| Businessman | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Puri Jagannadh |
| Written by | Puri Jagannadh Concept by : Ram Gopal Varma |
| Produced by | R. R. Venkat |
| Starring | Mahesh Babu Kajal Aggarwal Prakash Raj |
| Cinematography | Shyam K. Naidu |
| Edited by | M. S. Rajashekhar Reddy (S. R. Shekhar) |
| Music by | S. Thaman |
Production company | |
Release date |
|
Running time | 131 minutes |
| Country | India |
| Language | Telugu |
| Budget | ₹40 crore[1] |
| Box office | est.₹95 crore (₹55 crore net gross)[1] |
Businessmanis a 2012 IndianTelugu-languageaction crime film directed and written byPuri Jagannadh and produced byR. R. Venkat under the banner R. R. Movie Makers. It is based from a concept byRam Gopal Varma and stars anensemble cast featuringMahesh Babu,Kajal Aggarwal,Prakash Raj,Nassar,Sayaji Shinde,Raza Murad,Subbaraju andBrahmaji. In the film, Vijay Surya arrives atMumbai with aspirations to rule the city due to his grudge against the corrupt system in the country, but begins to face violent challenges from the cops and his enemies.
S. Thaman composed the music, whileShyam K. Naidu and M. S. Rajashekhar Reddy (S. R. Shekhar) handled the cinematography and editing. The film was made with a budget of₹40crore and was launched formally on 15 August 2011 inHyderabad.Principal photography began on 2 September 2011 and was shot in Hyderabad,Mumbai andGoa. A few song sequences were shot inBangkok. Filming ended on 10 December 2011 in 74 working days, making as one of the shortest periods in which a Telugu film has been shot.
Businessman was released duringSankranthi on 14 January 2012. The film grossed over₹71 crore in its original release and collected a distributor share of₹39 crore, becomingone of the highest-grossing Telugu films of 2012. The movie was remade inBengali in 2013 asBoss: Born to Rule.[2]
WhenMumbai PoliceCommissioner Ajay Bhardwaj has declared the end of the mafia in the city, a brutal man named Vijay Surya arrives with the intention of conquering Mumbai. Staying atDharavi with his friend, Surya recruits a group of gangsters and wins the support of a local politician named Laalu after getting a witness killed by his henchman Shakeel. Surya further helps the Dharavi locals clear their debts by making the henchmen rob the original copies of the loan documents kept at the local branch of Bank of Maharashtra and destroy the bank records. While the locals hail him as their savior, Surya becomes feared forextortion.
In order to safeguard himself from Ajay, Surya traps his daughter Chitra Bhardwaj and pretends to fall for her. One day, Surya learns thatCentral Minister Jaidev Ghanapuleti, who aspires to be the nextPM, has sent some assassins to kill him. Surya tricks the men into believing that he is a guide sent to help them where he plants bombs in their food that explodes, resulting in a shootout. While escaping, Surya sees Chitra, who has now learned of his true nature. When arrested, Surya accepts that he trapped her, but now he truly loves her. However, Ajay is forced to free Surya after his henchmen kidnap Chitra. Surya promises to give up crime in order to live with Chitra, but his proposal is turned down. So he decides to set up a business which cannot be touched by the police.
Surya starts a company namedSurya Exports & Imports as a front for hisvigilante acts. In order to set up branch offices all over the country, Surya recruits local gangsters for staff and begins to forcibly extract a 2% tax on every contract made in the respective areas. Eventually, Surya becomes a billionaire, and during the inauguration of his "Business Bank", reveals his thirst for power to Ajay, further citing the decline in crime rate after recruiting the gangsters, and expressing his desire to help the needy. Surya further helps Laalu become theMayor of Bombay by defeating Arun Gokhle, endorsed and later killed by Jaidev after Arun reveals Jaidev's scams to Ajay.
Learning that Jaidev is planning to get both Chitra and Ajay killed, Surya rushes to their house but fails to save Ajay, who tells him to kill Jaidev in his final moments. Surya then reveals to Chitra that he was an American-born Indian whose philanthropist parents were cheated and killed by Jaidev. As a child, Surya tried to enlist the help of the police but found none, and he ended up stabbing and shooting Jaidev publicly. Surya meets Guru Govind Patel, the head of the opposition party through Laalu, and offers him₹35,000 crore for election campaigning along with the promise to make him the nextPM of India. Surya spends crores of rupees per constituency in the nation and also reveals Jaidev's illegal affairs, making him unable to contest in the elections.
Enraged, Jaidev kidnaps Chitra and Surya arrives to rescue her. Jaidev thrashes him and reveals that he gained public sympathy due to Surya's attack as a child and managed to become anMP. However, Surya gets into a fight with Jaidev's henchmen and leaves them all dead, except one who holds Chitra at knifepoint. Jaidev agrees to free Chitra if Surya dies. Surya shoots himself before shooting both Jaidev and the henchman to death. Chitra accepts her love for Surya, and Guru Govind Patel wins the elections. While recovering in the hospital, Surya delivers a message to the public.
Ram Gopal Varma signedSuriya for a multilingualaction film titledThe Businessman in May 2010, to be directed byPuri Jagannadh simultaneously inTelugu,Tamil andHindi. The film's protagonist was supposed to be a South Indian coming toMumbai and setting up a crime business using tact and intelligence to emerge as one of the biggest gangsters.[5] The film's production was expected to begin in October 2010 once Suriya completed his part in7 Aum Arivu (2011) and was scheduled for release in the summer of 2011.[5] Jagannadh stated in an interview thatprincipal photography would begin in September 2010.[6] It was speculated that the film was to be based on the real-life story of a gangster who had moved from theCuddalore district ofTamil Nadu to Mumbai in the late 1960s.[7]
The film was revived later byR. R. Venkat later in January 2011 with a tagline "Guns do not need agreements". He signedMahesh Babu as the protagonist who worked with Jagannadh in the past forPokiri (2006).[8] Venkat added that the film would be produced under the banner R. R. Movie Makers.[9] Jagannadh completed the final draft of the film's script on 25 July 2011 during his stay atBangkok, adding that he was inspired by Ram Gopal Varma. He stated that the pending pre-production work would begin inHyderabad after a week.[10] The film had its formal launch on 15 August 2011 with a smallpooja ceremony conducted at Hyderabad.[11]Shyam K. Naidu andS. Thaman were confirmed as the film's cinematographer and music director respectively.[12]
Babu received the film's script whiledubbing forDookudu (2011), but due to that commitment, it took 10 days to finish reading the script. He said in an interview that he could maintain the consistency in the character only because of the fewer working days.[13] Jagannadh did not castBrahmanandam andAli because of Babu's specific characterisation; he added that Babu's voice had changed when compared to his performance inPokiri.[14] Babu also convinced Jagannadh to give up smoking, since he himself was trying to give up after being a chain smoker.[15]
Shruti Haasan was initially considered for the female lead role after her performance in her Telugu film debut,Anaganaga O Dheerudu (2011).[16] However,Kajal Aggarwal was signed as the female lead later in May 2011, marking her first collaboration with both Babu and Jagannadh respectively.[17] She was paid₹1 crore for this film.[18] Jagannadh confirmed reports stating Babu and Aggarwal sharing a kiss in the film, adding that he retained them after Babu's wifeNamrata Shirodkar approved it. It was reportedly the first onscreen kiss for Babu.[19] Aggarwal explained that it was not supposed to be sensual, but was meant to portray the conflict between two characters, and added that it was shot "aesthetically" by Jagannadh.[20]
Prakash Raj,Nassar,Sayaji Shinde,Dharmavarapu Subramanyam,Brahmaji, andBandla Ganesh among others were cast for key supporting roles.[citation needed]Hansika Motwani was rumoured to be a part of the film's cast in late August 2011 but not immediately confirmed.[21] In mid October 2011, Hansika reportedly agreed to perform anitem number in the film.[22] She later dismissed those reports as baseless rumours, claiming that other acting assignments keep her away from accepting.[23]
ActressShweta Bhardwaj was therefore selected to perform the item number instead.[citation needed] She was friends with Jagannadh, and he approached her for this song during the film's shoot at Mumbai, saying that the song suited her and her personality as a dancer. She also tried to understand the meaning of the lyrics while dancing. Bhardwaj was afraid of dancing, suspecting a possible sprain, and found the costumes uneasy, but had to continue upon the choreographer's insistence.[3][24] Canadian-born Indian actress Ayesha Shiva was signed to play Aggarwal's friend in the film.[25]
The film was planned to be shot entirely in and around Mumbai and Jagannadh searched for distinct localities there which suit the script's backdrops.[citation needed] Jagannadh told Venkat that he needed 75 working days to complete the film's shoot. He planned to start with Babu in the first week of September 2011 and established this schedule before finishing in the first week of January 2012.[26] Filming began on 2 September 2011 atRajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad.[27]
The second schedule began at Mumbai from 20 September 2011, and Babu confirmed in an interview that it would last until 5 December 2011.[citation needed] An action sequence choreographed by Vijayan was shot in mid October 2011, and it was announced that the film's climax would be shot in and around Goa from 27 October 2011.[citation needed] The song "We Want Bad Boys" was shot in late October 2011.[3] At the same time, Jagannadh planned to shoot a couple of songs with Babu and Aggarwal in Spain during November 2011.[citation needed] The filming of the climax sequences featuring Babu, Prakash Raj, and others was finished by 2 November 2011.[citation needed]
After filming two songs in the districts ofKrabi andPattaya in Bangkok, the film's unit returned to Hyderabad on 2 December 2011 for completing patch work. The film's shooting was wrapped up on 10 December 2011 in 74 working days as expected.[28] Jagannadh revealed in an interview that the film's length by the end of shoot was 84,000 feet as planned. He added that Babu and Aggarwal participated in the film's shoot for 65 and 30 days respectively.[citation needed]
The film'sdubbing activities began on 15 December 2011 at Shabdalaya Studios in Hyderabad.[29] The DTS mixing works were in progress in early January 2012.[30] TheCentral Board of Film Certification passed the film with an 'A' certificate; board members found few of the film's dialogues offensive and potentially upsetting to the people of Mumbai.[31] Despite being set inMumbai, the film features dialogue in Telugu, a language that is not native to the city for the convenience of the viewers. A disclaimer at the beginning of the film is given regarding the same.[32]
The soundtrack consists of six songs composed byS. Thaman and written byBhaskarabhatla Ravi Kumar.[33]Aditya Music acquired the audio rights.[34] The original version of the soundtrack was released on 21 December 2011, along with the dubbed Tamil and Malayalam versions atShilpakala Vedika in Hyderabad.[35]Na. Muthukumar and Kailas Rishi wrote the lyrics for the dubbed Tamil and Malayalam versions of the songs respectively.[36][37] The soundtrack sold nearly 200,000 compact discs on the first day of its release itself.[38]
A first-look teaser of 41 seconds was released on 9 November 2011.[citation needed] The first-look poster featuring a still of Mahesh sitting in a chair and deeply thinking was revealed on 11 November 2011 (11.11.11), receiving a positive response.[citation needed][39] Two posters featuring Babu were unveiled on 5 and 11 December 2011.[citation needed] The theatrical trailer was attached to the prints ofPanjaa (2011) to be screened in theatres from 9 December 2011.[40]
As a part of the film's promotion, Aditya Music offered a range of ringtone packs. Contests were introduced where the winners won posters autographed by Babu, the film's tickets, and soundtrack discs apart from others.[34]
The film was initially planned for a worldwide release on 11 January 2012.[29] Hari Venkateswara Pictures acquired the film's overseas distribution rights and after requests by non-Telugu Babu fans, it was the first Telugu film to release with subtitles in overseas cinemas.[41] The makers planned for a release in new international markets likeJapan andDubai to cash in on Babu's previous film,Dookudu.[citation needed] The release was postponed by two days to 13 January 2012 due to post production delays.[42] 2,000 screens across the world were booked for the film's initial release.[30]
It was released to 92 screens across Hyderabad, breaking the previous record set byOosaravelli (2011) which was released to 70 screens. PrasadsIMAX screened 33 shows on the release day.[43] The film's Tamil dubbed version, also titledBusinessman, was released on 7 December 2012 to 200 screens across Tamil Nadu.[44][45]
Jagannadh acquired the satellite rights of the film during his negotiations with the film's producers for₹5 crore. He wanted to rotate the film screening on various channels, at appropriate times, in a bid to gain more widespread viewership and recoup his investment.[46] Studio N acquired the film's television broadcast rights in March 2012 for₹6.6 crore,[citation needed] which were later sold toGemini TV.[47] The film'sDVD andBlu-ray discs were produced byUniversal Home Entertainment and were released in May 2012.[48][49]
S. Thaman was criticised for copying the tunes of theItalian partisan song "Bella ciao" for the song "Pilla Chao" and "He Lives in You", a song written and performed byLebo M and hisSouth African Choir for the albumRhythm of the Pride Lands (1995), for the song "Chandamama".[50] "Pilla Chao" was one of the more successful songs on the soundtrack and many music lovers left angry comments about the plagiarism on the song'sYouTube video.[51]
The makers violated the rules of The Cinematograph Act, 1952, and the Central Board of Film Certification regarding the re-working of its title fromThe Businessman toBusinessman after the board cleared the film with the former title. The Andhra Pradesh Film Chamber of Commerce cleared the registration of the film title asThe Businessman on 1 January 2011 through a letter and was renewed up to 22 April 2012. The set of posters sent to the board for certification purposes carried the full title. The film was publicised without the definite article, which was also missing from the posters. Also, the 'A' certification was omitted.[52]
After release, the film was criticised for the usage of curse-words by the protagonist and a few intimate sequences between the lead pair. The muting of a few dialogues and blurring of a few visuals by the board were criticised by viewers.[53]Bajrang Dal lodged a complaint with Municipal police on 14 January 2012 stating that the lyrics of the song "We love Bad Boys" contained vulgar words and conveyed an unacceptable meaning for which they demanded action against Jagannadh. The police confirmed this and stated they would seek legal opinions for taking further action.[54]
Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad activists entered the Aradhana Theatre atTarnaka nearOsmania University, and stopped a screening on 25 January 2012 at 11:30 AM. They stole the film's reels and ripped off the film's hoardings and flexies at the theatre, protesting a few dialogues which allegedly demeanedRama and were anti-patriotic.[55] They burnt the film's reels in front ofOsmania Arts College in protest of the lyrics of the song "We want Bad Boys" alleging that the song was filled with abusive words. They also demanded a public apology by Babu and Jagannadh.[56] Journalist Rohit Vats in his articleReal and reel: How Telugu cinema celebrates stalking mentioned the sequences inBusinessman quoting, "The conversation between Mahesh Babu and Kajal Aggarwal in Businessman was termed vulgar but later it was accepted in the name of sarcasm. Basically, it was perceived as harmless teasing".[57]
Businessman opened to 85% occupancy in both single screens and multiplexes at AP/Nizam box office on its first day.[58] It grossed approximately₹18.73 crore and collected a share of₹13.78 crore at the global box office on its first day creating an all-time record in terms of opening day collections.[citation needed] The film collected a distributor share of₹12 crore in AP/Nizam box office,₹1 crore in Karnataka,₹75lakh together in Tamil Nadu (for theTamil version), Orissa and North India respectively[citation needed] and₹3 crore together in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia and Japan on its first day.[citation needed]
The film collected approximately₹62.93 crore by the end of its first week at the global box office and was declared ablockbuster.[citation needed] The film completed a 50-day run in 350 centres on 3 March 2012,[citation needed] and a 100-day run in undisclosed number of centres on 21 April 2012.[citation needed] The film collected a distributor share of₹39 crore[59] and grossed over₹70 crore in its lifetime at the global box office.[1]
Businessman was re-released on August 9, 2023, on the occasion of Mahesh Babu's birthday where it earned ₹5.27 crore[citation needed] on its opening day, the biggest ever for a Telugu movie re-release.
Suresh Krishnamoorthy ofThe Hindu calledBusinessman a "wholesome package" and a "pure entertainer", quoting "Puri Jagannath has proved that he's still the director with the Midas touch with his latest release,Businessman".[60] Y. Sunita Chowdary, also fromThe Hindu, wrote "TheBusinessman has a mix of action, image, dialogue and montage but what makes it entertaining is that all the above quantities are inextricably bound and linked together at every level with an admirably tight script." She added that Jagannadh did not make any structural, technical or content errors, although the story was a regular one.[61] Suresh Kavirayani ofThe Times of India gave the film 3.5 out of 5 stars and called the film an "unpretentious entertainer that manages to strike the right balance", which according to him, had enough in it to keep the viewers interested till the end despite not being a spectacular production.[62]
Indo-Asian News Service (IANS) gave the film 3 out of 5 stars and calledBusinessman a film for Babu's fans and highlighted Babu's performance and Jagannadh's dialogues as the film's strong points.[63] Another reviewer from IANS called the film "senseless yet entertaining" and stated "Mahesh's dashing performance as a mafia kingpin with a hidden personal agenda is commendable and deserves high appreciation.Businessman may be perverse and appeal only to the masses, yet is a winner for unexplainable reasons."[64] Radhika Rajamani ofRediff.com gave the film 2.5 out of 5 stars and opined thatBusinessman was an entertaining film if watched uncritically. She added, "There's no doubt that Puri Jagan has played to the gallery and kept the masses and Mahesh's image in mind while conceiving this film. Its just Mahesh all the way."[65]
Sify felt that the film was strictly for Babu's fans but praised Jagannadh's work saying that the "story sounds far fetched, demanding logic. The screenplay is a saving grace, which works like magic, making the audiences forget the monotony in between." The reviewer highlighted Mahesh's performance, the dialogues, and the songs as the film's stronger elements.[66] Ramchander ofOneindia Entertainment calledBusinessman a serious film with limited appeal, which might be enjoyed by Babu's fans but which would be an average for others.[67] B. V. S. Prakash ofDeccan Chronicle gave the film 3 out of 5 stars and stated "Businessman is a typical Mahesh Babu film all the way, evoking laughs with comic one-liners and subtle expressions. However, his efforts could go in vain thanks to a contrived and highly exaggerated plot."[68]
The film was remade inBengali asBoss in 2013.[73]After Babu refused to perform in the Hindi remake of this film, Jagannadh approachedRanbir Kapoor in late January 2012 and arranged a special screening for him.[74] Ram Gopal Varma confirmed in March 2012 that he and Jagannadh would remake the film in Hindi withAbhishek Bachchan playing the role of Mahesh Babu in the original.[citation needed]
Jagannadh expressed interest in making a sequel of the film after the response to the original on its first day and planned to begin work on the same from late 2012.[75] Mahesh Babu too confirmed the same in late January 2012 during the scripting stage of the sequel titledBusinessman 2.[76] It was planned as a bilingual film to be shot in Telugu and Hindi simultaneously.[74] Ram Gopal Varma also expressed interest after listening to the script and felt that the sequel would do much better business than the original.[77] However, Jagannadh shelved the sequel in early August 2012 and opted to direct Mahesh Babu in an original film. In Bengali, the sequel was penned by Jeet with a fresh storyline asBoss 2: Back to Rule in 2017 which received critical acclaim and positive reviews.[78]
