“The audience is always right,” says Jackky Bhagnani

In an industry with a swiftly changing landscape, Jackky Bhagnani seems to be on the road to making as many entertainers as possible. The actor-producer who has worked both on and off the screen has an interesting filmography and its stacking up with inspired choices. And if you ask him, the key to making it all work is rather simple - listen to the audience.

In an exclusive conversation with Filmfare, the actor opened up about his process of making movies, his upcoming projects and more. 

I always get excited with films which reach out to a larger audience, be it in India or be it internationally. Films like Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar, DDLJ, films like Avatar, Godfather and of course, all the films that dad made, back in the day, Biwi No. 1, Bade Miyan Chote Miyan. I just felt that all those films were very inclusive and somewhere had the grain of the Hindustani audience.

I think 'shift' is not the right word, it's adding another feather to the cap. That does not mean I have taken a sabbatical from acting. But I just felt that as a filmmaker, I can offer so much more. And I can be a part of the entire process of storytelling not just as an actor but also as a filmmaker and tell many many more stories, empower many more people, and give many more people opportunities which just felt like a more overall enriching experience.

I always feel that we make films for the audience and if there is a sentiment that they are going through, then there must be something that they are feeling and we must address it because the audience is always right.  

My process both, for the creative aspect of the company and as a producer is that I try to hear the narration as a viewer. And like I said, we at Pooja Entertainment like to make “Inclusive Cinema”. So as a best practice, I strive to give an ear to a story that could resonate with the larger section of the audience.

It definitely helps a great deal. It empowers me with sensitivity towards creativity and though it is business and I have to wear the business hat, at the same time we are selling a form of art, so I think the marriage of creativity meeting commerce really helps. 

I would like to believe that I am pretty hands-on or I'm learning a new aspect every day and that's the beauty of filmmaking. Every day you come, you learn a new aspect, either from the creative side, the production side, or the marketing or sales team. Or even from the on-ground production, the challenges that the production team goes through, or the creative team goes through to bring that piece of script live on celluloid and create that magic.

Tiger is one of the most hardworking actors that I have ever met. Very dedicated, and focused. And Ganapath shows him in a different light, something which he has never done before. This film is a new world, it's a dystopian world in fact. I think it's the first post-pandemic film that speaks about various things and the audience will really be taken into a different world and experience. And definitely, as a team, we all are really looking forward to the film.

It's a little too early to speak about that at this point. But, people will be pleasantly surprised to see this piece of art. And of late, the kind of cinema which is resonating with the masses and with the audiences, I think this caters exactly to that.

We completely believe in inclusive cinema and Prithiviraj adds a lot of credibility to the film. He represents the Southern film industry in a big way and by him coming on board, it makes Bade Miyaan Chote Miyaan, a bilingual film in the true sense. And yes, I think the audience will really enjoy Akshay Sir, Tiger, and Prithviraj’s combination together under the direction of Ali Abbas Zafar. We are very excited for it as it is one of the biggest projects of Pooja Entertainment.

Post-pandemic, the tastes of the audience hae changed in a big way and every actor and filmmaker, director, production house are noting the likes and dislikes of the audiences and bringing about those changes in the scripts. Most of the films which have released so far, were either green lit or made during the pandemic and I am pretty sure and confident that you will start seeing those changes in the coming year, by people going back to the theatre because I feel that films and cricket, are two things in this country which the audience loves the most. And as far as Akshay Kumar is concerned, he is one of the biggest superstars that India has ever seen and one of the most versatile entertainers who has entertained the audiences to the fullest and we actually are grateful to him to be working with us and I feel it is him, who is obliging us by doing films with us. The impact is actually on the positive side as the sheer number of people who would come and watch Akshay Kumar would warrant an immediate commercial success of the movie.

Massy entertainers catch onto an emotion which resonates with a wider set of the audience. So, if you are tapping onto those emotions, be it comedy, be it drama, be it revenge, be it emotion, as long as you are tapping into that, you will reach out to a wider audience and that's what I feel mass entertainers are. And that is what Pooja Entertainment has always been known for. 

If you ask me, is it the best time? I'd say we've seen better times but it is a transition time like I said. Post-pandemic, likes have changed and we have to cater to audiences' likes. We’ve seen it this year also, the films which audiences have liked, they have gone and watched it and numbers have been there and the films which did not resonate well with the audience did not do well. If you promise them something, you deliver on that promise. If you've promised them a genre, then you deliver on that genre and as long as you’re doing that, I am sure there will be an audience for that. And yeah, it is our job to constantly keep evolving ourselves and keep trying, because that's part and parcel of what we do.

We just decided that we should give the relationship the respect it deserves. Both our personal and professional lives are separate. I think she is a very very successful person and she has done it completely by herself and she is completely driven about her work and that's what I love and like about her. And that's what makes me respect her a lot. 

And both of us felt that if we are in a relationship, it should be completely given that respect and that has nothing to do with each other's work. And we don't interfere in each other's work anyways.

I am Vashu Bhagnanis’ son, so definitely we strive to give the best commercial cinema to the audience.  What we are trying to do is serve the old wine in a new bottle with a zing. We continue to make films under dad’s direct guidance and leadership, but yes we want to package it in a way which resonates with the younger audience, which they can relate with. The language used, the grammar, the aesthetics, the way it is packaged, the music, the way it looks and feels, all these become part of our endeavour, that I would like to believe I have brought to Pooja 2.0.