‘Malang’ will bring Aditya Roy Kapur back with a bang, trade analysts, director Mohit Suri analyse

If there is one director that Aditya Roy Kapur owes his career to it is Mohit Suri. At the beginning of his career when Aditya was struggling to find his voice through misfires like Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Saawariya and Vipul Shah’s Action Replay, Suri came forward and cast Aditya in his own version A Star Is Born.

Aashiqui 2, as it was called, became the biggest money spinner of 2013. Aditya played the alcoholic star-singer on a downswing as effectively as Bradley Cooper in A Star Is Born. Sadly, Aditya had no one to guide him from that pinnacle of success to greater glory, not even his own brother the maverick producer Siddharth Roy Kapur. It is to be noticed that in the Roy Kapur family nepotism is strictly forbidden. Whatever Aditya has achieved he did it on his own.

Aashiqui 2 was followed by a string of big-budgeted duds like Yash Raj Films’ Daawat-e-Ishq and Ok Jaanu and Abhishek Kapoor’s misfired magnum opus Fitoor. Even last year Karan Johar’s Kalank in which Aditya gave a controlled performance, was a massive flop.

On the verge of being written off as a jinx in this superstition-ridden entertainment industry, Aditya is all set to make a massive comeback with Mohit Suri’s Malang. The film that opens this Friday features Aditya in a role that will stun audiences.

I am not allowed to give away the plot. Suffice it to say that this is the film that Aditya’s career has been waiting for since Aashiqui 2.

Says director Mohit Suri, “I didn’t cast Aditya in Malang for our past association. I cast him as he was right for the role. Having said that. I must admit Aditya took on this journey of transforming himself from a hippie to a hero..Aditya is now more assertive about his life. He has taken charge of his destiny. This, I think comes with maturity. He was more a child than a man. Now he has embraced his maturity.”

Trade analyst Atul Mohan says, “I really hope this his comeback. so far, the posters, trailers, promotions and music has failed to generate any kind of excitement or buzz. But one cannot miss or ignore the transformation Aditya has undergone physically. Seems he has worked hard for this one.”

Adds trade guru Amod Mehra, “An actor is known by his last release And ARK’s last two films Kalank and Fitoor have been disasters. So only if Malang is a hit can he make a comeback.”

Sources close to the project say they are so sure of the impact of Aditya’s performance that they’ve already signed him for a sequel.

Trade expert Girish Johar thinks it’s time for Aditya to strike again. “The film is looking exciting with stunning visuals, exotic locations, good songs as well. The trailer has generated a good amount of curiosity. The limited target audiences can be a deterrent in the long run prospects of the film, as it seems dark and targeting the upmarket youth only. ARK is coming after a long time on screen and is looking very good and his fans will be lapping up the film giving it a good start at the boxoffice.”