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Vashi2Panvel.com: Navi Mumbai: February 3:The Indian film industry is the largest film industry in the world, producing a record of over 400 films a year. Yet only a handful of them are box-office hits with an even lesser number of stars ruling the roost. Naturally this seems to attract certain people – actors, directors – to each other. Crores of rupees are spent on a large canvas films and directors seem to want to either launch stars who will be completely malleable or they want to work with stars with whom they are absolutely comfortable so that the camaraderie sparks off a chemistry that is visible on screen thereby creating history. This perhaps leads to the birth of a camp. Camps made by the likes of Subhash Ghai, Yash Chopra, Ram Gopal Verma, Vidhu Vinod Chopra etc.

Actors like Madhuri Dixit, Shah Rukh Khan and other famous Bollywood names are all loyalists and a part of different camps. Shah Rukh Khan has confessed quite candidly in many of his interviews that he is extremely comfortable working with friends like Yash Chopra and Karan Johar who are like family. Even new comers like Vidya Balan who is one film old says that she enjoys being part of the Vidhu Vinod Chopra camp.

Says Indu Mirani, Editor of Trade Magazine, Box Office, “Yes yes, there certainly exist a camp in Bollywood but it’s very unfortunate. Actually the stars work in their own set of camps and with their own set of people. This is a set back as they never experiment and if there is a new director he never gets a chance to work with the experts as they are all in a camp. Now I can give you an example Shahrukh never works outside his camp of the Chopra’s and the Johar’s and it is very unfortunate for him that whenever he has worked outside the camp, the movie has never worked so well commercially for him.

But says Rauf Ahmed, a veteran film journalist and analyst, “I wouldn’t call them as camps. They are just factions where one person is surrounded by like – minded people. This is actually a smaller version of fan club. They all pamper each other, boost their egos and along the line work also for each other. They are mutually beneficial groups working together.”

Taran Adarsh, editor of Trade Guide says, “Actually Bollywood has gone through many changes. In the year, 70’s and 80’s Rajesh Khanna and Shakti Samant were a camp, Prakash Mehra, Manmohan Desai were all a camp working with Amitabh Bachchan etc. Then in the 90’s a Mansoor Khan would have Aamir, while a Barjatya film would have Salman. Then in these times we have Yash Chopra and Karan Johar all working with Shah Rukh while a Sunil Manchanda would generally like to feature Salman.”

While these experts seem to believe that there is an unwritten agreement leading to the formation of camps there are some who would vehemently deny it. Like Deepa Gahlot noted film critique and winner of the National Award for film critiquing. Says Gahlot, “I don’t think why one should call it as camps or anything. When the director can work with his favourite technicians why make actors and directors working together be termed as a camp.”

All the stars will say that they will agree to any good script. Yes, we agree that this is of importance but what about the relation that stars and their directors’ share with each other. “The relationships are very subjective. They could be at an understanding level with each other. They could be friends coming together like Farah Khan, Karan Johar with Shah Rukh Khan,” says Ahmed.

Adarsh adds, “It’s actually the comfort level that helps. There is no such thing as friendship, no such thing as loyalty. Everything boils down to single fact that is box office collection. I don’t subscribe to the theory of friendship in Bollywood. Every Friday there are changes in the industry. If the collection is good, then the future is bright. Everything changes every Friday. You give a hit and you are friend. If you don’t, you look for alternatives.”

Showbiz king Subhash Ghai brought in Meenakshi Sheshadri, Mahima Choudhury, Jackie Shroff and the recently Isha Sharvani. He also relaunched one flop film wonder Madhuri Dixit.

He gave Madhuri her first break with a tiny dance sequence in `Karma' (1986). The dance sequence was omitted from the final cut. Later he gave Madhuri `Uttar Dakshin', and then a proper launch in `Ram Lakhan' (1988). He went further to the extent that he placed an eight page advertisement in the trade magazines featuring Madhuri, proclaiming that producers of the caliber of Boney Kapoor, Yash Chopra and six others had signed Madhuri for their forthcoming projects. This gave a kick to Madhuri’s career and she never looked back from there.

Informs Ahmed, “They all work together till the star is successful and the star is able to benefit from director. When one stops benefiting from the others they move off. Nothing succeeds like success. This system was very pronounced in old days. During Rajesh Khanna’s period this was more obvious as there were many friends with whom he worked. I remember Rajesh Khanna when once asked about the camps said that I am not a refugee, only refugees go to camps. I think only Amitabh was one actor who tried and to a much extent did do away with this camp system.”

This seems surprising as Amitabh Bachchan who started his career with Prakash Mehra (Zanjeer) moved to being a loyalist in the Manmohan Desai. Financially also this was gainful for him as apart from his fees, trade pundits claimed that he also charged an amount that was equivalent to the amount that was received from the sale of his film from a particular territory. Says Indu Mirani, “Ya, actually for that you need a very good distribution coverage. Aamir does that and if you have a good set of distributors then you do that or else you just take your money and leave.”

But for newcomers association with a camp is not always financially beneficial. Each camp has a prestige tag associated with it. Working in a Subhash Ghai film may not fetch a newcomer much money, but automatically it fetches the actor a large number of roles from other filmmakers. While a celebrated filmmakers film will get you visibility and fame, money can be made from the other films.

Urmila Matondkar, Antara Mali and Nisha Kothari were all brought in by Ram Gopal Verma and with his new find the earlier one eases out and makes a mark in the industry on their own feet. One can say that RGV grooms them, gives them a platform for showcasing their talent and if the product clicks with the audience then hey presto, you are a confirmed campwali.

Vidya Balan, a Vidhu Vinod Chopra find became renowned with her role in Parineeta, her pretty face and her good acting skills. Vidhu does not have a history of favouring any particular star. But in case of Vidya Balan he has not just given a new comer the break but also is repeating her in his coming movie, Munnabhai sequel, Munnabhai LLB.

There was huge hue and cry about Shah Rukh and Yash Chopra split when Shah Rukh Khan was not cast in Yash Raj’s forthcoming film ‘Fanaah’ where Aamir and Kajol are the main cast. This was just a rumour, which Shah Rukh cleared up and said that they all are still friends and he is coming in the Yash Chopra’s next film.

As Indu Mirani concludes, “It is just the security that they get. It is assured that the movie the directors make, would be the best.”

Finally, that’s what counts.

Anisha Ashokan