How a failed science fiction experiment became a cinematic disaster
In short: In 2012, director Shirish Kunder released a high-concept Indian sci-fi film about alien communication and forgotten villages. Despite its ambitious 3D origins and a plot involving crop circles, the film met a crushing reception, earning a 0% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and being labeled a complete disaster by critics.
Directed by Shirish Kerd, Joker tells the story of Agastya 'Sattu', a scientist tasked with developing a system to communicate with extraterrestrials. Under pressure from his superiors to produce results within one month, Agastya travels to his native village, Paglapur. The village is a place of eccentric inhabitants, including a child who believes he is a lamppost and residents who live as if World War II has not yet ended.
The narrative takes a turn when Agastya discovers that Paglapur is effectively invisible to the Indian government because it is absent from the nation's official maps. To bring recognition to this neglected community, Agastya and the villagers orchestrate a scheme involving man-made crop circles and rumors of an alien arrival. This manufactured media frenzy is intended to connect the isolated village to the outside world, though the deception is eventually uncovered.
The production of the film was fraught with logistical shifts. Originally intended for 3D release, the format was downgraded to 2D in June 2012 to mitigate financial risks following the release of other major films like Ra.One and Don 2. The film, starring Akshay Kumar and Sonakshi Sinha, was shot between February and June 2011, moving locations from Ludhiana to Chandigarh and Mumbai.
Despite the ambitious scale, the film was a box office failure and received scathing reviews. Critics like Saibal Chatterjee of NDTV described it as 'unmitigated junk,' while Rotten Tomatoes recorded an average rating of just 2/10 from critics. Even the soundtrack, featuring the work of G. V. Prakash Kumar, faced criticism for uninventive compositions and lyrics that some felt overshadowed the melodies.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Joker (2012 film)
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