Kangana Ranaut credits Tabu with the success of two post-pandemic Bollywood blockbusters

The indefatigably outspoken Kangana Ranaut has done it again. She has declared that Tabu has saved Bollywood!

How? By simply being a part of the two major successes in post-Covid Hindi cinema: Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 and now Drishyam 2 . Admittedly, this is quite an ingenious method of downplaying the gender bias that prevails in the film industry. One simply has to look beyond the obvious reason for the two films’ success and go below the surface and excavate imaginary hurrahs.

So it’s not Kartik Aaryan who made Bhool Bhulaiya 2 the bewitching success it was. And audiences are not flocking to Drishyam 2 to witness Ajay Devgn ’s stealthy performance as a ferociously protective family man.

No, we are all Tabu fans and love to watch her surprise us. Those surprising performances have been lamentably missing in recent times. Tabu played a minimal part in the success of the two post-lockdown blockbusters. It is a sad comment on the gender prejudices that govern the economics of the box office: female heroes do not make for advantageous collections. If they did Kangana Ranaut’s last release Dhaakad, which was a well-made female hero actioner, would have got the footfalls.

The sobering reality is, the only film starring a female hero that has conquered the box office in recent times is, Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Gangubai Kathiawadi. Every other film in the female-hero genre in recent times has under-performed. Alia, take a bow.

To therefore say that Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2 and Drishyam 2 have clicked because of Tabu is to say The Kashmir Files and Kathikeya 2 were blockbusters because of Anupam Kher. Dil behlane ke liye khayaal achcha hai, Ghalib. But the truth is otherwise.

We must celebrate the two successes without prejudice so that more films would work in future. Blind readings of the twin triumphs will only result in dead ends. I wish Tabu, Kangana Ranaut and Vidya Balan would helm successful films as they did in the past with Chandni Bar, Queen and Kahaani. Those days are sadly behind us now. All the recent films that Taapsee Pannu has frontline have underperformed.

Hema Malini was the only heroine who could get audiences to rush to theatres in film after film in the 1970s and 80s. Thereafter the screen queens have had to take a backseat with exceptions that by no means prove the rule.

Subhash K Jha is a Patna-based film critic who has been writing about Bollywood for long enough to know the industry inside out. He tweets at @SubhashK_Jha.

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