Producer Boney Kapoor is an unstoppable man, much like the protagonist of his recent film, Thunivu. No matter the obstacles coming his way, Boney’s focus has always been on two words — What next?
Even when his previous production venture, Valimai received underwhelming reviews, he didn’t let that slow him down or take a detour from his original plans.
He went on to back Thunivu with the same actor and director team of Ajith Kumar and H Vinoth, which became a success at the box office.
“A creator need not be right all the time, but that shouldn’t stop him from creating the art he loves,” says Boney, adding, “I have seen the success-failure pattern repeat many times in my life and they no longer startle me.
After a blockbuster like Mr India, people called me a hit producer, but my next film Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja was a flop. Even legends can’t escape this cycle in cinema. If people I admire like superstar Raj Kapoor, and directors Bhim Singh, Sridhar, Bharathiraja, Bhagyaraj, Raghavendra Rao, and Dasari Narayana Rao, can go through such a phase. I am no different.”
However, Boney goes on to reveal his secret to increasing the success ratio of his films. “Taking feedback!” he says with a smile.
“Makers like me have to accept what the critics and audience say and keep that in mind while making the next film. Obviously, the new film will be gauged using a different set of parameters, but having the lessons learnt from the previous film in mind, helps me in delivering a much more refined product.”
Boney had mentioned during the release of Nerkonda Paarvai, his first Tamil film production, that the film needed a star like Ajith to take the social message to all corners. Asked if he felt the same about Thunivu, which addresses serious issues related to the banking sector, he immediately nods in approval.
“It would be a stretch to tag Thunivu as a ‘message film’. I would rather call it an eye-opener wrapped with a liberal dose of entertainment.”
After a successful run at the theatres, Ajith’s Thunivu will be premiering on Netflix on February 8. Boney feels that the advent of OTT platforms has redefined entertainment in a lot of ways.
”The film consumption appetite has increased a lot for the audience now. This, in turn, has increased our responsibilities as they expect something new out of every film.” This approach can be seen in how his three films with Ajith and Vinoth have dealt with distinct themes, and are in stark contrast to each other.
“I have to give the credit to Ajith and Vinoth for this, as they are solely responsible for the variety in the genres. I just loved the confidence they had in each other and went ahead with the projects.”
Boney Kapoor’s production house, Bay View Projects LLP, and Ajith have been receiving flak for the paucity of promotions for Thunivu, especially when it faced stiff competition from Vijay’s Varisu.
“I am not against film promotions. Good promotions will always translate to a wider reach among the audience. Recent blockbusters like RRR and Top Gun: Maverick are great examples of it. But I also believe it is a subjective call. In the case of Thunivu, the audience was always aware of the updates of the film, thanks to its lead star. The stardom of Ajith was the promotion. Producers can choose to promote their film extensively or stay low key based on the support offered by their stars.”
Out of his 48 films as a producer, exactly one-third of them have been remakes. Is this a conscious pattern? “You could say that. When I spot something novel or interesting in a particular language, I want to take it across the country in various languages and match the local sensibilities. I will continue to do that. Very soon, our Hindi remake of Comali, starring Arjun (Kapoor) will go on floors. You will also be hearing a few more exciting announcements.”
Boney always mentions in every interview that his venture into South Indian films was solely fueled by the aspirations of his late wife and superstar Sridevi.
“She wanted us to make memorable and inspiring films in Tamil, starting with Nerkonda Paarvai, the remake of Pink. Even though she is not with me, I have her vision to carry forward. I won’t say I have mastered the South Indian market, but I have learnt a lot in these four years, and we will be lining up a new set of films with young Tamil talents. Veetla Vishesham and Nenjukku Needhi, directed by one-film-old directors (RJ Balaji-NJ Saravanan and Arunraja Kamaraj) just marked the beginning of the long journey. I am here to stay.”