SINGHAM AGAIN. If you have seen the earlier COP UNIVERSE movies from Rohit Shetty’s production and have ventured into the theatre to watch SINGHAM AGAIN, you will not be disappointed. As a fan, you will get more than expected as Rohit Shetty delivers a class in FRANCHISE EXTENSION AND CONSOLIDATION.
The Singham franchise boldly draws inspiration from the Ramayana and timed it well with the Diwali Release. The initial disclaimer, read in English and Hindi, clarified the inspiration and demonstrated that the production house was aware of the possibility of trolls taking it up. Exploiting the rich storytelling of Ramayana in a cop universe was an obvious opportunity that most of us were blind to.
What is SINGHAM?
A cinematic release value for the audience trapped in frustration on failing governance and deteriorating social life. A good, honest, hardcore daredevil cop (the hero- the protagonist) with a family is posted in an area where some ruthless villain rules with an iron fist, creating an atmosphere of fear. There are some moles and corrupted cops or other elements that side with the goon. The villain finally touches the extended cop family. Cop goes to the heart of the villain’s area, and the screen goes BOOM, BOOM, BOOM Again. There is the signature car chase – where they are lit like crackers and fly-defying gravity. In between, there is little freehand unarmed combat, demonstrating the power of both the cop and the villain. Add some threats to multiply the impact. That’s it. Simple enough.
Singham Again captures the changing taste of audience.
The ruthless, blood-curdling fights and gore that the villain spills on the screen are at par for the course. Recent films like Pushpa and Animal have shown that a large section of the audience likes such acts- otherwise, it is hard for the movies to hit the revenue they are doing. It reflects the current status where there is a huge capped frustration without an outlet. It is an era where a different, angry young man is the potential saviour and a hero. Singham in uniform is just apt for it. I am not sure how long it will last, but I am confident it will last long enough for two to three Singham–cop universe productions.
Ramanaya- inspired inspiration.
It is the flavour of the time. Singham for a Change boldly acknowledges its source of inspiration- the Ramayana and presents it as an integral part of the movie. There is a story within the story where Ramayana is enacted- allowing the superimposing of Ramayana imagery with real-life characters.
To complete the setup- you have an almost perfectly casted star lineup. Ram – the main hero- Inspector Bajirao Singham, now a DCP- Ajay Devgun. His Sita-like wife- Kareena Kapoor. A Luv – kush type son- Viren Vazirani- who asks questions. A brother like Lakshman- ACP Satya Bali- Tiger Shroff. A follower of Ram- Hanuman- Sinmmba Bhalerao– Ranveer Singh.
Another inserted character- a seed for the first full Lady Singham movie in the near future- DCP Shakti Shetty- Deepika Padukone. There are other elements like Jatayu and a missing link of Vibishan. But there is a mole- Sara Arfeen Khan as Mrigya- the team member with Sita Mata who helps create the situation for the abduction. And, of course, Akshay Khanna- DCP Sooryavanshi.
They all come in bits and pieces and can be considered a cameo leading to the consolidation of the cop universe on screen. Everyone performs or shoots without getting injured- a cinematic license- but the audience is enthralled by two Ranveer Singh and Akshay Kumar.
Tiger Shroff shows his stunts- and aptly, we have the south martial arts training setup- which is well conceived and executed. Maybe Tiger Shroff will get a movie to his credit- but I don’t think the audience is ready for him to be the sole hero.
The Ravan- Completing Cinematic Duality in Singham Again.
Shetty realises that Singham exists because a powerful Villain exists. The more powerful and ruthless the villain, the more engaged the audience is. The result is a more powerful and entertaining franchise. They took a risk with Arjun Kapoor as Danger Lanka, and what a bet it was. Arjun Kapoor, as Ravan in the Ramayana called Singham Again, is a revelation. Maybe he has found his bearing on the silver screen again. And the revenge is personal- so there is a terrorist- Omar Hafeez- Jackie Shroff. Danger Lanka is his grandson.
Side Serving- gives body to the skeleton.
Side serving dishes in this potpourri of an elaborate whole-serving thali is critical in making the franchise grow and remain intact with the high dose of self-realised hyper-loud patriotic references. So we have a Home Minster, Ravi Kishan, backing Singham and creating a task force—a reference to getting into Lanka twice, negotiating for the release of a terrorist. There are the side kicks- Senior Inspector Dayanand Shetty- a timely full-focus Daya act- timed with the revival of CID on Sony TV. Shweta Tiwari- to give company- and the only misfit in the whole space- with little to offer.
Cinematic Licenses.
Looking closely enough, you will find many impossible things performed on screen. Inconsistencies and huge draw on cinematic license. But those are minor diversions; you don’t even bother registering as the franchise delivers on its promise- and keeps the audience happy.
Brand Franchise Extension.
There is enough entertainment and possibility to discuss Franchise extension, rejuvenation, opportunity exploitation, and core commitment- with Singham as a base. Maybe brand teams can learn from it. You could utilise the learnings and watch other franchise movies like Bhool Bhuliayaa, Stree, Welcome, Hera Pheri and other movies for supportive lessons. What fun such a class would be if you get Rohit Shetty to share his insights.
NET NET.
Watch it if you like Rohit Shetty’s earlier Singham series and the cop universe. If your taste is not aligned with car chases, fire, flying cars and fights- and you did not watch or like Singham- forget about Singham Again. But if you are into brand marketing, product development, or franchise management, go and watch Singham through a different lens of master class in franchise management.
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