The Perils of ‘Legend Love’
17 Apr
A lot of the younger (in experience rather than age) filmmakers making their first, second, third or fourth movies suffer from a powerful case of legend love. This is a condition that prompts them to pursue Travis Bickle to play the action hero in a feature film scheduled for release in 2012. Only trouble is the actor who played Travis Bickle hasn’t been that lean or that fit for over thirty years. The same goes for Rocky (Bollywood or Hollywood), Conan, Shahenshah, Amar, Akbar or Anthony.
Legend Love prevents these young directors from seeing that the wizened old face before their eyes is not the one that caused their mothers and aunts to go weak-kneed in their prime. They shout out from the proverbial rooftops that they have secured such and such legend to play a role of so much importance in the film that they believe will change the face of Indian cinema. Without realizing that the legends that inspired them to pursue a career in filmmaking are now grey of hair, slow of foot speed and lacking in agility.
Said legends however are no slouches when it comes to the salaries they command. Sure it may seem like a steal to nab the services of your childhood hero for the equivalent value of half a million US dollars, but will that cost be translated on screen when said legend has to perform the (relatively) simple task of running towards his enemy at full speed? How about remembering a complex set of lines? And tell me he doesn’t look like a creepy older uncle when romancing the age-appropriate (for the role) girl cast opposite him.
Now do you see how you’ve just bid that half-a-million US dollars goodbye? And there wasn’t even alcohol at the farewell party.
