When S Shankar-directed Nayak released in theaters in 2001, it was a wet blow at the box office. Most critics disapproved of the film’s length, increased theatrics and unnecessary use of special effects in some parts. Most viewers watching the film refused to suspend disbelief for a scene where the antagonist turns into a giant snake and chases the main characters across a chess board. According to Box Office India, Nayak: The Real Hero was made on a budget of Rs. 21,00,000, and only Rs. 18,06,00,000 at the box office.
The political thriller, a remake of the director’s own Tamil film Mudhalvan, found its true audience when it became a fixture on television, aired repeatedly for several years after its release. Despite telling an unimaginable story of a TV cameraman becoming the Chief Minister of Maharashtra for a day, the film resonates with the powerless common man who perhaps hopes for a miraculous solution to his daily struggles.
Here are the major high points of the film that gave the protagonist cult status over the years.
• The film is a complete masala entertainer and above all, so it could be a polarizing watch. There is nothing subtle in the film as loud as Pooja Batra’s voice. In one scene, Anil Kapoor literally falls into a gutter while fighting goons, and is washed away with milk due to lack of water. The director cleverly uses theatrics to highlight related issues, so it’s impossible not to root for the protagonist and his rise to power.
• Anil Kapoor as the ideal person who enters the system and cleans it from within. As a cameraperson helping those injured in a riot, as a TV anchor asking tough questions to the Chief Minister of a state, or as CM Shivaji Shinde demystifying corrupt practices in minutes, Anil can be seen as a common man. Presented as the protagonist of the film which was loved by everyone. Every time he solves a problem or punishes a criminal, his triumphant walk to theatrical music is not so satisfying as not to please.
• The film invokes myriad emotions – anger, despair, helplessness against hope, triumph and vengeance. From riot scenes and bomb blasts to romantic songs and dance numbers, director Shankar takes us on a roller-coaster ride of emotions. It also fits into every well of Bollywood entertainment that a family would want to see together on a Sunday.
• A common man’s fight against the corrupt system was probably the most liked by the audience. It is a formula that has worked well in many films, but not many films have been able to hand over power to the common man like the protagonist, and therein lies its singular appeal.
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