India FM makes an interesting observation about the slow but steady rise in popularity of Bhojpuri Regional Movies over the last few years.She talks some of the Big Bollywood names who joined the Bhojpuri bandwagon .

Gone are the days when only those who failed to make it in Bollywood shifted to regional cinema. It is no longer ‘degrading’ to be a part of regional cinema as far as our Bollywood stars are concerned. Regional cinema, and specifically Bhojpuri cinema is big today and everyone wants to be a part of it. The market is huge and only expanding by the day.

Amitabh Bachchan made big news when he agreed to be a part of Ganga, a Bhojpuri film. That’s not all. The film even has Hema Malini playing his wife. The film is being directed by Deepak Sawant, Bachchan’s make-up man. Good relations take one a long way in the film industry. And it was probably Bachchan’s long association with Sawant that made him give the green signal for the project. This is also the film which saw Nagma playing a significant role.

Ajay Devgan did a movie named Dharti Kahe Pukar Ke along with Bhojpuri superstar, Manoj Tiwari. This movie also starred Rani Mukherjee’s cousin, Sharbani Mukherjee. For Sharbani, this choice came after a spate of unsuccessful Bollywood films like Mitti, Ansh, Aanch, etc. Actor-director Sachin Pilgaonkar who off lately impressed all with his dancing moves in Nach Baliye, too had featured in a hugely successful Bhojpuri film Nadiya Ke Paar way back in 1982. The Hindi remake of this film went out to be a blockbuster hit which we know as Hum Aapke Hain Kaun.

Nagma sure seems to have found her calling in Bhojpuri cinema after experimenting with Hindi and South Indian films. She also featured in a film named Ab To Ban Ja Sajanwa Hamaar, along with Ravi Kissen, one of Bihar’s biggest stars. That’s not the only Bollywood connection that this film had. It was produced by the legendary Dilip Kumar and wife, Saira Banu.

With such stalwarts turning to Bhojpuri cinema, it must have surely opened doors for the others.

The original disco dancer of Bollywood, Mithun Chakraborthy, too tried his hand in this cinema. It was a film named Coolie which also starred Meghna Naidu, apart from Mithun. Not too many know that Ravi Kissen himself had started his acting career in Bollywood. Roles in films like Army, Kudrat and Udhar Ki Zindagi didn’t exactly get him anywhere in Bollywood. However, after a very successful stint in Bhojpuri films, he was once again seen in the Bollywood flick, Phir Hera Pheri.

Over the past couple of years, the Bhojpuri film industry has grown by leaps and bounds. People are realizing the importance of this industry today. As Jackie Shroff rightfully said, “When Bhojpuri films run in Bihar, no one even looks at Bollywood!” Need we say more?

Posted by Ajit Chouhan on Thursday, July 27, 2006 at 4:35 PM | Permalink