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575 Responses to “Don 2, the rest of the box office”
SM, I’m answering your Aarakshan question in this thread as I’ve closed off the older one for this current thing…
never got around to it.. the thing is that once I wait too long I lose the motivation.. then thought of doing a more thematic piece based on some of the problems I had with the film but didn’t get around to this either. ideally I’d like to watch it again before doing so.
The thing is that it’s a politically confused film even though it tries to be more progressive in many ways. There’s a certain incoherence at its heart. The strongest moment for me was when Saif’s character raises the very profound question about how historical iniquities cannot be resolved through acts of charity. bachchan’s character really has no answer for this. But the film never really explores this question even otherwise. In fact Saif’s character disappears for a large stretch, when he returns he’s lost his edge. Meanwhile Bachchan is the grand liberal of the film but as opposed to his liberalism being earned or growing organically out of the script the director performs the by now common move where to bring forth his point he relies on the prestige of ‘Amitabh Bachchan’ who of course transcends these divisions. In this sense the film operates at a level of abstraction. Leaving aside the whole shift in emphasis from the larger political question as manifested in prestigious institutions to the commercialization of education represented by tuition centers the film is never specific enough on its political critique. So it’s abstraction where it’s not coherent. Don’t mean to be too harsh on a film that I otherwise found quite gripping and in fact preferred it to Rajneeti overall. The latter too was incoherent and betrayed the same schizoid tendencies and it too was very entertaining. On bachchan’s performance think this was one of his better ones in recent times but not one that surprised me anywhere which is what I look for from a star-actor who’s done it all. and he still has the ability to do this provided he gets the right kind of writing to inspire him. Otherwise he’s still superb at what he does but the bar for him is higher in my mind. As it ought to be.
Thanks, Satyam. Your take on the film is more or less the same as mine. I think the problems you have pointed out with it are inevitable when large scale societal issues are personified by individual characters. They become of necessity somewhat black and white, and lose nuance. On Bachchan’s performance, as you said, it was good — but I expect no less from him (I guess he can turn in a bad performance, too, such as in Black, which has more to do with the director than the actor). But more than his character, I was extremely annoyed with his character, which was a poorly written one. I don’t know why Indian films (and even novels) always portray a “strong” character by depicting a tyrant. Passion and commitment to a cause can go hand in hand with sensitivity and consideration for others, but somehow that kind of “strong” character never makes it on screen or on to the page. That was my biggest disappointment and complaint with the film (as well as all the really elementary mathematical gaffes this supposedly eminent professor of mathematics makes, but I let that pass ).
Good points both ways there^^^^
“a “strong” character by depicting a tyrant..”—again a worthy point
Where does his character lose ‘sensitivity ‘or ‘consideration’ -plz elaborate-beneath the brooding intensity also culminatin sometimes in loud behaviour, did he not have an element of ‘fairness’ and ‘consideration’ for eg for the ‘disadvantaged’ classes so he took the difficult hot way out (for him )
The problem with this type of subject is the really complex sociocultural discourse which becomes difficult to address accurately in a box office (&censor) friendly manner
Yes -this had many problems but a worthy well intentioned effort nonetheless
“the really elementary mathematical gaffes this supposedly eminent professor of mathematics makes”–plz educate
He wasn’t very sensitive or considerate toward his wife’s or daughter’s needs — he had several opportunities to have a decent lifestyle, even after losing his home & his job, but he stubbornly (“pigheadedly” is what I would prefer ) stayed on his high horse of his “principles” and deprived them. His principles would not have been compromised in any way by taking his friend’s help.
Mathematical gaffes — can’t remember them all now, but the most egregious one was when he was doing a problem where a fraction with 4 – q appearing in the denominator. He asks the class what would happen if q=4 (an absolute no no in mathematics), and, when a student proceeds to “solve” the problem on that basis, compliments him on his astuteness. Aargh! Other problems were the way he read equations — there is a convention to how they are read, so as to communicate the mathematical sense of them, but he read them as someone just reading the letters and symbols, with absolutely no clue as to their meaning. That was of course true for the actor, but not the character.
“His principles would not have been compromised in any way by taking his friend’s help.”—agree
but real “principles” are not subject to tweaking or modification when “convenient”
they are then called “tactful stance”
rather than “principle”
“(an absolute no no in mathematics)”—yes, that is in “conventional mathemematics”
not expecting prakash jha to be alluding to those, but this is still possible in “abstract algebra”
btw dont remember well off hand but-
Any number system that forms a commutative ring — for in, eg the integers, the real numbers, and the complex numbers — to create a “wheel” in which division by zero is always possible; however, in such a case, “division” has a slightly different meaning.
vvv ha
well, agree but if they were to apply those sort of plausibility and “authenticity” criteria in bollywood, most movies will ‘fail’
also many hollywood ones
MI 4 is hardly the leader in this but picked up ‘left hand drives’ in bombay!!
Anyhow, in these things my bar for bollywood is relatively low. aarakshan, to give them credit, they were teaching “actual” mathematics in a “mathematics” class and not the various chapters of kama sutra!!! hahaha
I personally found Aarakshan quite enjoyable and a fulfilling experience even if it didnt quite scale the heights of recent classics like BG,Veer,London Dreams etc and even if AB didnt come up with a superlative performance a la Salman in BG.
Amitabh ‘bad’ in Black ???? That takes the cake AND the chocolate factory!!!!!
I dont think your liking for Salman invalidates your critiques of other films and stars but if someone finds Lalita Pawar sexy, then I would take that persons critique on Ash’s beauty with a truck load of salt. Just sayin.
Satyam, noticed Dev/ Hema’s “Jaaneman” listed under Auteur’s corner on your blog. Unfortunately, the DVD that I bought on my last holiday in India is stuck – does not work – supposed to be an original DVD! I was looking forward to seeing this movie again as I have hazy recollections of good songs and some good moments. Obviously your DVD has worked. Can u pls let me know the company that produced the DVD you own?
BACKGROUND INFO
There was 4 shows in my local area and for premiere shows that is very impressive. I planned to watch the film on 2D but due to arriving late and all the shows being sold out I had to settle for the 3D late night show.
AUDIENCE REACTION
People from all ages (film is a 12A) came and from what I could gather it was a very positive response from the audience. The film is quite lengthy but I never felt it drag and the pace was bang on for such a film.
The film starts off with a group of gangsters (drug mafia people) plotting to kill Don (SRK). Don arrives and in such an arrogant way takes care of everyone and anyone who stands in his way. The character of Don is not someone who is strong and powerful (John in Force) or Salman in Wanted where he beats up the goons left right and center. Don weighs up the opposition and calculates his each and every move and the consequences are devastating as can be seen with the opening sequence in the film.
The film like I said never drags and this is what works for the film. As soon as the pace drops due to a lengthy conversation or some little romance then BANG the film picks up again. Perfect for such a genre.
The jail sequences in Malaysia are shot well and the confrontation of Don and Vradhaan (Boman Irani) is an exciting one. Lara is introduced via the one song in the film and my word she looks HOTTT but this is one of the most insignificant roles she has played till date.
The film really takes off once Don and Vradhaan concoct a plan to steal plates from Berlin and some smart flashbacks are incorporated into the proceedings of which the writers and Farhan deserve credit (will list these below under spoilers)
Once they begin work on their plan other characters are introduced and not one person according to me with the exception of Lara (lack of scope failed). This is the strong point of the film that along with a solid script the characters keep the proceedings going.
I loved Hrithk Roshan’s 3 min appearance and I must confess I didn’t click on until the final moment…. (don’t want to spoil it for others)
The intermission comes at the perfect point where Don has everything in place for his robbery and where Roma (Priyanka Chopra) is gathering details on who may be involved in the mission with Don.
The climax for me worked but it almost fell apart only for the twist at the end which suggests that if this clicks (and it should) then a third installment of Don is in the pipeline.
PERFORMANCES
1) SRK – Star of the show and looks soo much better than what he did in Ra-1. That film seems a long way back after having watched Don 2 because he looks healthy and is back to his energetic self. Yes sometimes he would go over the top especially with his exchanges with Priyanka but I guess that can be overlooked. One of his best works in terms of action scenes.
2) Boman Irani – loved his attitude in the jail sequences in Malaysia and he made the whole cinema laugh when he is yawning and looking bored listening to Dr Schinider.
3) Priyanka Chopra – am sorry to say this and I know I shouldn’t but I just couldn’t get past her nose unless she was wearing shades and it was a long distance shot. I mean why did she have to fool around with her nose. Anyway so that I don’t rant any further she is competent in her role and loved her towards the end where she beats up a few guyz lol
4) Abdul Jabbar – tried finding his name but to no avail (if my memory serves me right he is Preity Zinta’s brother in Janemaan). My word he is fantastic in his role. He is a tall muscular guy and he uses that to his advantage. In the film his profession dictates who he is but he does a fine job. Good casting if ever there was one
5) The rest including Kunal Kapoor, Lara Dutta, Om Puri etc do what is required and nothing much else.
BEST SCENES
1) The opening fight sequence
2) The car chase sequence between Don and Roma
3) The way SRK handles himself in prison and how he and Boman escape
4) The LAST scene post the climax
I know many hyped up the fall that SRK does from 30 feet up or something but it did nothing for me and could have been done better.
WHAT COULD GO AGAINST THE FILM (My opinions)
- Music is a letdown and that is putting it mildly. There is only one song and then another with the rolling credits but they are BAD.
- No punchy dialogues. The original Don and many of the recent successful action films have had memorable dialogues but I couldn’t think of great ones in Don 2.
- The film is like a Hollywood film but without being one if that makes sense (like Kites). It looks classy and reminded me of several Hollywood films I’ve seen over the years namely the Bourne films. The film won’t connect with the masses. In the multiplex it should do well and will be interesting to see how it fares along with MI4. Overseas it should do very well and it really has embarked upon a great start in England.
Rating 4/5 but if I wanted to be more specific lol then a weak 4/5 and strong 3.5 oh what the heck 3.75 it is
P.S I reviewed Ra1 and predicted how it would crash and that is exactly what happened. Here the opposite will happen as the film will collect handsomely and should earn over 115+ (now that could be anywhere from 115 above)
SPOLIERS
The way Singhania is linked to the film and how Diwan and the president of Germany (I think lol) made a deal to assasinate another potential candidate.
SRK knows this information and this is how he goes about blackmailing him and stealing those plates.
Thanks for review Naveed! After the first trailer I haven’t been that excited to watch this movie. Usually if its a SRK movie i get geeked up to watch it. But i havent even watched RaOne yet and probably won’t be. I’ve watched every SRK movie previously. I will probably watch this one too but will wait for the DVD.
As for SRK, he needs this film to click and do atleast 120cr..and i think this film will start not so hot and then spread and trend really well if going by initial reports it is liked.
Thanx for the review Naveed
Seems my initial impression is right. Also the tweets have been positive overall from the uk screening
From the first promo, have always maintained that this will be a good film And inspite of don2 being ridiculed after the MI4 screening by folks, will be checkin this one out.
Seems farhan akhtar/Srk have now got a real franchise that can last upto part4/5.
Finally the ‘wait’ for the Srk fans seem to be over.
All the ‘false starts’, retrograde and premature ‘ejaculation’@ ra1 is a thing of the past. So orgasmic time for Srk die hards like oldgold(karankumar)-enjoy
“Old Gold was a class act in comparision
and even otherwise.”
agree
as always–being frank and blunt-this blog is sort of missing her in true glory….
as for “karankumar”: (s)he still has to prove her “manhood” or show ‘it’ to us
hahaha–joking
and till then she IS “oldgold” for all practical purposes lol
btw karankumar—who are your favorite actors/ actresses in bollywood and what are your views on aamir khan and srk–just out of academic interest
To add–
Another anecdotal review from an Srk fan who checked it out in uk.
She felt that this was’ srks best after Chak de’ in her words.
(though her liking can be affected by many other diversions, but still..)
But what has really impressed me from these initial reports is the multitasking capability of farhan akhtar–its ok to double up as actor-producer but to be involved in multiple projects, some as an actor, and directing a film of this scale that also has 3d component that has timelines-brilliant!!
btw two “concepts” that i have really liked from bollywood this year–
“Jungli jawaani
Jungli Billi”
incidentally like these “concepts” myself quite a lot
hohoho
Naveed—again your detailed review was good
but mate, dont agree that Lara dutta(now) and kareena kapoor are “hot”….u need to “cool down”–haha
arsh khera—congrats–your wait for an srk hit seems over; don2
seems like a 130+ project (atleast)
btw regarding changing ids/genders :a basic question from u:if the other day,u change your id/name to Megan fox, u wont suddenly grow boobs and lose your “manhood” suddenly—know what i mean—lol—enjoy
Elementary, my dear watson…..
SRK, despite all the flaws and backlash that he received for R a.One, is one of the stars for whom a film’s collections might just shoot up if the film is even decent.
Case in point : Chak de India.
If Don 2 is even half as good as what Naveed described (I believe that like many others, he’s neutral on SRK), there are good things in store for the film.
Don 2 seems to carry positive intial reports and the movie seems atleast decent if not better. This could be a good litmus test of SRK’s star power. If it is undiminsihed, then it should carry the movie past the crapfest BG. OTOH, if indeed it has suffered after MNIK and Ra.One as some of us claim, it may not do much more than a 100 crores. Should be interesting.
If according to your yardstick, 100 Cr (plus/minus) is a sign of a diminished stardom, then what does 15 Cr (plus/minus) imply ?
What is good for the goose is good for the gander. Please use the same yardstick (standard) for everyone (all stars, all wanna be stars). Don’t selectively impose a higher standard on some and lower the bar for others.
I can understand if you would like to lower the bar a little for new enterants like Ranveer Singh (new talent has to be nourished and encouraged), but for the rest use the same standard.
So that this discussion does not become open ended, let’s once again re-state that we are discussing the yardstick which measures 100 Cr as diminished stardom.
well..it is definately not massy enough..so expecting it to cross BG would be too much..considering its not a family movie..no songs..no comedy..so 150 crore is like doing a 3 idiots here..it shud be compared to ZNMD and the like..obviously it should better them comprehensively..130-140 with very good appreciation is what i predict
Don 2 has had a good advance though it is not comparable to Bodyguard and Ra.One which had sold much more tickets in advance. If we compare with Ready then it is better at multiplexes than that film but not single screens. The film will put up big numbers at multiplexes across the country.
The single screen advance is lower, normally the good single screens in Delhi like Liberty and Vishaal are close to being booked out for day one by the big event films but here just 40-50% tickets are gone. These theatres are advance theatres and take the best advance bookings in the country.
In the metros the film is being helped by the 3D version which has strong bookings but at many other places pricing is playing spoil sport where more bookings are coming in for the cheaper tickets rather than the 3D ones which are priced 70-80% more than 2D at places especially in the morning shows. As there is a Tamil and Telugu version for the film, it will be the second biggest release of 2011 after Ra.One hitting 3000 plus screens.
Don 2 Advance Booking Report In Mumbai
by Shabdita Shrivastav (December 22, 2011)
Advance booking for Don 2 opened on Wednesday. Following is what exhibitors and distributors in Mumbai had to say
Rajesh Thadani, Distributor, Multimedia Combines
Advance bookings for Don 2 are already 60 to 70 per cent. The night shows have received a better response, and people are opting for 3D over 2D. We can expect the film to have a great opening.
Manoj Desia, owner of G7 Multiplex and Maratha Mandir
Shows for Don 2 on Friday, Saturday and Sunday are house full in Gaiety Galaxy, and Maratha Mandir. The film will do well in 2D since the common man does not understand the technicalities of 3D. And personally, I too I don’t believe in 3D. As far as my cinemas are concerned, people are willing to watch the film in 2D.
Chintu Jeetubhai Kapdi, Exhibitor, Surat
Advance bookings have been so-so, and the response in single-screens is better. In Surat, there are two single-screen cinemas, Rupam and Maharaja, and booking has been approximately 20 per cent at both cinemas. Since the audience liked the first Don, we can expect the film to take a good opening. Advance bookings have been lower in multiplexes.
J S Popat, Exhibitor, Mumbai
Advance booking for the film has not received a good response. My cinema in Nalasopara opened bookings on Tuesday but we have sold tickets worth Rs 400 only and our cinema Empress in Vapi has drawn a blank so far. But still, single-screens will earn more business from the film’s opening compared to multiplexes. There is no craze for the film here at all. Also, compared to the advance booking for RA.One, Don 2 is nowhere. Overall, advance booking in Mumbai it is less than 5 per cent. But despite this, the film will receive a good opening and will do good business.
Don 2 – Advance Booking Report At Multiplex Chains
by Shabdita Shrivastav and Aatmi Doshi (December 21, 2011)
Mukesh Unchade, PVR Cinemas
Being the first day of advance booking, it’s been very slow but it will eventually pick up. People are looking forward to Shah Rukh Khan’s next after RA.One.
Satish Kondvikar, Inox
Advance booking for Don 2 is 20 to 22 per cent at almost all Inox properties. But there are still two days left for the film to release. Bookings will shoot up.
Suditpo Pal, Fame Cinemas
Advance booking opened at 10 to 15 per cent. Nowadays, things are very different and advance booking are not an indicator of a film’s potential business. One must go by current bookings. The movie is going to be a super-hit.
Harshad, Cinemax
Advance booking for Don 2 is pretty decent, at approximately 30 per cent. The opening of the film is going to be far better than the advance booking suggests. Being a festive period, the release date is positive for the film, and people will watch it because it’s a Shah Rukh Khan film.
Prakash Narayan Tendurkar, Broadway
Advance booking for the film has only just begun at all Broadway properties. The movie will work only because of its star cast. There are even 3D shows in our Vasai property.
Nitin Tanbat, Big Cinemas
The advance booking of Don 2 is very good, at 60 to 70 per cent. The movie is going to be in the Top 10 hits of the 2011.
Don 2 Advance Booking Report In Delhi
by Shabdita Shrivastav (December 22, 2011)
Sanjay Ghai, Distributor, Mukta Arts
Advance booking for Don 2 has been good so far, and 80 per cent of the tickets have been sold for the weekend. There is no difference in the response to 2D and 3D or between single-screens and multiplexes.
G D Mehta, Distributor, Bobby Arts International
It’s been better than the advance booking for RA.One. For 3D shows, the response will be better in multiplexes than single-screens, but overall, the film is likely to do more business in multiplexes than single-screen cinemas.
Sanjiv Khosla, Exhibitor, Delhi
Advance bookings for Don 2 were Rs 9 lakh till yesterday and we are expecting it to go up. Till now, bookings have been 50 per cent. The film is expected to do better in single-screens than multiplexes. The middle class audience does not want to spend a lot of money on watching a film in multiplexes.
Kali Charan Sharma, Exhibitor, Delhi-UP
There is no trend in the advance booking in Saharanpur. But we can expect Don 2 to take a good opening due to its strong star cast. The film will do good business in multiplexes and single-screens. As far as Saharanpur is concerned, there are no 3D cinemas here, only single-screens.
Don 2 Advance Booking Report From CI
by Shabdita Shrivastav (December 22, 2011)
Monto Aditya Choksey, Distributor, Red Son Enterprises, CI
It will receive an opening like any other super-star film. Since 3D is new, people are opting to watch it in 3D over 2D. We do not have advance booking in single-screens but there are a lot of inquiries about the film. However, the response in multiplexes is much better than in single-screens.
Ashok Choudhary, Distributor, Neha Movies
Usually there is no trend of advance booking in cities like Indore and Gwalior. However, the film will do better among A Class audiences than B Class audiences. The 3D shows will attract a good response, especially in multiplexes.
S K Banerjee, Exhibitor, CI
Advance booking has been 50 per cent till now. The night and matinee shows have received a 70 per cent response, while the 12 noon and 6 pm shows have registered 50 per cent. All six cinemas in Bhopal will be house full tomorrow. People are more interested in the 3D shows. Overall business will be better in multiplexes than single-screens.
Prem Lakhani, Exhibitor, CI
There is no advance booking in Ratlam, only current booking. But the youth is very excited about this film. Even though RA.One did not do very well in 3D here, the audience is willing to watch Don 2 in 3D. The film will earn from both single-screens and multiplexes.
The advance booking so far has been between 5 and 7 per cent. During the weekend, we are expecting the film to be house full. Due to the weather conditions here, we may not have morning shows. People prefer 2D shows over 3D shows. Multiplexes will draw a bigger audience for 3D shows compared to single-screen cinemas. Overall too, multiplexes will attract more bookings and business over single-screens.
So far, the advance booking for Don 2 has been about 40 per cent. The response to this film is not as good as it was for RA.One. The film’s business may be affected due to weather conditions too.
Raj Kumar Mittal, Representative, Eros International and Reliance, Jammu and Kashmir
At our cinema, Movie Time, all the weekend shows are house full. The film will receive a grand opening. Both 3D and 2D shows will receive a good response.
Ashok Mallik, Exhibitor, Punjab
At our cinema, Wave, we have 15 shows of 2D and 10 shows of 3D. Advance booking so far is 17.5 per cent for 2 D and 13.5 per cent for 3D. Since there have been no promotional events for the film in Ludhiana, it has not received a good response. In spite of this, we can expect the film to take a great opening.
Advance Booking of Don 2 In Orissa, Assam, Bihar And Kolkata
by Shabdita Shrivastav (December 22, 2011)
Jeetu Khandelwal, Distributor, Movie Pioneers, Orrisa
There is no advance booking in Orissa but we have received a tremendous response for online booking in Bhubaneswar, where it is 100 per cent. We are screening Don 2 in 100 cinemas and expecting it to be a hit in this territory.
Assam does not have an advance booking facility in cinemas. But there are a lot of inquiries about Don 2. There is a lot of enthusiasm for this film as it stars Shah Rukh Khan. We are expecting it to be a huge hit.
Abhay Sinha, Producer and Distributor, Yafhi Films, Bihar
Advance booking for Don 2 is 30 per cent till now. We are expecting a good opening. But the weather conditions will impact the morning shows. The booking for the 3D shows has been very good. The film will do better in multiplexes than single-screens.
Sunil Singh, Distributor, Aum Movies, Kolkata
It’s been good so far. In our cinema, Paradise, 40 per cent tickets have been sold and we are expecting full houses on all three days. We do not have advance booking at our cinema Roxy but we are expecting the film to do well here too. People are showing more interest in 3D than 2D.
Rahul Mohta, Exhibitor, Kolkata
There are 150 cinemas in West Bengal playing Don 2, of the 300 on qube. All of them will be screening Don 2. Of this, only two cinemas are 3D. We are expecting the film to take a good opening and do good business too.
Don 2 Advance Booking Report From Rajasthan
by Shabdita Shrivastav (December 22, 2011)
Sunil Bansal, Distributor, Yash Raj Jai Pictures
The response to advance bookings of Don 2 has been good and ticket sales are on the rise. The younger generation is opting for 3D over 2D. Also, the advance booking for this film is the same as it was for RA.One. The film will do well in both single-screen and multiplexes.
Vasudev Chachan, Distributor, Sunny Films
There is no clear trend in the advance bookings here. The film has a better chance of earning at singles-screens and through 2D.
Kailasa Meena, Exhibitor, Rajasthan
The advance booking for Don 2 has been 40-45 per cent so far. We are expecting the film to take a great opening.
Sudhir Puri, Exhibitor, Rajasthan
The advance booking has been extraordinary. Booking has been 60 per cent till now. The film will have 100-per cent opening. The youth is choosing to watch Don 2 in 2D while families are opting for 3D. The first week’s business in both single-screens and multiplexes will be about the same. However, Monday onwards, multiplexes will enjoy the upper hand.
Advance Booking Report of Don 2 In Gujarat
by Shabdita Shrivastav (December 22, 2011)
Chintu Jeetubhai Kapdi, Distributor, Gujarat
The advance booking for Don 2 has been average. It’s 20 per cent in single-screen cinemas and even less in multiplexes. The 3D shows will have greater demand in multiplexes. Also, the film will receive a good opening since the first Don also did well. Surat has seven multiplexes and the audience is divided between them. The response in the city’s two single-screens, Rupam and Maharaj, is good.
J S Popat, Exhibitor, Gujarat
There is no advance booking in Vapi. But we are expecting the film to take a good opening and so good business.
Ranjit Vala, Owner of A-World Multiplex, Gujarat
The advance booking has been between 30 and 35 per cent. Though RA.One did not do well, we are expecting Don 2 to do good business since the film has been publicised well. We are getting a lot of inquiries too. The night shows should be house full. We are running six shows in two screens.
Note how in all these boxofficeindia.co.in (not to be confused with BOI) reports (and I give them credit for doing it systematically and really taking to the people on the ground in each case) how things vary drastically even within the same city or circuit. It obviously has to do with the demographics of each theater but the point I’m trying to make is that this is how it is for films (irrespective of how they end up doing eventually). A film that is a completely non-starter everywhere or a complete blockbuster universally from the very first day is fairly unusual. So you have this sort of ‘mixed’ picture with WOM then being determinative but what happens is that people like Nahata or Taran or anyone else (other trade figures or sites like BOI) can (and do!) easily pick on the bit of data that supports their claim or that pushes their agenda. These ‘narratives’ are then combined with the eventual grosses and it all creates a very misleading interpretation of the facts (when it’s not outright lying). This is how by the way those ‘records’ are made when necessary. You pick up some obscure theater in Rajasthan somewhere or even a not so obscure one and say ‘x’ film broke 5 day records there. You present this as a trendline or something. So on and so forth. When the film then behaves completely differently that the ‘narrative’ predicts it becomes a problem in which case these guys slowly move toward the truth over a matter of weeks and eventually a new film releases and everyone’s attention shifts. In this model there is no downside to being dishonest and/or coming up with very faulty analysis. But again there’s a ‘market’ for all of this stuff among partisans of all kinds of stars who are not really interested in a narrative that is the closest approximation of reality but simply one that buttresses their own ‘desires’ for that star.
Not all data is equal or relevant. The 80/20 rule applies. Only 20% of data is needed to tell the story.
100% data in the hand of Joe Public results in analysis paralysis. Nahata, Taran, Tango etc comb through the raw data and filter out what is needed. This requires experience and some wisdom. They serve in making sense out of data which at the surface appears all over.
Looking at the data you have posted even someone slightly less wise than Nahata can see that the advance booking for Don 2 is very (very) good.
Their inferences are not that different. They are off by a few pennies (or Cr) but essentially they say the same. Very rarely does one says ATBB and the other says that it is a stink bomb.
I have observed that they are equally brutal to all. In fact they display sadistic traits. OK one or two hold back and remain polite, but by and large they decimate everyone.
Satyam, at various places you have mentioned watching a lot of old Dev movies as well as others under your current viewing section. I was wondering why there are no posts on your blog on the movies you have been watching.
At the risk of offending you (since it is your blog), I think it would be a welcome change to read about movies rather than BO prospects of films about to release. At the end of the day BO figures will be what they are which only the producers and distributors will know what ever the so called websites or orgns say.
I haven’t put posts but I sometimes think these thoughts flow far more easily when I’m responding to something.
In terms of the viewing though there’s also too much to talk about since I try and revisit just about everything I can get my hands on when I am in one of these moods.
Thanks for these links Satyam. I accidentally found Bombai ka Babu at a dollar shop during one of my lunch time strolls around the CBD a month ago! Since it was only a dollar, i picked up quite a few including Ganga ki Saugand ( AB) and a few others. From what i can gather from various blogs, i seem to have hit gold with Bombai ka Babu considering it is difficult to find old hindi films overseas. This movie is in my To Watch pile.
This is all they have for the moment and hence this is all we can go by. When they post more, if possible and if time permits, I will update this space for your benefit.
An otherwise slick and stylish film is brought crashing down by lackluster script and dialogues.
There’s a serious condition ailing the mainstream Hindi film industry – the unnecessary compulsion to talk more and show less. In one sequence in Farhan Akhtar’s Don 2, the conniving lead (Shah Rukh Khan, back with his grimaces) explains in detail to his accomplices the plan to blackmail a high profile target. Once the accomplices nod and agree to the plan, they then execute the plan, exactly as was explained earlier. And after the same thing has been told and then shown, it’s told again in a summary of sorts where the cops hunting for Don realize the plan and feel the need to spell it out. Again. This, unfortunately, is what unceremoniously drags Don 2 down from its high expectations and even bigger hype into disappointment.
Akhtar has established himself as a quality filmmaker (amongst his many other talents), managing to balance style with story in a fresh, new age way. He has done this right from his directorial debut Dil Chahta Hai, and followed it with Lakshya and even the first Don film, which was a remake of the 1978 Amitabh Bachchan cult classic. Conjuring up an original sequel to a remake of a cult classic is akin to playing with fire. This is why Don 2 comes with such high expectations and is an unfortunate letdown. The script and dialogues become the biggest weakness of a premise that had the potential for oh-so-much.
The story continues some time after where the first one left off. It begins with the elusive Don resurfacing, creating some more havoc and in a surprise move, he turns himself in. His goal is to see Vardhan (Boman Irani) again, his arch enemy who was caught and imprisoned at the end of the first film. Conjuring up another plan, Don now wants to collaborate with the one man he trusts the least, starting with plotting both their escapes from prison. The premise is intriguing and, knowing the dynamics between these two characters in the first film, the sequel could have been taken in so many different directions to make for a taut and thrilling ride. But the intrigue fizzles out soon after, as Vardhan is reduced to a mere sidekick for most of the film. He listens to Don’s plans, asks a couple of clarification questions and then agrees each time. Yes, he too has his own motives but his character’s dramatic weight is significantly lessened here.
Akhtar and his team have designed Don 2 as an action thriller, using the cat-and-mouse chase template that has proven to be such an entertaining genre. The problem with this film, however, becomes the sheer lack of depth in the story which drags the film considerably. The first Don had a lot going on – multiple players in a drug trade, a police department with embedded criminals, a powerful female lead with a personal agenda, a wronged man looking for vengeance, all encompassed within an intricate, if bizarre, master plan hatched by an all-powerful elusive villain. In Don 2, this master criminal just wants to rob a bank in Berlin.
The cop team of Roma (an uninspired Priyanka Chopra) and Malik (an even more uninspired Om Puri) are back on the hunt for Don as they follow him from Malaysia to Germany. Don’s new arm candy accomplice is Ayesha (Lara Dutta, oozing glamor), who is actually one of the more effective characters for how little she needs to speak. Her expressions and actions say it all as she dutifully and confidently helps put Don’s puzzle together. The other new character is the tech whizkid Sameer (Kunal Kapoor, functional but underused), who is hired by Don to execute his plan.
Good action films also need lots of one thing – good action. The few chase and action sequences Akhtar orchestrates are snazzy. The car chase as Roma tails Don through the streets of Berlin tries some new stunts and is a thrilling watch. But even the action sequences fade out in the second half and especially the climax. The part of the film that should have been the fastest in pace, twists and should have left the audience breathless is instead riddled with mundane dialogues, as the characters literally stroll casually through a high pressure, time-sensitive situation.
The best thing in Don 2’s favor is its production quality. It is by far one of the slickest and most stylish films seen in Hindi cinema recently. In that respect, it more than lives up to one of Akhtar’s trademarks as a filmmaker. The camerawork by Jason West is a pleasure to watch. The one and only song-and-dance sequence in the entire narrative, Zara Dil Ko Tham Lo, is brilliantly shot and the action sequences have an artfulness to them that is still rare in commercial Hindi cinema.
At a runtime of two and a half hours, Don 2 simply doesn’t have enough to justify its length. While Khan managed to carry off the character effectively in the first film, he seems forced this time, turning his character from a wicked and clever baddie to just a nuisance. It’s hard to connect with him or any other character in the film, while the script leaves hardly anything to the imagination. If you must watch it, go for the visuals and the action scenes. Otherwise, it’s an underwhelming film in many ways from Akhtar, which is disappointing considering his impressive track record.
December 22, 2011
Movie Review | ‘Don 2′
Bollywood Baddie Is Ready to Take On Europe
By DAVID DeWITT
If “Mission: Impossible” and “Ocean’s Eleven” had a bombastic, funny and slick cousin, it might be “Don 2.”
This zippily edited sequel to a 2006 Indian hit is not the least bit coy about its intentions: the young criminal kingpin Don (Shah Rukh Khan, left) is back, and “now my target is Europe!” Soon enough, after a prison escape art-directed within an inch of its colorful life, he’s hatching a grand plan to rob a Berlin bank of its euro printing plates. The lovely Roma (Priyanka Chopra) and her wise mentor (the great Om Puri) are on his trail, though, and he can’t trust his partners. It’s indeed an impossible mission (Don even uses a peel-away mask) in the jokey spirit of Danny Ocean.
“Don 2” is more comic book than that, except most comics have nods to emotional depth. Don is a superenigma, an anti-hero way too extraordinarily capable to take seriously, which is fine when he’s doing something interesting (the big heist has twists, stunts and suspense aplenty) and simply auto-action when he’s not (all those car chases and, heck, the first third of the film).
The director, Farhan Akhtar, seems out to create a spectacular, international entertainment with “Don 2,” in a mix of Hindi and English and a dollop of German. And thanks to the unpretentious humor, he is mostly successful, though audiences will have to forgive the bland performances. Not the actors’ fault, really; when a cocky chuckle (Mr. Khan) or determined lips (Ms. Chopra) are your only character bits, you don’t have much character to explore. Only Kunal Kapoor, as a more sympathetic colleague of Don’s, has human moments. They’re almost out of place; subtlety is one language this playful film doesn’t speak.
Remaking the Amitabh Bachchan classic DON was a risk in itself. Not only because it is one of Bachchan’s most iconic characters, but also because films like SHOLAY, DON, AMAR AKBAR ANTHONY, DEEWAR, TRISHUL, MUQADDAR KA SIKANDER [and many, many more] redefined the cinema of 1970s and 1980s. Farhan Akhtar accepted the challenge and attempted a successful remake of DON with SRK.
Paanch saal baad, Farhan and his team of writers decide to carry the concept frontward with DON 2. I genuinely feel that sequels shouldn’t be attempted if you don’t have an enthralling story to narrate. This time, Farhan chooses an entirely new concept, garnishes it with classic action, stunning visuals, giving it an international look and feel… the intention is to make the second part superior and enhanced than the first. Also, the fascination for thrillers such as M.I., BOURNE and BOND series is pretty evident.
While one was abundantly aware of what the first part had to offer [since it was a remake], one is completely oblivious about what the sequel has in store. And it is this facet of the film that kindles colossal interest. You cannot tell what Don’s next move would be. As the reels unfold, you realize that he’s cold blooded. You can’t mess with him. He’s dangerous to deal with. He has an agenda. Ditto for Roma [Priyanka Chopra], who shares a tumultuous relationship with Don. It’s a cat and mouse chase.
When viewed in isolation, DON 2 looks like the right package to woo the movie-going junta — SRK in top form, a stylishly crafted story, pulsating and invigorating action and stunts. But it’s not without its share of hiccups. In fact, the first hour and the post-interval portions of the film are akin to the two sides of the same coin. The first hour is bland, the second is energetic. The first hour is deficient in thrills, the second keeps you on the edge. The first hour disentangles at a languid pace, the second is feverish with several adrenaline rush moments.
DON 2 begins in Thailand and moves to Malaysia. Don [SRK] surrenders himself to the cops [Om Puri, Priyanka Chopra] and is sent to a Malaysian prison. There, he meets his old foe Vardhan [Boman Irani]. Don hatches a conspiracy to escape with Vardhan and they succeed as well. They reach Zurich, then Berlin. The motive is to rob the currency plates. It’s an unfeasible task, but Don takes the help of a hacker [Kunal Kapoor] to accomplish his plans.
With DON 2, Farhan Akhtar reasserts himself as one of Hindi cinema’s stylish storytellers. It wouldn’t be erroneous to state that DON 2 redefines slick in Bollywood. But the film could’ve done with a tighter script. Besides, the writing is urban-centric and those with an appetite for international thrillers may take to the film instantly, especially the twists and turns in the second hour. Again, the conclusion to the story could’ve been simplified for the average viewer to decipher. Yet, all said and done, DON 2 mirrors the changing trends in Hindi cinema. Those with the conventional attitude or tilting towards the conservative form of cinema may find it difficult to absorb.
DON is also acknowledged for its vibrant and eminent dialogue. One can conjure up the lines from the original Bachchan starrer and in DON 2, the lines are in sync with the various guises and situations of the Don. The dialogue are masterly and the flamboyance with which SRK delivers the lines is what makes it exceptional. The lines are cooler, hip, zany, witty and at the same time, easy on the lips. They’re sure to become the new catchphrases in times to come, like the one you recall even today: ‘Don ko pakadna mushkil hi nahin, na-mumkin hain’.
Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, the trusted and prominent names in Excel’s movies, dishearten this time around. In fact, the music is the sole sore point of the film. Sure, it has vigor and spice, but the wow factor is amiss. The film deserved a much, much superior score to match up to the standards set by Farhan Akhtar. Jason West’s cinematography is dazzling. Filmed in Germany, Switzerland, Malaysia and Thailand, the film is visually enchanting. The action and stunts are spectacular.
DON 2 marks SRK’s return to anti-hero roles after enacting such roles with flourish so early in his career. Recall BAAZIGAR, DARR and ANJAAM. He plays a wicked, debonair anti-hero in DON 2. The character he portrays is iniquitous and sinful, but attractive at the same time and SRK lives it up with gusto. Besides, SRK has also experimented with varied looks in the film, from a debonair looking guy to a person with unkempt hair and stubble. Without doubt, DON 2 is SRK’s best action movie to date.
Priyanka revisits her character of Roma in DON 2. Not only is the character more evolved, even her performance is of a high order. In fact, she enacts the role of an angry, tough lady who means business with a vengeance. Lara Dutta looks glamorous and alluring, but her character lacks meat.
Kunal Kapoor is decent, though he doesn’t really get the scenes to prove his credentials. An actor of the caliber of Om Puri is wasted this time. Boman Irani lends the right texture to his character. He excels yet again. Nawab Shah should hit big league with DON 2. He plays one of the baddies with conviction. Alyy Khan is natural, enacting his part with ease. Sahil Shroff has screen presence and stands out in a brief role. Hrithik Roshan appears in a cameo.
On the whole, DON 2 rides on star power and brand value. The film has a bland first hour, but the second half takes the film to another level. There’s no denying that a cohesive script would’ve made a world of a difference to the film, but the tremendous hype, star power and the lucrative period [Christmas and New Year celebrations] will make its investors reap a harvest.
yea…so far however, rediff reviews have not exactly been matching mine too much (especially when it comes to SRK movies…except for RA.One Review)…but as of now…most of the reviews have been excellent and hence, i am checking this movie out tomorrow…2nd last show!!!
Ever since Farhan Akhtar gave us the delectable Dil Chahta Hai (smartly written, well acted, a trendsetter of sorts), he has failed to better, or even get close to, his debut effort. His production company may have churned out some pretty memorable films since (Honeymoon Travels Pvt Ltd, Rock On, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara), but his own directorial ventures have been mediocre. Lakshya suffered from a Dil Chahta Hai-wannabe first half fused with a JP Dutta-styled second. Don, the remake of Chandra Barot’s highly enjoyable 1978 caper, with its harebrained finale, was a complete letdown.
Unsatisfying as Akhtar’s Don was, the sequel promos have been promising. And with Akhtar and Co free of the baggage of recreating the original Don, they could take things in a new direction. Which they do. Except, others have trodden this path already.
Like Danny Ocean. And John McClane. In Don 2, Akhtar manages to blend elements from various H’wood films, mostly Ocean’s Eleven and Die Hard, with a bit of Mission Impossible thrown in. This is our answer to Hollywood – a rehash of what they’ve done already. No points for originality.
No points for writing either. If Akhtar’s film lulls you to sleep initially, in spite of some slick editing, it’s because the writing (Akhtar, Ameet Mehta, Amrish Shah) falters. Characters say boring, random things to each other, there’s a pointlessly long dance sequence (Hrithik Roshan, looking dapper in an unintentionally hilarious cameo), and the attempt at dialoguebaazi is laughable (“Jab tak Don ko asliyat ka pata chalega, tab tak Don mar chuka hoga”).
you should probably look up more reviews and you can easily tell that the movie has received MANY MORE positive reviews than mixed to negative! FOR EXAMPLE:
Our critic is viewing Don 2 right now, and we heard from him saying that Shahrukh Khan rocks in Farhan Akhtar’s film. The film matches the first part as far as the slickness quotient is concerned, and in fact, takes it to another level. Priyanka Chopra plays the sexy but tough cop act well. The interactions between her character and Don are worth watching. Once again, Don entertains with his one-liners, his wicked charm and his ruthlessness. For viewers exposed to international films, it might be a mish-mash, but it’s still worth it. Not many films like these are made in India. The only film which looks close to Don 2 right now is Abbas Mustan’s Players in terms of the action and cinematography. So go watch Don 2. It’s a thriller not to be missed! Don 2 stars Shahrukh Khan, Priyanka Chopra, Kunal Kapoor, Boman Irani and Lara Dutta among others. It releases Friday, December 23.
Arsh Khehra, obviously there will be more positive reviews than negative ones. Fora big film with a big star that is always the case. It was so for Ra One as well. BY and large you can rely more on the reviews of print magazines, becaiuse they have less reasons to try and please big stars or production houses and a few big name general websites, with known reviewers, for they have some kind of brand reputation to protect. Fora big film, it is likely to be good, only if almost all reviews, barring a few exceptions, are unanimously positive.
yo LS–r u the one who is a voracious reader.
any book recommendations
obviously has to be quick, concise, breezy, dodgy lol
and no, am not talking bout porn here lol
1. The list of partners just kept on going on and on at the start of the movie. One almost screams out, enough already, start the movie please.
2. The use of Hyundai in the car chase in Germany. It is almost like showing some drink Moonshine (“Tharra”) in Campagne, France.
Otherwise the movie is awesome. The lst of what I liked is probably longer than the list of partners at the start of the movie. For the first time a Bollywood heist movie has held my interest. The constantly changing narrative in the second half is wicked smart. The brief bout of romance between Don and Roma in the final act shows you why SRK is the so called King of romance. Don 2 as a whole is one of the most fast paced action movie I have seen out of Bollywood. It will take a long time to forget SRK’s walk as Don, a crooked walk of a very crooked man.
Farhan’s control over this movie makes his DCH look sophomoric.
A few weeks ago I saw The Descendant (George Clooney), although Don 2 is a different genre altogether, I enjoyed it as much.
Rating – 4/5
Verdict – Its Shahrukh Khan’s best action film and if you are a action adventure fan this film is sure to enthrall you, after last week’s Mission Impossible. SRK had delivered his best with oozing attitude.
As a heist movie, Don 2 is no less than the slickest Hollywood production. This is SRK’ s CDI moment all over again. Very focused movie (almost no room for song and dance), very stylish.
Must admit-Have seen v few movies twice.
Rockstar joins that list
Liked it second time as well–it stood well
Actually beyond a point: how much one likes a movie beyond a point also depends on personal taste and resonance
Rahman was magical
Imtiaz Ali and ranbir were brilliant
And last but not the least-since most don’t agree with my view
Adored nargis fakhri–
Can see why people commented like this
There is a disparity in her body language(due to her background) and lip synch etc
She does appear “clumsy” & “unsure ” in places
But to me, this was a v endearing, spontaneous , heartfelt performance
In some places one can see her struggling to emote on the absence of acting skill set -which is even more cute
Inthe absence of that-use takes the difficult way out–she actually tries to “feel” it really –not possible for adept/expert actresses
In a nutshell–and nothing will make me change my mind lol
This was one of the most interesting and endearing debut performances I have seen fullstop
Don 2 took an excellent opening this morning in its early couple of shows at multiplexes of around 75-80%.
There were places like Ahmedabad and Noida which opened to 100% collections but there were places like Nagpur and Jodhpur which were around than 70%. On the whole the all India average at multiplexes this morning was around 80-85%. Delhi city opened to around 80% while Ra.One was 100%
The opening of the film is not as strong as Ra.One but that film had Diwali Puja to contend with and collections fell from 1 pm onwards so despite a lower opening it is possible that Don 2 could see first day collections in the range of the first day of Ra.One.
Don 2 has been released on 3000 screens approx across India.
“So here, Don (Shah Rukh Khan) is not after money, but precious printing plates that literally mint original currency. The task is impossible, of course, and Don must get to it, bad sense of humour and gelled hairdo intact.
Roma (Priyanka Chopra) is dull as well, always uptight and off to work, which is nabbing Don. Heck, even Vardhan (Boman Irani) isn’t up to anything really nasty.
Then the character of a hacking geek (Kunal Kapoor) who’s a “fan” of Don is a bit much. And yes, having a gorgeous Lara Dutta by your side and a fan-boy on the other is a completely glamorised picture of the character, who is ultimately a criminal.
Don’s infallibility is taken to new lengths. In a car chase at top speed, he’s nonchalant, even cheerfully waving to the chaser. And, of course, you’ll find it difficult to cosy up to a character that blows up innocent policemen to prove a point.
Don’s characterisation is central to the film and something is off here. The trademark cockiness is completely devoid of charm, and turns annoying. So when Roma nabs him and says “Down on your knees”, he replies, “Really? I’m wearing white!” Or exclaims, “Ooo kinky”, when she handcuffs him.
Flat punch lines are seen throughout the film. Like when the fan-boy attacks someone by giving him a shock and says, “shocking behaviour”.
The actors are all at the top of their game, and that elevates the film somewhat. Shah Rukh still exudes a searing screen presence that keeps you hooked. Priyanka Chopra and Boman Irani are dependably good. But across the board, the cast has done better in other films.” http://www.sify.com/movies/bollywood/review.php?id=14986476&ctid=5&cid=2425
Here is journalist Mihir Fadnavis’ scathing review. Particularly hilarious is his take on SRK : Throughout the movie Shahrukh Khan’s face sports a contorted expression that suggests the need for more fiber in his diet…ROFLOL !!!
“With Shahrukh Khan, a huge budget, big explosions, a perfectly made up Priyanka Chopra as a Michelle Rodriguez-wannabe tank topped tough cop, and a heist plot, Don 2 has something for everyone. That is if ‘everyone’ is under the age of fifteen. The rest of us will likely wonder what happened to the need for a decent story or a well-written script. But if you like your cinema with snazzy illogical thrills, then Don 2 is fun enough junk.
The original 1978 Don is a cult classic because of Amitabh Bachchan’s magnetism, solid characters, deft pacing and Zeenat Aman’s oomph. All the cheese was equipoised by the suave brilliance of Mr Bachchan. The 2006 Farhan Akhtar remake was an unintentionally hilarious, dopey, badly acted, commercially successful modern actioner. The best way to describe Don 2 is Plot Hole Porn. When it comes to logic, Don 2 is as woefully incompetent as its predecessor, except it flaunts a bigger budget for added ludicrous entertainment. Star Shahrukh Khan and director Akhtar once again never aim for the cerebral, and are happy to simply cobble together a bunch of glossy foreign -based action staples and hope it all works out. Only afterward, as you stroll out of the theater in a dizzy whir does one start to realize that one hasn’t been impressed, but inadvertently entertained.
The plot of Don 2 is a glorious compendium of clichés. The film picks up almost immediately where the previous film left off. Don (Mr Khan) is now the Asian underworld kingpin, and has his sights set on the European market. He crafts a cunning plan to surrender himself to the Interpol and escape from prison with a certain inmate that he needs for his master plan of robbing currency plates from Berlin. The action immediately shifts to Europe, as Don starts rounding up a gang for the big heist, and we’re treated to over the top contrived car chases, an impossible rooftop stunt and some of the cheesiest dialogues in recent memory. The ending ‘twist’ is so predictable one can’t help but be stunned by the film’s Neanderthal mentality.
Throughout the movie Shahrukh Khan’s face sports a contorted expression that suggests the need for more fiber in his diet. He has neither the charisma, nor the personality nor the versatility of the great Amitabh Bachchan from the original film. Instead, he hams uncontrollably, even more so than in the 2006 film, almost like his life depends on it. The romantic angle between Don and Roma (Priyanka) is comically forced and sappy – moreover the chemistry between Shahrukh and Priyanka has as many sparks as a Mumbai blackout. Boman Irani as Vardhan and Aly Khan as Diwan nearly sleepwalk through their roles. Nawwab Shah as Jabbar gives The Incredible Hulk a complex – not in terms of muscle but in wooden acting. Somewhere in the midst of all of this, Lara Dutta keeps popping up as Don’s girlfriend in what is arguably the most hysterically clichéd unnecessary vamp character stereotype to grace the big screen since Drew Barrymore in Batman and Robin. Om Puri, in his career worst role is gloriously campy – he almost tells us that we’re meant to laugh at him, not with him.
The original Don had the classics ‘Khaike Paan Banaras wala’ and ‘Yeh mera Dil’. Don: The Chase Begins Again had Midival Punditz’s passable remixes of the same. Don 2 has horribly composed and poorly sung remixes of the remixes of the previous film. They seem like the result of a bar bet gone horribly wrong.
Analyzing the logical aspects of Don 2 is where one can really start to lose one’s mind. When I said the characters indulge in Plot Hole Porn, I wasn’t exaggerating. Don’s master plan is a real head-scratcher. The screenplay goes out of its way not only to make Don some sort of a genius, but also to outdo the previous film’s uproariously stupid plan of Don pretending to be Vijay who pretends to be Don, thereby destroying his own gang and jeopardizing his own business that he worked so hard to build. There’s enough limp-wristed contrivance in Don 2 to set back the Dhoom films a few decades. Don’s strategy of using explosives is itself rigged to disintegrate if a moviegoer’s IQ nudges above 70. Three different people were credited with writing Don 2 (Akhtar, Ameeth Mehta and Amrish Shah), and I bet they’re still arguing over who deserves recognition for the part where Interpol cop Priyanka Chopra pursues Don in a car for ten whole minutes but never bothers to call for backup. Don wears a Mission Impossible-esque plastic mask of another man (a great cameo from an A-list actor), but he also speaks with the actor’s voice. Don, the most wanted man in the world also carries bungee jump kits strapped to his back when he goes out for strolls in public.
Without a doubt, the technical credits are superior to any Indian film to date, and the cinematography by Jason West is truly gorgeous. Also, Don 2 is never boring, thanks to its dazzling special effects that aid the actors flip, fly, jump, dropkick, punch and kick each other like jackhammers. The slow-mo Matrix Kung Fu Karate from the 2006 film makes way for some decent hand-to-hand combat. Of course none of this compensates for the overfamiliar plotline, the amusingly underdeveloped side characters, SEL’s insipid soundtrack and a general air of overbaked over expensive silliness. Priyanka Chopra and Lara Dutta are as attractive as the Berlin locales, plus the film is occasionally funny, even if the laughs come mostly during the movie’s most dramatic, heartfelt moments.
If you’re looking for a smart thriller, then Don 2 is a train wreck of bad lines and predictable plot twists. But it is astonishingly daft, and so profoundly earnest that it is uniquely, hilariously enjoyable. It’s so bad that it’s good.”
the review is clearly very biased and it’s trying to compare Don 2′s story with movies of Hollywood…and you know what…that’s exactly what needs to be done because this is the only action movie out of bollywood that looks as cool as a hollywood flick!
BUT, AGAIN, won’t personally say anything about the movie w/o watching it first!!!
The negative reviews posted here are mostly premeditated. The reviews were “written” more or less before these guys watched the movies. The reviews, it appears have been written with a desire to suppress the wonderful content of Don 2, rather than talk about it.
Just as they say, the interiors of a structure follows the form set by the exterior/architecture. The commentary likewise follows the same desire, i.e. suppress how excellent the movie is. Therefore you will see a focus to selectively shine light on the negatives (which in the case here is completely fabricated). You can see how the commentators take precaution to avoid mentioning the positives in Don 2 or even mentioning positives reviews. As I stated in my reactions after watching Don 2, the list of positives in indeed very very very long. The movie slick and fast paced. You get entertained (Period). It is the best heist movie from Bollywood. For a movie fan, this is “Manna” from heaven. This year’s best movie.
LOL, good read here! Tough perhaps though I guess some balancing out since some others are calling it Sholay! Certainly agree with the characterization of the ’78 Don and the ’06 one.
Mano A Maano, I can assure you that the movie buff in you will like Don 2. From everything you have stated in all the billion words and more on the net, this is your movie. Needless to say, whether you acknowledge that in public or not is another matter. But I want to assure you that you will LIKE it.
Let me give one reason why this movie will be loved and liked (it will show in the BO outcome, hence no need to debate this) by Joe Public.
Just like one has an all around family entertainer for the whole family (young and old). This movie is for all, the smarty pants and his country cousin. People with all levels of intelligence (as well as lack of it) will like it.
In the end the movie amongst other thing will be remembered for its brilliant details, e.g. the walk that SRK creates for Don, a crooked walk of a wicked/crooked man (sheer brilliance). Celebrate cinema, Don 2 is the reason why we are movie fans.
actually I’ve been saying from the very first trailer that the film looks great visually and might be much better than the earlier attempt because it won’t suffer as much from the remake burden. But since then a lot of the incessant one-liners and so on have been more than annoying. Will take a call on this over the weekend. Have to get to MI4 first. More inclined towards watching it but not certain at this point. I doubt very much I’ll find it ‘brilliant’! Thanks for informing me what I will definitely like! Don’t suppose I can ‘not’ like it though the way you’ve framed it! But as for not admitting it in public you’re probably not very familiar with my history!
hmmm…seems the negative reviews are begninng to trickle in…
utkal uncle whats your take on this one
lol@ the need for fibre in srks diet
anyhow, will be checking this one this weekend prob sunday
but what takes the ‘top’ and the ‘bottom’ is—
‘If you’re looking for a smart thriller, then Don 2 is a train wreck of bad lines and predictable plot twists. But it is astonishingly daft, and so profoundly earnest that it is uniquely, hilariously enjoyable. It’s so bad that it’s good’
hahaha
think if the movie is anywhere near as entertaining as this review, it will be hilariously funny
“When I said the characters indulge in Plot Hole Porn, I wasn’t exaggerating. Don’s master plan is a real head-scratcher.”
“There’s enough limp-wristed contrivance in Don 2 to set back the Dhoom films a few decades. Don’s strategy of using explosives is itself rigged to disintegrate if a moviegoer’s IQ nudges above 70.”
“Lara Dutta keeps popping up as Don’s girlfriend in what is arguably the most hysterically clichéd unnecessary vamp character stereotype to grace the big screen since Drew Barrymore in Batman and Robin. Om Puri, in his career worst role is gloriously campy – he almost tells us that we’re meant to laugh at him, not with him.”
all this tallies with
my initial impression that all those uk screening tweets sign
ified a very specific subset of viewer/demographic –wont elaborate further
anyhow–till i see this one myself in a couple of days, will give the benefit of doubt to srk and farhan akhtar
alex adams: My take on it is that it will be what I said it will be, in my first post on the film a while ago. It will be technically slick and all that, but really quite boring in general, because there is no core BIG IDEA ( like movies such as Ghajini, Endhiran had) . This could have been compensated by sheer kick-ass action , which no Bollywood film can do, or with some masala twists and turns the likes of which are found in films like race, which Farhan cannot do. It will taste quite flat, even for the multiplex audiences. a film like ZNMD trends so well, because under its surface she, it has a genuine soul and a core of emotional truth. That not being the case here, the film cannot be anything special. I was more intersted in Dum Maro Dum than this., because I found the chracters there, Abhi, Ranma, Bipasha and Prateek far more rooted and interesting than this. I sincerely hope Farhan does not waste his time and talent any more on drivel like this ( all this without seeing the film, unfortunately.)
Dude, you need to chill & stop ranting ! Even the so called SRK lovers are also giving a thumbs down…Raja Sen of rediff has given it a mere 2.5 star rating. The guy in various chat sessions has openly declared SRK to be his fav Khan.
Of even more concern is that none other than Khalid Mohammed ( former TOI & HT editor ) has been scathing. This is what he just tweeted :
@ohkhalid
“Farhan Akhtar is a tremendous director…except when it comes to the Don franchise..Don 2 is disappointing, a terrrible waste of resources.”
Khalid in fact gave a 4 star rating to Ra.One in Deccan Chronicle. At that time, SRK fanboys were busy retweeting & highlighting his Ra.One rating to justify the film’s “excellence” (???).
You’re only READING and SHARING the negative reviews. The positive reviews easily overtake the negatives. The film is receiving mixed reviews, but, still it’s tilted a lot more towards the positive than the negative!
Khalid…this just proves that he is not a good critic. According to him, RA.One was better than Don 2…okay then!
And also, as of now, out of the 24 or w/e user reviews on imdb, I have seen like 4 that were negative…the rest are positive all the way!
BUT, AGAIN, I haven’t seen the movie yet and I can’t provide a fair judgement. Will be seeing it today and will share my feelings about it here!
“all this without seeing the film, unfortunately”—hahaha
think that we should give the don2 team the benefit of doubt atleast ebfore seeing the film
read my comments above on rockatar–revisted
yes–again adored Nargis fakhri—
u were absolutely right uncle utkal.
all those years of womanising has given u the right ‘perspective’
after a long while, a bollywood heroine as touching, endearing and virginal and one of the best debut ‘acts’
the beauty being it didnt look like an ‘act’ lol
think i should stop this going-gaga-fest there
at the risk of repetition—-cheers to ‘nabokovs diaphanous glow’ lol
Hey Alex–here’s a good book recco–it’s absolutely hilarious, but am not sure if you can relate to it, or even get hold of a copy–since you obviously live in the UK-Europe region (my understanding). And this book is based on the memories of a Hyderabad Telugu Brahmin who has written about seventies Madras (now chennai).I will simply give the links available–and you can decide. BTW, the book is called Ice boys in Bell bottoms.
It’s the funniest debut novel I’ve read in a long time. Do check it out on the net at least. I’m sure it will be more entertaining than any hindi action film.
Satyam, sorry to go off topic–but you should possibly check it out too!
thanx LS for that–u always cum with good onez
the last time u recommended something–though i couldnt read it–someone else read it and she went orgasmic(which was good)
some other random things i noticed–
#the erstwhile big book stores where one could physically buy books are nearly dead–they are getting replaced by internet cafes/fitness centres/
heck noticed one being replaced by a stripping joint as well(though didnt use the latter lol)
#dont remember the last time i bought a book from a bookstore.
most people go for amazon/online etc i presume
#also e readers/kindle can assort loads of books together
#though there is no dearth of fiction book readers
though it irks to see certain PYTs trying to still ‘read’ in a busy london metro while hanging preceriously
#u seem a voracious reader–how many do u read in a month
You should, absolutely. The writer is also a cartoonist-illustrator-scriptwriter-budding filmmaker. Obviously connected in some way to South film world, also a pal of shantanu ray chowdhury–the man who wrote a brilliant little book of profiles–Bollywood icons. Has thanked Chowdhry in his thanks para at end of book.
Don 2 Takes Fair To Good Opening At Box-Office
December 23rd, 2011 by Komal Nahta
Shah Rukh Khan’s Don 2, which released in India on December 23, 2011, opened to good houses at places but the initial at several other places was quite ordinary.
Shah Rukh Khan in Don 2
Shah Rukh Khan in Don 2
The territories that reported the best start were Delhi-U.P. and Rajasthan. Collections in cinemas of Bombay circuit were, surprisingly, below the mark in the first show. Even in cinemas of C.P. Berar circuit, collections were robust in some cinemas whereas they were not very exciting in the others. For instance, at Rajlaxmi cinema in Amravati, the film collected only Rs. 3,200 in the first (morning) show against a capacity of Rs. 25,000.
Most of the multiplexes in Ghaziabad and NOIDA in the north reported full houses in the morning show, at concessional admission rates.
Attendance (number of people) in some cinemas of Delhi-U.P. and East Punjab in the morning shows today (December 23) were as follows:
Don 2 Box-Office: Delhi-U.P. and East Punjab
Attendance in shows of Don 2:
Big NOIDA 1st show 155 persons; 2nd show 288 persons
Big Zirakpur 1st show 84
Big Bhatinda 1st show 70
Big Jalandhar 1st show 138; 2nd show 101
Big Amritsar 1st show 118
Jagat, Pathankot 1st show 137
MSP, Pathankot 1st show 42
Magnum, Meerut 1st show 97
Melange, Meerut 1st show 125
TDI, Agra 1st show 66; 2nd show 51
Rave Moti, Kanpur 1st show 248
Rave Kanpur 1st show 174
Odeon, Delhi 1st show 118
Don 2 Box-Office: Nagpur
Collections in shows of Don 2:
Cinemax Nagpur 1st show (collections) Rs. 13,474; 2nd show Rs. 32,498
Inox Poonam 1st show Rs. 9,750; 2nd show Rs. 12,471
Inox Jaswant 1st show Rs. 3,300; 2nd show Rs. 3,071; 3rd show Rs. 13,553; 4th show Rs. 11,507
Sangam Big 1st show Rs. 7,598
In the C.I. circuit, Don 2 has been released in as many as 90 screens (15 prints plus 75 UFO), which is a record. The last record was held by Bodyguard, which was released in 86 screens. Don 2 has also released in 10 3D screens.
At Big Calcutta, the film saw 259 footfalls at Big multiplex in the first show.
He need not pretend to get into so many ‘details’ here. The bottom line is clear — the film just needs to gross 52 crores to be very profitable for everyone! This is disappointing. I thought it would be safe with a 30 crore gross.
Aamir and Salman are so foolish. They make cheaper films that gross more when SRK shows us how it is possible to make more expensive films that gross less and are yet more profitable. Now if you insist on unraveling the math on this you’re a SRK hater!
he does not actually.. the distributor table is a different one right over the revenue one.. the latter makes it clear that in Indian they just need a minimum of 52 crores and he’s talking net here not gross.
No, Satyam, he is talking of Distributor’s Share. Be3cause he is putting this total revue of 122 cr against 110 cr of acquisition cost, which is the distributor’ s cost. That translates to about 90-100 cr Net. for overflow / commission earner.
you guys are right here.. my mistake.. nonetheless my overall point still holds.. no matter how high the production costs go the bar for theatrical business in India is still kept low and the difference is made up with these deals elsewhere. So you have TDP doing 80 crores and meanwhile 90-100 is fine for Don 2. Weirdly there’s an asymmetry then between theatrical revenue and satellite/music deals and so on when for every other film there isn’t such a gap. In other words the way these guys structure this stuff it’s impossible for the movie to be called a flop unless it’s just a total disaster. Even ra one did 100 crores or more! Sure the costs were greater there but they made that film ‘recovery’ and ‘commission earner’ too using similar models. So it doesn’t matter what the cost is, it doesn’t matter what the nett is, the German govt bails them out! Not to mention the British govt!
And of course the other thing here is that a commission earner is called a hit by these guys in the popular media. You don’t launch productions like Don to get 11% returns (even accepting all the numbers Nahata has put out)!
52 crore net are weekend expectations for such films..(not sayng this would be 50 plus in the weekend)..he is a b it ambigous here..but I still feel he means 52 crore share in the hands of Reliance..(as he is calclulating there profit)
Re: Aamir and Salman are so foolish. They make cheaper films that gross more when SRK shows us how it is possible to make more expensive films that gross less and are yet more profitable. Now if you insist on unraveling the math on this you’re a SRK hater!
Thats precious! Sums it up so well.
As long as there are delusional fans and whores in BO reporting anything is possible. I can foressee a day when SRK films will become profitable just on announcement. Dont even need to produce the film. Imagine how profitable those will be when there is no production cost to account for!
I think in these days of failing economies all over Europe and the financuial austerity the primary concerm of European governments seems to SRK films’ economic viability!
“So it doesn’t matter what the cost is, it doesn’t matter what the nett is, the German govt bails them out! Not to mention the British govt!”—haha
U forgot the spanish, greeks and portuguese who are ALREADY bankrupt—trying to fund their SRK love
One needs to hand it to SRK here.
He has single handedly changed the trite,boring,old concept on its head that people need to see the movie for it to make money. Thats what one calls a pioneer!
Better not make such extreme claims mister Anshul. 3 Idiots DVD was recently launched in Germany and is a sell-out. TV premiere of TZP got record ratings on RAI Uno, Italian TV channel and it was the most watched program for the entire weekend in Italy when TZP premiered last year. 3 Idiots is also the highest rated (4.57/4 stars) and most downloaded Indian film on Spanish site Cuevana.tv.
Don’t assume ”NO one” knows Aamir there. Last year German fans even started a petition requesting Rapid Eye Movies to provide more Aamir Khan movies in Germany.
He may not be as popular as SRK there, but is not unknown either.
just heard from a friend..that the movie though with its loopholes is a total entertainer ..enough to wipe off the damage Ra.one did to SRK… he meant its his chakde moment in a different genre
thing is trade from last year described this as his greatest year (much like 2007)and hyped it so much …
a failed production( with newcomer and morani’s daughter as if 2 g was not enough), ra one and now don2 is hardly earth shattering …
things will be tough for him now as return to romance will be tough to …
salman is coming up with barrage …aamir has talash and dhoom 3 …hrithik and abhishek are looking for revival big way and there is ever improving ranbir( who is winning thing critically as well as commercially)
ajay has impressive line up(and is youngest among 40′s)
think it could get to 100 crores. He’d just need about 60 crores in week 1 which given all the holidays is not too much to ask for. Even at 50 crores he could more or less get to 90-95. Trending will have to be solid here though. The thing is these debates all get politicized with who can make 100 crores and who can’t but the real problem for SRK here is that the opportunity cost of his getting to 100 crores is now vastly greater than that for Aamir or Salman. The latter especially is doing it with ‘nothing’ films that don’t cost very much (barring an ETT). SRK on the other hand is making these super-expensive productions. Don 2 is not a cheap film by any means the Nahata math on it notwithstanding. And so you don’t make such productions just to break even or whatever. Here we have TDP doing 70 or 80 crores or whatever and meanwhile a major star in a very major production which is a sequel to a remake (!) can hardly be celebrated for getting to 100 crores. Is it a better result than Ra One. of course! Because that’s a low bar. Ra One did about 1.5 crores in week 3 all over India. I have never seen a film start off at the level Ra One did and get down to this number so soon. So even in the worst case scenario Don was always going to be a far more respectable performance. But at what cost? Again you have a Singham doing 100 crores at a much lower budget.
What’s happening with SRK isn’t that unusual. If you keep to defining yourself as ‘the’ dominant star it naturally follows that you must outgross the opposition, get the biggest numbers in every sense and also embark on the biggest productions. The last of these is a trap. Because stars at a certain stage try to make up the deficit by way of scale without necessarily addressing the underlying problems. and it never works. There’s a window a major star has even when he’s fading where there is still enough of an audience coalition to get big initials. But if that window is lost chasing hubristic dreams then by the time the star ‘truly’ reinvents the audience has evaporated a great deal more. One doesn’t have to figure out the ultimate fate of Don 2 to realize that Aamir and Salman (in that generation) excite the box office the way SRK isn’t able to anymore (and I’m looking at a much longer period here, not just these two releases). But at this late stage a star can nonetheless generate big initials by all sorts of frills. So yes there’s a SRK who gets big numbers in the initial round in OSO or Ra One but also another one who underperforms in MNIK or RNBDJ (trended very well but didn’t have huge opening numbers) or the first Don. In each case more was expected in the initial round relative to the scale of the film. I’m not a SRK fan at all but I might show up for Don 2, I’m doing so for the film, not for the star. So it’s important to read ‘into’ what the hits mean. Obviously a success is always a success and if you can get a string going no one cares how it was achieved. But SRK precisely has a problem getting it going.
The thing about Don and Don 2 is that between the Bachchan ‘conceit’ and the sense that the rivals had to be fought off with ‘I’m the king’ assertions there is a great deal of hubris to this entire structure. Ambition is one thing, chutzpah another and you don’t just get to those desired results with attitude alone. Forget Bachchan, does anyone in India (and many surveys have borne this out) really believe that SRK is ‘worth’ more than Aamir (however one defines the term ‘worth’). at this very moment in time does anyone think he’s as big as Salman. So on and so forth. The one shift that’s occurred between the first and second installment of this film and one that rather ironically parallels the making of each (the first one was a literal remake and even had lines and songs from the original, the second has a ‘new’ story) is that initially it was more about Bachchan with the KBC stuff and so on. There too it was throwing the gauntlet to the competition — hey you think you can outgross me or get more prestige but I’m in the Pantheon of greats right now and just playing at a different level. That structure didn’t quite work out, the bachchan analogies have disappeared over time. Now it’s just about the immediate competition and even that job is a lot harder as is plainly obvious looking at everyone’s numbers.
I am hardly underestimating SRK, certainly one has to respect his will and drive. But the hubris is as important. And it has for a while prevented real reinvention on his part. What happens at the end. Another Yashraj Diwali release with Katrina and Anushka and a dinosaur at the helm! This is going to excite the box office?! Sure it will have good numbers, will be a hit or whatever. But this will hardly inform the debate in any real sense. The most exciting thing about this project at the moment is Rahman!
Fans always find it hard to see these truths. Any fan of any star. They always make the mistake of thinking it’s about the next film and the next film’s numbers and completely miss the forest for the trees. Even a titanic star like bachchan went through a number of problems for years. No matter how big your are you cannot conquer age. You have to then be very smart (which includes a certain doze of humility.. which by the way Aamir and Salman both have in different ways) about your decisions to facilitate reinvention. The bachchan option is ruled out for anyone who’s not Bachchan (!) where he went through years of indifferent releases and semi-retirement and three bad films for every good one and so on and nonetheless was on every prestigious director’s shortlist. His box office woes as and when they occurred and which those who were born yesterday routinely make fun of actually make the case for him even more than if he were still have blockbusters at that scale. Because here’s a guy at the center irrespective of the box office returns. And of course we can measure his numbers in other ways from the endorsements to KBC and so on (see this most recent survey). But all of this is still a reflection of his unique status. Perversely he’s conquered the box office in a different way at this age where there is no real symmetry between those who wish to cast him and his overall results. Of course I’ve long believed that (and for multiple reasons) the demand for him cannot be adequately measured by box office returns. In his other outings he gives the audience what he precisely doesn’t most of the time in the movies. But that’s another story. In any case this option is ruled out for other stars. But there can nonetheless be smart reinvention.
It’s not just about SRK. I made this point recently about Cruise as well, MI4 can be a worldwide blockbuster but it cannot reinvent Cruise. We know he’s good in this franchise. But how many more can he do in his advancing years?! What else can he offer besides this?! Even with a big grosser no one’s going to think Cruise has a whole new inning in him, barring other bits of reinvention.
But again I will probably end up watching this in the theater because I think whatever its strengths are will be on the visual side and these should be seen on a big screen. Some here thought I was being unfair to Ra One by not doing the same with it. But I said then and I say it now that Akhtar brings some real aesthetics to the table and whatever one might think of him as a director it’s an insult to him on this score to compare him with the Sinha (irrespective of the SFX). And there is a difference. Much as there as dozens of Hollywood films with great SFX but MI4 is being praised for 3-4 action sequences on precisely ‘aesthetic’ grounds.
satyam : singham is one the best treded movie of the year and it got 100 cr without the support of multiplexes and it clashed with mutiplex friendly director and barrage of stars znmd during its run..infact singham is the most liked movie of this year
its time media give its due to it …ya 100 cr won’t be a problem at this time of the release but again expectation where higher infact much higher and ya MI4 is a very big sucess but can’t see cruise going anywhere simply because he hardly has anything on his hand
I have talked about Singham’s superior trending everywhere. However it’s not correct to say there was no multiplex support here. These were decent for the film.
things tend to go wrong when you see guys like masand and sen (known fan boys) gives it thumb down and thats exactly is the feedback in various social forum….
anyway farhan never make masy movie anyways but more multiplex friendly …lets see how it trend there
and to be be fair to movie a movie like MI4(arguably the best mi4 franchise which is technically superior) releasing in indian multiplexes a week earlier don’t help to…..
ya the movie will have good weekend but the litmus trend will be trending and weekdays
Saw Don2 this afternoon first half is decent , second half is brilliant. The sytlish action is brilliant but SRK although good seemed to be trying too hard in the movie. Overall its a good entertainer but more for the multiplex MI,Bourne loving audience not the masses.
yeah…I mean on this blog, there are only like 3 or 4 negative reviews, so, the overall reception has to be VERY POSITIVE!!
Also I checked imdb…only 4 out of 27 negative reviews!
I hope there will be…however, for the 3rd one (if there is one), I’m kinda hoping that they would use many of the same characters rather than changing them and introducing the different characters, which may lengthen the film. I hope Don 2 will be better than the first one…and so far, it looks like it is!
Arsh,
everyone expected that this film open good but being mixed reviews it will not be earth shattering..you are just over reacting like any srk fans do..what i heard of this stlis & slick is it will do worse then Ra one so wait till a few days because the film trend
holidays will be ok but it will never be amir khan xmas collection,you can always dream on it..
what I heard from the friends that Don 2 is nothing like Don 2006,
If thats the case then it will be another flop from super hero whos ra one trended super-zero..even music is crap..
people do react with this Don 3 on its way,jan Don in 2006 was average and Don 2 looking to doom,where an earth Don 3 comes too,maybe farhan has got money to waste and making stlis & slick..pehle Don 2 ko hit hone do phir Don3 ki sarooat karenge aur jab Don 2 hi failed hogi to phir srk bhi bhoolega ke Don 2 nightmare ho gaya
Surely you know that Don 1 is amoungst a handful of Bollywood movies that made 100 Cr + worldwide. It was Excel’s biggest hit (when it came out). It established Excel (One oil well enables exploration of ten). At the time it was released it faced strong competition from a Salman/Akshay movie and from people who rightly felt that it eroded/endangered the Bachchan legacy. Yet it prevailed.
Now Don 2 is going to end up as the third best opening ever after BG and RA-1. This is no small achievement. Don 2 will also most likely end up in the 200 Cr+ world club (more exclusive than the 100 Cr+ Club). One can definetly hang one’s hat on such an accomplishment.
After all the above, you wonder if there will be Don 3, while I wonder why you wonder.
Some of the viewers here and critics also are stick to the same crap thing that Amitabh was the original DON. Seriously yaar they need to grow up. chalo bhai maan gaye. 2006 se yehi rona ro rahe ho. Ab agey badho. SRK is the new don, hrithik is the new akbar and Amitabh is the new gabbar. same ghisapita dialogue original achhi thi. yeh kuchh nahin uske saamne. Next target will be Agnipath I know. Every person who will say the dialogue that “original isse bahut achhi thi” should be given prize for saying the most innovative thing.
There are enough DON fans who like the new DON franchise. The number might not make it a blockbuster but it’s ok. Anyday better than a lot of crap that releases here in bollywood.
Don 2 has opened to an 80% response on an all India basis. The multiplex opening is 80-85% while single screens on average are 70-75%. West Bengal has opened very strongly with collections at multiplexes and single screens 90% plus from the first show. Theatres like Big and Paradise were house full from first show. Overall it is a very good opening at multiplexes and good at single screens
North India is super strong at some centres but others being around 70%. Delhi NCR is very good while Punjab is good but many stations of UP are lower Rajasthan had a good opening while the CI and Bihar saw the lowest opening as B and C centre single screens in these circuits were 40-60% and these circuits are full of these type of centres. South India should also have a good first day especially Mysore.
The evening shows at multiplexes are showing good bookings at big centre multiplexes but the early public reorts are mixed.
prakashjaju Prakash Jaju
Don2 has opened in maximum cinemas till date (more than 2500), it should collect > 20 cr on first day but it is collecting only 12-13 cr
Common IBOS was atleast better than Prakash jaju.
Cann’t beleive SS members are now refering to Praksh Jaju
Atleast check the history of Prakash Jaju and Priyanka before posting.
If this number is true it is indeed nothing special because Rockstar was doing between 10.5 crores or so according to all these sources. Having said that if it can show jumps over the weekend and of course remain stable beyond this it should be ok. The problem is that SRK has set it up in such a way that he needs a super initial and super numbers here. He can’t have a business as usual gross. So if that is the first day number it’s low. But let’s see. Taran usually has higher ones (but this is so for other movies as well).
B.O. update: ‘Don 2′ superb at plexes, O’seas huge
By Taran Adarsh, December 23, 2011 – 19:27 IST
The much-awaited DON 2 opened to a fabulous response at multiplexes at several centres in India. The widest release ever [3105 screens in India], the film embarked on a strong start from morning shows itself, garnering 100% figures at several screens, although a few plexes were in 70% to 80% range. The overall occupancy at plexes was 70%, as on Friday evening. There were brisk block bookings for evening and night shows at major multiplex chains, which will add to a fat total on Friday.
The single screens, however, were not too receptive in some circuits. Perhaps, the absence of a hit track [like 'Chammak Challo' in RA.ONE and 'Ooh La La' in THE DIRTY PICTURE] could be one of the main reasons behind it. But the writer spoke to several exhibitors across the country, who were optimistic of the business picking up in the evening/night shows.
Day 1 [Friday], as per early estimates, is likely to close at Rs 15 cr + nett figure.
Internationally too, DON 2 had a wide release [690 screens in 41 countries], with the film opening a day earlier in several markets. The response was terrific, especially in Middle East. Here are the day-wise figures of DON 2 in some key markets, exclusively on Bollywood Hungama:-
UK
Wednesday: £ 117,138
Thursday: £ 86,675
Total: £ 203,813
Just saw it in 3-D, the first half is OK ,but OMG the second half is so painfully slow, dull and unimaginitve… went for a 4.15 show , there were hardly 20 people, I was really surprised…..No taalis and seetees at SRK’s entry which is unusual for Chicago… I guess the King is down and out ….
Farhan has to understant that Don Is not just a Thief, but has to have style, Charisma and Chaal….
SRK has some good one liners but he totally fucks up Don the Icon…..
The music is so bad that it is a joke….
But Junglee Billi is wild, Namkeen and Yummy……
The 3-d effects are pretty good….
the previous one was much better than this one… can you imagine it has the typical 80′s movies scene – issko maro , nahee mara tau iska matlab hai pyar ho gaya ….
The plot is fast paced/ confusing so the smaller center business will be surely affected…
The thing is in my mind Don was never greedy for money- he has to be stylish, cunning, wiity and in control…
yahan saala Don ko Chindi Chor bana diya….. with so much one too one fight and cars exploding all the time that it gets tiring ….
but then again in the climax where thrills and fast pace was needed wahan the movie drags because Don decides to flirt… which is so out of place…..
agreed.. Don was never about money.. in fact this was one of those points on which the first Don ‘lost the plot’ by having other gangsters on top of Don operating in Central Asia and so on. By ‘literalizing’ things this way it made everything far less charming. And there’s always been this impulse on Akhtar’s part to on the one hand play on the Don myth but on the other indulge in more and more of the back story. The whole point about the original Don was that he was the ‘man from nowhere’. A myth because his origins were not known. In the original film when Om Shivpuri is revealed as behind him this was a very perverse, near-hilarious touch. Who could be Don’s boss?! But of course Don is long dead by that point and we never see the two together. They don’t even operate in the same time span. But the other problem that Akhtar introduced and which was taken to new levels with the new film (judging by the 10 Don says trailers) that he converted Don into the Ajith joke industry. The lines just get sillier and sillier. Said more about all this here.
By the way you might like this review by Mihir Fadnavis.
All said and done I prefer checking this out in the theater than not for the visuals. But your opinion on this is giving me second thoughts!
some great points Satyam and cove some areas which I was not able to articulae well…
P.S. the follwing was a Brilliant line by you-
what is extraordinarily apparent at this point is that Bachchan’s Don is a ‘prison’ from which SRK’s Don cannot quite escape. LOL
Ps1- my inlaws are visiting from India and they do not watch moves in the theatre n Indis so the only reason I went to see Don was so that they can see their first movie in 3-D.
The visuals are good but not extraordinary ..at some place 3-D effect is really good though so if you do see it in the theatre go for 3D.
At 8:51 PM (Dec 23) you claim that it is painfully slow. Then at 9:09 PM (Again Dec 23, i.e. within 20 minutes) you say that the plot is fast paced.
It appears you are contradicting yourself. Or maybe you are just attempting to throw everything including the kitchen sink at Don 2 in the hope that something might stick.
Don 2 has made approx 15 Cr on day 1 (domestically). Till last year such a BO collection was unheard of. Therefore it is safe to assume that the third best day 1 BO would not have been possible without the B & C centers. People have voted and their choice is blatantly clear, 15 Cr says all you need to know.
karankumar- mera mind chahen made up ho ya na ho – Don2 ka ho gaya hai , woh aisa ajooba hai kee woh painfully slow and fast paced at the same time hai……..go figure…
once in an open-chat session – somehow my question got an answer by farhaan…..my question was that like bond franchisee – why doesn’t farhaan change the actor this time and take aamir khan as the new don….his answer was that he couldn’t visualize aamir as don….this was before ghajini release. He is too much in awe of srk a la KJo.
Farhan Akhtar’s Don 2 has witty, zany and cooler dialogues, great action sequences, sleek & stylish package, but lacks a tight script. SRK who’s back in a negative avatar with the film has done full justice to his role. Here’s what critics are saying about the movie:
Taran Adarsh, Bollywood Hungama (Rating: ***1/2): When viewed in isolation, Don 2 looks like the right package to woo the movie-going junta — SRK in top form, a stylishly crafted story, pulsating and invigorating action and stunts. But it’s not without its share of hiccups. In fact, the first hour and the post-interval portions of the film are akin to the two sides of the same coin. The first hour is bland, the second is energetic. The first hour is deficient in thrills, the second keeps you on the edge. The first hour disentangles at a languid pace, the second is feverish with several adrenaline rush moments.
Farhan Akhtar has narrated the story with aplomb, but the script needed to be crisper. “With Don 2, Farhan Akhtar reasserts himself as one of Hindi cinema’s stylish storytellers. It wouldn’t be erroneous to state that Don 2 redefines slick in Bollywood. But the film could’ve done with a tighter script. Besides, the writing is urban-centric and those with an appetite for international thrillers may take to the film instantly, especially the twists and turns in the second hour. Again, the conclusion to the story could’ve been simplified for the average viewer to decipher. Yet, all said and done, Don 2 mirrors the changing trends in Hindi cinema. Those with the conventional attitude or tilting towards the conservative form of cinema may find it difficult to absorb,” says Adarsh.
Don
David Dewitt, New York Times: The director, Farhan Akhtar, seems out to create a spectacular, international entertainment with “Don 2,” in a mix of Hindi and English and a dollop of German. And thanks to the unpretentious humor, he is mostly successful, though audiences will have to forgive the bland performances. Not the actors’ fault, really; when a cocky chuckle (Mr. Khan) or determined lips (Ms. Chopra) are your only character bits, you don’t have much character to explore. Only Kunal Kapoor, as a more sympathetic colleague of Don’s, has human moments. They’re almost out of place; subtlety is one language this playful film doesn’t speak.
Nikhat Kazmi, The Times Of India (Rating: ****): The high point of the film is Shah Rukh’s delineation of the character of the Don. The actor interprets him as an arrogant, agile, wicked and wild dare-devil who has the most bizarre schemes up his sleeves. But that’s not all. He also has the chutzpah to carry them through.
“Action is the other alluring selling point of Farhan Akhtar’s film. The chases, the fights, the demolition, destruction, break-ins, escapes have all been done with a finesse that rivals the best of Hollywood. Watch the car chase between Priyanka and Shah Rukh and you’ll get the point. It’s not only high voltage that drips with passion which makes it seem almost like foreplay. The other notable sequences include the heist, the escape and Shah Rukh’s larger-than-life leap from a high-rise while his assassin wrings his hands in dismay,” says Kazmi.
Don
Aniruddha Guha, DNA (Rating: ***): Like Danny Ocean. And John McClane. In Don 2, Akhtar manages to blend elements from various H’wood films, mostly Ocean’s Eleven and Die Hard, with a bit of Mission Impossible thrown in. This is our answer to Hollywood – a rehash of what they’ve done already. No points for originality. No points for writing either. If Akhtar’s film lulls you to sleep initially, in spite of some slick editing, it’s because the writing (Akhtar, Ameet Mehta, Amrish Shah) falters. Characters say boring, random things to each other, there’s a pointlessly long dance sequence (Hrithik Roshan, looking dapper in an unintentionally hilarious cameo), and the attempt at dialoguebaazi is laughable (“Jab tak Don ko asliyat ka pata chalega, tab tak Don mar chuka hoga”).
Komal Nahta, Koimoi.com (Rating: ***1/2): Farhan Akhtar, Ameet Mehta and Ambrish Shah’s story and screenplay are basically about plotting and planning, which keep the audience’s interest alive. The first half, however, moves at a leisurely pace and takes a while to come to the point. It is after interval that the pace picks up but even in the post-interval part, the initial reels are too technical and get confusing for the average viewer. But the last few reels are very engrossing and the revelation of the suspense (like in the first part, Don) is the highlight. Intrigue, suspense, style and drama – the four highlights of Don – are in evidence in the sequel too.
Daily Bhaskar.com (Rating: ***): Shah Rukh Khan compels one to leave the bitter memories of Ra. One behind and experience an exhilarating ride with Don 2. Hollywood style crisp action sequences and different avatars of SRK, prisoner and eventually ultra-classy Don keep the spectator busy. The story picks up pace in the post interval portions with tremendous suspense value related to Kunal Kapoor. The vulnerable love sequence between SRK and Priyanka also commands for appreciation in terms how it brings the necessary twist in the story which can be called the forte of Farhan Akhtar as a story-writer.
Don
Rituparna Chatterjee, IBNLive, Tweet Review: The action is great, esp an exciting jailbreak. #Don2 promotions have been low key. The investment in action has paid off.
“Not gold, cash or secret documents. This time the eye is on Euro printing plates. #Don2 sets the pace for future heist movies.”
“In many ways this is @iamsrk’s film. He has a quiry sense of humour. Even behind bars he never fails to flirt with @priyankachopra.”
“The storyline is not new, but the surprising change of heart is. Impalusible perhaps? But who knows what goes on in the mind of Don? #Don2″
“The @iamsrk fans will love him in this one. That much is for sure. #TweetReview #Don2″
Rediff (Rating: **1/2): And then how can one forget when Khan strikes the ultimate pose — the camera captures him at an angle, as he slightly tilts his back, with his arms open sideways. It is King Khan’s signature attempt to remind us that he is the master of the universe. At least his fans believe that.
Direction
“Farhan Akhtar yet again shows his brilliance as a director. Barring few loopholes which can be neglected like Vardhan (Boman) despite in the hitlist of police gets an easy entry into the bank is highly indigestible, Don 2 impresses at various stages. The theft sequence is amazing shot with no room for technical goof-ups especially the way SRK escapes the inside chamber with plates in his bag,” according to Daily Bhaskar.com.
Performances
Shah Rukh Khan: “Don 2 marks SRK’s return to anti-hero roles after enacting such roles with flourish so early in his career. Recall BAAZIGAR, DARR and ANJAAM. He plays a wicked, debonair anti-hero in Don 2. The character he portrays is iniquitous and sinful, but attractive at the same time and SRK lives it up with gusto. Besides, SRK has also experimented with varied looks in the film, from a debonair looking guy to a person with unkempt hair and stubble. Without doubt, DON 2 is SRK’s best action movie to date,” says Adarsh.
Priyanka Chopra: “Priyanka revisits her character of Roma in DON 2. Not only is the character more evolved, even her performance is of a high order. In fact, she enacts the role of an angry, tough lady who means business with a vengeance. Lara Dutta looks glamorous and alluring, but her character lacks meat,” says Adarsh.
Kunal Kapoor: “He is decent, though he doesn’t really get the scenes to prove his credentials. An actor of the caliber of Om Puri is wasted this time. Boman Irani lends the right texture to his character. He excels yet again. Nawab Shah should hit big league with DON 2. He plays one of the baddies with conviction. Alyy Khan is natural, enacting his part with ease. Sahil Shroff has screen presence and stands out in a brief role. Hrithik Roshan appears in a cameo”, feels Adarsh.
Weak points
“The film does lack a bit on the emotional quotient and human relationships are hardly given a chance to grow. But just when you think it’s all sound and fury, there’s a sensuous tango between Roma and the Don as the cop opts to help the gangster she once loved and the gangster is determined to save his junglee billi (wild cat), any which way. A word about the dialogues: brilliant. A word about the music: mediocre (Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy),” points out Kazmi.
“The situations are alarmingly unimaginative. Sample this: Don-ny Ocean (SRK) plans to get out of a high security prison by mixing the food given to prisoners with a liquid that results in mass food poisoning. Johar Mehmood In Hong Kong had a similar sequence where prisoners in a jail are given julab (laxative) on the sly, helping them flee. That was a farcical comedy. Here, it seems like a cop-out,” says Guha.
“On the minus side, all that Don and his team do seems so easy that it appears rather unbelievable at times. Besides the confusing portion of the drama, this is another drawback of the script. Farhan Akhtar’s dialogues could’ve packed in more punch and power as they, at places, seem quite tame, especially those mouthed by Don, given that he is so powerful. But his dialogue about his mother being happy if she were alive and about and his dialogue about ‘Sir’ not going well with his personality are brilliant. Light moments are few and far between and had there been more of them, the appeal of the film would’ve been bigger,” says Nahta.
Conclusion
“On the whole, Don 2 rides on star power and brand value. The film has a bland first hour, but the second half takes the film to another level. There’s no denying that a cohesive script would’ve made a world of a difference to the film, but the tremendous hype, star power and the lucrative period [Christmas and New Year celebrations] will make its investors reap a harvest,” concludes Adarsh.
“On the whole, Don 2 may not give the discerning audience a great high but it will be loved by those who like style, intrigue, suspense and attitude. It will score at the box-office and yield good profits to Reliance Entertainment (worldwide distributors). The producers, of course, have already made a huge profit by selling the worldwide rights and also by getting heavy subsidy from the German government. Business in big cities and multiplexes will be far better than in smaller towns and single-screen cinemas. The film will work wonders in the Overseas circuit,” says Nahta.
One thing I’ve been meaning to ask for some time, because it’s something I don’t understand: Why exactly is the viewer supposed to root for/identify with Don? Basically he’s a drug peddler, one of the most heinous crimes that a person can commit, especially the guy who’s the head of a huge gang and gets others to do the dirty work. It’s one of the most despicable ways to make money. What is the appeal supposed to be? It is being compared with films like MI, James Bond, etc. But those characters, even though they also indulged in a lot of questionable actions, were supposed to be the “good guys” and on the side of justice. In that they’re no different than the Pokiri kind of movies, where all the killing by the hero is OK because he turns out to be fighting to get rid of the criminals. In the original Don (with Bachchan), Don is dispatched pretty quickly, and the rest of the conflict is for Vijay — i.e., basically a good guy who gets caught in a bad situation because he’s trying to fight for the good cause. But, what’s the deal here? Are the viewers supposed to root for Don because he’s cool and wears designer clothes? This is the point that I haven’t seen addressed any where. Or is it the “new Bollywood”, where questions of morality are not supposed to arise?
That guy served out his term. He is even today well sought after in the speaking circuit.
As I said, look around, the games that sell the most are all about killing. In today’s world to stand up for truth (as a principle) or to defend the defenseless is looked down upon. It is more sexy to lie, cheat and deceive.
Our movies reflect what the world is. The bad guy wins, the nice guy finishes last.
Mere Bhai, the masses in class B and C centers do not know about Clinton or the humidor. All they are wired to is Vijay, Rahul or Bhai Salman.
The changed universe only exists in the C suites of corporates, where the lying-cheating and back stabbing are events du jour. The guy on the street is still looking up at his idols to deliver justiice. Especially in a torn apart post-modernist-meets-aspirational-meets-reflectional-meets-rural cesspool of India.
You know, Bill Clinton is a very poor example to make your point about criminality. He had a consensual affair, but did not do anything criminal. You could give far more “criminal” examples from Indian government figures. But the point is that even now, those people are being judged as wrong by the Indian populace, who are demanding some morality among their leaders.
As for games, I’m not much up on them, but most of the “killing” in video games is again for a just cause, as far as I’m aware. The only video game I know where a person committing a crime is the viewpoint character for the player is Grand Theft Auto.
@Karan Kumar: If the world NyKavi talks about doesn’t exist, it is all the more reason why the film viewer wants to see such a world. And it’s not just the places in India where people want to watch those kinds of films, but also the mainstream American (or indeed world) audience. Especially for t his kind of a lighthearted, “fun” film.
The world you talk about is also the subject of films, but they are a different breed altogether, and are not sold as a way to have a good time. That is the point I am making.
But Don is meant to be a “realistic” film, is it? It’s a fantasy film, set in a fantasy universe. Usually for such films, the protagonist is made to be the “good guy” in one way or another.
We have realistic movies with an au jus of fantasy and fantasy movies garnished with reality. The recipe keeps constantly evolving/changing, there has never been a set rule on such things.
Sure Don 2 is a work of fiction. This installment focuses on how he diabolically outmaneuvers the world into taking over the European market (no folks it is not about stealing something, that part is just a step towards the primary objective.) The injection of facts into this work of fiction gives Don 2 the plausibility, Previously I gave an example of how he Machiavellianly exposes the competition/enemies in order to eliminate them. Another such injection of plausibility is that an “Indian” second in command at the German bank , such details make even the fantasy believable. Note how Don talk about have an edge over the Europeans because he can sell for a lower price (that is an injection of reality).
But I see your objection. I understand you have issues with us embracing a lead with no redeemable traits. My response is that the world has changed. Today a powerful world leader gets away with misconduct without any penalty (things would have been different previously). Today the games we play is about killing. In short, the world has changed us and we accept bad behavior as good and good behavior as naive/stupid.
Look at yourself, you seem to be a very decent, educated, responsible, and sensitive person. You have a good head over your shoulders and yet the world has slow cooked you into accepting that some “killing” can be good or for a worthy cause (projecting your statement). You suggest that maybe it is OK to play games which center on killing because it is for the good. Previously it was the accepted norm to consider all killings to be unacceptable. In the bygone era, I doubt a person with your profile would have anything to do with any games with an objective to kill to score points. This world has changed and we all have changed with it.
I too would prefer a “nicer” world, but it is what it is. Don is a hero, The police chasing him are side characters.
The answer is simply this: The producers decided that SRK’s charm was enough to pull in mass audiences and give them a profitable venture. But circa 2006 is so damn different from circa 2011. SRK’s brand has taken a vicious beating. A ChakDe was in order, but the audience is being given a mean Don2. IMO, all the mixed responses are a reflection of this predicament. The thing is, in the big scheme of things, Don2 was supposed to soar to the skies, on the coattails of a super-successful Ra1. The best laid plans unfortunately never unfold.
But the point is that SRK does have plenty of charm and charisma, and he does negative characters quite well. I’m just wondering why the moral aspects don’t seem to have occurred to anybody. Or perhaps this is part of that lack of humanity that several reviewers mentioned.
Don 2 has had a very good first day of around 13.50 crore nett in Hindi with another 60-70 lakhs coming from the dubbed versions as per early estimates.
It is the fourth highest opening day in history and the second highest non holiday first day after Dabangg. The film will be dependent on trending and with mass centres under performing there is potential for good growth over the weekend but the problem may be content not going down too well in these areas.
The urban multiplexes have done extremely well but are unlikely to grow much as they are at very high levels on day one so a big final total is dependent on how the mass centres perform over the next few days.
The film has performed best in West Bengal and South but none of the circuits apart from Mysore have put up very huge numbers because of the mass centres under performing. Mysore has hardly any mass centres. In UP only Lucknow has performed well, in Rajasthan, the contribution is mainly from Jaipur while in East Punjab only Gurgaon and Chandigarh put up big numbers.
so right now we are looking at a range of 13-15cr max for first day. obviously that is good. BUT for the self proclaimed ‘king of bollywood’…this is sub par by his standards. sallu still reins right now. we will see how talaash does and if Aamir still has that opening power…i do see agneepath opening HUGE and MIGHT even break bodyguard’s crazy record of 22cr first day.
and please don’t make excuses for SRK with this opening. if he states that he is indeed the baadshah then ANY film of his would break records. but it is not so. Aamir took over a couple years ago and now sallu bhai has a strong hold on the top spot. SRK is weakening and the proof is right in front of our eyes.
and im not a SRK ‘hater’. its just if you talk about being on top and talk about all this crap about being number one…then you have to back it up. you have to set new standards(Aamir and Sallu bhai, heck even Ajay freakin devgn have). now he will have his YashRaj film as a safety net and produce huge numbers. outside of that…what really does he have? or who does he really have? even his films with his best bud kjo have been slacking lately.
Sm, that is the question I had posed in my first prognosis:
1. It is looking sleek and all that , but that mattes so little. What is it about? What is the central premise? A video-game character coming out into the real world and creating havoc? A group of people with diverse agenda hunting for a big treasure? A man afflicted with a short term memory loss determined to avenge the death of his girlfriend? What is this damn film about? Yes, it is about this clever, mean character called Don. So? Why should I be interested? Where is the key point of conflict?
Not exactly, Utkal, you were asking what the story is. Now, apparently there is a story — the planning and execution of a heist. But I’m asking for the justification of the Don’s actions. In SRK’s other negative roles, like Darr & Baazigar, there was again a “good guy” underneath, who got messed up for various reasons. And in the end he was “punished”. I could never finish Anjaam, because after about an hour I couldn’t stand this character who seemed to be unredeemably evil. So I don’t know if any sort of justification was offered for his actions in the film, and in any case, he, too, is “punished” for his actions. Here he (Don) just goes to greater and greater criminal glory.
Some scattered thoughts on Don 2: (just came back from watching it)
Performances: As we all know (and most of us would admit…MOST), SRK dominates the show throughout the entire film! He has gone over the top just the amount that the role required and nothing more. SRK’s performance in Don 2 is MUCH more effective than it was in the first Don. He’s still the cocky bastard he always was, but, it’s just something about him this time that drags you right into the character and makes you want to know more. Priyanka Chopra is very underused and therefore, fails to make much impact. Kunal Kapoor is actually pretty good in the limited scope he gets. Lara Dutta looks pretty, but, is not able to showcase her acting talent in the few shots given to her. Om Puri is practically wasted. Sahil Shroff is VERY annoying in some parts! Nawab Shah(?) is pretty good as Jabbar. And the dude who plays Diwan (i dunno his real name) is okay. Boman Irani is used well and he pulls off quite an effective performance!
Story: You know what, there are some small detailed loopholes that you could find in the movie. But, that’s exactly it. DETAILED LOOPHOLES! These loopholes should only come after the movie (if you were watching the movie for entertainment only) unless you’re actually sitting in the theatre to just LOOK FOR THOSE SMALL PLOTHOLES! However, a small minus because the story is not very original, but, everything in the story fits in like a beautiful jigsaw!
Screenplay: The first half is (as Rocky stated) OK [not in any way suggesting it was bad]…the jail break scene stands out as does the car chase b/w Don and Roma. However, the second half is just AWESOME! It is a THRILL to watch. It literally had me sitting on the edge of my seat. The way they plan their perfect robbery and the way they pull the entire thing of is just amazing. And the twist ending is damn cool, suggesting a Don 3 on its way (which I’d eagerly await).
Direction: This kind of a plot could go wrong in so many ways if handled poorly. However, Farhan Akhtar has done justice to the fact that he is one of the best talents of Bollywood right now. The pace of this film in the 1st half could have been very draggy, but, Farhan’s intelligent direction makes the movie move much faster.
Others: The cinematography is exhilerating! The songs are a letdown, but, thankfully, there’s only 1 song in the entire movie! Hrithik’s cameo is good and put in the right place! So, it doesn’t look forced at all [unlike Rajinikanth's cameo in RA.One which was INCREDIBLY forced].
Overall: I think if you want a slick and stylish action film, you’re in for a pleasant time! If you’re really nit-picky about small details, then…not so much. [Lemme tell you this though...the small details are not something that would ruin the movie or break its pace or anything like that...it's really very minor]. After the film, I went to the washroom and there were like 4 or 5 people in the area and they were practically yelling…”BRILLIANT”, “100 times better than the first Don and 1000 times better than RA.One”. Even outside, as people were walking to their cars, they were excited and still in the Don spell, so, in the theatre, public reception was overwhelmingly positive! Hope this is useful to some people to make the decision to go… 9/10
PROS:
— Keeps a good pace
— takes the Don franchise to a new level
— In fact, takes the action genre in Bollywood to the level of Hollywood
— research is well done
— Dominating performance by Shahrukh Khan
— Brilliance in cinematography
— amazing action choreographing
CONS:
— Priyanka is kinda weird this time around
— Some parts in the first half are OK…just ok [above average]
Please jeevan. Do not say anything like that. Many times, I am not up to watching Shahrukh Khan on the big screen, but, this time, he actually set fire on the screen! I’m a Salman fan, but, this movie, even I will admit, is excellent
I agree with you mostly, but, both the first and the second half were very fast-paced! Yes, PC does look weird this time around. Also, the music is a let down.
When I advised you to stop thinking about winning, I also meant stop fantasizing about me loosing. This is not about winning and loosing. It is about exchange of ideas, it is about opening the hearts and minds.
thanks LS–
yes i was talking about the ‘don’ comic books aimed at kids /teens primarily i think
feel sm has raised a point missed by most inlcuding me
unlike in most such enterprises, is there a ‘justification’ to explain dons criminality
havent seen the film–but if there is no ‘excuse’ given for his criminality-this is a concern and may reflect in its trending (hopefully)
also saw parts of an interview of the don2 team at ndtv–
srks styling looked good but the team somehow looked defensive and eager to please somewhat
few observations bout priyanka chopra—maybe im wrong
but her face looked plum n pregnant
her lips looked like having had a fresh batch of collagen implants
also she looks totally enamoured by srk or is good @faking
maybe someone can supply a link
As someone who was a very harsh critic on the first remake (mainly because I couldnt stop comparing it to the benchmark of a masala masterpiece which is what the original was), I absolutely loved DON 2!
SRK and Farhan should’ve just titled the movie KING and made it it’s own franchise rather than trying to burden DON (keep the music as a homage because the background score rocks).
SRK’s performance here is a riot mainly because he plays his offscreen persona to a hilt onscreen. Technically this is very easily the slickest Hindi film I’ve ever seen and on par with the Bourne series.
This gives SRK the franchise in some way he’s always been after since the BAADSHAH days. Farhan cleverly references the first DON and takes the story forward in the second. By the end of this DON SRK completely owns the part, and DON has finally become the Underworld Kingpin he always wanted leaving the room open for a third (and potentially a lot more). DON 2 is also quite possibly my favourite Farhan film since DCH! Not many directors could pull off an intelligent heist cum crime thriller with such ease. I would easily take SRK’s “this” vision of a Hollywood-Bollywood crossover (we had Croatian and French friends in the crowd who enjoyed the movie a lot) than the recent disaster RA-ONE (ugh shudder)
Hahaha “karan kumar”
That was a “mature” response from u
Perhaps symptomatic of the fact that u r now “growing up”
Maybe u should give me a slight amount of credit for that? Lol
Btw don mind –in continuation to your “manhood”—
Karan kumar KA pakadna mushkil hi Nahin
Namumkin hai
Now take it sportingly mate-u r definitely growing up-am pleased to see
Also will never subject u to the “Henry fate” since u have always been civil
Cheers mate
Btw who are your favorite actors and actresses
And what are your views on Srk, aamir and salman-just from an academic loin of view ….
Saw MI4 this week too, WHAT THE FUCK was all the hype about Anil Kapoors role? He plays a skirt-chasing “tharki” with a stupid grin on his face where he does the squinty eye thing (Satyam knows the one im talking about) and gets away with maximum media footage and hype in India. His “Taam Taam” is somewhat more cringeworthy than his “Daaany” performance but somehow I think he likes the attention lol!
Other than that, this is my fave MI4 since than first. The 2nd and third just don’t have the “soul” of MI series.
Haha good one
Btw karankumar -appreciate y u r hesitating to reveal your ‘ manhood’ or lack thereof
But y r u not revealing your favorite actors/ actresses and ur views on Srk, salman, aamir
Since u claim to be new here, would be good to know…
Like how u never lose decency inspite of provocation
And yes: u r a psychoanalysts delight lol
“You know, Bill Clinton is a very poor example to make your point about criminality. He had a consensual affair, but did not do anything criminal”– think that is a v imp distinction/ clarification
Obviously Clinton was a president and there were morality/ probity issues of being in power so more responsibility etc etc
So not condoning/ defending clintons actions
Bit there are instances where some females actively use their access to powerful figure for benefits — now don’t wanna killed by feminists etc– but this does happen
Also in certain consensual ‘offences’, the male usually gets all the blame. Also sometimes all a female has to do is to cry foul and the guy can be destroyed. Obviously this is only a subset
Comments welcome
Don 2 was an amazing thrill! I am not a fan of the hamming Shah Rukh Khan like he did in RA.One, but, in Don 2, Shahrukh really brings brilliant charisma to the character and the movie. Priyanka Chopra is bland and as Arsh said, she is underused! I agree with him on the performances.
I would like to point out that the film is very technical and the story can get complicated, but, if you pay attention to the movie, you can keep up with it, no problem.
The screenplay has very few flaws. Otherwise, the screenplay is quite gripping and the entire movie is an edge-of-the-seat entertainment. Farhan’s direction is perfection…sorry about the rhyming. But, it is true. Farhan doesn’t let there be a dull moment in the entire movie. I don’t agree with Arsh there about the first half being just OK because the movie was fast-paced throughout!
sm, you are right. But my point is If they and a conflict element in the story thee had to be some ‘god’ somewhere. You cannot just say, there was a bad guy who wanted become the lord of crime, and he succeeded. That does not sound like much of a story does it?
But you sure can say, , there was a bad guy who wanted become the lord of crime, and his unbridled ambition brought about his downfall. . That does not sound like much of a story does it? That would bea workable proposition.
The proposition of TDP was something similar. Now using one’s sexuality and using one’s cunning to go ahead may not be exactly equivalent, but have some parallel, in a a normal society, governed by certain codes of behaviour. That’s why I argued, politically correct or not, only with Silk’s death can a satisfying story be told, with the premises that the film started.
Don 2 has taken the fourth biggest opening of 2011 in the biggest circuit of India, Mumbai. Bodyguard leads by a distance. Below are the top five first day collections of 2011 in Mumbai.
disappointing to say the least. yes wayyyyyyy too early to write the film off at the BO but early numbers are not looking all that great. Sallu bhai has really set the bar high.
BOI and Nahata and others have this old game where initially they talk about the biggest openings and what not and later it’s about 4th biggest and 8th biggest and whatever. The thing is if you have that sort of screen count and if you have a major star and a reasonably commercial genre you will get those numbers every time. The more important thing is to be behind Ready (and the difference is more than that given print counts and so on) in the larger territory Bombay is hardly very credit-worthy. In fact don’t these numbers prove the obvious — Salman without breaking a sweat in more or less ‘nothing’ films can get these biggest numbers while the most hyped SRK machines nonetheless fall short.
But on a related note I’ve also been seeing for a while now how the BOI/Nahata/Taran reporting deal (specially the first two) has become completely North-centric. Bombay is not even mentioned in most reports. If you just read everything you’d think Delhi/UP/E PUnjab was where all the action was followed by Rajasthan and CI! The Bombay territory is 40% of the Indian market! By far the largest territory. Much as there is no comparison between the Bombay city gross and the Delhi one, all else being equal. Leaving this aside you have one of the 3-4 highest grossing cities in Ahmedabad. So on and so forth. Once Bombay used to be very privileged in all the reporting for this reason. Today they keep talking about Jaipur! This is just absurd.
On BOI at least there definitely is a regional emphasis even in terms of the stars they support most. There is always an ethnic note. Deols over all. Akshay when he does well is supported more than many others. Shahrukh of course (Delhi boy). They will support any star not called Bachchan but for some there is definitely some real favoritism. for example they’ll obviously talk about Aamir’s successes but it isn’t quite the same thing as when they talk about SRK. And sometimes this makes a difference at the margins. Ghajini was rated rather stringently compared to the ratings half-performers of SRK get and so on. The one exception to all of this is Salman who’s one of their blue eyed boys without that ethnic connection (literally or culturally). In any case their entire focus is on the regions I just mentioned. And this too creates for very distorted reporting.
Komal and his zero buzz rant. Bollucks!
Put it simply. Ra.One was overhyped, a media exercise in promoting SRK and the effects of the negative response hit Don 2′s prospects. Clearly the makers went in for a softer approach as SRK’s “normal” overhyped antics would have been overkill.
But its still a very big film with a big cast and arriving on a plum date. No point making excuses if you don’t reveal why the producers declared to go in with low publicity.
yeah that’s the new excuse now.. much as suddenly this Christmas new year period isn’t that great! All the Christmases when Aamir released his films were fantastic!
To add to the point, leading upto 3 Idiots release, wasnt Aamir MIA, showing up once in a while in sort of disguise. There was not too much hype before the release,
The depressingly underwhelming (and numbingly long) Don 2 is less about Farhan Akhtar’s commitment to plot and character than hairstyling and haberdashery. Watch Shah Rukh Khan, in the opening scenes, resembling the world’s nattiest Naga sadhu. Behold Om Puri, gratefully grown out of his simian buzz cut in the earlier movie. See Lara Dutta’s ripe cheekbone framed by an inverted-comma cascade of silken hair. After the first Don, the reboot, the question on my mind was why they bothered. Why remake a star vehicle so identified with a one-time superstar? Why not simply write something new around a next-generation superstar? And Farhan Akhtar’s response was that he was bringing Don to a generation that had grown up without fond memories of the Bachchan blockbuster. I suppose his justification for Don 2 would be that he’s bringing Mission: Impossible and Die Hard to a generation that’s grown up without those blockbusters. Don 2 is so derivative, so dull that it makes us realise something we’d have thought hardly possible as the year began: Anubhav Sinha has ended up making the better Shah Rukh Khan film.
Ra.One, mistakenly marketed (and seen by many) as some sort of sci-fi breakthrough, was, at heart, an old-fashioned potboiler, unashamed about its lowbrow priorities. What kept us – okay, me – watching was some mildly diverting drama about a reincarnated hero avenging his death. The film was livened by vulgar showmanship. Farhan Akhtar, though, will never stoop to something as common as giving the audiences a rollicking good time, something to hoot and holler about (or at). Attitude, to him, is all. He stylises everything – clothes, performances, dialogues, and, yes, hair – to such an extent in Don 2 that the film is airless. It doesn’t breathe – all it does is pose, the world’s longest commercial for high living. Why condescend to make movies for Hindi audiences if all you want to do is mimic Hollywood? We have our own trash – like Ra.One – thank you very much. We don’t need this imported rubbish. When I watch laughably wannabe films like Blue, balancing their western stylings with desperate dashes of desi sentiment, I slot them as Hollywood films for those who don’t see Hollywood films. Who knew the director of Dil Chahta Hai would surrender to that ethos?
Don 2 raises more questions than its predecessor. Why resurrect the characters of Don and Vardhan (Boman Irani) for a commonplace heist movie? If Don is some sort of underworld drug lord, why doesn’t he seem to have any henchmen to do his bidding? Why does he end up doing all the hard work himself, like a Commissioner of Police doubling as a constable? Why the needless 3-D? Why the ridiculous romantic flirtation between Don and Roma (Priyanka Chopra) that undermines both characters, making them weaker and sillier than their positions of power suggest? Didn’t anyone protest at the rhythms of such dialogue as “Mujhe apne aap ko zinda rakhna suit karta hai”? Shah Rukh cannot decide whether to stay in character, or reduce Don to a preening peacock, mightily tickled that everything he does is so cool. Why should we bother investing in Don if the actor playing him can’t be bothered? Boman Irani, though wasted, has an entertaining few minutes where he pretends, like a schoolboy in math class, to be engrossed in the droning intonations of an expert. Only Lara Dutta, purring like a well-stroked kitten, escapes unscathed, amusing herself with her gorgeousness for lack of anything remotely amusing around her.
Rangan
“Don 2 is so derivative, so dull that it makes us realise something we’d have thought hardly possible as the year began: Anubhav Sinha has ended up making the better Shah Rukh Khan film.”
Thank You for the understanding review,I was going to see tomorrow but I will not and told my all my famlies not to bother to watch,instead watch in dvd when available.There goes some dollars saved.
NDTV which has been loosing millions paid 45 crore to SRK for stupid show called ZKJ. Reliance paid 80 crore to Farhan & SRK for this much stupid and the world’s longest boring commercial for high living.
These are bigger scam than 2G & 3G and to talk about it and to sit through this movie makes one hate oneself.
It is not just wastage of time but it is wastage of grey cells and saddening feeling of going not even backward or forward but going nowhere.
DCH’s original director has to come on surface as Farhan could not have in any way made it himself. He is not in movie making but surely is in money making and moron like me (who sits through this ugly flick) will let him.
There are two things that go against the film. Firstly, SRK’s cringeworthy cockiness makes his Don 1 act look subtle. He is at his hammy best, with unnecessary pouts, quivers and furrows. He almost ruined the movie-watching experience for me. But then, he is great in action scenes and looks better and menacing in long locks of hair.
The second thing is the script of the film itself which severely tests your patience in the initial hour. the extended climax somewhat makes you sit up and notice Farhan’s execution, despite the damage done by SRK and the screnplay till then.
Overall, its a one-time watch for sure – as expected, much better than Ra. One but whether it’s good enough to score at the box office – that would depend on the verdict of audience at large!
I still intend to see it this weekend on the big screen and expect it to be reasonably entertaining but I cringe at the depiction of this act by SRK as a ‘great performance’. One has to be seriously delusional and lacki8ng in taste AND judgement to really consider this great acting. Even at its most demanding this kind of film hardly requires great performances but yes, a suitably equipped star can make it more believable and in turn more interesting. But, the pouting, the smirk, misplaced cockiness – one can just feel somewhat sorry for those coming out thinking this is a great performance!
Sequel to the 2006 film, which was itself a remake of the 1978 Amitabh Bachchan starrer, Don 2 suffers from lazy writing. This is the kind of film in which a most-wanted international criminal can roam around a prison unsupervised, so he can smuggle deadly chemicals into the premises, and poison the inmates’ dinner.
There are ample car chases, explosions, and plot twists; there’s a globetrotting adventure that kicks off in Thailand, moves to Malaysia, then unravels in Europe. But what’s missing is the slightest hint of urgency or nail-biting tension. Take that freefall sequence from a Berlin skyscraper; it’s shot stylishly and gracefully, but without any of the messy unpredictability it could’ve done with. Remember that edge-of-the-seat Burj sequence in Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol?
For what’s intended as a slick action thriller, Don 2 moves at an unforgivably slow pace. The heist-planning sequences are tedious and repetitive, and involve more talk than action. To be entirely honest, the action itself has a been-there-seen-that feel to it, and some set pieces aren’t even competently plagiarized. A scene in which an A-list star makes an uncredited cameo defeats the very intention of the scene, given that the audience is in on the trick from the word go.
Looking leaner, meaner and less androgynous than he did in the earlier film, Shah Rukh Khan is expectedly the driving force of Don 2. With a cocky swagger and a mischievous smile, the actor delivers cheesy dialogue that belongs in a school play. The bedrock of a good heist film is the interaction between its team, but Shah Rukh towers above his comrades, giving them precious little to do. Boman Irani returns as Don’s nemesis Vardhan, who has been enlisted to help him on the new job. Lara Dutta is his fetching moll, Kunal Kapoor a hacker handpicked for the assignment, and Aly Khan an influential banker blackmailed into volunteering his services.
Priyanka Chopra, on the other side of the moral divide, is Interpol officer Roma, who has some unfinished business with Don. Their scenes together offer some of the film’s most unintentionally comical moments, and while Priyanka looks the part of the ass-kicking tough-chick, the script seldom lets her fly with it.
Don 2 is nicely shot, and there are moments where Shah Rukh Khan is riveting. But that’s not enough to hold your interest for well over two hours…even the actor’s most loyal fans will find themselves yawning. I’m going with a generous two out of five for director Farhan Akhtar’s Don 2. Although packed with fast cars and bikes, this is one slow ride.
Rating: 2 / 5
This is surprising.. usually Masand isn’t that harsh on this sort of thing.
Overall too I was prepared for other kinds of criticism on this but I didn’t expect it to be called boring. However many have done this. The signs were there though when Taran and Nahata just gave it 3.5 stars each.
watched don 2 and have to say some of the visuals are good but most of these so called are rip off and these include only some …
the prison escape is reminiscent of mi4 and the mask scenes have allready been used even more recently they have been done much better in mi 4… infact there are major inspirations with lethal weapon also
ya rangan is correct the the dubai skyscapper scene in mi4 where cruise running on glass and finally escaping was the best of the lot and infact made the audiences in awe
the biggest problem with don 2 is movie does not have any recall value infact the biggest drawback is script …story is not coherent at all
thats what i mean when i said yesterday mi 4 releasing a week earlier is disadvantage as i said it was a far far superior movie technically …infact apart from burj the explosion scene was chilling …
ya there is twist in climax but again its predictible infact don 2 is mismatch of various thrillers(bourne , mi4, jackie chan etc) and end up being khichdi
priyanka is the scene stealer here have done the action scene well and for srk the regular hamming don’t help
Don 2 Friday Box-Office: Rs. 15 Crore Net
December 24th, 2011 by Komal Nahta
Shah Rukh Khan’s Don 2 opened to mixed response this week. The film’s estimated all-India net collection figure for the first day (December 23) is Rs. 14.5 to 15 crore, despite the mixed reports.
The action-thriller, starring Shah Rukh Khan, Priyanka Chopra, Boman Irani and Lara Dutta, had opened to fair houses at some places and to good houses at others on Friday
As always Taran has the higher numbers, Nahata is close too, BOI have it at 13.5 crores. Of course they too were saying it would maybe equal Ra One’s opening day because the latter was affected by Laxmi Puja and what not when in fact just looking at the Bombay numbers it’s way behind. Even overall it’s behind.
Leaving this aside both BOI and Nahata are talking about mixed reports. Doesn’t sound like they’re very hopeful on the film sustaining.
Don 2 is unlikely to show much growth in mass circuits (CP Berar, CI, Rajasthan, Bihar etc) going by the trending at Nagpur the biggest centre of CP Berar. This would be normal trend when first day is strong but considering that the first day was below par in these areas as in the case of Don 2, there was big potential for growth.
The afternoon/evening collections will be better but a best case scenario is limited growth in these circuits therefore the film will be mainly dependent on how the big urban centres behave over the next few days. The collections on Saturday suggest a winner but not a big blockbuster winner unless Sunday shows huge jump. Below are the Nagpur collections for the first few shows in Nagpur on Saturday with the corresponding show on Friday numbers in brackets.
hardly euphoric all these reports.. the question is whether it can trend like the first Don. That film too didn’t open as big as hyped (both films now have not met the huge initial targets.. excuses offered in each case but it hasn’t happened) but it remained stable and sort of chugged along. If Don 2 can have that 45 crore weekend (quite likely) and then get a 55 crore week, trending like the first Don’s will get it to 90-100 crores and would also suggest that at least some cross-section of the audience liked it. Even at 80 crores it would still be a better deal than Ra One which completely tanked but it would obviously be a poor result for this film. If however the film isn’t stable beyond the weekend it will probably collapse quickly because I don’t see this as somehow being strong once again over the second weekend after anemic weekdays.
Again the ‘boring’ bit has surprised me. Because I never quite expected it to be boring based on the trailers. But I think what’s happened here is that the stunts and thrills aren’t enough to make up for the one note SRK performance, all the preening and one-liners. It’s just fatigue with the latter. But it’s also of course another sign of a waning star. Many were more positive on Ra One even in the negative ones. I find it hard to believe that even on his worst day Akhtar could make something worse than Ra One.
Of course many are calling it brilliant too or at least superb both among the reviewers and the viewers. The question as always is: how does this split? We’ll find out soon enough.
Based on the audience reaction, its seems Don 2 is a better movie than Ra.1, so if Ra.1 can get to 120 cr Don 2 should get there too..but that isnt the important figure, SRK should have crossed BG with either of his attempts, right now he is struggling to match Ghajini.
Does not look possible to get to 100 crores with these vibes. 14Cr * 3 = 42 crore weekend probably. If the first week ends at 55 crore, suggests already there is leakage in the performance because a film on this kind of print count and release time can and should do north of 70 crores in first week.
Tomorrows the main day, needs a big Sunday.
Plus it looks like it will have only the support of multiplexes…which means ZNMD type of gross is likely possibility but that film trended really well to achieve 95 crore odd
LOL…Another scathing review by Sudhish Kamath of “The Hindu”…this is the funniest after the one by Mihir Fadnavis…the headline is simply priceless “Don 2 – Two plates and a ham burglar”….ROFLOL…No prices for guessing who the “ham burglar” is !! Looks like this one too is going the Ra.One way..in fact may even struggle to reach 100 crores with the way things are going
“Imagine this. You’re in prison. You haven’t eaten all day. And someone tells you: You have 15 minutes to come up with a script for the Don sequel. And you can walk free.
No time to think. You start with the punchlines first. Obviously, you begin with the epic one that the 1978 film made popular. “Don Ko Pakadna Mushkil Hi Nahin, Na Mumkin Hai”. You come up with a couple of good ones. But since you’re running out of time, you just fill in Punchline Nos. 13, 26 and 49 with the same “Don Ko Pakadna” line.
Too much pressure. But you are in prison and need to get out. Fine, put that in the first act. Don is in prison. But wait, he can’t get caught according to the best punchline you have. Ok, so he got himself in.
But why? You don’t know. Ok, so you write “Don smiles mysteriously.” Ten minutes left.
You continue scribbling… Don is in prison. But Don has many a dushman (arch-enemy in Don-speak) there. Ok, let’s say Don has come to break one of his enemies out of prison. Say Vardhan (Boman Irani). Why? You don’t know. So you write “Don smiles mysteriously.” You can think of the why later.
Now you are really stuck.
All you can think of is prison and prison food. Stale fish served last week had inmates down with food poisoning. Brainwave. Engineer food-poisoning and break jail.
All that thought of food is getting you hungry. What you would not give for a plate of leftovers. A brainwave again. Don wants to steal plates. Plates? Five minutes left.
Focus. YOU want a plate of food. Don probably just wants to steal plates used to make money. How? Write “Don smiles mysteriously.”
Think harder. Don’s a chase film. You can’t just change genre and make it a heist film. That would be blasphemy. But you need to get out before prison gives you nightmares straight out of snuff porn films.
Fourteen minutes are up. Don steals the plates. How? Action scenes. Let action director figure that out. Also add, “Don smiles mysteriously.” Lame big shocking twist. Obvious one but time up. The End.
So you smile mysteriously and hand over your script. You’re free.
It turns out that Farhan Akhtar who has ambitions of making a slick-looking film like Ocean’s Eleven with stunts from Mission Impossible has already started shoot before he’s read your script.
Since it’s the sequel, the actors already know what they are doing. Shah Rukh Khan walks in suits, reels of slow motion shots are canned and bottles of hair gel are sacrificed, take after take.
Lara Dutta shakes it to the tune of the title track of the previous film since she’s been told the song will be just like the old one.
Priyanka knows she has to say all her lines exactly the same way when she speaks to Don. With the emotion dripping out of a certain Beatles song that goes: “I want you. I want you so bad.”
SRK loves the punchlines. They glorify him. Wait till Sallu hears them.
“Let me do it again,” says Shah Rukh after every line. “A punchline needs to be delivered in style.” But Mr. Khan, there are some 50 punchlines in here, says the assistant director. “It’s ok. They love me,” he opens his arms wide, smirks and delivers it like Punchline No. 51 looking at us.
They are at the scene where Don can just trigger off an explosion and escape but that would mean SRK doesn’t get a chance to say a good line. “Well, we have to shoot Roma then,” says the action director. Bang. Roma is shot. And timing presents itself. “Little does Don’s Dushman know that before he can make a move, Don has already made his next,” says Don. Boom.
The editor wishes his studio exploded and didn’t have to put this together. But he’s getting a fat cheque. He does his job to the best of his ability and is almost done when he hears that line “Don Ko Pakadna Mushkil hi nahin…”
Screw it, says the editor, stops it right before SRK could finish the line and walks out.
End credits slapped together with a song recorded even before the script was written. The film releases. And a critic scratches his head wondering if he should take this cheesy action entertainer seriously enough to dissect or analyse it.
“Ok, whatever I can type in 15 minutes,” he says.
Don 2
Genre: Action
Director: Farhan Akhtar
Cast: Shah Rukh Khan, Priyanka Chopra, Lara Dutta, Boman Irani, Kunal Kapoor
Storyline: Don is a smartass. Don is a smartass. Don is a smartass. Repeat statement scene after scene.
Bottomline: Ra.One was the smarter SRK film this year.
ya with prison scene was unintentionally funny because they forgot prison has surveillance system …don dance at pubs with ladies was funny to and was against theme as when don says “i like love stories”
won’t comment at all on dialogues which was really a big letdown
If you have noticed, there is complete silence on the Saturday collections so far…things don’t look good at all…otherwise by now BOI would have come out with their usual “Don 2 shows a big jump on Saturday” kinda stuff !!
Stick around and reassess your statement when they do report. Please do not fade away when the reports come out. At that point have the decency to eat your words.
*** North American gross – US$ 550K on Friday from 164 locations. The film opened on Friday and beat My Name Is Khan’s opening day gross of US$ 445K and is also higher than the sum of the first three days of RA.One.
*** In UK the film debuted in the UK Top 10 on Wednesday and has collected US$ 527K to date from 76 locations with 3-D version accounting for 2\3rds of the collections.
*** Middle East has grossed $ 930K on Thursday and Friday which is higher than the first two days of RA.One (US$ 710k) and MNIK (US$ 750k).
*** Don 2 broke the record for the highest single day gross ever for a Hindi film in Australia where it took US$ 82K on Friday. The earlier record was Reliance Entertainment’s Bodyguard (US$ 74k). Don 2 has grossed US$ 136K in Australia, New Zealand and Fiji.
karankumar,
if the film will sustain in India then the film will be huge hit but according to the reviews the film will nose-dive,this collection you gave is initial but will the film sustain,we shall see.
i am not watching as I did plan to go tomorrow.
The reviews are IN. People have spoken. Don 2′s success is now a foregone conclusion. Please move on don’t grab for straws in the wind.
Go see the movie, you will enjoy it. Have some fun, don’t get bogged down in negativity.
One movie that I did not like this holiday season is “Girl with Tatoo”. The Swedish one made for a mere 7 million dollars was far better. I enjoyed the Swedish version a lot. But I did get an insight seeing the Daniel Craig’s new version, which kind of explains why Lisbeth gives Blomkvist a cold shoulder in the Swedish sequels (the original has three parts).
mr karankumar,
Don 2 still remains to be seen,initial we expected to open big but a lot of critic saying its boring and not stylis ,please be patient and see how it trends out rather then jumping to the sucess conclusion.
Majority of the reviews are saying Don 2 is fun, hip and cool. As you can see, new records are being established and this would not have been the case if the movie was boring.
So who are you going to believe the majority of the reviews (and the new records) or a few vested/dubious reviews ?
MUMBAI: As the end of the year approaches all eyes were set on whether Don 2 will break the records of highest opening day collections of all time. The movie stands at the fourth spot with a net collection of Rs 13.5 million (13.5 crores) approximately with the Hindi version release.
Top 5 All Time Opening Day Collections Record:
1) Bodyguard – Rs 210 million (Rs 21 crore)
2) Ra.One – Rs 147 million (Rs 14.7 crore)
3) Dabangg – Rs 145 million (Rs 14.5 crore)
4) Don 2 – Rs 135 million ( Rs 13.5 crore)
5) 3 Idiots – Rs 130 million (Rs 13 crore)
5) Ready – Rs 130 million (Rs 13 crore)
With mixed reviews it remains to be seen how the film will perform over the week. The Tamil and Telgu version of the film collected approximately Rs 6 million ( Rs 60 lakhs).
its still behind his former release,tuesday we will have clear picture.
this collection is far behind as srk films should be doing 22cr to break bodyguard record.
Even those 100 meter Olympic record breakers don’t run always as fast. That expectation is not realistic, but a good runner is expected to perform in the top range, Don 2 has likewise performed in that highest possible RANGE. Don 2 is a proud achievement. A feather in SRK/Farhan’s cap.
Listen guys don’t keep going back and forth on the very same point.. these one line comments where one is just repeating the same stuff again and again clogs things.
Don 2 is unlikely to show much growth in mass circuits (CP Berar, CI, Rajasthan, Bihar etc) going by the trending at Nagpur the biggest centre of CP Berar. This would be normal trend when first day is strong but considering that the first day was below par in these areas as in the case of Don 2, there was big potential for growth.
The afternoon/evening collections will be better but a best case scenario is limited growth in these circuits therefore the film will be mainly dependent on how the big urban centres behave over the next few days. The collections on Saturday suggest a winner but not a big blockbuster winner unless Sunday shows huge jump. Below are the Nagpur collections for the first few shows in Nagpur on Saturday with the corresponding show on Friday numbers in brackets.
I think for SRK ( and apologists) it is time for the subsidy business to prove this is a success.
If this is what BOI says- translated in the regular language, it means it is underperforrming and not much hope now.
Don 2,flop possibility?, tuesday will have a real picture as where the film is heading,mission impossible 4 looks realy stylis and slick..9th january is mission possible for me..looking forward it already as there is nothing worth watching this xmas
Ho ho…now it is the turn Kunal Guha of Yahoo to rip apart the film…his final verdict : “The Badshah of bragging and the king of hamming is the same person and he’s out there in multiplexes waiting to con you off your money. The only way to outfox him: wait for a satellite release”…ROFLOL !!!
“The Don franchise is back in all its stammering, self-praising and lopsided grinning glory. Living up to its prequel, this one is high on slick quotient and has many meticulously choreographed stunts. The only grouse: Don has become cockier than ever and loves rambling lines that narrate his characteristic traits in third person- ‘Don ke dushmano ko…’ Yawn.
We begin with a voiceover by the man himself who is now the A-PAC head of drug retailing and wholesaling and wants to spread his distribution channels across Europe. In doing so, he has to help his old enemy, Vardhaan (Boman Irani) escape from a prison in Kuala Lumpur. So Don stages his own arrest by surrendering at the KL Interpol office to the delightfully dumb investigators Roma (Priyanka Chopra) and her boss Malik (Om Puri). Soon, Don and Vardhaan have forgotten the incidents that occurred in the prequel and are plotting a major heist in icy Berlin.
And before you think that Don has outdone one and all, the Interpol in Germany informs the Kuala Lumpur office that Don and Vardhaan have been spotted in Zurich. And though no visible spots are seen on either of the gangsters, Roma and Malik are in their woolies trotting about in Berlin in the next scene. No global gangster movie is complete without a car chase, a silly disguise (a Hrithik Roshan mask!) and a few explosions here and there; so that is exactly what follows.
There are many mysteries in ‘Don 2′ that could leave you stumped beyond reason. Like, why does a mastermind evil genius who is wanted across the globe personally pick up his drug consignments? Lack of trust in his aides or is he just a humble man of the soil? Also, when Don walks out of a hostage situation carrying a wounded Roma in his arms, Roma’s boss casually enquires, “Kya hua Roma ko?” What does he expect for an answer? Upset stomach?
While SRK’s looks offer prominent signs of ageing, his acting prowess seems to be doing a Benjamin Button. Unless of course, cackling about one’s might and monstrosity is Bollywood’s formula for a super villain. Boman Irani is known for his razor sharp expressions but this is a first where he seems to be a bit lost about when to let out which one. Priyanka Chopra is barely there and quite rightfully so as she doesn’t really foil Don’s plans or do anything that would make the audience excited or anxious. Lara Dutta is perfectly sassy in all her cereal goodness and manages her part with practiced ease and confidence.
For a movie that rocks in grandeur and style, Don 2 has the logical reasoning of a ‘Golmaal 5′. There’s a part in the movie where Don actually convinces the German intelligence and the Interpol that he’s working for them and they buy it. The verdict: The Badshah of bragging and the king of hamming is the same person and he’s out there in multiplexes waiting to con you off your money. The only way to outfox him: wait for a satellite release.
“Don 2 setting new records” ….”majority of reviews positive”…LOL…wake up from your delusionary world and smell the BLACK COFFEE dude !! In fact the topic of discussion on social networking platforms is no longer on merits of Don 2…it has now shifted to whether Ra.One is more crappier / Don 2 is more crappier !!!
“Stick around and reassess your statement when they do report. Please do not fade away when the reports come out. At that point have the decency to eat your words.”
The real question whether SRK fanboys will “fade” away even if DON 2 is declared a dud ! Not likely given the Ra.one experience !! It will be you guys who “clutch” at straws by relying on so called UK & German subsidies to justify “success”.
Picture abhi baaki “nahi” hai dost…Ra.One & Don 2 have come & gone and both are critical as well as commercial duds.
dude, even if Don 2 is a “dud,” I’m sticking around because quite frankly my friend, this is the best action film to come out of Bollywood and if you don’t agree, just say so…don’t even try to push reviews on me. Because IF YOU DO, there’s gonna be a flood of positive reviews here… Just sayin’
and also…Mr. Very BS-filled Shubh… media reviews are still more towards positive than negative. Stop TRYING to make it look like Don is being ripped apart by every critic out there because frankly, that’s impression you’re making right now!
In an elevator Boman shortens his stature considerably to come up to the level of SRK and to give him some confidence but alas even that didn’t infuse any confidence in him.
Farhan has to be penalized for taking away all confidence from SRK by surrounding him with all much taller and stronger artists! With the aid of close ups and camera position they tried to minimize in some scenes but otherwise all other characters tower SRK.
There was a time pre-Ra.One when I was a die-hard SRK fan.. Sorry to say this, but his cringeworthy interviews and pretentious, irritating acts off- screen put me off him for a while. Still, I decided, he’s better performing in films than displaying his embarassing acts in the media. Ra.One was bad and I was kinda shocked to see how he could’ve stooped to such levels to create a bland film with tasteless jokes and overacting.
But still, Don 2 was round the corner, I thought. After watching it today, I shook my head miserably at what SRK’s come up with. and im not talking about the film.
Im sad in saying this, because Ive grown up watching his films. It was because of this man and his earnestness in some of his earliest films that allured me and made me such a fan of Hindi movies. But after almost 19 years (had been a fan of his since his RBGG days), I have given up on him. Not interested in any of his forthcoming flicks. It’s become tiring to watch him on screen.
SRK should start a crash course in ‘how to lose your fan base). Honestly!
It happens with the best of stars.. there is an expiry date on a star’s career and very few are able to successfully reinvent themselves.. not saying SRK cannot but he’s made things tough for himself with his swagger and braggadocio. He still has enough of a base with the audience. The problem you’re referring to is one that again stars in decline face. It isn’t about the films, the star just doesn’t interest people anymore and because such a star is not young it is harder to find that ‘right’ film that can relaunch things. His immediate peers do not offer the opposite lesson in this sense. Aamir has been reinventing since the 90s! And he’s of course reaped enormous dividends over the past decade. But note how his films do not depend on his being ‘alluring’ as a star. People forget but Aamir started out being the chocolate hero of the new age (though in fairness Salman always had a more real connection in this sense), he then walked away from this relatively early and from that instant fan base that any star can always draw upon. Which is why some of his 90s stuff in the latter half of the decade would start decently, not hugely and would then remain stable. Because if you’re not doing obvious genres and not playing in obvious ways to a fan base the numbers decline. Eventually he got to a point where his name was a synonym for a good film. The rest is history.
In Salman’s case there’s been a more see-saw kind of career. One of the advantages here is that there isn’t the same sort of linearity that a more stable star depends on. Salman definitely looks better than SRK at this point but his films don’t necessarily depend on this. In a Dabanng this is more important but not so in a Ready. Salman is essentially attached to a certain masala-comedy circus at this point. He’ll milk as long as he can but unlike Aamir this is hardly a long term career move. But he’s doing the best he can given who he is.
with SRK the odd thing is that as opposed to Aamir and Salman who are trying not to do stuff where they take center-stage in a pure physical sense (of course Salman has always maintained himself well, Aamir has been doing this of late too but the point is that the films can’t be about their physicality the way this can be so with younger stars) SRK is doing the opposite. Because the Don kind of stuff works best with a star who is also at his physical peak. Bachchan himself did it at exactly the right point in his career where both in physical and professional terms he was at the absolute pinnacle of his career. SRK on the other hand used Don as a way of keeping the competition away. But the whole stance doesn’t work if you ultimately don’t have the results. And again he’s just not at his peak in a physical sense (I’d say he’s also aged worse than Aamir and Salman at least so far).
The thing is he’s now back to Yashraj and the romantic diwali film. Rahman’s association is the whole exciting thing about it as far as I’m concerned. The film will surely throw up some good numbers but can he really expect a better result than RNBDJ here even in the best case scenario? I doubt it. But even if it does better than that what does it mean? He was already on this path before he started moving towards Don and son. So that whole effort then gets wasted. You can have failures that enhance your status as an actor or have blockbusters that are meant to be just that. But Don is neither one nor the other. It’s neither CDI nor Swades nor OSO.
The other way to read this (and again it’s a common thing with fading stars) that as the older base fades away (because the star is physically not as appealing or else the new genres being attempted by the star are not really why the base signed up in the first place) it has to be replaced with a newer one but since the latter is not as invested in the star the film has to be that much better. In other words if Don released in say the late 90s most of the audience would be in it ‘for’ SRK all else being equal. Today with the same Don very few are in it just for him. So the film has to be really good. If hrithik did the same thing it wouldn’t have to be as good because many would find it worthwhile to just ogle at him in a passable film. With the older star the bar gets higher.
I am sympathetic to SRK to the extent that the problem isn’t unique to him. But he’s made it worse for himself with all this ridiculous posturing which then drives away all the sympathy.
lol tony! the last sentence – but he is actually doing it now since ra.one and don2 – why crash course? srk and akki – i feel both are on a downward slope – akki has delivered i think 7-8 flops in last 3 years (he still may have 10-15 releases lined up in next 3-4 years)….how gracefully they accept failures at the b.o. – that is something to be watched….aamir seems to be in no hurry whatsoever – he has taken 3 years after 3i to come out with a solo-hero film! then, he has D3 in 2013 – if by 2020 – if he does 5 more films – it will weigh more than srk/akki giving 5 more hits by 2020 out of some 50 films each they’d've done…
to be fair i thought srk will come with better negetive performance as in the first phase of the carrer before stardom he has shown himself to be very competent in negetive roles and here he was going back to his roots there but its very sad to see his decline as actor and his awakwardness in role and so called heavy dose of super smartness which ruined the movie
the same menacing look and intensity is hardly there
hmm—after the somewhat unidimensionally positive uk early screening reports, things seem to be mixed now
INfact things seem to be on the decline as per the reviews
will be checking this out sun/mon now–as i said, my benefit of doubt with the don2 team
but reports are a bit negative now esp rangans scathing review
irrespective of whether i will agree with hi,m or not, sudhish kamaths
review is one of the more innovatively entertaining ones in recent times
lol@hamburgler and “You’re in prison. You haven’t eaten all day. And someone tells you: You have 15 minutes to come up with a script for the Don sequel. And you can walk free”
the way he goes about “reconstructing” don2 scripting is a pleasure to read
but will have to watch this one myself first–might have something different to say
“Making modest profits for their respective and varied production costs were Chalo Dilli, Chillar Party, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, F.A.L.T.U., Pyar Ka Punch-Nama, Dil To Baccha Hai Ji, Dum Maaro Dum, Double Dhamaal, Bbuddah Hoga Terra Baap, Damadamm! and Desi Boyz.”
prakashjaju Prakash Jaju
Don2 flops big time …overseas figures are fake …. Total disaster … Need first week of 100 cr to recover which is impossible now
Well as I type this comment I am awaiting Saturday figures.
By the looks of things I maybe in the minority of non SRK fans who enjoyed the film. Maybe I was in a good mood hence such a good response from me (alex may know what I mean
SRK has hit a rock it seems and I can’t see how he will keep up with Salman let alone Amir. If Agneepath hits big then HR will have some real momentum behind him considering his last was ZNMD and then he has a real biggie Krish sequel.
I think the WOM is definitely mixed as some SRK fans I know have not liked the film and maybe that is to do with SRK not being home i.e his romantic genre who knows?? (or maybe they just found it bad)
Thanks to those who gave me a response to my take on Don 2 above (hope I havn’t lost all credibility:P
The cat is out of the bag !! Sat collections not showing major jump means the film is headed only one way : DISASTER !!
Don 2 has collected around 16 crore nett all India as per early estimates on Saturday. Don 2 collections showed jump here and there, but the jump was not so much. Even in few places collections were erratic and lower than Friday.
Overall collections are more or less similar to Friday. Single Screens have performed below expectation and has not picked up. Don 2 two day total collection is 31 crore nett all India.
Don 2 Opening Weekend Collection collection is heading for 46-48 crore nett all India if its shows normal trend and jump on Sunday.
no its not a disaster at all. but its nothing to celebrate about. its a strong opening. but the bar has been set higher and SRK so far hasnt met them lately.
Agreed…He is not being able to meet the expectations lately…But it’s ok for me…Box office numbers are not everything…Years before Salman and Aamir also were not being able to meet these Box-office expectations and today they are at the topmost spot…So to each his own time
was planning to skip this one for the time being due to time conmstraints and catch it later next few weeks or so
but now am curious as to what srk has done –also may not last that long in cinemas (although unlikely)
whatever said and done—srks fortunes have a major bearing on bollywood sweepstakes–like it or not
the major watershed event in bollywood recent filmography was the realtive underperformance or ra1 OPENING
I had predicted that srk will stay amongst the top for a while but things wont stay the same
seems the don2 opening has confirmed this
but are we sittting on the verge of a slide/decline now in the next few days
feel ‘concerned’ for srk now–strange feeling–lol
wishing srk all the best
Now your delusions extend to being a “giant” of BO also ? Given your history of falsy claiming to be an “intellectual giant” with a “giant vocabulary”, always within ear shot of hearing all snickers that people make about SRK, this is a little hard to accept without evidence. Heck, even my response you claim is “thanks” to you.
BTW, RA-1 holds the best single day record, even the opening day which was hampered by Puja was the second best. Yet in your desire to put down SRK you claim that RA-1 did not open well. Dude, the facts are there for all to see, RA-1 has already made 200 Cr + wordwide, which is extremely rare. Only 34 films in the history of Bollywood have made 100 Cr +, RA-1 has done better, it has already made (as stated) 200 Cr +. If after 200 Cr (a rare achievement) you still think RA-1 has not done well, then I claim that nothing RA-1 could have done would have earned your thumbs up. You are not governed by facts, your agenda in different, it is to put down SRK.
Let me put this into perspective, on a daily basis Don 2 is making as much money as Amit Ji’s last big hit, “BHTB” made in its entire run. Allow me to repeat, “on a daily basis so far, Don 2 is making as much money as the money which many here say was well received” . Yet Don 2 is being attacked here while the world is singing its praise.
Most guys on this blog claimed that Don 2 had very poor advance booking. Yet it posted the best opening ever for a non holiday and the third best opening opening ever after BG and RA-1. How many accepted their error when Don-2′s opening was announced ? None. Then you claimed that Don-2 crashed on Day 2, well we now know that it did not, but did well. Will this make you stop the falsehood ? I don’t think so. You won’t stop the falsehood and Don 2 will eventually make what it is destined to make based on its merit. Life goes on.
Don 2 has had a slight improvement in collections as its Hindi version has collected 14.50 crore nett as per early estimates. The two day total is around the 28.25-28.50 crore nett mark.
The film managed to grow around 20-25% in the multiplexes of the metros and at other centres where there are high end multiplexes but elsewhere the collections were similar or down 10%.
A circuit like CI dropped around 15% as single screens showed big falls while there were 5% jumps in Delhi/UP and East Punjab. The film has appreciation but is limited to to multiplexes in urban areas, in the long run it depends on how well these can hold up.
Sunday will be its best day and it remains to be seen how far it can go. Films like Ra.One and Bodyguard went to over 20 crore nett on their big holiday days. But both films had an advantage as for Bodyguard it was first day while Ra.One it was second day with the first day having Diwali Puja and and much of the audience keeping away from theatres.
Like Alex, I, too, wish SRK well and am not waiting for his downfall. But this constant refrain about the Diwali puja keeping out of the theaters is really getting on my nerves — especially when it keeps reminding me of SRK’s declaration, at the time of the Saawariya-OSO clash, that, “Diwali is mine!” so Saawariya had to move (even though Saawariya’s release date was announced a full year ahead of time, so it was inconceivable that SRK wasn’t aware of it).
taran_adarsh taran adarsh
#Don2 – India – Saturday trends: Multiplexes have contributed maximum. But B & C centres as well as single screens have shown a decline.
SRK off late suffered because his fans are divided among Salman, Aamir, Akki etc .. A major chunk of Salman fans don’t support SRK movies, that’s a huge loss. Ditto for Aamir fans . . but interesting thing is that its not vice versa.
Salman se panga .. Pahle Vivek oberoi .. and now SRK ko kafi mahanga pad raha hai.
But I don’t see any EVIDENCE that SRK is suffering. Since his “fight” with Salman. All SRK movies, MNIK, RA-1, Don 2 have scored 100 Cr + worldwide, a rare achievement for Bolywood movies. In fact SRK has been an over achiever, his movies have not just made 100 Cr +, but they have made 200 Cr + ( needless to say, an even more rare achievement).
SRK, and or AK, and or Salman, and or HR, and or Akshay, etc are subject to their efforts and hard work. The day they give up striving, they will slide. Of course age too will someday catch up with them. But all the other drama is just white noise, it does not really matter that much.
I could be mistaken, I thought you said you were really a Salman fan and didn’t like every SRK film.. could be wrong there have been so many comments back and forth on this stuff..
But it is best not to pigeon hole anyone, either soneone has a point or does not have a point. The focus needs to be on the content, not the “color of a person’s skin” (to paraphrase Dr King).
yes but sometimes a set of points indicates very obvious partisanship in one direction or the other which is different from liking or disliking a star. For example if one likes every genre one’s favorite star does but criticizes the same when other stars do it there’s something going on. Or if one frames arguments simply meant to buttress one’s favorite star or attack someone else that too becomes obvious. So it’s also about contexts. The same goes if ‘evidence’ is used in very selective ways. For example one could talk about ‘worldwide’ totals with SRK films to make the numbers more respectable than they are relative to the competition but then how does one forget that the very same competition has 300-400 crore worldwide totals (3I) and so forth? The top star similarly could be one who grosses minimally 150 crores in India. One could also say that there’s a problem when a star’s end of 2011 total (Don 2) is not likely to touch Aamir’s end of 2008 total (Ghajini) in India and even overseas the days of there being a big gap between the two are over. so if one is sincere about the numbers one wouldn’t use red herrings (film did as much in one day as BHTB did in its entire run.. one could similarly say that Bodyguard’s or 3I’s week one is equal to RNBDJ’s entire run!) and look at the numbers more comprehensively and a whole variety of things.
The problem is if one wishes to be considered a model of integrity one must follow the numbers where they go and not simply use them in very misleading ways. The same goes for other ‘debates’.
My take-
Overall, not bad.My rating 3/5.
It works best as a caper or a heist film.
Farhan has handled that aspect of the film exceedingly well and visually and stylistically, it is quite pleasing and probably amongst the best from Bollywood on that score.
Where it fails is as an ode to Don. The Don part of the narrative grates the senses like fingernails on a chalk board.The film makers need to understand that you cant manufacture ‘coolness’. It happens and has to be natural.Farhan and SRK try so hard to make Don that uber-cool,smart,witty baddie that the effort shows all the time and seems forced.The smirking,preeening,the narcissism,the exaggerated swagger- nothing works and actually takes quite a bit away from the film.There are some smart lines which again get destroyed the way they are delivered.Would have been more effective if they were to be delivered dead pan with a straight face instead of the facial contortions and intonational gymnastics.
Actually, SRK is most effective when he is shown as a real person and not as a Don.Someone displaying emotions appropriate to the situation and not a robot mouthing ‘cool’ oneliners. There is an overdose of those which detracts greatly from the film.
SRK shows that he is perfectly suited for this kind of films.When allowed to, he looks appropriately menacing and his wiry,sinewy physique is tailor-made for this kind of roles. He would have absolutely no trouble playing Ehtan Hunt or Jason Bourne and would probably do it better than current stars reprising those roles and believe me, it is no exaggeration.
Could have been shorter by about 20-25 min and the supporting cast is totally wasted.Never seen Boman so flat.Om Puri,Priyanka, Kunal Kapoor,Lara Dutta are totally expendable appendages the way they are used.
Saw it in 3D and wished I didnt. The kind of action it has is not helped by 3D. 50% occupancy Sat evening show in suburban NY.
on a related note this is the kind of thing people never get or choose not to get.. no matter how much you might dislike SRK otherwise off screen (or even on screen at times) your opinions on his films are usually very fair whether it’s this or MNIK or whatever. Hardly the stuff of partisan attacks. But people look at all the jokes and so on and pretend not to see this. Whereas with true partisans who attack certain stars (or defend others) it doesn’t matter what the film is they’ll attack any and everything and vice versa with other stars. It’s a one note deal.
Don 2 is putting up extraordinary numbers at high end multiplexes. The collections at these theatres are similar to the second day of Ra.One. Below are the second day collections of Don 2 and Ra.One (in brackets) in Gurgaon which has is dominated by up market multiplexes.
The Ra.One collections of 40.94 lakhs was a record for Gurgaon in a single day while Don2 has recorded the second highest collection for a single day. Ra.One collected 22.75 crore nett all India on its second day while Don 2 has done 14.50 crore nett because outside these up market multiplexes the collections of Don 2 are much lower than Ra.One.
Karan Johar Rubbishes Rumours About Agneepath
December 19th, 2011 by Koimoi.com Team
Rumours are circulating fast and furiously in trade circles that Hrithik Roshan’s Agneepath is no longer being distributed by UTV. However, there is no truth to the stories because, according to producer Karan Johar, “As of now, the film is being distributed by UTV on commission basis. And that is the whole truth.”
It is Karan’s other film, Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu, starring Kareena Kapoor and Imran Khan, which has been part-sold by UTV. Karan and UTV are joint producers of the Kareena-Imran starrer and by virtue of being 50% owners of the film, UTV took in Appu (of Nagpur) as a 50% distributor.
So, it’s a 28-29cr total for the first two days, depending on who you you believe. The Saturday numbers are hardy encouraging.
With some decent trending it could end up with a 62-65cr first week total, which won’t be too bad but it’s still very weak compared to the big ones like Bodyguard, Dabang or 3 Idiots.
It’s going to be like a Golmaal 3 first week if it trends decently. Probably illustrates how much SRK has fallen. While he really can’t guarantee the kind of initial draw Salman and Aamir ensure these days, a Devgan flick released more than a year back would be the most realistic benchmark for him today.
1. After reading some of the reviews i am getting a feeling this is bank heist movie.
now i fear that if i watch this movie, than it shall kill the legend of Don that i know of, as for me Don is not a thief, or someone who goes and do stealing! he is heck the DON.
i feel if they wanted a heist plot they could have always made a different movie why use DON for that?
thus i feel no genuine interest that i had when i saw first trailer as i felt this will show mafia story of europe, or drug cartel network, but i guess that was too much Godfatherly to expect!
2. I dont get this priyanka role continued? means wasnt her boyfriend or brother someone killed by Don? how do you like that person?
Just kidding mate! Dont take it seriously. Well don2 as rajen said is an average heist movie. I dont agree with him that this is the the best bollywood has ever seen. Both race and dhoom2 are far better than this in that genre. But dont need to do it as a don’s franchise.
the first few minutes of srk’s intro. and when after a few min. – when the titles start rolling – it is so irritatingly bizarre and staged that u wud do a favor to urself by walking out from that point because nowhere in the movie, u feel real tension…..and tight action/heist/thrills are experienced when impeccable timing is maintained – here, everything else falls flat and srk behaves as if the audience is foolish….
Sunday 25th December 2011 23.00 IST
Boxofficeindia.Com Trade Network
Don 2 has had a big jump on Sunday as per the early collections coming. The film looks to have crossed the 17 crore nett mark on Sunday for its Hindi version and even around 18 crore nett collections may be possible.
A circuit like Delhi/UP which collected around 2.85 crore nett on Sunday seems to be heading for collections in the 3.50-3.75 crore nett range on Sunday.The collections have been propelled higher by single screen business on Sunday in the North and Gujarat.
Single screens which were 50% on Saturday were going house full on Sunday. Multiplexes showed less growth on Sunday as they were already high and could not really go much higher.
Sunday is normally very good but here it may have benefited more as it was Christmas day, one of the biggest holidays of the year or it could be that the film is on a big run. Monday is likely to decide if it was the Christmas day factor or not.
and just like that 100cr is back on the cards. 45-50 cr weekend…60-65cr first week? decent. if the trending is good then it will certainly reach 100cr.
Essential SRK-the essence of shah rukh khan
squeezed in don2 today…
think i may write more about it later
but a few random points on the spur—
WARNING-this is my unique somewhat BRAZEN individualistic perspective and dont think it will be shared by many
can understand why this is getting mixed reivews apparently even from srk fans
Like him or hate him–u cannot ignore him
and now—-he has forced me to concede—
my reading of srk has been quite curious.
AHve long maintained that he is a sort of a phenomenon though the number of films/ performances of his that i have liked can be counted by the fingers of ONE hand
don2 as a film and performance joins that list for me
yes- don2 lacks in soul
yes- foolishly there has been no real reason/excuse/rationalisation provided for dons criminality here—which is an elementary script writing error anywhere in the world
yes–there are loop holes if one looks for them or even if one doesnt—eg a face mask changes not only srks face but also his physicality, height, dancing skills etc
yes–srk hams at times and his oh-so-common srk-isms abound
srk is more than his usual cocky arrogant naricisstic ass..ole but ….
BUT
for me—this all works to a large extent in this setup
would bring in the dabang analogy
before dabang salman khans entire filmography to me is like a scotmotous black hole with a few light rays here and there
but in dabang , his off screen persona merges with the on screen character like never before–and the after effects of the end result for his career is here to see till now
in don2–(not to the same extent as dabang though)—elements of SRK-ism get intermingled with the don2 persona like a hand-in-glove situation
missed some initial parts as joined late–but HIs grunge look (long haired one) is probably one of the most effective ones imo
Didnt like it when he came back to his clean shaven self which made him lose a bit of edginess–but luckily only for a little while
Found farhan akhtars work competent–but will come to all that later
Most of the supporting cast was ok.
Kunal kapoor was a bit listlessly irritating but all that later (As well)
Priyanka chopra was ok-ish for the most part
BUT the way the “romantic-ish” vibe with srk was handled was up my alley and meets my seal of approval
there were unique moments there esp towards the end
and srk changes his tone/flavour just ever so subtly enuf to show his class
yes folks—SRK aint going anywhere at the top or now
and im not even bothered about the box office now
again this is entirely my personal take and dont expect this to reflect on the don2 box office or on tastes in general
in my own viewing experience —-this sort of slightly exaggerated “over the top-ish” reaction occurs when something resonates with ones own personality somehow
With viewers like me–EVERYONE has a chance provided someone has done something earnest–no preconditions, no hold backs, no hangups(mostly–there are some exceptions rarely though)
now some random points–
now read someones comment from above–rooney asking—”I dont get this priyanka role continued? means wasnt her boyfriend or brother someone killed by Don? how do you like that person?”
exactly—thats a rational sensible question
BUT to me, this is the grey area explored somewhat subtly here.
Can see where it maybe coming from (though dont blame most for finding it wierd…)
On a lighter note, the element of flirtation evn in car chases and even when behind bars was pulled off by srk in his own inimitable style–well some may find the same irritating hammin though and no issues with that either
its just about ones own “style” really in these things i presume
The subtle change in gears around those junctures towards the end to me defines the ‘heights’ scaled by SRK as an “actor” worth his salt…
Herein under the layers of all that SRK-ism and arrogant assholery. i saw a more-than-competent actor adept at changing his gears/styles/ foolishness and more importantly, a human being, who has lived life on his own terms and won mostly…..
There were some points esp some action scenes and the technical slickness that made me feel somewhat proud of bollywood and this newly seeping in professional ethic –and excel/farhan has something to do with it perhaps at least in this film
In don2—perhaps there is a bit of exaggeration here –but somewhere SRK reminded me of an animal i adore—the tiger and i loved it
If one reads only this writeup of mine on don2—he may mistake me as an srk fan hahaha
thats the individualistic mosaicism at play –called as ‘wierdness’ sometimes lol
little do those people know that the ONLY performances of his that i truly found worthwhile without getting tempted to leave midway—at the top of my mind are—
Chak de india
hey raam
KANK
(ONLY)
and now don2 joins that select list……
And
and oh yes—
just happened to read this now from ms karan kumar
after i have posted my views on don1 above–
“You are not governed by facts, your agenda in different, it is to put down SRK.” –\hahaha rotflol
what do the srk fans like karan kumar have to say now…..
mate—have nothing to prove/disprove to anyone least to u.
Write my views unedited/unbiased and straight to the centre of the controversy
and yes—with no intentional political correctness
cheers and have fun
and enjoy don2 (like me)
And just to add to my views in don2 above–
My polite suggestion to some Srk fans like karankumar (though there are some sensible ones like Arsh khera)
Now if u could point out some points of “pulling down Srk” or “bias” in my don2 review-plz point out
Btw this wasnt written like this to prove this point lol.
Don’t need to get any duh certificates thanq
As satyam also pointed out: if u change that one-note default “defend/promote Srk ” slogan; u may do yourselves and srks credibility a huge favour
Just a suggestion.., think bout it
So now are you very sure that I am a SRK fan ? Is this your final opinion ?
Unlike you, I will not suffer any delusions of forcing your hand to write a positive review. Such issues don’t matter to me. Hence don’t expect that kind of response from me.
But I do have a vivid imagination.
I think that Don 2 is as near flawless as one can get (within the realm of big budget commercial movies). I think that given how hip, cool, fantastic Don 2 is, and given the jump Don 2 has shown on Sunday, you had zero (as in nada) wriggle room. Don 2 left you with no choice. It was either that or loose credibility.
Yet you managed to let some of your agenda slip through. For example you state that even SRK fans have disliked Don 2. Now that statement is false, unfounded and cannot be defended. The truth is that not just fans, but the entire nation is applauding Don 2. A metro centric movie like Don 2 cannot post approx 50 Cr without a solid “Thumbs Up” from the whole country. Hence your fib about even fans not liking Don 2 is as I claim, a manifestation of your slash and burn agenda. Therefore I am sorry, you tripped, your were close, but unfortunately no cigar.
Ultimately it is better to just state the truth. In fact I don’t mind being misunderstood or being pigeon holed, when I defend the truth. Also left to myself I would not have posted this comment, but you asked “to show” and I “obliged”.
Anyhow : need to catch up with some work.
But:”I think that given how hip, cool, fantastic Don 2 is, and given the jump Don 2 has shown on Sunday, you had zero (as in nada) wriggle room. Don 2 left you with no choice”—
Hahaha
Rotflol
Although I had certain reservations when satyam said those things about certain Srk fans, now I fully agree with satyam..
Oh my god-what default defense and staunch fanaticism
Anyhow : I was also left “no choice” but to declare that I didn’t find any of his multiple “hits” with kjo/yashraj upto the mark…
Finally no point in discussing with a delusional soul–hope other Srk fans give u some sense.
Don’t wanna spoil a rare good experience in an Srk film/ performance
And yes: liked the song at the end credits as well–Srk in his element in this one and don’t need a delusional imbecile fan to tell me that.
Enjoy don2 folks
Hahaha
Once again given an opportunity to respond you chose to play dodge ball.
Let me repeat whether I am a man or woman is immaterial to this discussion. Whether I am fan or not is alo immaterial. Either I have a pont or don’t. Focus on the content.
Please justify your statement that even SRK fans have not endorsed Don 2 (I paraphrase). Sure you will be able to find a few SRK fans that may have not liked Don 2, but India’s population is Billion +, the potential domestic Bollywood market is in Millions, a few stray negatives is statistically irrelevant. You cannot say that SRK fans have not liked Don 2 just based on a mere handful of people (even if we grant you that). Moreover given approx 50 Cr domestic BO over the first weekend you have no choice but to agree that Don 2, a metro centric movie, has been strongly endorsed by all (fans, fanatics, non-fans and outright haters).
Hence respond to the above. Calling me a fanatic does not help your case, it just shows your desire to run away and hide. Also please stand up on your own self proclaimed gant feet (again I paraphrase), please don’t use Satyam and Arsh as crutches. Make your case, I promise I will not take advantage of your inabilities (at least you have refused to display them by constantly running away). You have a good opportunity to convince me. I am open to learning and challenging my own limitations. It is very possible that I am wrong and you can with the powers of your ability make things better for me.
It’s fight to the finish as SRK, Akki, Ajay Devgn, Sanjay Dutt and Sunny Deol book the same date for their 2012 mega films
Kunal M Shah
Posted On Monday, December 26, 2011 at 02:14:18 AM
Diwali 2012, firecrackers won’t just light up your homes. With five A-list actors clashing at the box office, the ticket windows are sure to light up as well. As of now, five films have been scheduled to release on the same day in November next year, These include, Shah Rukh Khan’s film directed by Yash Chopra, Akshay Kumar’s Khiladi 786, Ajay Devgn’s Son Of Sardar, Sunny Deol’s Ghayal Returns and Sanjay Dutt’s Thanedaar Returns.
While Yash Chopra has already announced that his untitled project starring Shah Rukh Khan, Anushka Sharma and Katrina Kaif will be releasing on Diwali. Recently, Himesh Reshammiya who launched his next production Khiladi 786 (to be directed by Rohit Shetty’s assistant Ashish Mohan) with Akshay Kumar has also announced a Diwali release.
A couple of days back, it was announced that Sanjay Dutt starrer Thanedaar Returns, to be directed by KS Ravikumar will also release on the same date. Apart from these three films, Ajay Devgn, who has always tasted success during Diwali is aiming for a Diwali release for Son Of Sardar. Sunny Deol’s home production Ghayal Returns to be directed by Rahul Rawail is also trying for the same date.
When contacted, Vajir Singh, editor of Box Office India said, “This will be the biggest clash at the box office ever. Producers like to release their films on Diwali. It is a festive season and films do good business. However, in this kind of a scenario, the films are sure to eat into each other’s business.”
Noted critic Taran Adarsh reflected, “I guess it is the stage where people want to block the date and say, ‘Hamaari picture a jaayegi, doosre ki nahi aayegi’. Not more than two films should release not only on Diwali but on any other weekend. An exhibitor cannot accomodate.
The common man doesn’t have time, money or the inclination to watch five films. So why clash?”
“Ghayal Returns and Son Of Sardar shoots have already begun. Himesh’s film with Akshay is yet to go on floors and there is no status to Thaanedar Returns as of yet. Shah Rukh has already given dates to Yash Chopra so that is confirmed. As of now, there are five films but as the weeks go by, we would get a clearer picture. But I still maintain that this is not a healthy trend,” added Adarsh.
And good to now leave this delusional fanatic one dimensional fan (that Srk would be ashamed of ) in the lurch gathering his poor self for the time being.
Now for some work.
Will be back later on for some more –no more time for u rite now miss karan kumar lol
Hope satyam will take care of your cries in agony now hoho
A Year of Disappointment At the Movie Box Office
By BROOKS BARNES
LOS ANGELES — With five days left in 2011, ticket sales in North America are running about $500 million behind last year — despite higher prices — prompting a round of soul searching by studios trying to determine what went wrong and how best to proceed.
Movies are a cyclical business and analysts say that 2010 benefited mightily from holdover sales for “Avatar,” which was released late in 2009 and became one of the most popular movies of all time. A decline of hundreds of millions of dollars is not catastrophic when weighed against the size of the industry. Over all, North American ticket revenue for 2011 is projected to be about $10.1 billion, according to Hollywood.com, which compiles box-office data.
That is only a 4.5 percent falloff from 2010. But studio executives are alarmed by the downturn nonetheless, in part because the real picture is worse than the raw revenue numbers suggest.
Revenue, for instance, has been propped up by a glut of 3-D films, which cost $3 to $5 more per ticket. Studios made 40 pictures in 3-D in the last 12 months, up from 24 last year, according to BoxOfficeMojo.com, a movie database. Theaters have also continued to increase prices for standard tickets; moviegoers now pay an average of $7.89 each, up 1 percent over last year.
Attendance for 2011 is expected to drop 5.3 percent, to 1.27 billion, continuing a slide. Attendance declined 6 percent in 2010.
Hopes that a group of major releases would supercharge the Christmas box office fizzled over the weekend. Paramount’s “Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol” was a solid No. 1, taking in $26.5 million in its second weekend for a total of about $59 million. But “Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows” (Warner Brothers) was a softer-than-expected second, with $17.8 million in ticket sales, lifting its two-week total to $76.6 million.
“Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked” (20th Century Fox) continued to struggle in third place, taking in about $13.3 million for a two-week total of $50.3 million. Three heavily promoted new entries had tepid results. “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” (Sony), was fourth, taking in $13 million for the weekend and $21.4 million since opening last Wednesday. Steven Spielberg’s “Adventures of Tintin” (Paramount) was fifth with about $9.1 million ($22.3 million since opening last Wednesday). Fox’s “We Bought a Zoo” came in sixth, taking in a lackluster $7.8 million in its opening weekend.
What has gone wrong? Plenty, say studio distribution executives, who point to competition for leisure dollars, particularly among financially pressed young people (the movie industry’s most coveted demographic); too many family movies; and the continued erosion of star power.
One more thing: “You have to go back and look at the content,” said Dan Fellman, president of domestic distribution for Warner Brothers. “Good movies always rise to the occasion. Bad ones, not so much.”
Young people, defined by studios as teenagers and people in their 20s, certainly helped power some of the biggest movies of 2011, including Warner’s “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2,” the year’s No. 1 release with $381 million in domestic ticket sales. (Paramount’s “Transformers: Dark of the Moon” was second with more than $352 million, and “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn — Part 1” from Summit Entertainment was third with more than $269 million.)
But a spate of smaller movies aimed at younger audiences bombed, including “Prom” from Walt Disney, “Glee: The 3-D Concert Movie” from 20th Century Fox, Warner’s “Sucker Punch,” Lionsgate’s “Conan the Barbarian” and “Your Highness,” a drug-oriented comedy from Universal. The horror genre struggled as an entire category, with lemons like “Fright Night” (DreamWorks Studios), “The Thing” (Universal) and “Priest” (Sony).
“As bad as the economy is for adults, it’s worse for teenagers,” said Phil Contrino, editor of BoxOffice.com, by way of an explanation. “Because they have less disposable income and because they are more plugged in to audience reaction on Facebook and Twitter, the teenage audience is becoming picky,” he added. “That’s a nightmare for studios that are used to pushing lowest-common-denominator films.”
Mr. Fellman said he had seen evidence that younger consumers were choosing other leisure activities over movies.
“There may be a correlation to the recent strength of video game sales,” he said. “You look at a game like the new ‘Call of Duty’ selling $400 million in its first 24 hours and say, ‘What? How is that even possible?’ ”
On the other hand, several movies aimed squarely at older audiences attracted stronger-than-expected revenue, “The Help” was the prime example. That period drama cost DreamWorks about $25 million to make and took in more than $169 million in North America. “We definitely benefited from coming out at the end of summer, when women are sick of going with their husbands and boyfriends to nothing but robot and superhero movies,” said Brunson Green, a producer of the film.
The R-rated “Bridesmaids” (Universal) also clicked with older moviegoers, who perhaps responded, distribution executives said, to a premise that seemed fresh: women behaving as badly as the guys of “The Hangover Part II” (Warner), which was a smash with $255 million. “Bridesmaids” cost about $33 million and took in $169 million, causing a race in Hollywood to develop copycat films.
Too much of anything, however, can produce a hangover and studios started to feel one with family films, which have been among the most reliable moneymakers in recent years.
Some new entries delivered solid results, “Rio” from Fox, “The Smurfs” from Sony, but a number of them stumbled in North America. Those include Sony’s “Arthur Christmas,” DreamWorks Animation’s “Kung Fu Panda 2” and Disney’s “Mars Needs Moms,” which was by some measures the biggest flop of 2011, costing at least $150 million and taking in about $21 million.
Even Pixar had trouble. The Disney-owned animation studio had a hit in “Cars 2,” with more than $191 million in domestic ticket sales, but that total was Pixar’s worst single result, after adjusting for inflation.
Star power, or a lack thereof, was again a negative factor at the box office in 2011. There were bright spots, of course: Tom Cruise appears to be regaining momentum with the latest “Mission: Impossible” film; Johnny Depp charmed audiences once more with “The Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides,” which took in $241 million for Disney (and exceeded $1 billion globally); Cameron Diaz earned her keep in “Bad Teacher,” which took in more than $100 million for Sony.
But it was wreckage for most marquee names: Harrison Ford and Daniel Craig disappointed in the DreamWorks and Universal release “Cowboys & Aliens;” Eddie Murphy and Ben Stiller landed with a thud in “Tower Heist,” a Universal film; Julia Roberts and Tom Hanks bombed in the independently financed “Larry Crowne.” “New Year’s Eve,” essentially a string of star cameos, has been essentially ignored.
More troubling, studio executives say, were failed efforts by some younger stars to become bigger box-office draws. Ryan Reynolds never took off as “Green Lantern” and Jonah Hill, praised for a supporting role in “Moneyball,” flopped as the main attraction in “The Sitter.” Russell Brand missed in a remake of “Arthur,” as did Taylor Lautner in “Abduction.” Amanda Seyfried struggled in “Red Riding Hood.”
Two exceptions were Chris Hemsworth as “Thor” and Chris Evans as “Captain America: The First Avenger.” Both of those newcomers, helped by their superhero tights, found substantial audiences.
The good news for Hollywood is that the first quarter of 2012 looks much stronger than the same period this year, when studios had little to generate audience excitement.
Warner has two sequels — “Journey 2: The Mysterious Island” and “Wrath of the Titans,” while Sony has a prominent remake in “21 Jump Street.” Disney will re-release “Beauty and the Beast” in 3-D, followed by Fox’s 3-D re-release of “Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace.” And Lionsgate will weigh in with its highly anticipated “The Hunger Games.”
“It’s an extremely strong hand for the industry to play,” Mr. Fellman said.
“Mission: Impossible” cruises to top of box office
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – “Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol” cruised to No. 1 at box offices on Sunday, even as major new movies opened on Christmas Day which may change top 10 results when final numbers are tallied.
The new Tom Cruise movie rang up an estimated $26.5 million in U.S. and Canadian ticket sales over the three-day weekend, according to studio estimates, after expanding from a limited release in Imax and other large-screen theaters last week.
Paramount Pictures, which released the movie, said it expects a four-day tally of slightly more than $40 million by Monday, when final estimates are reported. The film’s cumulative ticket sales are expected to reach just over $72 after Monday.
Indeed, the weekend box office race truly will finish on Monday because Christmas day annually is among the most crowded days in theaters and on Sunday, director Steven Spielberg’s widely-anticipated “War Horse” makes its debut along with another newcomer, thriller “The Darkest Hour.”
Hollywood’s major studios loaded the release schedule last week heading into the holiday, expecting the films to play well between now and New Year’s Eve while parents and kids are away from work and school. As a result, a clear picture of how the movie studios fared this Christmas season awaits the full week of box office reports.
Meanwhile, over the weekend Warner Bros’ “Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows” took the No. 2 spot on U.S. and Canadian (domestic) box office charts with $17.8 million, according to Sunday’s estimates. Cumulative ticket sales for “Sherlock” after two weeks now stand at roughly $76.5 million.
Another holdover from last week, family comedy “Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked” squeaked into No. 3 with $13.3 million, pushing its total domestic ticket sales to $50.3 million after two weeks in theaters.
Following it were a trio of last week’s newcomers, widely-anticipated “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo,” family film “The Adventures of Tintin” and comedy “We Bought A Zoo.”
“Dragon Tattoo” landed at No. 4 on Sunday with $13 million, a hair behind the chipmunks, and a Sony spokesman cautioned the studio’s figure could change when Sunday’s figures are final.
“Today and tomorrow should be our strongest days of the holiday frame,” the spokesman said, noting that the studio did not have a Monday estimate.
“Dragon Tattoo” now has estimated total domestic ticket sales of $21.4 million since its debut.
“Tintin,” another Spielberg film released by Paramount, landed at No. 5 over the weekend with $9.1 million. The studio sees it rising to $14.3 million after Monday. Total ticket sales by Monday are seen at $22.3 million since its debut.
Finally, another new entry this weekend, the comedy “We Bought a Zoo,” landed at No. 6 with $7.8 million.
Paramount Pictures is a unit of Viacom Inc. Warner Bros. is part of Time Warner Inc.. “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” was released by the movie studio division of Sony Pictures Entertainment, a unit of Sony Corp. “Chipwrecked” and “Zoo” were both released by film divisions of 20th Century Fox, a unit of News Corp..
these are weak numbers for MI4… again shows Cruise’s diminishing form.. to make 72m through a 4 day weekend and a longer 11 day period including an early 3D release is hardly great. In 1996 the first MI made 180m. In 2000 the second one did 215m. In 2006 the third one, generally considered an underperformer did 134m. Unless it trends surprisingly well MI4 will just repeat the performance of the last one more or less.
Will say having seen the film that it’s very enjoyable and certainly has a few very imaginatively done action/stunt sequences. Especially like the Burj Khalifa sequence as well as the stuff with the cars in the climax and of course the sandstorm segment. However the film isn’t fantastic by any stretch. Not a patch on the first one and though the second one isn’t fresh in my mind I am unsure whether that too might not be better overall. Because Woo brought a very different aesthetic to it and it worked really well. Don’t mean to sound harsh on the current film. It’s perfectly fine for what it is but I think it could have been more.
I keep being puzzled by your lauding of the first MI film as some sort of great benchmark. As I remember, it got quite a critical drubbing. (The review for MI 2 that I remember was, “There are large plot holes, but compared to the previous MI they are not so bad.”)
It’s true, the first one didn’t get a great critical reception at all. However things have changed over the years. It’s become a modern classic and many have reevaluated their opinions! Of course critics have given far greater films a drubbing on initial release.
These were pre chirstmas days(one of the reasons even Sherlock holmes opened lower… though thats not the only reason), now after Christmas, each day in US BO is almost like a holiday upto the new year mark.
MI4 is expected to earn an average of 10 million USD everyday(Sunday has already come in at 11.2 or so estimate, monday to be higher…).
It will reach to 130-135 by the 31st only.
And is expected to end domestically around 175+ mark(or even more) and an additional 400 million overseas bringing WW collections to 575.(could become highest earning MI movie ever WW).
The new year weekend numbers will be almost similar or will have some jump for all these movies…(this year was special as in Christmas fell on Sunday.), last time it happened in 2005 and data is there to support it.
Sherlock though had a disappointing opening, will still keep on being stable and reach around 165+ Million USD mark….
Alvin and Chipmunks around 125+ Million mark.
All of the above might sound little surprising and abnormal, but thats how it plays out in the Chirstmas-New Year weekend time in the US BO.
But yeah overall its been a soft BO period over there…
BTW, many movies underperformed like Tintin(though its worldwide Hit, but in US,its not that much known),Dragon Tatto, We Bought a Zoo etc…(even Alvin and Sherlock to an extent)..
But here is the major news, War Horse has taken a unexpected huge start of 7.5 million USD first day inspite of its almost 2.5 hrs running time.
Industry expectations were around 4.5 million..
With Decent WOM, this one is sure to breakout and cross 100 million.
“Paramount’s Tom Cruise starrer Mission: Impossible–Ghost Protocol ruled the Christmas box office with a four-day holiday gross of $46.2 million, bringing it’s worldwide total to a stellar $218.6 million in just over a week in release.
The film, the fourth in the espionage franchise, has now taken in $78.6 million domestically and $140 million overseas. At those levels, Ghost Protocol has a shot at earning $200 million in North America and $400 million overseas — easily a franchise best and eclipsing the $546.4 million earned by Mission: Impossible II.”
Here’s the report card of some of this year’s big banner films at the box office
Tis time to take stock of the year, after the last of the big banner films has released. On the basis of return on investment (the business done by the film compared to its cost, including print and advertising), our trade experts came up with about a dozen movies that make it to the hit list.
Not surprisingly, Salman Khan makes it to the top of the list, this year too, with Bodyguard raking in Rs 150 crore at the box office. And though Shah Rukh Khan’s RA.One too is said to have met the numbers, it doesn’t qualify due to its high cost.
Listing Singham, The Dirty Picture, Ready, Murder 2, Delhi Belly, Tanu Weds Manu, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, Mere Brother Ki Dulhan, Yamla Pagla Deewana, Haunted and No One Killed Jessica as the hits of 2011, trade analyst Amod Mehra calls it a normal year.
“The only difference is that big films like Bodyguard, Ready and Singham have generated huge money. Even a flop like RA.One did business over Rs 100 crore. Never before have four movies done business even close to Rs 100 crore each in the same year,” he says, adding that a Rs 22 crore The Dirty Picture crossing Rs 80 crore is huge.
In the same vein, Suniel Wadhwa of 52 Weeks Entertainment Inc, while also adding Vashu Bhagnani’s F.A.L.T.U to the hit list, points out to a growth of 60 percent in the business in the June-September period.
“The expectations in the last quarter from October to December were high, with films like RA.One, Desi Boyz, Rockstar and Don 2. Only The Dirty Picture delivered to become the biggest success of this period,” he states, pegging the average growth in the business at 22 per cent, as compared to 2010.
Indore based distributor Aditya Chowksey attributes the growth in business to the upsurge in the Indian market. “At one time, Rs 100 crore gross was unheard of. Now, we’re seeing Rs 100 crore net collections,” he points out, adding that the industry is no longer dependent on overseas to rake in the moolah.
“The Dirty Picture did very bad overseas, but it qualifies as a big hit due to its huge success in the domestic circuit.”
Talking of the growth in the domestic market, Sunil Punjabi, CEO Cinemax says that the increase in multiplexes has seen realisation in the number of prints and screens as a result. “But the films are not delivering the numbers to come close to 3 Idiots.
It will always be the second and third weeks that define the size of success, apart from the length of the movie. Doing big numbers in the first week is expected because of the open window,” he observes.
Considering that it was the most eagerly anticipated film of the year, tradesmiths call RA.One the biggest disappointment of 2011.
“It created the highest decibel in terms of pre-release reach, quality and raised expectations of the audience, but failed to deliver. It could easily win the Best marketed film of the year award, but people didn’t accept it.
No other film has got 95 percent screens on release, with no competition for nearly three weeks. An ideal situation for any movie, but it didn’t match from the content perspective,” sums up Punjabi about SRK’s RS 150 crore VFX-laden superhero flick.
According to Mehra, it’s an alarming situation for Don 2 if single screens are not going full. Pegging the first day’s collections at Rs 13 crore, he says that considering the response from the public, he sees it crashing after Christmas.
” Don 2 has to do a business of Rs 110 crore to break even,” he says about the film that has cost Reliance about Rs 105-110 crore after buying it from Excel Entertainment for Rs 80 crore.
Top hits
1) Bodyguard
2) Singham
3) Dirty Picture
4) Ready
5) Murder 2
6) Delhi Belly
7) Tanu Weds Manu
8) Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara
9) Mere Brother Ki Dulhan
10) Yamla Pagla Deewana
11) Haunted 3D
12) No One Killed Jessica
Top flops
1) Patiala house
2) 7 Khoon Maf
3) Thank You
4) Game
5) Mausam
6) Rascals
7) RA.One
8) Desi Boyz
9) Aarakshan
10) Ladies vs Ricky Bahl
so apparently, nowadays, a box office flop is equivalent to a film that was a poor fare. Well then according to that, Bodyguard should be amongst the top flops…
No, why are you willfullly misinterpreting? The above list is strictly about return on investment in terms of box office collections, and there Ra.One’s high cost doomed it.
However, the film recovered its costs and most distributors made a decent profit. Unless I’m completely misinformed, that’s the report I saw. Even considering the high cost, the film made approximately 50 crores nett profit.
The question is, who made the profit? Is it the producers or the distributors? And even a net profit of 50 crores against a cost of 175 crores is not that much, compared to the kind of profit a film like The Dirty Picture made.
But, isn’t flop a movie that has less revenue than the costs. If that’s it, the movie is not a flop.
Even if you’re considering the producers and the distributors…only a few distributors suffered some loss, but, most distributors earned decent profits…again, unless i’m completely misinformed.
DON2-my impressions
satyam-my views above were random and disjointed and you may well delete those–not that this is much better since never get down to write a proper “review” but pasting it altogether here in one place .
have bothered since Incidentally liked this film and srk here more than some of the srk fans who saw the film with me (though they also enjoyed it overall)
Essential SRK-the essence of shah rukh khan
squeezed in don2 today…
WARNING-this is my unique somewhat BRAZEN individualistic perspective and dont think it will be shared by many
can understand why this is getting mixed reivews
Like him or hate him–u cannot ignore him
My reading of srk has been quite curious.
Have long maintained that he is a sort of a phenomenon though the number of films/ performances of his that i have liked can be counted by the fingers of ONE hand
don2 as a film and performance joins that list for me
PROBLEMS WITH DON2–
yes–farhan employs a fanboy approach to don and srk and everything is constructed around him to project him
yes- don2 lacks in soul
yes- foolishly there has been no real reason/excuse/rationalisation provided for dons criminality here—which is an elementary script writing error anywhere in the world
yes–there are loop holes if one looks for them or even if one doesnt—eg a face mask changes not only srks face but also his physicality, height, dancing skills etc
yes–srk hams at times and his oh-so-common srk-isms abound
srk is more than his usual cocky arrogant naricisstic ass..ole but ….
BUT
for me—this all works to a large extent in this setup
would bring in the dabang analogy
before dabang salman khans entire filmography to me is like a scotomatous black hole with a few light rays here an+d there
but in dabang , his off screen persona merges with the onscreen persona and the positive impact on his career is still being felt since. this is entirely my personal take and dont expect this to reflect on the don2 box office or on tastes in general
in my own viewing experience —-this sort of slightly exaggerated “over the top-ish” reaction occurs when something resonates with ones own personality somehow
With viewers like me–EVERYONE has a chance provided someone has done something earnest–no preconditions, no hold backs, no hangups(mostly–there are some exceptions rarely though)
now some random points–
now read someones comment from above–rooney asking—”I dont get this priyanka role continued? means wasnt her boyfriend or brother someone killed by Don? how do you like that person?”
exactly—thats a rational sensible question
BUT to me, this is the grey area explored somewhat subtly here.
Can see where it maybe coming from (though dont blame most for finding it wierd…)
On a lighter note, the element of flirtation evn in car chases and even when behind bars was pulled off by srk in his own inimitable style–well some may find the same irritating hammin though and no issues with that either
its just about ones own “style” really in these things i presume
The subtle change in gears around those junctures towards the end to me defines the ‘heights’ scaled by SRK as an “actor” worth his salt…
Herein under the layers of all that SRK-ism and arrogant assholery. i saw a more-than-competent actor adept at changing his gears/styles/ foolishness and more importantly, a human being, who has lived life on his own terms and won mostly…..
There were some points esp some action scenes and the technical slickness that made me feel somewhat proud of bollywood and this newly seeping in professional ethic –and excel/farhan has something to do with it perhaps at least in this film
In don2—perhaps there is a bit of exaggeration here –but somewhere SRK reminded me of an animal i adore—the tiger and i loved it
If one reads only this writeup of mine on don2—he may mistake me as an srk fan hahaha
thats the individualistic mosaicism at play –called as ‘wierdness’ sometimes lol
little do those people know that the ONLY performances of his that i truly found worthwhile without getting tempted to leave midway—at the top of my mind are—
Chak de india
hey raam
KANK
(ONLY)
and now don2 joins that select list……
n screen character like never before–and the after effects of the end result for his career is here to see till now
in don2–(not to the same extent as dabang though)—elements of SRK-ism get intermingled with the don2 persona like a hand-in-glove situation
missed some initial parts as joined late–but HIs grunge look (long haired one) is probably one of the most effective ones imo
Didnt like it when he came back to his clean shaven self which made him lose a bit of edginess–but luckily only for a little while
Found farhan akhtars work competent–but will come to all that later
Most of the supporting cast was ok.
Kunal kapoor was a bit listlessly irritating but all that later (As well)
Priyanka chopra was ok-ish for the most part
BUT the way the “romantic-ish” vibe with srk was handled was up my alley and meets my seal of approval
there were unique moments there esp towards the end
and srk changes his tone/flavour just ever so subtly enuf to show his class
yes folks—SRK aint going anywhere as of now
and im not even bothered about the box office now
since beliebe that this is after al a by product of talent charm and ability. one can keep discussing crores, trending etc, but this movie didnt disappoint me and yes, srk didnt either
Well, obviously SRK isn’t going anywhere. Reports of his stardom’s demise are greatly exaggerated. Even if he has several flops in a row (and I mean real flops, not underperformers), he can yet make a resurgence. I’d actually be more concerned about his health preventing him, rather than any other factor.
I don’t know. When was the last time there was any real hysteria or anticipation around a SRK film? And I don’t mean the hype machine that is so pervasive in Bollywood these days. Actually, Joe Public buzz about any of his films? And in any event, this is not a trend that started just this past Friday. KANK was supposed to be this smash blockbuster, it wasn’t. RA.One was supposed to a real challenge to 3 Idiots. It wasn’t. Don 2 was supposed to stem the tide, it doesn’t seem like that’s the way it’s panning out. These of course are the three biggies that come to mind, leave aside all the other ventures SRK has been part of or put out in the last few years. To me, it appears that there is a diminishing appetite for SRK at the movies. There might be a resurgence and I doubt this is the end of him as a box office draw, but methinks the glory days are long gone.
As an aside, I do wish SRK fans would stop going on about how it’s the quality of the movie that counts, the ability and charm of the actor not how much crores the film makes,etc. Someone should tell SRK that! He is the one that brings the box office competition to the forefront with his ‘Badshah’ and ‘Return of the King’ nonsense. They are ALL competitve, no one fondly imagines that Aamir doesn’t carefully study the box office or that he isn’t interested in attaining blockbusters. The difference is he’s wise enough and cunning enough not create a brouhaha over it. Backing up the boasts with the box office is one thing, continuing to peddle the same tired ‘King of Bollywood’ when the evidence suggest that at the very least, in these current times he is anything but, is simply foolhardy.
Well, there was certainly anticipation for both Ra.One and Don 2 even before the hype machine got going.
When the media were calling SRK the no. 1 star starting from 2002, it occurred to me that that may be because both Aamir and Salman were distracted by major personal crises at that time. All that has happened now is that the number 1 position is changing and going to others, but SRK still remains one of the top stars. That’s what I meant.
good points there-’numbtotouch’
Perhaps a ‘humbler’ and ‘more realistic’ srk may appeal more now
but then. maybe it is his ‘im the greatest’ vibe which driove him to glory and still does
but then, those days are behind him and he needs to get used to the new reality/ milieu sooner than later.
Anyhow srk without that ‘asshole’ attitude may be like angelina jolie without her pout or pamela anderson without u-know-what….lol
anyhow curious r you have actually seenm don2 yet–if yes–your views will be welcome
I think that’s one of the things that make me admire Shahrukh. He is very dedicated to his work. He has a back injury, knee injury and a shoulder injury, but, he’s still doing movies like RA.One and Don 2!
Yeah, but there’s a point beyond which dedication can become foolhardiness. I think he should be more careful of his health, and I’m not talking only about injuries. He just doesn’t look well in many photos these days.
I would say that is true and I think his main problem would be that he smokes. However, work wise, he says that the only way he keeps out of depression is by working, so, I don’t think going to work less would solve any health issues.
@ Satyam..I think these are pretty good numbers for MI4. Cruise star power indeed diminished in last couple of years. But looks like he is back on track and people seem to have forgiven him. MI4 had even doubt to reach MI3 numbers but looks like on its way for $165-170m. As far as movie is concerned it was on of the most entertaining movies of the year. I watched with 9 friends and everyone liked it. Not great by any means but pretty good.
Except MI4 all other movies are under performing (in terms of prior expectations). Whether its SH2 (gonna decrease from SH), TGWTDT or Tintin bombing. Looks like too much crowded market for so many movies to break out at the same time.
“There are some smart lines which again get destroyed the way they are delivered.Would have been more effective if they were to be delivered dead pan with a straight face instead of the facial contortions and intonational gymnastics”
— Well said, rajen. that sums up SRK’s act in the movie. He was effective in jail sequences and when he gets a chance to show his histrionic abilities, but messes up big time while mouthing those ‘Look Im so cool and dont mess with me’ lines.. That sort of ruined it for me.
Btw the Sunday has been pretty good.. Monday will, of course be the deciding factor.
Don 2 (Hindi) Has Strong 45 Crore Nett Plus Weekend
Monday 26th December 2011 12.00 IST
Boxofficeindia.Com Trade Network
Don 2 has had a very good first weekend of around 45 crore nett plus for its Hindi version. The approx collections were 14 crore nett on Friday, 14 crore nett on Saturday and 17-17.25 crore nett on Sunday. The Tamil and Telugu dubbed versions have added around 1.50 crore nett over the weekend.
The business has been best in places like Mumbai, Delhi NCR, Kolkata and Bangalore while CP Berar, CI and Bihar have recorded figures that are well below the mark for a big event film. Sunday saw a big jump in single screens in UP and Gujarat but it is probably due to Christmas day holiday as long term single screens may not sustain.
Don 2 is a winner but the weekdays will determine if it can get over the 100 crore nett mark, for that to happen the week will have to finish around the 70 crore nett mark, a first week finish more closer to 65 crore nett will probably mean a 90-92 crore nett final total.
BOI earlier thought Sun would be 18 crores or more. Even Taran is now saying 47 crores for the weekend. Given that he had about 15 crores each for Fri and Sat and was predicting 19-20 crores for Sun it should have come in around 50. Of course I was always skeptical of that kind of jump on Sun.
This is a new “twist” since Ra.One, to give the collections for the dubbed versions, too, and somehow fold them into the total collections. It’s this sort of maneuver that irritates people like me, who otherwise have no beef against SRK.
Where would you suggest that the revenue from the different versions be added ?
It has to accrue to the product because the costing for that version also accrues to the product. If Don 2 bears the cost then Don 2 should get the benefit also.
Even otherwise we are not talking about a different movie, it is the same movie.
Then why exclude Aarakshan, Raavan, Delhi Belly, Dum Maaro Dum, Dabangg etc for this benefit ? Their dub version were also released simultaneously, neither Taran, nor BOI bothered to put those.
Raavan wasn’t a dub, it was a bilingual. And it was the Tamil version that got the Telugu dub. But yes this holds true for Guru, a film which brought up big numbers in South. It’s also true for Krrish or D3. and so on.
I was trying to avoid the ‘ spectacularly boring’ Don 2 and not spoil my weekend, and wanted to catch The Dirty Picture again on Satrurday. But it was not showing at a theater near my place. So made do with dining out instead. Reached the right multiplex this time on Sunday. But only one ticket was available for TDP. So I sent my wife in for that ( She hadn’t seen it.) and I got the ticket for Don 2 in 3D ( Rs.350). So what did I think?
Well, overall, the first half was ‘ spectacularly boring’. I wanted to walk out right after the start of the Lara Dutta song, so reminiscent of Game, staged like an award stage show performance. Priyanka looked more like a BPO executive than an Interpol officer. The characterization was so por, one just wondered, why should one care whether Don succeeds in his design or not. The actual heist was staged quite okay, and was tolerable to watch. So I don’t quite agree with Rangan’s summing up of it as worse than Ra One. Certainly not. I think Farhan managed to do what he wanted to do: Make a wannabe Hollywood heist film.
My big question to Farhan is : Why?
When all the technicians of Hollywood are available for hire by anyone in any country, what’s the big deal in achieving 50% of the technical gloss of a Hollywood heist film? When you see a film of John Woo or Stephen Chow or Jackie Chan, , you don’t say, Oh, this is as good as Hollywood technically! You say : What wonderful fun it is! ( To quote from the review of a Jackie Chan film: J”ackie Chan’s recent American blockbusters may have seen some dangerous stunts for a Hollywood production, but compared to his older Hong Kong releases they pale in comparison.”
Why this lack of ambition. Why not attempt something original and fresh at least?
So did I like the film? NO way. There was nothing in it to excite. The script was a big let down. Even in the heist proper, there was no antagonist to contend with, no difficulties to surmount..the whole thing was so flat. Characters like Boman Irani, Kunal Kapoor, or Priyanka or Ali were so squeaky clean, without a speck of quirkiness, that it was indeed ‘ spectacularly boring’ to watch the twists and turns. Compare this with characters like Irfan, Arunodaya Singh, Pitobash, Tussar Kapoor in films like Shor In The City and how colourful these characters were, enlivening the proceedings in the process. Here everything hinges on SRK”s charisma, and it falls woefully short. He is okay in some portions. But he looks a little emaciated and dried up, more like a collegian trekker with a back pack, than a ruthless criminal in some of the heist sequences. The worst is when he tries to be cool. It’s too much smirking and twisting lips. Cool is fun when it is natural and effortless. Amitabh Bachchan, Steve McQueen, Michael Cain, even our own Salman Khan in Dabangg are god examples. On the action front there was no exhilarating chase sequences or explosions that approximated some kind of poetry of violence.
What is heartening is that the audience is ready fora pure action film without songs. ( And at least they prefer a competently made film like this to inane comedies of Akshay Kumar) . So let’s not blame the audiences. It is for the film makers to dish out something original and rivetting. And let money not be the excuse. How much money did Jackie Chan have to mkae policr Story or Stephen Chow to make Kungfu Hustle?
( I ahve a feeling Players will play out better. Only if it wasn’t for Abhishek Bachchan… But if he manages even Dum Maro dum level of intensity nad purpose, we should have a winner there.)
Just realised that , among all the Hindi films that I manged to see last year, the only two films that I did not like were SRK starrers. To put things in perspective, let me put down the ones that I liked:
15. MERE BROTHER KI DULHAN
14.LOVE BREAK UP ZINDAGI
13.DUM MARO DUM
12. 7 KHOON MAAF
11.STANLEY KA DABBA
10 ROCKSTAR
9. YEH SAALI ZINDAGI
8. TANU WEDS MANU
7. DHOBI GHAT
6. SHAITAN
5. NO ONE KILLED JESSICA
4. SHOR IN THE CITY
3. THE DIRTY PICTURE
2. ZINDAGI NAA MILEGI DOBARA
1. DELHI BELLY
(Have sen bits of Paya Ka Panchnama , and love it. SAme with Yamla Pagla deewana.) ( Haven’t seen Ready, Bodyguard, Chalo Diilli, Singham, Ragini MMS, Dil To Bachcha Hai Ji, Akarshan, Mausam, Faltu, Mujhse Fraandship Karoge, Ladies vs Ricky Behl) ) ( Have seen Ra One, Don 2, hated one. Found the other just about okay.)
Why Delhi Belly? Here is why
I thought Delhi Belly was the most perfectly scripted and executed film of the year, followed by Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara.
1. It was audacious, yet the writer and director pulled it off.
2. It was that one film in the whole year, that worked from the word go and did not relent till the last second.
3. It was a complete original, the likes of which was never sen before in Hindi cinema. It pushed the envelope.
4. It was complete cinema. Wonderful production design with appropriate grungy look. a great cast. Terrific music. Everything about it worked.
5. It made no compromises with the script. Presented it with 100% loyalty to the director’s vision
6. It depended on getting right actors to play the right parts, male and female, primary and secondary, and not depend on star charisma.
ZNMD had al these qualities, but not realized to 100% perfection. The script wasn’t as tight. The pacing was erratic. Two songs were crammed in the space of 15 mins. The music as ho um. Therefore it comes second in my list.
Well said Utkal. Agree with all except last part about Abhi but then that is subjective and perhaps little divergence.
This movie was simply a money making scheme/scam and sadly they succeeded in it.
As a caper or heist it might be just OK but then as U articulated that When all the technicians of Hollywood are available for hire by anyone in any country, what’s the big deal in achieving 50% of the technical gloss of a Hollywood heist film?
I hope Rajen is listening and might consider to take away some stars from his mysterious high rating of 3/5!
A.. Agneepath Trailer: Boy is it scorching. I predict an easy 120 cr for it. Reasons?
1. After long, a big-canvas dramatic film with people who acn deliver
2. a real larger-than-life bit vsceral look. Houses burning, makhan handi with a giant human pyramid, Ganapati visarajn.. all this shot gorgeously..that should look great on the big screen.
3. A rooted feel, no Holywood hangover.
4. Lusty music. Not just Chikni Chameli, Nicely balanced numbers.
5. a great cast. Hritik, the only actor troday with true supestar loks, in a role that is new for him. So fresh. Sanjay dutt, another guy with a screen-scorching presence in a larger-than-life role. Priyanka ina sultry role that she perfected in Kaminay. And last but not the least, Rishi Kapoor, again Ina different rle, now in the peak of his act, bringing nunaces to the proceedings.
6. Ktrian Kaif. When has she ever failed? And this is a very clever item number thought up by the two Karans. To quote Naseer from The Dirty Picture , ” Jab sharafat ki kapade utarti hai, toh sabse jyafda mazaa sharifon ko aata hai.” There is a lot of guilty pleasure to be had in watching someone classy like Katrina jiggle her boobs and wiggle her bottom. And none of us are immune to this irrestible atracryin . ( That’s why Ash scored in Bunty aur Babli and Dhom 2)
B. Ekk Tha Deewana Trailer.
1. Prateek and Amy can create a small storm of fresh air if the film works.
2. The only solo credit that appears before the last frame of all credits:
An AR Rahman Musical!
Any other musi director has that kind of star status ?
My 2 cents
Have always found b rangans writIng brilliant and worth checking out irrespective of the movie he is reviewing
Have mentioned few times earlier how he lost it With reference to delly belly IMO
I still haven’t forgiven deo and aamir for those umpteen hairy make asses close ups –aargh
And that minor soft core porn ‘mentions’ in delly belly like blowjob etc eliciting Some labels like ‘revolutionary’ etc etc
C’mon guys :give us a break
And now he finds ra1 better than don2
Well, can be accused of many things but not for being an Srk fan
But c’mon can’t think of anyone except kids or imbeciles who may prefer ra1 over don2
Can not resist–
Utkal uncle–no problems if u didn’t like don2
It’s just that reasons furnishe here are not exactly convincing
Bu again: don2 will elicit these varied reactions
Noticed how the other uncle ie rajen has “risen Above” petty biases etc or preconceived notions to rightly give don2 and Srk the creof they rightly deserve here
Now all eyes on satyam on this ‘acid test’
Hahaha
And noticed how sm has been posting v intelligent writeups and points
infact Without exception se way has a good point to make
But does she ever WATCH a movie herself on the big screen…
Don’t think she has seen most of the films being discussed here
Lol sm–just pulling your leg
Alex adams, I am obviously an SRK fan, or else why would I be watching Ra One and Don2, when I have skipped Ready, Bodyguard and Singham. But have to admit, i have been disappointed big time.
” I am obviously an SRK fan”—utkal uncle :that’s a big surprise
Hahaha
Btw your declaration–it’s like sunny leone suddenly proclaiming that she is a “virgin” or a ‘one-man’ woman( with no disrespects to sunny or virgins or utkal uncle )-to be taken sportingly
And satyam : so uve been watching don2 secretly ha
c’mon let’s see ur don2 review lol
didn’t mind Don 2.. but it doesn’t quite have grip either.. didn’t think there was much of a difference between the first and second half.. it’s engaging enough.. it’s more like those minor heist films or thrillers that you see out of Hollywood where things sort of amble along.. probably preferred it to the first one.. wasn’t bored anywhere but at the same time the film given that it tries to be a pure thriller isn’t strong enough on the basics.. also think the visuals looked most impressive in those two longer trailers. Can’t say in sum that I preferred this to the older installment even if this was an easier watch. Will try to expand on this in a post.
“There is a lot of guilty pleasure to be had in watching someone classy like Katrina jiggle her boobs and wiggle her bottom. And none of us are immune to this irrestible atracryin . ( That’s why Ash scored in Bunty aur Babli and Dhom 2)”–
Deserve some credit for getting utkal uncle unplugged& unedited
NOW u r talking frankly
Can we get him another rum plz
Re: There is a lot of guilty pleasure to be had in watching someone classy like Katrina jiggle her boobs and wiggle her bottom
What makes Katrina classy??? A fair skinomplexion? A foriegn accent ? or her reported origins as a club dancer?? Katrina can be called a lot of things but not ‘classy’ IMHO. She may be a nice person for all we know but am not sure what makes her classy as opposed to say a Ms.Sherawat or Silk Smitha.
Waht makes Katrian classy as compared to say Silk smita or mallika Sherawat? That has to be explained? It’s the delicacy of one’s features. The elegance of one’s physique, the graceful movement and not overtly aggressive sexuality. And yes, even her flawless fair complexion. These are the tributes that makes an Ash or a Karina classy. That’s why Mallika or Smita wont be given the role of the politician in Rajneeti or the role of Jodha in Jodha Akbar .
Katrina classy? The woman who started out exposing in Boom and whose claim to fame is shaking her boobs and ass in mainly crappy movies – most with Akshay. If that is classy, then all actresses including Mallika are classy. Katrina has really fooled the Indian public. The woman was an escort for god’s sake and cleaned up her image after Boom to become a star with the backing of Salman.
Elegance and grace aren’t adjectives I’d attach to Katrina. A flawless fair complexion (hardly a value in itself though I understand the unfortunate cultural coding here) also has nothing to do with being ‘classy’. Finally the ‘overtly aggressive sexuality’ (depending on how this is defined) might not gel with traditional Indian notions in these matters but it doesn’t mean that one cannot be classy if one is more liberated in this sense. And the gender divide here is so obvious.. men on screen are routinely celebrated for the very same things that in a woman are frowned upon. with all due respect your sense of a classy woman is very chauvinistic and mixes up all sorts of traditional ‘ideals’ and defines it as class. Essentially what you’re saying is ‘I like fair, docile, demure women’. To be honest I’ve long felt that this was precisely Katrina’s appeal for the larger audience.
Sharmila Tagore is someone I’d call possibly the classiest among major commercial Hindi film actresses. Waheeda Rahman had great grace and elegance though probably didn’t suggest ‘class’ in the same sense. But yes among contemporary actresses Ash is as close as it gets. Wouldn’t dream of putting Katrina with her.
Much as I don’t care for Shabana Azmi, I would add her to list of “classy” actresses, although not a patch on Sharmila Tagore or Waheeda Rahman. I think Nargis also seemed classy in a way (for instance) Madhubala did not.
– thats an irresponsible, offensive statement Utkal. does reflect why indians are still so self-conscious when it comes to skin colour and why the western whites n others are looked upon as being superior..
Now that you’ve brought in Silk Smitha, let me talk about another gorgeous actress with Smitha in her name – Smitha Patil.. Katrina isnt one-tenth as beautiful as Smitha Patil, and lets not even compare their elegance
I find the comment about Katrina’s classiness being directly related to her flawlessly fair complexison to be extremely offensive. Does that make a brown-skinned woman flawed and classless? That would be a very regressive, slavishly colonial mentality to possess.
In my estimation a woman is classy if she is elegant, subtle, sophisticated and intelligent and I do not think that either Katrina or Kareena possess any of these qualities. And by elegant and subtle I do not mean docile. A woman can be liberated and still be refined. In fact I think that self-confidence is an essential component of classiness. If women are too demure and lack a certain spark and try too desperately to please like Katrina does, then I find that unattractive.
Katrina;”s features are “delicate”?! Utkal, we must be looking at different women — Deepika or Aishwarya have delicate features, Katrina’s are (to use the Hindi/Urdu word) “bhadday” in my opinion. Won’t say anything about the complexion because others have already (justifiably) flogged that one — but do you really think a Nandana Sen looks less classy than Katrina just because she is darker?
Re: “That’s why Mallika or Smita wont be given the role of the politician in Rajneeti…”
Only an imbecile like Jha would give her the role he did in Rajneeti (the funniest thing was she spoke more accented Hindi than Amreeka-returned Ranbir; actually that wasn’t the funniest thing, but, y’know)…
“It’s the delicacy of one’s features. The elegance of one’s physique, the graceful movement and not overtly aggressive sexuality”—utkal uncle—lets pour in some more rum for u.
Well said
btw utkal uncle—can u plz rank upto ten the hottest sensual actresses of all time–with possible explanations
i can see that u know more about this topic that any of us here
Just want to learn from u lol
Suggest we let utkal uncle have his preferences and ‘fantasies’ and lets not ‘intimidate’ him lol
Anyhow, this issue about ‘hotness’, ‘class’ and ‘sensuality’ is quite subjective–carry on utkal uncle….
“The woman was an escort for god’s sake and cleaned up her image after Boom to become a star with the backing of Salman.”
—tyler–thanx for that info about her being an escort—btw how did u know lol–
anyhow, this even makes her ‘achievement’ more significant
that aside–this explains salmans new found fascination for sunny leone lol–maybe there are ‘perks’ @ work—perhaps salman fans like sm can throw light (cmon sm: dont be so shy)
bollywoodajjtak bollywoodajjtak
#Don2 droped heavily today. The drop is huge at single screen around 70% while multiplexes droped around 60 %
bollywoodajjtak bollywoodajjtak
#Don2 looks difficult to sustain in the long run. Judging the trend 1st week should be around 65 cr and lifetime around 85-90cr.
It took approx 8 Cr on Monday, therefore the info you have is incorrect. After an excellent turnout on Monday, somewhere between 70-75 Cr by the end of first week appears possible.
Much of the credit to this better turnout is thanks to positive reviews of even those that don’t like SRK. As we can see from this blog, even those that dislike SRK are forced to say something positive about Don 2
more or less where I was expecting the final total to be in best case scenario. Of course if multiplexes hold up better than expected over the second weekend it could conceivably do more. No one is talking about Mon collections so far from taran to BOI. Usually when the trends look good they go giddy with excitement over it!
About Katrina and class: If I meant docile and demure, I would have said docile and demure. I meant elegant and graceful, and that’s what I said. Sharmila Tagore and Waheeda were certainly classy. And sow as Simi and still is, though she is anything but docile and demure. And thee is nothing wrong with applauding fair and flawless complexion. I would as easily applaud someone’s dusky and flawless complexion as well., for example Smita Patil or Nadita Das. Both of them were anything but docile and demure, but classy they are. And for anyone who cannot see the diffeence between these two and say Mallika Sherawat and Silk Smita, I doubt my explanations will help.
Hitchcock and Grace Kelly: ”
With only three films, Grace Kelly epitomized Hitchcock’s ultimate cool blonde. The blonde in which they were perfection and glamour visually, but carried the flaws of mischief, obsession, neurosis, and infidelity.”
That’s the allure of women like Katrina and Aishwaraya, and why item numbers by them offer so much more than an item number by say a Kareena, who wears her sexuality on her sleeve.
Being classy does not mean not being sexy, but it is about not wearing your sexiness on your sleeves.
^^^haha–interesting discussion there
Have a knack of spotting these (lol, sic) -I dont call utkal ‘uncle’ (or anyone) just for nothing lol. He seems to have come with a worthy response
Feel both sides have an interesting point here (including satyam/rajen/tyler) and this is what worthwhile blogging is about imo
also a good point on kareenas ‘on the sleeve’ sexuality (that still doesnt work for me lol)
also for katrina, feel that her alleged ex-escort/ex-hooker/ex-clubstripper past is having a bearing on minds here.
Obviously it is reasonable if one has issues with her past on a personal basis, one doesnt have to ‘marry’ her or have a ‘relationship’ with her hoho.
But suggest that one does need to have the magnanimity to see past this when purely evaluating her appeal on ‘celluloid’.
infact she should be given more credit for growing past that background and still compete successfully in an alien setup.
WOuld be interesting to get female perspective/views on this but as has been seen previously most get uncomfortable here even discussing certain things even on anonymous blogs–forget about in real life lol (except some honest ones like amy and sometimes sm)
THIS is part of true female emancipation and not ONLY the freedom to declare proudly hat she has had ‘sex’ and proudly/publically line up cans of consumed beer as in kareenas irritating promos in ek main ek tu–
wow—i have become a sermonising ‘guru’— hoho
Divided opinion on fate of ‘Don 2′
By: Hiren Kotwani Date: 2011-12-27 Place: Mumbai
It’s been four days since SRK starrer Don 2 released and while the producers and distributors of the movie are optimistic about making money, the trade is skeptical. A section maintains that the drop on Monday wasn’t as bad as it normally is; another section feels the numbers are just not good enough.
Shah Rukh Khan in Don 2
Veteran trade analyst Amod Mehra points out that the Farhan Akhtar directed movie hasn’t been appreciated. “The collections on Saturday were lesser.
That’s a bad sign. Sunday should have seen a huge jump, but that wasn’t the case. The numbers are decent. While this Monday has been better than other Mondays, it’s a tall order for the film to make Rs 110 crore,” he says, admitting that, at most, the film will break even. “But again, that’s not good enough.”
Trade sources peg the three-day numbers at about Rs 44 crore, while Reliance, which is distributing the film, maintains earning Rs 48.5 crore, including Rs 1.5 crore from the Tamil and Telugu dubbed versions. It is learnt that the Anil Ambani owned entertainment company acquired Don 2 from Excel Entertaiment for Rs 80 odd crore.
“Add to that about Rs 10 crore for conversion to 3D and Rs18 crore on print and advertising, which sums up the cost of Rs 108 crore to Reliance,” reveals a trade source on condition of anonymity.
Delhi-based distributor, Sanjay Ghai of Mukta Arts Ltd too is optimistic about Don 2 making money. “No other film releasing this Friday and the ongoing Christmas vacations should benefit the movie. Going by the collections of the first three days, I think total theatrical numbers will touch Rs 100 crore,” he points out.
However, a Central India based distributor, who didn’t wish to be named, argued that Reliance will break even on the basis of the R 36 crore they earned from satellite rights and Rs 10 crore from music.
“It’s particularly bad in single screens, which is important for a film to become a hit. Making profit on the movie seems impossible at this point in time,” he said.
Sharing his opinion is the Mumbai-based head honcho of a multiplex chain. Declining to be named, he pointed out that Tuesday’s numbers would be even lower.
“The weekend numbers are below expectations,” he observes. “Thanks to satellite and music rights, Reliance might break even. But making money on Don 2, to borrow from the words of the protagonist, ‘mushkil hi nahin, naamumkin lagta hai’,” he concludes.
Veteran trade analyst Amod Mehra points out that the Farhan Akhtar directed movie hasn’t been appreciated. “The collections on Saturday were lesser.
Critics are really biased towards SRK. Some of the recent tweets from Amod Mehra
It’s a matter of time.. Few more flops (Whats yr Rashee, Anjaana Anjaani, 7 Khoon Maaf, & Don 2) & she will be known as Parineeti’s cousin..— Amod Mehra (@MehraAmod) December 24, 2011
It’s a matter of time.. Few more flops (Whats yr Rashee, Anjaana Anjaani, 7 Khoon Maaf, & Don 2) & she will be known as Parineeti’s cousin..
Loved Amul latest ad…"From DON 2 DUSK.. eat Amul"..There was just 1 small spelling mistake..It should have read "From DON 2 DUST" !! amen.— Amod Mehra (@MehraAmod) December 24, 2011
Loved Amul latest ad…”From DON 2 DUSK.. eat Amul”..There was just 1 small spelling mistake..It should have read “From DON 2 DUST” !! amen.
The King is Back.. Back to his romantic films.. He miscalculated.. He did not realise that Ra 1 + Don 2 = 1 2 ka 4..— Amod Mehra (@MehraAmod) December 23, 2011
The King is Back.. Back to his romantic films.. He miscalculated.. He did not realise that Ra 1 + Don 2 = 1 2 ka 4..
Now that they have decided not to attach the promo of Talash with DON 2.. I am in 2 minds whether to c the film or not.. Please advice ..— Amod Mehra (@MehraAmod) December 20, 2011
Now that they have decided not to attach the promo of Talash with DON 2.. I am in 2 minds whether to c the film or not.. Please advice ..
Don 2 had a noticeable fall all over on Monday as it collected around 6.25 crore nett as per early estimates. The fall is 55% from Friday and 65% from its very good Sunday business.
There were 50% plus falls from Friday business almost everywhere. Single screens fell around 60% but even multiplexes fell 50% plus.
The four day business of the film is around 51.50 crore nett for the Hindi version and for the week it should cross 65 crore nett but will not hit the 70 crore nett mark.
Don 2 has an open week in its second week but with the fall on Monday it is unlikely to put up a very big numbers in its second week although the New Years holiday will help a bit.
Don 2 (Hindi) grossed more than the earlier estimates as it grossed around 7.25 crore nett and did better in West Bengal and South than the Hindi belts. The all India drop from Friday is 50%
has been liked by teenagers and guys in early 20′s
100 cr is the minimum benchmark here..3200 screens , festival weekend period and inflated ticket prices in big city multiplexes, no competition for 2 weeks will make that minimum
Though some of the choices seem bizarre (who puts Mausam on such a list?!) what I nonetheless like here is the fact that she plays no favorites from stars to genres to scale of success or failure.
The LA Times review of Don 2 raises the same point that I did earlier.
(Note that the reviewer is not Kevin Thomas, their entertainment editor, who reviewed Ra.One and Bodyguard.)
Movie review: ‘Don 2′
In this overlong film, Shah Rukh Khan plays an unrepentant, vicious, violent crime boss who the audience is supposed to find suave and likable.
(Excel Entertainment / December 25, 2011)
By Mark Olsen, Special to the Los Angeles Times
December 26, 2011
In the sequel “Don 2″ the Indian movie star — frequently referred to as the biggest in the world — Shah Rukh Khan plays an international crime boss out for revenge against his enemies and profit from wealthy nations. In typical Bollywood style, the film is massively too long even by the standards of Hollywood’s bloated award-season entries, stretching out what should be a zip-fast caper plot to well over two hours. That the only song-and-dance number within the story itself is situated in a nightclub is arguably the most believable thing that happens in the whole film.
Of course one doesn’t head into “Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol” expecting a Le Carré realist take on worldwide espionage, and one certainly shouldn’t expect anything here except movie-star glamour and movie-movie cool. Khan sells hokey one-liners with the best of them, such as when after dispatching a baddie by snapping his neck on a water wheel he says, “See you around.”
The genuinely strangest thing in the film is its oddball point of view, as Khan’s lead character of Don is an unrepentant criminal, a killer with his hand in the international drug trade and assorted other illegal enterprises attempting to steal printing plates for the Euro in a complicated Berlin-set caper that becomes the heart of the plot. Yet the story treats him as a swashbuckling hero, overlooking the thornier undercurrents of what that might mean as Don exits a meeting by jumping off the side of a building, attached to some kind of harness line that lands him safely on the ground. Or he crawls on his hands and knees across a ceiling to get into a vault. This guy has some top-notch R&D team working somewhere.
The film is so far removed from what this story might be like if it were anywhere near the real world that the disclaimer about not representing persons living or dead comes at the beginning. (As does a laundry list of media partners and, in the public showing where this critic saw the film, a short ad for the video game adaptation. Priorities.) Director Farhan Akhtar shoots and cuts the action awkwardly, not quite knowing where to place the camera, so the film never gets the slam-bang momentum it might want.
“Don 2″ apes the slick gloss and advertorial style of Michael Bay and something of the substance of an international espionage thriller while attempting to hold onto the notion that its main character is a vicious thug but also still a suave, likable playboy. Fitfully enjoyable, the film’s leaden pacing and drawn-out running time make the twists of the plot less hairpin turns and more like bends in a river — moving so slowly you can see everything coming from the distance.
Don 2 Is Third-Highest Weekend Grosser
by Shabdita Shrivastav (December 26, 2011)
Third-highest opening grosser and now in third place for the first weekend as well. Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Don 2 is going strong at the box office and opened well on the first day of the week too. In the first three days since it was released, the film reeled in Rs 40-50 crore all-India. It promises to close out 2011 on the same note.
In Mumbai, Hemant Shah of Multimedia Combines says, “Don 2 is doing great business at the box office. Its weekend collection was Rs 16-17 crore while its all-India collections were Rs 45-50 crore. The film is still receiving a good response.”
In Gujarat Ajay Bagbai, Rajvi Trade Link says the film earned more than expected at the weekend and collections in the territory are pegged at Rs 4.5 crore. “And all over India, Don 2 has earned Rs 45- 50 crore,” Bagbai reveals.
In Delhi, Sanjay Ghai of Mukta Arts is buoyant. He says, “Shows of Don 2 ran house full over the weekend. Its business was Rs 9 crore in the first three days. Today too, the film is funning to packed houses.”
In Punjab, Don 2 earned less than it did in Delhi, but the numbers were robust anyway. Surendra Saluja of Lakshya Movies says, “The movie did business worth Rs 3.75 crore across the weekend and it’s still going strong.”
In West Bengal, Sunil Singh of Aum Movies adds, “Shows of the film were 95-per cent full on Sunday. The film’s box-office collections over the weekend were Rs 3 crore here.”
A Notch lower, In CP, Sarang Chandak of Sri Rang Films says collections of Don 2 totalled Rs 2 crore over the weekend. “The response to this film is overwhelming,” Chandak adds.
Audiences in Rajasthan have preferred the 3D version of the film than 2D. Sunil Bansal of Yash Raj Jai Pictures says, “The film has done business worth Rs 2.5 crore in Rajasthan.”
In Orissa, Jeetu Khandelwal of Movie Pioneers concludes, “Don 2‘s business all over Orrisa has been Rs 40 lakhs in the first three days. Today too the film is receiving a good response.”
Don 2 has negligible drop Tuesday. On track for a 74 cr week.
If it manages to do 74 cr in week 1, 100 cr is a possibility. Lets see how it performs in the subsequent days. The only thing going against it is Players is releasing early January and that film has a lot of buzz. It could put a dent in Don 2′s collections. Lets see how Don 2 stacks up against Players.
100 cr lifetime should have always been on the cards, how much more is the big question? One of the members on NG was very confident that Monday was going to be greater than 7 crs, even after BOI came up with a lower number. In fact he had mentioned that BOI would revise its estimate and sre enough thats exctly what happened
This makes my doubt even more strong that something is wrong going on. How any one can be sure that in next hour BOI will change their numbers and that too exactly on lines what he said ? I mean even if i am sure that my numbers are correct, how can i be confident that BOI will come up with numbers which i think is correct ? Either there is some connection or ???
Will it touch the 100 cr mark?
By Taran Adarsh, December 28, 2011 – 08:15 IST
On Friday, on the day of its release, the one question that the industry people kept asking constantly was, will DON 2 make it to the 100 cr club? Will it feature prominently amongst the biggest grossers of this year? The 100 cr club is the barometer of super success today and the mathematicians in the industry were busy analyzing the estimated business of DON 2 after the preview screenings concluded on Thursday night. 2011 has been a landmark year for the Hindi film industry, with as many as four films, READY, BODYGUARD, SINGHAM and RA.ONE, crossing the 100 cr mark. DON 2 is expected to be the latest entrant…
DON 2 has had the widest release ever for a Hindi film [3105 screens in India alone] and the per day capacity is humungous as well [approx Rs 30 cr +], hence the weekend figure of Rs 48.83 cr nett is lower than expected. It should’ve been in 55 cr to 60 cr range in its opening weekend. The screen count + the record number of shows every single day + the inflated ticket rates at several screens + the Christmas weekend… DON 2 had to deliver colossal numbers. The weekend figure may seem impressive, but when you look at the factors in its favor, it could’ve fetched bigger numbers.
I’d like to add, the contribution to this total is largely from multiplexes, while single screens [of heartland specially] haven’t contributed much. The business at urban centres has been fantastic and it’s this business that should help DON 2 attain the magical figure of 100 crores. But, of course, everything depends on how it fares in its second weekend.
Now let’s look at the economics of DON 2…
Cost to Reliance Entertainment, the worldwide distributors of DON 2 – Rs 105 cr Includes acquisition cost + 3D conversion cost + prints and advertising expenses
Recoveries:-
Sale of Satellite Rights – Rs 36 cr
Music Rights – Rs 10 cr
Total amount to be recovered from India and Overseas theatrical, Home Video and Tamil & Telugu Satellite Rights – Rs 59 cr
Given its current performance at the box-office, especially in the Overseas territory, Reliance is expected to recover the investment and make good profits in the final tally.
and again ill say this…struggling to 100cr nowadays for a top tier star is not a good thing. especially a sequel and all out commercial movie. ill say the same thing if Talaash struggles to 100cr and same goes for Ek tha Tiger..if it struggles to 100cr. im expecting a 100cr easy grosser from Agneepath because i consider Hrithik in that top tier. the music is catching on and it has all the right elements to be a 100cr grosser.
DON 2 has emerged one of the biggest openers in the international markets. Although many theatres/properties were closed on Sunday due to Christmas celebrations, the film has amassed a mammoth total in its opening weekend. The opening weekend gross in Overseas is approx $ 7 million [Rs 37.11 crores], which is fantastic.
well, what they say about Don 2 remains to be seen, but what the hell happened to the numbers.. No one has dared to put up the actual Monday/Tuesday totals. Are they that bad?
I think it’s going to wrap up its first week between 67-69cr. With a decent 2nd week, it may get to 100cr lifetime which would technically earn it an above average tag. At around 105cr or higher, it would be a hit.
Ha the fate of Srk films nowadays stays mysterious
Anyhow time to move on beyond Srk folks -
Some flicks caught on flights this week-mini reviews
The beginners
Recommended for those who share my moody quirky perceptive tastes.
Thumbs up
Needs a longer/indepth writeup
Can be tedious but moving and perceptive nonetheless
And omg
Melanie Laurent in these unpredictable alluring roles is Delectable
Go 4 it folks
Friends with benefits
Expected a shallow superficial film about teenage/immature pursuits
But found it better than that somewhat
A sort of guilty pleasure
Timberlake was better than expected
As now to mila kunis
Probably has the biggest nice somewhat disproportionate to her face. Acts better than expected .
But something a wee bit missing
But a good one time watch and yes : girls may find it impossible to dislike
It’s going to end up with a domestic total close to that of Golmaal 3. Far from the league of 3 Idiots, Bodyguard, Dabang, Ghajini, Ready etc..
It’s an expensive film. Considering the costs, it’s probably going to be an above average fare domestically and a superhit overseas.
It’s better than Ra1 and MNIK. It’s a face saving exercise for SRK exercise, but it isn’t enough to put him back in the top league.
Moreover, his next release is one year away and with Talaash and Ek Tha Tiger releasing before, his rivals will probably end up creating a bigger gap between them and him. By the time SRK’s next release comes out, expect at least half a dozen of other movies to have crossed the 100cr mark.
@Alex adams and @kev…This movie has already recovered its cost.I m confident it ll be a bb coz of following analysis…Total making cost is 70cr,Film was sold to reliance at 80cr’and costs like 3d conversion,print n publicity etc and hence total cost is 105cr.Now lets see its recoveries.Satellite rights cost is 36cr,music rights are 10cr,regional satellite n music rights are 5cr.So total revenue collected is 51cr.Now the film needs only 54cr to recover from domestic as well as overseas markets.In India film has recovered 64cr so far and in overseas it 37 cr,hence a total of 101 cr which yields distributes share of 55cr.So you can declare it average at this stage in just 5 days.Now from today upto its final run whatever it collects,will be taken as profit.
A movie like Don2 having just one song and that too not a chartbuster, no desi masala ingradients,almost rejected by ss audience,having no item no,promoted less doing this kind of business itself speaks that you can hate him,ridicule him but you can’t ignore him.This is the power of king of bollywood.
Plus there was negativity of same scale as that of ra.one.Take the case of ra.one,despite being a bad movie,faced blacklash which never any movie has faced so far,did 124cr in India and 47cr overseas(second phase yet to be released).This is king khan for you.
Don 2 is holding up well at multiplexes in big cities as Tuesday collections are in the 6.25-6.50 crore nett range. The collections till date are 59-60 crore nett for the Hindi version and the week is looking to close at around 70 crore nett with the regional version adding another 2.50 crore nett.
The film has been liked the urban metro audience and coupled with the Christmas period, the film is recording strong collections in Mumbai, Delhi NCR and Bangalore.
The single screens are seeing drops since Monday but the film will do well on the strength of multiplex business and should be able cross the 100 crore nett mark for lifetime business though the Ra.One (Hindi) lifetime total of 115 crore nett may be tough to surpass.
@Utkal Mohanty…Actual cost of ra.one was 135cr(including 3d conversion,print cost,release cost for Euros).Promotion cost was 55cr thus making it to 190cr film which seems to be out of this world.Here some trade people either got confused or deliberately played with it.Since the method of recovery was for the first time introduced in Indian cinema so some people and even media failed to understand it.Here i ll try to explain this.The promotion cost of 55cr was not paid by makers but due to brand tie ups with some big brands was paid by them,i mean brands to promote their products as well as this movie.So here we have to take into account only 135cr.As far as recoveries are concerned there were 37cr from satellite rights,10cr music launch on star plus,10cr music rights for hindi version,5cr music rights for regional versions.This makes the total of 62cr and if we deduct it from 135cr,there remain 73cr which need to be recovered theatrically.Now lets look at its theatrical collections.In India ra.one collected 124cr net in all versions and in overseas it collected 47cr in its first phase as second phase ll be released soon.Thus its total is 171cr worldwide thus yielding the distributer share of 87cr.Since it needed 73cr for recovery and it gave 87cr to distributers,thus a profit of 14cr.So it is a clean hit.If second phase in international market earns well then verdict can be better.
Here’s how Don 2 stands if it makes around 90-100 crores and not much more.:
1)Once again one must get away from the nonsensical numbers thrown out by most or all box office sources. This is the grade 2 view of the box office. You put Rs 6 in, you get Rs 2 from the box office, Rs 2 from satellite rights, Rs 1 from audio sales, the remainder is put up by Merkel and Cameron.
Things are regrettably a lot more complex than this.
1)Don is a tank in single screens and it’s doing well in many multiplexes but not all. There are very significant losses being made by people here. Someone has to account for these. The producer cannot wash his hands clean and say he’s accounted for his investment, nor can a major distributor screws his sub-distributors just because a certain territory might overall be ok for him because of multiplexes in a couple of major cities. That is now how things work in Bollywood.
2)Obviously Don 2 is doing better than Ra One but that’s a low bar. RA One did 1.75 crores all over India in week 3. After the first 5-7 day period this film didn’t decline, it went down to zero pretty much. It did not just lose money. It made massive losses. The stuff once again that the likes of Nahta and Taran and BOI throw out is not just distortion, it is a plain lie. Don 2 even in the worst case scenario was always going to do better than this. Certainly I pointed this out as I did the fact that even if it replicated the hardly great initial of the first film (these days Diwali and Christmas are equally damaging for SRK if these sources are to be believed.. maybe he should stay away from weekends generally! Just release the film in the middle of the week or something) and if it just replicated the same film’s trending (decent in a sluggish sort of way on both counts) it would get to 100 crores. Being better than Ra One does not mean a great result.
3)Once again there is some specious logic used whenever a SRK film comes out. Initially it’s about being the biggest and what not and eventually it’s like ‘hey 5th biggest ain’t too bad’! Two problems here leaving aside the bad faith involved. First off these records are broken every other month these days. So being 4th highest or 3rd highest or whatever doesn’t mean anything. If you’re SRK the only question is whether you can match the highest benchmarks of your age and I think we’ve known the answer on this for a while. But in another bit of specious logic one is supposed to give him credit for nonetheless putting up some big numbers. This too is more speciousness. A star who’s been major for as long as SRK has in not suddenly going to lose all of his audience even in decline. It’s not as if one day no one shows up! But the opportunity cost of producing those big numbers is far far greater than it is for some of his peers. And again these things have consequences. The game’s really up now. SRK today simply could not produce a Ra One like film or even a Don-like film. He would just not get the backing for it. Sure he could have hits elsewhere and really reinvent himself and then perhaps launch another big scale production but not for a while.
4)There is nothing magical about the 100 crore mark. This was so when it first breached. Now when very many films have either crossed this mark or can potentially do so it’s become the new 70. In another display of speciousness one can say ‘hey Ra One did 100 crores’. Yeah do 90 crores initially, then just add 10. That’s 100 crores! This is in fact a bar that most big films should be capable of reaching. That they underperform is another matter. Salman’s Ready should have done 150 rather easily, it underperformed. Dabanng too did not double its initial nor did Bodyguard. His films are cheap relatively speaking and even BG-like trending is acceptable but it’s still not ideal. This isn’t the trending displayed by Singham or Ghajini let alone 3I. But Salman nonetheless runs up these huge initials without breaking a sweat in these ‘nothing’ films. This highlights his stardom at the moment. He touches anything and it gets off to a massive start. He’s completely in the zone. SRK is very far from this. But again nothing magical about 100 crores. It’s as if irrespective of the cost and overall performance of the film just reaching 100 crores washes off all sins!
5)Don 2 has done pretty well in pockets so far, half decently in some other parts and it’s washout in many others too. This is hardly the performance one looks for in a major expensive production with a major star. People who make losses don’t tell themselves ‘hey it’s ok, how many films get to 100 crores?’!
The rest is the stuff of ‘chatter’ online especially but sometimes elsewhere. Numbers are spun around in all kinds of ways depending on the result one wishes to attain. There’s been plenty of negative chatter on Don 2 though (even Taran, hardly hostile to SRK says the weekend was lower than it should have been). Just the other day I put up that Midday piece which had many such quotes. Doing 6 crores on a weekday with arguably the biggest screen count ever (some calling it bigger than Ra One) is hardly a great credit. That number indicates appalling occupancies. Sure in general these numbers are not that high for most releases, even the big ones, but the point is that you don’t celebrate a number like 6 crores! And this too is part of the ‘lying’ trade/online apparatus where massive releases are given credit for achieving such minimal numbers.
Don 2 might well do a 100 crores, might even do a bit more. The problem though is that SRK Is being given credit here for just avoiding a disaster or a total flop! Or doing better than Ra 1! of course it’s a different thing that not many were willing to admit at the time that there was something wrong with that film!
I’ll say this at the end — SRK is in some very serious trouble after these two releases (I am factoring in 100 crores for Don 2 here). And his next with Yashraj is not likely to do the biggest numbers imaginable irrespective of anything else. I’ve been saying this for a while but SRK’s declining numbers relative to the high-points of his age have been obvious for some years now. Won’t get repeat everything here. He’s still an important star with deep roots in large cross-sections of the audience but barring serious reinvention this trend will continue. A success here and there won’t halt this trend. Aamir and Salman are just playing the game at a very different level as are some others on their best days. for example Agneepath is likely to get off to a flying start. I have a great deal of skepticism about how much this will sustain based on a number of factors but this film could easily do serious box office damage. So the whole 100 crore argument is just old hat. Barring for stars who haven’t made that sort of mark before.
Satyam,
Agree with everything except it might make more than a 100 crores based on the BOI numbers.May be get upto 110 crores.
But, in the end will not even surpass Ra.One which was an unmitigated failure ( even if in the La La land it was considered a success).
Will remain behind Ghajini,Dabangg,Ready,BG and 3I.
Am not sure this is what Farhan -SRK signed up for when they made this expensively mounted film.
Yes, it is not a flop. But, hardly a game changer.
so its heading for a 72-73 crore week(i predicted 65 plus)..and after the second weekend u will see it touching 100 already..and overall 120 plus.. will see u again then!
What happen to your 300 Crore claim ? I can see SRK KING fans are coming down to Ritesh Deshmukh level … the bar which was 300 Crore before release of RA.One came down to 100 Crore now.
excuse me! ..i never claimed 300 or anything…every movie has its market…don2 is for the urban centres so that limits its overall reach to say 120-130..if it manages that..plus given it would be around 70 crore plus overseas..its a big hit for sure..
ra.one had the market of 200 crore if only it had the content to back it!
“He(Salman) touches anything and it gets off to a massive start. He’s completely in the zone. SRK is very far from this.”
totally agree with that statement. overall now i am convinced SRK is on the down slide after these two hyped up releases. With Salman setting that bar up so high, SRK being the “king” shouldve surpassed or at the very least matched him. Don 2 had the widest release in India of any film and the first week is no more than 70cr?
Talaash and Ek Tha Tiger are two films that SRK will be measured by now. SRK in 2012 will be in his comfort zone(YashRaj romantic candy floss film). Thats HIS genre and if he doesn’t get the expected record breaking numbers then he is really in trouble.
the problem with Salman right now is the fact that his releases have been really bad ever since Wanted. Dabangg was very heavily action-based (still a half-decent watch), but, Ready and Bodyguard have been able to convince me that Salman’s recent releases are terrible movies. With Shahrukh, it’s been just RA.One that’s disappointed me. The rest of his recent releases have been pretty good! And even comparing RA.One and Bodyguard, RA.One was easily able to provide more entertainment because even though 70-80% of the movie was stupid, the other 20-30% was thrilling (ex — the train sequence, the final battle, [practically all the action scenes in there]). Bodyguard had no substance and no style. The only good scene was the fight scene near the end.
Based on that, I’m just not excited for any of Salman’s upcoming projects, unless the trailers are able to convince me otherwise. Aamir’s Talaash and Dhoom 3, I’m kinda looking forward to a little bit, but, the problem there is that it seems like it’s gonna be the exact same thing happening. ACTION ACTION ACTION in both…similar to Ghajini. So, that kinda drags my excitement down, but, am definitely looking forward to the two releases.
With Shahrukh, I’m definitely looking forward to Jai (the rumored name of his Yash Raj film), mainly because of the names attached to the movie. A production company that has been successful in this genre more times than not. Chennai Express, not too much, because, again, Rohit Shetty has only been able to produce one good movie, which was Singham (even though Golmaal was a half-decent watch as well). I’m just not sure how he will be handling a love story concept.
However, overall, I’m looking forward to Shahrukh’s releases more than the other twos’. I AM an SRK fan, as people know, however, these views are as unbiased as I can be.
I agree Satyam. The thing with confusion overusiness of SRK films lies in the assumption about how inconsistent his star power is when it comes to catering to an India with diverse tastes in cinema every 100 kilometres. He might be adored with one section of a multiplex audience in the capital but if you move in the interiors of UP/Bihar or Rjasthan, people might not even give a second glance to his movies’ posters even if the promotion for the films are all over the place.
Taran / Komal for all their dishonesty can sometimes be excused if they find it difficult to come up with a day’s total even at the end of an important week in the case of an SRK film, when what we’re looking at is a houseful theatre for Don 2 in an afternoon show in a multiplex in South Delhi when half a dozen couple in a Chapra theatre are there just for the purpose of making out in a secluded place.. (ooopsss…)
and again the point is that whatever claim one makes for SRK one should stick to it.. if the highest benchmarks are considered fair game for him that’s fine but then let’s no have these consolation prizes (4th best or whatever!). Any important star even when he is not doing well and/or is in decline is quite likely to get a minimal initial going let alone with such over-hyped project that additionally have other frills (sequel to a remake! and what not).
by the way people are also forgetting that with both Don 2 and Ra One 3D was part of the deal. Since the film is doing well in precisely the pockets where the audience would also be able to afford the 3D this isn’t an insignificant factor. And it’s not unfair to bring this up either because in the US this is done routinely in terms of film analysis. if film ‘x’ makes 150m and then film ‘y’ does 200m with 3D they factor in the higher ticket costs. So you have this and you have record-breaking screen counts and you’re still not clearing the highest benchmarks.
Having said that SRK could potentially have done so in some other more sensible projects. But this too is a somewhat illusory point. Because major stars in decline always seem potentially stronger than they are on any given day. It always seems to be about the next film but somehow that big moment never quite arrives. It is either relative success or absolute failure. So SRK Now has Yashraj on Diwali (but of course why release it on Diwali at all since Laxmi Puja has become the worst enemy of the box office!) and Rohit shetty’s Chennai Express presumably in 2014. I am certainly willing to concede both films could be successful, even very successful. But what does this mean within the overall context? where will the competition be then? The thing is that everytime a SRK film underperforms or fails or even does well in this last half-decade or more it is usually much behind the competition even in the best case scenario (OSO was the only exception in this sense and that was 2007). The trade guys and sites like BOI and the fans then comes up with all kinds of numbers to somehow make things look respectable. Eventually the attention shifts as it does these days with everything and everyone’s make to the same old games. So for example Nahata already has a video up on his site (which I haven’t seen) comparing how Salman’s 2012 will be compared to SRK’s! So they keep this narrative running but it takes more than a level of spin which would have got the likes of Nahata employed by Hitler’s or Stalin’s govts to keep a star on top!
On a related note if I were a betting man I’d say that both of salman’s releases next year, ETT and Dabanng 2, will be under-performers. They will have massive initials, record-breaking initials perhaps but won’t sustain too well. Firstly I have little faith in Arbaaz taking over things himself for the Dabanng sequel. On ETT this seems to be the sort of suave terrain where Salman doesn’t usually play strongest. Now the film could either have more masala for Salman audiences than looks to be the case or it could be a very sharp film. Either factor could override my prediction. But I remain skeptical about both. If you come up with 100 crore initials or something you get to 150 or more even in the worst case scenario. So the overall numbers will still be impressive. But I don’t see strong trending here. Having said that I have yet to see a Salman film trend like Ghajini or Singham. Again at those budgets it doesn’t matter much but ETT is probably not a cheap film.
C’mon aamir is now in a different league it seems
Quality wise : to me: don2 trumped any of the recent salman blockbusters except dabang
But inspite of that : even Srk fans/well wishers/ evenme in this case are having to pray/struggle to put it past the likes of golmaal3!!!
Think this unfortunately proves the Srk erosion
One can’t be the topmost star with no backing from single screens
I’m now even doubtful about the so called sure shot Srk yrf “blockbuster ”
C’mon the romantic Srk will be around 47 opposite Kat n anushka
Will the core Srk fans of aunties and nubile ones accept it
Another significant thing–know of a couple of nubile Srk fans .
Am having to defend Srk and don2–they didn’t mind it but felt Srk looked a bit “old” @places and the movie had no “soul”
C’mon : this day had to come
I’m havin to defend Srk
I repeat : Srk doesn’t deserve to be lined with golmaal3 and singham and having to squeezed set their figures
Also there’s no business don2 isagging so far behind crapfest bodyguard
Guess this can be explained only by the salman factor
That reminds me: have still of heard views of salman fans like sm
Good that “friends with benefits” came to my rescue.(
It helps that one of those is a mila kunis lookalike )
Those nubile fans found this “100 times better” than don2
Ominous for Srk
I sort of agree..
A Don 2 is still much better than Ready or a Golmaal 3.. but I guess single screen business for both those films was much better.
but its not only about SRK..
Rockstar was hardly liked by even those who were the target audience.. But these audience showed up for and supported the single screen audience in making a Golmaal 3 work..
Those who believe we have matured as an audience.. I’d like to say only one word to them : GHANTA !
I agree with that last statement you made. Shahrukh said in an interview that it’s not the audience that’s not ready for an intelligent movie, however, I believe it is the audience. All the artistic films are sidelined in Bollywood. And it becomes more about the star than the actual films. Even though I hate to admit it, I’m kinda like that. I’m an SRK fan and even if he releases the worst movie in the world, I will go watch it in the theatre for SRK. However, the difference is in the fact that I would not skip a movie that respects my intelligence. Even if it’s a small-time project [if it released here in Vancouver, Canada], I would go watch it if it’s a good film!
One example I’d like to give is Chak De India vs Om Shanti Om. OSO broke records, but, CDI was a MUCH BETTER movie than OSO, as was Taare Zameen Par.
Sm-I mean this as a compliment–
U are one of the most intelligent salman fans Ive come across–correction -not “one of ”
What are your views on this inability of Srk to replicate bodyguard numbers
So can we have your review in bodyguard (on special public demand)–don’t worry-not being funny lol
I haven’t seen Don2 and don’t intend to, as the genre doesn’t interest me. But I think one of the reasons for Don2 and Ra.One struggling at the box office (comparatively) is that the subjects of both, and I guess some of the content of Ra.One, does not appeal to a broad swath of the audience. I think this is a disconnect between what one (relatively small) segment of the audience wants to see, and what the rest of them want to see. When there was a disproportionate economic advantage for multiplexes, this worked in SRK’s favor, but now that disparity is lessening. Besides that, the audience that likes this kind of films have ready access to them with most big Hollywood films being released in India in dubbed versions as well as in English.
On Bodyguard specifically, I don’t have much to say. I felt it worked because of Salman, and secondarily because of excellent performances from both Salman and Kareena. From reading various comments and seeing public reaction videos, it seems like what really appealed to people was the “twist” in the love story, which packed quite an emotional impact. Unfortunately, I had read the synopsis of the original film as soon as the remake was announced, so the surprise factor was not there for me. But both Ready and Bodyguard are “fun” films that can be seen with the whole family. I think that’s an important factor in their success.
I agree with you that the both Ready and BG are feel good movies with a very broad appeal. In general familes across India crave for Ready/BG types of movies. On a comparative scale both Ra-1 and Don 2 have limited appeal. Moreover while RA-1 and Don 2 have to compete against “better” movies from Hollywood, Ready & BG have no such competition (Hollywood does not make those kind of movies for export, TV/Cable maybe but not theatre).
The fact is that even with compounding disadvantages RA-1 and Don 2 have managed to open well and post excellents numbers says a lot about 1) Growth of the Multiplex market in India, and 2) The power of SRK’s stardom (he is outside of the core Rahul/Raj roles and still kicking butt)
I heard Rajpal Yadav complaining too that he is at a disadvantage as no one wants to see hm as a hero.!
Were it not or the disadvantage, he could have been challenging the Khans.
This is pure hogwash. Ra One and Don 2 are mainstream commercial affairs, lavishly mounted and promoted, starring big ( even if sinking) stars.This are not message films or off beat films. If they have limited appeal, may be the star shoud look in the mirror.
As for Salman’s excellent performace in BG, words fail me!!! Now,I have heard it all.
I am sorry, I am at a loss, I don’t understand your point about Rajpal Yadav. I don’t understand how he fits in this equation. I don’t understand how anything about Rajpal Yadav will make any sense in the present discussion.
Now with regards your statement about RA-1 and Don 2 being big budgeted commercial movies ( I paraphrase), I don’t disagree. Yes both these movies are big budgeted commercial movies.
But RA-1 and Don 2 are unlike most commercial movies. Someone with less guts than SRK would have made a smaller budget movies on such subjects.
The concept of characters coming out of a computer games is not a main stream Bollywood subject. Bollywood audiences have never seen something like this, nor do they completely comprehend it. To begin with computers itself, something taken for granted in the west, are just beginning to gain a foot hold in the Indian households (as incomes have increased). This subject is a few years/decades ahead of its time in Bollywood. If you don’t see this basic fact about RA-1 then perhaps you don’t want to see it.
Likewsie Don 2 is about a character with no redeeming characteristics. I think it reflects the new reality of life, but that does not matter because Bollywood audience want to see a hero with goodness. Here again SRK/Farhan have made a risky bet by going against the norms. Not just that, they have virtually left out the song and dance. Hence once again I wonder how you think that this is the same old, same old.
By adding non Rahul/Raj movies to his portfolio, SRK has increased his longevity at the top. If SRK can take two risky movies, and still manage to produce such excellent numbers at the BO, then what will happen if he next made an audience friendly movie ?
sm, with Bodyguard, I would really like to point out that I absolutely detested the movie and the only thing that made the movie JUST “watchable” was Salman’s presence. I would like to say that the only decent performance in the movie came from Salman, while Kareena just didn’t work for me [same story w/ RA.One ... SRK worked well, but, Kareena just didn't]. And with all due respect, the twist in Bodyguard just left me shaking my head and saying, “WTF was the need for that???”. Personally, it did not carry any amount of emotional quotient. The girl showed no prior attraction or even remote attachment to Salman’s character and all the sudden, cuz of one hug or w/e, she gets the idea to marry him. The film, especially the “twist”, insulted my intelligence as an audience member. It’s just completely random and again, there are no events leading up to it, or even giving a small hint. And the other thing that really ANNOYED me was Tsunami Singh. GGGGGGODDDDDD, he was annoying! Some of the comedy worked for me and the action sequence at the end was really well done…will give ‘em that. Overall, I found the movie actually quite boring and pointless.
Ready is the same deal. Boring, pointless and cheap/stupid comedy. BUT, again, Salman works magic in this fare. Actually found it more entertaining than Bodyguard!
However, the reasons you pointed out for the success sound about right. And these are also the reasons that Bollywood is not getting any further…because of feel-good movies. We need to have a movie that stands out and represents Bollywood. Something like Tere Naam from Salman, or 3 Idiots from Aamir or Chak De India from Shahrukh or Omkara from Devgn and Saif.
Ha, ha, Arsh Kehra, I didn’t say either Ready or Bodyguard were *good* films. Just that Salman made them work. In the case of Ready, only Salman made it work, while in Bodyguard, I thought Kareena also brought a lot to the film with her performance. Similarly, I didn’t say the twist in BG made any impact on me, but that was the reason given by many who liked it. I thought the best parts of the film were the action sequences.
As to having a film that represents Bollywood – though I dislike this term – I think it should be one that is made in the Indian narrative tradition, meaning, that I don’t care for the more “Hollywoodized” type of films that are being increasingly made by the big production houses, or the smaller independent makers.
Good points there sm esp about the “family” film bit
Well analysed
So u haven’t seem don2-So r u only into “family” films
What ae your views on the dirty picture
And just out of interest: what will be the top5 performances of salma. Khan according to u
As per salmans forthcoming films : feel ek that tiger willbe amongst his better films “quality wise” but it’s box office will be interesting and a test of salmans box office
I’m asking u all this -since u seem to be the “Inhouse salman fan” in a good way . The younger female demographic has eithe hated salman or loved it -suspect there is not much in between-is that rite?
Lol
@Alex, I haven’t seen the Dirty Picture, and am not sure if I will in the future. I’m still ambivalent about it. I don’t only see family films, but when I see Indian films I want them to be Indian, not pale imitations of Hollywood or any other film industry. I can see those in the original whenever I want, and do.
It’s hard to give only top 5 performances from Salman, as there are many more than that that I like. You also have to be aware that the films don’t always match his performance level — which is to say, he often has given excellent performances in sloppily put together films. So if I were to consider only performances, off the top of my head, and in random order, I would probably list MPK, Veergati, Love, Garv, TNBP, Kyon Ki, JEM, Tere Naam, Biwi No. 1, Andaz Apna Apna, etc. I am stopping since there are already more than 5. I have not listed Dabangg, since you already like it and are aware of it, though otherwise I would have included it, too. Actually, of that list, I think all except Kyon Ki can also be called good films.
I’m not aware of any younger female viewers who “hate” Salman. Some love him, some are indifferent to him, but the hatred seems more prevalent among male viewers of varying ages.
You could ask Naveed your questions on Salman, too, since he is also an “in house” Salman fan.
Thanx sm
Haven’t seen most of these but thought he was good in Tere naam and wasnt bad in JEM.
And yes: he carried that “over the top” hairstyle well.
Think he owned “dabang” & essayed it better than ANYONE.
I love that dabang persona btw…
Will have to put my foot down and say that I found Biwi no1 crap-also to do with the screecho karisma though !!!
Think there is a “physical” element to salmans appeal amongst the female following-correct
me if that’s wrong but don’t think
“acting”forms a great contribution of his appeal–though not implying that in your case don’t feel the appeal is “physical “.
Have asked u since have not met an intelligent and cerebral salman fan like u ever (with due respect to his other fans lol-now don’t wanna get killed by them-jus stating it frankly)Haha
And satyam : what are your views on “the beginners”
& “friends with benefits “–suspect u won’t like the latter
By past history
But worthwhile checking your views on the former
And yes: gf may find the former interesting(if he hasn’t seen it already lol)
Satyam u seem to be getting bogged down /restricted to the level of ra1 and Srk box office
Suggest u check out “the beginners”
Not a “tree of life ” by any stretch but will be worth your while.
Like how the protagonists present gets juxtaposed with his past experiences – also liked his “brain maps”
As for “friends with benefits” -just guilty pleasure -not bad though
Ps-mila kunis is good bit not awesome
Guys no need to bring up members from other sites. whether people change IDs or not is not very relevant. what matters is the sort of comment being posted. Sure there are many who enjoy these games but I think it’s a waste of time to try and track all the ‘shape-shifters’ in this sense. Far easier, and useful, to keep track of content!
Why Studios Need to Slash Extravagant Star Perk Packages
By Gavin Polone
Studios need to make more movies. They’re pushing up the availability of their films on pay-per-view (they get a bigger slice of the gross that way), which means shorter runs at the theater, which means quicker turnover, which means the studios need to up their output to keep theaters filled. And then there’s the fact that they need to satisfy consumers who are devouring more content than ever on an increasing number of devices. Because few companies of any industry are expanding their operating budgets in this economic environment, bringing down the cost of each film becomes imperative. Of course, all studios say they are doing this, and to some extent they are, but I’m still surprised to see one expense that has not been attacked aggressively and which would not impact the quality of any film: star perquisites or “perks” — those luxurious bonus demands like private jets, masseuses, and gym trailers.
I’m not talking about how much stars are paid. When calculating salary offers, execs make reasoned analyses about the value of adding someone to a cast, given their salary, versus what it will do to the budget. But after that decision is made and the upfront fee is negotiated, the rest of the contract’s details are not thought through with the same circumspection. I don’t remember a deal ever being blown over a perk package. Knowing this, a star’s representatives have a lot of leverage to push on perks once a fee is set. Since they work on commission, agents don’t make one more dime by getting a client a luxurious list of perks, but they still have incentive to score a good deal; it justifies their participation and, more importantly, they don’t want a client calling them and saying, “Why didn’t I get this?”
Many studio executives think perks aren’t worth fighting over, and they’re mistaken. I’ve heard of perk packages exceeding $2 million for one actor on one film. That may be a small percentage of the $20 million that that actor was probably paid to do the movie, but none of that money is translated into what the audience sees. And when you apply that same line item to an entire slate of movies, some of which have multiple stars in the cast, the year’s total can equal the entire cost of one additional, modestly budgeted film. Just as importantly, these perks are decadent and wasteful at a time when decadence and waste should really be reined in. To give an idea of just how ridiculously pricey these packages are, here is an actual example of a major star’s list of perquisites:
Expenses and Perks
· Private jet transportation on a Gulfstream GV or comparable aircraft to and from each location for Performer and his traveling companions. Five first-class round trip tickets to each location for Performer’s family. (ALTERNATIVE: Non-accountable private jet allowance of $350,000 for travel during production. Additional allowance for publicity-related travel.)
· Fully furnished accommodations of Performer’s choice (rental house, apartment, or otherwise), with telephone, utilities, cable or satellite television, and daily maid service paid, plus a non-accountable monthly expense allowance of $10,000. A fax machine with laser printer at the accommodations, plus a computer with high-speed Internet service.
· Trailer: on location, first-class, full-size (40-ft. or larger) star trailer with star accommodations, including without limitation, full kitchen (with refrigerator, range, oven and microwave), bedroom with king size bed, bathroom with shower, satellite TV, stereo (with CD and iPod connection), Blue-Ray DVD, hard line phone, fax, computer with high speed Internet access, and daily cleaning service. In town, Producer shall rent Performer’s trailer at the rate of $3,000 per week.
· Fully-equipped separate exercise trailer, equipped with a treadmill, Stairmaster, stationary bike, free weights, and massage table, for Performer’s exclusive use.
· First-class exclusive car (full-size SUV or luxury car) and driver (approved by Performer) to and from the set each day in town and on location. On location, car and driver to be available on a 24-hour basis.
· Full-size SUV or luxury rental car, with insurance and parking paid, for use by Performer’s family.
· Cell phone reimbursement of $2,000 per month in the United States. If abroad, studio to pay full cost of four international cell phones with unlimited data service.
Assistant
· Assistant will receive first class hotel accommodations (same hotel as Performer), key crew per diem, a SUV or full-size luxury rental car, cell phone with unlimited data service, first class round trip airfare, and a weekly salary of $2,000 paid direct, commencing six weeks prior to the start date and continuing until 4 weeks following completion of principal photography.
· Assistant will be provided with an exclusive office (with desk, fax with laser printer, and computer with high-speed Internet service).
Additional Personnel (all to be designated or approved by and exclusive to Performer)
· Publicist: A monthly fee of $5,000 plus expenses, payable to Performer’s publicist commencing eight weeks prior to start date and continuing through 60 days after the completion of principal photography and recommencing 90 days prior to the release date and continuing through 60 days after the release.
· Trainer: $1,500 per week in town, $5,000 per week on location. First class round-trip air, first class accommodations contiguous to Performer, and crew per diem.
· Security personnel: $5,000 per week, plus crew accommodations, travel, and per diem
· Nutritionist/Chef: $5,000 per week, plus crew accommodations, travel, and per diem
· Performer’s yoga instructor to be engaged during rehearsals and photography, with crew travel, accommodations, and per diem on location.
· Exclusive Hairdresser
· Exclusive Makeup
· Exclusive Wardrobe/Star dresser
· Stand-in
· Stunt double
· Masseuse
And this package isn’t even at the very top end of the spectrum of what some stars get. Often, there are also a coterie of “associates” on the payroll who are really just part of the entourage and serve no real function on the movie. The above fees for security personnel are also less than some may demand and receive.
Factoring all of it in, you have a huge amount of money unnecessarily spent on behalf of one person. It doesn’t need to be this way. In most circumstances, I’m not sure that a star would walk away from a deal if everything he had been used to getting were not given. In fact, in almost every case, a star has accepted way less in the way of perks, either at an earlier point in his career or more recently by doing some independent art film where the budget and style of filmmaking would not support such excess. The person on whose behalf all of this was requested probably makes $10-20 million per film and does at least two of them per year: Stars like this can handle the cost of maintaining whatever style of which they are accustomed. Furthermore, when these actors are not filming a movie, I would guess that they are used to paying for their assistant, publicist, yoga instructor, massage therapist, etc., and if they don’t fly privately when they’re not working, they can probably suffer through security at JFK when they are.
I am not against living nicely. I live nicely. When I’m on a movie, I get a per diem, usually about $3,500 per week in a major city, from which I pay for all of my living expenses – a few first-class plane tickets, an assistant for $1,000 per week, and a rental car, which I drive myself. And you know what? I think it is pretty grand. I stay in nice hotels, I get massages, I eat, I use gyms. I’m not hurting. If I want to fly privately, I pay for it myself. It isn’t so tough.
My modest proposal to the studios would be to set a limit on what they dole out for perks and hold to it: Give a star a large amount of money per week to pay for their housing and expenses, say $10,000, plus five airline tickets, a comfortable car (not an SUV), an assistant with a reasonable salary, and a nice trailer. They should have the right to consult on hair, makeup, and a stunt double, but not give them the right to choose someone they can force on the production at an inflated fee, and not necessarily for their exclusive use. (Exceptions would be made if they are in a period film or one that requires major hair and makeup; then maybe they need those key crew members to be exclusive to them.) And there should be security people on the set protecting them when needed, but that’s all. Surprisingly, if adopted, my proposal (which is not exactly austere) would save millions of dollars per year, and I doubt it would cost a studio an opportunity to land an actor in a part. More importantly, it wouldn’t affect the quality or content of any film, and it would leave the studio with more cash for the things that actually end up on screen.
Gavin Polone is an agent turned manager turned producer. His production company, Pariah, has brought you such movies and TV shows as Panic Room, Zombieland, Gilmore Girls, and Curb Your Enthusiasm. Follow him on Twitter @gavinpolone.
Interesting article there Tyler
What about “entertainment ” of stars
Haha
Especially interesting is this coterie
“Often, there are also a coterie of “associates” on the payroll who are really just part of the entourage and serve no real function … ”
Presume they are “die hard fans”
Lol
Just back from watchinh Don 2. Definitely a much better film than the first installment and generally are far more fluent film – the first one rather bored me but this was quite entertaining on the whole. I felt SRK was really playing the part well on the whole – just felt that the moment he turned into a “saviour” type that his character reverted to type of older films.
Thought the ending was not that good but the story was pretty strong overall with good level of twists and turns. Definitely his best film since CDI.
I’d say if this released before Ra-One his fortunes for this film would have been much better. Releasing them in real close proximity has hurt the films business as really this should be doing north of 115 crores anyday more than Ra-One.
fair assessment of the film.. I too found it an easier watch than the first one but not sure whether I preferred it overall. perfectly engaging for the most part, it just seems too little for the terrain.
jay, i abandoned the film (pirated online copy) after first 30 minutes…. now u say twist n turns….i was wondering whether is shd venture to complete the movie…
Wednesday 28th December 2011 09.00 IST
Boxofficeindia.Com Trade Network
Don 2 had the second biggest opening ever in Overseas as it collected around $5.10 million in its first weekend. In UK it had an extended five day weekend. The highest weekend ever is My Name Is Khan with $5.30 million. The film should hold steady on the weekdays in overseas as is its a holiday period and many holidays on the weekdays. The major market numbers for the weekend are as follows.
Karan, I did see your earlier response.. even if you think someone is starting something it’s best to not respond in kind.. you can put up a firm response or two and move on. I say this to everyone. Irrespective of whoever starts this stuff if one keeps responding it clogs up the forum.
and Alex as you can see your constant preoccupations with gender and sexuality are increasingly rubbing people the wrong way.. even if someone gets into an argument with you why reduce it to this?
It is not as if I feel I am being “rubbed” the wrong way, the fact is I don’t like being tarnished by the behavioral muck that he represents. We all owe it to ourselves to live up to some standard.
Raveena’s hubby takes charge of all-India theatrical rights of Agneepath
Vickey Lalwani
Posted On Thursday, December 29, 2011 at 02:03:33 AM
Karan Johar and Raveena Tandon’s husband Anil Thadani are childhood friends. And now the two friends are building a professional relationship as well. Anil has acquired the all-India theatrical rights of KJo’s next opus Agneepath, starring Hrithik Roshan, Priyanka Chopra and Sanjay Dutt. This decision comes as a surprise since Karan Johar after parting professionally with Yash Raj Films, has always trusted UTV for the distribution of his projects.
A source from the industry revealed, “Everything is fine between KJo’s company Dharma Productions and UTV. In the recent past UTV sold the theatrical rights to different people. Now, they have sold it entirely to Thadani. It’s a structured deal. Of course, KJo was kept in the loop. That’s the only difference. Yes, it was expected that Agneepath would follow the same route but then everything can’t remain the same forever. The modalities worked out well for Thadani.”
KJo and Anil went to the same college – HR college in Churchgate. They are frequently in touch. KJo trusts Anil a lot. What tilted the scales in Anil’s favour is perhaps the way he handled Milan Luthria’s The Dirty Picture, produced by Ekta Kapoor who is also KJo’s close friend.
While the money that Anil had to shell out is still not known, the deal in question was routed through UTV. Revealed the source, “”Anil signed the deal only on Wednesday afternoon.”
When contacted, Apoorva Mehta (CEO, Dharma Productions) confirmed that now Anil Thadani would be in charge of the all-India theatrical rights of Agneepath. “Eros International holds the overseas rights,” he added.
Players will pick up by sunday after its release on 6th jan,in a big way…if it has a good content and tight screen play and the rest will be history for Abhi and cast as it looks full of a surprice package…my 2 cents:)
@Rajen…Explain the truth then if everyone is lying?If they say film is out of theatres and that ll be truth for you?Anyway Don2 is doing exceptionally well both in India and overseas.Just learn to digest the facts my dear friend.
The problem I have with the model being used on this blog is that unless SRK’s movies sets a new record it is talked about as if it is a flop. Hence it does that matter if it is in the all time top five or three, it has to set a new record or it is no good.
Don 2 is a good example. It has made the third most money ever in its first week-end in India (BG and RA-1 are ahead). Next it made the second most money overseas in its first weekend (MNIK is ahead). Now, it is quite possible that collectively (Domestic + Overseas) Don2 has the best first weekend ever, but still it is NOT ENOUGH. No Bollywood movie has perhaps made more money in its first weekend, and yet all kind of potential dangers/hurdles are being sited to discount Don 2’s achievement.
At some point let is all collectively sit back and applaud that Don 2 has perhaps set a new record for the first weekend’s worldwide BO. Lets celebrate what is rather than talk about what could be.
@Karan Kumar….It is not wise to expect that srk with every movie will make and break records.Ra.one was expected to do so but direction killed it and still it made money on srk’s star power.Don2 was never expected to make or break any record as Farhan’s movies are never mass friendly but the way this movie is running is very good.Since you have rightly mentioned that this film has broken the record of biggest first week worldwide is an unexpected affair,at least for me.
Don 2 was rock steady in Nagpur with similar collections to Tuesday. Some theatres reported higher collections on Wednesday than Tuesday and this trend was there at many centres across the country. Cinemax which is showing 3D is doing huge business. Below are the Wednesday figures from Nagpur for Don 2 with Tuesday figures in brackets.
And if you make this block a yard stick to judge srk’s career,then srk should have been selling peanuts in a street since long.If any srk movie touches 300cr in India,these honourable gentlemen will say trade it overreporting like you can check Rajen’s comments above.So my dear friend move on and enjoy movies.
Mate, please accept the simple fact that 2011 was a dismal year for SRK !
1) His Red Chillies production “Always Kabhi Kabhi” was a disaster & sank without a trace.
2) Ra.One under-performed massively at the box office. Most SRK fans & his PR were confidently speculating how it would change the face of Bollywood ! Ha, far from it… the film actually became the butt of jokes in the media platforms. Many felt that Ra.One would easily smash domestic BO collections of Dabangg & Bodyguard, and could even touch 3 Idiots’ all time domestic record…it could not even cross collections of Ready ..in fact its Hindi version barely touched Ghaijini figure of 115 crore !! To add insult to injury, the film is amongst the worst films of the year, in almost every year end best/worst of 2011 lists…If this is not disappointing, don’t know what is !!
3) Don 2 shockingly did not get even an opening in single screens/mass centres in India…opening weekend of 48 crore was way below the mark when it should have been ideally 55-60 crore considering Christmas release & record screen count. The only consolation is that it is holding well at multiplexes…but is that reason enough to rejoice ?? certainly not if it barely crosses 100 crore mark & does not even cross Ra.One’s final tally !!!
4) To add further salt to the wound, SRK’s overseas clout suffered a major embarassment when 3 Idiots crossed MNIK’s collections & is now officially the highest overseas grosser of all time !
If SRK’s recent films are still getting severe negative backlash in the media & social networking platforms, it is his PR machinery & loyal fans who are to blame. eg. Ra.One was hyped & marketed as this ” movie event of the decade”.
If SRK fans are glowing at Ra.one & Don 2 box office figures & his stardom, good luck to them….the plain & simple fact is that it is Salman & Aamir who are setting the benchmarks both in India & overseas, period !
Arsh,
overseas market has been superb for srk,remember salmans bodyguard did superb business in uk.
srk is strong hold in uk but overseas is nothing if the film is not like in INDIA where hits & flops matter.
srk next venture is to settle in uk and do corrie or eastenders.
those soaps do better in commercials tv,also srk preferred tv shows.
Today I neeped at manchesters trafford centres which is 4 miles and did some shopping and guess what Don 2 was in 3 sreens and which shows that Don 2 has done superb business.
UK is very very strong hold but salman films are catching up here.only a time will tell..srk should bless people of uk that even his crap can be a blockbuster…weird and daft though
yeah it has to be significantly ahead by now.. and yes BOI does every teeny-tiny update where MNIK is concerned but leaves out these big releases (China) for 3I.
But, still, as of now, this is the most reliable information we have, and therefore, we should go with it…
btw, China revenue for 3I was just over $1 million…and that’s the only other significant returns that 3 Idiots had after its official release and even taking that into account, it still lags behind MNIK.
Shubh….You can twist the facts to any direction.Srk fans or pr never blows things out of proportion but it is his persona that whenever he touches anything,it becomes talk of town.Srk haters have made the recent success of Salman and Amir as a bench mark to judge his stardom whereas the fact is Salman has 14 clean hits and Amir has only 9 in the entire career of 25 years of both the actors whereas Srk has 25 in career span of 21 years.So before comparing them with srk you should know the facts very well.Nowadays every friday is a game changer and if going by your standards then there ll be a new superstar on every friday.
king khan,
srk will never sustain top-spot for ever,you should closely in recent times and give a good look,he has aged 10 years in one year,jhatka laga hai usko ke even ajay devgan can reach 100cr mark with a superb performace in SINGHAM,times have changed for all srk fans that srk holds no monopoly and recent times people have likings of amir khan,salman and now ritik and ajay devgan all breathing down srk neck..
srk recent ageing image is enough proof that he is getting worried & nightmares of his rivals…god bless all this bollywood fans
No one can hold on to youth, health, power, or position for ever. Everyone has to go eventually. Hence why do you expect that will not be the case vis a vis SRK ? Have no doubt that SRK will fade away eventually. Fortunately for him he had been at or near the top ever since he came to Bollywood. For the last ten years people have been predicting his demise, but he still keeps on giving exception movies (as measured by BO). He has the most movies in the 100 Cr plus (wordwide) club. This year he will enter two movies in an even more exclusive club, the 200 Cr+ Club.
With two back to back hits in non conforming movies, SRK has added to his longevity in Bollywood. Hence 2011 has been great for him. When other stars also generate 200 Cr+ in non masala, non massy entertainers, SRK will have competition, but at this point he stands tall and alone. Today only SRK can abandon his core demographics and still generate exceptionally huge numbers. Always keep in mind that with MNIK, RA-1 and Don 2, SRK has given three 200 + Cr movies back to back in non Raj/Rahul roles. It will be long before someone else duplicates that.
Just imagine what will happen when SRK makes an audience friendly movie that also caters to his core demographics. If SRK can do 200 + Cr without his core fans and in a non massy movie then perhaps 300 + Cr is possible ? The thing is with SRK the sky in the limit, one can let his imagination soar.
maybe I agree some of it but as his last few films compare to salmans its been a shadow , srk monopoly has been broken and thats good for neutrals because srk himself said in 2006 that no body will be a superstar after him and thats a proudy attitude from a superstar which recently been seen a faded star..
srk knows that salman,amir are just a step away from him and any mistakes and salman will step in.
srk has given blockbuster apart from Ra one but salman has given four back-to back blockbusters and that has woken and shaken srk fans..salman movies are much better and commanding as srk films were…2012 is going to be a different superstars and many to come aswell
“srk knows that salman,amir are just a step away from him and any mistakes and salman will step in.”
???????????????????????????????????
step away? where r u living brother? after 2000 – it is aamir khan who is no. 1 (even sallu agrees with that) – b.o. wise (cumulative) – it is sallu – srk is already no. 3 and with the crap he has been dishing out (as an actor and as a producer) – he will soon be looking for a graceful exit.
“but he still keeps on giving exception movies (as measured by BO)”
Well this is the my you are living in. First of all since last 10 years, he had only 3 hits in real sense(this is the sense and model for which all movies of Amitabh has been measures since 70′s). FilmInformaiton had only 3 hits for SRK since 2000, these are Veer Zaara, Om Shanti Om and Rab Ne bana DO Jodi. Rest of movies are in range of flops to just commission earner and semi hits.
Amitabh bachchan had clean 57 Hits with this model our of total 65 movies from 1973-1988.
God knows which exceptional hits you are talking about ??
guys, please stop posting pointless comments…if you have something useful to say, say it, if you don’t, then keep your keyboard shut!
BOTTOM LINE:
king khan — we obviously know that 3 idiots has been the highest overall grosser so far!
Shubh — SRK has had more hits in his career than any other Khans!
NOW, SHUT IT!
3 Idiots wins over Chinese, collects Rs 11 crore in two weeks & now
the highest grossing film in the overseas market with collections amounting to Rs 121 crore….phew ! this record is going to take some beating…as if surpassing 203 crore domestic was not daunting enough !!
“The Chinese are madly falling in love with Funsuk Wangdu and Ranchodas Chanchwad, characters in Amir Khan-starrer 3 Idiots, which was released in 2009, and became an instant hit at home.
China opened its doors to the Raju Hirani film two weeks ago, and the Idiots have won over the Chinese as well, creating a record of sorts. In the two weeks since its release with 900 prints, the film has collected Rs 11 crore so far.
“Mainland China is the second biggest film market after the US, but is very tough to enter because only 20 foreign films (including Hollywood) can be screened in China in a year,” said Sameer Rao, chief executive officer at Vidhu Vinod Chopra Productions who is elated at the response, and expects the film to have a long run at the box office in China, just like it did in Hong Kong. In Hong Kong, 3 Idiots was released in October, and is still running to packed houses, collecting close to 16 crore so far.
However, the success of Hirani’s 3 Idiots may open the doors for other Bollywood films waiting to be released in China. “Films from various countries are given a chance to be released in China under the quota system. As 3 Idiots is doing very well, Indian films now have a better chance to be released in China. The local distributors too shall try hard as they have seen the response an Indian film can get,” said Audrey Lee, owner of Chinese distribution firm Ekdo Films which has released 3 Idiots in some parts of China. The cost of dubbing and marketing in Mainland China has been borne by local distributors like Lee.
“The message in the film has been the ‘pull’ factor. Such a great response from a non-traditional territory like China is a welcome phenomenon for the Hindi film industry,” said Anil Arjun, chief executive officer at Reliance MediaWorks, who has been closely involved with Reliance’s overseas distribution.In the Chinese piracy market, the 3 Idiots, it is believed, had already become the highest selling Bollywood film, and estimates suggest over 1.3 lakh Chinese having watched a pirated copy of the film.
The only Bollywood film which got through the Great Wall before this and got a wide release was Karan Johar’s My Name is Khan last year, which was distributed by Fox Star.
With the China release, 3 Idiots has become the highest grossing film in the overseas market with collections amounting to Rs 121 crore. “
Don 2 is sustaining very well on its weekdays as it has collected nearly 6 crore nett on Wednesday and the week is set for a 71-72 crore nett finish for the Hindi version. The first week collections will be the fifth highest ever for the first week after Bodyguard, Ra.One, Dabangg and Three Idiots.
In Mysore, it will emerge the biggest hit of the year beating Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara and Ra.One. Multiplexes are sustaining very well while single screens are also no levelling out but at low levels.
The first two days may not have recorded bumper collections but sinnce Christmas the day the film has been on a strong run and is likley to record a very good second weekend as well.
Don2 DOES seem to be sustaining rather well and remains to be seen where it ends up. Agree with Jay if this had preceeded Ra.One or come a little later might have actually done even better.
Have really enjoyed this movie – perceptive and evocative
Recommended-”the beginners”
Brief plot summary
Huggo
It’s 2003. Thirty-eight year old graphic artist Oliver Fields has just lost his father Hal Fields to cancer, after Oliver’s mother Georgia Fields passed away five years earlier. Oliver is naturally a sullen man due to his growing up relationship with his parents (his mother who had a unique view on life) and watching his parents’ cordial but somewhat distant relationship with each other, but is more so now because of his personal family loss. Oliver embarks on a relationship with Anna, a French actress. Oliver is hoping that his re-energized relationship with Hal following Georgia’s death and Hal’s new outlook on life during that time will show Oliver how to act in a loving relationship. After Georgia’s death, Hal came out of the closet and began to live with a joie de vivre that did not exist before, which included an open relationship with a much younger man named Andy. Oliver’s relationship with Anna has other obstacles, including Anna’s own vagabond lifestyle and Oliver needing to take care of who was originally Hal’s very needy Jack Russell terrier, Arthur.
2003 in L.A. Oliver’s 38, grieving: his father Hal has died, six years after his mother. After her death (and 45 years of marriage), Hal comes out of the closet. In flashbacks we see Oliver with Hal during his last year of life, in love with Andy, a much younger man. The flashbacks include Oliver’s childhood with a lonely and quirky mom, which, with his grief, explains his diffidence and emotional unavailability. At work, he’s drawing a series of sketches he calls the history of sadness. He meets Anna, French, an actress in town for a month, rootless, living in hotels as she goes from film to film. Is she to be his route to a beginning?
Ok ok cool it mate
Lol
Will try to resist u
Ps-but suggest u try not to try and “teach”/”brain wash” satyam on what to do and what not to
I will also resist my urge to “engage” with u but only due to satyams insistence lol
Btw u or me have no right to tell satyam what all to “tolerate” and what all to “delete”
If u (or me for that matter) don’t like certain comments, I r
Welcome to stay away. But have been noticing this subtle manipulation of satyam which is not needed
Peace
When you do engage (as we saw previously), do you really think that it brings credit to you ? Do you present yourself in a good/respectable light at those moments ?
With your permission and with Satyam’s OK, I would like to state a joke (a kind of a dirty joke) which will illustrate your mindset. Hence let me know if it is OK.
something forwarded on to me by an eager srk fan (though dont really agree with it–but just passin it on)–seems a tweet goin around lol—-hope it makes srk fans happy
” after don2–Seems, only 1 word is written in the eyes of Salman + Aamir all over – DARR ”
haha
ps–loved the look in srks eyes in the last scene when he was whisked away by the police–stardom unlimited
hope srk sticks to doing this stuff and doesnt go bak to the emotional manipulation bit with kjo/yrf
No, I think right now, it would be good for Shahrukh on a personal level to go to romantic roles or roles that aren’t physically challenging because SRK’s health is not supporting him right now and he needs to take care of that. So, going back to YRF or KJo would be a good thing and also, it’d be a good change of pace after 2 action movies.
and a really rare sight–an srk song posted by me
Meets my stamp of approval here lol
finally after so many years
ps—liked the srk-pc interactions in don2 as mentioned earlier
Flirtation during car chase and even behind bars
also found interesting the way pc did NOT shoot don…full markz
Box office revenue at movie theaters “lagged far behind 2010,” an article by the AP’s David Germain reports. Partly that was because the year lacked an “Avatar.” Partly because a solid summer slate fell off in the autumn. Germain talks to several Hollywood insiders who tried to account for the general decline of ticket sales; 2011 had “smallest movie audience since 1995.” I have some theories of my own, fueled by what people tell me.
1. Obviously, the absence of a must-see mass-market movie. When moviegoers hear about “Avatar” or “The Dark Knight,” they blast off from home base and land in a theater seat as quickly as they can.
2. Ticket prices are too high. People have always made that complaint, but historically the movies have been cheap compared to concerts, major league sports and restaurants. Not so much any longer. No matter what your opinion is about 3D, the charm of paying a hefty surcharge has worn off for the hypothetical family of four.
3. The theater experience. Moviegoers above 30 are weary of noisy fanboys and girls. The annoyance of talkers has been joined by the plague of cell-phone users, whose bright screens are a distraction. Worse, some texting addicts get mad when told they can’t use their cell phones. A theater is reportedly opening which will allow and even bless cell phone usage, although that may be an apocryphal story.
4. Refreshment prices. It’s an open secret that the actual cost of soft drinks and popcorn is very low. To justify their inflated prices, theaters serve portions that are grotesquely oversized, and no longer offer what used to be a “small popcorn.” Today’s bucket of popcorn would feed a thoroughbred.
5. Competition from other forms of delivery. Movies streaming over the internet are no longer a sci-fi fantasy. TV screens are growing larger and cheaper. Consumers are finding devices that easily play internet movies through TV sets. Netflix alone accounts for 30% of all internet traffic in the evening. That represents millions of moviegoers. They’re simply not in a theater. This could be seen as an argument about why newspapers and their readers need movie critics more than ever; the number of choices can be baffling.
6. Lack of choice. Box-office tracking shows that the bright spot in 2011 was the performance of indie, foreign or documentary films. On many weekends, one or more of those titles captures first-place in per-screen average receipts. Yet most moviegoers outside large urban centers can’t find those titles in their local gigantiplex. Instead, all the shopping center compounds seem to be showing the same few overhyped disappointments. Those films open with big ad campaigns, play a couple of weeks, and disappear.
The myth that small-town moviegoers don’t like “art movies” is undercut by Netflix’s viewing results; the third most popular movie on Dec. 28 on Netflix was “Certified Copy,” by the Iranian director Abbas Kiarostami. You’ve heard of him? In fourth place–French director Alain Corneau’s “Love Crime.” In fifth, “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”–but the subtitled Swedish version.
The message I get is that Americans love the movies as much as ever. It’s the theaters that are losing their charm. Proof: theaters thrive that police their audiences, show a variety of titles and emphasize value-added features. The rest of the industry can’t depend forever on blockbusters to bail it out.
Guys, just a general thing here…I think we should talk LESS about SRK and the “War of the Khans” [that could make for a good movie] ‘n more about Don 2.
an interesting post there tyler.
Have discussed/ suggested this at some symposia–Think there is a a point in “differential pricing” of films to increase screen occupancies for eg A smaller multiplex release like “dhobi ghaat” or “pappu cant dance saala” ticket may be priced lower than ra1/don2–there are logistical issues but there are ways around it….
“are weary of noisy fanboys and girls. The annoyance of talkers has been joined by the plague of cell-phone users”–agree.
Specially for bollywood releases.
Example–don2–there was the usual suspect bunch of vagabondish guys. haha
Everytime priyanka comes on the screen and there are oohs-aahs. In one scene, everyone is made aware that her top is “transparent” 9wasnt sure if it was myself though)
in the “Dushman Mera” song, the “debate” was whether srk has actually got away with pressing her b..bs…(sic!)
I mean, one doesnt have control over these elements and who sits around u
Dont personally mind this at all but when one is with nubile/ conservative company, one has to be a bit ‘responsible’ and ‘vigilant”- sometimes these leering elements can get irritaing –they get even more excitable when there is caucasian nubile viewership lol
Though i feel this is now getting less frequent fortunately and in certain overseas centres is pretty nonexistent
ha–good one sm
when sm does overcome her ‘shy’ness and ‘opens up’, she comes up with good stuff
Live update–in my local (overseas)multiplex, don2 still paying in both 2d and 3d–quite a rare occurence for a bollywood release.
The manager (who obliges me with ‘perks’) updated me–she has seen this herself inspite of language issues–(only checks out srk films)
‘found this surprisingly slick’ and agrees with me that this is “srks best since chak de’
December 21, 2011 at 9:02 PM
SM, I’m answering your Aarakshan question in this thread as I’ve closed off the older one for this current thing…
never got around to it.. the thing is that once I wait too long I lose the motivation.. then thought of doing a more thematic piece based on some of the problems I had with the film but didn’t get around to this either. ideally I’d like to watch it again before doing so.
The thing is that it’s a politically confused film even though it tries to be more progressive in many ways. There’s a certain incoherence at its heart. The strongest moment for me was when Saif’s character raises the very profound question about how historical iniquities cannot be resolved through acts of charity. bachchan’s character really has no answer for this. But the film never really explores this question even otherwise. In fact Saif’s character disappears for a large stretch, when he returns he’s lost his edge. Meanwhile Bachchan is the grand liberal of the film but as opposed to his liberalism being earned or growing organically out of the script the director performs the by now common move where to bring forth his point he relies on the prestige of ‘Amitabh Bachchan’ who of course transcends these divisions. In this sense the film operates at a level of abstraction. Leaving aside the whole shift in emphasis from the larger political question as manifested in prestigious institutions to the commercialization of education represented by tuition centers the film is never specific enough on its political critique. So it’s abstraction where it’s not coherent. Don’t mean to be too harsh on a film that I otherwise found quite gripping and in fact preferred it to Rajneeti overall. The latter too was incoherent and betrayed the same schizoid tendencies and it too was very entertaining. On bachchan’s performance think this was one of his better ones in recent times but not one that surprised me anywhere which is what I look for from a star-actor who’s done it all. and he still has the ability to do this provided he gets the right kind of writing to inspire him. Otherwise he’s still superb at what he does but the bar for him is higher in my mind. As it ought to be.
December 21, 2011 at 9:24 PM
Aarakshan??? here??? now???
December 21, 2011 at 10:45 PM
Satyam is responding to my question in the previous box office thread.
December 22, 2011 at 12:04 AM
ok, sorry lol
December 21, 2011 at 10:51 PM
Thanks, Satyam. Your take on the film is more or less the same as mine. I think the problems you have pointed out with it are inevitable when large scale societal issues are personified by individual characters. They become of necessity somewhat black and white, and lose nuance. On Bachchan’s performance, as you said, it was good — but I expect no less from him (I guess he can turn in a bad performance, too, such as in Black, which has more to do with the director than the actor). But more than his character, I was extremely annoyed with his character, which was a poorly written one. I don’t know why Indian films (and even novels) always portray a “strong” character by depicting a tyrant. Passion and commitment to a cause can go hand in hand with sensitivity and consideration for others, but somehow that kind of “strong” character never makes it on screen or on to the page. That was my biggest disappointment and complaint with the film (as well as all the really elementary mathematical gaffes this supposedly eminent professor of mathematics makes, but I let that pass
).
December 21, 2011 at 11:06 PM
Good points both ways there^^^^
“a “strong” character by depicting a tyrant..”—again a worthy point
Where does his character lose ‘sensitivity ‘or ‘consideration’ -plz elaborate-beneath the brooding intensity also culminatin sometimes in loud behaviour, did he not have an element of ‘fairness’ and ‘consideration’ for eg for the ‘disadvantaged’ classes so he took the difficult hot way out (for him )
The problem with this type of subject is the really complex sociocultural discourse which becomes difficult to address accurately in a box office (&censor) friendly manner
Yes -this had many problems but a worthy well intentioned effort nonetheless
“the really elementary mathematical gaffes this supposedly eminent professor of mathematics makes”–plz educate
December 22, 2011 at 2:30 AM
He wasn’t very sensitive or considerate toward his wife’s or daughter’s needs — he had several opportunities to have a decent lifestyle, even after losing his home & his job, but he stubbornly (“pigheadedly” is what I would prefer
) stayed on his high horse of his “principles” and deprived them. His principles would not have been compromised in any way by taking his friend’s help.
Mathematical gaffes — can’t remember them all now, but the most egregious one was when he was doing a problem where a fraction with 4 – q appearing in the denominator. He asks the class what would happen if q=4 (an absolute no no in mathematics), and, when a student proceeds to “solve” the problem on that basis, compliments him on his astuteness. Aargh! Other problems were the way he read equations — there is a convention to how they are read, so as to communicate the mathematical sense of them, but he read them as someone just reading the letters and symbols, with absolutely no clue as to their meaning. That was of course true for the actor, but not the character.
December 22, 2011 at 2:25 AM
Correction: “But more than his *performance*, I was extremely annoyed with his character.”
December 22, 2011 at 2:59 AM
Reasonable and intellgent responses there sm
“His principles would not have been compromised in any way by taking his friend’s help.”—agree
but real “principles” are not subject to tweaking or modification when “convenient”
they are then called “tactful stance”
rather than “principle”
“(an absolute no no in mathematics)”—yes, that is in “conventional mathemematics”
not expecting prakash jha to be alluding to those, but this is still possible in “abstract algebra”
btw dont remember well off hand but-
Any number system that forms a commutative ring — for in, eg the integers, the real numbers, and the complex numbers — to create a “wheel” in which division by zero is always possible; however, in such a case, “division” has a slightly different meaning.
cheers and enjoy
December 22, 2011 at 3:03 AM
They weren’t doing that kind of mathematics, Alex. These students were preparing for their class X exams.
December 22, 2011 at 7:41 AM
vvv ha
well, agree but if they were to apply those sort of plausibility and “authenticity” criteria in bollywood, most movies will ‘fail’
also many hollywood ones
MI 4 is hardly the leader in this but picked up ‘left hand drives’ in bombay!!
Anyhow, in these things my bar for bollywood is relatively low. aarakshan, to give them credit, they were teaching “actual” mathematics in a “mathematics” class and not the various chapters of kama sutra!!! hahaha
December 22, 2011 at 8:11 AM
I personally found Aarakshan quite enjoyable and a fulfilling experience even if it didnt quite scale the heights of recent classics like BG,Veer,London Dreams etc and even if AB didnt come up with a superlative performance a la Salman in BG.
Amitabh ‘bad’ in Black ???? That takes the cake AND the chocolate factory!!!!!
December 22, 2011 at 8:15 AM
It’s nice to know my prediction of exactly what comment Rajen would come up with in response to my comment was exactly on the button.
December 22, 2011 at 8:20 AM
You have to agree that it IS a little bit like Banglasdesh critcisingf Indian economy!
December 22, 2011 at 8:33 AM
I dont think your liking for Salman invalidates your critiques of other films and stars but if someone finds Lalita Pawar sexy, then I would take that persons critique on Ash’s beauty with a truck load of salt. Just sayin.
December 22, 2011 at 8:44 AM
Rajen
By the same token if Abhishek represents the pinnacle of stardom to you then it likewise invalidates your criticism of other stars.
December 22, 2011 at 8:46 AM
Just saying (too)
December 21, 2011 at 9:07 PM
Not sure if anyone’s seen it here but Margin Call is an excellent film with some very good performances all round. Especially Irons and Spacey.
December 21, 2011 at 10:51 PM
Thanks for the recommendation. It did get good reviews.
December 21, 2011 at 10:14 PM
NG has a bunch of extremely positive reviews for Don 2, but it still remains my 4th choice for the holiday season after MI4, Dragon Tattoo and TinTin
December 21, 2011 at 10:49 PM
Satyam, noticed Dev/ Hema’s “Jaaneman” listed under Auteur’s corner on your blog. Unfortunately, the DVD that I bought on my last holiday in India is stuck – does not work – supposed to be an original DVD! I was looking forward to seeing this movie again as I have hazy recollections of good songs and some good moments. Obviously your DVD has worked. Can u pls let me know the company that produced the DVD you own?
December 21, 2011 at 11:24 PM
The DVD I saw was a Shemaroo.. the film incidentally is a remake of Navketan’s older Taxi Driver.
December 22, 2011 at 1:33 AM
My copy is a shemaroo too – wonder if it is a one off lemon. Didn’t know it is a remake of their older Taxi Driver – thanks for that info
December 21, 2011 at 11:07 PM
BACKGROUND INFO
There was 4 shows in my local area and for premiere shows that is very impressive. I planned to watch the film on 2D but due to arriving late and all the shows being sold out I had to settle for the 3D late night show.
AUDIENCE REACTION
People from all ages (film is a 12A) came and from what I could gather it was a very positive response from the audience. The film is quite lengthy but I never felt it drag and the pace was bang on for such a film.
The film starts off with a group of gangsters (drug mafia people) plotting to kill Don (SRK). Don arrives and in such an arrogant way takes care of everyone and anyone who stands in his way. The character of Don is not someone who is strong and powerful (John in Force) or Salman in Wanted where he beats up the goons left right and center. Don weighs up the opposition and calculates his each and every move and the consequences are devastating as can be seen with the opening sequence in the film.
The film like I said never drags and this is what works for the film. As soon as the pace drops due to a lengthy conversation or some little romance then BANG the film picks up again. Perfect for such a genre.
The jail sequences in Malaysia are shot well and the confrontation of Don and Vradhaan (Boman Irani) is an exciting one. Lara is introduced via the one song in the film and my word she looks HOTTT but this is one of the most insignificant roles she has played till date.
The film really takes off once Don and Vradhaan concoct a plan to steal plates from Berlin and some smart flashbacks are incorporated into the proceedings of which the writers and Farhan deserve credit (will list these below under spoilers)
Once they begin work on their plan other characters are introduced and not one person according to me with the exception of Lara (lack of scope failed). This is the strong point of the film that along with a solid script the characters keep the proceedings going.
I loved Hrithk Roshan’s 3 min appearance and I must confess I didn’t click on until the final moment…. (don’t want to spoil it for others)
The intermission comes at the perfect point where Don has everything in place for his robbery and where Roma (Priyanka Chopra) is gathering details on who may be involved in the mission with Don.
The climax for me worked but it almost fell apart only for the twist at the end which suggests that if this clicks (and it should) then a third installment of Don is in the pipeline.
PERFORMANCES
1) SRK – Star of the show and looks soo much better than what he did in Ra-1. That film seems a long way back after having watched Don 2 because he looks healthy and is back to his energetic self. Yes sometimes he would go over the top especially with his exchanges with Priyanka but I guess that can be overlooked. One of his best works in terms of action scenes.
2) Boman Irani – loved his attitude in the jail sequences in Malaysia and he made the whole cinema laugh when he is yawning and looking bored listening to Dr Schinider.
3) Priyanka Chopra – am sorry to say this and I know I shouldn’t but I just couldn’t get past her nose unless she was wearing shades and it was a long distance shot. I mean why did she have to fool around with her nose. Anyway so that I don’t rant any further she is competent in her role and loved her towards the end where she beats up a few guyz lol
4) Abdul Jabbar – tried finding his name but to no avail (if my memory serves me right he is Preity Zinta’s brother in Janemaan). My word he is fantastic in his role. He is a tall muscular guy and he uses that to his advantage. In the film his profession dictates who he is but he does a fine job. Good casting if ever there was one
5) The rest including Kunal Kapoor, Lara Dutta, Om Puri etc do what is required and nothing much else.
BEST SCENES
1) The opening fight sequence
2) The car chase sequence between Don and Roma
3) The way SRK handles himself in prison and how he and Boman escape
4) The LAST scene post the climax
I know many hyped up the fall that SRK does from 30 feet up or something but it did nothing for me and could have been done better.
WHAT COULD GO AGAINST THE FILM (My opinions)
- Music is a letdown and that is putting it mildly. There is only one song and then another with the rolling credits but they are BAD.
- No punchy dialogues. The original Don and many of the recent successful action films have had memorable dialogues but I couldn’t think of great ones in Don 2.
- The film is like a Hollywood film but without being one if that makes sense (like Kites). It looks classy and reminded me of several Hollywood films I’ve seen over the years namely the Bourne films. The film won’t connect with the masses. In the multiplex it should do well and will be interesting to see how it fares along with MI4. Overseas it should do very well and it really has embarked upon a great start in England.
Rating 4/5 but if I wanted to be more specific lol then a weak 4/5 and strong 3.5 oh what the heck 3.75 it is
P.S I reviewed Ra1 and predicted how it would crash and that is exactly what happened. Here the opposite will happen as the film will collect handsomely and should earn over 115+ (now that could be anywhere from 115 above)
SPOLIERS
The way Singhania is linked to the film and how Diwan and the president of Germany (I think lol) made a deal to assasinate another potential candidate.
SRK knows this information and this is how he goes about blackmailing him and stealing those plates.
December 21, 2011 at 11:08 PM
I know the review or attempt of one is a bit all over the place but it’s past 4am here and am shattered (need my sleep
December 21, 2011 at 11:19 PM
thanks for the detailed review Naveed..
December 22, 2011 at 2:15 AM
Thanks for review Naveed! After the first trailer I haven’t been that excited to watch this movie. Usually if its a SRK movie i get geeked up to watch it. But i havent even watched RaOne yet and probably won’t be. I’ve watched every SRK movie previously. I will probably watch this one too but will wait for the DVD.
As for SRK, he needs this film to click and do atleast 120cr..and i think this film will start not so hot and then spread and trend really well if going by initial reports it is liked.
December 21, 2011 at 11:20 PM
Thanx for the review Naveed
Seems my initial impression is right. Also the tweets have been positive overall from the uk screening
From the first promo, have always maintained that this will be a good film And inspite of don2 being ridiculed after the MI4 screening by folks, will be checkin this one out.
Seems farhan akhtar/Srk have now got a real franchise that can last upto part4/5.
Finally the ‘wait’ for the Srk fans seem to be over.
All the ‘false starts’, retrograde and premature ‘ejaculation’@ ra1 is a thing of the past. So orgasmic time for Srk die hards like oldgold(karankumar)-enjoy
December 21, 2011 at 11:37 PM
Alex
If you wrongly think I am Old-Gold then please continue doing so. It does not matter to me. Whatever makes you happy.
But it apperas that you are yourself not sure. You keeps on saying I am, just so that you can finally convince yourself.
Good luck.
Personally I think it would be far better if you just present your comments without worry about others.
Seems like after a 200 cr plus movie ths year, SRK has another winner. A lot of feedback I am hearing is that Don 2 is 2011′s best movie.
December 22, 2011 at 12:12 AM
yeah i’m quite confused too…who the hell are you!? Why would we think you’re Old-Gold since clearly your “name” is karankumar@comcast.net … :S
December 22, 2011 at 8:42 AM
Alex,
This person is not OG. Old Gold was a class act in comparision and even otherwise. Inspite of often letting her hatred for Aamir get in the way.
December 22, 2011 at 8:49 AM
Rajen
It will be a cold day in hell when we get to the point where we need to learn “Class” from you.
December 22, 2011 at 11:44 AM
umm…ouch Rajen!
December 22, 2011 at 7:47 PM
LOL
December 23, 2011 at 3:55 AM
“Old Gold was a class act in comparision
and even otherwise.”
agree
as always–being frank and blunt-this blog is sort of missing her in true glory….
as for “karankumar”: (s)he still has to prove her “manhood” or show ‘it’ to us
hahaha–joking
and till then she IS “oldgold” for all practical purposes lol
btw karankumar—who are your favorite actors/ actresses in bollywood and what are your views on aamir khan and srk–just out of academic interest
December 21, 2011 at 11:21 PM
http://filmcrack.com/bollywood/index.php/2011/12/don-2-public-review-from-uk/
December 21, 2011 at 11:31 PM
To add–
Another anecdotal review from an Srk fan who checked it out in uk.
She felt that this was’ srks best after Chak de’ in her words.
(though her liking can be affected by many other diversions, but still..)
But what has really impressed me from these initial reports is the multitasking capability of farhan akhtar–its ok to double up as actor-producer but to be involved in multiple projects, some as an actor, and directing a film of this scale that also has 3d component that has timelines-brilliant!!
December 22, 2011 at 12:58 AM
btw two “concepts” that i have really liked from bollywood this year–
“Jungli jawaani
Jungli Billi”
incidentally like these “concepts” myself quite a lot
hohoho
Naveed—again your detailed review was good
but mate, dont agree that Lara dutta(now) and kareena kapoor are “hot”….u need to “cool down”–haha
arsh khera—congrats–your wait for an srk hit seems over; don2
seems like a 130+ project (atleast)
btw regarding changing ids/genders :a basic question from u:if the other day,u change your id/name to Megan fox, u wont suddenly grow boobs and lose your “manhood” suddenly—know what i mean—lol—enjoy
Elementary, my dear watson…..
December 22, 2011 at 2:52 AM
Thanks for the review Naveed
SRK, despite all the flaws and backlash that he received for R a.One, is one of the stars for whom a film’s collections might just shoot up if the film is even decent.
Case in point : Chak de India.
If Don 2 is even half as good as what Naveed described (I believe that like many others, he’s neutral on SRK), there are good things in store for the film.
Still too early to say. It’s not Friday yet.
December 22, 2011 at 3:01 AM
Why Shah Rukh Khan’s Don 2 Will Open Well At Box-Office
December 22, 2011 at 8:02 AM
Don 2 seems to carry positive intial reports and the movie seems atleast decent if not better. This could be a good litmus test of SRK’s star power. If it is undiminsihed, then it should carry the movie past the crapfest BG. OTOH, if indeed it has suffered after MNIK and Ra.One as some of us claim, it may not do much more than a 100 crores. Should be interesting.
December 22, 2011 at 8:39 AM
If according to your yardstick, 100 Cr (plus/minus) is a sign of a diminished stardom, then what does 15 Cr (plus/minus) imply ?
What is good for the goose is good for the gander. Please use the same yardstick (standard) for everyone (all stars, all wanna be stars). Don’t selectively impose a higher standard on some and lower the bar for others.
I can understand if you would like to lower the bar a little for new enterants like Ranveer Singh (new talent has to be nourished and encouraged), but for the rest use the same standard.
So that this discussion does not become open ended, let’s once again re-state that we are discussing the yardstick which measures 100 Cr as diminished stardom.
December 22, 2011 at 9:17 AM
well..it is definately not massy enough..so expecting it to cross BG would be too much..considering its not a family movie..no songs..no comedy..so 150 crore is like doing a 3 idiots here..it shud be compared to ZNMD and the like..obviously it should better them comprehensively..130-140 with very good appreciation is what i predict
December 22, 2011 at 9:34 AM
130-140 would also be VERY good in my books.
December 22, 2011 at 9:11 AM
Don 2 Has Good Advance
Thursday 22nd December 2011 10.30 IST
Boxofficeindia.Com Trade Network
Don 2 has had a good advance though it is not comparable to Bodyguard and Ra.One which had sold much more tickets in advance. If we compare with Ready then it is better at multiplexes than that film but not single screens. The film will put up big numbers at multiplexes across the country.
The single screen advance is lower, normally the good single screens in Delhi like Liberty and Vishaal are close to being booked out for day one by the big event films but here just 40-50% tickets are gone. These theatres are advance theatres and take the best advance bookings in the country.
In the metros the film is being helped by the 3D version which has strong bookings but at many other places pricing is playing spoil sport where more bookings are coming in for the cheaper tickets rather than the 3D ones which are priced 70-80% more than 2D at places especially in the morning shows. As there is a Tamil and Telugu version for the film, it will be the second biggest release of 2011 after Ra.One hitting 3000 plus screens.
December 22, 2011 at 9:33 AM
Don 2 Advance Booking Report In Mumbai
by Shabdita Shrivastav (December 22, 2011)
Advance booking for Don 2 opened on Wednesday. Following is what exhibitors and distributors in Mumbai had to say
Rajesh Thadani, Distributor, Multimedia Combines
Advance bookings for Don 2 are already 60 to 70 per cent. The night shows have received a better response, and people are opting for 3D over 2D. We can expect the film to have a great opening.
Manoj Desia, owner of G7 Multiplex and Maratha Mandir
Shows for Don 2 on Friday, Saturday and Sunday are house full in Gaiety Galaxy, and Maratha Mandir. The film will do well in 2D since the common man does not understand the technicalities of 3D. And personally, I too I don’t believe in 3D. As far as my cinemas are concerned, people are willing to watch the film in 2D.
Chintu Jeetubhai Kapdi, Exhibitor, Surat
Advance bookings have been so-so, and the response in single-screens is better. In Surat, there are two single-screen cinemas, Rupam and Maharaja, and booking has been approximately 20 per cent at both cinemas. Since the audience liked the first Don, we can expect the film to take a good opening. Advance bookings have been lower in multiplexes.
J S Popat, Exhibitor, Mumbai
Advance booking for the film has not received a good response. My cinema in Nalasopara opened bookings on Tuesday but we have sold tickets worth Rs 400 only and our cinema Empress in Vapi has drawn a blank so far. But still, single-screens will earn more business from the film’s opening compared to multiplexes. There is no craze for the film here at all. Also, compared to the advance booking for RA.One, Don 2 is nowhere. Overall, advance booking in Mumbai it is less than 5 per cent. But despite this, the film will receive a good opening and will do good business.
December 22, 2011 at 9:34 AM
Don 2 – Advance Booking Report At Multiplex Chains
by Shabdita Shrivastav and Aatmi Doshi (December 21, 2011)
Mukesh Unchade, PVR Cinemas
Being the first day of advance booking, it’s been very slow but it will eventually pick up. People are looking forward to Shah Rukh Khan’s next after RA.One.
Satish Kondvikar, Inox
Advance booking for Don 2 is 20 to 22 per cent at almost all Inox properties. But there are still two days left for the film to release. Bookings will shoot up.
Suditpo Pal, Fame Cinemas
Advance booking opened at 10 to 15 per cent. Nowadays, things are very different and advance booking are not an indicator of a film’s potential business. One must go by current bookings. The movie is going to be a super-hit.
Harshad, Cinemax
Advance booking for Don 2 is pretty decent, at approximately 30 per cent. The opening of the film is going to be far better than the advance booking suggests. Being a festive period, the release date is positive for the film, and people will watch it because it’s a Shah Rukh Khan film.
Prakash Narayan Tendurkar, Broadway
Advance booking for the film has only just begun at all Broadway properties. The movie will work only because of its star cast. There are even 3D shows in our Vasai property.
Nitin Tanbat, Big Cinemas
The advance booking of Don 2 is very good, at 60 to 70 per cent. The movie is going to be in the Top 10 hits of the 2011.
December 22, 2011 at 9:34 AM
Don 2 Advance Booking Report In Delhi
by Shabdita Shrivastav (December 22, 2011)
Sanjay Ghai, Distributor, Mukta Arts
Advance booking for Don 2 has been good so far, and 80 per cent of the tickets have been sold for the weekend. There is no difference in the response to 2D and 3D or between single-screens and multiplexes.
G D Mehta, Distributor, Bobby Arts International
It’s been better than the advance booking for RA.One. For 3D shows, the response will be better in multiplexes than single-screens, but overall, the film is likely to do more business in multiplexes than single-screen cinemas.
Sanjiv Khosla, Exhibitor, Delhi
Advance bookings for Don 2 were Rs 9 lakh till yesterday and we are expecting it to go up. Till now, bookings have been 50 per cent. The film is expected to do better in single-screens than multiplexes. The middle class audience does not want to spend a lot of money on watching a film in multiplexes.
Kali Charan Sharma, Exhibitor, Delhi-UP
There is no trend in the advance booking in Saharanpur. But we can expect Don 2 to take a good opening due to its strong star cast. The film will do good business in multiplexes and single-screens. As far as Saharanpur is concerned, there are no 3D cinemas here, only single-screens.
December 22, 2011 at 9:35 AM
Don 2 Advance Booking Report From CI
by Shabdita Shrivastav (December 22, 2011)
Monto Aditya Choksey, Distributor, Red Son Enterprises, CI
It will receive an opening like any other super-star film. Since 3D is new, people are opting to watch it in 3D over 2D. We do not have advance booking in single-screens but there are a lot of inquiries about the film. However, the response in multiplexes is much better than in single-screens.
Ashok Choudhary, Distributor, Neha Movies
Usually there is no trend of advance booking in cities like Indore and Gwalior. However, the film will do better among A Class audiences than B Class audiences. The 3D shows will attract a good response, especially in multiplexes.
S K Banerjee, Exhibitor, CI
Advance booking has been 50 per cent till now. The night and matinee shows have received a 70 per cent response, while the 12 noon and 6 pm shows have registered 50 per cent. All six cinemas in Bhopal will be house full tomorrow. People are more interested in the 3D shows. Overall business will be better in multiplexes than single-screens.
Prem Lakhani, Exhibitor, CI
There is no advance booking in Ratlam, only current booking. But the youth is very excited about this film. Even though RA.One did not do very well in 3D here, the audience is willing to watch Don 2 in 3D. The film will earn from both single-screens and multiplexes.
December 22, 2011 at 9:35 AM
Don 2 Advance Booking Report In Punjab
by Shabdita Shrivastav (December 22, 2011)
Surinder Saluja, Distributor, Lakshya Movies, Punjab
The advance booking so far has been between 5 and 7 per cent. During the weekend, we are expecting the film to be house full. Due to the weather conditions here, we may not have morning shows. People prefer 2D shows over 3D shows. Multiplexes will draw a bigger audience for 3D shows compared to single-screen cinemas. Overall too, multiplexes will attract more bookings and business over single-screens.
Dharam Pal, Distributor, Paramount Pictures, Punjab
So far, the advance booking for Don 2 has been about 40 per cent. The response to this film is not as good as it was for RA.One. The film’s business may be affected due to weather conditions too.
Raj Kumar Mittal, Representative, Eros International and Reliance, Jammu and Kashmir
At our cinema, Movie Time, all the weekend shows are house full. The film will receive a grand opening. Both 3D and 2D shows will receive a good response.
Ashok Mallik, Exhibitor, Punjab
At our cinema, Wave, we have 15 shows of 2D and 10 shows of 3D. Advance booking so far is 17.5 per cent for 2 D and 13.5 per cent for 3D. Since there have been no promotional events for the film in Ludhiana, it has not received a good response. In spite of this, we can expect the film to take a great opening.
December 22, 2011 at 2:49 PM
Advance Booking of Don 2 In Orissa, Assam, Bihar And Kolkata
by Shabdita Shrivastav (December 22, 2011)
Jeetu Khandelwal, Distributor, Movie Pioneers, Orrisa
There is no advance booking in Orissa but we have received a tremendous response for online booking in Bhubaneswar, where it is 100 per cent. We are screening Don 2 in 100 cinemas and expecting it to be a hit in this territory.
Siddharth Goenka, Distributor, Goenka Enterprise, Assam
Assam does not have an advance booking facility in cinemas. But there are a lot of inquiries about Don 2. There is a lot of enthusiasm for this film as it stars Shah Rukh Khan. We are expecting it to be a huge hit.
Abhay Sinha, Producer and Distributor, Yafhi Films, Bihar
Advance booking for Don 2 is 30 per cent till now. We are expecting a good opening. But the weather conditions will impact the morning shows. The booking for the 3D shows has been very good. The film will do better in multiplexes than single-screens.
Sunil Singh, Distributor, Aum Movies, Kolkata
It’s been good so far. In our cinema, Paradise, 40 per cent tickets have been sold and we are expecting full houses on all three days. We do not have advance booking at our cinema Roxy but we are expecting the film to do well here too. People are showing more interest in 3D than 2D.
Rahul Mohta, Exhibitor, Kolkata
There are 150 cinemas in West Bengal playing Don 2, of the 300 on qube. All of them will be screening Don 2. Of this, only two cinemas are 3D. We are expecting the film to take a good opening and do good business too.
December 22, 2011 at 2:49 PM
Don 2 Advance Booking Report From Rajasthan
by Shabdita Shrivastav (December 22, 2011)
Sunil Bansal, Distributor, Yash Raj Jai Pictures
The response to advance bookings of Don 2 has been good and ticket sales are on the rise. The younger generation is opting for 3D over 2D. Also, the advance booking for this film is the same as it was for RA.One. The film will do well in both single-screen and multiplexes.
Vasudev Chachan, Distributor, Sunny Films
There is no clear trend in the advance bookings here. The film has a better chance of earning at singles-screens and through 2D.
Kailasa Meena, Exhibitor, Rajasthan
The advance booking for Don 2 has been 40-45 per cent so far. We are expecting the film to take a great opening.
Sudhir Puri, Exhibitor, Rajasthan
The advance booking has been extraordinary. Booking has been 60 per cent till now. The film will have 100-per cent opening. The youth is choosing to watch Don 2 in 2D while families are opting for 3D. The first week’s business in both single-screens and multiplexes will be about the same. However, Monday onwards, multiplexes will enjoy the upper hand.
December 22, 2011 at 2:50 PM
Advance Booking Report of Don 2 In Gujarat
by Shabdita Shrivastav (December 22, 2011)
Chintu Jeetubhai Kapdi, Distributor, Gujarat
The advance booking for Don 2 has been average. It’s 20 per cent in single-screen cinemas and even less in multiplexes. The 3D shows will have greater demand in multiplexes. Also, the film will receive a good opening since the first Don also did well. Surat has seven multiplexes and the audience is divided between them. The response in the city’s two single-screens, Rupam and Maharaj, is good.
J S Popat, Exhibitor, Gujarat
There is no advance booking in Vapi. But we are expecting the film to take a good opening and so good business.
Ranjit Vala, Owner of A-World Multiplex, Gujarat
The advance booking has been between 30 and 35 per cent. Though RA.One did not do well, we are expecting Don 2 to do good business since the film has been publicised well. We are getting a lot of inquiries too. The night shows should be house full. We are running six shows in two screens.
December 22, 2011 at 2:58 PM
Note how in all these boxofficeindia.co.in (not to be confused with BOI) reports (and I give them credit for doing it systematically and really taking to the people on the ground in each case) how things vary drastically even within the same city or circuit. It obviously has to do with the demographics of each theater but the point I’m trying to make is that this is how it is for films (irrespective of how they end up doing eventually). A film that is a completely non-starter everywhere or a complete blockbuster universally from the very first day is fairly unusual. So you have this sort of ‘mixed’ picture with WOM then being determinative but what happens is that people like Nahata or Taran or anyone else (other trade figures or sites like BOI) can (and do!) easily pick on the bit of data that supports their claim or that pushes their agenda. These ‘narratives’ are then combined with the eventual grosses and it all creates a very misleading interpretation of the facts (when it’s not outright lying). This is how by the way those ‘records’ are made when necessary. You pick up some obscure theater in Rajasthan somewhere or even a not so obscure one and say ‘x’ film broke 5 day records there. You present this as a trendline or something. So on and so forth. When the film then behaves completely differently that the ‘narrative’ predicts it becomes a problem in which case these guys slowly move toward the truth over a matter of weeks and eventually a new film releases and everyone’s attention shifts. In this model there is no downside to being dishonest and/or coming up with very faulty analysis. But again there’s a ‘market’ for all of this stuff among partisans of all kinds of stars who are not really interested in a narrative that is the closest approximation of reality but simply one that buttresses their own ‘desires’ for that star.
December 22, 2011 at 4:46 PM
Not all data is equal or relevant. The 80/20 rule applies. Only 20% of data is needed to tell the story.
100% data in the hand of Joe Public results in analysis paralysis. Nahata, Taran, Tango etc comb through the raw data and filter out what is needed. This requires experience and some wisdom. They serve in making sense out of data which at the surface appears all over.
Looking at the data you have posted even someone slightly less wise than Nahata can see that the advance booking for Don 2 is very (very) good.
December 22, 2011 at 4:55 PM
“This requires experience and some wisdom”
and it requires less than both to accept as true some of the guys you’ve mentioned!
On comments going into moderation that happens when you use a new IP address that hasn’t previously been approved.
December 22, 2011 at 5:00 PM
Nikhat Kazmi gives it 4/5:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/movie-reviews/hindi/Don-2/movie-review/11205411.cms
December 22, 2011 at 5:04 PM
Their inferences are not that different. They are off by a few pennies (or Cr) but essentially they say the same. Very rarely does one says ATBB and the other says that it is a stink bomb.
I have observed that they are equally brutal to all. In fact they display sadistic traits. OK one or two hold back and remain polite, but by and large they decimate everyone.
December 22, 2011 at 5:10 PM
I have nothing to add to the volumes I’ve said on all of this including today beyond the fact that I know what I’m talking about on this stuff.
December 22, 2011 at 5:11 PM
Might try and watch this soon as I can – might turn out to be half decent!
December 22, 2011 at 6:17 PM
me too though not before MI4! Which too I might not be able to do before Sat.
December 22, 2011 at 5:59 PM
Satyam, at various places you have mentioned watching a lot of old Dev movies as well as others under your current viewing section. I was wondering why there are no posts on your blog on the movies you have been watching.
At the risk of offending you (since it is your blog), I think it would be a welcome change to read about movies rather than BO prospects of films about to release. At the end of the day BO figures will be what they are which only the producers and distributors will know what ever the so called websites or orgns say.
December 22, 2011 at 6:16 PM
that’s a fair point Filmbuff..not offended at all! I have referred to some of these films on Bachchan’s blog. See here:
a kind of summation:
http://satyamshot.wordpress.com/2011/11/20/bachchan-1313-1314-1315/#comment-118364
and then on Maya..
http://satyamshot.wordpress.com/2011/11/20/bachchan-1313-1314-1315/#comment-118531
and in some of the comments that follow. also again an argument with some of his choices:
http://satyamshot.wordpress.com/2011/11/20/bachchan-1313-1314-1315/#comment-118894
again here and in the comments that follow which also include a top ten for the star and a discussion of Bombai Ka Babu:
http://satyamshot.wordpress.com/2011/11/20/bachchan-1313-1314-1315/#comment-119030
a bit on Guide:
http://satyamshot.wordpress.com/2011/11/20/bachchan-1313-1314-1315/#comment-120261
I haven’t put posts but I sometimes think these thoughts flow far more easily when I’m responding to something.
In terms of the viewing though there’s also too much to talk about since I try and revisit just about everything I can get my hands on when I am in one of these moods.
December 22, 2011 at 9:13 PM
Thanks for these links Satyam. I accidentally found Bombai ka Babu at a dollar shop during one of my lunch time strolls around the CBD a month ago! Since it was only a dollar, i picked up quite a few including Ganga ki Saugand ( AB) and a few others. From what i can gather from various blogs, i seem to have hit gold with Bombai ka Babu considering it is difficult to find old hindi films overseas. This movie is in my To Watch pile.
December 23, 2011 at 1:51 AM
Film buff
I found Bombay ka baby in similar unexpected quarters.
Found it v good.
Let us know how u find it ,”in the buff”
December 24, 2011 at 2:00 AM
Thanks Alex – will let u know my views after I watch it! Merry Christmas
December 22, 2011 at 6:23 PM
Don 2 is 81 % (audience) at rottentomatoes.
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/don_2/
December 22, 2011 at 7:24 PM
LOL!
Rottetomatoes rating for D2 is what % want to see it. It Is not theIr Tmatometer rating based on reviews. It says there are no reviews yet.
December 22, 2011 at 8:12 PM
This is all they have for the moment and hence this is all we can go by. When they post more, if possible and if time permits, I will update this space for your benefit.
December 22, 2011 at 8:51 PM
http://nextprojection.com/2011/12/22/review-don-2-the-king-is-back/#
December 22, 2011 at 8:52 PM
http://www.indicine.com/movies/bollywood/don-2-movie-reviews-from-uk/
December 22, 2011 at 9:38 PM
http://bollyspice.com/34480/don-2-movie-review
December 22, 2011 at 8:55 PM
Off Topic
This video is really very funny. But the matter is very serious coz we have such MPs in our country.
Lalu Prasad Yadav On Lokpal Bil Uncut
December 22, 2011 at 9:39 PM
Film Review: Don 2
Pulkit Datta
December 23, 2011
An otherwise slick and stylish film is brought crashing down by lackluster script and dialogues.
There’s a serious condition ailing the mainstream Hindi film industry – the unnecessary compulsion to talk more and show less. In one sequence in Farhan Akhtar’s Don 2, the conniving lead (Shah Rukh Khan, back with his grimaces) explains in detail to his accomplices the plan to blackmail a high profile target. Once the accomplices nod and agree to the plan, they then execute the plan, exactly as was explained earlier. And after the same thing has been told and then shown, it’s told again in a summary of sorts where the cops hunting for Don realize the plan and feel the need to spell it out. Again. This, unfortunately, is what unceremoniously drags Don 2 down from its high expectations and even bigger hype into disappointment.
Akhtar has established himself as a quality filmmaker (amongst his many other talents), managing to balance style with story in a fresh, new age way. He has done this right from his directorial debut Dil Chahta Hai, and followed it with Lakshya and even the first Don film, which was a remake of the 1978 Amitabh Bachchan cult classic. Conjuring up an original sequel to a remake of a cult classic is akin to playing with fire. This is why Don 2 comes with such high expectations and is an unfortunate letdown. The script and dialogues become the biggest weakness of a premise that had the potential for oh-so-much.
The story continues some time after where the first one left off. It begins with the elusive Don resurfacing, creating some more havoc and in a surprise move, he turns himself in. His goal is to see Vardhan (Boman Irani) again, his arch enemy who was caught and imprisoned at the end of the first film. Conjuring up another plan, Don now wants to collaborate with the one man he trusts the least, starting with plotting both their escapes from prison. The premise is intriguing and, knowing the dynamics between these two characters in the first film, the sequel could have been taken in so many different directions to make for a taut and thrilling ride. But the intrigue fizzles out soon after, as Vardhan is reduced to a mere sidekick for most of the film. He listens to Don’s plans, asks a couple of clarification questions and then agrees each time. Yes, he too has his own motives but his character’s dramatic weight is significantly lessened here.
Akhtar and his team have designed Don 2 as an action thriller, using the cat-and-mouse chase template that has proven to be such an entertaining genre. The problem with this film, however, becomes the sheer lack of depth in the story which drags the film considerably. The first Don had a lot going on – multiple players in a drug trade, a police department with embedded criminals, a powerful female lead with a personal agenda, a wronged man looking for vengeance, all encompassed within an intricate, if bizarre, master plan hatched by an all-powerful elusive villain. In Don 2, this master criminal just wants to rob a bank in Berlin.
The cop team of Roma (an uninspired Priyanka Chopra) and Malik (an even more uninspired Om Puri) are back on the hunt for Don as they follow him from Malaysia to Germany. Don’s new arm candy accomplice is Ayesha (Lara Dutta, oozing glamor), who is actually one of the more effective characters for how little she needs to speak. Her expressions and actions say it all as she dutifully and confidently helps put Don’s puzzle together. The other new character is the tech whizkid Sameer (Kunal Kapoor, functional but underused), who is hired by Don to execute his plan.
Good action films also need lots of one thing – good action. The few chase and action sequences Akhtar orchestrates are snazzy. The car chase as Roma tails Don through the streets of Berlin tries some new stunts and is a thrilling watch. But even the action sequences fade out in the second half and especially the climax. The part of the film that should have been the fastest in pace, twists and should have left the audience breathless is instead riddled with mundane dialogues, as the characters literally stroll casually through a high pressure, time-sensitive situation.
The best thing in Don 2’s favor is its production quality. It is by far one of the slickest and most stylish films seen in Hindi cinema recently. In that respect, it more than lives up to one of Akhtar’s trademarks as a filmmaker. The camerawork by Jason West is a pleasure to watch. The one and only song-and-dance sequence in the entire narrative, Zara Dil Ko Tham Lo, is brilliantly shot and the action sequences have an artfulness to them that is still rare in commercial Hindi cinema.
At a runtime of two and a half hours, Don 2 simply doesn’t have enough to justify its length. While Khan managed to carry off the character effectively in the first film, he seems forced this time, turning his character from a wicked and clever baddie to just a nuisance. It’s hard to connect with him or any other character in the film, while the script leaves hardly anything to the imagination. If you must watch it, go for the visuals and the action scenes. Otherwise, it’s an underwhelming film in many ways from Akhtar, which is disappointing considering his impressive track record.
http://www.the-nri.com/index.php/2011/12/film-review-don-2/
December 22, 2011 at 9:40 PM
NY Times:
December 22, 2011
Movie Review | ‘Don 2′
Bollywood Baddie Is Ready to Take On Europe
By DAVID DeWITT
If “Mission: Impossible” and “Ocean’s Eleven” had a bombastic, funny and slick cousin, it might be “Don 2.”
This zippily edited sequel to a 2006 Indian hit is not the least bit coy about its intentions: the young criminal kingpin Don (Shah Rukh Khan, left) is back, and “now my target is Europe!” Soon enough, after a prison escape art-directed within an inch of its colorful life, he’s hatching a grand plan to rob a Berlin bank of its euro printing plates. The lovely Roma (Priyanka Chopra) and her wise mentor (the great Om Puri) are on his trail, though, and he can’t trust his partners. It’s indeed an impossible mission (Don even uses a peel-away mask) in the jokey spirit of Danny Ocean.
“Don 2” is more comic book than that, except most comics have nods to emotional depth. Don is a superenigma, an anti-hero way too extraordinarily capable to take seriously, which is fine when he’s doing something interesting (the big heist has twists, stunts and suspense aplenty) and simply auto-action when he’s not (all those car chases and, heck, the first third of the film).
The director, Farhan Akhtar, seems out to create a spectacular, international entertainment with “Don 2,” in a mix of Hindi and English and a dollop of German. And thanks to the unpretentious humor, he is mostly successful, though audiences will have to forgive the bland performances. Not the actors’ fault, really; when a cocky chuckle (Mr. Khan) or determined lips (Ms. Chopra) are your only character bits, you don’t have much character to explore. Only Kunal Kapoor, as a more sympathetic colleague of Don’s, has human moments. They’re almost out of place; subtlety is one language this playful film doesn’t speak.
December 22, 2011 at 9:41 PM
Reviews seem excellent so far. will check this out over the weekend if the trend continues along with MI4.
December 22, 2011 at 9:55 PM
Taran – 3.5/5
Don 2
By Taran Adarsh, 23 Dec 2011, 07:35 hrs IST
Remaking the Amitabh Bachchan classic DON was a risk in itself. Not only because it is one of Bachchan’s most iconic characters, but also because films like SHOLAY, DON, AMAR AKBAR ANTHONY, DEEWAR, TRISHUL, MUQADDAR KA SIKANDER [and many, many more] redefined the cinema of 1970s and 1980s. Farhan Akhtar accepted the challenge and attempted a successful remake of DON with SRK.
Paanch saal baad, Farhan and his team of writers decide to carry the concept frontward with DON 2. I genuinely feel that sequels shouldn’t be attempted if you don’t have an enthralling story to narrate. This time, Farhan chooses an entirely new concept, garnishes it with classic action, stunning visuals, giving it an international look and feel… the intention is to make the second part superior and enhanced than the first. Also, the fascination for thrillers such as M.I., BOURNE and BOND series is pretty evident.
While one was abundantly aware of what the first part had to offer [since it was a remake], one is completely oblivious about what the sequel has in store. And it is this facet of the film that kindles colossal interest. You cannot tell what Don’s next move would be. As the reels unfold, you realize that he’s cold blooded. You can’t mess with him. He’s dangerous to deal with. He has an agenda. Ditto for Roma [Priyanka Chopra], who shares a tumultuous relationship with Don. It’s a cat and mouse chase.
When viewed in isolation, DON 2 looks like the right package to woo the movie-going junta — SRK in top form, a stylishly crafted story, pulsating and invigorating action and stunts. But it’s not without its share of hiccups. In fact, the first hour and the post-interval portions of the film are akin to the two sides of the same coin. The first hour is bland, the second is energetic. The first hour is deficient in thrills, the second keeps you on the edge. The first hour disentangles at a languid pace, the second is feverish with several adrenaline rush moments.
DON 2 begins in Thailand and moves to Malaysia. Don [SRK] surrenders himself to the cops [Om Puri, Priyanka Chopra] and is sent to a Malaysian prison. There, he meets his old foe Vardhan [Boman Irani]. Don hatches a conspiracy to escape with Vardhan and they succeed as well. They reach Zurich, then Berlin. The motive is to rob the currency plates. It’s an unfeasible task, but Don takes the help of a hacker [Kunal Kapoor] to accomplish his plans.
With DON 2, Farhan Akhtar reasserts himself as one of Hindi cinema’s stylish storytellers. It wouldn’t be erroneous to state that DON 2 redefines slick in Bollywood. But the film could’ve done with a tighter script. Besides, the writing is urban-centric and those with an appetite for international thrillers may take to the film instantly, especially the twists and turns in the second hour. Again, the conclusion to the story could’ve been simplified for the average viewer to decipher. Yet, all said and done, DON 2 mirrors the changing trends in Hindi cinema. Those with the conventional attitude or tilting towards the conservative form of cinema may find it difficult to absorb.
DON is also acknowledged for its vibrant and eminent dialogue. One can conjure up the lines from the original Bachchan starrer and in DON 2, the lines are in sync with the various guises and situations of the Don. The dialogue are masterly and the flamboyance with which SRK delivers the lines is what makes it exceptional. The lines are cooler, hip, zany, witty and at the same time, easy on the lips. They’re sure to become the new catchphrases in times to come, like the one you recall even today: ‘Don ko pakadna mushkil hi nahin, na-mumkin hain’.
Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, the trusted and prominent names in Excel’s movies, dishearten this time around. In fact, the music is the sole sore point of the film. Sure, it has vigor and spice, but the wow factor is amiss. The film deserved a much, much superior score to match up to the standards set by Farhan Akhtar. Jason West’s cinematography is dazzling. Filmed in Germany, Switzerland, Malaysia and Thailand, the film is visually enchanting. The action and stunts are spectacular.
DON 2 marks SRK’s return to anti-hero roles after enacting such roles with flourish so early in his career. Recall BAAZIGAR, DARR and ANJAAM. He plays a wicked, debonair anti-hero in DON 2. The character he portrays is iniquitous and sinful, but attractive at the same time and SRK lives it up with gusto. Besides, SRK has also experimented with varied looks in the film, from a debonair looking guy to a person with unkempt hair and stubble. Without doubt, DON 2 is SRK’s best action movie to date.
Priyanka revisits her character of Roma in DON 2. Not only is the character more evolved, even her performance is of a high order. In fact, she enacts the role of an angry, tough lady who means business with a vengeance. Lara Dutta looks glamorous and alluring, but her character lacks meat.
Kunal Kapoor is decent, though he doesn’t really get the scenes to prove his credentials. An actor of the caliber of Om Puri is wasted this time. Boman Irani lends the right texture to his character. He excels yet again. Nawab Shah should hit big league with DON 2. He plays one of the baddies with conviction. Alyy Khan is natural, enacting his part with ease. Sahil Shroff has screen presence and stands out in a brief role. Hrithik Roshan appears in a cameo.
On the whole, DON 2 rides on star power and brand value. The film has a bland first hour, but the second half takes the film to another level. There’s no denying that a cohesive script would’ve made a world of a difference to the film, but the tremendous hype, star power and the lucrative period [Christmas and New Year celebrations] will make its investors reap a harvest.
http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/moviemicro/criticreview/id/525404
December 22, 2011 at 10:03 PM
surprised Taran is behind the curve on this one. The film has been receiving 4 stars elsewhere.
December 22, 2011 at 11:25 PM
Review: Don 2 has no edge-of-the-seat moments
http://www.rediff.com/movies/review/review-don-two-has-no-edge-of-the-seat-moments/20111223.htm
December 22, 2011 at 11:35 PM
surprising this goes completely against the grain. But it also aligns more with taran’s review if one performs the necessary translation.
December 23, 2011 at 12:26 AM
yea…so far however, rediff reviews have not exactly been matching mine too much (especially when it comes to SRK movies…except for RA.One Review)…but as of now…most of the reviews have been excellent and hence, i am checking this movie out tomorrow…2nd last show!!!
December 23, 2011 at 12:15 AM
Ever since Farhan Akhtar gave us the delectable Dil Chahta Hai (smartly written, well acted, a trendsetter of sorts), he has failed to better, or even get close to, his debut effort. His production company may have churned out some pretty memorable films since (Honeymoon Travels Pvt Ltd, Rock On, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara), but his own directorial ventures have been mediocre. Lakshya suffered from a Dil Chahta Hai-wannabe first half fused with a JP Dutta-styled second. Don, the remake of Chandra Barot’s highly enjoyable 1978 caper, with its harebrained finale, was a complete letdown.
Unsatisfying as Akhtar’s Don was, the sequel promos have been promising. And with Akhtar and Co free of the baggage of recreating the original Don, they could take things in a new direction. Which they do. Except, others have trodden this path already.
Like Danny Ocean. And John McClane. In Don 2, Akhtar manages to blend elements from various H’wood films, mostly Ocean’s Eleven and Die Hard, with a bit of Mission Impossible thrown in. This is our answer to Hollywood – a rehash of what they’ve done already. No points for originality.
No points for writing either. If Akhtar’s film lulls you to sleep initially, in spite of some slick editing, it’s because the writing (Akhtar, Ameet Mehta, Amrish Shah) falters. Characters say boring, random things to each other, there’s a pointlessly long dance sequence (Hrithik Roshan, looking dapper in an unintentionally hilarious cameo), and the attempt at dialoguebaazi is laughable (“Jab tak Don ko asliyat ka pata chalega, tab tak Don mar chuka hoga”).
http://www.dnaindia.com/entertainment/review_review-shah-rukh-khan-makes-don-2-work_1629155
December 23, 2011 at 12:44 AM
you should probably look up more reviews and you can easily tell that the movie has received MANY MORE positive reviews than mixed to negative! FOR EXAMPLE:
http://www.bollywoodlife.com/news-gossip-buzz/don-2-quick-movie-review-shahrukh-khan-is-truly-wicked/
Our critic is viewing Don 2 right now, and we heard from him saying that Shahrukh Khan rocks in Farhan Akhtar’s film. The film matches the first part as far as the slickness quotient is concerned, and in fact, takes it to another level. Priyanka Chopra plays the sexy but tough cop act well. The interactions between her character and Don are worth watching. Once again, Don entertains with his one-liners, his wicked charm and his ruthlessness. For viewers exposed to international films, it might be a mish-mash, but it’s still worth it. Not many films like these are made in India. The only film which looks close to Don 2 right now is Abbas Mustan’s Players in terms of the action and cinematography. So go watch Don 2. It’s a thriller not to be missed! Don 2 stars Shahrukh Khan, Priyanka Chopra, Kunal Kapoor, Boman Irani and Lara Dutta among others. It releases Friday, December 23.
there’s a hell lot more too!!!
December 23, 2011 at 12:29 AM
I’ll be watching this movie tomorrow and I think I might just put a quick review up here….just like Naveed did!
December 23, 2011 at 1:15 AM
Arsh Khehra, obviously there will be more positive reviews than negative ones. Fora big film with a big star that is always the case. It was so for Ra One as well. BY and large you can rely more on the reviews of print magazines, becaiuse they have less reasons to try and please big stars or production houses and a few big name general websites, with known reviewers, for they have some kind of brand reputation to protect. Fora big film, it is likely to be good, only if almost all reviews, barring a few exceptions, are unanimously positive.
December 23, 2011 at 2:20 AM
I really can’t say anything about the movie right now, since I haven’t watched it yet, but, the reviews ARE looking good!
December 23, 2011 at 2:25 AM
I generally trust the Reuters website. And this is what the Reuters reviewer says–
http://blogs.reuters.com/indiamasala/2011/12/23/don-2-dont-expect-too-much/
The reviewer gives thumbs up to SRK, but finds the film unevenly paced and full of holes. However, she does say that it is worth a watch.
December 23, 2011 at 3:46 AM
yo LS–r u the one who is a voracious reader.
any book recommendations
obviously has to be quick, concise, breezy, dodgy lol
and no, am not talking bout porn here lol
December 23, 2011 at 1:21 AM
Raja Sen: Don 2, both plastic and explosive
http://www.rediff.com/movies/review/review-don-two-both-plastic-and-explosive/20111223.htm
December 23, 2011 at 1:22 AM
रिव्यू : ‘डॉन-2′ को 2.5 स्टार
http://khabar.ndtv.com/PlayVideo.aspx?id=219209
December 23, 2011 at 1:26 AM
Just came back from Don 2.
Let me say two things that I did not like:
1. The list of partners just kept on going on and on at the start of the movie. One almost screams out, enough already, start the movie please.
2. The use of Hyundai in the car chase in Germany. It is almost like showing some drink Moonshine (“Tharra”) in Campagne, France.
Otherwise the movie is awesome. The lst of what I liked is probably longer than the list of partners at the start of the movie. For the first time a Bollywood heist movie has held my interest. The constantly changing narrative in the second half is wicked smart. The brief bout of romance between Don and Roma in the final act shows you why SRK is the so called King of romance. Don 2 as a whole is one of the most fast paced action movie I have seen out of Bollywood. It will take a long time to forget SRK’s walk as Don, a crooked walk of a very crooked man.
Farhan’s control over this movie makes his DCH look sophomoric.
A few weeks ago I saw The Descendant (George Clooney), although Don 2 is a different genre altogether, I enjoyed it as much.
December 23, 2011 at 1:29 AM
Rating – 4/5
Verdict – Its Shahrukh Khan’s best action film and if you are a action adventure fan this film is sure to enthrall you, after last week’s Mission Impossible. SRK had delivered his best with oozing attitude.
http://reviews.in.88db.com/index.php/movie/movie-reviews/14509-shahrukh-khans-don-2-review?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter
December 23, 2011 at 1:35 AM
Good Man
As a heist movie, Don 2 is no less than the slickest Hollywood production. This is SRK’ s CDI moment all over again. Very focused movie (almost no room for song and dance), very stylish.
December 23, 2011 at 2:00 AM
Must admit-Have seen v few movies twice.
Rockstar joins that list
Liked it second time as well–it stood well
Actually beyond a point: how much one likes a movie beyond a point also depends on personal taste and resonance
Rahman was magical
Imtiaz Ali and ranbir were brilliant
And last but not the least-since most don’t agree with my view
Adored nargis fakhri–
Can see why people commented like this
There is a disparity in her body language(due to her background) and lip synch etc
She does appear “clumsy” & “unsure ” in places
But to me, this was a v endearing, spontaneous , heartfelt performance
In some places one can see her struggling to emote on the absence of acting skill set -which is even more cute
Inthe absence of that-use takes the difficult way out–she actually tries to “feel” it really –not possible for adept/expert actresses
In a nutshell–and nothing will make me change my mind lol
This was one of the most interesting and endearing debut performances I have seen fullstop
December 23, 2011 at 7:12 AM
apparently someone else dubbed for her.. weirdly they didn’t get someone to do a better job. Which is why I thought it was her!
December 23, 2011 at 2:01 AM
Don 2 Has Excellent Opening
Don 2 took an excellent opening this morning in its early couple of shows at multiplexes of around 75-80%.
There were places like Ahmedabad and Noida which opened to 100% collections but there were places like Nagpur and Jodhpur which were around than 70%. On the whole the all India average at multiplexes this morning was around 80-85%. Delhi city opened to around 80% while Ra.One was 100%
The opening of the film is not as strong as Ra.One but that film had Diwali Puja to contend with and collections fell from 1 pm onwards so despite a lower opening it is possible that Don 2 could see first day collections in the range of the first day of Ra.One.
Don 2 has been released on 3000 screens approx across India.
http://www.boxofficeindia.com/boxnewsdetail.php?page=shownews&articleid=3828&nCat
December 23, 2011 at 2:03 AM
“So here, Don (Shah Rukh Khan) is not after money, but precious printing plates that literally mint original currency. The task is impossible, of course, and Don must get to it, bad sense of humour and gelled hairdo intact.
Roma (Priyanka Chopra) is dull as well, always uptight and off to work, which is nabbing Don. Heck, even Vardhan (Boman Irani) isn’t up to anything really nasty.
Then the character of a hacking geek (Kunal Kapoor) who’s a “fan” of Don is a bit much. And yes, having a gorgeous Lara Dutta by your side and a fan-boy on the other is a completely glamorised picture of the character, who is ultimately a criminal.
Don’s infallibility is taken to new lengths. In a car chase at top speed, he’s nonchalant, even cheerfully waving to the chaser. And, of course, you’ll find it difficult to cosy up to a character that blows up innocent policemen to prove a point.
Don’s characterisation is central to the film and something is off here. The trademark cockiness is completely devoid of charm, and turns annoying. So when Roma nabs him and says “Down on your knees”, he replies, “Really? I’m wearing white!” Or exclaims, “Ooo kinky”, when she handcuffs him.
Flat punch lines are seen throughout the film. Like when the fan-boy attacks someone by giving him a shock and says, “shocking behaviour”.
The actors are all at the top of their game, and that elevates the film somewhat. Shah Rukh still exudes a searing screen presence that keeps you hooked. Priyanka Chopra and Boman Irani are dependably good. But across the board, the cast has done better in other films.”
http://www.sify.com/movies/bollywood/review.php?id=14986476&ctid=5&cid=2425
December 23, 2011 at 3:24 AM
Here is journalist Mihir Fadnavis’ scathing review. Particularly hilarious is his take on SRK : Throughout the movie Shahrukh Khan’s face sports a contorted expression that suggests the need for more fiber in his diet…ROFLOL !!!
“With Shahrukh Khan, a huge budget, big explosions, a perfectly made up Priyanka Chopra as a Michelle Rodriguez-wannabe tank topped tough cop, and a heist plot, Don 2 has something for everyone. That is if ‘everyone’ is under the age of fifteen. The rest of us will likely wonder what happened to the need for a decent story or a well-written script. But if you like your cinema with snazzy illogical thrills, then Don 2 is fun enough junk.
The original 1978 Don is a cult classic because of Amitabh Bachchan’s magnetism, solid characters, deft pacing and Zeenat Aman’s oomph. All the cheese was equipoised by the suave brilliance of Mr Bachchan. The 2006 Farhan Akhtar remake was an unintentionally hilarious, dopey, badly acted, commercially successful modern actioner. The best way to describe Don 2 is Plot Hole Porn. When it comes to logic, Don 2 is as woefully incompetent as its predecessor, except it flaunts a bigger budget for added ludicrous entertainment. Star Shahrukh Khan and director Akhtar once again never aim for the cerebral, and are happy to simply cobble together a bunch of glossy foreign -based action staples and hope it all works out. Only afterward, as you stroll out of the theater in a dizzy whir does one start to realize that one hasn’t been impressed, but inadvertently entertained.
The plot of Don 2 is a glorious compendium of clichés. The film picks up almost immediately where the previous film left off. Don (Mr Khan) is now the Asian underworld kingpin, and has his sights set on the European market. He crafts a cunning plan to surrender himself to the Interpol and escape from prison with a certain inmate that he needs for his master plan of robbing currency plates from Berlin. The action immediately shifts to Europe, as Don starts rounding up a gang for the big heist, and we’re treated to over the top contrived car chases, an impossible rooftop stunt and some of the cheesiest dialogues in recent memory. The ending ‘twist’ is so predictable one can’t help but be stunned by the film’s Neanderthal mentality.
Throughout the movie Shahrukh Khan’s face sports a contorted expression that suggests the need for more fiber in his diet. He has neither the charisma, nor the personality nor the versatility of the great Amitabh Bachchan from the original film. Instead, he hams uncontrollably, even more so than in the 2006 film, almost like his life depends on it. The romantic angle between Don and Roma (Priyanka) is comically forced and sappy – moreover the chemistry between Shahrukh and Priyanka has as many sparks as a Mumbai blackout. Boman Irani as Vardhan and Aly Khan as Diwan nearly sleepwalk through their roles. Nawwab Shah as Jabbar gives The Incredible Hulk a complex – not in terms of muscle but in wooden acting. Somewhere in the midst of all of this, Lara Dutta keeps popping up as Don’s girlfriend in what is arguably the most hysterically clichéd unnecessary vamp character stereotype to grace the big screen since Drew Barrymore in Batman and Robin. Om Puri, in his career worst role is gloriously campy – he almost tells us that we’re meant to laugh at him, not with him.
The original Don had the classics ‘Khaike Paan Banaras wala’ and ‘Yeh mera Dil’. Don: The Chase Begins Again had Midival Punditz’s passable remixes of the same. Don 2 has horribly composed and poorly sung remixes of the remixes of the previous film. They seem like the result of a bar bet gone horribly wrong.
Analyzing the logical aspects of Don 2 is where one can really start to lose one’s mind. When I said the characters indulge in Plot Hole Porn, I wasn’t exaggerating. Don’s master plan is a real head-scratcher. The screenplay goes out of its way not only to make Don some sort of a genius, but also to outdo the previous film’s uproariously stupid plan of Don pretending to be Vijay who pretends to be Don, thereby destroying his own gang and jeopardizing his own business that he worked so hard to build. There’s enough limp-wristed contrivance in Don 2 to set back the Dhoom films a few decades. Don’s strategy of using explosives is itself rigged to disintegrate if a moviegoer’s IQ nudges above 70. Three different people were credited with writing Don 2 (Akhtar, Ameeth Mehta and Amrish Shah), and I bet they’re still arguing over who deserves recognition for the part where Interpol cop Priyanka Chopra pursues Don in a car for ten whole minutes but never bothers to call for backup. Don wears a Mission Impossible-esque plastic mask of another man (a great cameo from an A-list actor), but he also speaks with the actor’s voice. Don, the most wanted man in the world also carries bungee jump kits strapped to his back when he goes out for strolls in public.
Without a doubt, the technical credits are superior to any Indian film to date, and the cinematography by Jason West is truly gorgeous. Also, Don 2 is never boring, thanks to its dazzling special effects that aid the actors flip, fly, jump, dropkick, punch and kick each other like jackhammers. The slow-mo Matrix Kung Fu Karate from the 2006 film makes way for some decent hand-to-hand combat. Of course none of this compensates for the overfamiliar plotline, the amusingly underdeveloped side characters, SEL’s insipid soundtrack and a general air of overbaked over expensive silliness. Priyanka Chopra and Lara Dutta are as attractive as the Berlin locales, plus the film is occasionally funny, even if the laughs come mostly during the movie’s most dramatic, heartfelt moments.
If you’re looking for a smart thriller, then Don 2 is a train wreck of bad lines and predictable plot twists. But it is astonishingly daft, and so profoundly earnest that it is uniquely, hilariously enjoyable. It’s so bad that it’s good.”
December 23, 2011 at 3:32 AM
the review is clearly very biased and it’s trying to compare Don 2′s story with movies of Hollywood…and you know what…that’s exactly what needs to be done because this is the only action movie out of bollywood that looks as cool as a hollywood flick!
BUT, AGAIN, won’t personally say anything about the movie w/o watching it first!!!
December 23, 2011 at 7:32 AM
Arsh
The negative reviews posted here are mostly premeditated. The reviews were “written” more or less before these guys watched the movies. The reviews, it appears have been written with a desire to suppress the wonderful content of Don 2, rather than talk about it.
Just as they say, the interiors of a structure follows the form set by the exterior/architecture. The commentary likewise follows the same desire, i.e. suppress how excellent the movie is. Therefore you will see a focus to selectively shine light on the negatives (which in the case here is completely fabricated). You can see how the commentators take precaution to avoid mentioning the positives in Don 2 or even mentioning positives reviews. As I stated in my reactions after watching Don 2, the list of positives in indeed very very very long. The movie slick and fast paced. You get entertained (Period). It is the best heist movie from Bollywood. For a movie fan, this is “Manna” from heaven. This year’s best movie.
December 23, 2011 at 7:16 AM
LOL, good read here! Tough perhaps though I guess some balancing out since some others are calling it Sholay! Certainly agree with the characterization of the ’78 Don and the ’06 one.
December 23, 2011 at 7:47 AM
Satyam
Mano A Maano, I can assure you that the movie buff in you will like Don 2. From everything you have stated in all the billion words and more on the net, this is your movie. Needless to say, whether you acknowledge that in public or not is another matter. But I want to assure you that you will LIKE it.
Let me give one reason why this movie will be loved and liked (it will show in the BO outcome, hence no need to debate this) by Joe Public.
Just like one has an all around family entertainer for the whole family (young and old). This movie is for all, the smarty pants and his country cousin. People with all levels of intelligence (as well as lack of it) will like it.
In the end the movie amongst other thing will be remembered for its brilliant details, e.g. the walk that SRK creates for Don, a crooked walk of a wicked/crooked man (sheer brilliance). Celebrate cinema, Don 2 is the reason why we are movie fans.
December 23, 2011 at 7:57 AM
actually I’ve been saying from the very first trailer that the film looks great visually and might be much better than the earlier attempt because it won’t suffer as much from the remake burden. But since then a lot of the incessant one-liners and so on have been more than annoying. Will take a call on this over the weekend. Have to get to MI4 first. More inclined towards watching it but not certain at this point. I doubt very much I’ll find it ‘brilliant’! Thanks for informing me what I will definitely like! Don’t suppose I can ‘not’ like it though the way you’ve framed it! But as for not admitting it in public you’re probably not very familiar with my history!
December 23, 2011 at 9:28 AM
Jees, this Mihir F review is brutal…
December 23, 2011 at 3:32 AM
hmmm…seems the negative reviews are begninng to trickle in…
utkal uncle whats your take on this one
lol@ the need for fibre in srks diet
anyhow, will be checking this one this weekend prob sunday
but what takes the ‘top’ and the ‘bottom’ is—
‘If you’re looking for a smart thriller, then Don 2 is a train wreck of bad lines and predictable plot twists. But it is astonishingly daft, and so profoundly earnest that it is uniquely, hilariously enjoyable. It’s so bad that it’s good’
hahaha
December 23, 2011 at 3:41 AM
think if the movie is anywhere near as entertaining as this review, it will be hilariously funny
“When I said the characters indulge in Plot Hole Porn, I wasn’t exaggerating. Don’s master plan is a real head-scratcher.”
“There’s enough limp-wristed contrivance in Don 2 to set back the Dhoom films a few decades. Don’s strategy of using explosives is itself rigged to disintegrate if a moviegoer’s IQ nudges above 70.”
“Lara Dutta keeps popping up as Don’s girlfriend in what is arguably the most hysterically clichéd unnecessary vamp character stereotype to grace the big screen since Drew Barrymore in Batman and Robin. Om Puri, in his career worst role is gloriously campy – he almost tells us that we’re meant to laugh at him, not with him.”
all this tallies with
my initial impression that all those uk screening tweets sign
ified a very specific subset of viewer/demographic –wont elaborate further
anyhow–till i see this one myself in a couple of days, will give the benefit of doubt to srk and farhan akhtar
December 23, 2011 at 3:49 AM
alex adams: My take on it is that it will be what I said it will be, in my first post on the film a while ago. It will be technically slick and all that, but really quite boring in general, because there is no core BIG IDEA ( like movies such as Ghajini, Endhiran had) . This could have been compensated by sheer kick-ass action , which no Bollywood film can do, or with some masala twists and turns the likes of which are found in films like race, which Farhan cannot do. It will taste quite flat, even for the multiplex audiences. a film like ZNMD trends so well, because under its surface she, it has a genuine soul and a core of emotional truth. That not being the case here, the film cannot be anything special. I was more intersted in Dum Maro Dum than this., because I found the chracters there, Abhi, Ranma, Bipasha and Prateek far more rooted and interesting than this. I sincerely hope Farhan does not waste his time and talent any more on drivel like this ( all this without seeing the film, unfortunately.)
December 23, 2011 at 4:04 AM
Arsh Khera,
Dude, you need to chill & stop ranting ! Even the so called SRK lovers are also giving a thumbs down…Raja Sen of rediff has given it a mere 2.5 star rating. The guy in various chat sessions has openly declared SRK to be his fav Khan.
Of even more concern is that none other than Khalid Mohammed ( former TOI & HT editor ) has been scathing. This is what he just tweeted :
@ohkhalid
“Farhan Akhtar is a tremendous director…except when it comes to the Don franchise..Don 2 is disappointing, a terrrible waste of resources.”
Khalid in fact gave a 4 star rating to Ra.One in Deccan Chronicle. At that time, SRK fanboys were busy retweeting & highlighting his Ra.One rating to justify the film’s “excellence” (???).
December 23, 2011 at 1:15 PM
You’re only READING and SHARING the negative reviews. The positive reviews easily overtake the negatives. The film is receiving mixed reviews, but, still it’s tilted a lot more towards the positive than the negative!
Khalid…this just proves that he is not a good critic. According to him, RA.One was better than Don 2…okay then!
And also, as of now, out of the 24 or w/e user reviews on imdb, I have seen like 4 that were negative…the rest are positive all the way!
BUT, AGAIN, I haven’t seen the movie yet and I can’t provide a fair judgement. Will be seeing it today and will share my feelings about it here!
December 23, 2011 at 1:52 PM
I too think the positive ones outrank the negative so far.. however the trend has been more mixed after the initial round.
December 23, 2011 at 4:05 AM
“all this without seeing the film, unfortunately”—hahaha
think that we should give the don2 team the benefit of doubt atleast ebfore seeing the film
read my comments above on rockatar–revisted
yes–again adored Nargis fakhri—
u were absolutely right uncle utkal.
all those years of womanising has given u the right ‘perspective’
after a long while, a bollywood heroine as touching, endearing and virginal and one of the best debut ‘acts’
the beauty being it didnt look like an ‘act’ lol
think i should stop this going-gaga-fest there
at the risk of repetition—-cheers to ‘nabokovs diaphanous glow’ lol
December 23, 2011 at 5:23 AM
Hey Alex–here’s a good book recco–it’s absolutely hilarious, but am not sure if you can relate to it, or even get hold of a copy–since you obviously live in the UK-Europe region (my understanding). And this book is based on the memories of a Hyderabad Telugu Brahmin who has written about seventies Madras (now chennai).I will simply give the links available–and you can decide. BTW, the book is called Ice boys in Bell bottoms.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ice-Boys-in-Bell-Bottoms/313290405367307
http://www.flipkart.com/books/9350291832
It’s the funniest debut novel I’ve read in a long time. Do check it out on the net at least. I’m sure it will be more entertaining than any hindi action film.
Satyam, sorry to go off topic–but you should possibly check it out too!
December 23, 2011 at 8:10 AM
thanx LS for that–u always cum with good onez
the last time u recommended something–though i couldnt read it–someone else read it and she went orgasmic(which was good)
some other random things i noticed–
#the erstwhile big book stores where one could physically buy books are nearly dead–they are getting replaced by internet cafes/fitness centres/
heck noticed one being replaced by a stripping joint as well(though didnt use the latter lol)
#dont remember the last time i bought a book from a bookstore.
most people go for amazon/online etc i presume
#also e readers/kindle can assort loads of books together
#though there is no dearth of fiction book readers
though it irks to see certain PYTs trying to still ‘read’ in a busy london metro while hanging preceriously
#u seem a voracious reader–how many do u read in a month
December 24, 2011 at 2:05 AM
Thanks LS – I too follow ur book recos to Alex. Am interested in checking this out!
December 23, 2011 at 5:29 AM
Ok, last bit about this book–here’s the blurb, from the Harper Collins page–it describes the book exactly.
http://www.harpercollins.co.in/BookDetail.asp?Book_Code=2931
December 23, 2011 at 6:40 AM
@LS: The book sounds interesting. should check it out.
December 23, 2011 at 6:54 AM
You should, absolutely. The writer is also a cartoonist-illustrator-scriptwriter-budding filmmaker. Obviously connected in some way to South film world, also a pal of shantanu ray chowdhury–the man who wrote a brilliant little book of profiles–Bollywood icons. Has thanked Chowdhry in his thanks para at end of book.
December 23, 2011 at 7:24 AM
Don 2 Takes Fair To Good Opening At Box-Office
December 23rd, 2011 by Komal Nahta
Shah Rukh Khan’s Don 2, which released in India on December 23, 2011, opened to good houses at places but the initial at several other places was quite ordinary.
Shah Rukh Khan in Don 2
Shah Rukh Khan in Don 2
The territories that reported the best start were Delhi-U.P. and Rajasthan. Collections in cinemas of Bombay circuit were, surprisingly, below the mark in the first show. Even in cinemas of C.P. Berar circuit, collections were robust in some cinemas whereas they were not very exciting in the others. For instance, at Rajlaxmi cinema in Amravati, the film collected only Rs. 3,200 in the first (morning) show against a capacity of Rs. 25,000.
Most of the multiplexes in Ghaziabad and NOIDA in the north reported full houses in the morning show, at concessional admission rates.
Attendance (number of people) in some cinemas of Delhi-U.P. and East Punjab in the morning shows today (December 23) were as follows:
Don 2 Box-Office: Delhi-U.P. and East Punjab
Attendance in shows of Don 2:
Big NOIDA 1st show 155 persons; 2nd show 288 persons
Big Zirakpur 1st show 84
Big Bhatinda 1st show 70
Big Jalandhar 1st show 138; 2nd show 101
Big Amritsar 1st show 118
Jagat, Pathankot 1st show 137
MSP, Pathankot 1st show 42
Magnum, Meerut 1st show 97
Melange, Meerut 1st show 125
TDI, Agra 1st show 66; 2nd show 51
Rave Moti, Kanpur 1st show 248
Rave Kanpur 1st show 174
Odeon, Delhi 1st show 118
Don 2 Box-Office: Nagpur
Collections in shows of Don 2:
Cinemax Nagpur 1st show (collections) Rs. 13,474; 2nd show Rs. 32,498
Inox Poonam 1st show Rs. 9,750; 2nd show Rs. 12,471
Inox Jaswant 1st show Rs. 3,300; 2nd show Rs. 3,071; 3rd show Rs. 13,553; 4th show Rs. 11,507
Sangam Big 1st show Rs. 7,598
In the C.I. circuit, Don 2 has been released in as many as 90 screens (15 prints plus 75 UFO), which is a record. The last record was held by Bodyguard, which was released in 86 screens. Don 2 has also released in 10 3D screens.
At Big Calcutta, the film saw 259 footfalls at Big multiplex in the first show.
December 23, 2011 at 7:25 AM
he doesn’t seem to be agreeing with the BOI opening report. He’s certainly not calling it excellent.
December 23, 2011 at 7:26 AM
his review matches Taran’s:
http://www.koimoi.com/reviews/don-2-review/
December 23, 2011 at 7:29 AM
Ha, I was wondering when this would come about:
http://www.koimoi.com/box-office/exclusive-economics-of-shah-rukh-khan-s-don-2/
He need not pretend to get into so many ‘details’ here. The bottom line is clear — the film just needs to gross 52 crores to be very profitable for everyone! This is disappointing. I thought it would be safe with a 30 crore gross.
Aamir and Salman are so foolish. They make cheaper films that gross more when SRK shows us how it is possible to make more expensive films that gross less and are yet more profitable. Now if you insist on unraveling the math on this you’re a SRK hater!
December 23, 2011 at 11:48 AM
as unclear as one could get and one gets to see subsidy nautaki again ….
btw reviews by taran and nahata are not as glowing as was for ra one ….playing safe and defensive here though
December 23, 2011 at 7:36 AM
why are u diluting facts here..he obviously means 52 crore DS..that is a 90 crore net..
December 23, 2011 at 7:43 AM
he does not actually.. the distributor table is a different one right over the revenue one.. the latter makes it clear that in Indian they just need a minimum of 52 crores and he’s talking net here not gross.
December 23, 2011 at 7:56 AM
No, Satyam, he is talking of Distributor’s Share. Be3cause he is putting this total revue of 122 cr against 110 cr of acquisition cost, which is the distributor’ s cost. That translates to about 90-100 cr Net. for overflow / commission earner.
December 23, 2011 at 8:18 AM
you guys are right here.. my mistake.. nonetheless my overall point still holds.. no matter how high the production costs go the bar for theatrical business in India is still kept low and the difference is made up with these deals elsewhere. So you have TDP doing 80 crores and meanwhile 90-100 is fine for Don 2. Weirdly there’s an asymmetry then between theatrical revenue and satellite/music deals and so on when for every other film there isn’t such a gap. In other words the way these guys structure this stuff it’s impossible for the movie to be called a flop unless it’s just a total disaster. Even ra one did 100 crores or more! Sure the costs were greater there but they made that film ‘recovery’ and ‘commission earner’ too using similar models. So it doesn’t matter what the cost is, it doesn’t matter what the nett is, the German govt bails them out! Not to mention the British govt!
And of course the other thing here is that a commission earner is called a hit by these guys in the popular media. You don’t launch productions like Don to get 11% returns (even accepting all the numbers Nahata has put out)!
December 23, 2011 at 8:00 AM
52 crore net are weekend expectations for such films..(not sayng this would be 50 plus in the weekend)..he is a b it ambigous here..but I still feel he means 52 crore share in the hands of Reliance..(as he is calclulating there profit)
December 23, 2011 at 8:19 AM
Re: Aamir and Salman are so foolish. They make cheaper films that gross more when SRK shows us how it is possible to make more expensive films that gross less and are yet more profitable. Now if you insist on unraveling the math on this you’re a SRK hater!
Thats precious! Sums it up so well.
As long as there are delusional fans and whores in BO reporting anything is possible. I can foressee a day when SRK films will become profitable just on announcement. Dont even need to produce the film. Imagine how profitable those will be when there is no production cost to account for!
December 23, 2011 at 8:27 AM
twitter.com/MehraAmod Amod Mehra
The King is Back.. Back to his romantic films.. He miscalculated.. He did not realise that Ra 1 + Don 2 = 1 2 ka 4..
December 23, 2011 at 8:31 AM
Re: Heavy German subsidy
I think in these days of failing economies all over Europe and the financuial austerity the primary concerm of European governments seems to SRK films’ economic viability!
December 23, 2011 at 8:33 AM
“So it doesn’t matter what the cost is, it doesn’t matter what the nett is, the German govt bails them out! Not to mention the British govt!”—haha
U forgot the spanish, greeks and portuguese who are ALREADY bankrupt—trying to fund their SRK love
December 23, 2011 at 8:34 AM
One needs to hand it to SRK here.
He has single handedly changed the trite,boring,old concept on its head that people need to see the movie for it to make money. Thats what one calls a pioneer!
December 23, 2011 at 8:37 AM
i must say u all are an irritating bunch for all SRK fans..!
take that as a compliment!
December 23, 2011 at 8:40 AM
LOL! this is the new Bollywood!
December 23, 2011 at 8:42 AM
anshul:hmm: r u an srk fan
December 23, 2011 at 8:42 AM
Re: i must say u all are an irritating bunch for all SRK fans..!
LOL! For SRK fans sach ka saamna mushkil hi nahin namunkin hai!
December 23, 2011 at 8:46 AM
yes alex I am.. but not the delusional kinds, i know its hard to differentiate !
December 23, 2011 at 9:17 AM
yes u seem a sensible rational srk fangirl– anshul
good to get your views
December 23, 2011 at 8:43 AM
Don ke dushman ki sab se badi galti yeh hai ki woh German-UK subsidy ka kamal nahin jaante!
December 23, 2011 at 8:47 AM
wase Don ke dushmano ko (read aamir,salman) ko Germany aur Europe mehi nai jaante!
December 23, 2011 at 11:48 AM
bachchan ko lekin log jaante hain
December 23, 2011 at 6:22 PM
Better not make such extreme claims mister Anshul. 3 Idiots DVD was recently launched in Germany and is a sell-out. TV premiere of TZP got record ratings on RAI Uno, Italian TV channel and it was the most watched program for the entire weekend in Italy when TZP premiered last year. 3 Idiots is also the highest rated (4.57/4 stars) and most downloaded Indian film on Spanish site Cuevana.tv.
Don’t assume ”NO one” knows Aamir there. Last year German fans even started a petition requesting Rapid Eye Movies to provide more Aamir Khan movies in Germany.
He may not be as popular as SRK there, but is not unknown either.
December 23, 2011 at 9:10 AM
just heard from a friend..that the movie though with its loopholes is a total entertainer ..enough to wipe off the damage Ra.one did to SRK… he meant its his chakde moment in a different genre
December 23, 2011 at 9:20 AM
interesting anshul
i got the exactly similar feedback
hope u didnt copy from my previous post
if not, it seems that we share a friend lol
December 23, 2011 at 10:34 AM
and alex i have to tell you again…I am a guy..!
December 23, 2011 at 11:44 AM
mixed reviews all around …
have a feeling may do well in multiplexes not so much in single screen….
public feedback is mixed though(in social networking sites)
December 23, 2011 at 1:38 PM
thing is trade from last year described this as his greatest year (much like 2007)and hyped it so much …
a failed production( with newcomer and morani’s daughter as if 2 g was not enough), ra one and now don2 is hardly earth shattering …
things will be tough for him now as return to romance will be tough to …
salman is coming up with barrage …aamir has talash and dhoom 3 …hrithik and abhishek are looking for revival big way and there is ever improving ranbir( who is winning thing critically as well as commercially)
ajay has impressive line up(and is youngest among 40′s)
December 23, 2011 at 1:16 PM
so just a fair opening n mixed reviews (more on the negative side).
SRK’s time was officially over with Ra. One. Now with Don 2, he might not even have a 100 crore grosser..
December 23, 2011 at 1:40 PM
public reviews have been quite positive. through what i’ve seen on facebook etc, the movie is supposed to be damn good!
December 23, 2011 at 1:51 PM
think it could get to 100 crores. He’d just need about 60 crores in week 1 which given all the holidays is not too much to ask for. Even at 50 crores he could more or less get to 90-95. Trending will have to be solid here though. The thing is these debates all get politicized with who can make 100 crores and who can’t but the real problem for SRK here is that the opportunity cost of his getting to 100 crores is now vastly greater than that for Aamir or Salman. The latter especially is doing it with ‘nothing’ films that don’t cost very much (barring an ETT). SRK on the other hand is making these super-expensive productions. Don 2 is not a cheap film by any means the Nahata math on it notwithstanding. And so you don’t make such productions just to break even or whatever. Here we have TDP doing 70 or 80 crores or whatever and meanwhile a major star in a very major production which is a sequel to a remake (!) can hardly be celebrated for getting to 100 crores. Is it a better result than Ra One. of course! Because that’s a low bar. Ra One did about 1.5 crores in week 3 all over India. I have never seen a film start off at the level Ra One did and get down to this number so soon. So even in the worst case scenario Don was always going to be a far more respectable performance. But at what cost? Again you have a Singham doing 100 crores at a much lower budget.
What’s happening with SRK isn’t that unusual. If you keep to defining yourself as ‘the’ dominant star it naturally follows that you must outgross the opposition, get the biggest numbers in every sense and also embark on the biggest productions. The last of these is a trap. Because stars at a certain stage try to make up the deficit by way of scale without necessarily addressing the underlying problems. and it never works. There’s a window a major star has even when he’s fading where there is still enough of an audience coalition to get big initials. But if that window is lost chasing hubristic dreams then by the time the star ‘truly’ reinvents the audience has evaporated a great deal more. One doesn’t have to figure out the ultimate fate of Don 2 to realize that Aamir and Salman (in that generation) excite the box office the way SRK isn’t able to anymore (and I’m looking at a much longer period here, not just these two releases). But at this late stage a star can nonetheless generate big initials by all sorts of frills. So yes there’s a SRK who gets big numbers in the initial round in OSO or Ra One but also another one who underperforms in MNIK or RNBDJ (trended very well but didn’t have huge opening numbers) or the first Don. In each case more was expected in the initial round relative to the scale of the film. I’m not a SRK fan at all but I might show up for Don 2, I’m doing so for the film, not for the star. So it’s important to read ‘into’ what the hits mean. Obviously a success is always a success and if you can get a string going no one cares how it was achieved. But SRK precisely has a problem getting it going.
The thing about Don and Don 2 is that between the Bachchan ‘conceit’ and the sense that the rivals had to be fought off with ‘I’m the king’ assertions there is a great deal of hubris to this entire structure. Ambition is one thing, chutzpah another and you don’t just get to those desired results with attitude alone. Forget Bachchan, does anyone in India (and many surveys have borne this out) really believe that SRK is ‘worth’ more than Aamir (however one defines the term ‘worth’). at this very moment in time does anyone think he’s as big as Salman. So on and so forth. The one shift that’s occurred between the first and second installment of this film and one that rather ironically parallels the making of each (the first one was a literal remake and even had lines and songs from the original, the second has a ‘new’ story) is that initially it was more about Bachchan with the KBC stuff and so on. There too it was throwing the gauntlet to the competition — hey you think you can outgross me or get more prestige but I’m in the Pantheon of greats right now and just playing at a different level. That structure didn’t quite work out, the bachchan analogies have disappeared over time. Now it’s just about the immediate competition and even that job is a lot harder as is plainly obvious looking at everyone’s numbers.
I am hardly underestimating SRK, certainly one has to respect his will and drive. But the hubris is as important. And it has for a while prevented real reinvention on his part. What happens at the end. Another Yashraj Diwali release with Katrina and Anushka and a dinosaur at the helm! This is going to excite the box office?! Sure it will have good numbers, will be a hit or whatever. But this will hardly inform the debate in any real sense. The most exciting thing about this project at the moment is Rahman!
Fans always find it hard to see these truths. Any fan of any star. They always make the mistake of thinking it’s about the next film and the next film’s numbers and completely miss the forest for the trees. Even a titanic star like bachchan went through a number of problems for years. No matter how big your are you cannot conquer age. You have to then be very smart (which includes a certain doze of humility.. which by the way Aamir and Salman both have in different ways) about your decisions to facilitate reinvention. The bachchan option is ruled out for anyone who’s not Bachchan (!) where he went through years of indifferent releases and semi-retirement and three bad films for every good one and so on and nonetheless was on every prestigious director’s shortlist. His box office woes as and when they occurred and which those who were born yesterday routinely make fun of actually make the case for him even more than if he were still have blockbusters at that scale. Because here’s a guy at the center irrespective of the box office returns. And of course we can measure his numbers in other ways from the endorsements to KBC and so on (see this most recent survey). But all of this is still a reflection of his unique status. Perversely he’s conquered the box office in a different way at this age where there is no real symmetry between those who wish to cast him and his overall results. Of course I’ve long believed that (and for multiple reasons) the demand for him cannot be adequately measured by box office returns. In his other outings he gives the audience what he precisely doesn’t most of the time in the movies. But that’s another story. In any case this option is ruled out for other stars. But there can nonetheless be smart reinvention.
It’s not just about SRK. I made this point recently about Cruise as well, MI4 can be a worldwide blockbuster but it cannot reinvent Cruise. We know he’s good in this franchise. But how many more can he do in his advancing years?! What else can he offer besides this?! Even with a big grosser no one’s going to think Cruise has a whole new inning in him, barring other bits of reinvention.
December 23, 2011 at 1:57 PM
But again I will probably end up watching this in the theater because I think whatever its strengths are will be on the visual side and these should be seen on a big screen. Some here thought I was being unfair to Ra One by not doing the same with it. But I said then and I say it now that Akhtar brings some real aesthetics to the table and whatever one might think of him as a director it’s an insult to him on this score to compare him with the Sinha (irrespective of the SFX). And there is a difference. Much as there as dozens of Hollywood films with great SFX but MI4 is being praised for 3-4 action sequences on precisely ‘aesthetic’ grounds.
December 23, 2011 at 2:04 PM
satyam : singham is one the best treded movie of the year and it got 100 cr without the support of multiplexes and it clashed with mutiplex friendly director and barrage of stars znmd during its run..infact singham is the most liked movie of this year
its time media give its due to it …ya 100 cr won’t be a problem at this time of the release but again expectation where higher infact much higher and ya MI4 is a very big sucess but can’t see cruise going anywhere simply because he hardly has anything on his hand
December 23, 2011 at 3:52 PM
I have talked about Singham’s superior trending everywhere. However it’s not correct to say there was no multiplex support here. These were decent for the film.
December 23, 2011 at 1:24 PM
95% of these reviews are positive!!! So, looks like the KING IS BACK!!! =D
December 23, 2011 at 1:28 PM
MORE PUBLIC REVIEW
December 23, 2011 at 1:44 PM
http://ibnlive.in.com/news/masand-don-2-is-spectacularly-boring/214570-47-84.html
things tend to go wrong when you see guys like masand and sen (known fan boys) gives it thumb down and thats exactly is the feedback in various social forum….
anyway farhan never make masy movie anyways but more multiplex friendly …lets see how it trend there
December 23, 2011 at 1:52 PM
and to be be fair to movie a movie like MI4(arguably the best mi4 franchise which is technically superior) releasing in indian multiplexes a week earlier don’t help to…..
ya the movie will have good weekend but the litmus trend will be trending and weekdays
December 23, 2011 at 1:56 PM
Saw Don2 this afternoon first half is decent , second half is brilliant. The sytlish action is brilliant but SRK although good seemed to be trying too hard in the movie. Overall its a good entertainer but more for the multiplex MI,Bourne loving audience not the masses.
December 23, 2011 at 2:10 PM
http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/more/videos/view/id/1398042
85% – 90% POSITIVE REVIEWS!!!
December 23, 2011 at 2:32 PM
Arsh
The reaction everywhere is overwhelmingly positive. This is quite evident from the BO also.
December 23, 2011 at 2:37 PM
yeah…I mean on this blog, there are only like 3 or 4 negative reviews, so, the overall reception has to be VERY POSITIVE!!
Also I checked imdb…only 4 out of 27 negative reviews!
December 23, 2011 at 2:41 PM
Those with negatives views (on the blog) are not students of movies.
I have a question, do you know why there will be a Don 3 ?
December 23, 2011 at 3:18 PM
I hope there will be…however, for the 3rd one (if there is one), I’m kinda hoping that they would use many of the same characters rather than changing them and introducing the different characters, which may lengthen the film. I hope Don 2 will be better than the first one…and so far, it looks like it is!
December 23, 2011 at 4:32 PM
There will definitely be a Don 3 because there is unfinished business between Don & Roma.
December 23, 2011 at 7:15 PM
Arsh,
everyone expected that this film open good but being mixed reviews it will not be earth shattering..you are just over reacting like any srk fans do..what i heard of this stlis & slick is it will do worse then Ra one so wait till a few days because the film trend
holidays will be ok but it will never be amir khan xmas collection,you can always dream on it..
December 23, 2011 at 7:18 PM
what I heard from the friends that Don 2 is nothing like Don 2006,
If thats the case then it will be another flop from super hero whos ra one trended super-zero..even music is crap..
December 23, 2011 at 7:23 PM
people do react with this Don 3 on its way,jan Don in 2006 was average and Don 2 looking to doom,where an earth Don 3 comes too,maybe farhan has got money to waste and making stlis & slick..pehle Don 2 ko hit hone do phir Don3 ki sarooat karenge aur jab Don 2 hi failed hogi to phir srk bhi bhoolega ke Don 2 nightmare ho gaya
December 23, 2011 at 8:10 PM
Mohan
Surely you know that Don 1 is amoungst a handful of Bollywood movies that made 100 Cr + worldwide. It was Excel’s biggest hit (when it came out). It established Excel (One oil well enables exploration of ten). At the time it was released it faced strong competition from a Salman/Akshay movie and from people who rightly felt that it eroded/endangered the Bachchan legacy. Yet it prevailed.
Now Don 2 is going to end up as the third best opening ever after BG and RA-1. This is no small achievement. Don 2 will also most likely end up in the 200 Cr+ world club (more exclusive than the 100 Cr+ Club). One can definetly hang one’s hat on such an accomplishment.
After all the above, you wonder if there will be Don 3, while I wonder why you wonder.
December 24, 2011 at 2:33 AM
Quite positive reactions from the audience here.
Some of the viewers here and critics also are stick to the same crap thing that Amitabh was the original DON. Seriously yaar they need to grow up. chalo bhai maan gaye. 2006 se yehi rona ro rahe ho. Ab agey badho. SRK is the new don, hrithik is the new akbar and Amitabh is the new gabbar. same ghisapita dialogue original achhi thi. yeh kuchh nahin uske saamne. Next target will be Agnipath I know. Every person who will say the dialogue that “original isse bahut achhi thi” should be given prize for saying the most innovative thing.
There are enough DON fans who like the new DON franchise. The number might not make it a blockbuster but it’s ok. Anyday better than a lot of crap that releases here in bollywood.
December 23, 2011 at 2:50 PM
may be well those with negetive views may have watched more hollywood thrillers and know the rip off’s unlike ignorant masses
http://movies.nytimes.com/2011/12/23/movies/don-2-with-shah-rukh-khan-and-priyanka-chopra-review.html?smid=tw-nytimesmovies&seid=auto
same ny time which praise ra one and simply hated it because of rip off and you don’t have to be rocket scientist to know that
anyway wishing best of luck for don 2
December 23, 2011 at 4:02 PM
Don 2 Has 80% All India First Day Opening
Friday 23rd December 2011 15.30 IST
Boxofficeindia.Com Trade Network
Don 2 has opened to an 80% response on an all India basis. The multiplex opening is 80-85% while single screens on average are 70-75%. West Bengal has opened very strongly with collections at multiplexes and single screens 90% plus from the first show. Theatres like Big and Paradise were house full from first show. Overall it is a very good opening at multiplexes and good at single screens
North India is super strong at some centres but others being around 70%. Delhi NCR is very good while Punjab is good but many stations of UP are lower Rajasthan had a good opening while the CI and Bihar saw the lowest opening as B and C centre single screens in these circuits were 40-60% and these circuits are full of these type of centres. South India should also have a good first day especially Mysore.
The evening shows at multiplexes are showing good bookings at big centre multiplexes but the early public reorts are mixed.
December 23, 2011 at 4:25 PM
prakashjaju Prakash Jaju
Don2 has opened in maximum cinemas till date (more than 2500), it should collect > 20 cr on first day but it is collecting only 12-13 cr
December 23, 2011 at 4:50 PM
Common IBOS was atleast better than Prakash jaju.
Cann’t beleive SS members are now refering to Praksh Jaju
Atleast check the history of Prakash Jaju and Priyanka before posting.
December 23, 2011 at 4:53 PM
oops it should be “Come on”
December 23, 2011 at 4:54 PM
If this number is true it is indeed nothing special because Rockstar was doing between 10.5 crores or so according to all these sources. Having said that if it can show jumps over the weekend and of course remain stable beyond this it should be ok. The problem is that SRK has set it up in such a way that he needs a super initial and super numbers here. He can’t have a business as usual gross. So if that is the first day number it’s low. But let’s see. Taran usually has higher ones (but this is so for other movies as well).
December 23, 2011 at 8:37 PM
Komal tweets:
Early estimates suggest that despite mixed reports, 1st day all-India net of Don 2 is approx. Rs. 15 crore!
This is pretty cool. A movie with almost no buzz pre-release doing 15 cr is excellent.
December 23, 2011 at 8:42 PM
What rave reviews? The movie has an average rating of 2.6/5. Here are the reviews – http://www.top10bollywood.com/2011/12/don-2-movie-review-ratings.html
December 23, 2011 at 8:46 PM
B.O. update: ‘Don 2′ superb at plexes, O’seas huge
By Taran Adarsh, December 23, 2011 – 19:27 IST
The much-awaited DON 2 opened to a fabulous response at multiplexes at several centres in India. The widest release ever [3105 screens in India], the film embarked on a strong start from morning shows itself, garnering 100% figures at several screens, although a few plexes were in 70% to 80% range. The overall occupancy at plexes was 70%, as on Friday evening. There were brisk block bookings for evening and night shows at major multiplex chains, which will add to a fat total on Friday.
The single screens, however, were not too receptive in some circuits. Perhaps, the absence of a hit track [like 'Chammak Challo' in RA.ONE and 'Ooh La La' in THE DIRTY PICTURE] could be one of the main reasons behind it. But the writer spoke to several exhibitors across the country, who were optimistic of the business picking up in the evening/night shows.
Day 1 [Friday], as per early estimates, is likely to close at Rs 15 cr + nett figure.
Internationally too, DON 2 had a wide release [690 screens in 41 countries], with the film opening a day earlier in several markets. The response was terrific, especially in Middle East. Here are the day-wise figures of DON 2 in some key markets, exclusively on Bollywood Hungama:-
UK
Wednesday: £ 117,138
Thursday: £ 86,675
Total: £ 203,813
Australia
Thursday: A$ 28,244
New Zealand
Thursday: NZ$ 15,118
Middle East [incl UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Muscat, Kuwait]
Thursday: $ 385,000
December 23, 2011 at 8:51 PM
Just saw it in 3-D, the first half is OK ,but OMG the second half is so painfully slow, dull and unimaginitve… went for a 4.15 show , there were hardly 20 people, I was really surprised…..No taalis and seetees at SRK’s entry which is unusual for Chicago… I guess the King is down and out ….
Farhan has to understant that Don Is not just a Thief, but has to have style, Charisma and Chaal….
SRK has some good one liners but he totally fucks up Don the Icon…..
The music is so bad that it is a joke….
But Junglee Billi is wild, Namkeen and Yummy……
The 3-d effects are pretty good….
December 23, 2011 at 8:55 PM
thanks for your take Rocky..
December 23, 2011 at 8:59 PM
how would you compare it to the previous one?
December 23, 2011 at 9:09 PM
the previous one was much better than this one… can you imagine it has the typical 80′s movies scene – issko maro , nahee mara tau iska matlab hai pyar ho gaya ….
The plot is fast paced/ confusing so the smaller center business will be surely affected…
December 23, 2011 at 9:13 PM
surprising.. I thought this would be better with the extra thrills.. guess Farhan’s missed the sweet spot once again..
December 23, 2011 at 9:21 PM
The thing is in my mind Don was never greedy for money- he has to be stylish, cunning, wiity and in control…
yahan saala Don ko Chindi Chor bana diya….. with so much one too one fight and cars exploding all the time that it gets tiring ….
but then again in the climax where thrills and fast pace was needed wahan the movie drags because Don decides to flirt… which is so out of place…..
December 23, 2011 at 9:46 PM
agreed.. Don was never about money.. in fact this was one of those points on which the first Don ‘lost the plot’ by having other gangsters on top of Don operating in Central Asia and so on. By ‘literalizing’ things this way it made everything far less charming. And there’s always been this impulse on Akhtar’s part to on the one hand play on the Don myth but on the other indulge in more and more of the back story. The whole point about the original Don was that he was the ‘man from nowhere’. A myth because his origins were not known. In the original film when Om Shivpuri is revealed as behind him this was a very perverse, near-hilarious touch. Who could be Don’s boss?! But of course Don is long dead by that point and we never see the two together. They don’t even operate in the same time span. But the other problem that Akhtar introduced and which was taken to new levels with the new film (judging by the 10 Don says trailers) that he converted Don into the Ajith joke industry. The lines just get sillier and sillier. Said more about all this here.
By the way you might like this review by Mihir Fadnavis.
All said and done I prefer checking this out in the theater than not for the visuals. But your opinion on this is giving me second thoughts!
December 23, 2011 at 10:26 PM
some great points Satyam and cove some areas which I was not able to articulae well…
P.S. the follwing was a Brilliant line by you-
what is extraordinarily apparent at this point is that Bachchan’s Don is a ‘prison’ from which SRK’s Don cannot quite escape. LOL
Ps1- my inlaws are visiting from India and they do not watch moves in the theatre n Indis so the only reason I went to see Don was so that they can see their first movie in 3-D.
The visuals are good but not extraordinary ..at some place 3-D effect is really good though so if you do see it in the theatre go for 3D.
December 23, 2011 at 11:22 PM
thanks Rocky, will keep that in mind..
and yes one has to please the in-laws!
December 24, 2011 at 12:46 AM
Rocky
Make up your mind.
At 8:51 PM (Dec 23) you claim that it is painfully slow. Then at 9:09 PM (Again Dec 23, i.e. within 20 minutes) you say that the plot is fast paced.
It appears you are contradicting yourself. Or maybe you are just attempting to throw everything including the kitchen sink at Don 2 in the hope that something might stick.
Don 2 has made approx 15 Cr on day 1 (domestically). Till last year such a BO collection was unheard of. Therefore it is safe to assume that the third best day 1 BO would not have been possible without the B & C centers. People have voted and their choice is blatantly clear, 15 Cr says all you need to know.
December 24, 2011 at 9:04 AM
karankumar- mera mind chahen made up ho ya na ho – Don2 ka ho gaya hai , woh aisa ajooba hai kee woh painfully slow and fast paced at the same time hai……..go figure…
December 24, 2011 at 9:08 AM
Don 2 has had good opening though and also over here xmas day,boxing day so in uk its looks promising as all srk films do excellent..
December 24, 2011 at 1:55 AM
once in an open-chat session – somehow my question got an answer by farhaan…..my question was that like bond franchisee – why doesn’t farhaan change the actor this time and take aamir khan as the new don….his answer was that he couldn’t visualize aamir as don….this was before ghajini release. He is too much in awe of srk a la KJo.
December 23, 2011 at 8:56 PM
CRITICS’ VERDICT: Don 2 gets mixed reports
Farhan Akhtar’s Don 2 has witty, zany and cooler dialogues, great action sequences, sleek & stylish package, but lacks a tight script. SRK who’s back in a negative avatar with the film has done full justice to his role. Here’s what critics are saying about the movie:
Taran Adarsh, Bollywood Hungama (Rating: ***1/2): When viewed in isolation, Don 2 looks like the right package to woo the movie-going junta — SRK in top form, a stylishly crafted story, pulsating and invigorating action and stunts. But it’s not without its share of hiccups. In fact, the first hour and the post-interval portions of the film are akin to the two sides of the same coin. The first hour is bland, the second is energetic. The first hour is deficient in thrills, the second keeps you on the edge. The first hour disentangles at a languid pace, the second is feverish with several adrenaline rush moments.
Farhan Akhtar has narrated the story with aplomb, but the script needed to be crisper. “With Don 2, Farhan Akhtar reasserts himself as one of Hindi cinema’s stylish storytellers. It wouldn’t be erroneous to state that Don 2 redefines slick in Bollywood. But the film could’ve done with a tighter script. Besides, the writing is urban-centric and those with an appetite for international thrillers may take to the film instantly, especially the twists and turns in the second hour. Again, the conclusion to the story could’ve been simplified for the average viewer to decipher. Yet, all said and done, Don 2 mirrors the changing trends in Hindi cinema. Those with the conventional attitude or tilting towards the conservative form of cinema may find it difficult to absorb,” says Adarsh.
Don
David Dewitt, New York Times: The director, Farhan Akhtar, seems out to create a spectacular, international entertainment with “Don 2,” in a mix of Hindi and English and a dollop of German. And thanks to the unpretentious humor, he is mostly successful, though audiences will have to forgive the bland performances. Not the actors’ fault, really; when a cocky chuckle (Mr. Khan) or determined lips (Ms. Chopra) are your only character bits, you don’t have much character to explore. Only Kunal Kapoor, as a more sympathetic colleague of Don’s, has human moments. They’re almost out of place; subtlety is one language this playful film doesn’t speak.
Nikhat Kazmi, The Times Of India (Rating: ****): The high point of the film is Shah Rukh’s delineation of the character of the Don. The actor interprets him as an arrogant, agile, wicked and wild dare-devil who has the most bizarre schemes up his sleeves. But that’s not all. He also has the chutzpah to carry them through.
“Action is the other alluring selling point of Farhan Akhtar’s film. The chases, the fights, the demolition, destruction, break-ins, escapes have all been done with a finesse that rivals the best of Hollywood. Watch the car chase between Priyanka and Shah Rukh and you’ll get the point. It’s not only high voltage that drips with passion which makes it seem almost like foreplay. The other notable sequences include the heist, the escape and Shah Rukh’s larger-than-life leap from a high-rise while his assassin wrings his hands in dismay,” says Kazmi.
Don
Aniruddha Guha, DNA (Rating: ***): Like Danny Ocean. And John McClane. In Don 2, Akhtar manages to blend elements from various H’wood films, mostly Ocean’s Eleven and Die Hard, with a bit of Mission Impossible thrown in. This is our answer to Hollywood – a rehash of what they’ve done already. No points for originality. No points for writing either. If Akhtar’s film lulls you to sleep initially, in spite of some slick editing, it’s because the writing (Akhtar, Ameet Mehta, Amrish Shah) falters. Characters say boring, random things to each other, there’s a pointlessly long dance sequence (Hrithik Roshan, looking dapper in an unintentionally hilarious cameo), and the attempt at dialoguebaazi is laughable (“Jab tak Don ko asliyat ka pata chalega, tab tak Don mar chuka hoga”).
Komal Nahta, Koimoi.com (Rating: ***1/2): Farhan Akhtar, Ameet Mehta and Ambrish Shah’s story and screenplay are basically about plotting and planning, which keep the audience’s interest alive. The first half, however, moves at a leisurely pace and takes a while to come to the point. It is after interval that the pace picks up but even in the post-interval part, the initial reels are too technical and get confusing for the average viewer. But the last few reels are very engrossing and the revelation of the suspense (like in the first part, Don) is the highlight. Intrigue, suspense, style and drama – the four highlights of Don – are in evidence in the sequel too.
Daily Bhaskar.com (Rating: ***): Shah Rukh Khan compels one to leave the bitter memories of Ra. One behind and experience an exhilarating ride with Don 2. Hollywood style crisp action sequences and different avatars of SRK, prisoner and eventually ultra-classy Don keep the spectator busy. The story picks up pace in the post interval portions with tremendous suspense value related to Kunal Kapoor. The vulnerable love sequence between SRK and Priyanka also commands for appreciation in terms how it brings the necessary twist in the story which can be called the forte of Farhan Akhtar as a story-writer.
Don
Rituparna Chatterjee, IBNLive, Tweet Review: The action is great, esp an exciting jailbreak. #Don2 promotions have been low key. The investment in action has paid off.
“Not gold, cash or secret documents. This time the eye is on Euro printing plates. #Don2 sets the pace for future heist movies.”
“In many ways this is @iamsrk’s film. He has a quiry sense of humour. Even behind bars he never fails to flirt with @priyankachopra.”
“The storyline is not new, but the surprising change of heart is. Impalusible perhaps? But who knows what goes on in the mind of Don? #Don2″
“The @iamsrk fans will love him in this one. That much is for sure. #TweetReview #Don2″
Rediff (Rating: **1/2): And then how can one forget when Khan strikes the ultimate pose — the camera captures him at an angle, as he slightly tilts his back, with his arms open sideways. It is King Khan’s signature attempt to remind us that he is the master of the universe. At least his fans believe that.
Direction
“Farhan Akhtar yet again shows his brilliance as a director. Barring few loopholes which can be neglected like Vardhan (Boman) despite in the hitlist of police gets an easy entry into the bank is highly indigestible, Don 2 impresses at various stages. The theft sequence is amazing shot with no room for technical goof-ups especially the way SRK escapes the inside chamber with plates in his bag,” according to Daily Bhaskar.com.
Performances
Shah Rukh Khan: “Don 2 marks SRK’s return to anti-hero roles after enacting such roles with flourish so early in his career. Recall BAAZIGAR, DARR and ANJAAM. He plays a wicked, debonair anti-hero in Don 2. The character he portrays is iniquitous and sinful, but attractive at the same time and SRK lives it up with gusto. Besides, SRK has also experimented with varied looks in the film, from a debonair looking guy to a person with unkempt hair and stubble. Without doubt, DON 2 is SRK’s best action movie to date,” says Adarsh.
Priyanka Chopra: “Priyanka revisits her character of Roma in DON 2. Not only is the character more evolved, even her performance is of a high order. In fact, she enacts the role of an angry, tough lady who means business with a vengeance. Lara Dutta looks glamorous and alluring, but her character lacks meat,” says Adarsh.
Kunal Kapoor: “He is decent, though he doesn’t really get the scenes to prove his credentials. An actor of the caliber of Om Puri is wasted this time. Boman Irani lends the right texture to his character. He excels yet again. Nawab Shah should hit big league with DON 2. He plays one of the baddies with conviction. Alyy Khan is natural, enacting his part with ease. Sahil Shroff has screen presence and stands out in a brief role. Hrithik Roshan appears in a cameo”, feels Adarsh.
Weak points
“The film does lack a bit on the emotional quotient and human relationships are hardly given a chance to grow. But just when you think it’s all sound and fury, there’s a sensuous tango between Roma and the Don as the cop opts to help the gangster she once loved and the gangster is determined to save his junglee billi (wild cat), any which way. A word about the dialogues: brilliant. A word about the music: mediocre (Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy),” points out Kazmi.
“The situations are alarmingly unimaginative. Sample this: Don-ny Ocean (SRK) plans to get out of a high security prison by mixing the food given to prisoners with a liquid that results in mass food poisoning. Johar Mehmood In Hong Kong had a similar sequence where prisoners in a jail are given julab (laxative) on the sly, helping them flee. That was a farcical comedy. Here, it seems like a cop-out,” says Guha.
“On the minus side, all that Don and his team do seems so easy that it appears rather unbelievable at times. Besides the confusing portion of the drama, this is another drawback of the script. Farhan Akhtar’s dialogues could’ve packed in more punch and power as they, at places, seem quite tame, especially those mouthed by Don, given that he is so powerful. But his dialogue about his mother being happy if she were alive and about and his dialogue about ‘Sir’ not going well with his personality are brilliant. Light moments are few and far between and had there been more of them, the appeal of the film would’ve been bigger,” says Nahta.
Conclusion
“On the whole, Don 2 rides on star power and brand value. The film has a bland first hour, but the second half takes the film to another level. There’s no denying that a cohesive script would’ve made a world of a difference to the film, but the tremendous hype, star power and the lucrative period [Christmas and New Year celebrations] will make its investors reap a harvest,” concludes Adarsh.
“On the whole, Don 2 may not give the discerning audience a great high but it will be loved by those who like style, intrigue, suspense and attitude. It will score at the box-office and yield good profits to Reliance Entertainment (worldwide distributors). The producers, of course, have already made a huge profit by selling the worldwide rights and also by getting heavy subsidy from the German government. Business in big cities and multiplexes will be far better than in smaller towns and single-screen cinemas. The film will work wonders in the Overseas circuit,” says Nahta.
December 23, 2011 at 11:01 PM
Average critics’ rating at reviewgang.com: 5.5
A tad better than r than 5.0 of Ra One. Way below 6.5 of The Dirty Picture and below 6.0 of Rockstar. .
http://www.reviewgang.com/movies/106-Don-2-Review
http://www.reviewgang.com/movies/index/4
December 24, 2011 at 12:46 AM
One thing I’ve been meaning to ask for some time, because it’s something I don’t understand: Why exactly is the viewer supposed to root for/identify with Don? Basically he’s a drug peddler, one of the most heinous crimes that a person can commit, especially the guy who’s the head of a huge gang and gets others to do the dirty work. It’s one of the most despicable ways to make money. What is the appeal supposed to be? It is being compared with films like MI, James Bond, etc. But those characters, even though they also indulged in a lot of questionable actions, were supposed to be the “good guys” and on the side of justice. In that they’re no different than the Pokiri kind of movies, where all the killing by the hero is OK because he turns out to be fighting to get rid of the criminals. In the original Don (with Bachchan), Don is dispatched pretty quickly, and the rest of the conflict is for Vijay — i.e., basically a good guy who gets caught in a bad situation because he’s trying to fight for the good cause. But, what’s the deal here? Are the viewers supposed to root for Don because he’s cool and wears designer clothes? This is the point that I haven’t seen addressed any where. Or is it the “new Bollywood”, where questions of morality are not supposed to arise?
December 24, 2011 at 1:05 AM
sm
Art imitates life.
In a world where a female intern at the Oval office is used as a humidor, why do you expect a fictitional hero to be moral ?
December 24, 2011 at 1:09 AM
Because the guy who fooled around with the intern was impeached.
December 24, 2011 at 1:13 AM
Hahaha
Well said sm
December 24, 2011 at 1:22 AM
That guy served out his term. He is even today well sought after in the speaking circuit.
As I said, look around, the games that sell the most are all about killing. In today’s world to stand up for truth (as a principle) or to defend the defenseless is looked down upon. It is more sexy to lie, cheat and deceive.
Our movies reflect what the world is. The bad guy wins, the nice guy finishes last.
December 24, 2011 at 1:30 AM
Re: “That guy served out his term. He is even today well sought after in the speaking circuit.”
Are you talking about SRK or Clinton?
December 24, 2011 at 1:30 AM
Mere Bhai, the masses in class B and C centers do not know about Clinton or the humidor. All they are wired to is Vijay, Rahul or Bhai Salman.
The changed universe only exists in the C suites of corporates, where the lying-cheating and back stabbing are events du jour. The guy on the street is still looking up at his idols to deliver justiice. Especially in a torn apart post-modernist-meets-aspirational-meets-reflectional-meets-rural cesspool of India.
December 24, 2011 at 1:32 AM
You know, Bill Clinton is a very poor example to make your point about criminality. He had a consensual affair, but did not do anything criminal. You could give far more “criminal” examples from Indian government figures. But the point is that even now, those people are being judged as wrong by the Indian populace, who are demanding some morality among their leaders.
As for games, I’m not much up on them, but most of the “killing” in video games is again for a just cause, as far as I’m aware. The only video game I know where a person committing a crime is the viewpoint character for the player is Grand Theft Auto.
December 24, 2011 at 1:36 AM
NyKavi, you have put it excellently well.
December 24, 2011 at 1:40 AM
Nykavi
The world you talk about is an urban legend, it really does not exist (I wish it did)
December 24, 2011 at 1:46 AM
@Karan Kumar: If the world NyKavi talks about doesn’t exist, it is all the more reason why the film viewer wants to see such a world. And it’s not just the places in India where people want to watch those kinds of films, but also the mainstream American (or indeed world) audience. Especially for t his kind of a lighthearted, “fun” film.
The world you talk about is also the subject of films, but they are a different breed altogether, and are not sold as a way to have a good time. That is the point I am making.
December 24, 2011 at 2:00 AM
sm
Maybe you can accuse Don 2 of being realistic (in that sense).
The plan to expose his enemies and thereby “conquer” is not very far from a slice of life.
December 24, 2011 at 2:26 AM
But Don is meant to be a “realistic” film, is it? It’s a fantasy film, set in a fantasy universe. Usually for such films, the protagonist is made to be the “good guy” in one way or another.
December 24, 2011 at 2:27 AM
Aargh, hit the post button too soon! I wanted to say that Don is *not* a “realistic” film.
December 24, 2011 at 10:35 AM
sm
We have realistic movies with an au jus of fantasy and fantasy movies garnished with reality. The recipe keeps constantly evolving/changing, there has never been a set rule on such things.
Sure Don 2 is a work of fiction. This installment focuses on how he diabolically outmaneuvers the world into taking over the European market (no folks it is not about stealing something, that part is just a step towards the primary objective.) The injection of facts into this work of fiction gives Don 2 the plausibility, Previously I gave an example of how he Machiavellianly exposes the competition/enemies in order to eliminate them. Another such injection of plausibility is that an “Indian” second in command at the German bank , such details make even the fantasy believable. Note how Don talk about have an edge over the Europeans because he can sell for a lower price (that is an injection of reality).
But I see your objection. I understand you have issues with us embracing a lead with no redeemable traits. My response is that the world has changed. Today a powerful world leader gets away with misconduct without any penalty (things would have been different previously). Today the games we play is about killing. In short, the world has changed us and we accept bad behavior as good and good behavior as naive/stupid.
Look at yourself, you seem to be a very decent, educated, responsible, and sensitive person. You have a good head over your shoulders and yet the world has slow cooked you into accepting that some “killing” can be good or for a worthy cause (projecting your statement). You suggest that maybe it is OK to play games which center on killing because it is for the good. Previously it was the accepted norm to consider all killings to be unacceptable. In the bygone era, I doubt a person with your profile would have anything to do with any games with an objective to kill to score points. This world has changed and we all have changed with it.
I too would prefer a “nicer” world, but it is what it is. Don is a hero, The police chasing him are side characters.
December 24, 2011 at 1:25 AM
The answer is simply this: The producers decided that SRK’s charm was enough to pull in mass audiences and give them a profitable venture. But circa 2006 is so damn different from circa 2011. SRK’s brand has taken a vicious beating. A ChakDe was in order, but the audience is being given a mean Don2. IMO, all the mixed responses are a reflection of this predicament. The thing is, in the big scheme of things, Don2 was supposed to soar to the skies, on the coattails of a super-successful Ra1. The best laid plans unfortunately never unfold.
December 24, 2011 at 1:34 AM
But the point is that SRK does have plenty of charm and charisma, and he does negative characters quite well. I’m just wondering why the moral aspects don’t seem to have occurred to anybody. Or perhaps this is part of that lack of humanity that several reviewers mentioned.
December 24, 2011 at 4:50 AM
Well said sm.
December 24, 2011 at 12:50 AM
http://www.boxofficeindia.com/boxnewsdetail.php?page=shownews&articleid=3836&nCat=
Don 2 has had a very good first day of around 13.50 crore nett in Hindi with another 60-70 lakhs coming from the dubbed versions as per early estimates.
It is the fourth highest opening day in history and the second highest non holiday first day after Dabangg. The film will be dependent on trending and with mass centres under performing there is potential for good growth over the weekend but the problem may be content not going down too well in these areas.
The urban multiplexes have done extremely well but are unlikely to grow much as they are at very high levels on day one so a big final total is dependent on how the mass centres perform over the next few days.
The film has performed best in West Bengal and South but none of the circuits apart from Mysore have put up very huge numbers because of the mass centres under performing. Mysore has hardly any mass centres. In UP only Lucknow has performed well, in Rajasthan, the contribution is mainly from Jaipur while in East Punjab only Gurgaon and Chandigarh put up big numbers.
December 24, 2011 at 1:24 AM
so right now we are looking at a range of 13-15cr max for first day. obviously that is good. BUT for the self proclaimed ‘king of bollywood’…this is sub par by his standards. sallu still reins right now. we will see how talaash does and if Aamir still has that opening power…i do see agneepath opening HUGE and MIGHT even break bodyguard’s crazy record of 22cr first day.
and please don’t make excuses for SRK with this opening. if he states that he is indeed the baadshah then ANY film of his would break records. but it is not so. Aamir took over a couple years ago and now sallu bhai has a strong hold on the top spot. SRK is weakening and the proof is right in front of our eyes.
December 24, 2011 at 1:33 AM
and im not a SRK ‘hater’. its just if you talk about being on top and talk about all this crap about being number one…then you have to back it up. you have to set new standards(Aamir and Sallu bhai, heck even Ajay freakin devgn have). now he will have his YashRaj film as a safety net and produce huge numbers. outside of that…what really does he have? or who does he really have? even his films with his best bud kjo have been slacking lately.
December 24, 2011 at 12:55 AM
Sm, that is the question I had posed in my first prognosis:
1. It is looking sleek and all that , but that mattes so little. What is it about? What is the central premise? A video-game character coming out into the real world and creating havoc? A group of people with diverse agenda hunting for a big treasure? A man afflicted with a short term memory loss determined to avenge the death of his girlfriend? What is this damn film about? Yes, it is about this clever, mean character called Don. So? Why should I be interested? Where is the key point of conflict?
December 24, 2011 at 1:14 AM
Not exactly, Utkal, you were asking what the story is. Now, apparently there is a story — the planning and execution of a heist. But I’m asking for the justification of the Don’s actions. In SRK’s other negative roles, like Darr & Baazigar, there was again a “good guy” underneath, who got messed up for various reasons. And in the end he was “punished”. I could never finish Anjaam, because after about an hour I couldn’t stand this character who seemed to be unredeemably evil. So I don’t know if any sort of justification was offered for his actions in the film, and in any case, he, too, is “punished” for his actions. Here he (Don) just goes to greater and greater criminal glory.
December 24, 2011 at 1:21 AM
Some scattered thoughts on Don 2: (just came back from watching it)
Performances: As we all know (and most of us would admit…MOST), SRK dominates the show throughout the entire film! He has gone over the top just the amount that the role required and nothing more. SRK’s performance in Don 2 is MUCH more effective than it was in the first Don. He’s still the cocky bastard he always was, but, it’s just something about him this time that drags you right into the character and makes you want to know more. Priyanka Chopra is very underused and therefore, fails to make much impact. Kunal Kapoor is actually pretty good in the limited scope he gets. Lara Dutta looks pretty, but, is not able to showcase her acting talent in the few shots given to her. Om Puri is practically wasted. Sahil Shroff is VERY annoying in some parts! Nawab Shah(?) is pretty good as Jabbar. And the dude who plays Diwan (i dunno his real name) is okay. Boman Irani is used well and he pulls off quite an effective performance!
Story: You know what, there are some small detailed loopholes that you could find in the movie. But, that’s exactly it. DETAILED LOOPHOLES! These loopholes should only come after the movie (if you were watching the movie for entertainment only) unless you’re actually sitting in the theatre to just LOOK FOR THOSE SMALL PLOTHOLES! However, a small minus because the story is not very original, but, everything in the story fits in like a beautiful jigsaw!
Screenplay: The first half is (as Rocky stated) OK [not in any way suggesting it was bad]…the jail break scene stands out as does the car chase b/w Don and Roma. However, the second half is just AWESOME! It is a THRILL to watch. It literally had me sitting on the edge of my seat. The way they plan their perfect robbery and the way they pull the entire thing of is just amazing. And the twist ending is damn cool, suggesting a Don 3 on its way (which I’d eagerly await).
Direction: This kind of a plot could go wrong in so many ways if handled poorly. However, Farhan Akhtar has done justice to the fact that he is one of the best talents of Bollywood right now. The pace of this film in the 1st half could have been very draggy, but, Farhan’s intelligent direction makes the movie move much faster.
Others: The cinematography is exhilerating! The songs are a letdown, but, thankfully, there’s only 1 song in the entire movie! Hrithik’s cameo is good and put in the right place! So, it doesn’t look forced at all [unlike Rajinikanth's cameo in RA.One which was INCREDIBLY forced].
Overall: I think if you want a slick and stylish action film, you’re in for a pleasant time! If you’re really nit-picky about small details, then…not so much. [Lemme tell you this though...the small details are not something that would ruin the movie or break its pace or anything like that...it's really very minor]. After the film, I went to the washroom and there were like 4 or 5 people in the area and they were practically yelling…”BRILLIANT”, “100 times better than the first Don and 1000 times better than RA.One”. Even outside, as people were walking to their cars, they were excited and still in the Don spell, so, in the theatre, public reception was overwhelmingly positive! Hope this is useful to some people to make the decision to go… 9/10
PROS:
— Keeps a good pace
— takes the Don franchise to a new level
— In fact, takes the action genre in Bollywood to the level of Hollywood
— research is well done
— Dominating performance by Shahrukh Khan
— Brilliance in cinematography
— amazing action choreographing
CONS:
— Priyanka is kinda weird this time around
— Some parts in the first half are OK…just ok [above average]
December 24, 2011 at 2:47 AM
Thanks for naturally biased views.
December 24, 2011 at 3:10 AM
Please jeevan. Do not say anything like that. Many times, I am not up to watching Shahrukh Khan on the big screen, but, this time, he actually set fire on the screen! I’m a Salman fan, but, this movie, even I will admit, is excellent
December 24, 2011 at 3:07 AM
I agree with you mostly, but, both the first and the second half were very fast-paced! Yes, PC does look weird this time around. Also, the music is a let down.
December 24, 2011 at 9:13 AM
Good to have your views Arsh…
December 24, 2011 at 1:21 AM
Also I think comics are being marketed to ensure that this irrational criminality doesn’t miss seeping into kids
Btw sm is in form and has sort of overpowered ‘karankumar’(u know whom)
Hohoho
December 24, 2011 at 1:31 AM
Alex
When I advised you to stop thinking about winning, I also meant stop fantasizing about me loosing. This is not about winning and loosing. It is about exchange of ideas, it is about opening the hearts and minds.
December 24, 2011 at 4:45 AM
‘Also I think comics are being marketed to ensure that this irrational criminality doesn’t miss seeping into kids’
Now–that’s one solid perceptive statement.
December 25, 2011 at 4:08 AM
thanks LS–
yes i was talking about the ‘don’ comic books aimed at kids /teens primarily i think
feel sm has raised a point missed by most inlcuding me
unlike in most such enterprises, is there a ‘justification’ to explain dons criminality
havent seen the film–but if there is no ‘excuse’ given for his criminality-this is a concern and may reflect in its trending (hopefully)
also saw parts of an interview of the don2 team at ndtv–
srks styling looked good but the team somehow looked defensive and eager to please somewhat
few observations bout priyanka chopra—maybe im wrong
but her face looked plum n pregnant
her lips looked like having had a fresh batch of collagen implants
also she looks totally enamoured by srk or is good @faking
maybe someone can supply a link
December 24, 2011 at 1:37 AM
As someone who was a very harsh critic on the first remake (mainly because I couldnt stop comparing it to the benchmark of a masala masterpiece which is what the original was), I absolutely loved DON 2!
SRK and Farhan should’ve just titled the movie KING and made it it’s own franchise rather than trying to burden DON (keep the music as a homage because the background score rocks).
SRK’s performance here is a riot mainly because he plays his offscreen persona to a hilt onscreen. Technically this is very easily the slickest Hindi film I’ve ever seen and on par with the Bourne series.
This gives SRK the franchise in some way he’s always been after since the BAADSHAH days. Farhan cleverly references the first DON and takes the story forward in the second. By the end of this DON SRK completely owns the part, and DON has finally become the Underworld Kingpin he always wanted leaving the room open for a third (and potentially a lot more). DON 2 is also quite possibly my favourite Farhan film since DCH! Not many directors could pull off an intelligent heist cum crime thriller with such ease. I would easily take SRK’s “this” vision of a Hollywood-Bollywood crossover (we had Croatian and French friends in the crowd who enjoyed the movie a lot) than the recent disaster RA-ONE (ugh shudder)
December 24, 2011 at 1:42 AM
Hahaha “karan kumar”
That was a “mature” response from u
Perhaps symptomatic of the fact that u r now “growing up”
Maybe u should give me a slight amount of credit for that? Lol
Btw don mind –in continuation to your “manhood”—
Karan kumar KA pakadna mushkil hi Nahin
Namumkin hai
Now take it sportingly mate-u r definitely growing up-am pleased to see
Also will never subject u to the “Henry fate” since u have always been civil
Cheers mate
Btw who are your favorite actors and actresses
And what are your views on Srk, aamir and salman-just from an academic loin of view ….
December 24, 2011 at 1:43 AM
Saw MI4 this week too, WHAT THE FUCK was all the hype about Anil Kapoors role? He plays a skirt-chasing “tharki” with a stupid grin on his face where he does the squinty eye thing (Satyam knows the one im talking about) and gets away with maximum media footage and hype in India. His “Taam Taam” is somewhat more cringeworthy than his “Daaany” performance but somehow I think he likes the attention lol!
Other than that, this is my fave MI4 since than first. The 2nd and third just don’t have the “soul” of MI series.
December 24, 2011 at 1:43 AM
On that note, thoroughly enjoyed the MI nod in Don 2!
December 24, 2011 at 1:51 AM
Alec
With your judgement call you might some day find yourself in your own version of the “Crying Game”.
December 24, 2011 at 2:22 AM
Haha good one
Btw karankumar -appreciate y u r hesitating to reveal your ‘ manhood’ or lack thereof
But y r u not revealing your favorite actors/ actresses and ur views on Srk, salman, aamir
Since u claim to be new here, would be good to know…
Like how u never lose decency inspite of provocation
And yes: u r a psychoanalysts delight lol
December 24, 2011 at 2:09 AM
“You know, Bill Clinton is a very poor example to make your point about criminality. He had a consensual affair, but did not do anything criminal”– think that is a v imp distinction/ clarification
Obviously Clinton was a president and there were morality/ probity issues of being in power so more responsibility etc etc
So not condoning/ defending clintons actions
Bit there are instances where some females actively use their access to powerful figure for benefits — now don’t wanna killed by feminists etc– but this does happen
Also in certain consensual ‘offences’, the male usually gets all the blame. Also sometimes all a female has to do is to cry foul and the guy can be destroyed. Obviously this is only a subset
Comments welcome
December 24, 2011 at 2:37 AM
Don 2 was an amazing thrill! I am not a fan of the hamming Shah Rukh Khan like he did in RA.One, but, in Don 2, Shahrukh really brings brilliant charisma to the character and the movie. Priyanka Chopra is bland and as Arsh said, she is underused! I agree with him on the performances.
I would like to point out that the film is very technical and the story can get complicated, but, if you pay attention to the movie, you can keep up with it, no problem.
The screenplay has very few flaws. Otherwise, the screenplay is quite gripping and the entire movie is an edge-of-the-seat entertainment. Farhan’s direction is perfection…sorry about the rhyming. But, it is true. Farhan doesn’t let there be a dull moment in the entire movie. I don’t agree with Arsh there about the first half being just OK because the movie was fast-paced throughout!
December 24, 2011 at 2:38 AM
sm, you are right. But my point is If they and a conflict element in the story thee had to be some ‘god’ somewhere. You cannot just say, there was a bad guy who wanted become the lord of crime, and he succeeded. That does not sound like much of a story does it?
But you sure can say, , there was a bad guy who wanted become the lord of crime, and his unbridled ambition brought about his downfall. . That does not sound like much of a story does it? That would bea workable proposition.
The proposition of TDP was something similar. Now using one’s sexuality and using one’s cunning to go ahead may not be exactly equivalent, but have some parallel, in a a normal society, governed by certain codes of behaviour. That’s why I argued, politically correct or not, only with Silk’s death can a satisfying story be told, with the premises that the film started.
December 24, 2011 at 2:55 AM
Saturday 24th December 2011 11.30 IST
Boxofficeindia.Com Trade Network
Don 2 has taken the fourth biggest opening of 2011 in the biggest circuit of India, Mumbai. Bodyguard leads by a distance. Below are the top five first day collections of 2011 in Mumbai.
1. Bodyguard – 7.24 crore
2. Ra.One – 5.50 crore
3. Ready – 4.95 crore
4. Don 2 – 4.50 crore approx
5. Rockstar – 3.72 crore
http://boxofficeindia.com/npages.php?page=shownews&articleid=3837&nCat=
disappointing to say the least. yes wayyyyyyy too early to write the film off at the BO but early numbers are not looking all that great. Sallu bhai has really set the bar high.
December 24, 2011 at 9:28 AM
BOI and Nahata and others have this old game where initially they talk about the biggest openings and what not and later it’s about 4th biggest and 8th biggest and whatever. The thing is if you have that sort of screen count and if you have a major star and a reasonably commercial genre you will get those numbers every time. The more important thing is to be behind Ready (and the difference is more than that given print counts and so on) in the larger territory Bombay is hardly very credit-worthy. In fact don’t these numbers prove the obvious — Salman without breaking a sweat in more or less ‘nothing’ films can get these biggest numbers while the most hyped SRK machines nonetheless fall short.
But on a related note I’ve also been seeing for a while now how the BOI/Nahata/Taran reporting deal (specially the first two) has become completely North-centric. Bombay is not even mentioned in most reports. If you just read everything you’d think Delhi/UP/E PUnjab was where all the action was followed by Rajasthan and CI! The Bombay territory is 40% of the Indian market! By far the largest territory. Much as there is no comparison between the Bombay city gross and the Delhi one, all else being equal. Leaving this aside you have one of the 3-4 highest grossing cities in Ahmedabad. So on and so forth. Once Bombay used to be very privileged in all the reporting for this reason. Today they keep talking about Jaipur! This is just absurd.
On BOI at least there definitely is a regional emphasis even in terms of the stars they support most. There is always an ethnic note. Deols over all. Akshay when he does well is supported more than many others. Shahrukh of course (Delhi boy). They will support any star not called Bachchan but for some there is definitely some real favoritism. for example they’ll obviously talk about Aamir’s successes but it isn’t quite the same thing as when they talk about SRK. And sometimes this makes a difference at the margins. Ghajini was rated rather stringently compared to the ratings half-performers of SRK get and so on. The one exception to all of this is Salman who’s one of their blue eyed boys without that ethnic connection (literally or culturally). In any case their entire focus is on the regions I just mentioned. And this too creates for very distorted reporting.
December 24, 2011 at 2:55 AM
Pirated i guess. But see the public reaction
December 24, 2011 at 3:57 AM
This looks more like Audience is crying with pain .. rather than shouting with cheers.
December 24, 2011 at 4:06 AM
you are just ABSOLUTELY desperate to make a negative comment. You’re a sad sad person…
December 24, 2011 at 4:52 AM
It’s a pirated print that’s why may be it’s not clear to you. I will try to search and put the 3D video here. Keep the 3D glasses ready with you.
December 24, 2011 at 8:53 AM
I have already pain in my knee,I cannot take another pain unless I take painkillers,i will save on them aswell
December 24, 2011 at 3:45 AM
Komal and his zero buzz rant. Bollucks!
Put it simply. Ra.One was overhyped, a media exercise in promoting SRK and the effects of the negative response hit Don 2′s prospects. Clearly the makers went in for a softer approach as SRK’s “normal” overhyped antics would have been overkill.
But its still a very big film with a big cast and arriving on a plum date. No point making excuses if you don’t reveal why the producers declared to go in with low publicity.
December 24, 2011 at 9:32 AM
yeah that’s the new excuse now.. much as suddenly this Christmas new year period isn’t that great! All the Christmases when Aamir released his films were fantastic!
December 24, 2011 at 2:03 PM
To add to the point, leading upto 3 Idiots release, wasnt Aamir MIA, showing up once in a while in sort of disguise. There was not too much hype before the release,
December 24, 2011 at 8:02 AM
not a small reelease any way …3200 screens compared to 3500 ra one had and not a small film anyway
but ya again komal and taran going overboard with exaggeration
December 24, 2011 at 8:24 AM
Rangan on Don 2
Don 2 “… Don’t!
The depressingly underwhelming (and numbingly long) Don 2 is less about Farhan Akhtar’s commitment to plot and character than hairstyling and haberdashery. Watch Shah Rukh Khan, in the opening scenes, resembling the world’s nattiest Naga sadhu. Behold Om Puri, gratefully grown out of his simian buzz cut in the earlier movie. See Lara Dutta’s ripe cheekbone framed by an inverted-comma cascade of silken hair. After the first Don, the reboot, the question on my mind was why they bothered. Why remake a star vehicle so identified with a one-time superstar? Why not simply write something new around a next-generation superstar? And Farhan Akhtar’s response was that he was bringing Don to a generation that had grown up without fond memories of the Bachchan blockbuster. I suppose his justification for Don 2 would be that he’s bringing Mission: Impossible and Die Hard to a generation that’s grown up without those blockbusters. Don 2 is so derivative, so dull that it makes us realise something we’d have thought hardly possible as the year began: Anubhav Sinha has ended up making the better Shah Rukh Khan film.
Ra.One, mistakenly marketed (and seen by many) as some sort of sci-fi breakthrough, was, at heart, an old-fashioned potboiler, unashamed about its lowbrow priorities. What kept us – okay, me – watching was some mildly diverting drama about a reincarnated hero avenging his death. The film was livened by vulgar showmanship. Farhan Akhtar, though, will never stoop to something as common as giving the audiences a rollicking good time, something to hoot and holler about (or at). Attitude, to him, is all. He stylises everything – clothes, performances, dialogues, and, yes, hair – to such an extent in Don 2 that the film is airless. It doesn’t breathe – all it does is pose, the world’s longest commercial for high living. Why condescend to make movies for Hindi audiences if all you want to do is mimic Hollywood? We have our own trash – like Ra.One – thank you very much. We don’t need this imported rubbish. When I watch laughably wannabe films like Blue, balancing their western stylings with desperate dashes of desi sentiment, I slot them as Hollywood films for those who don’t see Hollywood films. Who knew the director of Dil Chahta Hai would surrender to that ethos?
Don 2 raises more questions than its predecessor. Why resurrect the characters of Don and Vardhan (Boman Irani) for a commonplace heist movie? If Don is some sort of underworld drug lord, why doesn’t he seem to have any henchmen to do his bidding? Why does he end up doing all the hard work himself, like a Commissioner of Police doubling as a constable? Why the needless 3-D? Why the ridiculous romantic flirtation between Don and Roma (Priyanka Chopra) that undermines both characters, making them weaker and sillier than their positions of power suggest? Didn’t anyone protest at the rhythms of such dialogue as “Mujhe apne aap ko zinda rakhna suit karta hai”? Shah Rukh cannot decide whether to stay in character, or reduce Don to a preening peacock, mightily tickled that everything he does is so cool. Why should we bother investing in Don if the actor playing him can’t be bothered? Boman Irani, though wasted, has an entertaining few minutes where he pretends, like a schoolboy in math class, to be engrossed in the droning intonations of an expert. Only Lara Dutta, purring like a well-stroked kitten, escapes unscathed, amusing herself with her gorgeousness for lack of anything remotely amusing around her.
http://baradwajrangan.wordpress.com/2011/12/24/don-2-dont/
December 24, 2011 at 9:09 AM
Rangan
“Don 2 is so derivative, so dull that it makes us realise something we’d have thought hardly possible as the year began: Anubhav Sinha has ended up making the better Shah Rukh Khan film.”
December 24, 2011 at 9:31 AM
Rangan is golden as always! Of course I like him whether I agree with him or not. Whether it’s TDP or Don 2!
December 24, 2011 at 9:42 AM
Wow, thats quite a mauling!!!!
Scathing. Rangan never ceases to surprise.
December 24, 2011 at 8:51 AM
Thank You for the understanding review,I was going to see tomorrow but I will not and told my all my famlies not to bother to watch,instead watch in dvd when available.There goes some dollars saved.
December 24, 2011 at 9:16 AM
NDTV which has been loosing millions paid 45 crore to SRK for stupid show called ZKJ. Reliance paid 80 crore to Farhan & SRK for this much stupid and the world’s longest boring commercial for high living.
These are bigger scam than 2G & 3G and to talk about it and to sit through this movie makes one hate oneself.
It is not just wastage of time but it is wastage of grey cells and saddening feeling of going not even backward or forward but going nowhere.
DCH’s original director has to come on surface as Farhan could not have in any way made it himself. He is not in movie making but surely is in money making and moron like me (who sits through this ugly flick) will let him.
December 24, 2011 at 9:38 AM
My views on Don 2:
There are two things that go against the film. Firstly, SRK’s cringeworthy cockiness makes his Don 1 act look subtle. He is at his hammy best, with unnecessary pouts, quivers and furrows. He almost ruined the movie-watching experience for me. But then, he is great in action scenes and looks better and menacing in long locks of hair.
The second thing is the script of the film itself which severely tests your patience in the initial hour. the extended climax somewhat makes you sit up and notice Farhan’s execution, despite the damage done by SRK and the screnplay till then.
Overall, its a one-time watch for sure – as expected, much better than Ra. One but whether it’s good enough to score at the box office – that would depend on the verdict of audience at large!
December 24, 2011 at 9:47 AM
I still intend to see it this weekend on the big screen and expect it to be reasonably entertaining but I cringe at the depiction of this act by SRK as a ‘great performance’. One has to be seriously delusional and lacki8ng in taste AND judgement to really consider this great acting. Even at its most demanding this kind of film hardly requires great performances but yes, a suitably equipped star can make it more believable and in turn more interesting. But, the pouting, the smirk, misplaced cockiness – one can just feel somewhat sorry for those coming out thinking this is a great performance!
December 24, 2011 at 9:52 AM
yeah I might still see it myself..
December 24, 2011 at 10:03 AM
Masand: ‘Don 2′ is spectacularly boring
Sequel to the 2006 film, which was itself a remake of the 1978 Amitabh Bachchan starrer, Don 2 suffers from lazy writing. This is the kind of film in which a most-wanted international criminal can roam around a prison unsupervised, so he can smuggle deadly chemicals into the premises, and poison the inmates’ dinner.
There are ample car chases, explosions, and plot twists; there’s a globetrotting adventure that kicks off in Thailand, moves to Malaysia, then unravels in Europe. But what’s missing is the slightest hint of urgency or nail-biting tension. Take that freefall sequence from a Berlin skyscraper; it’s shot stylishly and gracefully, but without any of the messy unpredictability it could’ve done with. Remember that edge-of-the-seat Burj sequence in Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol?
For what’s intended as a slick action thriller, Don 2 moves at an unforgivably slow pace. The heist-planning sequences are tedious and repetitive, and involve more talk than action. To be entirely honest, the action itself has a been-there-seen-that feel to it, and some set pieces aren’t even competently plagiarized. A scene in which an A-list star makes an uncredited cameo defeats the very intention of the scene, given that the audience is in on the trick from the word go.
Looking leaner, meaner and less androgynous than he did in the earlier film, Shah Rukh Khan is expectedly the driving force of Don 2. With a cocky swagger and a mischievous smile, the actor delivers cheesy dialogue that belongs in a school play. The bedrock of a good heist film is the interaction between its team, but Shah Rukh towers above his comrades, giving them precious little to do. Boman Irani returns as Don’s nemesis Vardhan, who has been enlisted to help him on the new job. Lara Dutta is his fetching moll, Kunal Kapoor a hacker handpicked for the assignment, and Aly Khan an influential banker blackmailed into volunteering his services.
Priyanka Chopra, on the other side of the moral divide, is Interpol officer Roma, who has some unfinished business with Don. Their scenes together offer some of the film’s most unintentionally comical moments, and while Priyanka looks the part of the ass-kicking tough-chick, the script seldom lets her fly with it.
Don 2 is nicely shot, and there are moments where Shah Rukh Khan is riveting. But that’s not enough to hold your interest for well over two hours…even the actor’s most loyal fans will find themselves yawning. I’m going with a generous two out of five for director Farhan Akhtar’s Don 2. Although packed with fast cars and bikes, this is one slow ride.
Rating: 2 / 5
December 24, 2011 at 10:15 AM
This is surprising.. usually Masand isn’t that harsh on this sort of thing.
Overall too I was prepared for other kinds of criticism on this but I didn’t expect it to be called boring. However many have done this. The signs were there though when Taran and Nahata just gave it 3.5 stars each.
December 24, 2011 at 10:35 AM
satyam,
very surprising also,masand is a bit harsh here!
December 24, 2011 at 2:17 PM
watched don 2 and have to say some of the visuals are good but most of these so called are rip off and these include only some …
the prison escape is reminiscent of mi4 and the mask scenes have allready been used even more recently they have been done much better in mi 4… infact there are major inspirations with lethal weapon also
ya rangan is correct the the dubai skyscapper scene in mi4 where cruise running on glass and finally escaping was the best of the lot and infact made the audiences in awe
the biggest problem with don 2 is movie does not have any recall value infact the biggest drawback is script …story is not coherent at all
December 24, 2011 at 2:28 PM
thats what i mean when i said yesterday mi 4 releasing a week earlier is disadvantage as i said it was a far far superior movie technically …infact apart from burj the explosion scene was chilling …
ya there is twist in climax but again its predictible infact don 2 is mismatch of various thrillers(bourne , mi4, jackie chan etc) and end up being khichdi
priyanka is the scene stealer here have done the action scene well and for srk the regular hamming don’t help
December 24, 2011 at 10:08 AM
Re:more talk than action
Is that a quote from Gauri Khan??
December 24, 2011 at 10:25 AM
Don 2 Friday Box-Office: Rs. 15 Crore Net
December 24th, 2011 by Komal Nahta
Shah Rukh Khan’s Don 2 opened to mixed response this week. The film’s estimated all-India net collection figure for the first day (December 23) is Rs. 14.5 to 15 crore, despite the mixed reports.
The action-thriller, starring Shah Rukh Khan, Priyanka Chopra, Boman Irani and Lara Dutta, had opened to fair houses at some places and to good houses at others on Friday
December 24, 2011 at 10:26 AM
taran_adarsh taran adarsh
I had tweeted this at 6 pm on Friday: “I am expecting #Don2 Friday to be in Rs 15 cr + nett range *early estimates*.”
December 24, 2011 at 10:29 AM
As always Taran has the higher numbers, Nahata is close too, BOI have it at 13.5 crores. Of course they too were saying it would maybe equal Ra One’s opening day because the latter was affected by Laxmi Puja and what not when in fact just looking at the Bombay numbers it’s way behind. Even overall it’s behind.
Leaving this aside both BOI and Nahata are talking about mixed reports. Doesn’t sound like they’re very hopeful on the film sustaining.
December 24, 2011 at 10:30 AM
Don 2 (Hindi) First Day Territorial Breakdown
Saturday 24th December 2011 15.00 IST
Boxofficeindia.Com Trade Network
Don 2 grossed around 13.75 crore nett on its first day. The territorial breakdown of the first day is as follows.
Mumbai – 4.65 crore
Delhi/UP – 2.71 crore
East Punjab – 1.15 crore
West Bengal – 86 lakhs
Bihar – 29 lakhs
Assam/Orissa – 23 lakhs
CP Berar – 61 lakhs
CI – 51 lakhs
Rajasthan – 83 lakhs
Nizam – 85 lakhs
Mysore – 88 lakhs
Tamil Nadu/Kerala – 28 lakhs
TOTAL – 13.85 crore
December 24, 2011 at 10:30 AM
Don 2 Early Saturday Figures
Saturday 24th December 2011 19.30 IST
Boxofficeindia.Com Trade Network
Don 2 is unlikely to show much growth in mass circuits (CP Berar, CI, Rajasthan, Bihar etc) going by the trending at Nagpur the biggest centre of CP Berar. This would be normal trend when first day is strong but considering that the first day was below par in these areas as in the case of Don 2, there was big potential for growth.
The afternoon/evening collections will be better but a best case scenario is limited growth in these circuits therefore the film will be mainly dependent on how the big urban centres behave over the next few days. The collections on Saturday suggest a winner but not a big blockbuster winner unless Sunday shows huge jump. Below are the Nagpur collections for the first few shows in Nagpur on Saturday with the corresponding show on Friday numbers in brackets.
Cinemax
1st Show – 7,355 (13,470)
2nd Show – 8,685 (32,500)
3rd Show – 22,595 (33,500)
Inox Poonam
1st Show – 7,835 (9,750)
2nd Show – 11,250 (12,470)
3rd Show – 16,545 (17,800)
4th Show – 17,750 (19,000)
Inox Jaswant
1st Show – 4,685 (3,300)
2nd Show – 2,120 (3,070)
3rd Show – 11,415 (13,550)
4th Show – 13,150 (11,500)
5th Show – 13,680 (14,800)
Liberty
1st Show – 18,416 (24,311)
2nd Show – 34,087 (28,818)
Panscheel
1st Show – 27,046 (29,158)
2nd Show – 27,406 (29,158)
Sudma
1st Show – 15,078 (12,000)
2nd Show – 19,000 (18,207)
Janki
1st Show – 6,256 (11,000)
2nd Show – 6,006 (8,827)
Rajvilas
1st Show – 3,506 (15,176)
2nd Show – 3,700 (8,860)
December 24, 2011 at 10:36 AM
hardly euphoric all these reports.. the question is whether it can trend like the first Don. That film too didn’t open as big as hyped (both films now have not met the huge initial targets.. excuses offered in each case but it hasn’t happened) but it remained stable and sort of chugged along. If Don 2 can have that 45 crore weekend (quite likely) and then get a 55 crore week, trending like the first Don’s will get it to 90-100 crores and would also suggest that at least some cross-section of the audience liked it. Even at 80 crores it would still be a better deal than Ra One which completely tanked but it would obviously be a poor result for this film. If however the film isn’t stable beyond the weekend it will probably collapse quickly because I don’t see this as somehow being strong once again over the second weekend after anemic weekdays.
Again the ‘boring’ bit has surprised me. Because I never quite expected it to be boring based on the trailers. But I think what’s happened here is that the stunts and thrills aren’t enough to make up for the one note SRK performance, all the preening and one-liners. It’s just fatigue with the latter. But it’s also of course another sign of a waning star. Many were more positive on Ra One even in the negative ones. I find it hard to believe that even on his worst day Akhtar could make something worse than Ra One.
Of course many are calling it brilliant too or at least superb both among the reviewers and the viewers. The question as always is: how does this split? We’ll find out soon enough.
December 24, 2011 at 11:34 AM
hahah…45 crore weekend ! wid 55 crore week..! are u a kid satyam… it would be a 65 plus week..and a 120 plus result…will see u when it happens
December 24, 2011 at 11:46 AM
That’s a brave prediction Anshul. let’s see.
December 24, 2011 at 2:07 PM
Based on the audience reaction, its seems Don 2 is a better movie than Ra.1, so if Ra.1 can get to 120 cr Don 2 should get there too..but that isnt the important figure, SRK should have crossed BG with either of his attempts, right now he is struggling to match Ghajini.
December 24, 2011 at 2:10 PM
Does not look possible to get to 100 crores with these vibes. 14Cr * 3 = 42 crore weekend probably. If the first week ends at 55 crore, suggests already there is leakage in the performance because a film on this kind of print count and release time can and should do north of 70 crores in first week.
Tomorrows the main day, needs a big Sunday.
Plus it looks like it will have only the support of multiplexes…which means ZNMD type of gross is likely possibility but that film trended really well to achieve 95 crore odd
December 24, 2011 at 2:58 PM
hmm..
predicted yesterday movie have chance at multiplexes and not at all in single screens
has not recall value and less in entertainment ….can’t see it trending anyway …going will be tough from monday
December 24, 2011 at 10:37 AM
http://www.thehindu.com/arts/cinema/article2744512.ece
LOL…Another scathing review by Sudhish Kamath of “The Hindu”…this is the funniest after the one by Mihir Fadnavis…the headline is simply priceless “Don 2 – Two plates and a ham burglar”….ROFLOL…No prices for guessing who the “ham burglar” is !! Looks like this one too is going the Ra.One way..in fact may even struggle to reach 100 crores with the way things are going
“Imagine this. You’re in prison. You haven’t eaten all day. And someone tells you: You have 15 minutes to come up with a script for the Don sequel. And you can walk free.
No time to think. You start with the punchlines first. Obviously, you begin with the epic one that the 1978 film made popular. “Don Ko Pakadna Mushkil Hi Nahin, Na Mumkin Hai”. You come up with a couple of good ones. But since you’re running out of time, you just fill in Punchline Nos. 13, 26 and 49 with the same “Don Ko Pakadna” line.
Too much pressure. But you are in prison and need to get out. Fine, put that in the first act. Don is in prison. But wait, he can’t get caught according to the best punchline you have. Ok, so he got himself in.
But why? You don’t know. Ok, so you write “Don smiles mysteriously.” Ten minutes left.
You continue scribbling… Don is in prison. But Don has many a dushman (arch-enemy in Don-speak) there. Ok, let’s say Don has come to break one of his enemies out of prison. Say Vardhan (Boman Irani). Why? You don’t know. So you write “Don smiles mysteriously.” You can think of the why later.
Now you are really stuck.
All you can think of is prison and prison food. Stale fish served last week had inmates down with food poisoning. Brainwave. Engineer food-poisoning and break jail.
All that thought of food is getting you hungry. What you would not give for a plate of leftovers. A brainwave again. Don wants to steal plates. Plates? Five minutes left.
Focus. YOU want a plate of food. Don probably just wants to steal plates used to make money. How? Write “Don smiles mysteriously.”
Think harder. Don’s a chase film. You can’t just change genre and make it a heist film. That would be blasphemy. But you need to get out before prison gives you nightmares straight out of snuff porn films.
Fourteen minutes are up. Don steals the plates. How? Action scenes. Let action director figure that out. Also add, “Don smiles mysteriously.” Lame big shocking twist. Obvious one but time up. The End.
So you smile mysteriously and hand over your script. You’re free.
It turns out that Farhan Akhtar who has ambitions of making a slick-looking film like Ocean’s Eleven with stunts from Mission Impossible has already started shoot before he’s read your script.
Since it’s the sequel, the actors already know what they are doing. Shah Rukh Khan walks in suits, reels of slow motion shots are canned and bottles of hair gel are sacrificed, take after take.
Lara Dutta shakes it to the tune of the title track of the previous film since she’s been told the song will be just like the old one.
Priyanka knows she has to say all her lines exactly the same way when she speaks to Don. With the emotion dripping out of a certain Beatles song that goes: “I want you. I want you so bad.”
SRK loves the punchlines. They glorify him. Wait till Sallu hears them.
“Let me do it again,” says Shah Rukh after every line. “A punchline needs to be delivered in style.” But Mr. Khan, there are some 50 punchlines in here, says the assistant director. “It’s ok. They love me,” he opens his arms wide, smirks and delivers it like Punchline No. 51 looking at us.
They are at the scene where Don can just trigger off an explosion and escape but that would mean SRK doesn’t get a chance to say a good line. “Well, we have to shoot Roma then,” says the action director. Bang. Roma is shot. And timing presents itself. “Little does Don’s Dushman know that before he can make a move, Don has already made his next,” says Don. Boom.
The editor wishes his studio exploded and didn’t have to put this together. But he’s getting a fat cheque. He does his job to the best of his ability and is almost done when he hears that line “Don Ko Pakadna Mushkil hi nahin…”
Screw it, says the editor, stops it right before SRK could finish the line and walks out.
End credits slapped together with a song recorded even before the script was written. The film releases. And a critic scratches his head wondering if he should take this cheesy action entertainer seriously enough to dissect or analyse it.
“Ok, whatever I can type in 15 minutes,” he says.
Don 2
Genre: Action
Director: Farhan Akhtar
Cast: Shah Rukh Khan, Priyanka Chopra, Lara Dutta, Boman Irani, Kunal Kapoor
Storyline: Don is a smartass. Don is a smartass. Don is a smartass. Repeat statement scene after scene.
Bottomline: Ra.One was the smarter SRK film this year.
December 24, 2011 at 10:38 AM
This too is brutal. Again a sign of the times. SRK would never get such reviews some years ago irrespective of the quality of the film.
December 24, 2011 at 2:44 PM
ya with prison scene was unintentionally funny because they forgot prison has surveillance system …don dance at pubs with ladies was funny to and was against theme as when don says “i like love stories”
won’t comment at all on dialogues which was really a big letdown
December 24, 2011 at 10:42 AM
Satyam,
If you have noticed, there is complete silence on the Saturday collections so far…things don’t look good at all…otherwise by now BOI would have come out with their usual “Don 2 shows a big jump on Saturday” kinda stuff !!
No Saturday updates by Nahta & Taran either !!
December 24, 2011 at 10:47 AM
Shubh,
prabably taran & nahta are hatching a plot
December 24, 2011 at 10:52 AM
Shubh
Stick around and reassess your statement when they do report. Please do not fade away when the reports come out. At that point have the decency to eat your words.
December 24, 2011 at 10:52 AM
got to watch this
http://www.firstpost.com/topic/organization/bollywood-srk-is-boring-in-don-2-avoid-this-movie-video-mcOgVN36LxY-42809-1.html
December 24, 2011 at 10:57 AM
http://www.boxofficeindia.co.in/don-2-creates-records-in-overseas/
*** North American gross – US$ 550K on Friday from 164 locations. The film opened on Friday and beat My Name Is Khan’s opening day gross of US$ 445K and is also higher than the sum of the first three days of RA.One.
*** In UK the film debuted in the UK Top 10 on Wednesday and has collected US$ 527K to date from 76 locations with 3-D version accounting for 2\3rds of the collections.
*** Middle East has grossed $ 930K on Thursday and Friday which is higher than the first two days of RA.One (US$ 710k) and MNIK (US$ 750k).
*** Don 2 broke the record for the highest single day gross ever for a Hindi film in Australia where it took US$ 82K on Friday. The earlier record was Reliance Entertainment’s Bodyguard (US$ 74k). Don 2 has grossed US$ 136K in Australia, New Zealand and Fiji.
December 24, 2011 at 11:07 PM
There is nothing in BoxOfficeMojo.com on Don 2. Will wait for them before believing the producer numbers.
December 24, 2011 at 11:16 PM
http://moviecitynews.com/2011/12/friday-estimates-december-23-2011/
December 24, 2011 at 11:00 AM
karankumar,
if the film will sustain in India then the film will be huge hit but according to the reviews the film will nose-dive,this collection you gave is initial but will the film sustain,we shall see.
i am not watching as I did plan to go tomorrow.
December 24, 2011 at 11:10 AM
Vijay
The reviews are IN. People have spoken. Don 2′s success is now a foregone conclusion. Please move on don’t grab for straws in the wind.
Go see the movie, you will enjoy it. Have some fun, don’t get bogged down in negativity.
One movie that I did not like this holiday season is “Girl with Tatoo”. The Swedish one made for a mere 7 million dollars was far better. I enjoyed the Swedish version a lot. But I did get an insight seeing the Daniel Craig’s new version, which kind of explains why Lisbeth gives Blomkvist a cold shoulder in the Swedish sequels (the original has three parts).
December 24, 2011 at 11:17 AM
mr karankumar,
Don 2 still remains to be seen,initial we expected to open big but a lot of critic saying its boring and not stylis ,please be patient and see how it trends out rather then jumping to the sucess conclusion.
December 24, 2011 at 11:01 AM
Seems like Don 2 is establishing new BO records. Does that surprise ? No not at all.
Don 2 is a fast paced, action packed winner. As a movie fan I applaud its success and the success of all good films like Don 2.
December 24, 2011 at 11:02 AM
Don 2 is a fast paced, action packed winner. As a movie fan I applaud its success and the success of all good films like Don 2.
still reviews saying its “BORING”
December 24, 2011 at 11:14 AM
Vijay
Majority of the reviews are saying Don 2 is fun, hip and cool. As you can see, new records are being established and this would not have been the case if the movie was boring.
So who are you going to believe the majority of the reviews (and the new records) or a few vested/dubious reviews ?
December 24, 2011 at 11:11 AM
MUMBAI: As the end of the year approaches all eyes were set on whether Don 2 will break the records of highest opening day collections of all time. The movie stands at the fourth spot with a net collection of Rs 13.5 million (13.5 crores) approximately with the Hindi version release.
Top 5 All Time Opening Day Collections Record:
1) Bodyguard – Rs 210 million (Rs 21 crore)
2) Ra.One – Rs 147 million (Rs 14.7 crore)
3) Dabangg – Rs 145 million (Rs 14.5 crore)
4) Don 2 – Rs 135 million ( Rs 13.5 crore)
5) 3 Idiots – Rs 130 million (Rs 13 crore)
5) Ready – Rs 130 million (Rs 13 crore)
With mixed reviews it remains to be seen how the film will perform over the week. The Tamil and Telgu version of the film collected approximately Rs 6 million ( Rs 60 lakhs).
http://businessofcinema.com/news.php?newsid=19516
its still behind his former release,tuesday we will have clear picture.
this collection is far behind as srk films should be doing 22cr to break bodyguard record.
December 24, 2011 at 11:19 AM
Even those 100 meter Olympic record breakers don’t run always as fast. That expectation is not realistic, but a good runner is expected to perform in the top range, Don 2 has likewise performed in that highest possible RANGE. Don 2 is a proud achievement. A feather in SRK/Farhan’s cap.
December 24, 2011 at 11:43 AM
AB in the original ( and genuine Don): Mujhe do tarah ki ladkiyaan pasand nahin..
Don2 : Mujhe ladkiyaan hi pasand nahin!!!!!
December 24, 2011 at 11:45 AM
Listen guys don’t keep going back and forth on the very same point.. these one line comments where one is just repeating the same stuff again and again clogs things.
December 24, 2011 at 11:54 AM
Don 2 Early Saturday Figures
Don 2 is unlikely to show much growth in mass circuits (CP Berar, CI, Rajasthan, Bihar etc) going by the trending at Nagpur the biggest centre of CP Berar. This would be normal trend when first day is strong but considering that the first day was below par in these areas as in the case of Don 2, there was big potential for growth.
The afternoon/evening collections will be better but a best case scenario is limited growth in these circuits therefore the film will be mainly dependent on how the big urban centres behave over the next few days. The collections on Saturday suggest a winner but not a big blockbuster winner unless Sunday shows huge jump. Below are the Nagpur collections for the first few shows in Nagpur on Saturday with the corresponding show on Friday numbers in brackets.
Cinemax
1st Show – 7,355 (13,470)
2nd Show – 8,685 (32,500)
3rd Show – 22,595 (33,500)
Inox Poonam
1st Show – 7,835 (9,750)
2nd Show – 11,250 (12,470)
3rd Show – 16,545 (17,800)
4th Show – 17,750 (19,000)
Inox Jaswant
1st Show – 4,685 (3,300)
2nd Show – 2,120 (3,070)
3rd Show – 11,415 (13,550)
4th Show – 13,150 (11,500)
5th Show – 13,680 (14,800)
Liberty
1st Show – 18,416 (24,311)
2nd Show – 34,087 (28,818)
Panscheel
1st Show – 27,046 (29,158)
2nd Show – 27,406 (29,158)
Sudma
1st Show – 15,078 (12,000)
2nd Show – 19,000 (18,207)
Janki
1st Show – 6,256 (11,000)
2nd Show – 6,006 (8,827)
Rajvilas
1st Show – 3,506 (15,176)
2nd Show – 3,700 (8,860)
http://boxofficeindia.com/boxnewsdetail.php?page=shownews&articleid=3841&nCat=
December 24, 2011 at 11:56 AM
I think for SRK ( and apologists) it is time for the subsidy business to prove this is a success.
If this is what BOI says- translated in the regular language, it means it is underperforrming and not much hope now.
December 24, 2011 at 12:13 PM
Rajen
What nothing to say about new records ? Why so selective ? Why this obsession to show SRK/Don 2 in a poor light ?
Stick around my freind, “Picture Abhi Baki Hai”. Come back soon.
December 24, 2011 at 12:33 PM
Don 2,flop possibility?, tuesday will have a real picture as where the film is heading,mission impossible 4 looks realy stylis and slick..9th january is mission possible for me..looking forward it already as there is nothing worth watching this xmas
December 24, 2011 at 12:57 PM
http://in.movies.yahoo.com/blogs/movie-reviews/don-2-review-065110835.html
Ho ho…now it is the turn Kunal Guha of Yahoo to rip apart the film…his final verdict : “The Badshah of bragging and the king of hamming is the same person and he’s out there in multiplexes waiting to con you off your money. The only way to outfox him: wait for a satellite release”…ROFLOL !!!
“The Don franchise is back in all its stammering, self-praising and lopsided grinning glory. Living up to its prequel, this one is high on slick quotient and has many meticulously choreographed stunts. The only grouse: Don has become cockier than ever and loves rambling lines that narrate his characteristic traits in third person- ‘Don ke dushmano ko…’ Yawn.
We begin with a voiceover by the man himself who is now the A-PAC head of drug retailing and wholesaling and wants to spread his distribution channels across Europe. In doing so, he has to help his old enemy, Vardhaan (Boman Irani) escape from a prison in Kuala Lumpur. So Don stages his own arrest by surrendering at the KL Interpol office to the delightfully dumb investigators Roma (Priyanka Chopra) and her boss Malik (Om Puri). Soon, Don and Vardhaan have forgotten the incidents that occurred in the prequel and are plotting a major heist in icy Berlin.
And before you think that Don has outdone one and all, the Interpol in Germany informs the Kuala Lumpur office that Don and Vardhaan have been spotted in Zurich. And though no visible spots are seen on either of the gangsters, Roma and Malik are in their woolies trotting about in Berlin in the next scene. No global gangster movie is complete without a car chase, a silly disguise (a Hrithik Roshan mask!) and a few explosions here and there; so that is exactly what follows.
There are many mysteries in ‘Don 2′ that could leave you stumped beyond reason. Like, why does a mastermind evil genius who is wanted across the globe personally pick up his drug consignments? Lack of trust in his aides or is he just a humble man of the soil? Also, when Don walks out of a hostage situation carrying a wounded Roma in his arms, Roma’s boss casually enquires, “Kya hua Roma ko?” What does he expect for an answer? Upset stomach?
While SRK’s looks offer prominent signs of ageing, his acting prowess seems to be doing a Benjamin Button. Unless of course, cackling about one’s might and monstrosity is Bollywood’s formula for a super villain. Boman Irani is known for his razor sharp expressions but this is a first where he seems to be a bit lost about when to let out which one. Priyanka Chopra is barely there and quite rightfully so as she doesn’t really foil Don’s plans or do anything that would make the audience excited or anxious. Lara Dutta is perfectly sassy in all her cereal goodness and manages her part with practiced ease and confidence.
For a movie that rocks in grandeur and style, Don 2 has the logical reasoning of a ‘Golmaal 5′. There’s a part in the movie where Don actually convinces the German intelligence and the Interpol that he’s working for them and they buy it. The verdict: The Badshah of bragging and the king of hamming is the same person and he’s out there in multiplexes waiting to con you off your money. The only way to outfox him: wait for a satellite release.
December 24, 2011 at 1:10 PM
Mr. Oversmart Karan Kumar,
“Don 2 setting new records” ….”majority of reviews positive”…LOL…wake up from your delusionary world and smell the BLACK COFFEE dude !! In fact the topic of discussion on social networking platforms is no longer on merits of Don 2…it has now shifted to whether Ra.One is more crappier / Don 2 is more crappier !!!
“Stick around and reassess your statement when they do report. Please do not fade away when the reports come out. At that point have the decency to eat your words.”
The real question whether SRK fanboys will “fade” away even if DON 2 is declared a dud ! Not likely given the Ra.one experience !! It will be you guys who “clutch” at straws by relying on so called UK & German subsidies to justify “success”.
Picture abhi baaki “nahi” hai dost…Ra.One & Don 2 have come & gone and both are critical as well as commercial duds.
Bye and get well soon !!
December 24, 2011 at 1:26 PM
dude, even if Don 2 is a “dud,” I’m sticking around because quite frankly my friend, this is the best action film to come out of Bollywood and if you don’t agree, just say so…don’t even try to push reviews on me. Because IF YOU DO, there’s gonna be a flood of positive reviews here…
Just sayin’
December 24, 2011 at 1:31 PM
and also…Mr. Very BS-filled Shubh… media reviews are still more towards positive than negative. Stop TRYING to make it look like Don is being ripped apart by every critic out there because frankly, that’s impression you’re making right now!
December 24, 2011 at 9:25 PM
ha ha satyam – we are heading for a “gaali-galoch” kinda word-war betn. arsh and shubh here…:-) don ko pakad ke laana hi padega idhar
December 24, 2011 at 1:16 PM
Once again, thek ind of panning SRK gets inreviews shows how many people have been antagonised by SRK.
December 24, 2011 at 1:27 PM
oh please rajen, look at the public reaction recorded by the different media channels. It’s 90% positive. So…don’t even try!
December 24, 2011 at 1:34 PM
In an elevator Boman shortens his stature considerably to come up to the level of SRK and to give him some confidence but alas even that didn’t infuse any confidence in him.
Farhan has to be penalized for taking away all confidence from SRK by surrounding him with all much taller and stronger artists! With the aid of close ups and camera position they tried to minimize in some scenes but otherwise all other characters tower SRK.
December 24, 2011 at 1:47 PM
I’m sorry…it’s the other way around. SRK towers the others…easily!
December 24, 2011 at 1:57 PM
http://www.boxofficeindia.co.in/all-time-top-25-domestic-first-day-don-2-3/
Don 2 has All-time no.3 opening day
December 24, 2011 at 2:29 PM
My views on DON :
http://www.naachgaana.com/2011/12/25/don-2-my-short-take/
December 24, 2011 at 4:04 PM
thanks yakuza..
December 24, 2011 at 2:55 PM
There was a time pre-Ra.One when I was a die-hard SRK fan.. Sorry to say this, but his cringeworthy interviews and pretentious, irritating acts off- screen put me off him for a while. Still, I decided, he’s better performing in films than displaying his embarassing acts in the media. Ra.One was bad and I was kinda shocked to see how he could’ve stooped to such levels to create a bland film with tasteless jokes and overacting.
But still, Don 2 was round the corner, I thought. After watching it today, I shook my head miserably at what SRK’s come up with. and im not talking about the film.
Im sad in saying this, because Ive grown up watching his films. It was because of this man and his earnestness in some of his earliest films that allured me and made me such a fan of Hindi movies. But after almost 19 years (had been a fan of his since his RBGG days), I have given up on him. Not interested in any of his forthcoming flicks. It’s become tiring to watch him on screen.
SRK should start a crash course in ‘how to lose your fan base). Honestly!
December 24, 2011 at 4:03 PM
It happens with the best of stars.. there is an expiry date on a star’s career and very few are able to successfully reinvent themselves.. not saying SRK cannot but he’s made things tough for himself with his swagger and braggadocio. He still has enough of a base with the audience. The problem you’re referring to is one that again stars in decline face. It isn’t about the films, the star just doesn’t interest people anymore and because such a star is not young it is harder to find that ‘right’ film that can relaunch things. His immediate peers do not offer the opposite lesson in this sense. Aamir has been reinventing since the 90s! And he’s of course reaped enormous dividends over the past decade. But note how his films do not depend on his being ‘alluring’ as a star. People forget but Aamir started out being the chocolate hero of the new age (though in fairness Salman always had a more real connection in this sense), he then walked away from this relatively early and from that instant fan base that any star can always draw upon. Which is why some of his 90s stuff in the latter half of the decade would start decently, not hugely and would then remain stable. Because if you’re not doing obvious genres and not playing in obvious ways to a fan base the numbers decline. Eventually he got to a point where his name was a synonym for a good film. The rest is history.
In Salman’s case there’s been a more see-saw kind of career. One of the advantages here is that there isn’t the same sort of linearity that a more stable star depends on. Salman definitely looks better than SRK at this point but his films don’t necessarily depend on this. In a Dabanng this is more important but not so in a Ready. Salman is essentially attached to a certain masala-comedy circus at this point. He’ll milk as long as he can but unlike Aamir this is hardly a long term career move. But he’s doing the best he can given who he is.
with SRK the odd thing is that as opposed to Aamir and Salman who are trying not to do stuff where they take center-stage in a pure physical sense (of course Salman has always maintained himself well, Aamir has been doing this of late too but the point is that the films can’t be about their physicality the way this can be so with younger stars) SRK is doing the opposite. Because the Don kind of stuff works best with a star who is also at his physical peak. Bachchan himself did it at exactly the right point in his career where both in physical and professional terms he was at the absolute pinnacle of his career. SRK on the other hand used Don as a way of keeping the competition away. But the whole stance doesn’t work if you ultimately don’t have the results. And again he’s just not at his peak in a physical sense (I’d say he’s also aged worse than Aamir and Salman at least so far).
The thing is he’s now back to Yashraj and the romantic diwali film. Rahman’s association is the whole exciting thing about it as far as I’m concerned. The film will surely throw up some good numbers but can he really expect a better result than RNBDJ here even in the best case scenario? I doubt it. But even if it does better than that what does it mean? He was already on this path before he started moving towards Don and son. So that whole effort then gets wasted. You can have failures that enhance your status as an actor or have blockbusters that are meant to be just that. But Don is neither one nor the other. It’s neither CDI nor Swades nor OSO.
The other way to read this (and again it’s a common thing with fading stars) that as the older base fades away (because the star is physically not as appealing or else the new genres being attempted by the star are not really why the base signed up in the first place) it has to be replaced with a newer one but since the latter is not as invested in the star the film has to be that much better. In other words if Don released in say the late 90s most of the audience would be in it ‘for’ SRK all else being equal. Today with the same Don very few are in it just for him. So the film has to be really good. If hrithik did the same thing it wouldn’t have to be as good because many would find it worthwhile to just ogle at him in a passable film. With the older star the bar gets higher.
I am sympathetic to SRK to the extent that the problem isn’t unique to him. But he’s made it worse for himself with all this ridiculous posturing which then drives away all the sympathy.
December 24, 2011 at 9:22 PM
lol tony! the last sentence – but he is actually doing it now since ra.one and don2 – why crash course? srk and akki – i feel both are on a downward slope – akki has delivered i think 7-8 flops in last 3 years (he still may have 10-15 releases lined up in next 3-4 years)….how gracefully they accept failures at the b.o. – that is something to be watched….aamir seems to be in no hurry whatsoever – he has taken 3 years after 3i to come out with a solo-hero film! then, he has D3 in 2013 – if by 2020 – if he does 5 more films – it will weigh more than srk/akki giving 5 more hits by 2020 out of some 50 films each they’d've done…
December 24, 2011 at 3:05 PM
to be fair i thought srk will come with better negetive performance as in the first phase of the carrer before stardom he has shown himself to be very competent in negetive roles and here he was going back to his roots there but its very sad to see his decline as actor and his awakwardness in role and so called heavy dose of super smartness which ruined the movie
the same menacing look and intensity is hardly there
December 24, 2011 at 3:40 PM
hmm—after the somewhat unidimensionally positive uk early screening reports, things seem to be mixed now
INfact things seem to be on the decline as per the reviews
will be checking this out sun/mon now–as i said, my benefit of doubt with the don2 team
but reports are a bit negative now esp rangans scathing review
irrespective of whether i will agree with hi,m or not, sudhish kamaths
review is one of the more innovatively entertaining ones in recent times
lol@hamburgler and “You’re in prison. You haven’t eaten all day. And someone tells you: You have 15 minutes to come up with a script for the Don sequel. And you can walk free”
the way he goes about “reconstructing” don2 scripting is a pleasure to read
but will have to watch this one myself first–might have something different to say
December 24, 2011 at 6:00 PM
http://www.deccanherald.com/content/214095/not-dirty-picture-all.html
December 24, 2011 at 6:05 PM
“Making modest profits for their respective and varied production costs were Chalo Dilli, Chillar Party, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, F.A.L.T.U., Pyar Ka Punch-Nama, Dil To Baccha Hai Ji, Dum Maaro Dum, Double Dhamaal, Bbuddah Hoga Terra Baap, Damadamm! and Desi Boyz.”
December 24, 2011 at 7:24 PM
For the Prakash Jaju fans here
prakashjaju Prakash Jaju
Don2 flops big time …overseas figures are fake …. Total disaster … Need first week of 100 cr to recover which is impossible now
December 24, 2011 at 11:16 PM
thats being kinda harsh. who is this guy?
December 24, 2011 at 11:18 PM
Well as I type this comment I am awaiting Saturday figures.
By the looks of things I maybe in the minority of non SRK fans who enjoyed the film. Maybe I was in a good mood hence such a good response from me
(alex may know what I mean 
SRK has hit a rock it seems and I can’t see how he will keep up with Salman let alone Amir. If Agneepath hits big then HR will have some real momentum behind him considering his last was ZNMD and then he has a real biggie Krish sequel.
I think the WOM is definitely mixed as some SRK fans I know have not liked the film and maybe that is to do with SRK not being home i.e his romantic genre who knows?? (or maybe they just found it bad)
Thanks to those who gave me a response to my take on Don 2 above (hope I havn’t lost all credibility:P
December 25, 2011 at 12:17 AM
http://www.addatoday.com/2011/12/don-2-saturday-collection-15-cr-nett.html#more
The cat is out of the bag !! Sat collections not showing major jump means the film is headed only one way : DISASTER !!
Don 2 has collected around 16 crore nett all India as per early estimates on Saturday. Don 2 collections showed jump here and there, but the jump was not so much. Even in few places collections were erratic and lower than Friday.
Overall collections are more or less similar to Friday. Single Screens have performed below expectation and has not picked up. Don 2 two day total collection is 31 crore nett all India.
Don 2 Opening Weekend Collection collection is heading for 46-48 crore nett all India if its shows normal trend and jump on Sunday.
Collection Breakup (All Version) –
Friday – 15 cr nett.
Saturday – 16 cr nett (Estimates).
Total – 31 cr nett (Estimates).
December 25, 2011 at 3:11 AM
if 31 cr nett in 2 days is a disaster, then 3 idiots was a flop…
December 25, 2011 at 3:14 AM
Absolutely right
December 25, 2011 at 3:36 AM
no its not a disaster at all. but its nothing to celebrate about. its a strong opening. but the bar has been set higher and SRK so far hasnt met them lately.
December 25, 2011 at 3:49 AM
Agreed…He is not being able to meet the expectations lately…But it’s ok for me…Box office numbers are not everything…Years before Salman and Aamir also were not being able to meet these Box-office expectations and today they are at the topmost spot…So to each his own time
December 25, 2011 at 1:55 AM
was planning to skip this one for the time being due to time conmstraints and catch it later next few weeks or so
but now am curious as to what srk has done –also may not last that long in cinemas (although unlikely)
whatever said and done—srks fortunes have a major bearing on bollywood sweepstakes–like it or not
the major watershed event in bollywood recent filmography was the realtive underperformance or ra1 OPENING
I had predicted that srk will stay amongst the top for a while but things wont stay the same
seems the don2 opening has confirmed this
but are we sittting on the verge of a slide/decline now in the next few days
feel ‘concerned’ for srk now–strange feeling–lol
wishing srk all the best
December 25, 2011 at 9:48 AM
Alec
Now your delusions extend to being a “giant” of BO also ? Given your history of falsy claiming to be an “intellectual giant” with a “giant vocabulary”, always within ear shot of hearing all snickers that people make about SRK, this is a little hard to accept without evidence. Heck, even my response you claim is “thanks” to you.
BTW, RA-1 holds the best single day record, even the opening day which was hampered by Puja was the second best. Yet in your desire to put down SRK you claim that RA-1 did not open well. Dude, the facts are there for all to see, RA-1 has already made 200 Cr + wordwide, which is extremely rare. Only 34 films in the history of Bollywood have made 100 Cr +, RA-1 has done better, it has already made (as stated) 200 Cr +. If after 200 Cr (a rare achievement) you still think RA-1 has not done well, then I claim that nothing RA-1 could have done would have earned your thumbs up. You are not governed by facts, your agenda in different, it is to put down SRK.
Let me put this into perspective, on a daily basis Don 2 is making as much money as Amit Ji’s last big hit, “BHTB” made in its entire run. Allow me to repeat, “on a daily basis so far, Don 2 is making as much money as the money which many here say was well received” . Yet Don 2 is being attacked here while the world is singing its praise.
Most guys on this blog claimed that Don 2 had very poor advance booking. Yet it posted the best opening ever for a non holiday and the third best opening opening ever after BG and RA-1. How many accepted their error when Don-2′s opening was announced ? None. Then you claimed that Don-2 crashed on Day 2, well we now know that it did not, but did well. Will this make you stop the falsehood ? I don’t think so. You won’t stop the falsehood and Don 2 will eventually make what it is destined to make based on its merit. Life goes on.
December 25, 2011 at 4:07 AM
Don 2 has had a slight improvement in collections as its Hindi version has collected 14.50 crore nett as per early estimates. The two day total is around the 28.25-28.50 crore nett mark.
The film managed to grow around 20-25% in the multiplexes of the metros and at other centres where there are high end multiplexes but elsewhere the collections were similar or down 10%.
A circuit like CI dropped around 15% as single screens showed big falls while there were 5% jumps in Delhi/UP and East Punjab. The film has appreciation but is limited to to multiplexes in urban areas, in the long run it depends on how well these can hold up.
Sunday will be its best day and it remains to be seen how far it can go. Films like Ra.One and Bodyguard went to over 20 crore nett on their big holiday days. But both films had an advantage as for Bodyguard it was first day while Ra.One it was second day with the first day having Diwali Puja and and much of the audience keeping away from theatres.
http://www.boxofficeindia.com/boxnewsdetail.php?page=shownews&articleid=3844&nCat=
December 25, 2011 at 5:16 AM
Like Alex, I, too, wish SRK well and am not waiting for his downfall. But this constant refrain about the Diwali puja keeping out of the theaters is really getting on my nerves — especially when it keeps reminding me of SRK’s declaration, at the time of the Saawariya-OSO clash, that, “Diwali is mine!” so Saawariya had to move (even though Saawariya’s release date was announced a full year ahead of time, so it was inconceivable that SRK wasn’t aware of it).
December 25, 2011 at 5:17 AM
“keeping *people* out of the theaters”, sorry for the omission.
December 25, 2011 at 5:36 AM
taran_adarsh taran adarsh
#Don2 – India: Fri 15.3 cr, Sat 14.6 cr [early est]. Total: approx Rs 29.9 cr nett.
taran_adarsh taran adarsh
#Don2 – India – Saturday trends: Multiplexes have contributed maximum. But B & C centres as well as single screens have shown a decline.
December 25, 2011 at 5:37 AM
So Taran has a Sat lower than fri.
December 25, 2011 at 6:33 AM
SRK off late suffered because his fans are divided among Salman, Aamir, Akki etc .. A major chunk of Salman fans don’t support SRK movies, that’s a huge loss. Ditto for Aamir fans . . but interesting thing is that its not vice versa.
Salman se panga .. Pahle Vivek oberoi .. and now SRK ko kafi mahanga pad raha hai.
December 25, 2011 at 10:21 AM
Jeevan
I agree that fights are not productive.
But I don’t see any EVIDENCE that SRK is suffering. Since his “fight” with Salman. All SRK movies, MNIK, RA-1, Don 2 have scored 100 Cr + worldwide, a rare achievement for Bolywood movies. In fact SRK has been an over achiever, his movies have not just made 100 Cr +, but they have made 200 Cr + ( needless to say, an even more rare achievement).
SRK, and or AK, and or Salman, and or HR, and or Akshay, etc are subject to their efforts and hard work. The day they give up striving, they will slide. Of course age too will someday catch up with them. But all the other drama is just white noise, it does not really matter that much.
December 25, 2011 at 10:38 AM
for a Salman fan you’re pretty ‘concerned’ about SRK!
December 25, 2011 at 10:44 AM
Satyam
Yes according to the usual suspects I am a Salman fan. Maybe I will now become a SRK fan. Later on still something ese.
December 25, 2011 at 11:01 AM
I could be mistaken, I thought you said you were really a Salman fan and didn’t like every SRK film.. could be wrong there have been so many comments back and forth on this stuff..
December 25, 2011 at 11:18 AM
No problem. I understand.
But it is best not to pigeon hole anyone, either soneone has a point or does not have a point. The focus needs to be on the content, not the “color of a person’s skin” (to paraphrase Dr King).
December 25, 2011 at 12:55 PM
yes but sometimes a set of points indicates very obvious partisanship in one direction or the other which is different from liking or disliking a star. For example if one likes every genre one’s favorite star does but criticizes the same when other stars do it there’s something going on. Or if one frames arguments simply meant to buttress one’s favorite star or attack someone else that too becomes obvious. So it’s also about contexts. The same goes if ‘evidence’ is used in very selective ways. For example one could talk about ‘worldwide’ totals with SRK films to make the numbers more respectable than they are relative to the competition but then how does one forget that the very same competition has 300-400 crore worldwide totals (3I) and so forth? The top star similarly could be one who grosses minimally 150 crores in India. One could also say that there’s a problem when a star’s end of 2011 total (Don 2) is not likely to touch Aamir’s end of 2008 total (Ghajini) in India and even overseas the days of there being a big gap between the two are over. so if one is sincere about the numbers one wouldn’t use red herrings (film did as much in one day as BHTB did in its entire run.. one could similarly say that Bodyguard’s or 3I’s week one is equal to RNBDJ’s entire run!) and look at the numbers more comprehensively and a whole variety of things.
The problem is if one wishes to be considered a model of integrity one must follow the numbers where they go and not simply use them in very misleading ways. The same goes for other ‘debates’.
December 25, 2011 at 1:07 PM
Satyam
A fantastic point.
Without doubt credibility and integrity is very important. This is I am amazed when people contradict themselves and then show no remorse.
It becomes easy to discuss when one feels that the discussion is sincere and not contrived.
You make an excellent point.
December 25, 2011 at 1:19 PM
Yes Post BG and 3I we are forced to re-calibrate our yardsticks. New movies in the post 3I & BG era should be measured with the new yardstick.
This re-calibration is continuous. Will never end. OSO did the same in its time, and in a few years someone else will again set a new water mark.
December 25, 2011 at 1:51 PM
Celtics just have tied up with the Knicks at 69/69. Am I perturbed, NO. I am here at the Garden for the love of the game, not just for the Knicks.
December 25, 2011 at 9:41 AM
My take-
Overall, not bad.My rating 3/5.
It works best as a caper or a heist film.
Farhan has handled that aspect of the film exceedingly well and visually and stylistically, it is quite pleasing and probably amongst the best from Bollywood on that score.
Where it fails is as an ode to Don. The Don part of the narrative grates the senses like fingernails on a chalk board.The film makers need to understand that you cant manufacture ‘coolness’. It happens and has to be natural.Farhan and SRK try so hard to make Don that uber-cool,smart,witty baddie that the effort shows all the time and seems forced.The smirking,preeening,the narcissism,the exaggerated swagger- nothing works and actually takes quite a bit away from the film.There are some smart lines which again get destroyed the way they are delivered.Would have been more effective if they were to be delivered dead pan with a straight face instead of the facial contortions and intonational gymnastics.
Actually, SRK is most effective when he is shown as a real person and not as a Don.Someone displaying emotions appropriate to the situation and not a robot mouthing ‘cool’ oneliners. There is an overdose of those which detracts greatly from the film.
SRK shows that he is perfectly suited for this kind of films.When allowed to, he looks appropriately menacing and his wiry,sinewy physique is tailor-made for this kind of roles. He would have absolutely no trouble playing Ehtan Hunt or Jason Bourne and would probably do it better than current stars reprising those roles and believe me, it is no exaggeration.
Could have been shorter by about 20-25 min and the supporting cast is totally wasted.Never seen Boman so flat.Om Puri,Priyanka, Kunal Kapoor,Lara Dutta are totally expendable appendages the way they are used.
Saw it in 3D and wished I didnt. The kind of action it has is not helped by 3D. 50% occupancy Sat evening show in suburban NY.
December 25, 2011 at 10:37 AM
thanks Rajen.. this is a fair piece.. might check it out later today. surprised occupancy wasn’t better..
December 25, 2011 at 11:04 AM
on a related note this is the kind of thing people never get or choose not to get.. no matter how much you might dislike SRK otherwise off screen (or even on screen at times) your opinions on his films are usually very fair whether it’s this or MNIK or whatever. Hardly the stuff of partisan attacks. But people look at all the jokes and so on and pretend not to see this. Whereas with true partisans who attack certain stars (or defend others) it doesn’t matter what the film is they’ll attack any and everything and vice versa with other stars. It’s a one note deal.
December 25, 2011 at 12:15 PM
LOL!
Thanks.
December 25, 2011 at 1:36 PM
agree satyam
but the problem is people only see positive reviews as honest!
ps- i always fail to comment from my tablet!! or mobile!
December 25, 2011 at 1:50 PM
Don 2 Extraordinary At High End Multiplexes
Sunday 25th December 2011 18.30 IST
Boxofficeindia.Com Trade Network
Don 2 is putting up extraordinary numbers at high end multiplexes. The collections at these theatres are similar to the second day of Ra.One. Below are the second day collections of Don 2 and Ra.One (in brackets) in Gurgaon which has is dominated by up market multiplexes.
The Ra.One collections of 40.94 lakhs was a record for Gurgaon in a single day while Don2 has recorded the second highest collection for a single day. Ra.One collected 22.75 crore nett all India on its second day while Don 2 has done 14.50 crore nett because outside these up market multiplexes the collections of Don 2 are much lower than Ra.One.
PVR Ambience – 9,24,097 (9,60,692)
PVR MGF – 8,07,217 (7,61,737)
PVR Sahara – 3,00,391 (2,81,527)
DT City – 4,70,923 (5,21,402)
DT Mega – 2,82,065 (3,26,486)
DT Star – 2,52,797 (2,71,508)
Big – 3,46,928 (4,13,588)
SRS Omaxe – 2,10,551 (2,53,273)
SRS Wedding – 2,05,104 (3,03,828)
TOTAL – 38,00,078 (40,94,046)
December 25, 2011 at 1:52 PM
taran_adarsh taran adarsh
#Don2 – India – Saturday – actuals: Hindi – Rs 14.69 cr, Tamil – 10 lacs, Telugu – 30 lacs. Total: 15.09 cr nett.
taran_adarsh taran adarsh
#Don2 Fri-Sat analysis: Biz up in Mumbai, DelhiUP, Punjab and Mysore… down everywhere else.
taran_adarsh taran adarsh
#Don2 Sunday trends: Seems like 19 cr to 20 cr. Multiplexes were superb today.
December 25, 2011 at 1:54 PM
Karan Johar Rubbishes Rumours About Agneepath
December 19th, 2011 by Koimoi.com Team
Rumours are circulating fast and furiously in trade circles that Hrithik Roshan’s Agneepath is no longer being distributed by UTV. However, there is no truth to the stories because, according to producer Karan Johar, “As of now, the film is being distributed by UTV on commission basis. And that is the whole truth.”
It is Karan’s other film, Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu, starring Kareena Kapoor and Imran Khan, which has been part-sold by UTV. Karan and UTV are joint producers of the Kareena-Imran starrer and by virtue of being 50% owners of the film, UTV took in Appu (of Nagpur) as a 50% distributor.
December 25, 2011 at 2:05 PM
So, it’s a 28-29cr total for the first two days, depending on who you you believe. The Saturday numbers are hardy encouraging.
With some decent trending it could end up with a 62-65cr first week total, which won’t be too bad but it’s still very weak compared to the big ones like Bodyguard, Dabang or 3 Idiots.
It’s going to be like a Golmaal 3 first week if it trends decently. Probably illustrates how much SRK has fallen. While he really can’t guarantee the kind of initial draw Salman and Aamir ensure these days, a Devgan flick released more than a year back would be the most realistic benchmark for him today.
December 25, 2011 at 2:14 PM
My fears from watcvhing Don Sequel
1. After reading some of the reviews i am getting a feeling this is bank heist movie.
now i fear that if i watch this movie, than it shall kill the legend of Don that i know of, as for me Don is not a thief, or someone who goes and do stealing! he is heck the DON.
i feel if they wanted a heist plot they could have always made a different movie why use DON for that?
thus i feel no genuine interest that i had when i saw first trailer as i felt this will show mafia story of europe, or drug cartel network, but i guess that was too much Godfatherly to expect!
2. I dont get this priyanka role continued? means wasnt her boyfriend or brother someone killed by Don? how do you like that person?
December 25, 2011 at 3:29 PM
Well, you talk as if you know don very well, that you cant imagine this and that. Isnt it ironic that you dont know about roma and ramesh?
December 25, 2011 at 3:33 PM
Just kidding mate! Dont take it seriously. Well don2 as rajen said is an average heist movie. I dont agree with him that this is the the best bollywood has ever seen. Both race and dhoom2 are far better than this in that genre. But dont need to do it as a don’s franchise.
December 26, 2011 at 7:17 AM
the first few minutes of srk’s intro. and when after a few min. – when the titles start rolling – it is so irritatingly bizarre and staged that u wud do a favor to urself by walking out from that point because nowhere in the movie, u feel real tension…..and tight action/heist/thrills are experienced when impeccable timing is maintained – here, everything else falls flat and srk behaves as if the audience is foolish….
December 25, 2011 at 2:49 PM
Don 2 Has Big Jump On Sunday
Sunday 25th December 2011 23.00 IST
Boxofficeindia.Com Trade Network
Don 2 has had a big jump on Sunday as per the early collections coming. The film looks to have crossed the 17 crore nett mark on Sunday for its Hindi version and even around 18 crore nett collections may be possible.
A circuit like Delhi/UP which collected around 2.85 crore nett on Sunday seems to be heading for collections in the 3.50-3.75 crore nett range on Sunday.The collections have been propelled higher by single screen business on Sunday in the North and Gujarat.
Single screens which were 50% on Saturday were going house full on Sunday. Multiplexes showed less growth on Sunday as they were already high and could not really go much higher.
Sunday is normally very good but here it may have benefited more as it was Christmas day, one of the biggest holidays of the year or it could be that the film is on a big run. Monday is likely to decide if it was the Christmas day factor or not.
http://boxofficeindia.com/boxnewsdetail.php?page=shownews&articleid=3846&nCat=
December 25, 2011 at 5:08 PM
Taran
#Don2 Sunday trends: Seems like 19 cr to 20 cr. Multiplexes were superb today.
December 25, 2011 at 5:10 PM
posted this earlier.. BOI talking about 18 crores. But they’re not sure whether it’s because of Christmas or not.
December 25, 2011 at 6:47 PM
and just like that 100cr is back on the cards. 45-50 cr weekend…60-65cr first week? decent. if the trending is good then it will certainly reach 100cr.
December 25, 2011 at 3:50 PM
Essential SRK-the essence of shah rukh khan
squeezed in don2 today…
think i may write more about it later
but a few random points on the spur—
WARNING-this is my unique somewhat BRAZEN individualistic perspective and dont think it will be shared by many
can understand why this is getting mixed reivews apparently even from srk fans
Like him or hate him–u cannot ignore him
and now—-he has forced me to concede—
my reading of srk has been quite curious.
AHve long maintained that he is a sort of a phenomenon though the number of films/ performances of his that i have liked can be counted by the fingers of ONE hand
don2 as a film and performance joins that list for me
December 25, 2011 at 4:13 PM
don2——contd from above—
yes- don2 lacks in soul
yes- foolishly there has been no real reason/excuse/rationalisation provided for dons criminality here—which is an elementary script writing error anywhere in the world
yes–there are loop holes if one looks for them or even if one doesnt—eg a face mask changes not only srks face but also his physicality, height, dancing skills etc
yes–srk hams at times and his oh-so-common srk-isms abound
srk is more than his usual cocky arrogant naricisstic ass..ole but ….
BUT
for me—this all works to a large extent in this setup
would bring in the dabang analogy
before dabang salman khans entire filmography to me is like a scotmotous black hole with a few light rays here and there
but in dabang , his off screen persona merges with the on screen character like never before–and the after effects of the end result for his career is here to see till now
in don2–(not to the same extent as dabang though)—elements of SRK-ism get intermingled with the don2 persona like a hand-in-glove situation
missed some initial parts as joined late–but HIs grunge look (long haired one) is probably one of the most effective ones imo
Didnt like it when he came back to his clean shaven self which made him lose a bit of edginess–but luckily only for a little while
Found farhan akhtars work competent–but will come to all that later
Most of the supporting cast was ok.
Kunal kapoor was a bit listlessly irritating but all that later (As well)
Priyanka chopra was ok-ish for the most part
BUT the way the “romantic-ish” vibe with srk was handled was up my alley and meets my seal of approval
there were unique moments there esp towards the end
and srk changes his tone/flavour just ever so subtly enuf to show his class
yes folks—SRK aint going anywhere at the top or now
and im not even bothered about the box office now
December 25, 2011 at 4:41 PM
don2–contd-3
again this is entirely my personal take and dont expect this to reflect on the don2 box office or on tastes in general
in my own viewing experience —-this sort of slightly exaggerated “over the top-ish” reaction occurs when something resonates with ones own personality somehow
With viewers like me–EVERYONE has a chance provided someone has done something earnest–no preconditions, no hold backs, no hangups(mostly–there are some exceptions rarely though)
now some random points–
now read someones comment from above–rooney asking—”I dont get this priyanka role continued? means wasnt her boyfriend or brother someone killed by Don? how do you like that person?”
exactly—thats a rational sensible question
BUT to me, this is the grey area explored somewhat subtly here.
Can see where it maybe coming from (though dont blame most for finding it wierd…)
On a lighter note, the element of flirtation evn in car chases and even when behind bars was pulled off by srk in his own inimitable style–well some may find the same irritating hammin though and no issues with that either
its just about ones own “style” really in these things i presume
The subtle change in gears around those junctures towards the end to me defines the ‘heights’ scaled by SRK as an “actor” worth his salt…
Herein under the layers of all that SRK-ism and arrogant assholery. i saw a more-than-competent actor adept at changing his gears/styles/ foolishness and more importantly, a human being, who has lived life on his own terms and won mostly…..
There were some points esp some action scenes and the technical slickness that made me feel somewhat proud of bollywood and this newly seeping in professional ethic –and excel/farhan has something to do with it perhaps at least in this film
In don2—perhaps there is a bit of exaggeration here –but somewhere SRK reminded me of an animal i adore—the tiger and i loved it
If one reads only this writeup of mine on don2—he may mistake me as an srk fan hahaha
thats the individualistic mosaicism at play –called as ‘wierdness’ sometimes lol
little do those people know that the ONLY performances of his that i truly found worthwhile without getting tempted to leave midway—at the top of my mind are—
Chak de india
hey raam
KANK
(ONLY)
and now don2 joins that select list……
And
December 25, 2011 at 5:27 PM
and oh yes—
just happened to read this now from ms karan kumar
after i have posted my views on don1 above–
“You are not governed by facts, your agenda in different, it is to put down SRK.” –\hahaha rotflol
what do the srk fans like karan kumar have to say now…..
mate—have nothing to prove/disprove to anyone least to u.
Write my views unedited/unbiased and straight to the centre of the controversy
and yes—with no intentional political correctness
cheers and have fun
and enjoy don2 (like me)
December 25, 2011 at 5:43 PM
And just to add to my views in don2 above–
My polite suggestion to some Srk fans like karankumar (though there are some sensible ones like Arsh khera)
Now if u could point out some points of “pulling down Srk” or “bias” in my don2 review-plz point out
Btw this wasnt written like this to prove this point lol.
Don’t need to get any duh certificates thanq
As satyam also pointed out: if u change that one-note default “defend/promote Srk ” slogan; u may do yourselves and srks credibility a huge favour
Just a suggestion.., think bout it
December 25, 2011 at 6:15 PM
Alec
So now are you very sure that I am a SRK fan ? Is this your final opinion ?
Unlike you, I will not suffer any delusions of forcing your hand to write a positive review. Such issues don’t matter to me. Hence don’t expect that kind of response from me.
But I do have a vivid imagination.
I think that Don 2 is as near flawless as one can get (within the realm of big budget commercial movies). I think that given how hip, cool, fantastic Don 2 is, and given the jump Don 2 has shown on Sunday, you had zero (as in nada) wriggle room. Don 2 left you with no choice. It was either that or loose credibility.
Yet you managed to let some of your agenda slip through. For example you state that even SRK fans have disliked Don 2. Now that statement is false, unfounded and cannot be defended. The truth is that not just fans, but the entire nation is applauding Don 2. A metro centric movie like Don 2 cannot post approx 50 Cr without a solid “Thumbs Up” from the whole country. Hence your fib about even fans not liking Don 2 is as I claim, a manifestation of your slash and burn agenda. Therefore I am sorry, you tripped, your were close, but unfortunately no cigar.
Ultimately it is better to just state the truth. In fact I don’t mind being misunderstood or being pigeon holed, when I defend the truth. Also left to myself I would not have posted this comment, but you asked “to show” and I “obliged”.
December 25, 2011 at 6:28 PM
Anyhow : need to catch up with some work.
But:”I think that given how hip, cool, fantastic Don 2 is, and given the jump Don 2 has shown on Sunday, you had zero (as in nada) wriggle room. Don 2 left you with no choice”—
Hahaha
Rotflol
Although I had certain reservations when satyam said those things about certain Srk fans, now I fully agree with satyam..
Oh my god-what default defense and staunch fanaticism
Anyhow : I was also left “no choice” but to declare that I didn’t find any of his multiple “hits” with kjo/yashraj upto the mark…
Finally no point in discussing with a delusional soul–hope other Srk fans give u some sense.
Don’t wanna spoil a rare good experience in an Srk film/ performance
And yes: liked the song at the end credits as well–Srk in his element in this one and don’t need a delusional imbecile fan to tell me that.
Enjoy don2 folks
Hahaha
December 25, 2011 at 7:42 PM
Alec
Once again given an opportunity to respond you chose to play dodge ball.
Let me repeat whether I am a man or woman is immaterial to this discussion. Whether I am fan or not is alo immaterial. Either I have a pont or don’t. Focus on the content.
Please justify your statement that even SRK fans have not endorsed Don 2 (I paraphrase). Sure you will be able to find a few SRK fans that may have not liked Don 2, but India’s population is Billion +, the potential domestic Bollywood market is in Millions, a few stray negatives is statistically irrelevant. You cannot say that SRK fans have not liked Don 2 just based on a mere handful of people (even if we grant you that). Moreover given approx 50 Cr domestic BO over the first weekend you have no choice but to agree that Don 2, a metro centric movie, has been strongly endorsed by all (fans, fanatics, non-fans and outright haters).
Hence respond to the above. Calling me a fanatic does not help your case, it just shows your desire to run away and hide. Also please stand up on your own self proclaimed gant feet (again I paraphrase), please don’t use Satyam and Arsh as crutches. Make your case, I promise I will not take advantage of your inabilities (at least you have refused to display them by constantly running away). You have a good opportunity to convince me. I am open to learning and challenging my own limitations. It is very possible that I am wrong and you can with the powers of your ability make things better for me.
December 25, 2011 at 9:41 PM
Ok guys let’s drop it.. no point in going back and forth..
December 25, 2011 at 5:08 PM
Diwali deadlock
It’s fight to the finish as SRK, Akki, Ajay Devgn, Sanjay Dutt and Sunny Deol book the same date for their 2012 mega films
Kunal M Shah
Posted On Monday, December 26, 2011 at 02:14:18 AM
Diwali 2012, firecrackers won’t just light up your homes. With five A-list actors clashing at the box office, the ticket windows are sure to light up as well. As of now, five films have been scheduled to release on the same day in November next year, These include, Shah Rukh Khan’s film directed by Yash Chopra, Akshay Kumar’s Khiladi 786, Ajay Devgn’s Son Of Sardar, Sunny Deol’s Ghayal Returns and Sanjay Dutt’s Thanedaar Returns.
While Yash Chopra has already announced that his untitled project starring Shah Rukh Khan, Anushka Sharma and Katrina Kaif will be releasing on Diwali. Recently, Himesh Reshammiya who launched his next production Khiladi 786 (to be directed by Rohit Shetty’s assistant Ashish Mohan) with Akshay Kumar has also announced a Diwali release.
A couple of days back, it was announced that Sanjay Dutt starrer Thanedaar Returns, to be directed by KS Ravikumar will also release on the same date. Apart from these three films, Ajay Devgn, who has always tasted success during Diwali is aiming for a Diwali release for Son Of Sardar. Sunny Deol’s home production Ghayal Returns to be directed by Rahul Rawail is also trying for the same date.
When contacted, Vajir Singh, editor of Box Office India said, “This will be the biggest clash at the box office ever. Producers like to release their films on Diwali. It is a festive season and films do good business. However, in this kind of a scenario, the films are sure to eat into each other’s business.”
Noted critic Taran Adarsh reflected, “I guess it is the stage where people want to block the date and say, ‘Hamaari picture a jaayegi, doosre ki nahi aayegi’. Not more than two films should release not only on Diwali but on any other weekend. An exhibitor cannot accomodate.
The common man doesn’t have time, money or the inclination to watch five films. So why clash?”
“Ghayal Returns and Son Of Sardar shoots have already begun. Himesh’s film with Akshay is yet to go on floors and there is no status to Thaanedar Returns as of yet. Shah Rukh has already given dates to Yash Chopra so that is confirmed. As of now, there are five films but as the weeks go by, we would get a clearer picture. But I still maintain that this is not a healthy trend,” added Adarsh.
December 25, 2011 at 6:36 PM
And good to now leave this delusional fanatic one dimensional fan (that Srk would be ashamed of ) in the lurch gathering his poor self for the time being.
Now for some work.
Will be back later on for some more –no more time for u rite now miss karan kumar lol
Hope satyam will take care of your cries in agony now hoho
December 25, 2011 at 9:52 PM
A Year of Disappointment At the Movie Box Office
By BROOKS BARNES
LOS ANGELES — With five days left in 2011, ticket sales in North America are running about $500 million behind last year — despite higher prices — prompting a round of soul searching by studios trying to determine what went wrong and how best to proceed.
Movies are a cyclical business and analysts say that 2010 benefited mightily from holdover sales for “Avatar,” which was released late in 2009 and became one of the most popular movies of all time. A decline of hundreds of millions of dollars is not catastrophic when weighed against the size of the industry. Over all, North American ticket revenue for 2011 is projected to be about $10.1 billion, according to Hollywood.com, which compiles box-office data.
That is only a 4.5 percent falloff from 2010. But studio executives are alarmed by the downturn nonetheless, in part because the real picture is worse than the raw revenue numbers suggest.
Revenue, for instance, has been propped up by a glut of 3-D films, which cost $3 to $5 more per ticket. Studios made 40 pictures in 3-D in the last 12 months, up from 24 last year, according to BoxOfficeMojo.com, a movie database. Theaters have also continued to increase prices for standard tickets; moviegoers now pay an average of $7.89 each, up 1 percent over last year.
Attendance for 2011 is expected to drop 5.3 percent, to 1.27 billion, continuing a slide. Attendance declined 6 percent in 2010.
Hopes that a group of major releases would supercharge the Christmas box office fizzled over the weekend. Paramount’s “Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol” was a solid No. 1, taking in $26.5 million in its second weekend for a total of about $59 million. But “Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows” (Warner Brothers) was a softer-than-expected second, with $17.8 million in ticket sales, lifting its two-week total to $76.6 million.
“Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked” (20th Century Fox) continued to struggle in third place, taking in about $13.3 million for a two-week total of $50.3 million. Three heavily promoted new entries had tepid results. “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” (Sony), was fourth, taking in $13 million for the weekend and $21.4 million since opening last Wednesday. Steven Spielberg’s “Adventures of Tintin” (Paramount) was fifth with about $9.1 million ($22.3 million since opening last Wednesday). Fox’s “We Bought a Zoo” came in sixth, taking in a lackluster $7.8 million in its opening weekend.
What has gone wrong? Plenty, say studio distribution executives, who point to competition for leisure dollars, particularly among financially pressed young people (the movie industry’s most coveted demographic); too many family movies; and the continued erosion of star power.
One more thing: “You have to go back and look at the content,” said Dan Fellman, president of domestic distribution for Warner Brothers. “Good movies always rise to the occasion. Bad ones, not so much.”
Young people, defined by studios as teenagers and people in their 20s, certainly helped power some of the biggest movies of 2011, including Warner’s “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2,” the year’s No. 1 release with $381 million in domestic ticket sales. (Paramount’s “Transformers: Dark of the Moon” was second with more than $352 million, and “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn — Part 1” from Summit Entertainment was third with more than $269 million.)
But a spate of smaller movies aimed at younger audiences bombed, including “Prom” from Walt Disney, “Glee: The 3-D Concert Movie” from 20th Century Fox, Warner’s “Sucker Punch,” Lionsgate’s “Conan the Barbarian” and “Your Highness,” a drug-oriented comedy from Universal. The horror genre struggled as an entire category, with lemons like “Fright Night” (DreamWorks Studios), “The Thing” (Universal) and “Priest” (Sony).
“As bad as the economy is for adults, it’s worse for teenagers,” said Phil Contrino, editor of BoxOffice.com, by way of an explanation. “Because they have less disposable income and because they are more plugged in to audience reaction on Facebook and Twitter, the teenage audience is becoming picky,” he added. “That’s a nightmare for studios that are used to pushing lowest-common-denominator films.”
Mr. Fellman said he had seen evidence that younger consumers were choosing other leisure activities over movies.
“There may be a correlation to the recent strength of video game sales,” he said. “You look at a game like the new ‘Call of Duty’ selling $400 million in its first 24 hours and say, ‘What? How is that even possible?’ ”
On the other hand, several movies aimed squarely at older audiences attracted stronger-than-expected revenue, “The Help” was the prime example. That period drama cost DreamWorks about $25 million to make and took in more than $169 million in North America. “We definitely benefited from coming out at the end of summer, when women are sick of going with their husbands and boyfriends to nothing but robot and superhero movies,” said Brunson Green, a producer of the film.
The R-rated “Bridesmaids” (Universal) also clicked with older moviegoers, who perhaps responded, distribution executives said, to a premise that seemed fresh: women behaving as badly as the guys of “The Hangover Part II” (Warner), which was a smash with $255 million. “Bridesmaids” cost about $33 million and took in $169 million, causing a race in Hollywood to develop copycat films.
Too much of anything, however, can produce a hangover and studios started to feel one with family films, which have been among the most reliable moneymakers in recent years.
Some new entries delivered solid results, “Rio” from Fox, “The Smurfs” from Sony, but a number of them stumbled in North America. Those include Sony’s “Arthur Christmas,” DreamWorks Animation’s “Kung Fu Panda 2” and Disney’s “Mars Needs Moms,” which was by some measures the biggest flop of 2011, costing at least $150 million and taking in about $21 million.
Even Pixar had trouble. The Disney-owned animation studio had a hit in “Cars 2,” with more than $191 million in domestic ticket sales, but that total was Pixar’s worst single result, after adjusting for inflation.
Star power, or a lack thereof, was again a negative factor at the box office in 2011. There were bright spots, of course: Tom Cruise appears to be regaining momentum with the latest “Mission: Impossible” film; Johnny Depp charmed audiences once more with “The Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides,” which took in $241 million for Disney (and exceeded $1 billion globally); Cameron Diaz earned her keep in “Bad Teacher,” which took in more than $100 million for Sony.
But it was wreckage for most marquee names: Harrison Ford and Daniel Craig disappointed in the DreamWorks and Universal release “Cowboys & Aliens;” Eddie Murphy and Ben Stiller landed with a thud in “Tower Heist,” a Universal film; Julia Roberts and Tom Hanks bombed in the independently financed “Larry Crowne.” “New Year’s Eve,” essentially a string of star cameos, has been essentially ignored.
More troubling, studio executives say, were failed efforts by some younger stars to become bigger box-office draws. Ryan Reynolds never took off as “Green Lantern” and Jonah Hill, praised for a supporting role in “Moneyball,” flopped as the main attraction in “The Sitter.” Russell Brand missed in a remake of “Arthur,” as did Taylor Lautner in “Abduction.” Amanda Seyfried struggled in “Red Riding Hood.”
Two exceptions were Chris Hemsworth as “Thor” and Chris Evans as “Captain America: The First Avenger.” Both of those newcomers, helped by their superhero tights, found substantial audiences.
The good news for Hollywood is that the first quarter of 2012 looks much stronger than the same period this year, when studios had little to generate audience excitement.
Warner has two sequels — “Journey 2: The Mysterious Island” and “Wrath of the Titans,” while Sony has a prominent remake in “21 Jump Street.” Disney will re-release “Beauty and the Beast” in 3-D, followed by Fox’s 3-D re-release of “Star Wars: Episode I — The Phantom Menace.” And Lionsgate will weigh in with its highly anticipated “The Hunger Games.”
“It’s an extremely strong hand for the industry to play,” Mr. Fellman said.
December 25, 2011 at 9:53 PM
once again this is how professional and honest analysis is done in these matters.
December 25, 2011 at 11:00 PM
I’d like to know where people are paying $7 (or less) for movie tickets.
December 25, 2011 at 9:55 PM
“Mission: Impossible” cruises to top of box office
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – “Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol” cruised to No. 1 at box offices on Sunday, even as major new movies opened on Christmas Day which may change top 10 results when final numbers are tallied.
The new Tom Cruise movie rang up an estimated $26.5 million in U.S. and Canadian ticket sales over the three-day weekend, according to studio estimates, after expanding from a limited release in Imax and other large-screen theaters last week.
Paramount Pictures, which released the movie, said it expects a four-day tally of slightly more than $40 million by Monday, when final estimates are reported. The film’s cumulative ticket sales are expected to reach just over $72 after Monday.
Indeed, the weekend box office race truly will finish on Monday because Christmas day annually is among the most crowded days in theaters and on Sunday, director Steven Spielberg’s widely-anticipated “War Horse” makes its debut along with another newcomer, thriller “The Darkest Hour.”
Hollywood’s major studios loaded the release schedule last week heading into the holiday, expecting the films to play well between now and New Year’s Eve while parents and kids are away from work and school. As a result, a clear picture of how the movie studios fared this Christmas season awaits the full week of box office reports.
Meanwhile, over the weekend Warner Bros’ “Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows” took the No. 2 spot on U.S. and Canadian (domestic) box office charts with $17.8 million, according to Sunday’s estimates. Cumulative ticket sales for “Sherlock” after two weeks now stand at roughly $76.5 million.
Another holdover from last week, family comedy “Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked” squeaked into No. 3 with $13.3 million, pushing its total domestic ticket sales to $50.3 million after two weeks in theaters.
Following it were a trio of last week’s newcomers, widely-anticipated “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo,” family film “The Adventures of Tintin” and comedy “We Bought A Zoo.”
“Dragon Tattoo” landed at No. 4 on Sunday with $13 million, a hair behind the chipmunks, and a Sony spokesman cautioned the studio’s figure could change when Sunday’s figures are final.
“Today and tomorrow should be our strongest days of the holiday frame,” the spokesman said, noting that the studio did not have a Monday estimate.
“Dragon Tattoo” now has estimated total domestic ticket sales of $21.4 million since its debut.
“Tintin,” another Spielberg film released by Paramount, landed at No. 5 over the weekend with $9.1 million. The studio sees it rising to $14.3 million after Monday. Total ticket sales by Monday are seen at $22.3 million since its debut.
Finally, another new entry this weekend, the comedy “We Bought a Zoo,” landed at No. 6 with $7.8 million.
Paramount Pictures is a unit of Viacom Inc. Warner Bros. is part of Time Warner Inc.. “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” was released by the movie studio division of Sony Pictures Entertainment, a unit of Sony Corp. “Chipwrecked” and “Zoo” were both released by film divisions of 20th Century Fox, a unit of News Corp..
December 25, 2011 at 10:02 PM
these are weak numbers for MI4… again shows Cruise’s diminishing form.. to make 72m through a 4 day weekend and a longer 11 day period including an early 3D release is hardly great. In 1996 the first MI made 180m. In 2000 the second one did 215m. In 2006 the third one, generally considered an underperformer did 134m. Unless it trends surprisingly well MI4 will just repeat the performance of the last one more or less.
Will say having seen the film that it’s very enjoyable and certainly has a few very imaginatively done action/stunt sequences. Especially like the Burj Khalifa sequence as well as the stuff with the cars in the climax and of course the sandstorm segment. However the film isn’t fantastic by any stretch. Not a patch on the first one and though the second one isn’t fresh in my mind I am unsure whether that too might not be better overall. Because Woo brought a very different aesthetic to it and it worked really well. Don’t mean to sound harsh on the current film. It’s perfectly fine for what it is but I think it could have been more.
December 25, 2011 at 11:03 PM
I keep being puzzled by your lauding of the first MI film as some sort of great benchmark. As I remember, it got quite a critical drubbing. (The review for MI 2 that I remember was, “There are large plot holes, but compared to the previous MI they are not so bad.”)
December 26, 2011 at 8:10 AM
It’s true, the first one didn’t get a great critical reception at all. However things have changed over the years. It’s become a modern classic and many have reevaluated their opinions! Of course critics have given far greater films a drubbing on initial release.
December 26, 2011 at 7:54 AM
These were pre chirstmas days(one of the reasons even Sherlock holmes opened lower… though thats not the only reason), now after Christmas, each day in US BO is almost like a holiday upto the new year mark.
MI4 is expected to earn an average of 10 million USD everyday(Sunday has already come in at 11.2 or so estimate, monday to be higher…).
It will reach to 130-135 by the 31st only.
And is expected to end domestically around 175+ mark(or even more) and an additional 400 million overseas bringing WW collections to 575.(could become highest earning MI movie ever WW).
The new year weekend numbers will be almost similar or will have some jump for all these movies…(this year was special as in Christmas fell on Sunday.), last time it happened in 2005 and data is there to support it.
Sherlock though had a disappointing opening, will still keep on being stable and reach around 165+ Million USD mark….
Alvin and Chipmunks around 125+ Million mark.
All of the above might sound little surprising and abnormal, but thats how it plays out in the Chirstmas-New Year weekend time in the US BO.
But yeah overall its been a soft BO period over there…
December 26, 2011 at 7:59 AM
BTW, many movies underperformed like Tintin(though its worldwide Hit, but in US,its not that much known),Dragon Tatto, We Bought a Zoo etc…(even Alvin and Sherlock to an extent)..
But here is the major news, War Horse has taken a unexpected huge start of 7.5 million USD first day inspite of its almost 2.5 hrs running time.
Industry expectations were around 4.5 million..
With Decent WOM, this one is sure to breakout and cross 100 million.
December 26, 2011 at 2:08 PM
“Paramount’s Tom Cruise starrer Mission: Impossible–Ghost Protocol ruled the Christmas box office with a four-day holiday gross of $46.2 million, bringing it’s worldwide total to a stellar $218.6 million in just over a week in release.
The film, the fourth in the espionage franchise, has now taken in $78.6 million domestically and $140 million overseas. At those levels, Ghost Protocol has a shot at earning $200 million in North America and $400 million overseas — easily a franchise best and eclipsing the $546.4 million earned by Mission: Impossible II.”
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/christmas-box-office-war-horse-mission-impossible-4-276338
December 25, 2011 at 11:41 PM
A round-up of Bollywood box-office for 2011…Not surprisingly, Ra.One has been classified amongst the top flops of the year !!
http://www.mid-day.com/entertainment/2011/dec/261211-Bollywoods-fate-at-box-office-this-year.htm
Bollywood’s fate at box office this year
Here’s the report card of some of this year’s big banner films at the box office
Tis time to take stock of the year, after the last of the big banner films has released. On the basis of return on investment (the business done by the film compared to its cost, including print and advertising), our trade experts came up with about a dozen movies that make it to the hit list.
Not surprisingly, Salman Khan makes it to the top of the list, this year too, with Bodyguard raking in Rs 150 crore at the box office. And though Shah Rukh Khan’s RA.One too is said to have met the numbers, it doesn’t qualify due to its high cost.
Listing Singham, The Dirty Picture, Ready, Murder 2, Delhi Belly, Tanu Weds Manu, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, Mere Brother Ki Dulhan, Yamla Pagla Deewana, Haunted and No One Killed Jessica as the hits of 2011, trade analyst Amod Mehra calls it a normal year.
“The only difference is that big films like Bodyguard, Ready and Singham have generated huge money. Even a flop like RA.One did business over Rs 100 crore. Never before have four movies done business even close to Rs 100 crore each in the same year,” he says, adding that a Rs 22 crore The Dirty Picture crossing Rs 80 crore is huge.
In the same vein, Suniel Wadhwa of 52 Weeks Entertainment Inc, while also adding Vashu Bhagnani’s F.A.L.T.U to the hit list, points out to a growth of 60 percent in the business in the June-September period.
“The expectations in the last quarter from October to December were high, with films like RA.One, Desi Boyz, Rockstar and Don 2. Only The Dirty Picture delivered to become the biggest success of this period,” he states, pegging the average growth in the business at 22 per cent, as compared to 2010.
Indore based distributor Aditya Chowksey attributes the growth in business to the upsurge in the Indian market. “At one time, Rs 100 crore gross was unheard of. Now, we’re seeing Rs 100 crore net collections,” he points out, adding that the industry is no longer dependent on overseas to rake in the moolah.
“The Dirty Picture did very bad overseas, but it qualifies as a big hit due to its huge success in the domestic circuit.”
Talking of the growth in the domestic market, Sunil Punjabi, CEO Cinemax says that the increase in multiplexes has seen realisation in the number of prints and screens as a result. “But the films are not delivering the numbers to come close to 3 Idiots.
It will always be the second and third weeks that define the size of success, apart from the length of the movie. Doing big numbers in the first week is expected because of the open window,” he observes.
Considering that it was the most eagerly anticipated film of the year, tradesmiths call RA.One the biggest disappointment of 2011.
“It created the highest decibel in terms of pre-release reach, quality and raised expectations of the audience, but failed to deliver. It could easily win the Best marketed film of the year award, but people didn’t accept it.
No other film has got 95 percent screens on release, with no competition for nearly three weeks. An ideal situation for any movie, but it didn’t match from the content perspective,” sums up Punjabi about SRK’s RS 150 crore VFX-laden superhero flick.
According to Mehra, it’s an alarming situation for Don 2 if single screens are not going full. Pegging the first day’s collections at Rs 13 crore, he says that considering the response from the public, he sees it crashing after Christmas.
” Don 2 has to do a business of Rs 110 crore to break even,” he says about the film that has cost Reliance about Rs 105-110 crore after buying it from Excel Entertainment for Rs 80 crore.
Top hits
1) Bodyguard
2) Singham
3) Dirty Picture
4) Ready
5) Murder 2
6) Delhi Belly
7) Tanu Weds Manu
8) Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara
9) Mere Brother Ki Dulhan
10) Yamla Pagla Deewana
11) Haunted 3D
12) No One Killed Jessica
Top flops
1) Patiala house
2) 7 Khoon Maf
3) Thank You
4) Game
5) Mausam
6) Rascals
7) RA.One
8) Desi Boyz
9) Aarakshan
10) Ladies vs Ricky Bahl
December 26, 2011 at 1:39 AM
so apparently, nowadays, a box office flop is equivalent to a film that was a poor fare. Well then according to that, Bodyguard should be amongst the top flops…
December 26, 2011 at 2:35 AM
No, why are you willfullly misinterpreting? The above list is strictly about return on investment in terms of box office collections, and there Ra.One’s high cost doomed it.
December 26, 2011 at 4:16 AM
However, the film recovered its costs and most distributors made a decent profit. Unless I’m completely misinformed, that’s the report I saw. Even considering the high cost, the film made approximately 50 crores nett profit.
December 26, 2011 at 8:23 AM
The question is, who made the profit? Is it the producers or the distributors? And even a net profit of 50 crores against a cost of 175 crores is not that much, compared to the kind of profit a film like The Dirty Picture made.
December 27, 2011 at 1:55 AM
But, isn’t flop a movie that has less revenue than the costs. If that’s it, the movie is not a flop.
Even if you’re considering the producers and the distributors…only a few distributors suffered some loss, but, most distributors earned decent profits…again, unless i’m completely misinformed.
December 26, 2011 at 1:38 AM
@ karankumar, I know how tough it is to be a SRK well wisher (I won’t say you a fan)on SS. But hats off to you.
So..Rajen you liked Don 2. Alex Adams also liked it. Still if it doesn’t reach to 100-120 cr will feel sad for SRK.
December 26, 2011 at 1:45 AM
as SRK says, “records broken not important…making people happy is the goal.”
December 26, 2011 at 1:51 AM
DON2-my impressions
satyam-my views above were random and disjointed and you may well delete those–not that this is much better since never get down to write a proper “review” but pasting it altogether here in one place .
have bothered since Incidentally liked this film and srk here more than some of the srk fans who saw the film with me (though they also enjoyed it overall)
Essential SRK-the essence of shah rukh khan
squeezed in don2 today…
WARNING-this is my unique somewhat BRAZEN individualistic perspective and dont think it will be shared by many
can understand why this is getting mixed reivews
Like him or hate him–u cannot ignore him
My reading of srk has been quite curious.
Have long maintained that he is a sort of a phenomenon though the number of films/ performances of his that i have liked can be counted by the fingers of ONE hand
don2 as a film and performance joins that list for me
PROBLEMS WITH DON2–
yes–farhan employs a fanboy approach to don and srk and everything is constructed around him to project him
yes- don2 lacks in soul
yes- foolishly there has been no real reason/excuse/rationalisation provided for dons criminality here—which is an elementary script writing error anywhere in the world
yes–there are loop holes if one looks for them or even if one doesnt—eg a face mask changes not only srks face but also his physicality, height, dancing skills etc
yes–srk hams at times and his oh-so-common srk-isms abound
srk is more than his usual cocky arrogant naricisstic ass..ole but ….
BUT
for me—this all works to a large extent in this setup
would bring in the dabang analogy
before dabang salman khans entire filmography to me is like a scotomatous black hole with a few light rays here an+d there
but in dabang , his off screen persona merges with the onscreen persona and the positive impact on his career is still being felt since. this is entirely my personal take and dont expect this to reflect on the don2 box office or on tastes in general
in my own viewing experience —-this sort of slightly exaggerated “over the top-ish” reaction occurs when something resonates with ones own personality somehow
With viewers like me–EVERYONE has a chance provided someone has done something earnest–no preconditions, no hold backs, no hangups(mostly–there are some exceptions rarely though)
now some random points–
now read someones comment from above–rooney asking—”I dont get this priyanka role continued? means wasnt her boyfriend or brother someone killed by Don? how do you like that person?”
exactly—thats a rational sensible question
BUT to me, this is the grey area explored somewhat subtly here.
Can see where it maybe coming from (though dont blame most for finding it wierd…)
On a lighter note, the element of flirtation evn in car chases and even when behind bars was pulled off by srk in his own inimitable style–well some may find the same irritating hammin though and no issues with that either
its just about ones own “style” really in these things i presume
The subtle change in gears around those junctures towards the end to me defines the ‘heights’ scaled by SRK as an “actor” worth his salt…
Herein under the layers of all that SRK-ism and arrogant assholery. i saw a more-than-competent actor adept at changing his gears/styles/ foolishness and more importantly, a human being, who has lived life on his own terms and won mostly…..
There were some points esp some action scenes and the technical slickness that made me feel somewhat proud of bollywood and this newly seeping in professional ethic –and excel/farhan has something to do with it perhaps at least in this film
In don2—perhaps there is a bit of exaggeration here –but somewhere SRK reminded me of an animal i adore—the tiger and i loved it
If one reads only this writeup of mine on don2—he may mistake me as an srk fan hahaha
thats the individualistic mosaicism at play –called as ‘wierdness’ sometimes lol
little do those people know that the ONLY performances of his that i truly found worthwhile without getting tempted to leave midway—at the top of my mind are—
Chak de india
hey raam
KANK
(ONLY)
and now don2 joins that select list……
n screen character like never before–and the after effects of the end result for his career is here to see till now
in don2–(not to the same extent as dabang though)—elements of SRK-ism get intermingled with the don2 persona like a hand-in-glove situation
missed some initial parts as joined late–but HIs grunge look (long haired one) is probably one of the most effective ones imo
Didnt like it when he came back to his clean shaven self which made him lose a bit of edginess–but luckily only for a little while
Found farhan akhtars work competent–but will come to all that later
Most of the supporting cast was ok.
Kunal kapoor was a bit listlessly irritating but all that later (As well)
Priyanka chopra was ok-ish for the most part
BUT the way the “romantic-ish” vibe with srk was handled was up my alley and meets my seal of approval
there were unique moments there esp towards the end
and srk changes his tone/flavour just ever so subtly enuf to show his class
yes folks—SRK aint going anywhere as of now
and im not even bothered about the box office now
since beliebe that this is after al a by product of talent charm and ability. one can keep discussing crores, trending etc, but this movie didnt disappoint me and yes, srk didnt either
December 26, 2011 at 2:38 AM
Well, obviously SRK isn’t going anywhere. Reports of his stardom’s demise are greatly exaggerated.
Even if he has several flops in a row (and I mean real flops, not underperformers), he can yet make a resurgence. I’d actually be more concerned about his health preventing him, rather than any other factor.
December 26, 2011 at 4:07 AM
I don’t know. When was the last time there was any real hysteria or anticipation around a SRK film? And I don’t mean the hype machine that is so pervasive in Bollywood these days. Actually, Joe Public buzz about any of his films? And in any event, this is not a trend that started just this past Friday. KANK was supposed to be this smash blockbuster, it wasn’t. RA.One was supposed to a real challenge to 3 Idiots. It wasn’t. Don 2 was supposed to stem the tide, it doesn’t seem like that’s the way it’s panning out. These of course are the three biggies that come to mind, leave aside all the other ventures SRK has been part of or put out in the last few years. To me, it appears that there is a diminishing appetite for SRK at the movies. There might be a resurgence and I doubt this is the end of him as a box office draw, but methinks the glory days are long gone.
As an aside, I do wish SRK fans would stop going on about how it’s the quality of the movie that counts, the ability and charm of the actor not how much crores the film makes,etc. Someone should tell SRK that! He is the one that brings the box office competition to the forefront with his ‘Badshah’ and ‘Return of the King’ nonsense. They are ALL competitve, no one fondly imagines that Aamir doesn’t carefully study the box office or that he isn’t interested in attaining blockbusters. The difference is he’s wise enough and cunning enough not create a brouhaha over it. Backing up the boasts with the box office is one thing, continuing to peddle the same tired ‘King of Bollywood’ when the evidence suggest that at the very least, in these current times he is anything but, is simply foolhardy.
December 26, 2011 at 4:43 AM
Well, there was certainly anticipation for both Ra.One and Don 2 even before the hype machine got going.
When the media were calling SRK the no. 1 star starting from 2002, it occurred to me that that may be because both Aamir and Salman were distracted by major personal crises at that time. All that has happened now is that the number 1 position is changing and going to others, but SRK still remains one of the top stars. That’s what I meant.
December 26, 2011 at 6:17 AM
good points there-’numbtotouch’
Perhaps a ‘humbler’ and ‘more realistic’ srk may appeal more now
but then. maybe it is his ‘im the greatest’ vibe which driove him to glory and still does
but then, those days are behind him and he needs to get used to the new reality/ milieu sooner than later.
Anyhow srk without that ‘asshole’ attitude may be like angelina jolie without her pout or pamela anderson without u-know-what….lol
anyhow curious r you have actually seenm don2 yet–if yes–your views will be welcome
December 26, 2011 at 4:14 AM
I think that’s one of the things that make me admire Shahrukh. He is very dedicated to his work. He has a back injury, knee injury and a shoulder injury, but, he’s still doing movies like RA.One and Don 2!
December 26, 2011 at 4:45 AM
Yeah, but there’s a point beyond which dedication can become foolhardiness. I think he should be more careful of his health, and I’m not talking only about injuries. He just doesn’t look well in many photos these days.
December 26, 2011 at 10:07 PM
I would say that is true and I think his main problem would be that he smokes. However, work wise, he says that the only way he keeps out of depression is by working, so, I don’t think going to work less would solve any health issues.
December 26, 2011 at 8:43 AM
Alec
Would you like me to parse this post of yours ?
Will only do it if you “ask”.
December 26, 2011 at 2:12 AM
@ Satyam..I think these are pretty good numbers for MI4. Cruise star power indeed diminished in last couple of years. But looks like he is back on track and people seem to have forgiven him. MI4 had even doubt to reach MI3 numbers but looks like on its way for $165-170m. As far as movie is concerned it was on of the most entertaining movies of the year. I watched with 9 friends and everyone liked it. Not great by any means but pretty good.
Except MI4 all other movies are under performing (in terms of prior expectations). Whether its SH2 (gonna decrease from SH), TGWTDT or Tintin bombing. Looks like too much crowded market for so many movies to break out at the same time.
December 26, 2011 at 5:49 AM
“There are some smart lines which again get destroyed the way they are delivered.Would have been more effective if they were to be delivered dead pan with a straight face instead of the facial contortions and intonational gymnastics”
— Well said, rajen. that sums up SRK’s act in the movie. He was effective in jail sequences and when he gets a chance to show his histrionic abilities, but messes up big time while mouthing those ‘Look Im so cool and dont mess with me’ lines.. That sort of ruined it for me.
Btw the Sunday has been pretty good.. Monday will, of course be the deciding factor.
December 26, 2011 at 8:00 AM
Don 2 (Hindi) Has Strong 45 Crore Nett Plus Weekend
Monday 26th December 2011 12.00 IST
Boxofficeindia.Com Trade Network
Don 2 has had a very good first weekend of around 45 crore nett plus for its Hindi version. The approx collections were 14 crore nett on Friday, 14 crore nett on Saturday and 17-17.25 crore nett on Sunday. The Tamil and Telugu dubbed versions have added around 1.50 crore nett over the weekend.
The business has been best in places like Mumbai, Delhi NCR, Kolkata and Bangalore while CP Berar, CI and Bihar have recorded figures that are well below the mark for a big event film. Sunday saw a big jump in single screens in UP and Gujarat but it is probably due to Christmas day holiday as long term single screens may not sustain.
Don 2 is a winner but the weekdays will determine if it can get over the 100 crore nett mark, for that to happen the week will have to finish around the 70 crore nett mark, a first week finish more closer to 65 crore nett will probably mean a 90-92 crore nett final total.
December 26, 2011 at 8:05 AM
BOI earlier thought Sun would be 18 crores or more. Even Taran is now saying 47 crores for the weekend. Given that he had about 15 crores each for Fri and Sat and was predicting 19-20 crores for Sun it should have come in around 50. Of course I was always skeptical of that kind of jump on Sun.
December 26, 2011 at 8:06 AM
Taran provides day by day collections in all the territories:
http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/trade/specialfeatures/id/165
December 26, 2011 at 8:13 AM
and gives it 48.39 crores with Tamil and Telugu version:
http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/trade/top5/id/822/date/2011-12-26
December 26, 2011 at 8:25 AM
This is a new “twist” since Ra.One, to give the collections for the dubbed versions, too, and somehow fold them into the total collections. It’s this sort of maneuver that irritates people like me, who otherwise have no beef against SRK.
December 26, 2011 at 8:33 AM
sm
Where would you suggest that the revenue from the different versions be added ?
It has to accrue to the product because the costing for that version also accrues to the product. If Don 2 bears the cost then Don 2 should get the benefit also.
Even otherwise we are not talking about a different movie, it is the same movie.
December 26, 2011 at 8:37 AM
wherever it was added for other films that also had dubbed versions but which were not counted with the general total to inflate the overall number!
December 26, 2011 at 8:46 AM
Satyam
Maybe then we need to add it from now onwards because this is more accurate accounting.
December 26, 2011 at 8:51 AM
Then why exclude Aarakshan, Raavan, Delhi Belly, Dum Maaro Dum, Dabangg etc for this benefit ? Their dub version were also released simultaneously, neither Taran, nor BOI bothered to put those.
December 26, 2011 at 9:03 AM
Raavan wasn’t a dub, it was a bilingual. And it was the Tamil version that got the Telugu dub. But yes this holds true for Guru, a film which brought up big numbers in South. It’s also true for Krrish or D3. and so on.
December 26, 2011 at 9:31 AM
isn’t Raavan was dub in Telegu ?? with title ‘Villian’ ??
Yeah, Tamil was different.
December 26, 2011 at 8:29 AM
I was trying to avoid the ‘ spectacularly boring’ Don 2 and not spoil my weekend, and wanted to catch The Dirty Picture again on Satrurday. But it was not showing at a theater near my place. So made do with dining out instead. Reached the right multiplex this time on Sunday. But only one ticket was available for TDP. So I sent my wife in for that ( She hadn’t seen it.) and I got the ticket for Don 2 in 3D ( Rs.350). So what did I think?
Well, overall, the first half was ‘ spectacularly boring’. I wanted to walk out right after the start of the Lara Dutta song, so reminiscent of Game, staged like an award stage show performance. Priyanka looked more like a BPO executive than an Interpol officer. The characterization was so por, one just wondered, why should one care whether Don succeeds in his design or not. The actual heist was staged quite okay, and was tolerable to watch. So I don’t quite agree with Rangan’s summing up of it as worse than Ra One. Certainly not. I think Farhan managed to do what he wanted to do: Make a wannabe Hollywood heist film.
My big question to Farhan is : Why?
When all the technicians of Hollywood are available for hire by anyone in any country, what’s the big deal in achieving 50% of the technical gloss of a Hollywood heist film? When you see a film of John Woo or Stephen Chow or Jackie Chan, , you don’t say, Oh, this is as good as Hollywood technically! You say : What wonderful fun it is! ( To quote from the review of a Jackie Chan film: J”ackie Chan’s recent American blockbusters may have seen some dangerous stunts for a Hollywood production, but compared to his older Hong Kong releases they pale in comparison.”
Why this lack of ambition. Why not attempt something original and fresh at least?
So did I like the film? NO way. There was nothing in it to excite. The script was a big let down. Even in the heist proper, there was no antagonist to contend with, no difficulties to surmount..the whole thing was so flat. Characters like Boman Irani, Kunal Kapoor, or Priyanka or Ali were so squeaky clean, without a speck of quirkiness, that it was indeed ‘ spectacularly boring’ to watch the twists and turns. Compare this with characters like Irfan, Arunodaya Singh, Pitobash, Tussar Kapoor in films like Shor In The City and how colourful these characters were, enlivening the proceedings in the process. Here everything hinges on SRK”s charisma, and it falls woefully short. He is okay in some portions. But he looks a little emaciated and dried up, more like a collegian trekker with a back pack, than a ruthless criminal in some of the heist sequences. The worst is when he tries to be cool. It’s too much smirking and twisting lips. Cool is fun when it is natural and effortless. Amitabh Bachchan, Steve McQueen, Michael Cain, even our own Salman Khan in Dabangg are god examples. On the action front there was no exhilarating chase sequences or explosions that approximated some kind of poetry of violence.
What is heartening is that the audience is ready fora pure action film without songs. ( And at least they prefer a competently made film like this to inane comedies of Akshay Kumar) . So let’s not blame the audiences. It is for the film makers to dish out something original and rivetting. And let money not be the excuse. How much money did Jackie Chan have to mkae policr Story or Stephen Chow to make Kungfu Hustle?
( I ahve a feeling Players will play out better. Only if it wasn’t for Abhishek Bachchan… But if he manages even Dum Maro dum level of intensity nad purpose, we should have a winner there.)
December 26, 2011 at 8:40 AM
Just realised that , among all the Hindi films that I manged to see last year, the only two films that I did not like were SRK starrers. To put things in perspective, let me put down the ones that I liked:
15. MERE BROTHER KI DULHAN
14.LOVE BREAK UP ZINDAGI
13.DUM MARO DUM
12. 7 KHOON MAAF
11.STANLEY KA DABBA
10 ROCKSTAR
9. YEH SAALI ZINDAGI
8. TANU WEDS MANU
7. DHOBI GHAT
6. SHAITAN
5. NO ONE KILLED JESSICA
4. SHOR IN THE CITY
3. THE DIRTY PICTURE
2. ZINDAGI NAA MILEGI DOBARA
1. DELHI BELLY
(Have sen bits of Paya Ka Panchnama , and love it. SAme with Yamla Pagla deewana.) ( Haven’t seen Ready, Bodyguard, Chalo Diilli, Singham, Ragini MMS, Dil To Bachcha Hai Ji, Akarshan, Mausam, Faltu, Mujhse Fraandship Karoge, Ladies vs Ricky Behl) ) ( Have seen Ra One, Don 2, hated one. Found the other just about okay.)
Why Delhi Belly? Here is why
I thought Delhi Belly was the most perfectly scripted and executed film of the year, followed by Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara.
1. It was audacious, yet the writer and director pulled it off.
2. It was that one film in the whole year, that worked from the word go and did not relent till the last second.
3. It was a complete original, the likes of which was never sen before in Hindi cinema. It pushed the envelope.
4. It was complete cinema. Wonderful production design with appropriate grungy look. a great cast. Terrific music. Everything about it worked.
5. It made no compromises with the script. Presented it with 100% loyalty to the director’s vision
6. It depended on getting right actors to play the right parts, male and female, primary and secondary, and not depend on star charisma.
ZNMD had al these qualities, but not realized to 100% perfection. The script wasn’t as tight. The pacing was erratic. Two songs were crammed in the space of 15 mins. The music as ho um. Therefore it comes second in my list.
December 26, 2011 at 8:48 AM
utakl uncle -thankx for reminding us that we r near the year end
happy new year folks—party hard but b responsible
and dont drink n drive lol
utkal uncle–think u r being too harsh on don2 and srk here
read my views above and opine —though can see where u r coming from
My picks for this year from bollywood—in random order
Rockstar
dhobi ghaat
Don2
Znmd
guilty pleasures-mere brother ki shaadi
pyar ka punchnamma–applause at exposing the female machinations lol (dont kill me gals)
Standout performances-
males-ranbir kapoor rockstar
srk in don2
Best debut performance –nargis fakhri )haha—needed an excuse to “reward’ her)
December 26, 2011 at 8:52 AM
and yes some more worthy mentions—
DMD and abhishrek bachchan
shaai in dhobi ghaat
katrina kaif–mere bro/znmd
best director–kiran rao/ imtiaz ali
breath of fresh air—nargis fakhri—ahaha —new award
December 26, 2011 at 9:09 AM
Well said Utkal. Agree with all except last part about Abhi but then that is subjective and perhaps little divergence.
This movie was simply a money making scheme/scam and sadly they succeeded in it.
As a caper or heist it might be just OK but then as U articulated that When all the technicians of Hollywood are available for hire by anyone in any country, what’s the big deal in achieving 50% of the technical gloss of a Hollywood heist film?
I hope Rajen is listening and might consider to take away some stars from his mysterious high rating of 3/5!
December 26, 2011 at 9:41 AM
Two more take aways from the Don @ screening:
A.. Agneepath Trailer: Boy is it scorching. I predict an easy 120 cr for it. Reasons?
1. After long, a big-canvas dramatic film with people who acn deliver
2. a real larger-than-life bit vsceral look. Houses burning, makhan handi with a giant human pyramid, Ganapati visarajn.. all this shot gorgeously..that should look great on the big screen.
3. A rooted feel, no Holywood hangover.
4. Lusty music. Not just Chikni Chameli, Nicely balanced numbers.
5. a great cast. Hritik, the only actor troday with true supestar loks, in a role that is new for him. So fresh. Sanjay dutt, another guy with a screen-scorching presence in a larger-than-life role. Priyanka ina sultry role that she perfected in Kaminay. And last but not the least, Rishi Kapoor, again Ina different rle, now in the peak of his act, bringing nunaces to the proceedings.
6. Ktrian Kaif. When has she ever failed? And this is a very clever item number thought up by the two Karans. To quote Naseer from The Dirty Picture , ” Jab sharafat ki kapade utarti hai, toh sabse jyafda mazaa sharifon ko aata hai.” There is a lot of guilty pleasure to be had in watching someone classy like Katrina jiggle her boobs and wiggle her bottom. And none of us are immune to this irrestible atracryin . ( That’s why Ash scored in Bunty aur Babli and Dhom 2)
B. Ekk Tha Deewana Trailer.
1. Prateek and Amy can create a small storm of fresh air if the film works.
2. The only solo credit that appears before the last frame of all credits:
An AR Rahman Musical!
Any other musi director has that kind of star status ?
December 26, 2011 at 10:06 AM
My 2 cents
Have always found b rangans writIng brilliant and worth checking out irrespective of the movie he is reviewing
Have mentioned few times earlier how he lost it With reference to delly belly IMO
I still haven’t forgiven deo and aamir for those umpteen hairy make asses close ups –aargh
And that minor soft core porn ‘mentions’ in delly belly like blowjob etc eliciting Some labels like ‘revolutionary’ etc etc
C’mon guys :give us a break
And now he finds ra1 better than don2
Well, can be accused of many things but not for being an Srk fan
But c’mon can’t think of anyone except kids or imbeciles who may prefer ra1 over don2
Can not resist–
Utkal uncle–no problems if u didn’t like don2
It’s just that reasons furnishe here are not exactly convincing
Bu again: don2 will elicit these varied reactions
Noticed how the other uncle ie rajen has “risen Above” petty biases etc or preconceived notions to rightly give don2 and Srk the creof they rightly deserve here
Now all eyes on satyam on this ‘acid test’
Hahaha
December 26, 2011 at 10:14 AM
And noticed how sm has been posting v intelligent writeups and points
infact Without exception se way has a good point to make
But does she ever WATCH a movie herself on the big screen…
Don’t think she has seen most of the films being discussed here
Lol sm–just pulling your leg
December 26, 2011 at 10:18 AM
Alex adams, I am obviously an SRK fan, or else why would I be watching Ra One and Don2, when I have skipped Ready, Bodyguard and Singham. But have to admit, i have been disappointed big time.
December 26, 2011 at 10:38 AM
” I am obviously an SRK fan”—utkal uncle :that’s a big surprise
Hahaha
Btw your declaration–it’s like sunny leone suddenly proclaiming that she is a “virgin” or a ‘one-man’ woman( with no disrespects to sunny or virgins or utkal uncle )-to be taken sportingly
And satyam : so uve been watching don2 secretly ha
c’mon let’s see ur don2 review lol
December 26, 2011 at 10:23 AM
didn’t mind Don 2.. but it doesn’t quite have grip either.. didn’t think there was much of a difference between the first and second half.. it’s engaging enough.. it’s more like those minor heist films or thrillers that you see out of Hollywood where things sort of amble along.. probably preferred it to the first one.. wasn’t bored anywhere but at the same time the film given that it tries to be a pure thriller isn’t strong enough on the basics.. also think the visuals looked most impressive in those two longer trailers. Can’t say in sum that I preferred this to the older installment even if this was an easier watch. Will try to expand on this in a post.
On a related note my very brief thoughts on MI4:
http://satyamshot.wordpress.com/2011/12/21/don-2-the-rest-of-the-box-office/#comment-121546
December 26, 2011 at 10:28 AM
December 26, 2011 at 10:43 AM
“There is a lot of guilty pleasure to be had in watching someone classy like Katrina jiggle her boobs and wiggle her bottom. And none of us are immune to this irrestible atracryin . ( That’s why Ash scored in Bunty aur Babli and Dhom 2)”–
Deserve some credit for getting utkal uncle unplugged& unedited
NOW u r talking frankly
Can we get him another rum plz
December 26, 2011 at 11:18 AM
Re: There is a lot of guilty pleasure to be had in watching someone classy like Katrina jiggle her boobs and wiggle her bottom
What makes Katrina classy??? A fair skinomplexion? A foriegn accent ? or her reported origins as a club dancer?? Katrina can be called a lot of things but not ‘classy’ IMHO. She may be a nice person for all we know but am not sure what makes her classy as opposed to say a Ms.Sherawat or Silk Smitha.
December 26, 2011 at 11:25 AM
Waht makes Katrian classy as compared to say Silk smita or mallika Sherawat? That has to be explained? It’s the delicacy of one’s features. The elegance of one’s physique, the graceful movement and not overtly aggressive sexuality. And yes, even her flawless fair complexion. These are the tributes that makes an Ash or a Karina classy. That’s why Mallika or Smita wont be given the role of the politician in Rajneeti or the role of Jodha in Jodha Akbar .
December 26, 2011 at 11:38 AM
Katrina classy? The woman who started out exposing in Boom and whose claim to fame is shaking her boobs and ass in mainly crappy movies – most with Akshay. If that is classy, then all actresses including Mallika are classy. Katrina has really fooled the Indian public. The woman was an escort for god’s sake and cleaned up her image after Boom to become a star with the backing of Salman.
December 26, 2011 at 11:38 AM
Elegance and grace aren’t adjectives I’d attach to Katrina. A flawless fair complexion (hardly a value in itself though I understand the unfortunate cultural coding here) also has nothing to do with being ‘classy’. Finally the ‘overtly aggressive sexuality’ (depending on how this is defined) might not gel with traditional Indian notions in these matters but it doesn’t mean that one cannot be classy if one is more liberated in this sense. And the gender divide here is so obvious.. men on screen are routinely celebrated for the very same things that in a woman are frowned upon. with all due respect your sense of a classy woman is very chauvinistic and mixes up all sorts of traditional ‘ideals’ and defines it as class. Essentially what you’re saying is ‘I like fair, docile, demure women’. To be honest I’ve long felt that this was precisely Katrina’s appeal for the larger audience.
December 26, 2011 at 11:41 AM
Sharmila Tagore is someone I’d call possibly the classiest among major commercial Hindi film actresses. Waheeda Rahman had great grace and elegance though probably didn’t suggest ‘class’ in the same sense. But yes among contemporary actresses Ash is as close as it gets. Wouldn’t dream of putting Katrina with her.
December 27, 2011 at 11:07 AM
Much as I don’t care for Shabana Azmi, I would add her to list of “classy” actresses, although not a patch on Sharmila Tagore or Waheeda Rahman. I think Nargis also seemed classy in a way (for instance) Madhubala did not.
December 26, 2011 at 11:42 AM
You are one seriously mixed up dude,Utkal.
December 26, 2011 at 3:44 PM
“And yes, even her flawless fair complexion”
– thats an irresponsible, offensive statement Utkal. does reflect why indians are still so self-conscious when it comes to skin colour and why the western whites n others are looked upon as being superior..
Now that you’ve brought in Silk Smitha, let me talk about another gorgeous actress with Smitha in her name – Smitha Patil.. Katrina isnt one-tenth as beautiful as Smitha Patil, and lets not even compare their elegance
December 26, 2011 at 4:42 PM
I find the comment about Katrina’s classiness being directly related to her flawlessly fair complexison to be extremely offensive. Does that make a brown-skinned woman flawed and classless? That would be a very regressive, slavishly colonial mentality to possess.
In my estimation a woman is classy if she is elegant, subtle, sophisticated and intelligent and I do not think that either Katrina or Kareena possess any of these qualities. And by elegant and subtle I do not mean docile. A woman can be liberated and still be refined. In fact I think that self-confidence is an essential component of classiness. If women are too demure and lack a certain spark and try too desperately to please like Katrina does, then I find that unattractive.
December 27, 2011 at 11:04 AM
Katrina;”s features are “delicate”?! Utkal, we must be looking at different women — Deepika or Aishwarya have delicate features, Katrina’s are (to use the Hindi/Urdu word) “bhadday” in my opinion. Won’t say anything about the complexion because others have already (justifiably) flogged that one — but do you really think a Nandana Sen looks less classy than Katrina just because she is darker?
December 27, 2011 at 11:06 AM
Re: “That’s why Mallika or Smita wont be given the role of the politician in Rajneeti…”
Only an imbecile like Jha would give her the role he did in Rajneeti (the funniest thing was she spoke more accented Hindi than Amreeka-returned Ranbir; actually that wasn’t the funniest thing, but, y’know)…
December 26, 2011 at 11:33 AM
“It’s the delicacy of one’s features. The elegance of one’s physique, the graceful movement and not overtly aggressive sexuality”—utkal uncle—lets pour in some more rum for u.
Well said
btw utkal uncle—can u plz rank upto ten the hottest sensual actresses of all time–with possible explanations
i can see that u know more about this topic that any of us here
Just want to learn from u lol
December 26, 2011 at 11:56 AM
Suggest we let utkal uncle have his preferences and ‘fantasies’ and lets not ‘intimidate’ him lol
Anyhow, this issue about ‘hotness’, ‘class’ and ‘sensuality’ is quite subjective–carry on utkal uncle….
“The woman was an escort for god’s sake and cleaned up her image after Boom to become a star with the backing of Salman.”
—tyler–thanx for that info about her being an escort—btw how did u know lol–
anyhow, this even makes her ‘achievement’ more significant
that aside–this explains salmans new found fascination for sunny leone lol–maybe there are ‘perks’ @ work—perhaps salman fans like sm can throw light (cmon sm: dont be so shy)
December 26, 2011 at 12:54 PM
Don 2 strong on monday..
http://boxofficereport.net/don-2-going-strong-on-monday/
December 26, 2011 at 1:48 PM
bollywoodajjtak bollywoodajjtak
#Don2 droped heavily today. The drop is huge at single screen around 70% while multiplexes droped around 60 %
bollywoodajjtak bollywoodajjtak
#Don2 looks difficult to sustain in the long run. Judging the trend 1st week should be around 65 cr and lifetime around 85-90cr.
December 26, 2011 at 3:40 PM
It took approx 8 Cr on Monday, therefore the info you have is incorrect. After an excellent turnout on Monday, somewhere between 70-75 Cr by the end of first week appears possible.
Much of the credit to this better turnout is thanks to positive reviews of even those that don’t like SRK. As we can see from this blog, even those that dislike SRK are forced to say something positive about Don 2
December 26, 2011 at 4:47 PM
more or less where I was expecting the final total to be in best case scenario. Of course if multiplexes hold up better than expected over the second weekend it could conceivably do more. No one is talking about Mon collections so far from taran to BOI. Usually when the trends look good they go giddy with excitement over it!
December 26, 2011 at 7:11 PM
thanks…u said it!!
December 26, 2011 at 8:10 PM
Don2 (Hindi) Weekend Territorial Breakdown
Saturday 24th December 2011 15.00 IST
Boxofficeindia.Com Trade Network
Don 2 (Hindi) grossed around 45.25-45.50 crore nett over its first weekend. The territorial breakdown of the weeeknd is as follows.
Mumbai – 15.74 crore
Delhi/UP – 8.90 crore
East Punjab – 3.78 crore
West Bengal – 2.72 crore
Bihar – 98 lakhs
Assam/Orissa – 80 lakhs
CP Berar – 1.81 crore
CI – 1.50 lakhs
Rajasthan – 2.54 crore
Nizam – 2.62 crore
Mysore – 2.91 crore
Tamil Nadu/Kerala – 1.10 lakhs
TOTAL – 45.41 crore
December 26, 2011 at 8:11 PM
to now gross 65 crores for the week it would have to average 5 crores on the weekdays.. somewhat skeptical of this though it’s certainly possible.
December 26, 2011 at 8:31 PM
About Katrina and class: If I meant docile and demure, I would have said docile and demure. I meant elegant and graceful, and that’s what I said. Sharmila Tagore and Waheeda were certainly classy. And sow as Simi and still is, though she is anything but docile and demure. And thee is nothing wrong with applauding fair and flawless complexion. I would as easily applaud someone’s dusky and flawless complexion as well., for example Smita Patil or Nadita Das. Both of them were anything but docile and demure, but classy they are. And for anyone who cannot see the diffeence between these two and say Mallika Sherawat and Silk Smita, I doubt my explanations will help.
December 26, 2011 at 9:45 PM
Hitchcock and Grace Kelly: ”
With only three films, Grace Kelly epitomized Hitchcock’s ultimate cool blonde. The blonde in which they were perfection and glamour visually, but carried the flaws of mischief, obsession, neurosis, and infidelity.”
That’s the allure of women like Katrina and Aishwaraya, and why item numbers by them offer so much more than an item number by say a Kareena, who wears her sexuality on her sleeve.
Being classy does not mean not being sexy, but it is about not wearing your sexiness on your sleeves.
December 27, 2011 at 1:36 AM
^^^haha–interesting discussion there
Have a knack of spotting these (lol, sic) -I dont call utkal ‘uncle’ (or anyone) just for nothing lol. He seems to have come with a worthy response
Feel both sides have an interesting point here (including satyam/rajen/tyler) and this is what worthwhile blogging is about imo
also a good point on kareenas ‘on the sleeve’ sexuality (that still doesnt work for me lol)
also for katrina, feel that her alleged ex-escort/ex-hooker/ex-clubstripper past is having a bearing on minds here.
Obviously it is reasonable if one has issues with her past on a personal basis, one doesnt have to ‘marry’ her or have a ‘relationship’ with her hoho.
But suggest that one does need to have the magnanimity to see past this when purely evaluating her appeal on ‘celluloid’.
infact she should be given more credit for growing past that background and still compete successfully in an alien setup.
WOuld be interesting to get female perspective/views on this but as has been seen previously most get uncomfortable here even discussing certain things even on anonymous blogs–forget about in real life lol (except some honest ones like amy and sometimes sm)
THIS is part of true female emancipation and not ONLY the freedom to declare proudly hat she has had ‘sex’ and proudly/publically line up cans of consumed beer as in kareenas irritating promos in ek main ek tu–
wow—i have become a sermonising ‘guru’— hoho
December 26, 2011 at 11:17 PM
Divided opinion on fate of ‘Don 2′
By: Hiren Kotwani Date: 2011-12-27 Place: Mumbai
It’s been four days since SRK starrer Don 2 released and while the producers and distributors of the movie are optimistic about making money, the trade is skeptical. A section maintains that the drop on Monday wasn’t as bad as it normally is; another section feels the numbers are just not good enough.
Shah Rukh Khan in Don 2
Veteran trade analyst Amod Mehra points out that the Farhan Akhtar directed movie hasn’t been appreciated. “The collections on Saturday were lesser.
That’s a bad sign. Sunday should have seen a huge jump, but that wasn’t the case. The numbers are decent. While this Monday has been better than other Mondays, it’s a tall order for the film to make Rs 110 crore,” he says, admitting that, at most, the film will break even. “But again, that’s not good enough.”
Trade sources peg the three-day numbers at about Rs 44 crore, while Reliance, which is distributing the film, maintains earning Rs 48.5 crore, including Rs 1.5 crore from the Tamil and Telugu dubbed versions. It is learnt that the Anil Ambani owned entertainment company acquired Don 2 from Excel Entertaiment for Rs 80 odd crore.
“Add to that about Rs 10 crore for conversion to 3D and Rs18 crore on print and advertising, which sums up the cost of Rs 108 crore to Reliance,” reveals a trade source on condition of anonymity.
Delhi-based distributor, Sanjay Ghai of Mukta Arts Ltd too is optimistic about Don 2 making money. “No other film releasing this Friday and the ongoing Christmas vacations should benefit the movie. Going by the collections of the first three days, I think total theatrical numbers will touch Rs 100 crore,” he points out.
However, a Central India based distributor, who didn’t wish to be named, argued that Reliance will break even on the basis of the R 36 crore they earned from satellite rights and Rs 10 crore from music.
“It’s particularly bad in single screens, which is important for a film to become a hit. Making profit on the movie seems impossible at this point in time,” he said.
Sharing his opinion is the Mumbai-based head honcho of a multiplex chain. Declining to be named, he pointed out that Tuesday’s numbers would be even lower.
“The weekend numbers are below expectations,” he observes. “Thanks to satellite and music rights, Reliance might break even. But making money on Don 2, to borrow from the words of the protagonist, ‘mushkil hi nahin, naamumkin lagta hai’,” he concludes.
December 26, 2011 at 11:19 PM
and not surprisingly Mon numbers are not yet forthcomiing…
December 28, 2011 at 1:00 AM
Veteran trade analyst Amod Mehra points out that the Farhan Akhtar directed movie hasn’t been appreciated. “The collections on Saturday were lesser.
Critics are really biased towards SRK. Some of the recent tweets from Amod Mehra
It’s a matter of time.. Few more flops (Whats yr Rashee, Anjaana Anjaani, 7 Khoon Maaf, & Don 2) & she will be known as Parineeti’s cousin..
Loved Amul latest ad…”From DON 2 DUSK.. eat Amul”..There was just 1 small spelling mistake..It should have read “From DON 2 DUST” !! amen.
The King is Back.. Back to his romantic films.. He miscalculated.. He did not realise that Ra 1 + Don 2 = 1 2 ka 4..
Now that they have decided not to attach the promo of Talash with DON 2.. I am in 2 minds whether to c the film or not.. Please advice ..
December 26, 2011 at 11:25 PM
Don 2 Falls On Monday
Tuesday 27th December 2011 09.00 IST
Boxofficeindia.Com Trade Network
Don 2 had a noticeable fall all over on Monday as it collected around 6.25 crore nett as per early estimates. The fall is 55% from Friday and 65% from its very good Sunday business.
There were 50% plus falls from Friday business almost everywhere. Single screens fell around 60% but even multiplexes fell 50% plus.
The four day business of the film is around 51.50 crore nett for the Hindi version and for the week it should cross 65 crore nett but will not hit the 70 crore nett mark.
Don 2 has an open week in its second week but with the fall on Monday it is unlikely to put up a very big numbers in its second week although the New Years holiday will help a bit.
http://boxofficeindia.com/boxnewsdetail.php?page=shownews&articleid=3852&nCat=
December 27, 2011 at 12:17 AM
I’m just waiting for the German subsidy to be announced
On a more serious note Taran is clearly quoting reliance numbers just like he did at the time of Bodyguard.
I await there breakdown for Mon…. (numbers I mean not their site
December 27, 2011 at 1:08 AM
predicted this on sat itself
fall will be heavy from moday onwards simply because there is recall value(one time watch only) and also entertainment quotient is there
btw sunday was always going to be big ( sunday and xmas is a lethal combo )
may stay well for multiplex in a week or so but can’t see it trending
December 27, 2011 at 1:14 AM
BOI were not this sanguine even for Ra1. Kya maajra hai?
December 27, 2011 at 2:54 AM
Don 2 (Hindi) grossed more than the earlier estimates as it grossed around 7.25 crore nett and did better in West Bengal and South than the Hindi belts. The all India drop from Friday is 50%
http://boxofficeindia.com/boxnewsdetail.php?page=shownews&articleid=3855&nCat=
December 27, 2011 at 1:15 AM
* entertainment quotient not there*
has been liked by teenagers and guys in early 20′s
100 cr is the minimum benchmark here..3200 screens , festival weekend period and inflated ticket prices in big city multiplexes, no competition for 2 weeks will make that minimum
December 27, 2011 at 7:00 AM
Sukanya Varma’s 10 worst films of 2011:
http://www.rediff.com/movies/slide-show/slide-show-1-the-ten-worst-films-this-year-yearend-2011/20111227.htm
Though some of the choices seem bizarre (who puts Mausam on such a list?!) what I nonetheless like here is the fact that she plays no favorites from stars to genres to scale of success or failure.
December 27, 2011 at 7:03 AM
The LA Times review of Don 2 raises the same point that I did earlier.
(Note that the reviewer is not Kevin Thomas, their entertainment editor, who reviewed Ra.One and Bodyguard.)
Movie review: ‘Don 2′
In this overlong film, Shah Rukh Khan plays an unrepentant, vicious, violent crime boss who the audience is supposed to find suave and likable.
(Excel Entertainment / December 25, 2011)
By Mark Olsen, Special to the Los Angeles Times
December 26, 2011
In the sequel “Don 2″ the Indian movie star — frequently referred to as the biggest in the world — Shah Rukh Khan plays an international crime boss out for revenge against his enemies and profit from wealthy nations. In typical Bollywood style, the film is massively too long even by the standards of Hollywood’s bloated award-season entries, stretching out what should be a zip-fast caper plot to well over two hours. That the only song-and-dance number within the story itself is situated in a nightclub is arguably the most believable thing that happens in the whole film.
Of course one doesn’t head into “Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol” expecting a Le Carré realist take on worldwide espionage, and one certainly shouldn’t expect anything here except movie-star glamour and movie-movie cool. Khan sells hokey one-liners with the best of them, such as when after dispatching a baddie by snapping his neck on a water wheel he says, “See you around.”
The genuinely strangest thing in the film is its oddball point of view, as Khan’s lead character of Don is an unrepentant criminal, a killer with his hand in the international drug trade and assorted other illegal enterprises attempting to steal printing plates for the Euro in a complicated Berlin-set caper that becomes the heart of the plot. Yet the story treats him as a swashbuckling hero, overlooking the thornier undercurrents of what that might mean as Don exits a meeting by jumping off the side of a building, attached to some kind of harness line that lands him safely on the ground. Or he crawls on his hands and knees across a ceiling to get into a vault. This guy has some top-notch R&D team working somewhere.
The film is so far removed from what this story might be like if it were anywhere near the real world that the disclaimer about not representing persons living or dead comes at the beginning. (As does a laundry list of media partners and, in the public showing where this critic saw the film, a short ad for the video game adaptation. Priorities.) Director Farhan Akhtar shoots and cuts the action awkwardly, not quite knowing where to place the camera, so the film never gets the slam-bang momentum it might want.
“Don 2″ apes the slick gloss and advertorial style of Michael Bay and something of the substance of an international espionage thriller while attempting to hold onto the notion that its main character is a vicious thug but also still a suave, likable playboy. Fitfully enjoyable, the film’s leaden pacing and drawn-out running time make the twists of the plot less hairpin turns and more like bends in a river — moving so slowly you can see everything coming from the distance.
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/movies/la-et-don-2-20111226,0,7607907.story
December 27, 2011 at 10:00 AM
From boxofficeindia.co.in
Don 2 Is Third-Highest Weekend Grosser
by Shabdita Shrivastav (December 26, 2011)
Third-highest opening grosser and now in third place for the first weekend as well. Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Don 2 is going strong at the box office and opened well on the first day of the week too. In the first three days since it was released, the film reeled in Rs 40-50 crore all-India. It promises to close out 2011 on the same note.
In Mumbai, Hemant Shah of Multimedia Combines says, “Don 2 is doing great business at the box office. Its weekend collection was Rs 16-17 crore while its all-India collections were Rs 45-50 crore. The film is still receiving a good response.”
In Gujarat Ajay Bagbai, Rajvi Trade Link says the film earned more than expected at the weekend and collections in the territory are pegged at Rs 4.5 crore. “And all over India, Don 2 has earned Rs 45- 50 crore,” Bagbai reveals.
In Delhi, Sanjay Ghai of Mukta Arts is buoyant. He says, “Shows of Don 2 ran house full over the weekend. Its business was Rs 9 crore in the first three days. Today too, the film is funning to packed houses.”
In Punjab, Don 2 earned less than it did in Delhi, but the numbers were robust anyway. Surendra Saluja of Lakshya Movies says, “The movie did business worth Rs 3.75 crore across the weekend and it’s still going strong.”
In West Bengal, Sunil Singh of Aum Movies adds, “Shows of the film were 95-per cent full on Sunday. The film’s box-office collections over the weekend were Rs 3 crore here.”
A Notch lower, In CP, Sarang Chandak of Sri Rang Films says collections of Don 2 totalled Rs 2 crore over the weekend. “The response to this film is overwhelming,” Chandak adds.
Audiences in Rajasthan have preferred the 3D version of the film than 2D. Sunil Bansal of Yash Raj Jai Pictures says, “The film has done business worth Rs 2.5 crore in Rajasthan.”
In Orissa, Jeetu Khandelwal of Movie Pioneers concludes, “Don 2‘s business all over Orrisa has been Rs 40 lakhs in the first three days. Today too the film is receiving a good response.”
December 27, 2011 at 1:13 PM
Don 2 has negligible drop Tuesday. On track for a 74 cr week.
If it manages to do 74 cr in week 1, 100 cr is a possibility. Lets see how it performs in the subsequent days. The only thing going against it is Players is releasing early January and that film has a lot of buzz. It could put a dent in Don 2′s collections. Lets see how Don 2 stacks up against Players.
http://boxofficereport.net/don-2-tuesday-collections-negligible-drop/
December 27, 2011 at 1:24 PM
It still has another open week before Players releases, so if it is stable it shouldn’t have a problem.
December 27, 2011 at 3:02 PM
100 cr lifetime should have always been on the cards, how much more is the big question? One of the members on NG was very confident that Monday was going to be greater than 7 crs, even after BOI came up with a lower number. In fact he had mentioned that BOI would revise its estimate and sre enough thats exctly what happened
December 27, 2011 at 10:18 PM
This makes my doubt even more strong that something is wrong going on. How any one can be sure that in next hour BOI will change their numbers and that too exactly on lines what he said ? I mean even if i am sure that my numbers are correct, how can i be confident that BOI will come up with numbers which i think is correct ? Either there is some connection or ???
December 27, 2011 at 11:41 PM
Will it touch the 100 cr mark?
By Taran Adarsh, December 28, 2011 – 08:15 IST
On Friday, on the day of its release, the one question that the industry people kept asking constantly was, will DON 2 make it to the 100 cr club? Will it feature prominently amongst the biggest grossers of this year? The 100 cr club is the barometer of super success today and the mathematicians in the industry were busy analyzing the estimated business of DON 2 after the preview screenings concluded on Thursday night. 2011 has been a landmark year for the Hindi film industry, with as many as four films, READY, BODYGUARD, SINGHAM and RA.ONE, crossing the 100 cr mark. DON 2 is expected to be the latest entrant…
DON 2 has had the widest release ever for a Hindi film [3105 screens in India alone] and the per day capacity is humungous as well [approx Rs 30 cr +], hence the weekend figure of Rs 48.83 cr nett is lower than expected. It should’ve been in 55 cr to 60 cr range in its opening weekend. The screen count + the record number of shows every single day + the inflated ticket rates at several screens + the Christmas weekend… DON 2 had to deliver colossal numbers. The weekend figure may seem impressive, but when you look at the factors in its favor, it could’ve fetched bigger numbers.
I’d like to add, the contribution to this total is largely from multiplexes, while single screens [of heartland specially] haven’t contributed much. The business at urban centres has been fantastic and it’s this business that should help DON 2 attain the magical figure of 100 crores. But, of course, everything depends on how it fares in its second weekend.
Now let’s look at the economics of DON 2…
Cost to Reliance Entertainment, the worldwide distributors of DON 2 – Rs 105 cr Includes acquisition cost + 3D conversion cost + prints and advertising expenses
Recoveries:-
Sale of Satellite Rights – Rs 36 cr
Music Rights – Rs 10 cr
Total amount to be recovered from India and Overseas theatrical, Home Video and Tamil & Telugu Satellite Rights – Rs 59 cr
Given its current performance at the box-office, especially in the Overseas territory, Reliance is expected to recover the investment and make good profits in the final tally.
December 28, 2011 at 12:38 AM
wow..an actual well written essay on the economics of Don 2 by Taran. He should stick to this stuff instead of ‘reviewing’ movies.
December 28, 2011 at 12:44 AM
and again ill say this…struggling to 100cr nowadays for a top tier star is not a good thing. especially a sequel and all out commercial movie. ill say the same thing if Talaash struggles to 100cr and same goes for Ek tha Tiger..if it struggles to 100cr. im expecting a 100cr easy grosser from Agneepath because i consider Hrithik in that top tier. the music is catching on and it has all the right elements to be a 100cr grosser.
December 28, 2011 at 12:46 AM
DON 2 has emerged one of the biggest openers in the international markets. Although many theatres/properties were closed on Sunday due to Christmas celebrations, the film has amassed a mammoth total in its opening weekend. The opening weekend gross in Overseas is approx $ 7 million [Rs 37.11 crores], which is fantastic.
http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/trade/boxofficeoverseas/date/2011-12-28
December 28, 2011 at 12:49 AM
Where were theaters closed for Christmas in the overseas market? A lot of big movies released on Christmas Day, including the War Horse!
December 28, 2011 at 9:16 AM
LOL!!!
Taran remains the ultimate moron!
December 28, 2011 at 12:51 AM
Finally some one dared to reveal the truth….
Box Office: Don 2 flops at the box office, Mission Impossible fares well
http://www.ibosnetwork.com/newsmanager/templates/template1.aspx?a=22309&z=7
December 28, 2011 at 1:28 AM
well, what they say about Don 2 remains to be seen, but what the hell happened to the numbers.. No one has dared to put up the actual Monday/Tuesday totals. Are they that bad?
December 28, 2011 at 1:46 AM
Check BOI/ taran’s tweets. They are already out.
December 28, 2011 at 2:20 AM
typical anti SRK rant. calling it a flop after 5 days? really?!
December 28, 2011 at 1:06 AM
I think it’s going to wrap up its first week between 67-69cr. With a decent 2nd week, it may get to 100cr lifetime which would technically earn it an above average tag. At around 105cr or higher, it would be a hit.
December 28, 2011 at 3:05 AM
Who has called this film a flop?It is already a worldwide hit and may become blockbuster hit in next week.
December 28, 2011 at 3:08 AM
King khan rocks.
December 28, 2011 at 7:46 AM
King Khan ,Don 2 is doing much better then I expected.
The film is sure to be better then Ra One,need to see as soon as possible
December 28, 2011 at 3:37 AM
Ha the fate of Srk films nowadays stays mysterious
Anyhow time to move on beyond Srk folks -
Some flicks caught on flights this week-mini reviews
The beginners
Recommended for those who share my moody quirky perceptive tastes.
Thumbs up
Needs a longer/indepth writeup
Can be tedious but moving and perceptive nonetheless
And omg
Melanie Laurent in these unpredictable alluring roles is Delectable
Go 4 it folks
Friends with benefits
Expected a shallow superficial film about teenage/immature pursuits
But found it better than that somewhat
A sort of guilty pleasure
Timberlake was better than expected
As now to mila kunis
Probably has the biggest nice somewhat disproportionate to her face. Acts better than expected .
But something a wee bit missing
But a good one time watch and yes : girls may find it impossible to dislike
December 28, 2011 at 4:19 AM
Don 2 isn’t going to be a blockbuster hit. Not with its domestic figures. A hit tag is the best it can hope for.
December 28, 2011 at 4:57 AM
It’s going to end up with a domestic total close to that of Golmaal 3. Far from the league of 3 Idiots, Bodyguard, Dabang, Ghajini, Ready etc..
It’s an expensive film. Considering the costs, it’s probably going to be an above average fare domestically and a superhit overseas.
It’s better than Ra1 and MNIK. It’s a face saving exercise for SRK exercise, but it isn’t enough to put him back in the top league.
Moreover, his next release is one year away and with Talaash and Ek Tha Tiger releasing before, his rivals will probably end up creating a bigger gap between them and him. By the time SRK’s next release comes out, expect at least half a dozen of other movies to have crossed the 100cr mark.
December 28, 2011 at 5:58 AM
@Alex adams and @kev…This movie has already recovered its cost.I m confident it ll be a bb coz of following analysis…Total making cost is 70cr,Film was sold to reliance at 80cr’and costs like 3d conversion,print n publicity etc and hence total cost is 105cr.Now lets see its recoveries.Satellite rights cost is 36cr,music rights are 10cr,regional satellite n music rights are 5cr.So total revenue collected is 51cr.Now the film needs only 54cr to recover from domestic as well as overseas markets.In India film has recovered 64cr so far and in overseas it 37 cr,hence a total of 101 cr which yields distributes share of 55cr.So you can declare it average at this stage in just 5 days.Now from today upto its final run whatever it collects,will be taken as profit.
December 28, 2011 at 6:07 AM
A movie like Don2 having just one song and that too not a chartbuster, no desi masala ingradients,almost rejected by ss audience,having no item no,promoted less doing this kind of business itself speaks that you can hate him,ridicule him but you can’t ignore him.This is the power of king of bollywood.
December 28, 2011 at 6:13 AM
Plus there was negativity of same scale as that of ra.one.Take the case of ra.one,despite being a bad movie,faced blacklash which never any movie has faced so far,did 124cr in India and 47cr overseas(second phase yet to be released).This is king khan for you.
December 28, 2011 at 7:05 AM
despite being a bad movie,faced blacklash which never any movie has faced so far,did 124cr in India and 47cr overseas.
Yes, but how much dud the film cost to make and market?
December 28, 2011 at 7:33 AM
Don 2 Holding Up Well At Multiplexes
Wednesday 28th December 2011 11.00 IST
Boxofficeindia.Com Trade Network
Don 2 is holding up well at multiplexes in big cities as Tuesday collections are in the 6.25-6.50 crore nett range. The collections till date are 59-60 crore nett for the Hindi version and the week is looking to close at around 70 crore nett with the regional version adding another 2.50 crore nett.
The film has been liked the urban metro audience and coupled with the Christmas period, the film is recording strong collections in Mumbai, Delhi NCR and Bangalore.
The single screens are seeing drops since Monday but the film will do well on the strength of multiplex business and should be able cross the 100 crore nett mark for lifetime business though the Ra.One (Hindi) lifetime total of 115 crore nett may be tough to surpass.
December 28, 2011 at 8:17 AM
@Utkal Mohanty…Actual cost of ra.one was 135cr(including 3d conversion,print cost,release cost for Euros).Promotion cost was 55cr thus making it to 190cr film which seems to be out of this world.Here some trade people either got confused or deliberately played with it.Since the method of recovery was for the first time introduced in Indian cinema so some people and even media failed to understand it.Here i ll try to explain this.The promotion cost of 55cr was not paid by makers but due to brand tie ups with some big brands was paid by them,i mean brands to promote their products as well as this movie.So here we have to take into account only 135cr.As far as recoveries are concerned there were 37cr from satellite rights,10cr music launch on star plus,10cr music rights for hindi version,5cr music rights for regional versions.This makes the total of 62cr and if we deduct it from 135cr,there remain 73cr which need to be recovered theatrically.Now lets look at its theatrical collections.In India ra.one collected 124cr net in all versions and in overseas it collected 47cr in its first phase as second phase ll be released soon.Thus its total is 171cr worldwide thus yielding the distributer share of 87cr.Since it needed 73cr for recovery and it gave 87cr to distributers,thus a profit of 14cr.So it is a clean hit.If second phase in international market earns well then verdict can be better.
December 28, 2011 at 8:23 AM
Here’s how Don 2 stands if it makes around 90-100 crores and not much more.:
1)Once again one must get away from the nonsensical numbers thrown out by most or all box office sources. This is the grade 2 view of the box office. You put Rs 6 in, you get Rs 2 from the box office, Rs 2 from satellite rights, Rs 1 from audio sales, the remainder is put up by Merkel and Cameron.
Things are regrettably a lot more complex than this.
1)Don is a tank in single screens and it’s doing well in many multiplexes but not all. There are very significant losses being made by people here. Someone has to account for these. The producer cannot wash his hands clean and say he’s accounted for his investment, nor can a major distributor screws his sub-distributors just because a certain territory might overall be ok for him because of multiplexes in a couple of major cities. That is now how things work in Bollywood.
2)Obviously Don 2 is doing better than Ra One but that’s a low bar. RA One did 1.75 crores all over India in week 3. After the first 5-7 day period this film didn’t decline, it went down to zero pretty much. It did not just lose money. It made massive losses. The stuff once again that the likes of Nahta and Taran and BOI throw out is not just distortion, it is a plain lie. Don 2 even in the worst case scenario was always going to do better than this. Certainly I pointed this out as I did the fact that even if it replicated the hardly great initial of the first film (these days Diwali and Christmas are equally damaging for SRK if these sources are to be believed.. maybe he should stay away from weekends generally! Just release the film in the middle of the week or something) and if it just replicated the same film’s trending (decent in a sluggish sort of way on both counts) it would get to 100 crores. Being better than Ra One does not mean a great result.
3)Once again there is some specious logic used whenever a SRK film comes out. Initially it’s about being the biggest and what not and eventually it’s like ‘hey 5th biggest ain’t too bad’! Two problems here leaving aside the bad faith involved. First off these records are broken every other month these days. So being 4th highest or 3rd highest or whatever doesn’t mean anything. If you’re SRK the only question is whether you can match the highest benchmarks of your age and I think we’ve known the answer on this for a while. But in another bit of specious logic one is supposed to give him credit for nonetheless putting up some big numbers. This too is more speciousness. A star who’s been major for as long as SRK has in not suddenly going to lose all of his audience even in decline. It’s not as if one day no one shows up! But the opportunity cost of producing those big numbers is far far greater than it is for some of his peers. And again these things have consequences. The game’s really up now. SRK today simply could not produce a Ra One like film or even a Don-like film. He would just not get the backing for it. Sure he could have hits elsewhere and really reinvent himself and then perhaps launch another big scale production but not for a while.
4)There is nothing magical about the 100 crore mark. This was so when it first breached. Now when very many films have either crossed this mark or can potentially do so it’s become the new 70. In another display of speciousness one can say ‘hey Ra One did 100 crores’. Yeah do 90 crores initially, then just add 10. That’s 100 crores! This is in fact a bar that most big films should be capable of reaching. That they underperform is another matter. Salman’s Ready should have done 150 rather easily, it underperformed. Dabanng too did not double its initial nor did Bodyguard. His films are cheap relatively speaking and even BG-like trending is acceptable but it’s still not ideal. This isn’t the trending displayed by Singham or Ghajini let alone 3I. But Salman nonetheless runs up these huge initials without breaking a sweat in these ‘nothing’ films. This highlights his stardom at the moment. He touches anything and it gets off to a massive start. He’s completely in the zone. SRK is very far from this. But again nothing magical about 100 crores. It’s as if irrespective of the cost and overall performance of the film just reaching 100 crores washes off all sins!
5)Don 2 has done pretty well in pockets so far, half decently in some other parts and it’s washout in many others too. This is hardly the performance one looks for in a major expensive production with a major star. People who make losses don’t tell themselves ‘hey it’s ok, how many films get to 100 crores?’!
The rest is the stuff of ‘chatter’ online especially but sometimes elsewhere. Numbers are spun around in all kinds of ways depending on the result one wishes to attain. There’s been plenty of negative chatter on Don 2 though (even Taran, hardly hostile to SRK says the weekend was lower than it should have been). Just the other day I put up that Midday piece which had many such quotes. Doing 6 crores on a weekday with arguably the biggest screen count ever (some calling it bigger than Ra One) is hardly a great credit. That number indicates appalling occupancies. Sure in general these numbers are not that high for most releases, even the big ones, but the point is that you don’t celebrate a number like 6 crores! And this too is part of the ‘lying’ trade/online apparatus where massive releases are given credit for achieving such minimal numbers.
Don 2 might well do a 100 crores, might even do a bit more. The problem though is that SRK Is being given credit here for just avoiding a disaster or a total flop! Or doing better than Ra 1! of course it’s a different thing that not many were willing to admit at the time that there was something wrong with that film!
I’ll say this at the end — SRK is in some very serious trouble after these two releases (I am factoring in 100 crores for Don 2 here). And his next with Yashraj is not likely to do the biggest numbers imaginable irrespective of anything else. I’ve been saying this for a while but SRK’s declining numbers relative to the high-points of his age have been obvious for some years now. Won’t get repeat everything here. He’s still an important star with deep roots in large cross-sections of the audience but barring serious reinvention this trend will continue. A success here and there won’t halt this trend. Aamir and Salman are just playing the game at a very different level as are some others on their best days. for example Agneepath is likely to get off to a flying start. I have a great deal of skepticism about how much this will sustain based on a number of factors but this film could easily do serious box office damage. So the whole 100 crore argument is just old hat. Barring for stars who haven’t made that sort of mark before.
December 28, 2011 at 9:09 AM
Satyam,
Agree with everything except it might make more than a 100 crores based on the BOI numbers.May be get upto 110 crores.
But, in the end will not even surpass Ra.One which was an unmitigated failure ( even if in the La La land it was considered a success).
Will remain behind Ghajini,Dabangg,Ready,BG and 3I.
Am not sure this is what Farhan -SRK signed up for when they made this expensively mounted film.
Yes, it is not a flop. But, hardly a game changer.
December 28, 2011 at 9:15 AM
It could certainly go upto 110…
December 29, 2011 at 1:50 AM
http://www.boxofficeindia.com/boxnewsdetail.php?page=shownews&articleid=3864&nCat=
so its heading for a 72-73 crore week(i predicted 65 plus)..and after the second weekend u will see it touching 100 already..and overall 120 plus.. will see u again then!
December 29, 2011 at 2:19 AM
What happen to your 300 Crore claim ? I can see SRK KING fans are coming down to Ritesh Deshmukh level … the bar which was 300 Crore before release of RA.One came down to 100 Crore now.
December 29, 2011 at 7:15 AM
excuse me! ..i never claimed 300 or anything…every movie has its market…don2 is for the urban centres so that limits its overall reach to say 120-130..if it manages that..plus given it would be around 70 crore plus overseas..its a big hit for sure..
ra.one had the market of 200 crore if only it had the content to back it!
December 28, 2011 at 10:39 AM
“He(Salman) touches anything and it gets off to a massive start. He’s completely in the zone. SRK is very far from this.”
totally agree with that statement. overall now i am convinced SRK is on the down slide after these two hyped up releases. With Salman setting that bar up so high, SRK being the “king” shouldve surpassed or at the very least matched him. Don 2 had the widest release in India of any film and the first week is no more than 70cr?
Talaash and Ek Tha Tiger are two films that SRK will be measured by now. SRK in 2012 will be in his comfort zone(YashRaj romantic candy floss film). Thats HIS genre and if he doesn’t get the expected record breaking numbers then he is really in trouble.
December 29, 2011 at 6:34 AM
the problem with Salman right now is the fact that his releases have been really bad ever since Wanted. Dabangg was very heavily action-based (still a half-decent watch), but, Ready and Bodyguard have been able to convince me that Salman’s recent releases are terrible movies. With Shahrukh, it’s been just RA.One that’s disappointed me. The rest of his recent releases have been pretty good! And even comparing RA.One and Bodyguard, RA.One was easily able to provide more entertainment because even though 70-80% of the movie was stupid, the other 20-30% was thrilling (ex — the train sequence, the final battle, [practically all the action scenes in there]). Bodyguard had no substance and no style. The only good scene was the fight scene near the end.
Based on that, I’m just not excited for any of Salman’s upcoming projects, unless the trailers are able to convince me otherwise. Aamir’s Talaash and Dhoom 3, I’m kinda looking forward to a little bit, but, the problem there is that it seems like it’s gonna be the exact same thing happening. ACTION ACTION ACTION in both…similar to Ghajini. So, that kinda drags my excitement down, but, am definitely looking forward to the two releases.
With Shahrukh, I’m definitely looking forward to Jai (the rumored name of his Yash Raj film), mainly because of the names attached to the movie. A production company that has been successful in this genre more times than not. Chennai Express, not too much, because, again, Rohit Shetty has only been able to produce one good movie, which was Singham (even though Golmaal was a half-decent watch as well). I’m just not sure how he will be handling a love story concept.
However, overall, I’m looking forward to Shahrukh’s releases more than the other twos’. I AM an SRK fan, as people know, however, these views are as unbiased as I can be.
December 28, 2011 at 8:53 AM
I agree Satyam. The thing with confusion overusiness of SRK films lies in the assumption about how inconsistent his star power is when it comes to catering to an India with diverse tastes in cinema every 100 kilometres. He might be adored with one section of a multiplex audience in the capital but if you move in the interiors of UP/Bihar or Rjasthan, people might not even give a second glance to his movies’ posters even if the promotion for the films are all over the place.
Taran / Komal for all their dishonesty can sometimes be excused if they find it difficult to come up with a day’s total even at the end of an important week in the case of an SRK film, when what we’re looking at is a houseful theatre for Don 2 in an afternoon show in a multiplex in South Delhi when half a dozen couple in a Chapra theatre are there just for the purpose of making out in a secluded place.. (ooopsss…)
December 28, 2011 at 9:33 AM
and again the point is that whatever claim one makes for SRK one should stick to it.. if the highest benchmarks are considered fair game for him that’s fine but then let’s no have these consolation prizes (4th best or whatever!). Any important star even when he is not doing well and/or is in decline is quite likely to get a minimal initial going let alone with such over-hyped project that additionally have other frills (sequel to a remake! and what not).
by the way people are also forgetting that with both Don 2 and Ra One 3D was part of the deal. Since the film is doing well in precisely the pockets where the audience would also be able to afford the 3D this isn’t an insignificant factor. And it’s not unfair to bring this up either because in the US this is done routinely in terms of film analysis. if film ‘x’ makes 150m and then film ‘y’ does 200m with 3D they factor in the higher ticket costs. So you have this and you have record-breaking screen counts and you’re still not clearing the highest benchmarks.
Having said that SRK could potentially have done so in some other more sensible projects. But this too is a somewhat illusory point. Because major stars in decline always seem potentially stronger than they are on any given day. It always seems to be about the next film but somehow that big moment never quite arrives. It is either relative success or absolute failure. So SRK Now has Yashraj on Diwali (but of course why release it on Diwali at all since Laxmi Puja has become the worst enemy of the box office!) and Rohit shetty’s Chennai Express presumably in 2014. I am certainly willing to concede both films could be successful, even very successful. But what does this mean within the overall context? where will the competition be then? The thing is that everytime a SRK film underperforms or fails or even does well in this last half-decade or more it is usually much behind the competition even in the best case scenario (OSO was the only exception in this sense and that was 2007). The trade guys and sites like BOI and the fans then comes up with all kinds of numbers to somehow make things look respectable. Eventually the attention shifts as it does these days with everything and everyone’s make to the same old games. So for example Nahata already has a video up on his site (which I haven’t seen) comparing how Salman’s 2012 will be compared to SRK’s! So they keep this narrative running but it takes more than a level of spin which would have got the likes of Nahata employed by Hitler’s or Stalin’s govts to keep a star on top!
On a related note if I were a betting man I’d say that both of salman’s releases next year, ETT and Dabanng 2, will be under-performers. They will have massive initials, record-breaking initials perhaps but won’t sustain too well. Firstly I have little faith in Arbaaz taking over things himself for the Dabanng sequel. On ETT this seems to be the sort of suave terrain where Salman doesn’t usually play strongest. Now the film could either have more masala for Salman audiences than looks to be the case or it could be a very sharp film. Either factor could override my prediction. But I remain skeptical about both. If you come up with 100 crore initials or something you get to 150 or more even in the worst case scenario. So the overall numbers will still be impressive. But I don’t see strong trending here. Having said that I have yet to see a Salman film trend like Ghajini or Singham. Again at those budgets it doesn’t matter much but ETT is probably not a cheap film.
December 28, 2011 at 9:47 AM
Have liked don2& srk
But the way srk and co and fans ar ha ing to struggle to put this past 100 makes me feel sorrh for srk
He d eserves better
I liked the tennis game concept in frineds with benefits
Think srk should try that but not with kjo
Ps hail melanie.laurent and mila kunis
December 28, 2011 at 10:11 AM
C’mon aamir is now in a different league it seems
Quality wise : to me: don2 trumped any of the recent salman blockbusters except dabang
But inspite of that : even Srk fans/well wishers/ evenme in this case are having to pray/struggle to put it past the likes of golmaal3!!!
Think this unfortunately proves the Srk erosion
One can’t be the topmost star with no backing from single screens
I’m now even doubtful about the so called sure shot Srk yrf “blockbuster ”
C’mon the romantic Srk will be around 47 opposite Kat n anushka
Will the core Srk fans of aunties and nubile ones accept it
Another significant thing–know of a couple of nubile Srk fans .
Am having to defend Srk and don2–they didn’t mind it but felt Srk looked a bit “old” @places and the movie had no “soul”
C’mon : this day had to come
I’m havin to defend Srk
I repeat : Srk doesn’t deserve to be lined with golmaal3 and singham and having to squeezed set their figures
Also there’s no business don2 isagging so far behind crapfest bodyguard
Guess this can be explained only by the salman factor
That reminds me: have still of heard views of salman fans like sm
Good that “friends with benefits” came to my rescue.(
It helps that one of those is a mila kunis lookalike )
Those nubile fans found this “100 times better” than don2
Ominous for Srk
December 28, 2011 at 12:13 PM
I sort of agree..
A Don 2 is still much better than Ready or a Golmaal 3.. but I guess single screen business for both those films was much better.
but its not only about SRK..
Rockstar was hardly liked by even those who were the target audience.. But these audience showed up for and supported the single screen audience in making a Golmaal 3 work..
Those who believe we have matured as an audience.. I’d like to say only one word to them : GHANTA !
December 29, 2011 at 6:41 AM
I agree with that last statement you made. Shahrukh said in an interview that it’s not the audience that’s not ready for an intelligent movie, however, I believe it is the audience. All the artistic films are sidelined in Bollywood. And it becomes more about the star than the actual films. Even though I hate to admit it, I’m kinda like that. I’m an SRK fan and even if he releases the worst movie in the world, I will go watch it in the theatre for SRK. However, the difference is in the fact that I would not skip a movie that respects my intelligence. Even if it’s a small-time project [if it released here in Vancouver, Canada], I would go watch it if it’s a good film!
One example I’d like to give is Chak De India vs Om Shanti Om. OSO broke records, but, CDI was a MUCH BETTER movie than OSO, as was Taare Zameen Par.
December 28, 2011 at 10:14 AM
Sm-I mean this as a compliment–
U are one of the most intelligent salman fans Ive come across–correction -not “one of ”
What are your views on this inability of Srk to replicate bodyguard numbers
So can we have your review in bodyguard (on special public demand)–don’t worry-not being funny lol
December 28, 2011 at 7:16 PM
I haven’t seen Don2 and don’t intend to, as the genre doesn’t interest me. But I think one of the reasons for Don2 and Ra.One struggling at the box office (comparatively) is that the subjects of both, and I guess some of the content of Ra.One, does not appeal to a broad swath of the audience. I think this is a disconnect between what one (relatively small) segment of the audience wants to see, and what the rest of them want to see. When there was a disproportionate economic advantage for multiplexes, this worked in SRK’s favor, but now that disparity is lessening. Besides that, the audience that likes this kind of films have ready access to them with most big Hollywood films being released in India in dubbed versions as well as in English.
On Bodyguard specifically, I don’t have much to say. I felt it worked because of Salman, and secondarily because of excellent performances from both Salman and Kareena. From reading various comments and seeing public reaction videos, it seems like what really appealed to people was the “twist” in the love story, which packed quite an emotional impact. Unfortunately, I had read the synopsis of the original film as soon as the remake was announced, so the surprise factor was not there for me. But both Ready and Bodyguard are “fun” films that can be seen with the whole family. I think that’s an important factor in their success.
December 28, 2011 at 7:45 PM
sm
I agree with you that the both Ready and BG are feel good movies with a very broad appeal. In general familes across India crave for Ready/BG types of movies. On a comparative scale both Ra-1 and Don 2 have limited appeal. Moreover while RA-1 and Don 2 have to compete against “better” movies from Hollywood, Ready & BG have no such competition (Hollywood does not make those kind of movies for export, TV/Cable maybe but not theatre).
The fact is that even with compounding disadvantages RA-1 and Don 2 have managed to open well and post excellents numbers says a lot about 1) Growth of the Multiplex market in India, and 2) The power of SRK’s stardom (he is outside of the core Rahul/Raj roles and still kicking butt)
December 28, 2011 at 8:26 PM
I heard Rajpal Yadav complaining too that he is at a disadvantage as no one wants to see hm as a hero.!
Were it not or the disadvantage, he could have been challenging the Khans.
This is pure hogwash. Ra One and Don 2 are mainstream commercial affairs, lavishly mounted and promoted, starring big ( even if sinking) stars.This are not message films or off beat films. If they have limited appeal, may be the star shoud look in the mirror.
As for Salman’s excellent performace in BG, words fail me!!! Now,I have heard it all.
December 28, 2011 at 10:55 PM
Rajen
I am sorry, I am at a loss, I don’t understand your point about Rajpal Yadav. I don’t understand how he fits in this equation. I don’t understand how anything about Rajpal Yadav will make any sense in the present discussion.
Now with regards your statement about RA-1 and Don 2 being big budgeted commercial movies ( I paraphrase), I don’t disagree. Yes both these movies are big budgeted commercial movies.
But RA-1 and Don 2 are unlike most commercial movies. Someone with less guts than SRK would have made a smaller budget movies on such subjects.
The concept of characters coming out of a computer games is not a main stream Bollywood subject. Bollywood audiences have never seen something like this, nor do they completely comprehend it. To begin with computers itself, something taken for granted in the west, are just beginning to gain a foot hold in the Indian households (as incomes have increased). This subject is a few years/decades ahead of its time in Bollywood. If you don’t see this basic fact about RA-1 then perhaps you don’t want to see it.
Likewsie Don 2 is about a character with no redeeming characteristics. I think it reflects the new reality of life, but that does not matter because Bollywood audience want to see a hero with goodness. Here again SRK/Farhan have made a risky bet by going against the norms. Not just that, they have virtually left out the song and dance. Hence once again I wonder how you think that this is the same old, same old.
By adding non Rahul/Raj movies to his portfolio, SRK has increased his longevity at the top. If SRK can take two risky movies, and still manage to produce such excellent numbers at the BO, then what will happen if he next made an audience friendly movie ?
December 29, 2011 at 6:51 AM
sm, with Bodyguard, I would really like to point out that I absolutely detested the movie and the only thing that made the movie JUST “watchable” was Salman’s presence. I would like to say that the only decent performance in the movie came from Salman, while Kareena just didn’t work for me [same story w/ RA.One ... SRK worked well, but, Kareena just didn't]. And with all due respect, the twist in Bodyguard just left me shaking my head and saying, “WTF was the need for that???”. Personally, it did not carry any amount of emotional quotient. The girl showed no prior attraction or even remote attachment to Salman’s character and all the sudden, cuz of one hug or w/e, she gets the idea to marry him. The film, especially the “twist”, insulted my intelligence as an audience member. It’s just completely random and again, there are no events leading up to it, or even giving a small hint. And the other thing that really ANNOYED me was Tsunami Singh. GGGGGGODDDDDD, he was annoying! Some of the comedy worked for me and the action sequence at the end was really well done…will give ‘em that. Overall, I found the movie actually quite boring and pointless.
Ready is the same deal. Boring, pointless and cheap/stupid comedy. BUT, again, Salman works magic in this fare. Actually found it more entertaining than Bodyguard!
However, the reasons you pointed out for the success sound about right. And these are also the reasons that Bollywood is not getting any further…because of feel-good movies. We need to have a movie that stands out and represents Bollywood. Something like Tere Naam from Salman, or 3 Idiots from Aamir or Chak De India from Shahrukh or Omkara from Devgn and Saif.
December 29, 2011 at 11:57 AM
Ha, ha, Arsh Kehra, I didn’t say either Ready or Bodyguard were *good* films.
Just that Salman made them work. In the case of Ready, only Salman made it work, while in Bodyguard, I thought Kareena also brought a lot to the film with her performance. Similarly, I didn’t say the twist in BG made any impact on me, but that was the reason given by many who liked it. I thought the best parts of the film were the action sequences.
As to having a film that represents Bollywood – though I dislike this term – I think it should be one that is made in the Indian narrative tradition, meaning, that I don’t care for the more “Hollywoodized” type of films that are being increasingly made by the big production houses, or the smaller independent makers.
December 29, 2011 at 10:02 AM
Good points there sm esp about the “family” film bit
Well analysed
So u haven’t seem don2-So r u only into “family” films
What ae your views on the dirty picture
And just out of interest: what will be the top5 performances of salma. Khan according to u
As per salmans forthcoming films : feel ek that tiger willbe amongst his better films “quality wise” but it’s box office will be interesting and a test of salmans box office
I’m asking u all this -since u seem to be the “Inhouse salman fan” in a good way . The younger female demographic has eithe hated salman or loved it -suspect there is not much in between-is that rite?
Lol
December 29, 2011 at 12:09 PM
@Alex, I haven’t seen the Dirty Picture, and am not sure if I will in the future. I’m still ambivalent about it. I don’t only see family films, but when I see Indian films I want them to be Indian, not pale imitations of Hollywood or any other film industry. I can see those in the original whenever I want, and do.
It’s hard to give only top 5 performances from Salman, as there are many more than that that I like. You also have to be aware that the films don’t always match his performance level — which is to say, he often has given excellent performances in sloppily put together films. So if I were to consider only performances, off the top of my head, and in random order, I would probably list MPK, Veergati, Love, Garv, TNBP, Kyon Ki, JEM, Tere Naam, Biwi No. 1, Andaz Apna Apna, etc. I am stopping since there are already more than 5. I have not listed Dabangg, since you already like it and are aware of it, though otherwise I would have included it, too. Actually, of that list, I think all except Kyon Ki can also be called good films.
I’m not aware of any younger female viewers who “hate” Salman. Some love him, some are indifferent to him, but the hatred seems more prevalent among male viewers of varying ages.
You could ask Naveed your questions on Salman, too, since he is also an “in house” Salman fan.
December 29, 2011 at 12:30 PM
Thanx sm
Haven’t seen most of these but thought he was good in Tere naam and wasnt bad in JEM.
And yes: he carried that “over the top” hairstyle well.
Think he owned “dabang” & essayed it better than ANYONE.
I love that dabang persona btw…
Will have to put my foot down and say that I found Biwi no1 crap-also to do with the screecho karisma though !!!
Think there is a “physical” element to salmans appeal amongst the female following-correct
me if that’s wrong but don’t think
“acting”forms a great contribution of his appeal–though not implying that in your case don’t feel the appeal is “physical “.
Have asked u since have not met an intelligent and cerebral salman fan like u ever (with due respect to his other fans lol-now don’t wanna get killed by them-jus stating it frankly)Haha
December 28, 2011 at 10:21 AM
And satyam : what are your views on “the beginners”
& “friends with benefits “–suspect u won’t like the latter
By past history
But worthwhile checking your views on the former
And yes: gf may find the former interesting(if he hasn’t seen it already lol)
December 28, 2011 at 10:45 AM
haven’t seen either..
December 28, 2011 at 10:56 AM
Satyam u seem to be getting bogged down /restricted to the level of ra1 and Srk box office
Suggest u check out “the beginners”
Not a “tree of life ” by any stretch but will be worth your while.
Like how the protagonists present gets juxtaposed with his past experiences – also liked his “brain maps”
As for “friends with benefits” -just guilty pleasure -not bad though
Ps-mila kunis is good bit not awesome
December 28, 2011 at 11:48 AM
Guys no need to bring up members from other sites. whether people change IDs or not is not very relevant. what matters is the sort of comment being posted. Sure there are many who enjoy these games but I think it’s a waste of time to try and track all the ‘shape-shifters’ in this sense. Far easier, and useful, to keep track of content!
December 28, 2011 at 11:53 AM
“to try and track all the ‘shape-shifters’ in this sense…”–haha
Think this canbe used in “transformers5-the revenge on the blog “!!!
Lol
December 28, 2011 at 12:40 PM
ok guys stop the squabbling.. I’m getting a bit tired deleting the comments..
December 28, 2011 at 2:08 PM
Why Studios Need to Slash Extravagant Star Perk Packages
By Gavin Polone
Studios need to make more movies. They’re pushing up the availability of their films on pay-per-view (they get a bigger slice of the gross that way), which means shorter runs at the theater, which means quicker turnover, which means the studios need to up their output to keep theaters filled. And then there’s the fact that they need to satisfy consumers who are devouring more content than ever on an increasing number of devices. Because few companies of any industry are expanding their operating budgets in this economic environment, bringing down the cost of each film becomes imperative. Of course, all studios say they are doing this, and to some extent they are, but I’m still surprised to see one expense that has not been attacked aggressively and which would not impact the quality of any film: star perquisites or “perks” — those luxurious bonus demands like private jets, masseuses, and gym trailers.
I’m not talking about how much stars are paid. When calculating salary offers, execs make reasoned analyses about the value of adding someone to a cast, given their salary, versus what it will do to the budget. But after that decision is made and the upfront fee is negotiated, the rest of the contract’s details are not thought through with the same circumspection. I don’t remember a deal ever being blown over a perk package. Knowing this, a star’s representatives have a lot of leverage to push on perks once a fee is set. Since they work on commission, agents don’t make one more dime by getting a client a luxurious list of perks, but they still have incentive to score a good deal; it justifies their participation and, more importantly, they don’t want a client calling them and saying, “Why didn’t I get this?”
Many studio executives think perks aren’t worth fighting over, and they’re mistaken. I’ve heard of perk packages exceeding $2 million for one actor on one film. That may be a small percentage of the $20 million that that actor was probably paid to do the movie, but none of that money is translated into what the audience sees. And when you apply that same line item to an entire slate of movies, some of which have multiple stars in the cast, the year’s total can equal the entire cost of one additional, modestly budgeted film. Just as importantly, these perks are decadent and wasteful at a time when decadence and waste should really be reined in. To give an idea of just how ridiculously pricey these packages are, here is an actual example of a major star’s list of perquisites:
Expenses and Perks
· Private jet transportation on a Gulfstream GV or comparable aircraft to and from each location for Performer and his traveling companions. Five first-class round trip tickets to each location for Performer’s family. (ALTERNATIVE: Non-accountable private jet allowance of $350,000 for travel during production. Additional allowance for publicity-related travel.)
· Fully furnished accommodations of Performer’s choice (rental house, apartment, or otherwise), with telephone, utilities, cable or satellite television, and daily maid service paid, plus a non-accountable monthly expense allowance of $10,000. A fax machine with laser printer at the accommodations, plus a computer with high-speed Internet service.
· Trailer: on location, first-class, full-size (40-ft. or larger) star trailer with star accommodations, including without limitation, full kitchen (with refrigerator, range, oven and microwave), bedroom with king size bed, bathroom with shower, satellite TV, stereo (with CD and iPod connection), Blue-Ray DVD, hard line phone, fax, computer with high speed Internet access, and daily cleaning service. In town, Producer shall rent Performer’s trailer at the rate of $3,000 per week.
· Fully-equipped separate exercise trailer, equipped with a treadmill, Stairmaster, stationary bike, free weights, and massage table, for Performer’s exclusive use.
· First-class exclusive car (full-size SUV or luxury car) and driver (approved by Performer) to and from the set each day in town and on location. On location, car and driver to be available on a 24-hour basis.
· Full-size SUV or luxury rental car, with insurance and parking paid, for use by Performer’s family.
· Cell phone reimbursement of $2,000 per month in the United States. If abroad, studio to pay full cost of four international cell phones with unlimited data service.
Assistant
· Assistant will receive first class hotel accommodations (same hotel as Performer), key crew per diem, a SUV or full-size luxury rental car, cell phone with unlimited data service, first class round trip airfare, and a weekly salary of $2,000 paid direct, commencing six weeks prior to the start date and continuing until 4 weeks following completion of principal photography.
· Assistant will be provided with an exclusive office (with desk, fax with laser printer, and computer with high-speed Internet service).
Additional Personnel (all to be designated or approved by and exclusive to Performer)
· Publicist: A monthly fee of $5,000 plus expenses, payable to Performer’s publicist commencing eight weeks prior to start date and continuing through 60 days after the completion of principal photography and recommencing 90 days prior to the release date and continuing through 60 days after the release.
· Trainer: $1,500 per week in town, $5,000 per week on location. First class round-trip air, first class accommodations contiguous to Performer, and crew per diem.
· Security personnel: $5,000 per week, plus crew accommodations, travel, and per diem
· Nutritionist/Chef: $5,000 per week, plus crew accommodations, travel, and per diem
· Performer’s yoga instructor to be engaged during rehearsals and photography, with crew travel, accommodations, and per diem on location.
· Exclusive Hairdresser
· Exclusive Makeup
· Exclusive Wardrobe/Star dresser
· Stand-in
· Stunt double
· Masseuse
And this package isn’t even at the very top end of the spectrum of what some stars get. Often, there are also a coterie of “associates” on the payroll who are really just part of the entourage and serve no real function on the movie. The above fees for security personnel are also less than some may demand and receive.
Factoring all of it in, you have a huge amount of money unnecessarily spent on behalf of one person. It doesn’t need to be this way. In most circumstances, I’m not sure that a star would walk away from a deal if everything he had been used to getting were not given. In fact, in almost every case, a star has accepted way less in the way of perks, either at an earlier point in his career or more recently by doing some independent art film where the budget and style of filmmaking would not support such excess. The person on whose behalf all of this was requested probably makes $10-20 million per film and does at least two of them per year: Stars like this can handle the cost of maintaining whatever style of which they are accustomed. Furthermore, when these actors are not filming a movie, I would guess that they are used to paying for their assistant, publicist, yoga instructor, massage therapist, etc., and if they don’t fly privately when they’re not working, they can probably suffer through security at JFK when they are.
I am not against living nicely. I live nicely. When I’m on a movie, I get a per diem, usually about $3,500 per week in a major city, from which I pay for all of my living expenses – a few first-class plane tickets, an assistant for $1,000 per week, and a rental car, which I drive myself. And you know what? I think it is pretty grand. I stay in nice hotels, I get massages, I eat, I use gyms. I’m not hurting. If I want to fly privately, I pay for it myself. It isn’t so tough.
My modest proposal to the studios would be to set a limit on what they dole out for perks and hold to it: Give a star a large amount of money per week to pay for their housing and expenses, say $10,000, plus five airline tickets, a comfortable car (not an SUV), an assistant with a reasonable salary, and a nice trailer. They should have the right to consult on hair, makeup, and a stunt double, but not give them the right to choose someone they can force on the production at an inflated fee, and not necessarily for their exclusive use. (Exceptions would be made if they are in a period film or one that requires major hair and makeup; then maybe they need those key crew members to be exclusive to them.) And there should be security people on the set protecting them when needed, but that’s all. Surprisingly, if adopted, my proposal (which is not exactly austere) would save millions of dollars per year, and I doubt it would cost a studio an opportunity to land an actor in a part. More importantly, it wouldn’t affect the quality or content of any film, and it would leave the studio with more cash for the things that actually end up on screen.
Gavin Polone is an agent turned manager turned producer. His production company, Pariah, has brought you such movies and TV shows as Panic Room, Zombieland, Gilmore Girls, and Curb Your Enthusiasm. Follow him on Twitter @gavinpolone.
http://nymag.com/daily/entertainment/2011/11/gavin-polone-on-celebrity-perks.html
December 29, 2011 at 9:52 AM
Interesting article there Tyler
What about “entertainment ” of stars
Haha
Especially interesting is this coterie
“Often, there are also a coterie of “associates” on the payroll who are really just part of the entourage and serve no real function … ”
Presume they are “die hard fans”
Lol
December 28, 2011 at 3:45 PM
Just back from watchinh Don 2. Definitely a much better film than the first installment and generally are far more fluent film – the first one rather bored me but this was quite entertaining on the whole. I felt SRK was really playing the part well on the whole – just felt that the moment he turned into a “saviour” type that his character reverted to type of older films.
Thought the ending was not that good but the story was pretty strong overall with good level of twists and turns. Definitely his best film since CDI.
I’d say if this released before Ra-One his fortunes for this film would have been much better. Releasing them in real close proximity has hurt the films business as really this should be doing north of 115 crores anyday more than Ra-One.
December 28, 2011 at 5:09 PM
fair assessment of the film.. I too found it an easier watch than the first one but not sure whether I preferred it overall. perfectly engaging for the most part, it just seems too little for the terrain.
December 29, 2011 at 2:52 AM
jay, i abandoned the film (pirated online copy) after first 30 minutes…. now u say twist n turns….i was wondering whether is shd venture to complete the movie…
December 28, 2011 at 4:07 PM
Don 2 Has Second Biggest Opening Ever Overseas
Wednesday 28th December 2011 09.00 IST
Boxofficeindia.Com Trade Network
Don 2 had the second biggest opening ever in Overseas as it collected around $5.10 million in its first weekend. In UK it had an extended five day weekend. The highest weekend ever is My Name Is Khan with $5.30 million. The film should hold steady on the weekdays in overseas as is its a holiday period and many holidays on the weekdays. The major market numbers for the weekend are as follows.
United Kingdom – £515,000 (5 Days)
North America – $1,675,000
UAE – $1,100,000
Australia – $300,000
December 28, 2011 at 4:10 PM
It looks like overseas, SRK is still the yardstick by which Bollywood is measured.
December 28, 2011 at 5:25 PM
Karan, I did see your earlier response.. even if you think someone is starting something it’s best to not respond in kind.. you can put up a firm response or two and move on. I say this to everyone. Irrespective of whoever starts this stuff if one keeps responding it clogs up the forum.
December 28, 2011 at 5:26 PM
and Alex as you can see your constant preoccupations with gender and sexuality are increasingly rubbing people the wrong way.. even if someone gets into an argument with you why reduce it to this?
December 28, 2011 at 6:55 PM
Satyam
It is not as if I feel I am being “rubbed” the wrong way, the fact is I don’t like being tarnished by the behavioral muck that he represents. We all owe it to ourselves to live up to some standard.
[edited]
December 28, 2011 at 7:09 PM
not turning a blind eye at all.. I can’t be here 24 hrs.. when I see the comments I edit or delete them..
December 28, 2011 at 4:57 PM
KJo-Thadani: Friends in deed
Raveena’s hubby takes charge of all-India theatrical rights of Agneepath
Vickey Lalwani
Posted On Thursday, December 29, 2011 at 02:03:33 AM
Karan Johar and Raveena Tandon’s husband Anil Thadani are childhood friends. And now the two friends are building a professional relationship as well. Anil has acquired the all-India theatrical rights of KJo’s next opus Agneepath, starring Hrithik Roshan, Priyanka Chopra and Sanjay Dutt. This decision comes as a surprise since Karan Johar after parting professionally with Yash Raj Films, has always trusted UTV for the distribution of his projects.
A source from the industry revealed, “Everything is fine between KJo’s company Dharma Productions and UTV. In the recent past UTV sold the theatrical rights to different people. Now, they have sold it entirely to Thadani. It’s a structured deal. Of course, KJo was kept in the loop. That’s the only difference. Yes, it was expected that Agneepath would follow the same route but then everything can’t remain the same forever. The modalities worked out well for Thadani.”
KJo and Anil went to the same college – HR college in Churchgate. They are frequently in touch. KJo trusts Anil a lot. What tilted the scales in Anil’s favour is perhaps the way he handled Milan Luthria’s The Dirty Picture, produced by Ekta Kapoor who is also KJo’s close friend.
While the money that Anil had to shell out is still not known, the deal in question was routed through UTV. Revealed the source, “”Anil signed the deal only on Wednesday afternoon.”
When contacted, Apoorva Mehta (CEO, Dharma Productions) confirmed that now Anil Thadani would be in charge of the all-India theatrical rights of Agneepath. “Eros International holds the overseas rights,” he added.
December 28, 2011 at 4:57 PM
heh heh…
December 28, 2011 at 8:47 PM
Players will pick up by sunday after its release on 6th jan,in a big way…if it has a good content and tight screen play and the rest will be history for Abhi and cast as it looks full of a surprice package…my 2 cents:)
December 28, 2011 at 8:58 PM
taran_adarsh taran adarsh
#Don2 – India *actuals*: Fri 15.55 cr, Sat 15.32 cr, Sun 18.22 cr, Mon 8.85 cr, Tue 7.02 cr. Total: Rs 64.96 cr [incl Tamil + Telugu].
December 28, 2011 at 9:06 PM
To paraphrase Disraeli, there are lies, there are damn lies ad there are Taran’s ( and BOI’s and Komal’s ) BO reports.
December 29, 2011 at 6:55 AM
Well, since this is the most reliable information we have, I think we should just go with it.
December 28, 2011 at 10:17 PM
@Rajen…Explain the truth then if everyone is lying?If they say film is out of theatres and that ll be truth for you?Anyway Don2 is doing exceptionally well both in India and overseas.Just learn to digest the facts my dear friend.
December 28, 2011 at 10:59 PM
@satyam…The model that you have given for calculating boxoffice collections is out of this world and by that standard no movie can be declared a hit.
December 28, 2011 at 11:23 PM
King
The problem I have with the model being used on this blog is that unless SRK’s movies sets a new record it is talked about as if it is a flop. Hence it does that matter if it is in the all time top five or three, it has to set a new record or it is no good.
Don 2 is a good example. It has made the third most money ever in its first week-end in India (BG and RA-1 are ahead). Next it made the second most money overseas in its first weekend (MNIK is ahead). Now, it is quite possible that collectively (Domestic + Overseas) Don2 has the best first weekend ever, but still it is NOT ENOUGH. No Bollywood movie has perhaps made more money in its first weekend, and yet all kind of potential dangers/hurdles are being sited to discount Don 2’s achievement.
At some point let is all collectively sit back and applaud that Don 2 has perhaps set a new record for the first weekend’s worldwide BO. Lets celebrate what is rather than talk about what could be.
December 28, 2011 at 11:59 PM
@Karan Kumar….It is not wise to expect that srk with every movie will make and break records.Ra.one was expected to do so but direction killed it and still it made money on srk’s star power.Don2 was never expected to make or break any record as Farhan’s movies are never mass friendly but the way this movie is running is very good.Since you have rightly mentioned that this film has broken the record of biggest first week worldwide is an unexpected affair,at least for me.
December 29, 2011 at 12:03 AM
NAGPUR: DON 2 Rock Steady On Wednesday
Thursday 29th December 2011 10.00 IST
Boxofficeindia.Com Trade Network
Don 2 was rock steady in Nagpur with similar collections to Tuesday. Some theatres reported higher collections on Wednesday than Tuesday and this trend was there at many centres across the country. Cinemax which is showing 3D is doing huge business. Below are the Wednesday figures from Nagpur for Don 2 with Tuesday figures in brackets.
Liberty – 42,719 (46,066)
Panchsheel – 50,689 (50,696)
Sudama – 34,470 (26,286)
Janki – 7,689 (7,649)
Rajvilas – 5,500 (5,463)
Inox Poonam – 97,585 (85,535)
Inox Jaswant – 89,808 (1,00,737)
Cinemax – 2,43,323 (2,50,382)
TOTAL – 5,71,783 (5,72,814) – 0.02%
http://www.boxofficeindia.com/boxnewsdetail.php?page=shownews&articleid=3863&nCat=
December 29, 2011 at 12:09 AM
And if you make this block a yard stick to judge srk’s career,then srk should have been selling peanuts in a street since long.If any srk movie touches 300cr in India,these honourable gentlemen will say trade it overreporting like you can check Rajen’s comments above.So my dear friend move on and enjoy movies.
December 29, 2011 at 1:35 AM
Karankumar,
Mate, please accept the simple fact that 2011 was a dismal year for SRK !
1) His Red Chillies production “Always Kabhi Kabhi” was a disaster & sank without a trace.
2) Ra.One under-performed massively at the box office. Most SRK fans & his PR were confidently speculating how it would change the face of Bollywood ! Ha, far from it… the film actually became the butt of jokes in the media platforms. Many felt that Ra.One would easily smash domestic BO collections of Dabangg & Bodyguard, and could even touch 3 Idiots’ all time domestic record…it could not even cross collections of Ready ..in fact its Hindi version barely touched Ghaijini figure of 115 crore !! To add insult to injury, the film is amongst the worst films of the year, in almost every year end best/worst of 2011 lists…If this is not disappointing, don’t know what is !!
3) Don 2 shockingly did not get even an opening in single screens/mass centres in India…opening weekend of 48 crore was way below the mark when it should have been ideally 55-60 crore considering Christmas release & record screen count. The only consolation is that it is holding well at multiplexes…but is that reason enough to rejoice ?? certainly not if it barely crosses 100 crore mark & does not even cross Ra.One’s final tally !!!
4) To add further salt to the wound, SRK’s overseas clout suffered a major embarassment when 3 Idiots crossed MNIK’s collections & is now officially the highest overseas grosser of all time !
If SRK’s recent films are still getting severe negative backlash in the media & social networking platforms, it is his PR machinery & loyal fans who are to blame. eg. Ra.One was hyped & marketed as this ” movie event of the decade”.
If SRK fans are glowing at Ra.one & Don 2 box office figures & his stardom, good luck to them….the plain & simple fact is that it is Salman & Aamir who are setting the benchmarks both in India & overseas, period !
December 29, 2011 at 7:02 AM
Shubh, actually, 3 idiots is still behind MNIK in the overseas department. just an FYI
http://boxofficeindia.com/showProd.php?itemCat=308&catName=TGlmZXRpbWU=
December 29, 2011 at 7:44 AM
Arsh,
overseas market has been superb for srk,remember salmans bodyguard did superb business in uk.
srk is strong hold in uk but overseas is nothing if the film is not like in INDIA where hits & flops matter.
srk next venture is to settle in uk and do corrie or eastenders.
those soaps do better in commercials tv,also srk preferred tv shows.
Today I neeped at manchesters trafford centres which is 4 miles and did some shopping and guess what Don 2 was in 3 sreens and which shows that Don 2 has done superb business.
UK is very very strong hold but salman films are catching up here.only a time will tell..srk should bless people of uk that even his crap can be a blockbuster…weird and daft though
December 29, 2011 at 11:52 AM
Just because BOI does not update their list does not mean it is true. Which world are you living in? 3I overtook MNIK by 10cr already.
December 29, 2011 at 12:20 PM
yeah it has to be significantly ahead by now.. and yes BOI does every teeny-tiny update where MNIK is concerned but leaves out these big releases (China) for 3I.
December 30, 2011 at 1:23 AM
But, still, as of now, this is the most reliable information we have, and therefore, we should go with it…
btw, China revenue for 3I was just over $1 million…and that’s the only other significant returns that 3 Idiots had after its official release and even taking that into account, it still lags behind MNIK.
December 29, 2011 at 2:37 AM
Shubh….You can twist the facts to any direction.Srk fans or pr never blows things out of proportion but it is his persona that whenever he touches anything,it becomes talk of town.Srk haters have made the recent success of Salman and Amir as a bench mark to judge his stardom whereas the fact is Salman has 14 clean hits and Amir has only 9 in the entire career of 25 years of both the actors whereas Srk has 25 in career span of 21 years.So before comparing them with srk you should know the facts very well.Nowadays every friday is a game changer and if going by your standards then there ll be a new superstar on every friday.
December 29, 2011 at 7:51 AM
king khan,
srk will never sustain top-spot for ever,you should closely in recent times and give a good look,he has aged 10 years in one year,jhatka laga hai usko ke even ajay devgan can reach 100cr mark with a superb performace in SINGHAM,times have changed for all srk fans that srk holds no monopoly and recent times people have likings of amir khan,salman and now ritik and ajay devgan all breathing down srk neck..
srk recent ageing image is enough proof that he is getting worried & nightmares of his rivals…god bless all this bollywood fans
December 29, 2011 at 8:26 AM
Vijay
No one can hold on to youth, health, power, or position for ever. Everyone has to go eventually. Hence why do you expect that will not be the case vis a vis SRK ? Have no doubt that SRK will fade away eventually. Fortunately for him he had been at or near the top ever since he came to Bollywood. For the last ten years people have been predicting his demise, but he still keeps on giving exception movies (as measured by BO). He has the most movies in the 100 Cr plus (wordwide) club. This year he will enter two movies in an even more exclusive club, the 200 Cr+ Club.
With two back to back hits in non conforming movies, SRK has added to his longevity in Bollywood. Hence 2011 has been great for him. When other stars also generate 200 Cr+ in non masala, non massy entertainers, SRK will have competition, but at this point he stands tall and alone. Today only SRK can abandon his core demographics and still generate exceptionally huge numbers. Always keep in mind that with MNIK, RA-1 and Don 2, SRK has given three 200 + Cr movies back to back in non Raj/Rahul roles. It will be long before someone else duplicates that.
Just imagine what will happen when SRK makes an audience friendly movie that also caters to his core demographics. If SRK can do 200 + Cr without his core fans and in a non massy movie then perhaps 300 + Cr is possible ? The thing is with SRK the sky in the limit, one can let his imagination soar.
December 29, 2011 at 10:00 AM
maybe I agree some of it but as his last few films compare to salmans its been a shadow , srk monopoly has been broken and thats good for neutrals because srk himself said in 2006 that no body will be a superstar after him and thats a proudy attitude from a superstar which recently been seen a faded star..
srk knows that salman,amir are just a step away from him and any mistakes and salman will step in.
srk has given blockbuster apart from Ra one but salman has given four back-to back blockbusters and that has woken and shaken srk fans..salman movies are much better and commanding as srk films were…2012 is going to be a different superstars and many to come aswell
December 29, 2011 at 10:51 AM
“srk knows that salman,amir are just a step away from him and any mistakes and salman will step in.”
???????????????????????????????????
step away? where r u living brother? after 2000 – it is aamir khan who is no. 1 (even sallu agrees with that) – b.o. wise (cumulative) – it is sallu – srk is already no. 3 and with the crap he has been dishing out (as an actor and as a producer) – he will soon be looking for a graceful exit.
December 29, 2011 at 12:25 PM
“but he still keeps on giving exception movies (as measured by BO)”
Well this is the my you are living in. First of all since last 10 years, he had only 3 hits in real sense(this is the sense and model for which all movies of Amitabh has been measures since 70′s). FilmInformaiton had only 3 hits for SRK since 2000, these are Veer Zaara, Om Shanti Om and Rab Ne bana DO Jodi. Rest of movies are in range of flops to just commission earner and semi hits.
Amitabh bachchan had clean 57 Hits with this model our of total 65 movies from 1973-1988.
God knows which exceptional hits you are talking about ??
December 29, 2011 at 3:30 AM
“Srk fans or pr never blows things out of proportion”….today is 30th Dec & perfect timing to make comment of the year….ROFLOL !!
Thanks for the entertainment…keep them coming !!
December 29, 2011 at 4:33 AM
@Good to hear that even srk fans entertain you and this itself speaks how much regard you have for srk.
December 29, 2011 at 5:49 AM
As a matter of fact, all of us here have serious “regard” for SRK…especially for his fading stardom !!
December 29, 2011 at 6:59 AM
guys, please stop posting pointless comments…if you have something useful to say, say it, if you don’t, then keep your keyboard shut!
BOTTOM LINE:
king khan — we obviously know that 3 idiots has been the highest overall grosser so far!
Shubh — SRK has had more hits in his career than any other Khans!
NOW, SHUT IT!
December 29, 2011 at 5:55 AM
3 Idiots wins over Chinese, collects Rs 11 crore in two weeks & now
the highest grossing film in the overseas market with collections amounting to Rs 121 crore….phew ! this record is going to take some beating…as if surpassing 203 crore domestic was not daunting enough !!
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/media/entertainment-/entertainment/3-idiots-wins-over-chinese-collects-rs-11-crore-in-two-weeks/articleshow/11286751.cms
“The Chinese are madly falling in love with Funsuk Wangdu and Ranchodas Chanchwad, characters in Amir Khan-starrer 3 Idiots, which was released in 2009, and became an instant hit at home.
China opened its doors to the Raju Hirani film two weeks ago, and the Idiots have won over the Chinese as well, creating a record of sorts. In the two weeks since its release with 900 prints, the film has collected Rs 11 crore so far.
“Mainland China is the second biggest film market after the US, but is very tough to enter because only 20 foreign films (including Hollywood) can be screened in China in a year,” said Sameer Rao, chief executive officer at Vidhu Vinod Chopra Productions who is elated at the response, and expects the film to have a long run at the box office in China, just like it did in Hong Kong. In Hong Kong, 3 Idiots was released in October, and is still running to packed houses, collecting close to 16 crore so far.
However, the success of Hirani’s 3 Idiots may open the doors for other Bollywood films waiting to be released in China. “Films from various countries are given a chance to be released in China under the quota system. As 3 Idiots is doing very well, Indian films now have a better chance to be released in China. The local distributors too shall try hard as they have seen the response an Indian film can get,” said Audrey Lee, owner of Chinese distribution firm Ekdo Films which has released 3 Idiots in some parts of China. The cost of dubbing and marketing in Mainland China has been borne by local distributors like Lee.
“The message in the film has been the ‘pull’ factor. Such a great response from a non-traditional territory like China is a welcome phenomenon for the Hindi film industry,” said Anil Arjun, chief executive officer at Reliance MediaWorks, who has been closely involved with Reliance’s overseas distribution.In the Chinese piracy market, the 3 Idiots, it is believed, had already become the highest selling Bollywood film, and estimates suggest over 1.3 lakh Chinese having watched a pirated copy of the film.
The only Bollywood film which got through the Great Wall before this and got a wide release was Karan Johar’s My Name is Khan last year, which was distributed by Fox Star.
With the China release, 3 Idiots has become the highest grossing film in the overseas market with collections amounting to Rs 121 crore. “
December 29, 2011 at 8:11 AM
Don 2 Continues To Do Well
Thursday 29th September 2011 11.30 IST
Boxofficeindia.Com Trade Network
Don 2 is sustaining very well on its weekdays as it has collected nearly 6 crore nett on Wednesday and the week is set for a 71-72 crore nett finish for the Hindi version. The first week collections will be the fifth highest ever for the first week after Bodyguard, Ra.One, Dabangg and Three Idiots.
In Mysore, it will emerge the biggest hit of the year beating Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara and Ra.One. Multiplexes are sustaining very well while single screens are also no levelling out but at low levels.
The first two days may not have recorded bumper collections but sinnce Christmas the day the film has been on a strong run and is likley to record a very good second weekend as well.
December 29, 2011 at 8:33 AM
Don2 DOES seem to be sustaining rather well and remains to be seen where it ends up. Agree with Jay if this had preceeded Ra.One or come a little later might have actually done even better.
December 29, 2011 at 10:12 AM
Have really enjoyed this movie – perceptive and evocative
Recommended-”the beginners”
Brief plot summary
Huggo
It’s 2003. Thirty-eight year old graphic artist Oliver Fields has just lost his father Hal Fields to cancer, after Oliver’s mother Georgia Fields passed away five years earlier. Oliver is naturally a sullen man due to his growing up relationship with his parents (his mother who had a unique view on life) and watching his parents’ cordial but somewhat distant relationship with each other, but is more so now because of his personal family loss. Oliver embarks on a relationship with Anna, a French actress. Oliver is hoping that his re-energized relationship with Hal following Georgia’s death and Hal’s new outlook on life during that time will show Oliver how to act in a loving relationship. After Georgia’s death, Hal came out of the closet and began to live with a joie de vivre that did not exist before, which included an open relationship with a much younger man named Andy. Oliver’s relationship with Anna has other obstacles, including Anna’s own vagabond lifestyle and Oliver needing to take care of who was originally Hal’s very needy Jack Russell terrier, Arthur.
2003 in L.A. Oliver’s 38, grieving: his father Hal has died, six years after his mother. After her death (and 45 years of marriage), Hal comes out of the closet. In flashbacks we see Oliver with Hal during his last year of life, in love with Andy, a much younger man. The flashbacks include Oliver’s childhood with a lonely and quirky mom, which, with his grief, explains his diffidence and emotional unavailability. At work, he’s drawing a series of sketches he calls the history of sadness. He meets Anna, French, an actress in town for a month, rootless, living in hotels as she goes from film to film. Is she to be his route to a beginning?
Enjoy
December 29, 2011 at 10:38 AM
Alex, stop engaging with Karan.. consider this the final ‘request’ in this regard.
Karan, do not respond.. I will eventually look into it.
I am tried of deleting comments.
December 29, 2011 at 10:39 AM
Satyam
Do not tolerate such trash behavior, unless you do not care about your own reputation.
[edited]
December 29, 2011 at 11:43 AM
Karan.. I’ll worry about my reputation..
December 29, 2011 at 11:49 AM
Ha-
On a lighter note-satyams “reputation ” is at stake
I have made him “bad-naam”
Hahaha
Rotflol
December 29, 2011 at 10:49 AM
Ok ok cool it mate
Lol
Will try to resist u
Ps-but suggest u try not to try and “teach”/”brain wash” satyam on what to do and what not to
I will also resist my urge to “engage” with u but only due to satyams insistence lol
Btw u or me have no right to tell satyam what all to “tolerate” and what all to “delete”
If u (or me for that matter) don’t like certain comments, I r
Welcome to stay away. But have been noticing this subtle manipulation of satyam which is not needed
Peace
December 29, 2011 at 11:43 AM
No one’s manipulating me Alex.. I can see when exchanges get ugly..
December 29, 2011 at 11:54 AM
Alec
When you do engage (as we saw previously), do you really think that it brings credit to you ? Do you present yourself in a good/respectable light at those moments ?
With your permission and with Satyam’s OK, I would like to state a joke (a kind of a dirty joke) which will illustrate your mindset. Hence let me know if it is OK.
December 29, 2011 at 12:02 PM
NO
I don’t wish to “engage” with u anymore @satyams request
I will try to be a “good” guy lol
[edited]
I’m going to sm for “protection”
Lol
December 29, 2011 at 12:19 PM
It’s not ok.. let it drop..
December 29, 2011 at 10:58 AM
Btw can’t we have the party nonetheless : celebrating srks “success”??
C’mon guys n gals -get started
Raise a toast
December 29, 2011 at 12:34 PM
Would have otherwise..
happy for him that the film’s doing well but all his recent cockiness has put me off him for a while..
anyways the second weekend is about to come
December 29, 2011 at 1:42 PM
something forwarded on to me by an eager srk fan (though dont really agree with it–but just passin it on)–seems a tweet goin around lol—-hope it makes srk fans happy
” after don2–Seems, only 1 word is written in the eyes of Salman + Aamir all over – DARR
”
haha
ps–loved the look in srks eyes in the last scene when he was whisked away by the police–stardom unlimited
hope srk sticks to doing this stuff and doesnt go bak to the emotional manipulation bit with kjo/yrf
December 30, 2011 at 5:57 AM
No, I think right now, it would be good for Shahrukh on a personal level to go to romantic roles or roles that aren’t physically challenging because SRK’s health is not supporting him right now and he needs to take care of that. So, going back to YRF or KJo would be a good thing and also, it’d be a good change of pace after 2 action movies.
December 29, 2011 at 1:59 PM
and a really rare sight–an srk song posted by me
Meets my stamp of approval here lol
finally after so many years
ps—liked the srk-pc interactions in don2 as mentioned earlier
Flirtation during car chase and even behind bars
also found interesting the way pc did NOT shoot don…full markz
December 29, 2011 at 10:49 PM
I’ll tell you why movie revenue is dropping…
BY ROGER EBERT / December 28, 2011
Box office revenue at movie theaters “lagged far behind 2010,” an article by the AP’s David Germain reports. Partly that was because the year lacked an “Avatar.” Partly because a solid summer slate fell off in the autumn. Germain talks to several Hollywood insiders who tried to account for the general decline of ticket sales; 2011 had “smallest movie audience since 1995.” I have some theories of my own, fueled by what people tell me.
1. Obviously, the absence of a must-see mass-market movie. When moviegoers hear about “Avatar” or “The Dark Knight,” they blast off from home base and land in a theater seat as quickly as they can.
2. Ticket prices are too high. People have always made that complaint, but historically the movies have been cheap compared to concerts, major league sports and restaurants. Not so much any longer. No matter what your opinion is about 3D, the charm of paying a hefty surcharge has worn off for the hypothetical family of four.
3. The theater experience. Moviegoers above 30 are weary of noisy fanboys and girls. The annoyance of talkers has been joined by the plague of cell-phone users, whose bright screens are a distraction. Worse, some texting addicts get mad when told they can’t use their cell phones. A theater is reportedly opening which will allow and even bless cell phone usage, although that may be an apocryphal story.
4. Refreshment prices. It’s an open secret that the actual cost of soft drinks and popcorn is very low. To justify their inflated prices, theaters serve portions that are grotesquely oversized, and no longer offer what used to be a “small popcorn.” Today’s bucket of popcorn would feed a thoroughbred.
5. Competition from other forms of delivery. Movies streaming over the internet are no longer a sci-fi fantasy. TV screens are growing larger and cheaper. Consumers are finding devices that easily play internet movies through TV sets. Netflix alone accounts for 30% of all internet traffic in the evening. That represents millions of moviegoers. They’re simply not in a theater. This could be seen as an argument about why newspapers and their readers need movie critics more than ever; the number of choices can be baffling.
6. Lack of choice. Box-office tracking shows that the bright spot in 2011 was the performance of indie, foreign or documentary films. On many weekends, one or more of those titles captures first-place in per-screen average receipts. Yet most moviegoers outside large urban centers can’t find those titles in their local gigantiplex. Instead, all the shopping center compounds seem to be showing the same few overhyped disappointments. Those films open with big ad campaigns, play a couple of weeks, and disappear.
The myth that small-town moviegoers don’t like “art movies” is undercut by Netflix’s viewing results; the third most popular movie on Dec. 28 on Netflix was “Certified Copy,” by the Iranian director Abbas Kiarostami. You’ve heard of him? In fourth place–French director Alain Corneau’s “Love Crime.” In fifth, “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”–but the subtitled Swedish version.
The message I get is that Americans love the movies as much as ever. It’s the theaters that are losing their charm. Proof: theaters thrive that police their audiences, show a variety of titles and emphasize value-added features. The rest of the industry can’t depend forever on blockbusters to bail it out.
http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20111228/COMMENTARY/111229973
December 30, 2011 at 1:26 AM
Guys, just a general thing here…I think we should talk LESS about SRK and the “War of the Khans” [that could make for a good movie] ‘n more about Don 2.
December 30, 2011 at 2:29 AM
Do you know there’s a movie called “The Wrath of Khan”?
(It’s the second Star Trek film.)
December 30, 2011 at 5:54 AM
lol, actually i did NOT know that. thanks for pointing that out. I’ll check it out! 8)
December 30, 2011 at 6:37 AM
an interesting post there tyler.
Have discussed/ suggested this at some symposia–Think there is a a point in “differential pricing” of films to increase screen occupancies for eg A smaller multiplex release like “dhobi ghaat” or “pappu cant dance saala” ticket may be priced lower than ra1/don2–there are logistical issues but there are ways around it….
“are weary of noisy fanboys and girls. The annoyance of talkers has been joined by the plague of cell-phone users”–agree.
Specially for bollywood releases.
Example–don2–there was the usual suspect bunch of vagabondish guys. haha
Everytime priyanka comes on the screen and there are oohs-aahs. In one scene, everyone is made aware that her top is “transparent” 9wasnt sure if it was myself though)
in the “Dushman Mera” song, the “debate” was whether srk has actually got away with pressing her b..bs…(sic!)
I mean, one doesnt have control over these elements and who sits around u
Dont personally mind this at all but when one is with nubile/ conservative company, one has to be a bit ‘responsible’ and ‘vigilant”- sometimes these leering elements can get irritaing –they get even more excitable when there is caucasian nubile viewership lol
Though i feel this is now getting less frequent fortunately and in certain overseas centres is pretty nonexistent
December 30, 2011 at 7:01 AM
ha–good one sm
when sm does overcome her ‘shy’ness and ‘opens up’, she comes up with good stuff
Live update–in my local (overseas)multiplex, don2 still paying in both 2d and 3d–quite a rare occurence for a bollywood release.
The manager (who obliges me with ‘perks’) updated me–she has seen this herself inspite of language issues–(only checks out srk films)
‘found this surprisingly slick’ and agrees with me that this is “srks best since chak de’