What happens when an exquisite diamond pendant is gift-wrapped in a 50 Paise plastic bag? Similarly, though the bad packaging doesn’t directly hamper the contents of a good film, it certainly curtails its reach, visibility and appeal drastically. This is precisely the problem with Johnny Gaddaar.
A director who knows his job (Sriram Raghvan of Ek Haseena Thi fame), a fresh leading actor who has the makings of a star (Neil Mukesh), an interesting, intriguing, and riveting plot with good performances and attention-grabbing dialogues, a big banner which pumps in the iron of its financial muscle every now and then (Adlabs), and good overall technical and creative content (the entire Cast and Crew) added with the fact that the BO was awaiting a biggie, as the only existing money-makers were already months old at the ticket window. Add to it, Johnny Gaddaar also had a strong word-of-mouth. But alas, if only it were marketed well!
I won’t say that the film is a classic by any standards, but it is indeed a good film, especially the kinds which one would want to sit through, enjoy and move ahead. It isn’t the kinds which one would watch over and over again, forever; but it is certainly something which one would thoroughly enjoy while one is in the theatre. It is crisp, it is fresh, the treatment is nice, it has no unnecessary Masala, and though you know the suspense right at the outset, you won’t want that coffee/pi break.
So what is the problem out here? Speaking strictly in terms of Logical Reasoning, Johnny Gaddaar would be the dual for Jhoom Barabar Jhoom. If JBJ proved, and further reiterated the point that kick-ass marketing can’t sell mediocre content, JG reinforces the belief that a good film with bad marketing is indeed an effort in vain, and its dismal performance at the ticket-window is a testimony to the fact that such films end up as disasters. Ideally Johnny Gaddaar would have been a decently successful film, with a little bit of promotion. The dark promos, their absence on several occasions, the insipid visuals and creatives, and the overall marketing which probably was there ONLY coz it is mandatory to have it, collectively acted as tiny little holes, which effectively worked towards the sinking fate of the film.
It is ironic that Bollywood generally laments over the abysmal performance of several films annually, and every Tom, Dick and Harry criticizes their directors. But here I guess it is high time that the marketers of the film fraternity, especially in the corporate era of Bollywood realise the crucial importance of the films’ promotion, so that no film suffers the way Johnny Gaddaar has.
What is interesting to note is that for every Salaam-E-Ishq (hideously made, lavishly marketed) there is a Dhokha (well made, badly promoted); and for every Jhoom Barabar Jhoom, there is a Johnny Gaddaar!
A director who knows his job (Sriram Raghvan of Ek Haseena Thi fame), a fresh leading actor who has the makings of a star (Neil Mukesh), an interesting, intriguing, and riveting plot with good performances and attention-grabbing dialogues, a big banner which pumps in the iron of its financial muscle every now and then (Adlabs), and good overall technical and creative content (the entire Cast and Crew) added with the fact that the BO was awaiting a biggie, as the only existing money-makers were already months old at the ticket window. Add to it, Johnny Gaddaar also had a strong word-of-mouth. But alas, if only it were marketed well!
I won’t say that the film is a classic by any standards, but it is indeed a good film, especially the kinds which one would want to sit through, enjoy and move ahead. It isn’t the kinds which one would watch over and over again, forever; but it is certainly something which one would thoroughly enjoy while one is in the theatre. It is crisp, it is fresh, the treatment is nice, it has no unnecessary Masala, and though you know the suspense right at the outset, you won’t want that coffee/pi break.
So what is the problem out here? Speaking strictly in terms of Logical Reasoning, Johnny Gaddaar would be the dual for Jhoom Barabar Jhoom. If JBJ proved, and further reiterated the point that kick-ass marketing can’t sell mediocre content, JG reinforces the belief that a good film with bad marketing is indeed an effort in vain, and its dismal performance at the ticket-window is a testimony to the fact that such films end up as disasters. Ideally Johnny Gaddaar would have been a decently successful film, with a little bit of promotion. The dark promos, their absence on several occasions, the insipid visuals and creatives, and the overall marketing which probably was there ONLY coz it is mandatory to have it, collectively acted as tiny little holes, which effectively worked towards the sinking fate of the film.
It is ironic that Bollywood generally laments over the abysmal performance of several films annually, and every Tom, Dick and Harry criticizes their directors. But here I guess it is high time that the marketers of the film fraternity, especially in the corporate era of Bollywood realise the crucial importance of the films’ promotion, so that no film suffers the way Johnny Gaddaar has.
What is interesting to note is that for every Salaam-E-Ishq (hideously made, lavishly marketed) there is a Dhokha (well made, badly promoted); and for every Jhoom Barabar Jhoom, there is a Johnny Gaddaar!
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