The masterpiece superstar

Scale gets bigger but that doesn’t mean the content is good; A still from Masterpiece

Critics did not write kindly about Yash’s Masterpiece but the truth is that the film has struck a chord with its audience, writes S. Shivakumar

Box-office supremacy is sometimes as brief as something written in the sands, on a beach. A huge new wave will wash it away leaving no trace. It just depends how often the tide gets high. The trade, respective fans and producers owing allegiance were debating who the superstar was between Puneet and Darshan. The fag end of 2015 ended all arguments conclusively. It’s neither. With the release of ‘Masterpiece’, the consensus among the trade is that Yash is the undisputed superstar. It was a fact that was being discussed in hushed tones after ‘Mr. & Mrs. Ramachari’. The industry was waiting with bated breath for the release of ‘Masterpiece’ to say it aloud. Yash did not have a release this year and reportedly there were a few creative compromises to rush the release with an eye on the long Christmas weekend. The film had an opening befitting a superstar but the ‘word of mouth’ was ‘mixed’ in film parlance. Critics did not write too kindly and all eyes were on the crucial Monday following the release which is considered the acid test for any film.

‘Masterpiece’ passed with flying colours. Box-office figures always depend on whether the source likes the star or not. A reliable insider tells me ‘Masterpiece’ will collect around 14 crores before the first weekend which is a record for a Kannada film. Now this is not gross but net profit. I believe the authenticity because it was imparted grudgingly by someone belonging to a rival group. Believe me, the biggest of Kannada stars fail to get a full house in most multiplexes on the day of release. ‘Masterpiece’ had crowds thronging on Monday which is what prompted the estimated figures. For the first time, I witnessed girls queuing up to be clicked posing alongside a life-size cut out of the star! I think it could be because, other than being the youngest among the big stars, he’s also the only one unmarried. It does add to the aura even though rumours are rife that he’s going steady with the most popular Kannada actress today. The only other Kannada star in the recent past for whom females fawned was Ganesh till he got hitched in a hurry. The advantage Yash has is that his popularity is not limited to female fans.

The title ‘Masterpiece’ is definitely not a testament for the films’ quality. The content is not half as engaging as ‘Ramachari’ and the ‘mother sentiment’ seems synthetic to say the least. The father-son relationship in ‘Ramachari’ was well written and struck a chord. Good films are not about doing something different. It’s about tweaking oft told tales convincingly. The scale gets bigger with success but that does not necessarily reflect on the quality of the content. More dancers in a dance sequence make it bigger not better. ‘Masterpeice’ meanders because of mediocre writing and Harikrishna’s cacophonous score just doesn’t help. The plot is full of holes but having said that I believe in never arguing with success. The fact is that ‘Masterpeice’ has struck a chord. There is a phase in a star’s career when his mere presence can turn a mediocre film into a money-spinner. I think Yash is currently in that space. It’s not a very comfortable place to be in. Sheer cold complacence could set in or even over confidence.

Knowing Yash I think he’s here to stay. He’s a test match cricketer. He knows the current phase is ephemeral but is confident enough not to grab everything offered and pocket sizeable advances. The queue of producers is serpentine and he advises them to wait till he listens to an interesting plot. Producers who’ve worked with him vouch for his dedication and involvement in all aspects also taking a snide swipe at a couple of other superstars who attend shooting like they’re factory workers. The problem with cinema is that a seed that’s narrated doesn’t always bloom into flowers with the promised fragrance. No amount of involvement can change that but it’s very reassuring for a producer to know that the star is treating the film as a creative investment.

Yash is taking a brief, well deserved holiday after working non-stop for one whole year. “Friends advise me not to work on Sundays but I think this is the age where I don’t need rest,” says the star. “Anyway, I think I’ll be forced to do it after I get married.” He will return to begin work on K. Manju’s next, co-starring Radhika Pandit. There’s the ambitious ‘KGF’ after that which Yash is very excited about. The place at the top is lonely but Yash shares it with Dr. Suri, a friend and confidante, who has sacrificed his career to be Yash’s unbiased sounding board.