality of the story, the humour, the pace, the performances, and the overall tone of the piece.” Leave it to others to say good things about the film. And if they don’t, accept that maybe you made a bad film. Take criticism constructively and learn from it.
And man, the way you are begging for validation on this site is just pathetic. I feel sorry for you, and I wish you all the best — but I cannot get myself to enjoy a bad film for that reason alone.
First of all, let me see… you said low publicity budget? Are you kidding me? I have seen full page ads of Hulla in papers, hoardings across the city and lots of TV spots. Working in an ad agency, I feel your ad-spend seems too be much heavier than Saas Bahu aur Sensex which is backed by a Warner Bros and only slightly less than a Welcome to Sajjanpur backed by UTV.
Secondly… I saw Hulla and Saas Bahu aur Sensex and I thought Saas Bahu was better than Hulla. Not that it was a very good movie but it was well-intentioned although clumsily executed. But Farooque Shaikh’s excellent performance made the movie worth a watch for me. Hulla had a good concept but was too repetitive and ridiculous in the way it culminated.
Reading your article, I have to agree with the person who posted above me that you just can’t seem to take criticism. Maybe you should just accept the fact that your movie isn’t as great as you think and you should move on. Now I shall watch Welcome to Sajjanpur. Hope that ones decent.
I don’t know what these negative reviews are about. Whatever the reason for these ratings and writings (opinion, conspiracy etc.), I don’t think the (English-language) pieces I’ve read are well-argued. For my part, I can full-heartedly recommend HULLA. Do watch it! It’s one of the best Indian films of year (if not more). It’s not only really funny with a number of great deadpan moments and running gags and well-acted by the whole cast, but also very well written – whether you take the film’s underlying theme, single out certain scenes or look at the overall structure with its rather devastating ending which, I believe, would make Hong Kong filmmakers Johnnie To and Wai Ka-fai very happy.
The observation that the latter half has more serious, even gloomy moments works IMHO in favour of the film. This way, the two main characters are fleshed out very well. And in my eyes the film is first and foremost about these two characters with the plot’s basic premise being more or less a way to look at these people. I, too, had the feeling that Sushant Singh’s point-of-view is more and more abandoned in the course of the film, but that’s not a matter of inconsistency. First, I thought it to be quite in tune with the film’s development (a small matter becoming more and more out of proportion and, thus, Singh becoming the one annoying for the people around him). Second, it absolutely made sense to show the other side, Rajat Kapoor’s point-of-view and the reasons for his behaviour.
As for Jay’s postings: I think your comments are pretty unfair. As far as I know, the promotion campaign is basically the job of the distributor, not necessarily of the producer and certainly not of the director. Even if they want to have some input, their efforts are usually not welcome. And I think Jaideep wrote enough about his experience regarding Adlabs & Co.
Finally @Ajay Brahmatmaj & Pratim D. Gupta: What’s so bad about the film? Just writing that it’s bad is not much of a comment. Sorry.
@Rajeev Gupta: You say that Jaideep should take criticism constructively and learn from it. How? You’re only saying that HULLA is bad. That’s not criticism, that’s just an opinion – and certainly not well-argued one. I’m sorry, but if you don’t elaborate, what should he or other readers learn from your post?
Stefan, you want me to elaborate on why Hulla is a bad film? Fine, here we go.
1] The plot is poorly constructed, and the dramatic tension dissipates by the interval, and the film is a drag after that.
2] The characters are not convincing, and the audience tires of, and loses sympathy with, Sushant’s character by the middle of the film — even though he acts well in a poorly scripted part.
3] The ending is ridiculous. The scriptwriter clearly knows nothing about how the stock market works.
These are hardly original observations, and if all the reviewers have panned the film, perhaps Jaideep should consider that they are not “petty” and “vicious” as he writes, but that maybe they have a point.
Are these reasons enough, Stefan — or Jaideep, as the case emay be!
No, no, Stefan is not me, just saw these posts myself. It’s cool, I don’t need validation from any of you, trust me. It’s also fine if you don’t like the film. But some do. And I wanted it to be seen by those, that’s all. And today, I find that shows are being cancelled. PVR Juhu cancelled the 10-55 pm show despite 35-40 people having come to see the film (and replaced it with Rock On), one of whom was Sudhir Mishra. I got calls from Pune where a E squared show was cancelled, and then Apsara pulled out a scheduled show in town, saying that the distributor has pulled it off. Again despite 15-20 people landing up. If the film won’t even get its first weekend even to find its audience, what are we talking about? I guess the 18 months I spent on this project are a complete waste just because of this more than anything else. It just didn’t even get a chance. Guess it doesn’t matter anymore.
Dear Rajeev,
now that’s something I can react to, but I still beg to differ. I saw a version without intermission (or at least I remember it like that), so I don’t know at which point it was placed. In any case, I didn’t feel that the plot is poorly constructed or drags in the latter part. Of course, the pace is different as the serious, more dramatic aspects of the story are stressed. You probably have two choices with a film like this: Either to go totally over-the-top making it an all-and-out farce or to go more into the characters, how the whole affair is affecting their lives. I guess both options are fine, even though I find the one taken by HULLA more interesting. And the down-to-earth quality of the film from the beginning makes it work in my eyes. I also think this may be more a problem with the audience’s expectations, rather than with the film itself.
As for the characters, I, too, lost more and more sympathy with Sushant Singh making everyone crazy by overdoing the whole affair. But in my eyes that’s a positive aspect in the characterization. It’s not just black and white. On the other hand, you have Rajat Kapoor whom you understand more and more in the latter half of the film. So, it’s a parallel development which I found pretty interesting.
I don’t know anything about the stock market, but I found the ending pretty accurate, even though being rather bitter. How fate invades the lives of the protagonists (also of the old security guard) is a pretty ingenious solution.
Finally, as for the critics’ reception, I don’t think they are right only because the majority of them seem to be of the same opinion (that’s what the film is (also) about I guess). But my main problem with some of those (English-language) reviews I read is that they don’t argue. Of course, I don’t expect a 20-page analysis, film criticism is not the place for that, but to argue why the second half, the ending etc. don’t work should be a must (especially if that’s why the film fails in their eyes). Otherwise, I cannot take them seriously. Of course, some of them do elaborate and while I don’t agree I understand what they’re driving at and why. At the same time, I’m still irritated about the negative reception of the film.
Cheers,
Stefan
PS: I hope it’s just my bad English, but you didn’t suggest that Stefan and Jaideep are the same person, didn’t you?
Sujoy Ghosh made Jhankar Beats – that was shot shoddly – a couple of actors could not act – and yet that film was decent enough – that Sujoy Ghosh is making a big budget film like – Alaadin. Even after his ‘Home Delivery’ (which i also liked) was classified flop of the year.
Hopefully, likewise, you and your team will get more opportunities to showcase your talent. You and your team have got ‘Hulla’ as far as you guys could have. Should be proud of it and learn from any mistakes, if any made.
Just absorb everything….
Dear Rajeev,
after reading Jaideep’s posting, it seems that you did suggest that we’re one and the same person. And I find that pretty ourageous. Did I suggest that you’re one of those media people/critics/interviewers criticised by Jaideep, or what? You’re saying that Jaideep should accept the points made in those negative reviews, but you don’t seem accept that there are people who do like the film, right? I’m sorry, but that’s ridiculous!
Jaideep, I also wish that the film wasn’t pulled so early, and you got more people to see the film. But consider the possibility that the film is being pulled because it’s a bad film that’s performing poorly, and not because the world is unjust and critics are mean and vicious and have an agenda. Don’t shoot the messenger.
Stefan, you liked the film, and that’s fair enough. But many others didn’t like it. They’re as entitled to their opinion as you are to yours, and implying that there’s a conspiracy somewhere or that they just didn’t “get it” is disrespectful.
Honhaar Gunda, there’s a world of difference between Jhankar Beats and Hulla: the former showed glimpses of talent, and Sujoy Ghosh had a good attitude. I hope Jaideep learns from his mistakes and gets more chances — but if I was a film producer reading this post, and his blog where he’s roundly abused his producer, distributor and members of his crew, I would be wary.
Dear Rajeev,
please show me where I was implying that people who didn’t like the film just didn’t “get it”. Do tell me!
As for the conspiracy theory, I guess the people who mentioned it (including me), didn’t mean it absolutely seriously I guess. On the other hand, there’s a lot of film criticism which is not independent, not fair (that’s the case in India, Germany, everywhere). And I do give a shit on those.
All in all, my problem is not with the negative opinion (even though I’m surprised), but the way it is voiced or, better, not voiced. Simple as that.
Stay Strong. Be Brave and Move ahead. Good film or bad film. Good response or bad response. Snap your finger and dive into your next project. Keep the passion burning and alive for you, not for the critics, not for the audience, not for anyone. It’s your passion and your fire. The moths will follow.
Kahaan andhon ke shaher mein chashme bech rahe ho, Jaideep Miyaan (or, as is more apt, kahaan behron ke shaher mein earplugs bech rahe ho:)) Yehaan kul chaar log hain jo picture banaa rahe hain aur wo chaar maheene mein ek baar yehaan likhte hain…rest all are the so-called filmy intellectuals. Sab ko apni baghaarne mein mazaa aata hai. And as Ghalib has said – “Ghalib buraa naa maan agar waaiz buraa kahein, Aisa bhi koi hai jise achcha kahein sabhi”.
It was a good film. Not great but decent. It’s a ridiculous logic that the comedy in the first half was good but the second half became way too grim. It’s a choice that you as a writer-director make – take it or leave it, no apologies. I had a different opinion, in fact – i thought the ending was too tame (thought the hallucinations would seep in earlier…leading to the big dream – the CM one…and then Raj snapping out of one of his dreams to realise that he has actually killed the Secy…a silence and a STAY on Raj’s character for 10 secs…and then we hear a whistle blow…it’s the watchman who has seen it…seen the murder…and is now blowing his whistle to call attention…probably for one last time…and on this shot, we FREEZE FRAME. End Credits roll in.) But then it’s just another one of those opinions. You made a choice. Stick to it. Feel good about the fact ki kal aapki picture release hui hai. That makes you (as Facebook would have said) better than 99.99% of the people here. So move ahead. Aage badho. Aur bahot stories hain jo kehni hain. Bring them on, the pen and the paper, I say! Cheers!
p.s. Have gone through it myself recently. So know what I am talking about.
p.p.s. I know it sounds like a personal rant. Would have ideally liked to write to you in private but didn’t have your email ID and hence had to resort to this medium. Apologies for that!
Have seen the film, I liked it. I wouldn’t worry too much about the reviews, though I am a bit concerned about it being pulled out of theatres…that’s unfortunate.
All I have to say is don’t bother about what mainstream audiences brought up on regular masala say. I do believe that it may be case that they just haven’t figured out how to react to such a film yet….that happens, doesn’t it? If you try something different, it takes time for the audiences to get it. Unfortunately, that may or may not happen with Hulla since a lot of people may not get to see it, but that shouldn’t stop you from going on to make more films of the sort you like.
So don’t let the criticisms get to you or break you. Do pick up whatever lessons you can from these experiences, and just go ahead with your convictions.
And Ritik, while on media spends, I hardly knew that the film was going to be out on 19th until I stumbled upon a Rajat-Sushant interview somewhere on some channel, and Saas..and Sajjanpur have been blaring at me since the past 2-3 weeks at least. The media spends on Hulla are nowhere close to the other two.
i had to travel to three theatres to see hulla yesterday, as it was cancelled in two. but it was worth it. i liked the film a lot, and actually want to see it again. It was very funny in a very fresh way and as beenthere says, there is nothing wrong with the second half. In fact it is a far better film than sajjanpur. there were about 20-25 people in the theatre and they all thoroughly seemed to enjoy it. so, jaideep, just relax. some of the comments here seem to be personal attacks rather than about the film. i think a lot of people would love this film, mainstream or not, because it is funny. and if it goes off theatres, the dvd will come out and the film will be seen a lot, i guarantee you that. you should be proud of hulla, it is very different.
Hey Jaideep…
Chill man. We all have to agree that once the film is out its not yours any more. You have to get detached. And I would like to suggest another thing…please please stop crying in public. No one is bothered man.
Experiences are experiences not good or bad. Learn from them. Baaki sab bhool jao. You are a film maker whose first film got a release,so that is the success. Sit tight and work on your stories.
Read Oz’s comment.Bang on.
Hi Jaideep!
any chance if i cud get your personal email id. if you don’t mind. Mine is ajaykumar.saxena@gmail.com.
thanks
Hey Jaideep..
I can figure how you feel. I co-wrote a film called MP3 (Mera Pehla Pehla Pyaar) which was panned by the Saturday reviews and then shoved into obscure matinee slots by the end of the first week to accommodate the blockbuster Jhoom Barabar Jhoom!!.. And MP3 was a decent film with soul. But I now realize that ‘decent’is not good enough.
To bring in audiences for a non-star small budget film, your film has to be nothing short of MINDBLOWING.(Iqbal, Bheja Fry, A Wednesday) Decent/Time Pass/Two Stars does not work. Such films people with eventually watch on cable/DVD at their own leisure. The hard fact is that its that much tougher for guys like us. (Unlike a star film which needs to be just halfway decent to be a big hit)
And for all those people telling you to stop ‘whining’, I wonder how many have seen years of their work being destroyed in less than a day? Give the guy a break! He’s just blogging…he’s not crying his eyes out on national TV!
But then again..thats the line of work we’re in..and who said anything about life being fair? So chin up and go for Deewar with your next script.
PS : Will def try and see Hulla..before Drona storms in!!
Both to dispel any possible remaining doubts about my identity and as I’m new here anyway, let me introduce myself: My full name is Stefan Borsos and I’m the publisher/chief editor of CineAsia, a German magazine which is specialized in Asian cinema. So, unless Jaideep is leading an expensive and highly complicated double-life which would include constant travelling between two continents and plastic surgery, I guess we can forget about this now (also, he did not pay me, I don’t owe him money and I wasn’t forced to write those positive comments).
Whatever, I saw HULLA at the Bollywood & Beyond film festival in Stuttgart and I’d still say it’s my favourite film screened there besides ORE KADAL, VALU-THE WILD BULL and LOINS OF PUNJAB PRESENTS. Also in the context of Hindi films 2008 (Bollywood and non-Bollywood), it pretty much reigns supreme so far. I have to admit not having seen MUMBAI MERI JAAN, A WEDNESDAY, UGLY AUR PAGLI, MUKHBIIR, ROCK ON and WELCOME TO SAJJANPUR yet, so my comments are of rather preliminary nature. Nevertheless, I’d say HULLA is so good, it’d still be among the best. Among the other films up to now, I guess I like SARKAR RAJ the most (despite its flaws). AAMIR certainly does work for the most part and actually I like it more than CAVITE, but I cannot forgive the premise it shares with the Filipino film. IMHO it doesn’t matter who was the first to come up with the idea or to write the script – CAVITE simply came out earlier. Basta! It, too, could be a little bit shorter, I guess. Nevertheless, it’s still a worthwhile film with strong scenes/moments. As for JODHAA AKBAR, I’m among the disappointed ones. Despite a lot of positive aspects, it just doesn’t work for me. I tried it on DVD, I tried it on the big screen – same problem: it has huge structural/narrative flaws. MITHYA and JAANE TU YA JAANE NA were definitely nice, but not too much more. So, in my calculation, HULLA is the winner.
Hey Jaideep…
just returned after watching Hulla at PVR Goregaon (E). There were 8-10 people in the theatre (including 2 of us). But the real stats are: The film was worth every single penny and minute spent there. Just loved the way you depicted the Rajat Kapoor’s character’s motives and compulsions.
Detailing was superb (Janardhan’s house, the broker’s office)…the film touched a chord at innumerable places…the man-woman relation, rich-not’so’rich relation, insider-outsider relation…. Kartika Rane was too good…thanks for bringing her back, but i think Sushant was a bit of a mis-cast. He came across as irritating from scene one instead of going from lovable-to-irritable. Also, he and Kartika didn’t really look like a couple-in-love.
But still…to make a story with such subtle characters and subtler humor is a great attempt.
For me, Janardhan’s story was more compelling than Raj (shiv!) Puri’s…and may be that’s what many reviewers are calling the downfall of the second half.
(And yes, Indian Ocean rocked. Wish the songs were better publicized…)
jaideep,
take my advice… take a break. you made the film. it’s released. and you are still alive to make your next! introspect later… this is not the time. i’ve been through many such emotions as you are going through currently. it is difficult to take both criticism and praise objectively. what is easy, however, is to move on. its almost ten years since i’m making movies and my failures have spurred me on to continue. i continue to make movies, because i love making movies. and i have begun to appreciate failure because it pushes me to make a better film and to make a new beginning each time i make a film. reserve your angst for the next film. preserve the good memories associated with making the film. criticism dies a natural death… fond memories linger…
Cheers, Hansal Mehta.
Mr Hansal Mehta, it is very nice hearing from you – DPMLY is a film that has stayed with me a long time. Your advice is well-taken, thanks.
Stefan, thanks man. I didn’t even know you liked Hulla so much!!
Oz, Arshad,thanks for your wishes.
Varun, thank you for braving the odds and seeing Hulla, and thanks for your feedback, which at least makes me feel some people are getting it, which is such a relief. You want your work to reach out, not to stay constrained within your intent. And couldn’t agree more with IO’s songs being used more in publicity. I tried so hard, but brick wall.
I smiled for the first time in 4 days today, I think. The two guys I respect the most in this town in matters pertaining to cinema, Sudhir Mishra and Anurag Kashyap, came and saw Hulla and liked it a lot (at Cinemax, with 60 people!). It meant a lot to me – their encouragement and support. If only they’d seen the film 4-5 days back, is all I could think of. I wouldn’t have felt half as bad even if the reviews had been as bad after that. But somehow I feel they wouldn’t be, not most of them, if their independent views were the kind the buzz on Hulla was made of before the film released.
Did it maybe occur to you that you were suffering from confirmation bias i.e. people who share your tastes or are your friends telling you how good the movie was? I went in with high hopes and with an open mind but was grossly disappointed with the poor production quality, the forced humor and yes the very flimsy plot thread which if it was to work would have had to be backed by a very strong script and performances. Which unfortunately it was not. A word of advice: stop seeing conspiracies everywhere and please do not fall into the RGV mindset of “I am too good for you to understand my movie”. At least RGV gave us some masterpieces many years ago. You have given none. Accept it for what it is — a most mediocre product which, even though perhaps made with the best of intentions, is a waste of time and money. Better luck next time.
@Supriya: Argh, I think I’m going crazy here. After having voiced my opinion clearly enough, I wanted to shut up, but your comment compells me to write again. You have a negative opinion about the film which is absolutely fine, but why does your comment sound as if you were telling facts? I just don’t understand it. And please do allow the director to believe in his work, especially when working on it for such a long time. Argh!
Sorry, it should be Supriyo!
Hi Jaideep,
Finally I saw the film on saturday evening. I could convince just 1 friend to watch it with me and the sad part is he didnt like it. Whereas I liked it very much. Raj Puri and Janardan’s characterisations were superb, and the transition of a flimsy problem into a full blown problem was very convincing and entertainingly done. One scene wen I laughed out loud was the one when Raj Puris wife gets the ear plugs for him. Awesome scene. The other scene I loved was wen Rajat kapoor, obstructing Raj Puris car, just takes out his chappal pretending to remove something. How both of them have problems but of different type altogether is very nicely shown, and the end scene showing Matthew was heart wrenching. But the end left me a very niggling ‘Thats it feeling’. After reading Anurag’s post I realised why u kept it that way. Means I understood that life continues ruthlessly, but the open end irritated me.
But the news is bad. Occupancies in theatres is very poor. My sis works in PVR mumbai who told friday and saturday had 1 to 2% occupancy. Thts heartbreaking :(
Goonda
Jhankar was shot shoddily?
Can you elaborate on it? As far as I remember it was a really fun film. Well shot, well edited, well acted(even by Mr Rahul Bose).
Seems like a lot of the people are enjoying the film. After the initial wave of Haters, the positive reaction seems to be taking over. I hope its not too late.
Don’t stop blogging.
Hi Arshad Syed,
Let me just say that i loved your movie MP3. I thought it was very well written and made and I am very far past being a teen…
Keep writing and returning here…
i went to see HULLA in friday 7.45 show at Waves, Kaushambi( Delhi NCR). {With my wife, without her wish ( She wanted to see Zohan). But we did’nt got tickets. I was very pleasant surprised and asked them” OK its house full”. The window girl said – Show has cancelled because we have not sold single ticket since morning. Next morning my wife shown me ‘poor rating’ by TOI delhi. Witch really stopped me to try to watch it again. Now definitely i will see it next weekend ( if it will be there till)
I appear to be one of the few who watched it over the weekend. And I did not like it much. I take the point that if a star was associated with this project, it may have seen more people turn up or even get the odd better review – but, that is besides the point, isnt it? I havent read most of the reviews but based on my experience at the movie hall, I would have been surprised to read any raving reviews.
Mainak,
Indeed, it was a fun film. What I meant was.. since they had a low budget, the picture quality of the film was rubbish and sometimes it looked like a home video. see his home delivery, in which his direction technique is a lot better….
These are few rants. I may be totally off or I may make sense.
Sometime back I had read SRK mentioned that from the moment a movie releases he has no control on it. The movie takes a life of its own.
Someone also mentioned that first time film-makers with small debut have it hard. I think it was hard for RGV after Aag or Amir Khan after Mangal Pandey or SRK after Phir Bhi Dil Hain Hindustani or even YRF after so many debacles.
Being in a victim-mentality or feeling like Karna of Mahabharata (as per Mahamrutanjya epic) that the whole world is against you will not help a lot.
Jaideep is lucky that he could get the movie out, I am sure there are so many over here who would love to be in Jaideep’s position (including me).
Dear Vijay (or anyone else of his opinion),
as it’s been mentioned several times now, I’m asking you now. Can you elaborate on your point-of-view regarding the production values? Maybe telling first what are good or standard production values in your eyes and, then, why those of HULLA are supposedly substandard. Thanks in advance.
Hi Rajeev Gupta,
I haven’t seen Hulla yet, though I probably will at some point – but you might be interested in reading a critic’s reflections on his own job –
“In many ways the work of a critic is easy. We risk very little, yet enjoy a position over those who offer up their work and their selves to our judgement. We thrive on negative criticism, which is fun to write and to read. But the bitter truth we critics must face is that in the grand scheme of things…the average piece of junk is probably more meaningful than our criticism designating it so. ”
These words aren’t an actual review. This is Ego’s review of the restaurant Gusteau’s in the film Ratatouille. I think it ’s just tragic that somebody’s back breaking work over months can be demolished in a single piece of writing. Yes, if the work’s bad it is worth trashing – but even the worst of films, books, restaurants, whatever deserve an extra effort on the part of the reviewer to review a work on its own terms.
Jaideep – this is not meant to discourage you, or even to suggest that your film isn’t worth watching. I will watch it.
Cheers
I think the problem nowadays with film criticism (at least from my outsider-Westerner’s perspective which might not be applicable to Bollywood/India) is that a lot of film critics try far too hard to be funny and witty. Instead of trying to argue in a sound way, they rather crack one or two jokes more. Of course, in the best case, a piece is witty AND well-argued. But I’d always prefer the latter over the former. Also, some of them obviously see themselves as VIPs and take their work far too importantly. They forget about their first and foremost duty: Try to convey what the film in question is like and to argue with sound arguments what’s positive and negative about it. And usually it’s not only good OR bad, but rather a mixture of elements/aspects. Shoot me, but I do find interesting moments in RGV KI AAG as well. Finally, a film review is also just another opinion.
PS: These ratings system (whether 5, 10 or 100 points max) is absolutely idiotic in my eyes.
PPS: I didn’t mentioned film critics who are misusing their influence for personal reasons or the case in which the film’s verdict is not decided by the critic, but rather by the editor or publisher.
@ Jay: Can’t you just stop the personal attacks for once? There’s been enough of that shit already, don’t you think so, too?
Jaideep,
I never post comments, but I felt compelled to write after reading your post and some of the reviews for ‘Hulla’. I am not in India so I have not seen your film which obviously has a lot of people talking…and personally I think that your film must definitely be something quite unique because it apparently is striking a cord with many of those tunnel visioned critics…because they can’t stop filling their columns with their less than adequate reviews…since when did it become okay to critic an art form or for that matter anything without passion and compassion? I will see ‘Hulla’ and I will drag everyone I know to see it and let’s hope that next week good bad or indifferent they are still writing about your film because then they will validate the fact that there is something to write about. Best wishes, Hadley
Jaideep, at the end you have made a film which has released in which you put your utmost in it..it got a theatrical release….For so many people what you have achieved itself is a dream – to actually direct a movie and have it released. and also make a movie per your convictions..
I think your journey is just begun..go on to make your next one..The other journey is that within..the ability to deal with both the highs and lows in an industry where it can be brutal. I would make a suggestion – meet people like Shyam Babu or Mani Ratnam among others who have seen the roller coaster and dont get unduly perturbed either way..that is a very intense powerful internal journey which is equally important..that might be helpful and make your next one!..cut the umblical cord
Hey I think Ram is pretty right.
Shyam Benegal himself said in an interview that once he’s made a film, he totally detaches himself from it. His job is done. He severes the umblical cord and moves on. After that the film will walk/run/stumble on its own merits/demerits. Must be his experience talking.
Plus I also feel, very often a first film is almost like a student project film. Only to give industry folks an idea of your capabalities. Even if the film has some amount of good in it, your next venture will have it easier. (look at Raghu Romeo for Rajat Kapoor) Jaideep At least you have something to show now, unlike many director friends of mine who still have their Mughal E Azams gestating on their study table hard disks….or in some broke producers tiffin box.
PS : Thanks for your compliments DazedandConfused. I guess only dazed and confused people seem to get it ! (:
(PS : And thanks
@51 and @52,
Thats the point even I am making in (45).
Its no mean feat that Jaideep has a released movie against his name.
Hi Jaideep,
I saw the film at Osian. I absolutely loved it.
I wanted my parents to watch this film when it came out.
Then it came out and I happily told my parents that you got to watch this film. I opened the newspaper and I could not find any show anywhere. (I live in Chandigarh).
I don’t know why that is. Did it release only in the major cities? We have three multiplexes here. What is the use of these multiplexes if we are going to be denied all the good films?
Yes, it is a GOOD film.It is honest! And that is what matters the most. One can make out that it has a good script, one can relate to the characters, the build up is good and the end is best ever.
I don’t know what went wrong. Maybe it’s the business part of making the film that went wrong. I don’t see anything ‘wrong’ in the film making part of it. No second half and first half problems for me.
About the reviews, I don’t trust the reviews at all. I always watch films based on trailers and synopsis. Reviews are just written by people and they all have their own sense of aesthetics. One can’t rely on them for decisions of film watching.
I feel the film may pick up soon. Thank you for making it. All the very best.
As for this film finding its audience do you think this might happen once the film goes on DvD?
Part of the problem beyond the bad reviews is the lack of convenient show times for the film.
With a DvD of course that wouldn’t be a problem.
Hey Jaideep…
here’s a completely different take on Hulla by a friend (a regular writer for India’s top Hindi language journals) who is studying ‘Cinema and City’ in Delhi University.
http://www.mihirpandya.com/2008/09/halla/
You will be pleasantly surprised by the interpretations.
(He watched the film at Osian too, I guess.)
Jaideep,
Finally watched ‘Hulla’… The script worked for me… but the film not as much… Sushant & Kartika Rane’s chemistry and the acting (mostly) were a major letdown… But yes, Indian Ocean ROCKED!!!
Any chances of releasing the OST? Atleast, you can have them available for download at your film’s official site?
Namrata, thanks a lot for that. Chandigarh is my hometown so I am very upset myself that it is not playing there. But given that it is barely playing in Mumbai, that is not so surprising, I guess.
VarunGrover, I love the Mihir Pandya piece because it is such a different take. I really like a lot of people from the Hindi and Marathi press. They actually think for themselves and have different perspectives. Thanks a lot for sending this.
No, Sumanth, no music sadly, as there are way too many legal issues. Don’t ask.
Thanks to everyone else for your comments and your support.
Hey Jaideep!
Chin up buddy. You made a film. It got released. When you say, “the reviewers don’t like my first film,” remember that the key words are “my first film.” The beauty of our industry is that everyone has an opinion. So … listen, learn, cry, celebrate, hate, whatever … but walk proud. You’ve earned the right to walk proud past the multiplex playing your film.
Best wishes.
Mr. Manish Acharya! Just wanted to say I loved your Loins of Punjab. I watched it at the NY premiere (SAIFF) last year. And hope it’s doing well upon release.
Thanks Pratik. We just released in NY/NJ on Sep 12. And this weekend (Sep 26) we are releasing in Chicago. Your good wishes are much appreciated. Thanks again.
I was visiting NY last month and I saw the previews at the Quad Cinema, where I believe you were going to have a Q&A on 9/12. I really wish it had a wider release, just so I could take my friends along. Unfortunately, no sign of it here in Cleveland. … Koi baat nahin, agli baar sahi. DVD hi sahi…
Girte hai shay-sawar hi maidan-e-jung mein,
woh tifl kya gire jo ghutnon ke bal chalte hai.
You are still lucky.. Atleast your movie got released.. Aise kitne hai who are never got that chance..
Dil pe mat le Yaar.. Agli Picture ki script pe lag ja..
Hi Manish,
Saw Loins when it released in India a year or so back. Hilarious! Have been trying to get my hands on a DVD since. Any idea when you plan to launch it?
Cheers!
Jaideep, that’s sad… Hulla’s music deserves to be heard… Atleast try to have the songs/themes as a bonus feature on the DVD… Pleaseeeeeee…
When is the DVD releasing?
I really hope it’s not in the 399 range.
I like how you put it “but finding myself suddenly bereft of that compass is very unsettling”. For that reason alone, I have become curiouser :D abt the film.
1st thing first : congrats for the movie
I saw the film, didnt read the review beforehand. And today i have read ur article. i wont agree that the second half was dragging or lost it or watever they said ( in fact i think it did pick up)…….. But walking out of the movie i have to say i didn’t feel like i saw a gr8 film, it was good in parts but as a whole mujhe to mazza nahi aaya (personal opinion). However i think the ratings do “monumental” injustice to the film the ratings are losing their relevence because of the Media Partner Crap that newspapers have become, but yes they do play a huuuuuuge role in shaping public opinion.
But does it really hit the careers of the crew that hard?
Well Jaideep. In your own words(Hulla final boarding announcement), you’ve asked most of the cine-going public yourself to stay away from the movie. That story reeked of arrogance, sarcasm, over-confidence and being judgemental about Junta. You really can’t complain now.
As much as I liked Hulla for what it tries to say. I think your acceptance of the public verdict is negative. move on Bro. Make your next film and be more inviting of public. categorizing them as various kinds of nuisance is not becoming of an objective film-maker. cheers.
Excuse me for this slightly off-topic post…but couldn’t help it.
Nikhil…just to corraborate what you said about the ratings…Nikhat Kazmi gave a 3.5 rating for Hari Puttar. That says it all about the rating system prevalent in teh media reviews these days.
@Narcissist: That was because Times group is involved with the movie (hari puttar)…
Hulla is a good film. Maybe the reason for so many negative reviews is because a lot of people felt like the movie was a mirror to themselves and their own loud, obnoxious and unyielding behavior. I’d go see your next movie with no hesitation.
Also, check this review of the film out… http://kvltsite.com/content/view/612/57/
cheers
gk
I dont know what the process is but your movie does not show up on IMDB. Please do update them. Really liked the movie by the way.
am extremely sorry for not having wacthed your movie in a theatre…shall do a repair job by gettin a dvd!….
Hi Jaideep..your film sounds interesting indeed. Let me introduce myself…I am a partner in a newly launched production enterprise, based out of Mumbai. We are actively looking for original scripts from indie directors like yourself. If you happen to be in the Mumbai area, maybe we could meet..
Thanks.
Email : testtubepictures@yahoo.in
my heart goes out to you jaideep. try not to let this bog you down for too long, easier said than done, i know…
you are talented and you have to know that no one has the power to ruin anyone else’s career….
you have made a film, thats been loved by some and maybe not so much by others, but than in itself is an achievement…
my words cant comfort you, i know…all i can say is, keep believing in your sense of cinema, you will have your time soon….
god bless!
Hi Jaideep!!
When are you releasing the DVD of Hulla!! waiting for it!
Thanks, guys, for the support. The dvd is out in the US, so should be out soon here too. I have no idea, am guessing like you.
i could write a full two pages about this brilliant film – wrote a bit here:
http://passionforcinema.com/ohh-my-god-dont-miss-it/comment-page-2/#comment-281926
hi jaideep
dont know if u will still read it i mean last post was 2mths away bu t i am anew entrant at pfc.i have seen hulla and i must say that you have sized up the posiible shortcomings of the film pretty well.i know u dont require it but i feel like giving my opinion as a member of audience anyway.without doubt the first half was superb.i am a fan of sushant-a great actor and of course rajat and it was good to see kartika making a comeback.i dont have any issues with flimsiness of the script as the presentation was nice and i think it was giving a vibe of a hrishikesh mukherjee comedy or even khosla ka ghosla.just maybe the sushant-watchman track was repeated once two many.but the laughs were too mush to be derailed bysuch minor details.however the second half was a big downer for me in two respects.i know u have said this all in your post and while u are justified in not being interested in repetition of fact i liked you as a director for most part of the filmand am just trying to give u a feedback perhaps trying to make it interactive between u the filmmaker i a representative of your audience. first the pace slackened in the second half.i remembr making a mental not e to really recommend this film to every one of my friends after first half but i didnt have the confidence for that at the end[i had the same experience on watching rajat`s mixed doubles].that was due to the second point which in my opinion was the films biggest undoing was what u have touched upon as the film being grim for only the last five minutes.but sir the end justified the means.it gave me a feeling of watching a breezy and fun film like any good comedylike say andaj apna apna suddenly culminating into a tragedy like QSQT or ek duje ke liye.it kind of knocked the wind out of me just i as i had started feeling sympathy for the character of helpless sushan or even rajat.they didnt deserve what they got.sir may be i have aversion for tragic movies but comedy here was too superior to turn it into a tagedy.you do not have to of course agree with me but if any of my inputs are of any help to u i would be very happy.i loved u as a director and i believe u have great promise.
LOOKING FORWARD TO MANY GREAT WORKS FROM U.also if u read it kindly acknowledge so that i may know u saw this.take caare and all the best.
i think comedy is a better prospect as tragedies while playing on emotions dont really have a repeat value.who really wants to see the protagonists suffering and certainly not more than once unless the film is really magical
Hi Jaideep
Finally bought the original DVD, and a long kept suspicion came true. Hulla is not only an important film, it is one that will grow, with its minimalistic inside out view at the glitzy by-products of compartmented life(something which might have worked against the film, and I only realize it now, after all that has been discussed to no end on the film), a theatrical pay-off structure(the pay-off almost took a good 90 mins), an almost self-destructive faith in the power of cinematic surprise through role reversal and music, and a back-handed treatment of an otherwise out-there-on-the-streets day-in-the-life-of-a-check-to-check, weekend-to-weekend existence, if we could give one film to these times and the times to come, it is Hulla. Have a drink on me.
Movie ek dum jhakaas tha, Characters sahi me mast the, watchman uncle ki acting bhi jabardast thi, Chicha khush ho jaao, loyal fan mil gaya.
itne saare comments padhne ki taaqat nahi, par CM scene main problem tha kya, k blog pe problem hai problem hai bol rahe hai? Maine toh full enjoy kiya use.