[1]Time and again Bollywood trends make a comeback. One such trend seems to be the protagonist meeting a tragic end in the final scenes of a film. Be it Ranveer Singh in Vikramaditya Motwane’s Lootera or Aditya Roy Kapur in Aashiqui 2 dying for love, sad endings seems to have re-surfaced again.
Even in the recently released BA Pass, the young hero dies for money in the end. Dhanush in Raanjhanaa too came to a tragic violent end. We check with Bollywood fanatics, film critics and experts in the film industry about this tragic twist in the tale.
“These films had strong reasons to kill their lead protagonists. No director would want to kill his hero/heroine just for the heck of it. I also believe that audiences would only empathise if the purpose behind the death of a character was justified. One of the best examples could be of Aamir Khan in Rang De Basanti,” says Bollywood film blogger Haricharan Pudipeddi.
Heroes in Hindi feature films have always had the image of being invincible — the ideal man with charisma, chivalry and courage. “The ‘hero’ portrayed traits of such emotional and physical strength that it made the audience idolise the very nature of the character and of course the long standing hope to someday imbibe the same characteristic traits. However in contemporary times, the audience has endured a paradigm shift in their cinematic sensibilities and have matured immensely. They thrive on realism and no longer wish to see improbable characters and plotlines being hurled at them. Thus, when a film with a tragic ending of the protagonist dying is shown, it is accepted by the audience,” points out film director Sanjay Puran Singh Chauhan.
Sad endings work for the majority of audience as it is the story that drives the characters and not the other way around. Expressing her views, Anna MM Vetticad, author, The Adventures of an Intrepid Film Critic, says, “Heroes dying towards the end looks like a mere coincidence. That some of these films have been hits does not mean Bollywood directors have found a new formula for box-office success, but it does indicate that Hindi film audience is more open-minded and willing to accept any element in a story if it matches the script.”
Film buffs believe tragic endings linger in the memory of the viewers for a longer time. “Obviously happy endings generate fulfillment, but if the protagonist dies at the end, it registers longer in the public memory. People associate it with a certain loss and tend to feel more emotional. Tragedy has always been a big hit, be it in books or films,” says Akshat Roy, an avid film lover.
Tragic endings have never gone out of trend. Trade analyst Taran Adarsh adds, “The classic love story of all times Mughal-e-Azam had a sad ending. Later there was Ek Duje Ke Liye, where Kamal Hassan and Rati Agnihotri commit suicide by jumping off a cliff. Other hits like Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak and Sholay also had tragic endings. Recently, with Aashiqui 2, the trend is back, following which was Raanjhanaa and several other films coming up.”
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[1] http://archive.asianage.com/t20jpg-317