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7 Years of Singham: 7 Reasons why this Ajay Devgn film was a BLOCKBUSTER!
Singham, which released on the 22nd of July, 2011, was a yet another take on the Good v The Evil. The good guy was the protagonist, Bajirao Singham, a police officer played by Ajay Devgn. The bad guy was a goon hiding under the disguise of a politician, Jaikant Shikre, played by Prakash Raj. And when you have a director like Rohit Shetty, you don’t have to worry about the masala touch that he always adds to his potboilers.
So let’s have a look at 7 reasons why Singham turned out to be a huge money-spinner:-
1. The Cop Connect
An honest cop victimized and disturbed by the corrupt and heinous activities around him has always made for a greatly entertaining cinema. Right after the success of Salman Khan’s Wanted and Dabangg, we had one more take on the same plot but with different characters and milieu. And right at the center was the leading man, Ajay Devgn, with rippled muscles, swollen attitude and burning rage, who claimed- Hell hath no fury than a police officer angered!
2. The Action
Rohit Shetty, who knew the nuances of action right from his debut as an assistant action director in 1991’s Phool Aur Kaante, made sure his first out-and-out action bonanza is a visual treat for the fans of such entertainers. So flying cars and flying men could be seen in almost every frame, and what was mocked by the critics, was jubilantly embraced by the people. It seems there’s hardly anyone who understands action as well as Shetty does.
3. The Villain
There would be no Sholay without Gabbar Singh, no Mr India without Mogambo and no Shaan without Shakal. Similarly, there would be no Singham without Jaykant Shikre. Prakash Raj unpologetically hammed his way through the entire film, and even his murderous rage and uncontrollable anger were given comical touches by Shetty. And the climatic confrontation where the actor breaks down with the fear of being killed in an encounter was nothing less than Paisa-Vasool.
4. The Remake Rage
After Ghajini and Wanted, every filmmaker looked for inspirations from South Indian cinema, or should we say looked for big bucks! 2011 was flooded with South remakes, we had Ready, Bodyguard, Force and of course, Singham. Almost every film worked big time, no questions Singham, a remake of the Tamil Blockbuster, Singam, was bound to click too!
5. The Desi Touch
Home is where the heart lies! That could precisely be said for our films as well. With the failure of films like Kites, Anjaana Anjaani and Rascals (Devgn’s next after Singham), which were all shot at luscious foreign locations with stylized cinematography, filmmakers realized it was time to come back to the Indian Soil. The reason why films like Peepli Live, Dabangg and Singham worked was the Desi Connect, a connect that almost united the masses as well as the classes. Because even though we all aspire to travel abroad someday, but the heart still yearns for the Mitti Ki Khushboo.
6. The Ajay Devgn-Rohit Shetty Combo
Ajay Devgn and Rohit Shetty seems to be a match made in heaven. Apart from Zameen and Sunday, all their films have been BIG money-spinners. Singham, made at a budget of 20 crores, raked in over 96 crores at the box-office and turned out to be one of the most profitable films of 2011. Ever since then, every film of the duo has earned more than 100 crores at the ticket windows. That’s what we call a deadly combo!
7. The Dialogues
The most crucial aspect of making a film a success, particularly a film of such genre and nature, we need some dhamakedaar dialogues, dialogues that illicit such loud catcalls and wolf-whistles that you cannot even hear them. Sajid-Farhad cleverly employed some old-fashioned liners and smartly integrated them into the plot. Jisme Hai Dum, To Faqt Bajirao Singham, Meri Zarooratein Kam Hain, Isiliye Mere Zameer Mein Dum Hai, Yeh Gaaon Mera Hai Aur Main Yahaan Ka Jaikant Shikre, who wouldn’t want to clap! And above all- Aata Majhi Satakli, something that shall always be remembered!
And this is how the director celebrated the film’s seventh anniversary. Have a look at his Instagram post right here:-
The sequel, Singham Returns, although was a much bigger hit, couldn’t reach the cult of the first part, neither with the hero-villain clash nor with the dialogues.
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