With biopics leading the nominations for the Golden Globes and Oscars, biographies seem to be a sure shot winning formula. Experts tell Divya Kaushik that a personal account, if presented with a specific approach, leaves an indelible mark on the critics and the audience
Any actor eyeing an Oscar doesn’t really need to follow a strategy. All he needs to do is grab a role as someone real: alive or dead, hero, villain or an ordinary man battling extraordinary circumstances.
The list of nominations for the forthcoming Golden Globes awards stands as an example to the fact that a biopic never fails to impress the prestigious jury. This year’s nomination list features over four biopics including The Theory of Everything featuring Eddie Redmayne as physicist Stephen Hawking, The Imitation Game starring Benedict Cumberbatch as mathematician Alan Turing and Selma featuring David Oyelowo as Martin luther King Jr. This trend has continued since 2000.
Biographies have been one of the oldest genres in filmmaking but in the last few years there is a renewed interest in this genre. Scriptwriter Piyush Mishra says that it is their popularity at the award shows and interest among the audience that is luring the filmmakers. “The trend started when biopics emerged as winners in the Oscars. Not only were the Hollywood filmmakers quick to follow the trend, even directors in Hindi cinema started looking out for real stories to make a biopic. While the victory of films like lincoln and Dallas Buyers Club at the Oscars fuelled the trend in Hollywood, success of films like Bhaag Milkha Bhaag and Shahid at award shows here inspired Bollywood filmmakers. The reason why biopics work better is because real stories invoke emotions easily and come with a sense of surprise and mystery,” he says and adds that not every biopic has the potential to win the prestigious awards.
Who wins and who doesn’tIJ
If a biopic works, it ends up making an indelible mark. Many young Americans say that it is not a real picture of Abraham lincoln that comes to their minds when they think of the 16th US President, rather it is Daniel Day-lewis’ version in Steven Spielberg’s 2012 biopic. likewise, Sir Ben Kingsley’s portrayal of Mahatma Gandhi remains imprinted in the minds of those who watched the film. While we have a good number of examples to show that biopics do end up winning awards, there are some that fail to impress the jury. To win the award, it is important that a biopic has a specific approach, Alex Gibney, the Oscar-winning documentary filmmaker has said. He adds that it is important for the biographical film to have a strong angle.lincoln worked because it discussed if the president could bring about the end of slavery or not. The King’s Speech succeeded because it was the story of how a British monarch prevailed despite his stammer. “While presenting reality, the film should be entertaining and relevant. Bhaag Milkha Bhaag is set in the 1950s and 60s but has contemporary music,” says Rudrarup Dutta, head of marketing and operations Viacom18. Rajiv Menon, who is working on a biopic based on MS Subbulakshmi’s life, says that “you can put a fictional character in any time and space. But with real people, you have to be careful because their character and work is well-known.” Also one should take note that making a good biopic also involves imagination. “The aim of the film cannot be to preach or give the audience a revision of a history lesson,” adds Dutta.
“A little bit of imagination should be added to biographies to not make them boring. To engage the audience, we have to add little more than what exactly took place, like adding the emotions or drama. like I made a movie on Mary Kom and kept shuttling between different stages of her life,” says director Omung Kumar.
Formula to succeed
Experts say that to win the award the biopic should adhere to a certain points. A new analysis of Oscar nomination data by sociologists at the University of California-los Angeles, reveals what variables will likely wind up getting the Academy to give a film a nod. Some are that they should stick to the genres of “drama, war, history and biography, while avoiding horror, science fiction, action and family.” Plot points can vary a bit but try crafting the story around “political intrigue, disabilities, war crimes and show business.” Best to avoid plot points like “animal attack, sword fight, and eaten alive.” One should recruit directors with previous Oscar nominations. The study also suggests that making an Oscar-worthy film takes a bit of a financial risk. lofty dramas on deep subjects can end up being snubbed, and they won’t perform the same way action-packed hits with no intention of winning awards do.
It’s not about money
Here’s a word of caution for those planning to make a biopic. It may get you an award but box office business is not always guaranteed. Reportedly, Bob Dylan’s biopicI’m Not There was a critically acclaimed film but it only managed to bring in a paltry $11.6 million around the world. Back home we have Hansal Mehta’s Shahid that won the national award for best actor and director but was not a commercial success. “One has to be very careful while making a biopic that appeals to critics, award juries and the audience. It needs a very strong screenplay backed by powerful performances,” says Mishra.
(inputs agencies)