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61 Responses to “Rakht Charitra & Jhoota Hi Sahi, Enthiran (ongoing) and the rest of the non-box office!”
note how a lot of this isn’t exactly rocket science. The historic grossers have the biggest shares. And of course it makes sense that Dabanng is ahead of Ghajini in this respect because it obviously wasn’t sold for the prices Ghajini was. Having said that for anyone to claim they know what the distributor shares are down to the last decimal is surely the stuff of fantasy! In a country where overall gross is not completely verifiable how does one get these numbers?!
If a distributor picks up a movies for Rs 10 and the movies makes Rs 18 he might be able to collect Rs 12 on it after all other costs are taken care of. On the other hand if he picks up a movie for Rs 6 and it makes Rs 15 he might makes more money here even though the overall gross was less.
It’s more complicated on that. A distributor earns more from single screens compared to multiplexes. A single screen hit (like Wanted) will yield much higher distributor shares compared to a pure multiplex hit (OSO or Don for instance).
In the Wanted Vs OSO scenario, I suspect both yield the same distributor share (or perhaps Wanted trumps OSO) despite the former’s lesser gross.
oh that’s true. then you have to account for India’s Byzantine tax system when it comes to these things. I was just offering a very general view. Because remember Ghajini wasn’t a single screen slouch either (as I’ve said before Dabanng might have matched 3I in terms of the week 1 total but it fell behind just Ghajini’s trending by 20 crores or so let alone 3I’s). The other thing is that while 3I itself was stronger in multiplexes it had to have done very well in single/double screens to have got to such a massive total. Finally not all single/double screens are the same. There are some historic single/double screen in major cities that are not too far from multiplexes in terms of capacity, these are rather impressive theaters. They’re not really like much smaller single screens elsewhwere in the same cities let alone those in smaller centers.
There were four releases this week and all had dull openings. Jhootha Hi Sahi was the biggest releases and opened around the 35% mark at multiplexes. Single screens had very bad figures.
Rakht Charitra opened to around 25% at multiplexes and single screens. There may have been better expectations from single screens due to the action but it could not find an audience in single screens also.
Hisss managed to find an audience at select single screens in some parts of the country with a 50% start but other single screens were 25% and multiplexes even lower.
Click Here!
Dus Tola was the worst of the lot with 0-5% and seems to be heading nowhere.
B.O. update: Multiple releases eat into each others’ business
- By Taran Adarsh, October 22, 2010 – 21:51 IST
Four releases – RAKHT CHARITRA, JHOOTHA HI SAHI, HISSS and DUS TOLA – and the business seemed clearly divided. JHOOTHA HI SAHI opened marginally better at plexes of metros, while HISSS was poor at plexes but better at single screens of mass centres. The Telugu version of RAKHT CHARITRA fetched a flying start, but the Hindi version didn’t, while DUS TOLA went completely unnoticed. The films may generate some interest over the weekend in some sectors, but weekdays onwards, the films are not expected to sustain.
The pre-Diwali phase is expected to take a toll next week and the industry feels that the business on weekdays is expected to decline considerably.
Taran has this new thing now where certain Johar/Yashraj films get to average status all too easily but also he starts talking about satellite rights et al for the same. Wonder why certain other films are not shown the same courtesy!
I finally saw Dabangg and was mighty impressed. Both by the film (its setting & characters) and by Salman Khan. His Chulbul Pandey continues the trend of highly complex/interesting characters who have their roots in the hearland. Saif in Omkara, Akki in Tashan, Bachchan in Bunty Aur Babli. These characters are interesting because they are dual-edged; borrowing from the comic book universe, these men from the heartland are more close to the Joker, even if they happen to be the good guys.
Salman’s Chulbul Pandey only takes this legacy further. He’s a law by himself. Shoots his own ‘hawaldaar’ to score a point (and then offers him some money and a promotion in the hospital!), he’s the dude with the attitude. A ghost who can’t be put to rest — can’t be overpowered with bullets, brawn or treachery. He’s untouchable. Sort of like the Batman and the Joker combined. The only hint of his normalcy comes during his interaction with his mother. The familiar ‘masala’ trope that grounds the whole film and in turn, his character.
The title doesn’t literally mean ‘fearless’. That’s a synonym of the word. If I break ‘Dabangg’ down to its roots, I suspect it stands for ‘Dab+ Ang’ or a person whose exploits in the ‘akhada’ (the sand pit) gives him the privilege of having minions. Minions who in turn massage (‘daab’ or dabana in Hindi) his ‘Ang’ or biceps/torso. In that respect, it’s fitting that the climactic duel resembles a fight in the sand pit. Between two ‘dabangg’ leaders of their tribe. (there are explicit scenes featuring Sonu Sood inside a sand pit, practicing with something called a ‘mudgar’ in hindi). Abhinav Kashyap knows his ambience well.
He’s another addition to the impressive line-up of hindi film directors who hail from UP (Vishal Bharadwaj, Anurag Kashyap, Abhishek Chaubey etc). It’s quite possible that the released version of Dabangg is not the director’s cut. The film indeed seems rushed towards the end. Having said that, from the released version, it’s apparent that Abhinav Kashyap is pretty good at building atmosphere and has a good ear for dialogue. His attempt to embed modern sensibilities inside essentially a ‘masala’ universe (Chulbul Pandey’s uneasy relationship with his step-father; the slap that triggers his rage & his pledge) is intriguing. On the whole, I’m really glad that this film got made and I’ll be eagerly awaiting Abhinav Kashyap’s next…
I thought they forgot to hire editor or he was in overdrive. Transition from One scene to another is so much jerky that I thought I can be a better director!
To me dabangg was a designer masala movie. If I want to see real craziness then I will prefer Kick-ass kind of movie.
as I’ve said before I too found the editing very rough at points and wasn’t at all surprised to learn elsewhere that the film was longer (it’s even ten min short of 2 hrs currently! Gimme a break!) but apparently Salman felt a shorter film would be more suitable. I have no doubt that a director’s cut here would make for a much more even film.
Let me add to the mix here. I’ve said this before but Udaan is easily one of the very best films of the year. It’s the first film from the indie-Hindi troupe that I’ve liked almost without qualification.
Jhootha Hi Sahi had an awful first day with just 1.50 crore nett business. A similar genre film Aisha had a near 3 crore nett first day a few months back.
Jhootha Hi Sahi is a 40 crore investment including P&A which makes the first day look even worse as the film may not even manage a 5 crore lifetime theatrical share from India the way it is going.
Comparatively the business was better in East Punjab and Mysore with 20 and 10 lakhs respectively but still it is very poor. Other circuits were extremely bad with Mumbai collecting 50 lakhs and Delhi/UP grossing 35 lakhs.
Rakht Charitra and Hiss –
Rakht Charitra and Hisss had very poor collections on day one. Hisss managed a good opening at some single screens but these screens have low collections so don’t change the overall scenario much.
Rakht Charitra collected 1 crore nett on its opening day with Mumbai contributing 40 lakhs and the Delhi/UP and East Punjab combined total being 30 lakhs. CI was 6 lakhs.
Hisss grossed around 1 crore nett on its opening day. Bihar, CP Berar and CI had the best collections. Multiplexes had a disastrous turnout.
ha! Not just this, everyone loves to talk about Abhishek’s flops and so forth and I’m not saying obviously that the list hasn’t become rather too long at this point but note how RC opens and how SR opened. of course it’s a family thing there as well but also note how Rann opened (to point out the painfully obvious). meanwhile take D6 and Raavan. For different films that were rejected almost totally the totals for those films are pretty respectable. We saw what happened with Aakrosh recently. The film won’t do 10 crores probably. The point I’m trying to make is that if one of these different films clicks Abhishek could get a big number (i.e for genre). And I have noticed that he’s built enough prestige in this sense that there is a certain interest that his different films create despite the failures. Most recently I was surprised to learn that the KHJJS trailer had attracted a great deal of attention online. These essential factors have been in place with Abhishek for a while but he’s not been able to capitalize on them and of course eventually it starts hurting you with even your base in terms of the initial. But to paraphrase Zizek (most recently he makes a similar argument about China here) note how often those who are not exactly in his camp try extremely hard to either say he’s nowhere or keep bringing up ranking systems where even you and I are placed over him (!). This is the classic structure of anxiety. Why deny so much what one claims is otherwise obvious?! In other words does anyone spend so much time trying to prove John Abraham is not an important star?! Similarly you see folks online who are almost relieved if they discover another Abhishek flop (potentially or actually). So one might think the list is now long enough and no one would be bothered but people are. KHJJS cheers up such a crowd! Of course it would rather ironic if Gowariker managed to do here what Mehra and Rathnam recently could not!
In absence of other sources, I still go by BOI numbers. They add or subtract a couple of crores to suit their agenda and correct it surreptitiously a few months later ( tho they are not able to escape the ever vigilant Munna’s eyes). But, their commentary is usaully worthless and poisonous.
Nahata is as big a whore as the Moron. So, I dont put any credence in what he syas.
IBOS has lost all respect and credibility with its brand of fascism tho it used to be decent.
Yakuza is MIA.
So ,all we are left with is BOI and Doga when he chooses to put up numbers.
impressed by Michelle Obama’s Kamathipura thing.. on the rest the American president does seem like a monarch at times! Or I should say a lot of times!
Aamir Khan is always known for his versatility all around whenever one comes around any film-buff. It’s absolutely true for one of the finest actors in the world who has been surprising everyone since time immemorial. He did DIL CHAHTA HAI immediately after LAGAAN, RANG DE BASANTI after MANGAL PANDEY, TAARE ZAMEEN PAR after FANAA and 3 IDIOTS after GHAJINI, do we need to say more?! So, it won’t be a surprise if one gets to know that Aamir Khan is up to play none other than Baiju Bawra, but it would be pleasant news. Little known Krishna Shah is a Hollywood screenwriter who showed interest to bring Baiju Bawra wasn’t shown a green signal by Khan who was approached for the title role.
A few months ago, when Jeffrey Archer was in India to promote his book, “And Thereby Hangs A Tale”, he’d said that he was in talks with two Bollywood producers for converting a tale from the collection into a movie for the big screen. And DT now knows whom he has finalised.
Director Imtiaz Ali has been approached to direct the story, based on the life of Mumbai-based designer Nisha Jamwal and her husband. The story, called “Caste-Off”, is about how Nisha and her husband fell in love at a traffic signal in Delhi.
When Archer was touring India in May-June, he’d told a few dailies that this story is an “ideal Bollywood film”. He’d said, “It’s set in Mumbai and it’s a sad story with a happy ending. It’s a true story about a couple in Mumbai I met three years ago.” On the choices for casting, Jeffrey had said that people had recommended Abhishek Bachchan and Bipasha Basu for the lead roles, and even though he wasn’t sure about the casting, he saw them both as “great actors”.
But, it seems that Archer, who has now turned producer for the film, has different plans. Even though a Bachchan still gets to do the movie, it’s the female in the family. We hear that Archer and his team is keen that Aishwarya Rai Bachchan steps into the role of Nisha Jamwal and that Aamir Khan does her husband’s role.
Nisha did confirm that there has been positive movement for converting the story into a movie. The scripting work is expected to start soon, we believe. Nisha said, “Talks have been held with Imtiaz, but it’s too early to say anything else.”
The pre Diwali phase is hitting business badly as the new releases opened to very low numbers. Only Hisss managed to have face saving collections but only at select screens.
Jhootha Hi Sahi opened around the 35% mark and did not show much improvement in the evening as some romantic comedies do. The film has a fairly big investment which will be impossible to recover unless it has a miraculous turnaround.
Rakht Charitra opened at around the 25% mark and is likely to make little impact at the box office.
Dus Tola was very bad with 0-5% and will be out of theatres very quickly.
Aakrosh had an 11 crore nett week one and despite steady weekdays the overall collection is very low. FLOP
Knock Out also had steady weekdays but only a 4.25 crore nett week. DISASTER
Anjaani Anjaani added around 1.50 crore nett in its third week and will finish at 40.25 crore nett and a distributor share of 19.50 crore approx.
RGV announces his next, ‘Department’ starring Big B
Updated on Sunday, October 24, 2010, 20:25
Spicezee Bureau
Mumbai: Ram Gopal Verma announced his next venture, ‘Department’ starring Big B after his Vivek Oberoi starrer ‘ Rakta Charita’ garnered rave reviews. Now that Ramu is charged up with a renewed vigour, he is all set to make a hard hitting stylish action flick. Apart from Big B, the film will also star Abhishek Bachchan, Sanjay Dutt and Riteish Deshmukh. The multi-starrer film is all set to go on floors early next year.
On being asked by reporters as to what made the producer-director zero-in on a film like ‘Department’, RGV said, “‘Department’ is the other side of my own `Company` (Ajay Devgn, Vivek Oberoi). While `Company` was about the politics within underworld, `Department` is about politics within the police organisation itself. In underworld, there is this single person, a Don, who is the boss. In police, it is not an individual who is the boss. It is the department itself which is.”
“This is the reason why I am coining `Department` as a counterpoint of Don”, he added.
Apparently, some real like characters whom RGV had come across have inspired him to come up with a subject like ‘Department’. Narrating one of his experiences, RGV said, “A Police officer once lamented to me on how his department just uses him and officers like him when the going is bad and once done just wants to wash its hands off.”
Unlike other action films, ‘Department’ will have a very different appeal altogether. RGV plans to treat it in a stylish way. He said, “No. `Department` would be one of my most stylised action films ever though it would carry an intrinsic hard hitting appeal to it as well. I would be beginning to shoot in the month of April.”
By announcing Amitabh Bachchan’s involvement with `Department` RGV has nullified all rumors about his fall out with the legendary actor.
I hope this will make these mindless investors wary of splurging on such mindless investments. And on top of that, putting money on so called stars John Abraham ought to be kept in check and with pragmatism.
Jhootha Hi Sahi came out on top amongst all the releases this week but that is not to say that the film did well. The collections were very poor it was just the other films were even worse.
Jhootha Hi Sahi managed weekend business in 6 crore nett region. The film improved at multiplexes on Saturday by around 30% but it makes little difference to the overall outcome as business is so low. Single screens were extremely dull on all three days.
Hisss and Rakht Charitra were extremely poor all over apart from select single screens. Both films managed business of around 3.25 crore nett over their opening weekends.
Hisss and Rakht Charitra also had releases in regional languages. The other release Dus Tola had many show cancellations across the country as theatres recorded footfalls in single digit numbers.
‘Paranormal’ follow-up scares $41.5M out of fans
By DAVID GERMAIN, AP Movie Writer David Germain, Ap Movie Writer Sun Oct 24, 1:32 pm ET
LOS ANGELES – Fear has taken hold at the box office with a $41.5 million debut for scary movie “Paranormal Activity 2,” according to studio estimates Sunday.
Paramount Pictures’ follow-up to last year’s micro-budgeted hit “Paranormal Activity” got a jump on Halloween as fans packed theaters for another documentary-style thriller about a household plagued by a menacing spirit.
“Paranormal Activity 2″ did nearly half its business on Friday, following the pattern of many fright-flick franchises, which often draw big crowds on opening day then drop off sharply. The movie took in $20.1 million Friday, with receipts falling to $13 million Saturday and $8.4 million Sunday.
The first “Paranormal Activity” rolled out gradually from city to city in a stealth-marketing campaign that built the buzz for the independently produced thriller that was shot for less than $15,000.
By the time the movie went into nationwide release, it had turned into a horror sensation that went on to become a $100 million hit.
The first movie came out of nowhere, and follow-up films to similar surprise smashes sometimes fall flat, such as “The Blair Witch Project” sequel. In its publicity campaign, Paramount tried to maintain an air of mystery around “Paranormal Activity 2.”
“The challenge was to not make the mistake of some other movies of the past, and to treat it as its own very special entity. Even though we went wide with it, we tried to treat it a lot like the first one was treated from a publicity and marketing standpoint,” said Don Harris, the studio’s executive vice president for distribution.
Paramount also had the No. 2 movie with the stunt comedy “Jackass 3D,” which opened in first place the previous weekend. “Jackass 3D” pulled in $21.6 million, down sharply from its $50 million opening.
But the movie raised its 10-day total to $87.1 million, more than either of the earlier two “Jackass” movies took in during their entire runs.
Summit Entertainment’s action comedy “Red” held up well from its No. 2 debut a weekend earlier, slipping to third with $15 million and lifting its 10-day total to $43.5 million.
After opening Clint Eastwood and Matt Damon’s “Hereafter” in limited release a week earlier, Warner Bros. expanded the supernatural drama nationwide, and the film came in at No. 4 with $12 million.
That slightly exceeded the studio’s expectations, yet like most Eastwood dramas, it was a modest start. His films play to older adults who do not rush out on opening weekend in the same numbers as young crowds.
“Clint’s movies these days are more of a marathon than they are a sprint, so we’ll see how it plays out,” said Dan Fellman, head of distribution at Warner. “I always tell Clint, `Let’s not talk about the first weekend. Let’s talk about the third.’”
“Hereafter” played well in bigger cities but delivered softer business in some parts of the South and Midwest. That could be a sign that Bible Belt areas were not as interested in “Hereafter,” which deals with the afterlife in secular fashion without bringing God or religion into the picture.
The big opening for “Paranormal Activity 2″ sets up a rematch of last Halloween season, when the first “Paranormal Activity” dismembered an established horror franchise and “Saw VI” debuted weakly with the worst opening weekend in the series’ history.
Lionsgate went back to the drawing board for the seventh “Saw” movie, opening this Friday. “Saw 3D” brings back Cary Elwes from the franchise’s first movie and mixes other cast members from throughout the series, while trying to capitalize on fan appetite for flicks shot in 3-D.
“This is a bigger, more powerful `Saw,’ so to speak,” said Paul Dergarabedian, box-office analyst for Hollywood.com. “It kind of primes up audiences for a major Halloween smackdown battle of the horror films, but I think `Saw 3D’ is going to be a much more formidable opponent.”
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Hollywood.com. Final figures will be released Monday.
1. “Paranormal Activity 2,” $41.5 million.
2. “Jackass 3D,” $21.6 million.
3. “Red,” $15 million.
4. “Hereafter,” $12 million.
5. “The Social Network,” $7.3 million.
6. “Secretariat,” $6.9 million.
7. “Life as We Know It,” $6.2 million.
8. “Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole,” $3.2 million.
Archer is one of the best popular writers out there….I highly recommend his contemporary take on The Count of Monte Cristo called A Prisoner of Birth. I hope someone would make a Bollywood movie based on that, it would make a rollicking masala film.
It’s official! Prabhu Deva, the super-successful choreographer turned director, will direct a film for Sanjay Leela Bhansali. No, it wouldn’t be a musical, but – hold your breath – an out-and-out action film. That’s not all, Prabhu has also signed Amitabh Bachchan’s home-production, which is expected to star Abhishek Bachchan in the lead.
“Well, I am in talks with various production houses,” the media-shy Prabhu tells me, “But the first project to start will be produced by Sanjay Leela Bhansali. We hope to begin filming next year. In fact, a clearer picture will emerge in a week or two from now. Akshay Kumar will head the cast of this film.”
What about the sequel to WANTED? “Oh, I would love to direct it and am also waiting for it to happen,” he smiles. We are awaiting too!
Business Talk With Taran Adarsh
What ails the industry?
October 27, 2010 – 08:13 IST
So what troubles the industry? Poor scripts? Yes, but that’s not the only factor going against our movies. Wrong economics is another vital aspect. And it all starts with actors’ remuneration and film-makers getting overtly indulgent and over-spending on the making of their films. When the film is eventually complete, it carries the burden of a heavy price, which, most of the times, is difficult to recover due to the wrong costs.
In most cases, it’s not the film that fails, but the price that fails. Also, what we may consider ‘Hot’ within the industry may not necessarily be ‘Hot’ outside the industry. The avid moviegoer may not be as excited as we are about a film. That explains why we go completely wrong in our calculations. We sit in our ivory towers, feeling eternally optimistic that the junta would throng the cineplexes the moment the advance booking counters open, but we are in for a rude shock when our world comes crumbling down.
Also, it has been proved that very few solo hero films have the power to lure audiences to cineplexes. Solo Aamir, SRK, Salman, Hrithik, Ranbir and Akshay starrers have consistently opened well. Irrespective of how their films fare, the fact remains that they succeed in attracting patrons to cinema halls on Day 1 on the strength of their star power. Subsequently, the content of the film does the talking and star power takes a backseat.
That brings me to JHOOTHA HI SAHI, which was expected to repeat the success of JAANE TU YA JAANE NA. The industry was looking up to the film for varied reasons, but the content of the film proved a downer. Also, the wrong economics. Besides, a prominent film-maker made an extremely valid observation on John. People like to see him as a pin-up guy, as a star, not as a simpleton in films like AASHAYEIN and JHOOTHA HI SAHI.
Another reason that went against JHOOTHA HI SAHI was its wrong costing. The film was too expensive and John’s brawny shoulders couldn’t carry the burden of a weak script and heavy costs combined. Businesswise, the film is one of the major shockers of 2010.
RAKHT CHARITRA has been made in three versions [Hindi, Tamil and Telugu] and I am told that the makers will easily recover the costs of Part I from Telugu and Hindi versions. The Hindi version hasn’t garnered the figures that were expected from it, but the business of Telugu version is extra-ordinary.
HISSS attracted audiences at single screens, but the multiplex junta, which contributes a big chunk to the booty, stayed away. The film is weak in merits, but the generous skin show by Ms. Sherawat found its share of takers in U.P. and some centres. As for DUS TOLA, the film went completely unnoticed, adding to the tally of also-rans.
NEW DELHI: Close to Rs 100 crore is at stake for Bollywood during the Diwali weekend with two big budget movies, Golmaal 3 and Action Replayy, slated for debut that will set the tone for other significant releases next month.
For cinema theatres that tend to focus on cashing on the maximum during the opening weekend of a movie release, launch of a big film around a major holiday has become crucial for their revenue model. It also dictates fortunes for the Indian film industry that produces the most number of flicks in any single year around the world. “Movie buffs look forward to Diwali and Christmas as big movies are released during this time,” said trade analyst Taran Adarsh.
Although, the quantum of money at stake this year is just half of the production budget of the three movies released last Diwali, the industry would be hoping for a better show. While mega budget flick Blue and a mid-sized movie Main Aurr Mrs Khanna sank, another relatively big budget movie, All the Best, was the only one that managed to woo audiences last year.
Shree Ashtavinayak Cine Vision produced Golmaal 3 starring Ajay Devgn , Kareena Kapoor and Arshad Warsi will lock horns with Vipul Shah produced Action Replayy starring Akshay Kumar and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, for eyeballs. Golmaal 3 is being distributed by Eros International that recently raised money through a public issue of shares and PVR Pictures, a subsidiary of multiplex operator PVR Ltd , will distribute Action Replayy in India.
“We slotted Action Replayy for a Diwali release as it is a fun film and in sync with the festive spirit,” said producer & director Vipul Shah. Kamal Gianchandani, CEO of PVR Pictures said scheduling a film release during Diwali has to do with consumers’ willingness to spend on shopping and entertainment. Both the comedy movies will have wide release with an above average 1,800-2,000 prints with marketing budget of around `7-8 crore each, the same amount used to make a small budget film.
Rupen Amlani, director-marketing & distribution at Shree Ashtavinayak Cine Vision said the company has tied up with several brands for in-film placement and promotional tie-ups. These include Tupperware, Emami and Bagpiper among others. The multiplex industry executives believe if both the movies click with the audience, it could turn out to be one of the biggest weekend grossers for them this year, possibly surpassing the previous best during the Id weekend when Dabangg was released.
Following the two Diwali weekend releases in November, there will be Hrithik Roshan-Aishwarya Rai Bachchan starrer Guzarish besides movie Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 in 3D. December will see Farah Khan’s Tees Maar Khan starring Akshay Kumar.
October 22, 2010 at 10:38 AM
Top 3 Distributor Share Earners,
http://boxofficekings.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/Top-3.bmp
October 22, 2010 at 11:50 AM
note how a lot of this isn’t exactly rocket science. The historic grossers have the biggest shares. And of course it makes sense that Dabanng is ahead of Ghajini in this respect because it obviously wasn’t sold for the prices Ghajini was. Having said that for anyone to claim they know what the distributor shares are down to the last decimal is surely the stuff of fantasy! In a country where overall gross is not completely verifiable how does one get these numbers?!
October 22, 2010 at 1:23 PM
lol
October 22, 2010 at 1:53 PM
Satyam, it’s not down to the last decimal, but down to the last lakh!!!
October 22, 2010 at 2:29 PM
it means more or less the same! In India you can’t have that kind of exactitude!
October 22, 2010 at 11:56 AM
What does high/low Distributor share has to do with at what price the movie is sold ?
October 22, 2010 at 11:58 AM
If a distributor picks up a movies for Rs 10 and the movies makes Rs 18 he might be able to collect Rs 12 on it after all other costs are taken care of. On the other hand if he picks up a movie for Rs 6 and it makes Rs 15 he might makes more money here even though the overall gross was less.
October 22, 2010 at 7:47 PM
It’s more complicated on that. A distributor earns more from single screens compared to multiplexes. A single screen hit (like Wanted) will yield much higher distributor shares compared to a pure multiplex hit (OSO or Don for instance).
In the Wanted Vs OSO scenario, I suspect both yield the same distributor share (or perhaps Wanted trumps OSO) despite the former’s lesser gross.
October 22, 2010 at 9:30 PM
oh that’s true. then you have to account for India’s Byzantine tax system when it comes to these things. I was just offering a very general view. Because remember Ghajini wasn’t a single screen slouch either (as I’ve said before Dabanng might have matched 3I in terms of the week 1 total but it fell behind just Ghajini’s trending by 20 crores or so let alone 3I’s). The other thing is that while 3I itself was stronger in multiplexes it had to have done very well in single/double screens to have got to such a massive total. Finally not all single/double screens are the same. There are some historic single/double screen in major cities that are not too far from multiplexes in terms of capacity, these are rather impressive theaters. They’re not really like much smaller single screens elsewhwere in the same cities let alone those in smaller centers.
October 22, 2010 at 2:33 PM
New Releases Disappoint With Dull Initials
Friday 22nd October 2010 19.00 IST
Boxofficeindia.Com Trade Network
There were four releases this week and all had dull openings. Jhootha Hi Sahi was the biggest releases and opened around the 35% mark at multiplexes. Single screens had very bad figures.
Rakht Charitra opened to around 25% at multiplexes and single screens. There may have been better expectations from single screens due to the action but it could not find an audience in single screens also.
Hisss managed to find an audience at select single screens in some parts of the country with a 50% start but other single screens were 25% and multiplexes even lower.
Click Here!
Dus Tola was the worst of the lot with 0-5% and seems to be heading nowhere.
October 22, 2010 at 2:34 PM
B.O. update: Multiple releases eat into each others’ business
- By Taran Adarsh, October 22, 2010 – 21:51 IST
Four releases – RAKHT CHARITRA, JHOOTHA HI SAHI, HISSS and DUS TOLA – and the business seemed clearly divided. JHOOTHA HI SAHI opened marginally better at plexes of metros, while HISSS was poor at plexes but better at single screens of mass centres. The Telugu version of RAKHT CHARITRA fetched a flying start, but the Hindi version didn’t, while DUS TOLA went completely unnoticed. The films may generate some interest over the weekend in some sectors, but weekdays onwards, the films are not expected to sustain.
The pre-Diwali phase is expected to take a toll next week and the industry feels that the business on weekdays is expected to decline considerably.
October 22, 2010 at 2:35 PM
Top 5: ‘Aakrosh’, ‘Knock Out’ get knocked out
October 22, 2010 at 2:36 PM
Taran has this new thing now where certain Johar/Yashraj films get to average status all too easily but also he starts talking about satellite rights et al for the same. Wonder why certain other films are not shown the same courtesy!
October 22, 2010 at 3:43 PM
Chitti beats Chulbul Pandey and Rancho
October 22, 2010 at 4:33 PM
The reviews for RC seem mostly positive…
October 22, 2010 at 5:21 PM
yes… would check it out if I could see both in one go.
October 22, 2010 at 4:43 PM
http://www.hindustantimes.com/Filmi-small-wonders/Article1-616408.aspx
LSD
Budget: Rs 2 crore
Collection: Rs 7 crore (in the first week)
Peepli Live
Budget: Rs 12 crore
Collection: Rs 29.9 crore (till the third week)
Tere Bin Laden
Budget: Rs 5 crore
Collection: Rs 15 crore
Udaan
Budget: Rs 3 crore
Collection: Rs 8 crore
Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge
Budget: Rs 15 crores
Collection: Rs 30 crores
The big debacles
Veer
Budget: Rs 50 crore
Collection: Rs 48 crore
Aisha
Budget: Rs 20 crore
Collection: Rs 15 crore
Teen Patti
Budget: Rs 25 crore
Collection: Rs 10 crores (approx)
Raavan
Budget: Rs 35 crore
Collection: Rs 29 crore
Kites
Budget: Rs 60 crore
Collection: Rs 48 crore
October 22, 2010 at 5:21 PM
didn’t realize Udaan had made as much as 8 crores (wonder where they’ve got these numbers). It’s an excellent film.
October 22, 2010 at 5:29 PM
I think Udaan did 3 crore business. Tere Bin Laden did 8 crore.
October 22, 2010 at 5:47 PM
Agreed Satyam…Udaan was simply wonderful.
October 22, 2010 at 6:51 PM
I finally saw Dabangg and was mighty impressed. Both by the film (its setting & characters) and by Salman Khan. His Chulbul Pandey continues the trend of highly complex/interesting characters who have their roots in the hearland. Saif in Omkara, Akki in Tashan, Bachchan in Bunty Aur Babli. These characters are interesting because they are dual-edged; borrowing from the comic book universe, these men from the heartland are more close to the Joker, even if they happen to be the good guys.
Salman’s Chulbul Pandey only takes this legacy further. He’s a law by himself. Shoots his own ‘hawaldaar’ to score a point (and then offers him some money and a promotion in the hospital!), he’s the dude with the attitude. A ghost who can’t be put to rest — can’t be overpowered with bullets, brawn or treachery. He’s untouchable. Sort of like the Batman and the Joker combined. The only hint of his normalcy comes during his interaction with his mother. The familiar ‘masala’ trope that grounds the whole film and in turn, his character.
The title doesn’t literally mean ‘fearless’. That’s a synonym of the word. If I break ‘Dabangg’ down to its roots, I suspect it stands for ‘Dab+ Ang’ or a person whose exploits in the ‘akhada’ (the sand pit) gives him the privilege of having minions. Minions who in turn massage (‘daab’ or dabana in Hindi) his ‘Ang’ or biceps/torso. In that respect, it’s fitting that the climactic duel resembles a fight in the sand pit. Between two ‘dabangg’ leaders of their tribe. (there are explicit scenes featuring Sonu Sood inside a sand pit, practicing with something called a ‘mudgar’ in hindi). Abhinav Kashyap knows his ambience well.
He’s another addition to the impressive line-up of hindi film directors who hail from UP (Vishal Bharadwaj, Anurag Kashyap, Abhishek Chaubey etc). It’s quite possible that the released version of Dabangg is not the director’s cut. The film indeed seems rushed towards the end. Having said that, from the released version, it’s apparent that Abhinav Kashyap is pretty good at building atmosphere and has a good ear for dialogue. His attempt to embed modern sensibilities inside essentially a ‘masala’ universe (Chulbul Pandey’s uneasy relationship with his step-father; the slap that triggers his rage & his pledge) is intriguing. On the whole, I’m really glad that this film got made and I’ll be eagerly awaiting Abhinav Kashyap’s next…
October 22, 2010 at 7:16 PM
I thought they forgot to hire editor or he was in overdrive. Transition from One scene to another is so much jerky that I thought I can be a better director!
To me dabangg was a designer masala movie. If I want to see real craziness then I will prefer Kick-ass kind of movie.
October 22, 2010 at 9:33 PM
as I’ve said before I too found the editing very rough at points and wasn’t at all surprised to learn elsewhere that the film was longer (it’s even ten min short of 2 hrs currently! Gimme a break!) but apparently Salman felt a shorter film would be more suitable. I have no doubt that a director’s cut here would make for a much more even film.
October 22, 2010 at 7:22 PM
Udaan is a fine movie. Probably the best Hindi movie of the year for me. But then some people haven’t liked it.
October 22, 2010 at 7:27 PM
It’s written by Anurag Kashyap?
October 22, 2010 at 7:35 PM
Yep, along with the director. But I think main credit should go to director for fine execution and that too on debut.
October 22, 2010 at 7:32 PM
Let me add to the mix here. I’ve said this before but Udaan is easily one of the very best films of the year. It’s the first film from the indie-Hindi troupe that I’ve liked almost without qualification.
October 22, 2010 at 9:31 PM
I’m with you here.
October 23, 2010 at 12:08 AM
Udaan is one of my favorites of the year as well.
So far this year the films I’ve enjoyed the most are Udaan, Endhiran, Raavan and Dabanng.
October 23, 2010 at 12:09 AM
Abzee on RC and Sandy on JHS
http://epaper.sakaaltimes.com/SakaalTimes/23Oct2010/Enlarge/page11.htm
October 23, 2010 at 1:38 AM
thnks
October 23, 2010 at 10:16 AM
Hey rooney,
rooney is staying for another 5 year,
“what a u turn”
fergie is very smart and tell you what ,my hats off to him….
October 23, 2010 at 10:20 AM
BOI:
Jhoota Hi Sahi –
Jhootha Hi Sahi had an awful first day with just 1.50 crore nett business. A similar genre film Aisha had a near 3 crore nett first day a few months back.
Jhootha Hi Sahi is a 40 crore investment including P&A which makes the first day look even worse as the film may not even manage a 5 crore lifetime theatrical share from India the way it is going.
Comparatively the business was better in East Punjab and Mysore with 20 and 10 lakhs respectively but still it is very poor. Other circuits were extremely bad with Mumbai collecting 50 lakhs and Delhi/UP grossing 35 lakhs.
Rakht Charitra and Hiss –
Rakht Charitra and Hisss had very poor collections on day one. Hisss managed a good opening at some single screens but these screens have low collections so don’t change the overall scenario much.
Rakht Charitra collected 1 crore nett on its opening day with Mumbai contributing 40 lakhs and the Delhi/UP and East Punjab combined total being 30 lakhs. CI was 6 lakhs.
Hisss grossed around 1 crore nett on its opening day. Bihar, CP Berar and CI had the best collections. Multiplexes had a disastrous turnout.
October 23, 2010 at 12:24 PM
disappointed for abbas.. i had great hopes on bo also
October 23, 2010 at 11:03 AM
I thought John was ahead of Abhishek in top actor’ ranking from BOI.
October 23, 2010 at 11:11 AM
ha! Not just this, everyone loves to talk about Abhishek’s flops and so forth and I’m not saying obviously that the list hasn’t become rather too long at this point but note how RC opens and how SR opened. of course it’s a family thing there as well but also note how Rann opened (to point out the painfully obvious). meanwhile take D6 and Raavan. For different films that were rejected almost totally the totals for those films are pretty respectable. We saw what happened with Aakrosh recently. The film won’t do 10 crores probably. The point I’m trying to make is that if one of these different films clicks Abhishek could get a big number (i.e for genre). And I have noticed that he’s built enough prestige in this sense that there is a certain interest that his different films create despite the failures. Most recently I was surprised to learn that the KHJJS trailer had attracted a great deal of attention online. These essential factors have been in place with Abhishek for a while but he’s not been able to capitalize on them and of course eventually it starts hurting you with even your base in terms of the initial. But to paraphrase Zizek (most recently he makes a similar argument about China here) note how often those who are not exactly in his camp try extremely hard to either say he’s nowhere or keep bringing up ranking systems where even you and I are placed over him (!). This is the classic structure of anxiety. Why deny so much what one claims is otherwise obvious?! In other words does anyone spend so much time trying to prove John Abraham is not an important star?! Similarly you see folks online who are almost relieved if they discover another Abhishek flop (potentially or actually). So one might think the list is now long enough and no one would be bothered but people are. KHJJS cheers up such a crowd! Of course it would rather ironic if Gowariker managed to do here what Mehra and Rathnam recently could not!
October 23, 2010 at 12:47 PM
In absence of other sources, I still go by BOI numbers. They add or subtract a couple of crores to suit their agenda and correct it surreptitiously a few months later ( tho they are not able to escape the ever vigilant Munna’s eyes). But, their commentary is usaully worthless and poisonous.
Nahata is as big a whore as the Moron. So, I dont put any credence in what he syas.
IBOS has lost all respect and credibility with its brand of fascism tho it used to be decent.
Yakuza is MIA.
So ,all we are left with is BOI and Doga when he chooses to put up numbers.
October 23, 2010 at 2:03 PM
ah… didn’t realize Doga had his numbers too.. I guess those are what he put up the other day!
October 23, 2010 at 3:15 PM
Off topic – Obama’s visit to India
Barack and Michelle’s Mumbai darshan plans
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics/nation/Barack-and-Michelles-Mumbai-darshan-plans/articleshow/6797379.cms
October 23, 2010 at 4:47 PM
impressed by Michelle Obama’s Kamathipura thing.. on the rest the American president does seem like a monarch at times! Or I should say a lot of times!
October 24, 2010 at 9:17 AM
Aamir Khan is always known for his versatility all around whenever one comes around any film-buff. It’s absolutely true for one of the finest actors in the world who has been surprising everyone since time immemorial. He did DIL CHAHTA HAI immediately after LAGAAN, RANG DE BASANTI after MANGAL PANDEY, TAARE ZAMEEN PAR after FANAA and 3 IDIOTS after GHAJINI, do we need to say more?! So, it won’t be a surprise if one gets to know that Aamir Khan is up to play none other than Baiju Bawra, but it would be pleasant news. Little known Krishna Shah is a Hollywood screenwriter who showed interest to bring Baiju Bawra wasn’t shown a green signal by Khan who was approached for the title role.
http://www.filmitadka.in/20101024393/gossip/aamir-khan-delays-baiju-bawra.html
October 24, 2010 at 9:18 AM
HES RUMORED to sign a new film anytime.. and this one is reccomended by ar rahman.
October 24, 2010 at 1:47 PM
More Aamir movie rumors:
Aishwarya to play Jeffrey’s Nisha!
Garima Sharma, TNN, Oct 25, 2010, 12.10am IST
A few months ago, when Jeffrey Archer was in India to promote his book, “And Thereby Hangs A Tale”, he’d said that he was in talks with two Bollywood producers for converting a tale from the collection into a movie for the big screen. And DT now knows whom he has finalised.
Director Imtiaz Ali has been approached to direct the story, based on the life of Mumbai-based designer Nisha Jamwal and her husband. The story, called “Caste-Off”, is about how Nisha and her husband fell in love at a traffic signal in Delhi.
When Archer was touring India in May-June, he’d told a few dailies that this story is an “ideal Bollywood film”. He’d said, “It’s set in Mumbai and it’s a sad story with a happy ending. It’s a true story about a couple in Mumbai I met three years ago.” On the choices for casting, Jeffrey had said that people had recommended Abhishek Bachchan and Bipasha Basu for the lead roles, and even though he wasn’t sure about the casting, he saw them both as “great actors”.
But, it seems that Archer, who has now turned producer for the film, has different plans. Even though a Bachchan still gets to do the movie, it’s the female in the family. We hear that Archer and his team is keen that Aishwarya Rai Bachchan steps into the role of Nisha Jamwal and that Aamir Khan does her husband’s role.
Nisha did confirm that there has been positive movement for converting the story into a movie. The scripting work is expected to start soon, we believe. Nisha said, “Talks have been held with Imtiaz, but it’s too early to say anything else.”
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/bollywood/news-interviews/Aishwarya-to-play-Jeffreys-Nisha/articleshow/6804088.cms
October 24, 2010 at 2:37 PM
Interesting!
October 24, 2010 at 3:01 PM
OH NO!!!
After the *success* of this film, Aishwaraya will go down and give flops along with Imtiaz Ali
October 24, 2010 at 11:31 AM
Jhootha Hi Sahi Dull Hisss Fair At Single Screens
Saturday 23rd October 2010 09.00 IST
Boxofficeindia.Com Trade Network
The pre Diwali phase is hitting business badly as the new releases opened to very low numbers. Only Hisss managed to have face saving collections but only at select screens.
Jhootha Hi Sahi opened around the 35% mark and did not show much improvement in the evening as some romantic comedies do. The film has a fairly big investment which will be impossible to recover unless it has a miraculous turnaround.
Rakht Charitra opened at around the 25% mark and is likely to make little impact at the box office.
Dus Tola was very bad with 0-5% and will be out of theatres very quickly.
Aakrosh had an 11 crore nett week one and despite steady weekdays the overall collection is very low. FLOP
Knock Out also had steady weekdays but only a 4.25 crore nett week. DISASTER
Anjaani Anjaani added around 1.50 crore nett in its third week and will finish at 40.25 crore nett and a distributor share of 19.50 crore approx.
October 24, 2010 at 2:07 PM
Off topic but an interesting read
http://www.tehelka.com/story_main47.asp?filename=hub301010Abhinav.asp
October 24, 2010 at 4:16 PM
RGV announces his next, ‘Department’ starring Big B
Updated on Sunday, October 24, 2010, 20:25
Spicezee Bureau
Mumbai: Ram Gopal Verma announced his next venture, ‘Department’ starring Big B after his Vivek Oberoi starrer ‘ Rakta Charita’ garnered rave reviews. Now that Ramu is charged up with a renewed vigour, he is all set to make a hard hitting stylish action flick. Apart from Big B, the film will also star Abhishek Bachchan, Sanjay Dutt and Riteish Deshmukh. The multi-starrer film is all set to go on floors early next year.
On being asked by reporters as to what made the producer-director zero-in on a film like ‘Department’, RGV said, “‘Department’ is the other side of my own `Company` (Ajay Devgn, Vivek Oberoi). While `Company` was about the politics within underworld, `Department` is about politics within the police organisation itself. In underworld, there is this single person, a Don, who is the boss. In police, it is not an individual who is the boss. It is the department itself which is.”
“This is the reason why I am coining `Department` as a counterpoint of Don”, he added.
Apparently, some real like characters whom RGV had come across have inspired him to come up with a subject like ‘Department’. Narrating one of his experiences, RGV said, “A Police officer once lamented to me on how his department just uses him and officers like him when the going is bad and once done just wants to wash its hands off.”
Unlike other action films, ‘Department’ will have a very different appeal altogether. RGV plans to treat it in a stylish way. He said, “No. `Department` would be one of my most stylised action films ever though it would carry an intrinsic hard hitting appeal to it as well. I would be beginning to shoot in the month of April.”
By announcing Amitabh Bachchan’s involvement with `Department` RGV has nullified all rumors about his fall out with the legendary actor.
http://spicezee.zeenews.com/articles/story73845.htm
October 24, 2010 at 6:00 PM
Just caught Hulla Bol on TV.
A very satisfying film in a lot of ways.
October 24, 2010 at 11:49 PM
off-topic- Tendulkar only current player in ESPNcricinfo all-time World XI.
http://www.cricinfo.com/magazine/content/current/story/482936.html
October 25, 2010 at 12:42 AM
Jhoota hi Sahi will suffer losses of around 30-35 cr, joins the ranks of the likes of Kites/Drona.
Total cost associated was 40+ cr.(As movie was made during boom time).
October 25, 2010 at 1:19 AM
I hope this will make these mindless investors wary of splurging on such mindless investments. And on top of that, putting money on so called stars John Abraham ought to be kept in check and with pragmatism.
October 25, 2010 at 7:18 AM
Weekend Business: Jhootha Hi Sahi Leads
Monday 25th October 2010 16.00 IST
Boxofficeindia.Com Trade Network
Jhootha Hi Sahi came out on top amongst all the releases this week but that is not to say that the film did well. The collections were very poor it was just the other films were even worse.
Jhootha Hi Sahi managed weekend business in 6 crore nett region. The film improved at multiplexes on Saturday by around 30% but it makes little difference to the overall outcome as business is so low. Single screens were extremely dull on all three days.
Hisss and Rakht Charitra were extremely poor all over apart from select single screens. Both films managed business of around 3.25 crore nett over their opening weekends.
Hisss and Rakht Charitra also had releases in regional languages. The other release Dus Tola had many show cancellations across the country as theatres recorded footfalls in single digit numbers.
October 25, 2010 at 7:31 AM
‘Paranormal’ follow-up scares $41.5M out of fans
By DAVID GERMAIN, AP Movie Writer David Germain, Ap Movie Writer Sun Oct 24, 1:32 pm ET
LOS ANGELES – Fear has taken hold at the box office with a $41.5 million debut for scary movie “Paranormal Activity 2,” according to studio estimates Sunday.
Paramount Pictures’ follow-up to last year’s micro-budgeted hit “Paranormal Activity” got a jump on Halloween as fans packed theaters for another documentary-style thriller about a household plagued by a menacing spirit.
“Paranormal Activity 2″ did nearly half its business on Friday, following the pattern of many fright-flick franchises, which often draw big crowds on opening day then drop off sharply. The movie took in $20.1 million Friday, with receipts falling to $13 million Saturday and $8.4 million Sunday.
The first “Paranormal Activity” rolled out gradually from city to city in a stealth-marketing campaign that built the buzz for the independently produced thriller that was shot for less than $15,000.
By the time the movie went into nationwide release, it had turned into a horror sensation that went on to become a $100 million hit.
The first movie came out of nowhere, and follow-up films to similar surprise smashes sometimes fall flat, such as “The Blair Witch Project” sequel. In its publicity campaign, Paramount tried to maintain an air of mystery around “Paranormal Activity 2.”
“The challenge was to not make the mistake of some other movies of the past, and to treat it as its own very special entity. Even though we went wide with it, we tried to treat it a lot like the first one was treated from a publicity and marketing standpoint,” said Don Harris, the studio’s executive vice president for distribution.
Paramount also had the No. 2 movie with the stunt comedy “Jackass 3D,” which opened in first place the previous weekend. “Jackass 3D” pulled in $21.6 million, down sharply from its $50 million opening.
But the movie raised its 10-day total to $87.1 million, more than either of the earlier two “Jackass” movies took in during their entire runs.
Summit Entertainment’s action comedy “Red” held up well from its No. 2 debut a weekend earlier, slipping to third with $15 million and lifting its 10-day total to $43.5 million.
After opening Clint Eastwood and Matt Damon’s “Hereafter” in limited release a week earlier, Warner Bros. expanded the supernatural drama nationwide, and the film came in at No. 4 with $12 million.
That slightly exceeded the studio’s expectations, yet like most Eastwood dramas, it was a modest start. His films play to older adults who do not rush out on opening weekend in the same numbers as young crowds.
“Clint’s movies these days are more of a marathon than they are a sprint, so we’ll see how it plays out,” said Dan Fellman, head of distribution at Warner. “I always tell Clint, `Let’s not talk about the first weekend. Let’s talk about the third.’”
“Hereafter” played well in bigger cities but delivered softer business in some parts of the South and Midwest. That could be a sign that Bible Belt areas were not as interested in “Hereafter,” which deals with the afterlife in secular fashion without bringing God or religion into the picture.
The big opening for “Paranormal Activity 2″ sets up a rematch of last Halloween season, when the first “Paranormal Activity” dismembered an established horror franchise and “Saw VI” debuted weakly with the worst opening weekend in the series’ history.
Lionsgate went back to the drawing board for the seventh “Saw” movie, opening this Friday. “Saw 3D” brings back Cary Elwes from the franchise’s first movie and mixes other cast members from throughout the series, while trying to capitalize on fan appetite for flicks shot in 3-D.
“This is a bigger, more powerful `Saw,’ so to speak,” said Paul Dergarabedian, box-office analyst for Hollywood.com. “It kind of primes up audiences for a major Halloween smackdown battle of the horror films, but I think `Saw 3D’ is going to be a much more formidable opponent.”
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Hollywood.com. Final figures will be released Monday.
1. “Paranormal Activity 2,” $41.5 million.
2. “Jackass 3D,” $21.6 million.
3. “Red,” $15 million.
4. “Hereafter,” $12 million.
5. “The Social Network,” $7.3 million.
6. “Secretariat,” $6.9 million.
7. “Life as We Know It,” $6.2 million.
8. “Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole,” $3.2 million.
9. “The Town,” $2.7 million.
10. “Easy A,” $1.8 million.
October 25, 2010 at 1:28 PM
Archer is one of the best popular writers out there….I highly recommend his contemporary take on The Count of Monte Cristo called A Prisoner of Birth. I hope someone would make a Bollywood movie based on that, it would make a rollicking masala film.
October 25, 2010 at 1:58 PM
haven’t read his version but Monte Cristo is a work I love and I too have long felt this would make a good masala movie. Something related here:
http://satyamshot.wordpress.com/2009/05/27/the-count-of-monte-cristo-across-three-cultures/
October 25, 2010 at 6:27 PM
on Enthiran…
http://www.behindwoods.com/tamil-movies-slide-shows/movie-4/top-ten-movies/tamil-cinema-topten-movie-endhiran.html
October 25, 2010 at 11:29 PM
Bhansali – Prabhu Deva join hands
By Taran Adarsh, October 26, 2010 – 08:42 IST
It’s official! Prabhu Deva, the super-successful choreographer turned director, will direct a film for Sanjay Leela Bhansali. No, it wouldn’t be a musical, but – hold your breath – an out-and-out action film. That’s not all, Prabhu has also signed Amitabh Bachchan’s home-production, which is expected to star Abhishek Bachchan in the lead.
“Well, I am in talks with various production houses,” the media-shy Prabhu tells me, “But the first project to start will be produced by Sanjay Leela Bhansali. We hope to begin filming next year. In fact, a clearer picture will emerge in a week or two from now. Akshay Kumar will head the cast of this film.”
What about the sequel to WANTED? “Oh, I would love to direct it and am also waiting for it to happen,” he smiles. We are awaiting too!
http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/news/2010/10/26/14834/index.html
October 26, 2010 at 2:48 AM
Midweek B.O.: ‘JHS’ disaster, ‘RC’ dull, ‘Hisss’ better at some single screens
October 27, 2010 at 7:40 AM
Business Talk With Taran Adarsh
What ails the industry?
October 27, 2010 – 08:13 IST
So what troubles the industry? Poor scripts? Yes, but that’s not the only factor going against our movies. Wrong economics is another vital aspect. And it all starts with actors’ remuneration and film-makers getting overtly indulgent and over-spending on the making of their films. When the film is eventually complete, it carries the burden of a heavy price, which, most of the times, is difficult to recover due to the wrong costs.
In most cases, it’s not the film that fails, but the price that fails. Also, what we may consider ‘Hot’ within the industry may not necessarily be ‘Hot’ outside the industry. The avid moviegoer may not be as excited as we are about a film. That explains why we go completely wrong in our calculations. We sit in our ivory towers, feeling eternally optimistic that the junta would throng the cineplexes the moment the advance booking counters open, but we are in for a rude shock when our world comes crumbling down.
Also, it has been proved that very few solo hero films have the power to lure audiences to cineplexes. Solo Aamir, SRK, Salman, Hrithik, Ranbir and Akshay starrers have consistently opened well. Irrespective of how their films fare, the fact remains that they succeed in attracting patrons to cinema halls on Day 1 on the strength of their star power. Subsequently, the content of the film does the talking and star power takes a backseat.
That brings me to JHOOTHA HI SAHI, which was expected to repeat the success of JAANE TU YA JAANE NA. The industry was looking up to the film for varied reasons, but the content of the film proved a downer. Also, the wrong economics. Besides, a prominent film-maker made an extremely valid observation on John. People like to see him as a pin-up guy, as a star, not as a simpleton in films like AASHAYEIN and JHOOTHA HI SAHI.
Another reason that went against JHOOTHA HI SAHI was its wrong costing. The film was too expensive and John’s brawny shoulders couldn’t carry the burden of a weak script and heavy costs combined. Businesswise, the film is one of the major shockers of 2010.
RAKHT CHARITRA has been made in three versions [Hindi, Tamil and Telugu] and I am told that the makers will easily recover the costs of Part I from Telugu and Hindi versions. The Hindi version hasn’t garnered the figures that were expected from it, but the business of Telugu version is extra-ordinary.
HISSS attracted audiences at single screens, but the multiplex junta, which contributes a big chunk to the booty, stayed away. The film is weak in merits, but the generous skin show by Ms. Sherawat found its share of takers in U.P. and some centres. As for DUS TOLA, the film went completely unnoticed, adding to the tally of also-rans.
October 27, 2010 at 7:51 AM
Rs 100 crore at stake for Bollywood this Diwali
NEW DELHI: Close to Rs 100 crore is at stake for Bollywood during the Diwali weekend with two big budget movies, Golmaal 3 and Action Replayy, slated for debut that will set the tone for other significant releases next month.
For cinema theatres that tend to focus on cashing on the maximum during the opening weekend of a movie release, launch of a big film around a major holiday has become crucial for their revenue model. It also dictates fortunes for the Indian film industry that produces the most number of flicks in any single year around the world. “Movie buffs look forward to Diwali and Christmas as big movies are released during this time,” said trade analyst Taran Adarsh.
Although, the quantum of money at stake this year is just half of the production budget of the three movies released last Diwali, the industry would be hoping for a better show. While mega budget flick Blue and a mid-sized movie Main Aurr Mrs Khanna sank, another relatively big budget movie, All the Best, was the only one that managed to woo audiences last year.
Shree Ashtavinayak Cine Vision produced Golmaal 3 starring Ajay Devgn , Kareena Kapoor and Arshad Warsi will lock horns with Vipul Shah produced Action Replayy starring Akshay Kumar and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, for eyeballs. Golmaal 3 is being distributed by Eros International that recently raised money through a public issue of shares and PVR Pictures, a subsidiary of multiplex operator PVR Ltd , will distribute Action Replayy in India.
“We slotted Action Replayy for a Diwali release as it is a fun film and in sync with the festive spirit,” said producer & director Vipul Shah. Kamal Gianchandani, CEO of PVR Pictures said scheduling a film release during Diwali has to do with consumers’ willingness to spend on shopping and entertainment. Both the comedy movies will have wide release with an above average 1,800-2,000 prints with marketing budget of around `7-8 crore each, the same amount used to make a small budget film.
Rupen Amlani, director-marketing & distribution at Shree Ashtavinayak Cine Vision said the company has tied up with several brands for in-film placement and promotional tie-ups. These include Tupperware, Emami and Bagpiper among others. The multiplex industry executives believe if both the movies click with the audience, it could turn out to be one of the biggest weekend grossers for them this year, possibly surpassing the previous best during the Id weekend when Dabangg was released.
Following the two Diwali weekend releases in November, there will be Hrithik Roshan-Aishwarya Rai Bachchan starrer Guzarish besides movie Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 in 3D. December will see Farah Khan’s Tees Maar Khan starring Akshay Kumar.