The Unsatisfactory Sequel to a Much Hyped Other.
The opening of the Border 2 trailer was an occasion that was supposed to be a national and a movie pride and celebratory event to the Bollywood enthusiasts around the world. The teaser was launched on a very auspicious day, 2 October 2014, the day of Vijay Diwas, in an attempt to remind the audience of the same patriotic mood that the original 1997 block buster had managed to evoke.
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The audience was waiting impatiently to watch Sunny Deol back as the legendary Major Kuldip Singh Chandpuri and a new generation of young stars. But the buzz soon changed to a stream of disappointment when people started to analyze the visual quality of the clip. Rather than appearing like a rough war movie, the teaser has been swiftly criticized as having an artificial appearance and no realism. The anticipation was that it will be a high-octane spectacle, and instead, the audience was treated to the feeling of a video game during the early 2000s.
The most notable thing that caught the attention of nearly all the audiences was the excessive and conspicuous use of green screens in the two minute video. Contemporary viewers are quite intelligent and are capable of recognizing the difference between real-life setting and the digital background quite easily.
The environment is immense in a war film whereby the danger is brought into reality and immediacy to the audience. In this teaser, unfortunately, the sands of the desert and the explosions were artificial and created by the means of a computer in a studio. This instantly spoilt the atmosphere of those fans who were looking forward to be taken back to the dramatic battlefields of the Indo-pak war of 1971. The reviews were negative and immediate and it demonstrated that nostalgia is not sufficient to market a film in this competitive market.
The Social Media Spreads Memes and ridicule.
The moment the teaser was released on YouTube and other social media, the internet went what it does best and that is making jokes and memes. Twitter and Reddit platforms were overwhelmed with comparative pages of the teaser shots and the scenes of old video games such as Call of Duty. The users criticized that the light on the faces of the actors was not equal to the rest of the background, which made it seem like the actors were made out of paper. Other remarks were more malicious, referring to visual effects as shoddy and wondering what exactly the large budget of the movie was used on. The ridicule did not only end on the background but also on the action sequences.
Efforts to compare a tank explosion in the teaser to a low-budget mobile game were made in one viral tweet, pointing out the fire and smoke had no physical weight. Such negative word-of-mouth is extremely harmful in a film with a huge budget that has to depend on spectacle to attract audiences. The citizens complained that they were being cheated by the fact that the original movie was considered to be using actual tanks, real soldiers, and real explosions. The change to inexpensive looking CGI was more like a step backwards instead of a progress of the franchise. It was a trending hashtag that was being used in the wrong way, and the hasthtag of Border2Disappointment was taking off hours.
Another point conveyed in the ridicule was increasing anger over Bollywood being overly dependent on visual effects, rather than realistic filmmaking. The question that is being raised by the audiences is why a film about the Indian army, which has access to the real locations, decided to shoot in-doors, on a green cloth. This feeling was shared by most people who believed that the artificially made was offensive to the harsh reality of war. The memes were also a kind of a response, informing the filmmakers that the status of quality they have is simply inadmissible. It was a strong indication that the audience wants a sequel to such a historic film to put more effort and genuineness into it.
The Comparisons of the Classic Realism and the Modern Artificiality.
The unavoidable analogy with the 1997 masterpiece Border directed by J.P. Dutta was what made the weaknesses of the new teaser even open-sky obvious. The original film is fondly remembered to have large sweeping shots of the real Thar desert and the dust and heat in the air. In the first movie when a shell had exploded, you could feel the blow due to the practical effect on camera. The sequel on the other hand, however, appears to have none of that texture and depth instead having the slick, digital images. The soldiers in the original were observed by the fans as being sweaty, dirty and exhausted, contributing to the emotional heaviness of their sacrifice.
The Border 2 teaser shows the actors looking quite clean and well-groomed even though they are in a war-torn territory. This negligence to detail is what makes the characters appear like they are on a photoshoot and not engaged in a life and death battle. The visual philosophy of the two films has been seen as being starkly different and thus it has made the two films to isolate the core fanbase that grew up worshipping the first part. They believe that the soul of the film has been sold out to convenience and sloppy post-production job. It becomes a question whether the new director, Anurag Singh, comprehends what was so special about the original or not.
This frustration is further aggravated by the reality that technology has grown to a greater level during the past twenty-seven years. A contemporary sequel would be expected to appear much better than a movie released thirty years ago. However, it is agreed that the real constraints of the 90s caused directors to be more inventive and true to life. The simplicity of CGI today, has apparently caused them to rest on their laurels and the product is heartless. This is a sour pill to swallow to people who view Border as the ultimate Indian war film.
The Cast Does Good Deeds but the Background Gives It the Stiff Arm.
Although there was a backlash on the visuals, the actors were also praised as they are evidently putting their best foot forward. In his reprise of his character, Sunny Deol is able to deliver his lines with the same booming voice that made him a superstar. His voice over and the line Lahore tak were mentioned as the only redeeming values of the whole teaser. It is evident that he is devoted to the role and is gravitas hard to follow. But his very presence, strong as it is, is hard pressed to struggle with the distraction of the poor green screen work behind him.
