This entry was posted on January 5, 2012 at 5:47 PM and is filed under the bad. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.
372 Responses to “Players, the rest of the box office”
‘Players’ has bigger release than ‘Don 2’ in NZ
By Taran Adarsh ,Jan 6, 2012 – 08:21 hrs IST
#
Believe it or not, but the fact is that PLAYERS has had the biggest release in New Zealand. Even bigger than DON 2. The reason being, PLAYERS has been filmed extensively in New Zealand and had garnered tremendous mileage in the process. To capitalize on the craze of the film, the distributors have released the film with 11 prints in two of the biggest cinemas chains there — Event and Hoyts. The release of PLAYERS is bigger than DON 2, which was released with 9 prints in New Zealand.
The distributor of PLAYERS, Pritesh Raniga, is expecting a huge opening in New Zealand. The movie has been targeted at non-Indian customers and mainstream media, besides the avid moviegoers there.
Movie is getting average to good reviews. I don’t have any hopes now. Seems movie is just good at best. Abhishek is at such point of his career where only out of this world feedback can kick him back to race. Only decent or good attempts will not do any good for him, in fact such decent attempt can hamper him further because his telly of flops will only grow.
Taran Adarsh giving low rating is understandable after his rift with Jr B during BHTB days .. even bigB has given hints of these in his blog. Amitabh has clearly written that movie is enjoyable but critics will do their anti agenda for obvious reasons.
Just carrying on from the earlier discussion on Son of Sardar vs SRK/ Chopra film coming on Diwali. As a matter of fact, Akshay’s Khiladi 486 is also supposed to come on the same day. Looks like either Devgan / Akshay may have to defer the release by 2 weeks, somehow don’t see 3 big films coming on Diwali.
Disagree slightly that it will be Devgan’s film which will get hit in case Son of Sardar & SRK/ Chopra film do clash. Feel it is SRK who should be feeling jittery about the clash. His domestic box office standing has taken a beating in last 4 years…Ra.One fiasco & Don 2 failing to get even an opening in single screens is a definite cause for concern. So SRK badly needs the Chopra film to work big time & be a blockbuster at the least, considering he is coming back to his favourite romantic genre. For this, the film needs to get a huge response in single screens, and not just multiplexes as has been the case with Don 2. Last year’s Diwali was a different story altogether as Ra.One was a solo release with a massive print count both at single screen & multiplexes. In fact, Ra.One getting 20 crore plus on its 2nd day was entirely due to the humongous screen count. However, this won’t be the case at this year’s Diwali. With 2 big films on same day, collections will eat into each other’s as they will get more or less equal screen space. SRK’s film will probably get a wider multiplex release but even here it is not as if it would get 95 % of multiplex shows ( as was the case with Ra.One ). Devgan’s film would also get a substantial multiplex release & a wider single screen release.
Much would also depend on the content of the 2 films. If Devgan’s film turns out to a masala entertainer in the lines of Singham, it is bound to make substantial dent in the overall collections of SRK/Chopra film. Sitting through Chopra’s last film “Veer Zaara” was sheer torture frankly…if he is going to churn out the same kind of melodramatic love story & not offer anything fresh/inventive, then it could be trouble for the film’s fate.
So basically what we can conclude that overall collections in numbers of both films will take a hit ( as against if they were coming solo )…also to add that other biggies like Race 2 are already confirmed for end November, which would mean even more that the 2 Diwali films will hardly get the breathing space to have a long run & post big numbers.
Don 2 (Hindi) had a solid second week of around 27.50 crore taking its two week total to 98.50 crore nett. The film had a great weekend and strong Monday but saw a drop in collections from Tuesday onwards. The drop from first week is just over 60% which is good going by Hindi film industry standards today.
North India held up the best as both Delhi/UP and East Punjab fell around 55%. In East Punjab it should cross the 10 crore nett which has only been achieved by around 4-5 films before.
The third week will see a much bigger drop due to the release of Players and it remains to be seen if it can cross the 115 crore nett mark of Ra.One (Hindi).
Players opened to collections well below the mark as the opening was around the 35-40% in its first few shows at multiplexes. Select cinemas in North India were a bit better but overall the opening is well short of what a film on the scale of Players should be getting.
The film has been released on 2000 screens and if it can pick up and have occupancies in the evening of around 60% then it can come out with a decent day one.
Single screens may open to better numbers due to the action but the non presence of a big star giving it less face value could counter act the action factor.
So Don 2 has failed to reach the 100 cr. mark even after end of 2nd week…this despite all the chest beating & frantic efforts to make it seem it had already done so first by Tuesday, then by Wednesday, then by Thursday…..etc. !!!
Will be surprised if it even touches 105 cr now considering Players has taken over substantial screen space for coming week.
it has sustained well overall…27cr second wk is very strong. not sure how Players will affect it…with this kind of trending i can see it ending up at around 110-115..depends how it does this friday and weekend though.
players on the other hand…will a huge screening should be Abhisheks biggest opening in years…if its anything less than 30crs first week…thats a major disappointment. id say if it does 70cr-80cr thats a huge huge step forward for abhishek.
Wow.. looks like this one is gonna bomb as well. Seems to be getting pretty bad reviews (I guess avg at best from couple of so called critics).
Will be interesting to see what the first day opening/collections look like. AB himself said in Komal’s show that he would be happy with a 25 crore ist week. Doesnt look like he’ll be able to get it. Just NOTHING is working for AB and literally he has become such a joke.
i really really feel bad for AB. This just about seals his fate. Nail in the coffin.
Just saw Komal Nahta’s review on YouTube…. He has really slammed the movie and actually taken such potshots at just about everyone (except Johnny Lever). Why does he have an axe to grind against the Bachchans???? I assure you that he will do EVERYTHING possible to pull down collections just like he does EVERYTHING possible to inflate SRKs collections. Of course Taran will be no different.
Such shame and disgrace to journalism… A personal vendetta. I hate to read what Masand is going to say… He is another one who hates the Bachchans.
What is so sad is that these idiots actually influence the outcome of movies. Gullible public will flat out rely on them.
I agree that AB jr is no superstar but he is absolutely not as bad as these guys make him out to be. They are freakin ruining his career. Such a sad state of affairs… Down right f’ing shameful and disgusting. These guys should be banned from journalism.
But love the way Sr Bachchan has taken it on himself to spread some positivity on twitter to the best he can. There has to be some counter to these jokers and no better than Big B to initiate it.
The few reviews I saw rated it at 3 or 3.5/5, which I thought was pretty good. But why worry about reviews? As has been shown many times, especially this year, good reviews can’t make a film a success, and bad reviews can’t make it fail. Ultimately it has to connect with the audience to succeed or not. So I don’t see why you all are so worried about what the reviews say.
Catching it tonight..reviews r decent from most so far apart from Komal and Taran who most certainly are on common negative terrain for each Abhi movie.
I have not seen movie. I am not even sure about box-office. But one thing is sure, almost 90% don’t even want to give Abhishek a chance.
As i said before, Abhishek has to come up with exceptional movies with exceptional performance to mark a comeback. Just decent product will not help him now.
This part is a matter of perception. As someone who has been watching Abhishek very closely over the last decade, it is without a shred of doubt, that he has the hardest job in the industry!!!!! The surname may get him entrance into the industry like it does with thousands of others (note Jacvkcky Bhagnani, Uday Chopra etc) however it’s talent and potential that stand around long-term…..
After a VERY rough patch, DMD was a sign, this again wasnt a “total” blockbuster film in say a GOLMAAL kind of way, but it was enough to reinstate some faith into Abhishek.
PLAYERS is next. Here the film in all likeliness is a pretty entertaining one and the Media knows it hence the sudden vicious negativity towards the film. It’s a winner! Even those that dislike Abhishek with a passion have grudgingly accepted that the film itself is a very entertaining one and WOM should spread.
However certain sects of the media are hell bent on already flopping this film. Then comes BOL BACHCHAN where the title again is loud and clear but the spin will be it’s a Ajay Devgan film…though again, if DMD did 35-40, PLAYERS does 40-60, BOL BACHCHAN hits the 100-120…..it’s the build-up as well as the commercial line-up as well as narrative that makes people so uneasy with Abhishek.
There will come a point where even the public will realize that the media commentary and public sentiment towards Abhishek aren’t in sync…
And that 40-60 is worse case scenario….I still think PLAYERS may wind up higher than rexpected if WOM remains at what it’s been so far….it’s got 3 weeks till AGNEEPATH!
I sincerely believe that Abhisheks bad luck will continue overall from a narrative point of view for some time simply because he poses not only a change in the paradigm, but there are certain people who see a direct ideological threat in Abhishek reaching the throne
His BO fortune will start changing across the next decade. Again, i see him as a lambi race ka ghoda whose finer years won’t be until a lot later, however till then he needs a string of successes set the record straight.
Those that slam Plaerys have evil intention but those still slamming Don 2 (even after it has done almost 200 Cr worldwide) are saints spreading the gospel. LOL
Abhishek is self responsible for what he is getting. see .. he is not exceptional artiste .. He is not even consistent. Some time he come up with really good, some time really bad. What he need to do is :
1. Work on his weak areas .. Like dance. In case if he can’t improve the skills, never attempt in front of camera.
2. He should do lesser movies. And whatever he sign, always be sure to come out with exceptional performance.
3. He should involve himself in every aspect of movie, be it script, music, direction, editing or background score.
4. Finally he should make sure that nothing ordinary should be attempted. be it performance or over all movie, both should be exceptional.
This is only way i can see Abhishek can make comeback.
Abhishek is very good actor compared to other actors in the industry.But he failed to select correct movie on box office point of view.I didnt understand why he is still doing unnecessary multi starers.He should movies do like singam etc He should either opt for south remakes or his dad movies .He need to select guarantee hit movies right now.All other actor s are not fools including Salman,SRk,hrithik,ajay and Akshay are doing south remakes or sr bachchan classic.After players what next ? Bol bachcan is good choice then why is doing chakravuh again a multi starer ? Still he didn’t understand importance first three days of the box office collections
Distributors On Players Opening
by Shabdita Shrivastav (January 6, 2012)
The first Friday of the New Year has brought Abbas-Mustan’s Players. But the much anticipated film, with an ensemble cast and high commercial value, failed to capture the tradewallahs’ imagination. Though there was sufficient buzz around the film, box office counters across India weren’t exactly ringing.
In Mumbai, Rajesh Thadani of Multimedia Combines says, “The opening of Players was 25 to 30 per cent. However reports of the film are positive and we are expecting it to pick up in the evening. The weekend could end on a positive note.”
In Gujarat, Ajay Bagbai of Rajvi Trade Link says the response to Players was “average”. “The opening of the film was around 30 per cent. Though it has taken a slow start, the film might improve during later shows.”
‘Disappointing’, says G D Mehta of Bobby Arts International in the Delhi-UP region. “The film’s opening was below expectations and the all-India response is less than 50 per cent.”
It was the same story in East Punjab, where Jaspal Dhingra of Big Pictures says the film took an opening of 30 per cent. “A slow start and not a good response. The film is a disappointment. However, it is expected to do good business over the weekend.”
In CP, Sarang Chandak of Shri Rang Films says the response to the morning shows of Players was very weak. “It was about 30 per cent. But it’s too early to comment on the film’s business. The evening shows might improve.”
Ditto in Nizam, where Ravi Machchar of Sahy of Films dubs the response as “lukewarm”. “The opening shows had only 40-per cent occupancy,” says Machchar.
And, finally, in Orissa, Jeetu Khandelwal of Movie Pioneers says, “In spite of being a commercial film, Players has not been greeted as expected. Since the cast is huge, the film will do business over the weekend. The opening it has received is about 70 per cent in our region.”
B.O. update: ‘Players’ has lackluster start
By Taran Adarsh, January 6, 2012 – 16:33 IST
Players The year 2012 has commenced on an unexciting note! The first release of the year, the expensive PLAYERS, shocked the industry with a lackluster opening of 20% to 30% in its opening and noon shows. At several screens, the opening response was as low as 15%, which must have come as a rude shock to its principal distributors who had acquired the India theatrical rights for an exorbitant price.
The general feeling, prior to its release, was PLAYERS would embark on a decent/strong start thanks to the superb promotion by Viacom18 and also Abbas-Mustan’s goodwill [their last release RACE was a major success]. Besides, action films, generally, open very well in India, especially in the mass belt/single screens. But PLAYERS seems to have proved this theory wrong.
PLAYERS will have to show a turnaround in business by Friday evening, besides showing a big jump in collections on Saturday and Sunday, if it has to post respectable numbers in its opening weekend.
By “opening” people mean the first show of the day, right, typically around 10am? Now my question is, do they really expect “full” openings at that time of day? I mean, who has time to go to the movies at 10 am? The audience who has spare time available at that hour of the day is not much. (Of course I know about Rajnikanth’s movies selling out for the 6am shows, but that is Rajni, and only happens once in three years or so. 🙂 ) So I always wonder about this whenever I read about some film which had a “disappointing” opening because it’s below 100%, or even below 80%. It seems to me to be an unattainable goal.
that never happens SM.. and this is the usual way they do it when they want to go after a film.. on the other hand when they want to be positive they go to the other extreme.. for example they said ZNMD was outstanding at multiplexes and opened at 60-70-80% in the morning and noon shows and was even better in the evening. But guess what? This film did about 7.3 crores on day 1 according to the same folks and it was well behind the Rockstar opening. If the film was doing that sort of opening on average even without any single screen participation it would twice that number at the very least. Rockstar itself was not fantastic in multiplexes across the board. Even the films that make 15-20 crores in one day are nowhere close to maintaining a 70-80% average occupancy for the day because were that number true these films would be doing closer to 30 crores!
Getting back to Players the same folks who said it wouldn’t get a good opening and would depend on WOM and what not are suddenly pretending to be so surprised that morning shows aren’t strong! BOI has it as 35-40% with North Indian theaters a bit better in morning shows. I believe that’s a good showing. Taran and Nahata have it lower at 20-30% but since BOI are no friends of Abhishek I very much doubt they’re inflating numbers!
Don’t see a problem on the review front so far. Most seem to be positive. Yes Nahata has gone after it viciously. Taran often does the good cop to his bad cop and this is no exception. They had these sorts of reviews and box office rating for even something like BnB. So I’m not surprised.
at the moment I see no problem at all. If reviews were to turn all negative that would be a different story.
Blaming trade guys is no use right now . Abhishek need 100 crore grosser and then these trade guys will shut their mouth automatically. Because these type of films wont open big on first week and completely depend on WOM. I never expected movies like Game,DMD and players will open big numbers in first week.
The point here is that even if it’s a 100 crore grosser these guys won’t accept it until they’re absolutely forced to. I just said the other day for SRK to get 100 crores he just needed to get 90 or even less, for Abhishek to get the same he needs 100-110 crores. The difference in each case is the trade reception and narrative.
If by some miracle Abhishek get’s 90 Cr, it will be accepted as 150. These days it is a mystery how/why Abhishek even gets signed for any role/any movie. Hence even a 90Cr will be a devine act.
From BnB down to the present any film, any budget, anywhere. whether it’s BnB or BM, Guru or Paa, just anything, the box office reports are identical and the reviews are often the same from these sources. Not a general media problem but a trade problem. Now the one film that bucks this entire trend is Dostana! Guess why?! Similarly no one had a problem calling D2 because of course here they argued it was only about Hrithik. So leaving aside that sort of situation the rest if always the same. Which is why they won’t have an issue with Bol Bachchan. They’ll say it’s only about Devgan! The game is always to suggest that hit or flop Abhishek isn’t getting the initial. when the film flops no one cares what the details are even if I’ve pointed out in the past that for films like D6 or Raavan or JBJ the films couldn’t have got to those final totals without good or better openings (and we know what happens when the openings are truly terrible — Game or KhJJS.. or when they’re barely decent or better.. DMD..). when the film is a hit it’s again the same old routine, not accepting opening day, having lower numbers for a good day or weekend, when they’re forced to revise their verdicts they give the least possible credit to the film, on and on. Nothing has changed in all these years. Nothing at all.
that doesn’t matter.. here’s the thing people don’t understand about screen count.. something like ZNMD is heavily concentrated in multiplexes for that lower screen count. In other words people don’t expect much from single screens and they don’t have many screens on this score but the multiplexes run as many shows as they would for a 2000-3000 screen film. Or the difference isn’t as great as the number would suggest. To put in another way still ZNMD could have easily done 20-25 crores in one day on its screen count. Much as the Bodyguard kind of film could easily do 30-35 crores or even more. If you had a 3000 screen film playing at capacity or even the 80-90% the trade guys pretend it is you would get 200 crores in a week very easily. The market has that capacity. Now one might say that’s an ‘ideal’ and no film every reaches that kind of capacity anywhere in the world. Absolutely right. except that this is precisely what these trade guys suggest when they say that films open at 70-90% or even full shows for certain films in the morning and afternoon and are then at completely full capacity in the evening.
But again whatever the screen count the question is where the prints are concentrated and what kind of gross is possible relative to these? I can assure you Rockstar wasn’t opening bigger than ZNMD because of extra screens! First of all I find it very hard to believe that there was an 1100 difference on the count between those even if this has been suggested but that’s another matter.
Friday 6th January 2011 12.30 IST
Boxofficeindia.Com Trade Network
Players took a poor opening in its first shows at multiplexes in Jaipur and Indore. The opening at multiplexes on all India level is in a similar range. Below are the opening figures of some cinemas.
jiteshpillaai Jitesh Pillaai
The reviews of players will be out tomorrow. But my most fave moment was the breath-taking train robbery sequence. Stylish and fab edited
jiteshpillaai Jitesh Pillaai
Make some noise for @juniorbachchan. He’s quite the player in his latest full of thrills, hi octane entertainer. Paisa vasool:)
Abbas-Mustan’s Players is high on style, low on content, and slow in execution. As if this was not enough, according to critics, lead ‘players’ have spoken their dialogues in a flat manner and with much the same expressions throughout the drama.
Some of these reviews are hilariously stupid in talking about the lack of realism in the plot. Where was the realism in Don 2, Ready, Bodyguard, Singham or any of the other crappy movies? They don’t dare tear apart the movies of big stars (well except Akshay) but for a cast of losers it is open season.
Where is the consistency in how movies are reviewed?
The dog’s tail, even if buried for twelve years, will remain as crooked as ever and still Abhi was trying to straiten Komal’s by appearing on his show- a completely useless and objectionable exercise as Satyam noted long ago.
I also wonder why Satyam gives space to views of Komal and likes of him here. It just clogs the space and spread mindless negativity.
I just try to represent everything out there because it’s part of the structure here whether one likes it or not.
On the reviews I think most are comparing it to the Hollywood originals and finding it lacking whereas with something like Race most weren’t even aware there was an original. The tweet reactions still seem positive with even some industry types like Arjun Rampal and VS coming and more or less suggesting it’s a success. This wasn’t happening with his flops. So let’s see how it goes. I suspect there will be a divergence here between the critics and the audience.
But getting back to the older point I like everything to be available. Now for example Power here is on a tear posting the negative reviews, she was absent when things were positive or she wasn’t posting a single negative review of Don2 when there were as many. These things happen. But the stuff’s out there. The negative reviews cut both ways. Can affect multiplex attendance and yet the core audience never makes up its mind based on this stuff. In fact I’ve heard from many people who follow the reviews that everyone takes money anyway. So it’s a cynical view of things. Let’s see how it goes with this one. Don’t sense a problem at the moment. But of course the day 1 number should give us a sense of where things are going. With the social media as potent as it is today the WOM one way or the other spreads out much faster than the reviews.
it’s 4 not 4.5. But here’s a comment from yesterday:
“Kazmi’s ratings tend to be unpredictable though. She gives this 3.5 stars. Also gave the same to Ra One and Raavan, DMD, Ghajini and I think Desi Boyz. Then she gave 4 stars to Don 2 and Dostana & DB & TZP. Gave 3 to D6. Her ratings seem to be on the kind side in this sense but what I like about her is that she doesn’t have a bias toward or against one kind of cinema. She gave Dev d & 3I 5 stars incidentally. It’s hard to go through her complete list but many of the ratings jump out.”
Have always liked Abbas Mustan movies…they always come up with the goods…however I think the elephant in the room here is Abhishek.
Whatever he touches…is ruined.
Imo he’s not a bad actor. His Guru & Yuva were superb. I just feel if he wants to be taken seriously or continue as an actor he needs to go down the Jimmy Shergill route.
Jimmy tried the big movies but they didn’t work so now he’s been doing character roles in smaller but good quality movies. And his work is being appreciated.
If he continues the way he is now…he will be another Randhir Kapoor.
jimmi is a much much better actor than abhi……jimmi is purely unlucky although his SBAG has got him few goodn assignments. Randhir kapoor comparison is good
actually BOI have been by their historic standards on Abhishek much more restrained on this film.
also think the viewers are really objecting to the ‘masala-ization’ of the Italian Job. Not to say they wouldn’t necessarily be negative otherwise (there were as many negative reviews on Don2) but the reasons for the negativity are different in different instances.
Players Took a Very Bad Opening at the Box Office Today. The Film Was poor all over India And Terrible in Mass Centers.
The Average Occupancy was not more than 40% Anywhere. The Morning Shows Were bad and could not pick up in the evening.
The Early Estimate for First Day Collection is 2.25-2.5 cr or May Be Lesser. This is Bad Opening for a film with such a release. The Film Is Very Less Likely to Put up Decent Collections at the Box Office.
don’t know why you keep quoting this hatchet job of a blog that’s clearly run by a SRK fanatic. The fact is that even at 40% occupancy for the day the film could hardly do half of what DMD did on day 1. This proposition is so ridiculous that it takes the craziest agenda to even advance it. BOI themselves have predicted a 6 crore number here. I think it will be higher than that.
The day is not done yet. Secondly that’s one center. Not sure what it means. Doubt BOI will ever pick the center where Players is stronger than whatever competition they’re using. It’s completely arbitrary. I can make any film seem like a hit or flop with these sorts of selections!
And that first day prediction wasn’t made by me but by BOI yesterday based on what they called poor advance though it’s not a report you quoted.
Power, didn’t notice anything unusual there. Did you? Most seemed to be positive. You should watch the video again and do a head count! In the meantime relax a little bit. The fate of Players isn’t going to be decided in the morning shows and these early reports which are always negative for Abhishek. If I were you I’d be more concerned about the fact that BOI are far more tentative on Players than they are for other Abhishek films.
I’ve seen some of the reports posted here from that blog.. anyway I’m not about to clog up ‘this’ blog with such a discussion. let this one rest. Apologies if one of you or Power is running the blog and I’ve caused offense!
Power, let’s agree to disagree. By the way I don’t want the blog clogged with a 100 responses that either repeat the same thing again and again.. just deleted your other comment about the 100 crores. Earlier I had to take care of all the reviews you posted and put them in one response with just the links otherwise these would have buried the entire forum. Now I know you’re pushing a message and that’s fine but it will have to be done with some sense of restraint. Whether it’s positive or negative the forum can’t be buried under an avalanche of some stuff. Just like the other day you had all those negative tweets. There have been tons of positive tweets on Players which haven’t been posted here unless these are by someone relatively important. A few are ok. So one needs to have a sense of proportion about these things. Quote all the BOI reports or what have you by all means but don’t come here with the explicit intention of burying everything else with a certain kind of piece and so on.
satyam i have a request , will u follow u, be honest and post all the negative reviews urself, since all u have posted till now in this thread is positive. Be Honest
all your negative reviews have been posted.. not sure what you’re talking about.. about the tweets I have posted those are from industry folks.. I could bury this forum with positive tweets by others but haven’t done that. By the way some of the positive reviews yesterday were also not posted by me. I typically put up a few for each film but I never aim for comprehensiveness.
Satyam…Now you can understand the value of a movie that crosses 100cr at boxoffice.Here you are fighting to justify that juniorb’s movie has collected 6cr in its first day which seems to be like crossing mount everest for you at the moment.In couple of days you ll fight for its 50cr life time and if you remember when Don2 crossed near about 50cr in its first week,you were criticising those figures. who is bigger fanatic than you?
actually I wasn’t agreeing with the 6 crore figure at all. I was suggesting that this too was a BOI number which Power had conveniently overlooked when quoting that 2 crore number from the blog. Hope you don’t run it. You seem quite offended! Ha!
Anyway I’ll repeat the same thing to you that I said to power. I don’t want the forum to be about this sort of back and forth. So let’s quite this kind of conversation.
Tutejajoginder Joginder Tuteja
@
@bipsluvurself Players **** Fab action stuff and may I add, better than Italian Job. Grand scale, good twists, cool acts Review online soon
Tutejajoginder Joginder Tuteja
@
As long as people want to be plain entertained they are bound to like it 🙂 And I don’t see why Players shouldn’t entertain
hope all those who loved Joginder on the SRK stuff will find him equally credible here!
Players has got very positive responses from aam janta. The negativism are coming from fanatics and pseudo intelligent reviewers. Hope the WOM improves the collection and provide a good first weekend.
Just came back from movie. Movie is Good, no two opinion on it. Movie has enough thrills, twists and action to keep audience glue on screen all the time. More over, i don’t see any difference between first and second half. Both are equally good. Movie is wholesome entertainer. Performances are decent and restrained, not over the top for even a moment, Neil and Abhishek justify their roles. Bips and Sonam were good also. Total paisa Vasool. 4/5 by me.
All critics who are harsh and trashing this movie should sent to JAIL .. and shot dead immediately. Is Taran and Komal were smoking by giving 1 and 2 stars and writing such harsh words ? This is definitely their personal agenda .. otherwise how one can on this earth can trash this entertaining movie ?
There were around 100 people in my show, and i can sense that every one was enjoying it from start to finish.
Well, As much as i am saying that Players is very good entertainer … i must continue on some serious stuff about Abhishek bachchan.
He should refrain himself from restrained performances. he is already getting accusations of laid back performances, he need to come up with performances which are anther backed and need to come up with exceptional performer with those roles, just like Guru.
Players is good movie, but Abhishek should take care of his role, dialogues and footage. And more over, charisma .. he need to work out on how he can bring charisma in his presence and acting.
Guru was one such charismatic performance .. he needs to churn out more.
these views whether one agrees with them or not make your overall impressions of the film that much more credible. Because you’re not just speaking as a fan. And I’m always looking for fans who can maintain a degree of objectivity. Because otherwise there are very many who praise all films of their favorite stars.
I’m just seeing very positive tweets on the film for the most part. Someone from Malaysia said most shows are getting sold out there over the next two days. A guy from Ghaziabad suggested a very good response. Once again think there’s a wide divergence here between the critics and the audience.
Of course the Italian Job comparisons are part of the terrain. Because when you do an official remake (or even an unofficial one for that matter) the comparison is par for the course and justified. It’s a different thing if one is objecting to the masala. Having said that I doubt most people have seen the original Italian Job or even heard of it! It’s a very different film tonally from the remake and if it were exactly replicated it would get bad reviews and would assuredly flop. It’s a very tongue-in-cheek kind of attempt. Do think it’s the stronger film of course. In the public review the Sikh guy refers to it and says there’s more closure in the Hindi version as they left the bus dangling on the precipice in the ’69 film. But that’s really part of the charm there. The remake is perfectly enjoyable too but more of a high octane ride.
agree, his dialogues in player trial put me off. If you acting in a fast paced thriller, restrained performance doesn’t work in India.
To me, it is not a surprise. Abhishek doesn’t fit for this type of roles. For the last years, he has not been moulding himself to suit the Indian audience. What is the point of working hard without any improved results?
Bol Bachchan is HIS film. he will come back!!!
Dhoom3 has kept postponing….
Ironically I think he is very much in a Hollywood mold on that score. or rather there are two Hollywood types. The over the top comic kind usually played by black characters or somewhat more sober like Bruce Willis or Vin Diesel but who nonetheless represent a certain working class posturing and toughness. But there are many others who are quite restrained. What about Wahlberg in the remake?! what about Damon in some of his Bourne outings. What about even Tom Cruise in MI4? Now Cruise often has a Hrithik-like earnestness but he’s nonetheless restrained. In fact often the whole point in these thrillers is to have the laid-back guy who’s nonetheless in control. In terms of the Indian audience I think 90% of the time audience likes an actor when it likes the film and vice versa. Sometimes the actor is liked when the film isn’t or not liked when the film is. But usually that doesn’t happen. Because audiences enjoy a film or not overall and like actors or not accordingly.
D3 – all credit will go to one man here – a a m i r k h a n 🙂 probably the only movie after talaash which will surpass the b.o. expectations.
abhi will get a boost from D3 only to the extent that he will get more multi-starrers.
If Players and Bol Bachchan both work he’ll get credit for D3. If Players doesn’t work but Bol Bachchan does and he gets all the credit then too he’ll be ok. But really Players needs to work because otherwise the ‘multistarrer’ narrative won’t be easy to dislodge. Of course Aamir is a different cup of tea anyway. When you get 100 or 200 crores on your own it’s hard for another star to get much credit. But it will be here much more about the audience/reviewers feeling that he’s made a real impact.
Can you come up with answer? He has got sudden intelligence from year 2000. I want to add something regarding that…. but restraining.
By the way, I agree I can feel from movies, Kiran is a smart lady.
Ted, actually satyam has often analyzed aamir’s career before/after lagaan if i’m not mistaken and he has done it wonderfully. Still… before lagaan – his notable (B.O. Hits) films were
1). QSQT
2). Dil he ke maanta nahin
3). Jo jeeta wohi sikandar
4). Andaz apna apna (didn’t work at the b.o. but later became a cult classic)
5). Akele hum akele tum
6). Raja Hindustani
7). Ishq
8). Ghulam
9). Earth
10). Sarfarosh
so it is not that before lagaan – he was a nobody – also he himself has said that after QSQT, he signed films left and right and which was a wrong decison – and no one thinks of him (at-least I dont) as a God – but after lagaan, he is going higher and higher with each film and his sucess rate is nearly 100% post lagaan.
If u see SRK before 2000 – he had darr, baazigar, ddlj, koyla, dtph, yes boss, pardes, kkhh, dil se – 9 b.o. hits
That list doesn’t make any difference to my opinion. He just survived because of them, but mostly overshadowed by other stars. Even now, people go to his movies for quality.
You compare Abhishek to Randhir and in other message you want him to see doing well. Let us leave double standards.
ted, i didn’t write to change ur opinion – u keep ur opinion as it doesn’t change aamir’s present position in any way
what double standards? if wanting anyone to do well is double standards – u are going in a different direction – what u r saying is that if i criticize someone, i have no right to wish him well! ha…
Whatever he was, he was in much better state than Abhishek! Yes he didn’t have many big hits, but there’s no denying he had become a phenomenon post QSQT (it released during Ramzan), got a National Award for Raakh, did have Dil which became biggest hit of the year (1990 – btw, he & Madhuri were chosen through an audience poll. So he must’ve had some connect with audience which is why they voted for him to be cast with Madhuri!). He did have Raja Hindustani which was ATBB (not a multi-starrer!). Rangeela was also a big hit. Whereas AAA, JJWS got sort of cult status. HHRPK, DHKMN weren’t huge hits, but were not some flops either, succeeded in urban areas. Ishq & Ghulam did well (with a song frm Ghulam being a nationwide sensation – without any hype or PR). Sarfarosh also managed an above average tag (serious film, controversial subject, released during World Cup – still did ok at BO and was highly acclaimed – actually acclaimed, not PR or hype).
His only release in 2000 was Mela (a trashy film in all respects – he signed it only for his brother!), but it did get a good opening (!) [as mentioned on BOI] and made more money than other stars’ flops like Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani, Fiza, Chal Mere Bhai!
Aamir was definitely not in the position which he has had since 2001 till now, but it was not like he was ”nowhere” in 90s. His family had been suffering a financial crisis because of his father’s films being stuck for years. So he immediately signed lots of films early in his career, just so he could make money quickly and get his family out of the crisis which they’d been suffering for years. In his hurry, he made really bad choices which hurt his career. The ghost of those crap films kept affecting his reputation till 1995. It was his bad luck that potential hits like AAA got poor release, while films like Time Machine, Rishta etc. got shelved. Later he decided to adopt this 1 film a year rule. But he ended up signing Indra Kumar’s silly films like Ishq and Mann purely out of loyalty (because his Dil had brought him back in reckoning in 1990). He himself admits he never argued with Indra Kumar, and could never say No to him. (He had to reject 1942 A Love Story, simply because he’d already committed his dates to some Indra Kumar film!)
It was only later that he decided to do things his own way. Yes he was not much of a BO force in 90s, but he had his own niche & his share of popularity – its a fact that his costumes, accessories from films like DHKMN, Ghulam & Rangeela were really popular among people and his movies like HHRPK/JJWS/AAA/DHKMN did very well on TV & home video circuit. He did win quite a few polls as best actor of Bollywood back then, including a nationwide poll by Outlook magazine. [A non-entity can’t get such response!]
He wasn’t God then, but wasn’t ”non-existent” either. And yeah, he does enjoy complete (even blind!) faith of audience now – it’s a FACT, which can’t be denied no matter how much you keep harping about his lack of success in 90s! 😀
[P.S. – He’d even banned media, awards, a popular female co-star, didn’t have any megastar daddy trying to spread positivity for his films in that period. Still he survived – is entirely his own achievement!]
Aamir didn’t get ”suddenly intelligent” post 2000. He simply stopped doing movies out of loyalty (as those Indra Kumar/Bhatt films). It was after Mann that he decided to take matters in his own hands and do things his own way!
And today, he’s being called intelligent only because those films got respect and succeeded commercially also. Otherwise, he was made a laughing stock in media & industry when he chose Lagaan and Dil Chahta Hai!
Finally, Salman-SRK worked with big filmmakers like Chopras, David Dhawan or Barjatyas, Aamir is the one who’s worked with most number of newbie directors!
No need to remind Aamir supporters of his past. His past makes his present achievement even more commendable and amazing.
@Others – Sorry for kind of deviating from the topic through this Aamir discussion. No more comments (at least from me!) on this. Please carry on with the original topic of discussion.
[Trashing Aamir isn’t going to help Mr. Abhishek’s cause! Jitna chahe lagey raho! 😀 Dhoom 3 is most awaited only due to Aamir-Katrina not anyone else! ]
I’ve been following Indian movies since 90s. We don’t need to reiterate who was famous at that time. My only complaint is treating as God.
Regarding banning the awards, it doesn’t matter much at that time due to less media interaction compared to now.
I know who was more famous back in 90s. Did I or any Aamir supporter ever say that he was more famous in 90s?
Not just about banning awards. I told you he did ban media and was least visible star.
Treating as God thing (if anyone’s doing it) is only as of current scenario. Otherwise no one is ”God”. Who knew Salman Khan would come back in such a big way as he has in last 1 year or so?
And I don’t think anyone is wrong to say that credit for D3’s success would go to Aamir. Idea only said that, he didn’t say Aamir is ”God”.
@Jeevan…I think it is better to wait for its weekend collections and the picture ll be clear by that time.Amway these critics ll never change and should never be taken seriously.
There’s an uncomfortable truth about Abbas-Mustan’s latest film Players that few critics will admit to – it’s not all bad! This fast-paced khichdi of two previous Italian Job movies and the director duo’s own last film Race has so much going on all at once that you’re left with little time to dwell on the gaping plot holes, the laughable dialogue, and the wooden performances.The story’s centered on a team of thieves, led by Abhishek Bachchan’s character Charlie, who successfully steal a gold consignment traveling from Russia to Romania, but are double-crossed by one of their own who makes off with the loot. As hard as it is to take seriously, the team is assembled by a retired master criminal (Vinod Khanna) who helps Charlie in this mission because – here it comes – he wants to build the country’s largest orphanage with his share of the booty.Abbas-Mustan, who’ve successfully delivered some engaging thrillers over the years, know a thing or two about pace. Players is packed with relentless car chases and plot twists, and the directors throw in their usual stock of skimpily dressed babes and seductive item songs. What they grapple with, unfortunately, are the little details.Sonam Kapoor’s character, we’re told, has done a thesis in ‘ethical hacking’, so she traces the world’s most notorious computer hacker with only a few clicks of the mouse. Bobby Deol is a celebrated illusionist wearing a permanent scowl because he maimed his little daughter while performing a magic trick. In one of my favorite scenes in the film, a seasoned criminal looks at photographs of a scene of crime, and deduces that a woman is behind the robbery because a flower vase that stood carelessly in a corner of the room before the crime, appears to have been placed more aesthetically in a post-theft photograph. To be fair, there’s lots of unintentional humor in the film, but that contributes to the appeal of Players.Unlike Don 2 recently, which openly aped action scenes and the very look and feel of polished Hollywood blockbusters, Players is a distinctly Bollywood-ised remake that celebrates its corny humor, and even throws a love-triangle into a heist plot. Johnny Lever shows up as an Indian in New Zealand whose gori wife speaks only in Hindi and invites guests to attend a Satyanarayan ki pooja at their home. It’s cheesy beyond belief, but you’ll laugh.What fails the film after all, is the over-enthusiasm of its makers, who overstay your hospitality by dragging the film on for an unforgivable 2 hours and 45 minutes. Also, harsh as this may sound, the film suffers considerably on account of its dull cast.A stylish action thriller that involves as much posturing as Players, requires compelling actors who arrest your attention when they’re on screen. Abhishek Bachchan is earnest, and thankfully dials down his trademark smugness to play the ringleader of the team. Bobby Deol and Sikander Kher have no screen presence, but Neil Nitin Mukesh gets some interesting scenes to sink his teeth into. Bipasha Basu fills out a bikini nicely, but poor Sonam Kapoor changes her costumes and her hairstyle more frequently than her expressions. Together this team has the appeal of a pack of drained batteries.I’m going with two-and-a-half out of five for Abbas-Mustan’s Players. What could have been a satisfying entertainer doesn’t quite achieve its potential.
I think this person is some kind of *reviewer-lite*.
What does he mean by;
“Sonam Kapoor’s character, we’re told, has done a thesis in ‘ethical hacking’, so she traces the world’s most notorious computer hacker with only a few clicks of the mouse. ”
If he’s a serious reviewer, and pays attention to what he’s going to review he wouldn’t wonder about this, because the explanation is right there in the film.
*spoiler*
Nitin’s character asks Abhishek (very clearly) the same question, and mocks him about this lack of intelligent leadership in recognizing such facts. He discloses that it was he himself who had made it possible for Sonam to easily track him down.
Players and Don2 are not a genre I normally watch, but did, because of the opportunity, and I ended up liking both.
I found players more fun and more entertaining with lots to laugh.
Even the actual act of theft was more exhilarating in Players with the two trains speeding, and running parallel with all the action in between.
The plan in Players is easy to understand.
I liked Abhishek’s restrained acting, and also SRK’s flamboyant Don. It would get boring if everyone did the same thing.
Neil Nitin did try some such ‘attutude’ expressions, which was a marked change from his earlier expressions in the film to suit his role.
If people don’t run down the film for the sake of running it down, it should do well…very well.
yeah I thought he’d have a negative review. the opening line is the key one here:
“There’s an uncomfortable truth about Abbas-Mustan’s latest film Players that few critics will admit to – it’s not all bad!” So he’s suggesting this film is being more negatively reviewed than it ought to be. I think this is a kinder review from him than on DMD!
OQSpot Omar Qureshi
‘Players’ slick suave cool. If you’ve seen ‘The Italian Job’ you’ve seen it all. But it has the desi melodrama & masala. Watch it for style
Lukewarm Opening For Players
by Harshita Vaishnav (January 6, 2012)
It was expected to get off to a good start but its opening was lukewarm. The first release of the year, Abhishek Bachchan-starrer Players directed by Abbas-Mustan, improved with the evening shows. At the end of the day, this is what distributors across territories felt about the first-day collections of the film.
Rajesh Thadani of Multimedia Combines says, “In Mumbai, the film received a lukewarm response and the first-day collections are around Rs 1-1.5 crore. All-India collections are pegged at Rs 3.5-4 crore.”
Punjab distributor Surendra Saluja of Lakshya Movies says business was ‘average’ in this territory. “Collection for the first day of Players will range between Rs 30 lakh and Rs 40 lakh while all-India business will amount to Rs 2.5 crore.”
Jeetu Khandelwal of Movie Pioneers says Players failed to impress in Orissa and that the first-day collections are around Rs 5 lakh. “The film is being screened in 72 cinemas,” he adds.
In Mysore, B H Basha of Bahar Enterprises reveals that Players opened to a response that was less than average. “But towards the evening, the film gained a little momentum. “Occupancy was Rs 30-40 per cent,” Basha says.
Ajay Bagbai of Rajvi Trade Link concludes, “ In Gujarat, Players did business worth Rs 50-Rs 60 lakh, while all-India, it is pegged at Rs 4-4.5 crore.”
Satyam, you have to accept. Abhishek is at lowest point of his career and i repeat again, to make a come back and gain audience faith, he need to come up with exceptional performance … and players is not that one.
Players is good movie, but impression based on trailers was not good and also negativity surrounding Abhishek will not let it go ..
He has to Call Mani to give that kind of performance. I am not sure what he has to do at this stage. He should keep doing comic and serious ones, leaving stylish and action to HR and others.
The problem is if you are good at dance, automatically get fast songs. With box office you get top actresses. With him,he is neither getting good music or top actress.
From reviews, I can sense this movie would have done very well with top star.
Amitabh seems to be very angry on critics and rightly so. Movie was not meant to be trashed by any sense .. what ever Komal and Taran has done, is not forgivable.
He’s angry because he knows the kind of corruption that takes place behind the scenes. People wouldn’t believe the stuff that goes on.
and with an Abhishek starrer irrespective of how it opens or not there is always this attempt to ‘kill’ the film by spreading as much negativity as possible. Irrespective of the opening, irrespective of the eventual result.
And i am sure, now Amitabh will be bashed for being harsh on critics … Media and critics are like TANASHAH now days .. vo kuch bhi kahein, you should remain silent, agar against bola to watt laga denge ..
Whas that ^^^
Are these amitabhs words ?
Surprising -not expected
Is Amitabh born yesterday
Not condoning Nahata etc, –they are uktracorrupt kike
Manu people in all spheres in india
but y hasn’t he learnt to align with these guys / sort them out ( by whatever it takes)if they are so essential
Or else pull up ones socks that they no longer matter
If not- dont cry foul-simple
One cant keep sleeping with some one(though this doesn’t apply to Amitabh that much ) and be vocal about ones fear that person may have aiids !!
Quite sure the movie will trend well. A couple of biased reviews isn’t going decide the fate of the movie. With Taran, it’s quite predictable. If he is invited to a special screening and his review is out by the mid-week, expect a positive review from him. If his review isn’t out until late Thursday or Friday then expect a negative review from him. As for Nahta, the lesser said the better. This guy was claiming that Bachan had pumped Hum’s box office collections by buying all the tickets and that Anil Kapoor was the No. 1 back then. He claims that Ghajini made distributors lose money but Ra 1 is an earner!
I wasn’t epecting a blistering start for Players. But the reviews are average to good. The WOM seems even better. It is going to trend well. It has a free run until Agneepath arrives. It will prevail.
Will be catching it up in Mauritius on Sunday with a group of friends.
And it seems to be a major release here. It’s being shown at practically the same number theatres Don 2 was released in.
the free run it has is definitely an advantage if it needs to pick up.. there are people tweeting from Singapore and Malaysia talking about heavily booked shows through the weekend.
Regarding media corruption, I witnessed it first hand. My uncle is into business which involves govt contracts. The local news paper guy was frequently writing negative articles abt his work. My uncle confronted him and the journo sent message thru someone else for the need of a laptop. He got that now and all the articles stopped. This is the case in a small town and the business involved is only couple of lakhs per yr. Newspaper is a very reputed one here. This happened abt 5 months back.
One can only imagine what it will be in the movie business when a lot is at stake. Now I have a feeling media is more corrupt than politicians. No ethics in reporting even the smallest of news. Very sad.
the film media is really an arm of the industry.. from camcorders and others such gifts to vacations in private farm-houses to in some cases blatant cash gifts (can’t anyone here) it’s all done. Not just this even the numbers that are thrown out are really done so by a relatively small number of people and these are mostly very rough estimates. They even talk to each other, they exchange notes — ‘you give it 18 crores, I’ll slap down 17.4’. Not exaggerating at all. The producer totals and so on. It’s all a racket. Then they select the centers they want to back up their evidence. All of this doesn’t make a hit movie flop or a flop a hit. But the ‘narrative’ can be radically different from hit to hit or flop to flop. A number of films that are called big winners by these sources end up losing fair amounts of money. A number of very successful films are then presented as ‘not all that’. leaving aside the agendas one way or the other it’s just a very corrupt business. And the stars that prosper most are very frankly those that are willing to pay in some form or fashion. Otherwise it’s a much harder Aamir-like route where you have to go through a decade of every kind of success and you’re more or less ignored and it’s only when you get the massive grosser that things change. Obviously he was very consistent so they couldn’t say much beyond a point but they were rather unkind to many of his films on the ratings. The grosses were always lower, the ratings harsh. When MP came about it was as if the world had crashed. With RDB Nahata didn’t accept the success for 2-3 weeks. Ultimately he accumulated so much prestige, was so incredibly consistent that they had to stop. But it took a very long time and a supergrosser. Others have been celebrated for far far less. Sure there are some who don’t play the game who are nonetheless celebrated sometimes but that’s usually part of some larger agenda. It’s just a very corrupt business. Everyone in the industry knows this of course and frankly most people in India also just accept this stuff as such. But nonetheless the power of running a consistent narrative cannot be underestimated. If you keep shouting from the rooftops that a film isn’t doing well or that it is even if people think you’re exaggerating your essential narrative might carry some force. Again let me just give two Abhishek examples here. JBJ after tanking completely made about 20 crores in week 1 (even according to BOI) in mid-2007. Dostana made 26 crores (according to the same source) in late 2008. Obviously JBJ opened much bigger (couldn’t have got to 20 with a low start) than Dostana but the media/trade kept saying the latter had opened poorly while in three days Dostana was declared a hit. What was the difference?! Johar’s good offices! There are literally crores added to overall totals at times by ‘playing the game’. As I said it’s a big racket. Not surprised by what you’ve said at all.
and of course not just saying it happens here. It’s worse when it comes to media outlets that report on corporations or those that cover politics. Because the stakes are even higher. The power asymmetry is simply too great.
The media is corrupt. But in spite of that amitabh has risen to the peak. In spite of media boycott fora decade or so. Aamir has reached where he has in spite of not attending the Filmfare functions or not being on the magazine’s cover fora decade or more. Yes, these two are superbly talented and Aamir, in addition possesses a superb script sense. Not all can be like them. But there is no denying the fact that Abhishek does not do a month’s work out to lok sharp when he is playing police officer in films like Dhoom 2 or Dum Maro Dum. Who can save him?
Well said Utkalji. I totally agree with you. In a way I am really delighted and happy that AB jr is going thro’ this “struggle” for sometime. His mom had somewhere said,”where else (in life) do these (privileged) kids get to see struggle” IT makes a mard out of you..so be it. He 2 will get his dues maybe in 10 years or so but one needs to keep working at the art and look at it as art rather than commerce (something Aamir is good at).
The fact of the matter is that NO sphere is devoid of corruption ANYWHERE in the world, in the real sense.
In India and some other countries, it is institutionalised and endemic and perhaps more than others..
About corruption in films andnfilm related media–If nargis fakhri as an example feigns ‘ignorance’,(can’t avoid maher mention lol) in these matters it’s still understandable
But if the grand daddy of all, bachchan suddenly acts like a ‘virginal’ beauty amongst male prisoners, it’s surprising
I know that he may not like to indulge in these shenanigans –and he doesn’t
But the and abhishrek need to get down n dirty and learn the ‘rules of the street’
This ivory tower-ish approach and ‘looking down upon’ this business won’t help em
To win a game, one needs to play IN it
One can’t sit in the air conditioned side galleries and come down intermittently to ‘check the weather’
THAT’S the real difference between guys like abhishrek and a guy like SRK who came from nowhere and won everything ( one can argue about his status now though, that’s a different matter)
Period!!
Basically I’m in a no nonsense mood after giving a junior subordinate a well deserved dressing down lol
Anyhow–
Abut abhishrek -hope this movie and his career do well and most probably check out players this weekend –also to contribute to its gross lol
Also feel that if a movie and actor is REALLY good, NOTHING can stop the movie or the actor
For marginal cases, the other ‘soft skills’ come into play
Im not talking about gross unethical stuff like supplying prostitutes etc etc
But PR and basic street rules HAVE to be learnt
The MAIN problem with abhishrek is his solid resistance to change
The likes of saif metamorphosed since they showed a VISIBLE change in looks/acting/attitude/work ethic/choices
One cannot see ONE such change in abhishrek (other than the fact that he has managed to marry ash and a produce a child lol)
But can’t deny that he is a ‘nice guy’ and being bachchans son and the ASH connection, will keep getting my sympathy
But guys like me can never be blind to someone’s obvious failings , be it anybody, including myself
That reminds me of a dialogue from wanted….
hahaha
alex, what is with abhi”shrek” – i think he better sign the next “shrek” film 😉 that will be quite an image-change….or simply a change as he doesn’t have any image yet after 200 years in his bollywood career…;-)
^^haha u took only a few months/years to notice that intentional spelling ‘mistake’!!!
Satyam has been convulsing for a while lol
Di –good posts recently from u vvv
By “street rules” didn’t mean bachchan should indulge in public mud slinging like this
There is a “method” in everything and this isnt that…
Diana-sorry the ‘autocomplete’ function keeps typing ‘Diana’ for ‘dI’-hope u won’t mind changing ur name lol
On those re-tweets, here is classic bachchan:
And yes … I do retweet the good reactions of praise for Abhishek’s films .. and yes I am his Father and shall not stop from doing it just because a few abusive elements on this social network think otherwise. Look into your own ‘daman’ and see how every single tweet of the media is all about themselves and a request to go watch their particular programmes. No one ever complains about them do they ? !! Why, just the other day I had a message from RajDeep Sardesai of CNNIBN asking me if I could mention one of his programmes on my site on twitter !!! So … yes .. my numbers are large on Twitter … 1.88 million followers .. largest in India and fourth largest in Asia .. an attractive reach out to prospectives !!! But they are not large to put out your matter. I shall decide what I wish to and what I do not … and yes on occasion my son shall have priority … YOU GOT A PROBLEM WITH THAT …. !!!!!
is this dude for real?? i love big b..but what the hell…twitter and some other social networking have given these people a little too much ‘air’ time. ok so his son hasn’t been getting the respect he deserves. let him earn it on his own.
As an Aamir fan i had to deal with this throughout the 90’s. Aamir got zero respect during the decade, it was all about SRK, Sallu or Govinda. Finally around 2006 on Aamir got his due because you couldn’t ignore his hits anymore.
Maybe it’ll be the same way with Abhishek. He has talent and he isn’t going anywhere. If player’s sucks then it sucks…it probably deserves to flop. Had no hope from the start because of Abbas-Mustan as directors are average at best. Big B just needs to calm down…every time a Abhishek film releases he comes out of nowhere to blast the media and what not. Just let it unfold by itself…it will be that much sweeter in the end. Whining and crying like this makes him seem desperate for his son.
aamirfan: yeh freedom of expression hai…last time I checked we (india) was still a free country. Which dad (worth his salt) be not concerned. So think of it as daddy reaction and not super-star reaction. All parents are protective. Especially he might feel quilty that it is HIS career and track record that is making Junior look back (ironically THAT also is giving junior break after break into films/industry).
just because they have the freedom does not mean it’s right. so i have no problem with that aspect. what im saying is it is better to remain quiet when you are down and in the end when you are hailed it is just that much sweeter. yes i agree that he is being a protective dad.
Agree with aamirsfan–read my outburst below
Don’t like bachchan behaving like this -it’s degrading for his fans somewhat
Coming back to my own self styled (wtf)awards
Btw I feel aamirsfan is in the running for the ‘most sensible blogger’ here
Seldom says anything non rational
Keep ‘it’ up m8
Aamir got ”zero” respect probably only in terms of box office discussions. Going by old articles from that time, he did get respect as an actor. And I also believe one shouldn’t ignore the fact that he had banned filmi media very early in his career. So one can’t expect them to sing praises for him if he banned all those film magazines!
Discussions should be balanced and keep all factors in mind. Things like he was ”nowhere” or had ”zero” respect are way too extreme.
Ok my bad it wasnt zero respect..it wasn’t the respect he should’ve gotten that he is getting today. yes he is a lot more media friendly today so that helps. i’m just saying it was frustrating as hell for me that most of the respect and accolades went to SRK, sallu bhai and govinda. Aamir in the 90’s was as path breaking as he was this past decade. but this really isn’t about aamir khan. this is about Big B and Abhishek. The point being about getting respect. Big B needs to lay low and let Abhishek handle his own and be his own man. in my opinion.
Why is he boasting about his reach/followers across Twitter? I feel he’s too dignified and classy to indulge in all this. I grew up idolising him and always believed he let work speak for itself.
I feel such ”defense” from the superstar father only makes people feel as if he has it too easy or makes it look like they’re ”desperate” to prove it as success. It is not doing any good, rather harming perception of Abhishek in people’s eyes. Seeing such stuff people again get a reason to say he’s what he is just because he’s Amitabh Bachchan’s son or he gets it easy because he’s his son!
Let people focus on Abhishek and stop bringing the father-son or Bachchan surname angle to things!
If he really wants to promote his son then get some other fan club type handle started on Twitter to counter negativity instead of doing it himself. What he’s doing currently, is honestly repulsive!
I feel stars should take it a little easy and not go far in promoting their family members or defending them on public platforms. Even Aamir got flak for his ”Kiran jaap” during DG release & his constant & desperate measures to defend ”the kind of film” his wife had made & kind of sensibilities required to ”appreciate” that film!
Kindly let public perceive and decide about the film themselves. That’s the only thing I hope from stars!
is it that Amitabh is insecure Abhisekhs films need more marketing or is he just securing the lack of confidence from his son,btw have you seen players
Valid point by Big B here. Why should he post negative tweets about Abhi or even any other actors movie? Most of the film personalities praise each others work (except Shirish Kunder Khan) and that’s how it should be in an Industry.
Hahaha
anyhow-aamir is currently for the last ten years or more giving a master class of how to overcome nes obvious limitations-
Subpar height (hope the likes of poor Henry dont undergo convulsions here-god bless his soul)
Lack of spontaneity
Lack of screen presence and authentic machismo
Inability to multitask
But he has turned all this on its head
Made a paradigm shift wherein he plays the game which he wants, at his pace, strengths irrespective of outside noise
The results are there to see–
He is not only walking into the box office records but into the annals of all time greatness (by current form unless he does a tiger woods!!!)
Heard an interview from abhishrek some where–” if u can’t beat them in quality -beat them in quantity”
Ie sign every damn filth that gets offered to u
This sort of “more the better” perspective has been turned on its head by aamir
Wtf-is abhishrek getting starved sitting at home
Y can’t he sit @ home and do some housekeeping till some thing really worthwhile comes his way
Remember —
Most families/couples/groups who have lost their 30-40£/ 40-60$/1000ish rs on the crap dished out by these “quantity” freaks don’t forget and don’t forgive that easily !!!
Whereas with someone like aamir they feel (rightly or wrongly) can take a chance…
Not everyone has unlimited disposable cash : mates
Hence the expectedly poor opening numbers
Infact I felt that the whole “star” cast of “flop” players should be paid peanuts (literally) before the films release–infact should be charged for another chance to redeem their careers
Oly if it earns something, can they be given something as percentage lol
Actually he should focus on quantity…otherwise confidence level would go way down. He should keep acting, keep taking whatever roles because in bollywood or in life, one never knows what might click/work.
He does have screen presence. Maybe not as great as say a Salman. But it isn’t like he totally lacks screen presence. He does connect with audience and nobody ever said he comes across as insipid (as in case of some other actors seemingly favored here!). Say whatever you want to, about his inability to multi-task, but he’s proven himself and succeeded in every department of filmmaking – actor, producer, director, writer, marketer and even got a chartbuster as a singer!
Height argument is laughable! When people have nothing else to talk about, they talk of his height! Pff!
BTW, agree with you about how Aamir has proven that one need not go after quantity. The way you’ve written your comment, one wonders if you were praising him genuinely or ”had to accept” his achievement (could I say grudgingly?)
Other celebrities compete with each other in terms of their number of fans, followers on twitter etc
Abhishrek has surpassed everybody in the number of career advisors -some he may have employed but the majority are self styled and are free eg on blogs lol
Think I should stop his anti abhishrek diatribe
Sometimes I just get into this moods
Just wanted to kick some ass really
Missing miss karankumar oops hahaha
Abhishreks resistance/inertia to change reminds me of something–
-just asking for a suggestion
If a lazy female subordinate keeps repeating stupid mistakes Again n again–
And believes that her ‘charm’ will take care of the rest…
Ie ways of giving her a “dressing down” (pun intended)
(how do u deal with this without the risk of having indulged in “harassment”!!!)
“lazy, stupid” “charm will take care of the rest”:
Sounds like you have already made passed and judged her. She may be incompetent and pretty while incompetent. No harm in ignoring her “charm” aspect and letting her know that her performance needs to improve pronto. In long run such people won’t succeed. So no worries.
P.S: don’t try to (sexually or otherwise) harrass her. It is not YOUR direct responsibility to find out who is competent and who is not. IN her eyes you might worse performing nightmare (chatting on blogs all day long) and thinking too highly of himself and depending only on charm quota. LOLz. Just chill. OK.
Oops
Was about to say That comment of mine about “dressing down” needs to be removed, I think lol-Satyam plz thanks
And not only bcos diana objected…hehe
Also – don’t know who may be “spying” me here hehe
That’s y don’t like Facebook/twitter-no privacy lol
Ps-old gold : that link on “memsaabstory” seems interesting
Is it your blog /Any good?
Off-topic, just for curiosity sake, may I know why and how Aamir Khan got dragged in a discussion about an Abhishek Bachchan film? I mean, his name in discussion of some other Khan film is understandable. But Abhishek? Never seen them being discussed together!
“Gyan, the assistant manager of Cinepolis, which is screening six shows, said: “The film is doing pretty good. The morning and matinee shows have more takers as compared to the night show. We have sold 820 seats for the six shows slotted for the day. Morning show tickets have been priced at Rs 130 while those for the evening are available at Rs 180. Bookings are open till Sunday. Let’s see what’s in store.” ”
“Mona is the only other theatre in the capital screening Players in four shows. Sharad, the manager, said: “We have sold 300 tickets for the noon show, 400 tickets for the matinee show, making it almost a houseful. For the evening show, we sold 200 tickets for Rs 160 each. Online booking for Sunday shows is open.” :
sallu bhai ‘pulled a tiger’ earlier in his career in my mind. lol. he was on a high and then the black buck case happened and then the accident and killing a innocent person happened..he got jail time and then finally the ash incident happened. but unlike tiger so far..sallu bhai has made one heckuva come back and seems like has learned his lessons. tiger has just lost in mental stability and in golf you need that more than anything else!
Saw “Sherlock Holmes : A Game of Shadows” last night…haven’t had this much fun at the movies in a long time…Robert Downey Jr. at his best, sparkling wit & chemistry between him & Jude Law, jaw dropping action scenes & a rocking background score by the one & only Hans Zimmer…just love Guy Ritchie’s films !!
Satyam, i was just reading your comment about JBJ and Dostana BO. This was time when Abhishek was fresh from BO as well as huge critical success of Guru along with Super hit B&B and some other winners like Dus, Bluff master etc. If you see closely, even after B&B and Dus, Bluffmaster didn’t open that well, because though B&B was super hit, his acting was not exceptional. His fan base grew only two times, first after Yuva and second time after Guru. Why ? Because in both movies he gave splendid performance.
In last three years, his only worthy and credible performance was DMD, else he was almost sleep walking in all other movies. A good actor can make comeback any time. In all these 10 years, Abhishek has mixed bag of good and bad performances. Why he is not consistent is beyond my understanding.
Anyways, as i already explained and i am firm about this, only way Abhishek can make come back is with one after another exceptional movies and performance … there is no other way. And this is possible only if he do only 1 movie a year and give his 500% to it.
Saturday 7th January 2012 10.30 IST
Boxofficeindia.Com Trade Network
Players had a poor first day of around 4.25-4.50 crore nett as per early estimates. The film started poorly and it did not show much improvement as the day went along.
The business was poor across all circuits in India and it will have to show huge jumps which have not been seen in recent times to come out with just a respectable weeeknd total of 18-20 crore nett. A more realistic result is probably a weekend in the 15 crore nett range though Saturday is the all important day.
If we compare with other films recently then the first day business is in the range that films like Force and Ladies Vs Ricky Bahl achieved but here Players had double the multiplex release of Force which was a 1500 screen release and Ladies Vs Ricky Bahl was 1200 screen release.
Players has an approx 2000 screen release across India.
This was the prediction for Players I had made last week:’
I was hoping against hope , for Abhishek’s sake, that this one would work and fetch 70 cr. But after watching all the promos out closer to the release, I have to say, no,it’s not to be. Abbas-Mastan’s ability to stage action and narrate a racy story is negated by the tired and totally misfit star cast. Abhishek is a joke trying to command a heist operation. His face has no intensity, no urgency. He is equaly bland tring to be passionate, killing the half away decent song Jhoom Jhoom. Bipasha is another have-been with tired moves and overexposed body. Sonam is just not right for this film..her face is too innocent, devoid of any sensuality or hidden facets, which is a must for a thriller. Bobby too is past his prime. Neil Nitin Mukesh may be just about ok. And there is the music and the staging of songs. Both are old fashioned, uninspiring and yawn-inducing. Feels like Deja vu..its Khelnge Hum Hee Jaan Se once again. But it might yet have some spectacular action sequences, great locales and some typical Abbas Maastan twists ( which sadly will have less takers today than in the times of race. today they prefer a more realistic Don 2). So a max of 45 cr. Take heart Abby Baby Jr. You can’t have it all. Win in love, lose in box office. It’s all in the Game.
Nice comments here Utkal-ji. Some how reading your comments, I feel you have zero agenda (unlike others). So reads good and always good to read your insightful comments.
I feel AB jr can take some acting lessons which can improve his weeknesses. I think he comes across wooden instead of subtle actor (for me), a sort of Keeanu Reeves of Bollywood. But then Keeanu Reevs too found a genre where wooden was good (Matrix series). So maybe that is Abhishek’s niche.
I think we all desperately want him to succeed in BO terms though it is sad that success is measured like so.
“Khelnge Hum Hee Jaan Se once again.”
Though would it be fair to compare Players with KHJJS?!? Both are completely different genres. However I do understand what you are trying to say here.
Somewhere A-Mastan were asked,”why abhishek for this movie” and they said,”At the time(of signing him) he had lot of movies” and seemed that things were looking up for him…it was almost as if they were regretting hiring him.
Interesting thing is this time even Ram Gopal Verma did not make any noise!!
idiot taran. why are you giving rough estimates. wait and give an ‘accurate’ figure.
anyway…looks like another weak opening day for abhishek. 7cr would be good..8 would be great. 5-6cr would be weak. i think that BOI figure will adjust upwards. this kind of film does not depend on WOM. what was race’s first day figure?
i guess according to BOI race’s first day was 6.32..which was a record in early 2008 until later on RNBJ and Ghajni destroyed it.
so this should’ve been opened stronger. ofcourse race had katrina and the ‘zara zara’ song was a rage i remmeber back then. this film had no song that was creating any sort of buzz.
How can 7 Cr be great in an era when 12-15 opening is not considered good ? Are you forgetting the position that this blog took during Don 2’s opening ? Unfortunately if we go by the standards adopted here then Players is approx 4.5 Cr, hence it should be called a disaster or a flop, i.e. Players has been rejected.
Now I am not one to enjoy someone’s misfortune. I am sad at Abhishek’s loss. I take the position that don’t even discuss BO when it comes to Abhishek because he has never and will never deliver at BO (barring the broken clocks also being right consideration), But if you have to discuss BO then lets be fair. Let us use the same yardstick with which we measured Don 2. Don’t lower the bar to make Abhishek look good, while we had raised the bar to make SRK look bad. Use the same yardstick. Use the new (post BG) re-calibrated yardstick. Be honest, be fair.
The very obvious point that you’re missing is that if Abhishek is considered at this point a star on par with SRK we can use exactly the same standards for Players as we used for Don2. Deal?
The logic here is so elementary it’s amazing that this has to be elucidated this way! It’s like Rockstar had a strong opening but not compared to BG! Of course Ranbir isn’t comparable to Salman anyway! He might be tomorrow or the tables might turn in the other direction or whatever but he isn’t as of now.
The same standard is never used for every star and every film. That’s absurd. And to even explain this feels absurd!
Basically your response suggests that you do subscribe to having a higher bar for SRK and a lower bar for Abhishek. Lets us not compare SRK’s performance with the legend of SRK, nor rate Abhishek based on his past series of failures. The only issue that matters is market potential for a genre and the market share it achieves.
True I am willing to give a pass to new entrants. But for those that have been around, it should be pure economics.
See I don;t worry about the fact that Players had more screens than even Don 2 (or atleast as many), that only primes the pump and front loads, does not add or subtract from the finally tally.
Players is a full on Abbass/Mastan entertainer. It is massy whereas Don 2 is niche appeal. For me regardless of the screens, Players should do better than Don 2 at BO. Yet Don 2 was 12-15 Cr first day while Players is 4.5-5 Cr. Hence Players is either a disaster OR Don 2 was bloody damn good. It is one or the other, you pick, my friend, tell me which one you choose. Either admit Players is a disaster or say that Don 2 was excellento.
in india…it is a star system. this isnt like hollywood.
and if you want market potential for don 2..it shouldve opened MUCH higher then a decent 12-15cr. yes don 2 is a success…but with SRK and it being a sequel..it shouldve done much much better business. RaOne has hurt him big time. but if you want to settle for 4th best opening…for a star who claims hes the king…then go right ahead. live in la la land. lol.
Let’s discuss BO using the principals of finance and economics. Reject all emotions and stick to facts.
Players is a mass market product, Don 2 is a niche market (shall we say Class market) product. SRK’s star power overrode this disadvantage , while Abhishek’s lack of star power could not even capitalize on this advantage.
You claim that Don 2 should have done better ? Please define better ? How much better ? Even with a Class/Niche product he was the third best opening, how much better do you think he should have done. We know what the best full on entertainer can do and Don 2 almost did as much.
I think at this rate nothing that SRK achieves is enough while Abhishek is victorious just for getting his movies released in theatres.
Re: your (and some others’) repetition of ‘self proclaimed king’, or ‘who claims himself king’ is getting a bit shrill now.
I gather the shrillness is a result of frustration that inspite of things he is still considered one by his fans, and media (dismissed in the easiest way possible, as being bought).
Fans call him that, and SRK being SRK uses it to needle people like the ones on this blog 😉
One can understand that fans of other stars don’t like it, but they forget that they too have come up with silly titles like ‘perfectionist’ (LOL) or emperor.
it’s not about making abhishek look good it’s about SRK in a higher tier than abhishek. if you want to put SRK and Abhishek in the same category then go right ahead. lol for me though abhishek isn’t in the league of Sallu aamir or even akki. but hey if you think SRK and Abhishek are in the same league…thats alllll you! lol.
but being serious, this is a poor opening for him no doubt. and yes 7cr for him would’ve been great. and 13cr first day for the self proclaimed king of bollywood…is not that great…when the bar has been set higher. but no use in discussing that with you.
rejection does not happen in one or 2 days and its simple common sense
further never deleivered at box office is again absurd
in 2004 on of the big grosser was dhoom and the secone biggest grosser on 2005 was bunty and bubli(infact between them and sarkar a film called paheli suffered)
further in 06 and 07 d2 and guru where big grossers of the year
thing is post 07 abhishek run into so called art or seriouis cinema has only resulted in so called underperformance
in between dostana and paa had decent run
lets be fair here and if one is using big words he should be able to support it with facts
usually Jaju’s numbers are lower than Taran’s and so on for every film. Recently for example he had 62-65 crores for Don2’s week 1 when everyone had at least 70. Mysteriously his number is now higher than the rest on this. As always they take the lowest numbers on Abhishek’s film while it’s the highest with others. Notwithstanding the fact that this film needs massive jumps over the weekend even at 6 crores to do anything serious the fact is that I just don’t trust that 4 crore range.
Don’t believe that’s true though I think his numbers come in higher when it’s a ‘for the masses’ effort. If you follow his tweets he in any case has a very nationalistic angle. He can get offensive a lot of times but will say that a lot of his essential claims are not wrong. Not talking about the numbers here but on stuff like attendance, capacity and so on.
We knew about Prakash Jaju, no need to google about him. But mostly the figures are correct from him. It is nothing to do with his personality, many of top stars have similar values whom we treat as gods.
Don’t take Jaju’s numbers seriously. Just google and find out every detail about him. He was Priyanka Chopra’s Ex-Secretary and was arrested in some case.
IBOS rarely ever update these days. I don’t know about the others. they’re all rascals. There is no difference between any of them when it comes to their ‘honesty’ and this includes the sites as well. I find jaju a strange, odd, perhaps shady character but I ‘know’ what the likes of Taran and Nahata are usually upto. Nothing to choose here. Just that Taran and Nahata are the most influential.
Jaju is not my standard. He says plenty of offensive stuff, he even says some very poor stuff on political grounds. But this does not mean that Taran is honest and he’s dishonest here. With all due respect I find the Rakhi Sawant/Ash analogy appalling here. But it’s unfortunately true that we tend to get very offended by certain kinds of language and so on (not saying we shouldn’t be) but we somehow equate ‘politeness’ with honesty on the other side. Jaju might be a scoundrel. Taran and Nahata are not lesser scoundrels just because they don’t say those things.
Of course the other amusing thing is that we get all offended when we hear obnoxious stuff from the likes of Jaju but don’t mind it at all when it comes to major politicians as long as we support those parties. But either it isn’t about bourgeois politeness here. It’s about honesty. And at the same time there is much insult and innuendo that can be conducted in the guise of politeness. It’s not like abusing someone but I am unsure if the violence is necessarily lesser. I can think of many kinds of insult that I (or anyone) would find worse than abuse of various kinds.
So no Jaju is not my guide. But nor are the others. And do you really think I would be that committed to a 5 crore or 6 crore number over 4.5?! As if everything changes for Players based on this difference! But that doesn’t mean anything goes. Even if a film makes 2 crores that might be disaster but why should one accept 1 crore on that score?!
“We knew about Prakash Jaju, no need to google about him. But mostly the figures are correct from him. ”
How? Is it because he has the highest first day figures for Players? Last time some of the guys here thought Andhra BO was genuine. LOL Suddenly Jaju has become the messiah of Box office for this blog after he declared 6 crores for Players.
There is one question that has been puzzling me a lot for a while now. When Ek Tha Tiger was shooting in Ireland, all the publicity materials kept mentioning that it could prove to be a big boost to Irish tourism as the film will be seen by “100 million” people in 40 countries around the world. That figure struck me as quite low. Now earlier in this or the previous box office thread, Satyam said that, films making 20 crore or more on one day is no big deal, because, with the wide release strategy that big films now have, the capacity of the market is for 30 crore. So I did a little calculation, and 30 crore at Rs.100/ticket comes out to just three million viewers! Even if I take an average ticket price of Rs.50, to account for the split between multiplexes and single screens, the total number of viewers comes out to only six million. In a country of 1.2 billion, that’s amazingly low. Even if we restrict it to the 400 million or so Hindi speakers, it is still only about 1.5% of the population! So what this means is that the number of people actually willing to go out to the theater to see a film is minuscule, compared to the total population of the country. Then why are movies, and more importantly, movie stars, considered to be so influential on society in general. Granted, that many people see these films on TV and legit/pirated dvd’s, but still, it’s worth keeping in mind that the actual viewing public is not really that large. If we factor in repeat viewers, the number shrinks even further.
If I do a similar calculation for the U.S., a film that grosses $100 million over a weekend, at an average ticket rate of $10, gives a total viewing population of ten million. If I split that in half, because I was looking at a weekend figure, it still comes to five million viewers; in other words, more or less on par with the Hindi audience number. So why is India considered a much more “movie crazy” nation than the U.S.?
Now again we have different nos from different sources.
Even at the highest which is provided by ETC 6 cr is not what I was expecting. I know the music was dull which obviously hampered the film but the film was promoted massively. Only last night they were in London according to my local radio station. Few days before that in Dubai and they traveled many cities in India.
The promotion was done and done well. The screen count is pretty big infact massive so 6 cr is extremely disappointing.
I am yet to see the film and I do plan to see it sometime next week but abhi on Komal’s show saying he would take a 25 cr week may indeed turn out to be true.
However, the film has a smooth run till Agneepath and may do a TWM and collect a respectable total.
The reviews I don’t think make much a difference (coming from a Salman fan I know better than most 😛 but they range from good, decent to downright pathetic. I don’t know how the ‘Players’ have performed but from what I’m gathering Neil has and is being applauded. I think Abhi needs some of that appreciation coming his way.
Sat now becomes the real acid test for the film. Falter now and no one will be going home with any gold.
yes absolutely.. the film needs a very big jump Sat, otherwise it’s over. The fri numbers aren’t the sort where Sat can stay relatively flatlined and then Sun shows a bit of a jump and it’s all. It needs a way bigger Sat and then a Sun at least somewhat bigger than the Sun.
I think first day business should in the range of 5.5 to 6 Cr. In Bangalore, WOM & bookings is very good for players, it will surely have double the business on Saturday & Sunday compare to friday at Blore. the rest of India, if it is the same trend, then junior B has the sure shot winner on hand.
Caught the movie last night. Its a highly entertaining film start to finish. Abhi and Neil are stars of the show with Neil putting in a surprisingly strong performance. The humour element and constant twists and turns kept the audiences engaged throughout and almost most of arnd the 40% occupied theatre enjoyed it. Locales were beautiful too. The train sequence is pure brilliance and one of the best shot sequences this year. I cannot believe critics who gave movies like Ready,Bodyguard and Ra-one 4 stars are panning this big time. I mean do you rate a movie or its box office?.
@ Dino – why the comparisons with those films. I have noticed many seem to do that. Anyway Ready, Bodyguard and Ra-1 were thrashed by the critics on the whole so your argument doesn’t hold much weight.
Do critics influence people to go to the theaters??? They surely as hell don’t influence me and never will.
@Naveed – many including me also appreciate films like Dabang & Wanted u don’t seem to have a problem with tht. Point is guys like taran,komal were dishing out 4+ stars to films like Ra-one & Bodyguard but its shocking tht these same guys dish out 1-2 stars for Players a film which is much much superior . Thus my question do they rate a movie or its BO performance?
Abhi has been appreciated by masses and Classes at BAngalore. Only Guru has given him this kind of popularity. Of course people are also liking Sonam and Neil.
Saw the movie last night. It has its moments but overall was not impressed. There is induced humour and emotion in the movie but I think it jars the overall film that really should just have been an out and out heist come revenge thriller.
But lacks in this film is not pace but editing. Certain angles, sub plots could have been done with to make a tighter cohesive film.
Performance wise nothing to really mention. The film does not demand much from the cast and generally I thought the whole cast did not gel so well as a team of “players”. It may have worked better in this film if the roles of Neil, Abhishek and Bobby were reversed. Abhishek to play Neils, Bobby to play Abhisheks and Neil to play Bobbys. The twist then would have made a sharper impact.
Spolier
The first 30-45mins could have been completed avoided. The “making” of the team of players, establishing them, establishing the plan and going through all that was totally not required. If the film started precisely at the moment of the heist it would have sufficed. The real story here is the twist after the heist and thats the most interesting path of the film. Also Bips turning out bad like in Race was extremely predictable.
On the box office front I don’t see big things for the film as the start needed to be electric. It’s the type of movie that needs to open big, make its bread and butter early because sooner or later it will dip in collections as even though it entertains in parts its not a Guru or TZP or CDI type of film that will have great WOM.
Precisely it needed to open like Race or Jannat or Murder 2 on the scale of 2000 prints, which by all means were 2-3 week films.
With a below par average start it will find it hard now because the film is not an interesting plot/message/superlative performance film driven – very polished it is but rather predictable and films like this in this type of genre come out regularly anyway.
I was expecting this to do close to Don’s first day. With 4.63cr on first day its very difficult to post a respectable total unless it has very good WOM.
Don 2 fell heavily at the start of its third week as it collcted around 75 lakhs approx on its third Friday. The collections are 80-85% down from last Friday.
This was mainly due to the release of Players which had a huge release taking away a lot of the screen space but Don 2 is likely to show a huge jump on Saturday and Sunday and may take its weekend business to around 4 crore nett.
The lifetime business of the Hindi version is unlikely to go over 110 crore nett though the film is likely to be on a steady run from week 4 onwards.
There is no way this is a 110 crore film. Frankly I still have the greatest skepticism it’s even done 100 crores. Here’s the thing, any claim that one wants to make about SRK getting a certain result even as a waning star or with a film that wasn’t that hot or whatever can be made even with 90 or 95 crores. The ‘100 crore club’ makes for a nice story line but it doesn’t change the ‘essentials’ in any significant sense. The numbers here are rather fishy to say the least. After the initial weekend this has just been a very weak film at the box office. Nothing special in the numbers anywhere. Accepted by certain segments but it hasn’t even replicated the earlier Don’s trending. But in any case don’t buy this as a 100 crore film at all. If one goes through Jaju’s tweets he points out small center discrepancies on actual theater totals and reported numbers and says the same when done in a bigger center creates greater disparities. I haven’t looked at all of this in detail and nor am I inclined to but let’s say I am nonetheless not speaking without knowledge. But again whether one thinks DOn2 did great or poor relative to the star and the kind of production this is and so on it seems to me that both sides can make that claim equally with 90 crores. But from day 1 all the usual suspects have just been desperate to drag this across the 100 crore finish line.
Anyway hope this won’t lead to partisan wrangling. Don’t want the forum clogged up. This is just my take on this, take it or leave it.
@Satyam…Don2 has done enough business at boxoffice and don’t worry it will pick up again as players will be out of theatres in its first week itself.So people ll have no option but to watch Don2.So my advice to you is instead of wasting time in pulling down Don2,try to findout some strategy so that players gets at least a flop tag instead of disaster at boxoffice.
Don 2 crossing 100 cr or not is hardly the issue now…the bottomline is that the film has underperformed in India…the crucial opening weekend of 48 cr was hardly anything to shout about considering the favourable release factors ( won’t go into all that as those have repeated umpteen times earlier )…the film not getting even an opening at single screens was another issue of concern..releasing the film in 3D was a no brainer, it just added additional cost burden.
More importantly, the varied verdicts given by different trade sources also raises valid doubts on how far the film has been successful…it has been rated “Hit”, ” Plus”, “break even”, “commission earner” etc.
that’s my point, those extra 10 or 20 crores aren’t the difference between a hit or a flop. If 100 crores is impressive so is 90 in the right circumstances and vice versa. Much as Ra One did more than this but it was a much worse result.
“saw Rockstar once more on DVD.. I’ve seen it three times so far.. somehow I find it quite moving every time..”
Haha Satyam: so grudgingly u have been ‘forced’ to acknowledge it
Am happy u did
Btw as pointed it earlier-rockstar joined the ultra select list of films I have seen on the big screen twice
And yes-loved it second time as well
The music doesn’t go out of my system
Actually it needs to be seen as ‘the various passionate moods/phases’ of a musician expressedt through his music
Rest is all peripheral
Think IMO this is perhaps one of rahmans most complete, comprehensive and accessible albums
Btw checked out nargis f with interest this time
I’m convinced–this HAS to be the most unfairly criticised and misunderstood performance
Yes she is awkward, unsure, lacking in acting skill set
But those amateurish attempts to emote made it all even more cute and endearing
Her lips and ‘mobile’ mouth is a different issue for another day
But she makes up for it by ‘sheer effort, feeling and seeping into the character ‘
And in a few places, she looked great
Satyam-what are your ‘views’
To be honest I am more or less where I was the first time around and I think my review made this clear.. but some films don’t hold up as well on repeat viewing.. will say that having seen it twice in the theater there was a tremendous loss on the DVD in terms of the theater acoustics. In this sense the film should really be seen or have been seen on the big screen.
on Nargis Fakhri I don’t think she has a ‘performance’, she’s quite often off-key in serious ways but her presence works for the film and I think the extent to which one enjoys the movie depends on the degree to which one is willing to fall in love with her a bit! Don’t mean this facetiously. But this film I think would be far less interesting with a more established actress. I say this again as someone who considers her rather poor as an actress in many key scenes, even embarrassingly so sometimes.
And once more the flaws are never less than evident in the sense that really a much greater film could have been fashioned from this material. But as I said it holds up for me. There are very many films I like more than this or think more highly of in the contemporary era. But not many of those have stayed in the mind as much. Which is why I hope Imtiaz Ali doesn’t abandon this kind of work for another LAK or something. That would be a great pity.
“I think the extent to which one enjoys the movie depends on the degree to which one is willing to fall in love with her a bit! Don’t mean this facetiously. But this film I think would be far less interesting with a more established actress”–worthy words from a person of Satyams “maturity” lol
Anyhow an interesting post ( not on players/don2 for a change)-
The specimen goes to a party. It is a good hour to arrive; the party is peaking. Unlike other days, the specimen is happy to come to a party; he has good material for social conversation. The specimen begins by saying how he went to see Rockstar with his girlfriend over the weekend. The doorbell rings; a woman and a man. The host immediately recognises the girl as her flatmate.
The two walk in; the flatmate comes to terms with the fact that a party is underway in her house; she goes to the bathroom. Her gait throws light on her short dress but does not reveal whether she really wishes to use the bathroom or is plainly marking territory. Someone talks about the way she walks. A girl interjects; it is rude to stare, she says. The man proudly reveals he is from Delhi. The girl smiles at him; he stops staring.
The host follows her flatmate to the bathroom. Everyone else inspects the strangely dressed man who appears to be located on the far end of the 18-35 demographic corridor. For a man his age he looks intense. Upon random questioning by the men of the group (according to prevalent norms of social conversation, in complete harmony with the UN charter on global human rights), the man appears evasive. Everyone leaves him alone. Someone calls him oversmart; someone else says he looks like a hedge fund manager. Someone talks about how intensely the man is staring at the lamp in the corner.
Article continues below the advertisement…
The specimen picks up where he left. So, he went to watch Rockstar with his girlfriend over the weekend. Someone interjects and asks the specimen for his opinion on Nargis Fakiri’s legs. The specimen gulps his drink, a stiff old monk-and-rum, to arouse the spirit of Socrates; he meditatively looks within. The two women appear from the bathroom. The intense looking flatmate joins her date; the host walks to the kitchen. Almost instantaneously the specimen follows her; he needs a refill. The picture gets clearer.
“They randomly met at a bar; she didn’t know I was having people over.”
“I don’t get this. How can people randomly meet at bars? I have never met anyone.”
“You’re a man.”
“So is he.”
“He had some coke.”
“Oh. Like that.”
The story spreads; the party, as a social organism, appears more chilled out. The host reminds the specimen, and a bunch of guests, that the party would have been more chilled out if her flatmate and her random date had not snorted everything on their way. The group silently condemns the selfish (yet very self gratifying) behaviour of the flatmate but absolves her date because, someone says, a hedge fund manager needs his fix.
The specimen is meditating on Nagis Fakhri’s legs. He reminds himself that the truth is almost always scandalous. Plus one gets lonelier as one approaches it. He wonders how to ascribe notions of objective knowledge, especially of an empirical kind, to a phenomenon that is beyond knowledge; perception of the phenomenon affects not just the brain but the entire nervous system. The specimen wonders if he should think up some verse but checks himself as soon as the melting elastic of his underwear makes an appearance in his metaphorical landscape. Deep in thought, the specimen isn’t aware of the fact that his blank inward looking stare is falling straight on the upper torso of the flatmate.
The host asks her flatmate is she is feeling okay. The flatmate says she is fine but her friend is feeling tired and wants to crash. The random man speaks up; don’t worry about me, he says with a confident drawl. The specimen comes out of the meditative trance and wants to express his opinion on Nargis Fakhri’s legs. Anxious to get the couple out of the way, he suggests the flatmate and her friend crash at his place instead. I live with my wife, the random man reveals. The man from Delhi suggests that they crash in the car. The specimen observes his smile; it suggests the man from Delhi does not mean sleeping when he uses the word crash. The flatmate and her friend leave. The specimen wants to talk but the host talks for two minutes about the perils of living with people in Bombay; about how submissively polite she will now have to be with her flatmate.
Someone — a reporter type — senses psychoanalysis in the air. He starts talking about Anna. It appears that the party as a social organism chooses problems of the society over the problems of one particular individual. The specimen withdraws inwards and blankly stares at the chair the flatmate was sitting on; the chair stares back blankly.
“Everybody is calling him a rockstar,” the reporter type says and brings the specimen back to the party. “We don’t need the kind of democracy we have or any kind of democracy. India doesn’t need democracy; it needs a CEO. A number of people who are supporting Anna, people who do not speak English, told me that the Lokpal is like a CEO.” A girl hands the reporter type a stiff drink.
A struggling poet looks at the scene and appears inspired. She types furiously on her iPad and five minutes later comes up with a short poem: Reporter, quarter/ Peace is still manufactured.
The specimen looks at the poet. “What do you think of Rockstar?” he asks.
“Across the road in the fog, a blind girl walks her dog,” she says. The specimen has a curious expression on his face. The specimen scans the room. His eyes settle on the reporter type listening to the host. Everywhere around him the party as a social organism is bored. The specimen goes back to meditating on Nargis Fakhri’s legs.
Ranbir: Nargis fakhri is the best actress I have ever worked with!!!
Haha–so I have got SOME company–atleast someone shares my views here haha(though the reasons maybe different )
Also to note-part of nargis fakhris problems were-
No/poor acting skill set/background
Problems with an ‘Indian’ body language
The head nodding and mannerisms correlating with an american conversationalistic tone rather than indian
Awkward body control typical of debutants before the camera
All this was confused rightly or wrongly as a ‘horrible’ performance
BUT
where it really matters
Ie putting up a heartfelt empathetic act
‘feeling!’ the scene etc
She did more than admirably
I will keep announcing my own (sic wtf) awards for this intermittently
So I hand the ‘best debutant -male/female’ award to Nargis Fakhri
clapping!!!!
Anyhow — will admit my ‘bias’ here lol
As regards the music of Rockstar, agree it is easily the finest album Rahman has composed after probably Delhi 6…some fantastic songs..a few timeless ones..
As regards the movie, somehow it didn’t work for me…it started well but somehow lost its way…Ranbir however was terrific..this guy is born to act & will go places !!
Have you seen Sherlock Holmes…Game of Shadows btw ?? Saw it yesterday…Robert Downey Jr is THE man !! Haven’t had this much fun at the movies in a long time, trust me !!!
^^^Shub: ya may catch sherlock … Too much on my ‘plate’ currently
V v few Bollywood releases occur near me and disappear fast-so give em priority ..
what is your ranking of the rockstar songs what did u feel about nargis fakhri
Ps-u right well and some how have a ‘female’ style of writing (along with ‘prateek’)–I maybe entirely wrong though hahaha
to be honest I am not a fan of Sherlock Holmes at all in this current reworking. Find it a travesty that he’s been converted into a bit of an action star!
1) Kun Faaya Kun ( Best song of 2011 !! )
2) Sadda Haq
3) Nadaan Parindey/ Hawaa Hawaa
4) Kateya Karoon
5) Aur Ho / Tum Ho
Nargis Fakhri…great looker…suited the role but needs to work on her acting…actually the role itself was quite challenging for a newcomer….the problem i foresee she may likely to face is comparisons with Katrina Kaif.
there were better debuts to be fair…Kriti Malhotra & Monica Dogra were both terrific in Dhobi Ghat.
I would actually give it to Parineeti Chopra for “Ladies vs Ricky Bahl”…she just stole the show in an otherwise average film…she is a complete natural !! Definitely one to watch out for the future.
Shub– there will be ‘blood shed’ now
Unless u retract your statement lol (joking)
Ps-parineeti-was spontaneous but that was an obvious ‘crowd pleaser’ role over acted at times
Wasn’t reallyk impressed beyond a point
Yes. Shai from Dhobi ghaat was good
If imtiazk had taken the ‘physical component’ in the second half , things would’ve been more palatable to the Indian audience I think–maybe there was a loss of ‘sympathy ‘
(ps shub- plz explain the reason for your ‘female’ style do writing along with ‘prateek’ lol–caught ya !!!!—maybe wrong though)
Another interesting bit on ‘cyberloafing’–
Only for those who need a break from the don2/box office breakdown from cooch behar /other unheard of centres lol
A study performed at the National University of Singapore has confirmed what many of us seem to know intuitively: taking a little time off of coding or writing to check your favorite blogs or webcomics is actually a productive behavior.
Just as taking a short break to get a snack or a coffee can reinvigorate you, taking a very short break to do something other than type or mouse around improves the quality of your work thereafter.
The study, done by researchers Don J.Q. Chen and Vivien K.G Lim, started out with participants doing a repetitive task: highlighting every “e” in a 3500-word document. They then were told to do one of three things: one group was told to stack sticks in a certain way, another was told to do anything but go on the web, and another was told to go on the web and check out a few standard blogs and sites. Lastly, they were asked to repeat their first task with a different document.
Not surprisingly, the web people were the least mentally exhausted (according to the infallible questionnaire) and most productive. Interestingly, checking email did not tend to restore people, as it was viewed as a kind of work to read and respond.
Methodologically, it’s not bulletproof. People doing “anything but web” in their own environment, rather than a lab, would likely be as refreshed as the web people. And tasks that require more focus and skill (creative tasks rather than repetitive) might not be as forgiving of interruption. But the point was made that web browsing didn’t have any deleterious effect on the participants’ ability to function. It didn’t act as an opiate.
Naturally, this only applies to a certain extent (no WoW raids), and real-life work conditions must be reasonable as well (web access may not improve sweatshop morale). But attempting to limit or control workers’ ability to go to certain sites or take short breaks like this (I just took one in the middle of the last paragraph) is certainly counter-productive. It reduces trust and makes people unhappy. And saying that checking Reddit or 1UP is stealing from the company only alienates the people who know better. Plus, they’ll keep on “stealing” without a second thought.
So next time your boss walks up to your cube while you’re taking five to hit up a few blogs, tell him about this study and suggest they make it policy. People love policy.
the Players FTI seems to be a healthy one but at least the Fri numbers haven’t kept track with this. Remains to be seen if today and tomorrow jumps will be seen.
although they did predict 20-25 crores for the weekend a week before release when the FTI was 32. The thing is that even accepting the higher ETC 6 crore figure it will have to jump a bit for the higher end of that range. But they’ve (boxofficeindia.co.in) have also gone with a 4.5 crore number. So now it will have to jump very significantly on both days just to catch the lower end of that prediction. More or less 16 crores between Sat and Sun. If it does that it’s a good trend but to post serious numbers it will have to be impressive even during the week. All a tall order based on the Fri number, specially with a genre that even on its best day is heavily front-loaded or makes most of its money going in. The film would have to buck this more or less historic trend to put up anything sizable.
Watched Players (as Dragon Tattoo which was supposed to open did not open in Mumbai). Quite frankly this is a major crap-fest. DMD/ Raavan are classics compared to this. Even Race was much better. Don2 was way more entertaining. Except for probably Neil the performances are shallow. This will fold up in 10 days. Big Cinemas has 25% occupancy for Sat eve 5:30pm show!
Satyam, today i had discussions with my friends, some of them are die hard bachchan fans. The topic was about negativity surrounding Abhishek .. and its effect on Amitabh career .. Our conclusion was :
1. Till 2001, Amitabh movies were getting huge openings .. Mrityudata, Major Saab, Bade Miyan Chote Miyan, Aks and even Lal badshah opened to great response at boxoffice, regardless of final fate. Bade Miyan Chote Miyan even broke the opening week record.
2. Telly of Abhishek flops effected Amitabh movies as well, because naam to bachchans ka hi kharaab ho raha tha.
3. It was only 2005, when things were seems to be improving .. with 2005 year owned totally by Amitabh and Abhishek.
4. But Abhishek is on down spree since then.
5. Abhishek is at lowest point of his career, and more than flops, he has been criticized by majority for bad movies and sometime acting(Jab waqt bura ho to sab bura ho jaata hai, and there is no way he can go further down.
6. But this is pain to see Amitabh sir also suffering because of Abhishek’s failures. Miserable openings of some later Amitabh movies are proof that Abhishek damaged him as well.
I am not sure what is solution now. I am Amitabh bachchan fan and well wisher of Abhishek(Even like him whenever he does good job regardless of boxoffice). But any how Amit ji is my priority. This is pain to see him in pain because of Abhishek.
I fundamentally disagree with just about every single conclusion you’ve reached but I’ve been through this too many times before to repeat everything except to stress one point — I’ve said a number of times that Abhishek could either be a major star or nobody. The option of just being a lower tier star was closed off to him. Much of what I’ve seen in recent times confirms this to my mind. But again I try to learn from the box office whether it’s a success or failure. The problem with most positions people have on stars or films isn’t really whether one can agree with them or not but that they remain fixed dogmatically irrespective of the circumstances. We see in many of the successes and failures what we want to see in them. The problem is particularly acute with most people who are under 30 or under 25 today because their link to the history is very fragile or non-existent. And so a kind of ‘presentism’ dominates. And what happens is that when huge surprises are thrown up by stars or films (I could name very many major surprises in this past decade) these are just taken as ‘givens’ without anyone analyzing how and why the result came about. So for example Aamir was doing well enough in the 90s, he then reinvented himself with Lagaan which is once in a lifetime moment but that reinvention also comes about when many of the historical forces are on your side. Lagaan couldn’t have been a great moment in 1995. Not literally so but as a matter of probability. Much as Ghajini couldn’t have come in 2002. Similarly and even moreso Salman could have been this resurgent and this big only at this moment in time. These are just examples but I could offer many individual films where the ultimate success ratio was simply not predictable. But again once it happens people take it as a given. That’s not analysis however. That is just describing what ‘is’.
Getting back to Abhishek I have seen both among fans and non-fans the obsession with his physical appearance. This too I fundamentally disagree with. I am not saying ‘anything goes’ but those who are obsessed with him in this sense feel the problem is that he isn’t more like other stars who work out or whatever. It is not that I don’t believe these things would help to a degree but the essential problem in terms of his box office woes lies elsewhere.
In any case people tend to say more or less the same things at every stage. Salman in a refreshing bit of candor said on the eve of the Ready release that he was lucky that he had Wanted and Dabanng behind him and the film had become hot, otherwise some years prior to this it wouldn’t have done much. And he was absolutely right. For most of the past decade even the films of his that worked as comedies or whatever were flatlined at a certain gross.
The reasons are different for different stars but it requires reinvention by the star but also a confluence of historical forces. Because a star cannot conduct just ‘any’ reinvention. It has to be in keeping with a certain core of his signature. Salman couldn’t have suddenly become a Yashraj hero all those years ago. SRK never had the credibility doing different that Aamir did. And so on.
finally if one considers success or failure to be overdetermined based on one’s pre-suppositions one reads everything a certain way. Even with successful stars there are very few films that literally open up new avenues of reinvention. Similarly different successes or failures must be treated differently. Lagaan or RDB didn’t put the Ghajini or 3I sort of numbers but they are not less important otherwise.
With Abhishek and assuming Players doesn’t pick up he is at a serious crisis. A truly serious ‘existential’ crisis which goes beyond a bad run at the box office. However there is still great opportunity here. At the risk of sounding crazy I believe he can still reshape his career more profoundly than Hrithik who’s never quite had to and who’s always remained despite some of the different efforts essentially the KNPH guy and is so perceived by the audience (which is why in a different film he either has to be the D2 kind of guy.. the attractive physical specimen as in JA.. or fly below the radar as in ZNMD or now Agneepath.. in other words the films are not ‘essentially’ about him as a star-actor). I’d even say that Abhishek’s crisis is greater precisely because his potential is far more profound. But it’s now beyond just getting a hit or two. It’s about creating that moment with the audience where he once again seems ‘definitive’ as he did from Yuva through Guru. It’s like the Dabanng thing.. the important point here is not the scale of the success but that Salman electrified the audience for the first more or less since his debut period, even moreso in many ways. Whether you were a Salman fan or not you had to like him in Dabanng. This is different for every star but that is the sort of moment Abhishek now needs. And again this is the sort of thing that SRK has not been able to manage in many years whether in hits or in flops. so on and so forth.
But again I disagree with 99% of the propositions that are available on Abhishek either in the media or in the blogosphere. And it’s not because I am partial to Abhishek. I disagree with most of what is said about other stars too.
LOL Ted where have you been these past few years?!
But to answer your question briefly (and very briefly by my standards!) I have never believed that the audience (fans or not) really want a six pack from him or that kind of gym physicality.
Abhishek should do two kinds of roles really and then the commercial stuff can be like fillers in between. In other words his core is defined by something else and he should keep returning to it with escapist or formula interludes regularly. What do I mean by this? Firstly Southern masala. Not just anything but proper narrative-oriented stuff like Okkadu and Ghajini that covers a large audience base because the films in question have action and romance and comedy and emotional resonance and so on. Or even a more stream-lined narrative like Kakka Kakka (of course they messed it up with Force) which nonetheless plays to his strengths. And have Southern directors make these films because hardly any Bombay director has that immediate connection with this heritage anymore. Even if they do they don’t really know how to handle stardom on this terrain which is not just about putting actors in these films and making them successes. Southern directors understand the Bachchan signature better than anyone in Bombay today and moreover understand Abhishek’s potential better than anyone else too (and of course from RGV to Rathnam Southern directors have given him his most important parts!). The nothing masala film which is simply a joyride can be used as a filler but it shouldn’t be the main deal. And again most of the Bombay genres just don’t highlight Abhishek’s physical strengths because they’re made for gym bodies and a certain bland kind of physicality. Obvious ‘types’ or obvious models of global beauty. If abhishek were in Tamil cinema he would have no problem at all. Because they make many films he’d be perfectly suited for in all kinds of genres. Bombay is just a very different cup of tea. It’s not about getting a hit in a Dostana or something. That sort of thing should be the exception because that doesn’t highlight his physicality the way a Sarkar or a Guru or a Yuva or a DMD does.
But on the Bombay front there should be author-backed parts that really highlight his ‘thespian’ attributes if you will. The stuff that got him great reviews even as recently as DMD. The only ‘compromise’ that should be made at this point is that the different should have an obvious hook with the audience, a very clear narrative. It cannot be experimental at this stage of the game. Not every role can be a Guru of course but a strong part with a proper ‘commercial’ narrative. It could be Rathnam or Neeraj Pandey or Santoshi. A number of directors who can do this at various budgets.
In sum something that plays to his strengths one way or the other. A Players or something of the sort is fine in between but it shouldn’t be what his career depends. Of the upcoming films I think Bol Bachchan is fine. D3 not as much. Because these are plastic genres and he’s for better or worse too ‘authentic’ as an actor and in physical terms.
As for the audience I have always said this — they want special things from him. They don’t him to be his father’s clone in any ways but they want films where the ‘difference’ of being a Bachchan comes through one way or the other. A wide variety of genres are fine but these cannot be films which though commercially viable have him in central roles that are otherwise not invested with symbolic potency. Abhishek has to ‘mean’ something more than the centrality of the part.
The other stuff like ‘laid-back’ and ‘lack of intensity’ and ‘doesn’t work out’ and what not are just improper translation of certain emotional responses people have to his stuff. I understand what’s going on here but the vocabulary used is I believe wrong. with the right film everything falls in place. The audience automatically defines whatever it likes with the vocabulary it likes and vice versa. If I like an actor in a film I say he’s intense, if not I say he didn’t connect and what not. I never take this stuff very seriously. In the movie business these things turn on a dime. After the event everyone becomes an analyst. It’s easy to say later why something worked and something didn’t but most of what is truly important at any given point isn’t completely predictable. The predictable is never that significant even when it works. Lagaan and Rangeela matter over time, not Raja Hindustani! So on and so forth.
I do think Abhishek needs a serious change of strategy which builds on his failures (because there is a lot to be redeemed here) but if I were advising him I’d urge him to forget 99% of the stuff that’s said about him in the media and in the blogosphere. You can be successful doing the obvious, even very successful but you cannot be important doing this. Any important star at any point in time is always about doing what was not predictable even if he or she eventually gets institutionalized. The same goes with movies.
Even if Players will fail at box office, Abhi have films like Bol bachcan, Chakravuh and Dhoom3 are there. But his career will depend what type of movies he will select after Dhoom3 success.Luckily for Abhishek every thing is available if he want to act in mass movies .If he wants produce his banner ABCL is there and directors like Raj kumar santhoshi,Rohi shetty etc interested to work with him.Also Bigb has good contacts with south industry so they can easily purchase rights for what ever movie they want and also if he want to remakes his father movies there.Only thing is he need to make correct decision on box office point of view.One thing he need to remember other actors like Salman,Akshay,hrithik,SRK and even Aamil are not fools doing south ramakes and his father remakes.Abhi also need to understand his father bacame suaperstar because of masses and they loved him.He need to do movies what ordinary Indian likes not something like mero cenetric or class movies.
I feel masala doesn’t work for him. He has to keep doing Delhi-6/DMD kind of films even with low profile directors.
He has to restrict his number of films. Saturday’s figures are very low, looks like a flop from the day one.
Ha ha…you are certainly not the first who has felt outraged at this new avatar of Holmes !!
Btw BBC Entertainment channel also started a new “Sherlock” series in 2010…which is about Holmes & Watson solving mysteries in the modern world using latest gizmos !! Some of the episode titles read as “Scandal in Belgravia”, “The Hounds of the Baskerville” !!!
Guess Arthur Conan Doyle must be turning in his grave now !!!
Leaving aside how Holmes has been portrayed…purely on a cinematic level, Game of Shadows is atleast a well made & damn good entertainer if nothing else…most recent Indian films which pass off as “entertainers” have failed to deliver even in this aspect eg. Ready, Bodyguard….long list !!!
So what is the consensus on Players, will there be a Players 2 ?
Currently it looks like 12-15 Cr weekend at most (perhaps less). So what does that make Players in todays’s world, i.e. the world post BG. Lets use our new yardstick to analyze this.
Watched players
V Good occupancy for this screen -maybe due to sat nite
Went in with v low expectations. In these cases, good to take entertaining company, Incase the movie fails to…
Overall an ok reasonably executed entertainer–does what it says ‘on the tin’-nothing more, nothing less…
Typical all round twists, comedy, masala…
Liked the Russia/ train sequences
Have a certain liking for that Murmansk stretch–have been there myself and have some fond experiences (not of the train robbery types though)
Abbas mustan do what they do best
Performances
Abhishrek does alright–seems to be ‘holding back’& underplaying most of the time(even where not required)
For me it’s always about moments-he did show some glimpses of being a star actor though–
The ‘Talking to bobbys daughter on phone’ was well handled by abhishrek -went nothing wrong in that scene but such ‘depth’ was probably out of place for this film
This film stands out for getting the girls DO something substantial-be it being an automotive expert (that too a railway engine) or a computer hacker or a masterful seducer
They weren’t just arm candy-so THAT’S something creditable lol
Neil is ok but nothing as being made out to be. Have always found him promising somewhat with good looks. Have only see him in new York and he was very good there
Bobby deol-felt truly sorry/ sympathetic for him and his plight.
C’mon man: he is bad times but his length (of role) was embarrassing although he was ok
Bipasha does well ; better than I expected: she is ageing well (so far) and she is showing some staying power
Sonam-she can be photogenic but her looks / hair etc can be very inconsistent -needed someone with real oomph here
Coming to the film-it doesn’t deserve to flop and won’t (though sopme parts of the media with agenda may prove it)
But won’t make it to a conclusive earner/hit status either
Since the release day i am seeung heavy bashing of players which, in my view, is not right. The team player kept thier promise and i am giving you point by point explanation.
1- They said “Jis jagah pe khatam sabki baat hoti hai us jagah se hamaru shuruaat hoti hai”. So thier you go Jitne carore per doosri films ka buisness khatam hota hai us jagah per Players ka buisness Shuru (4 cr) hota hai.
2- They said “Buddhi de bhagwan”. So they prayed to the god that Viewers ko itni buddhi do ki wo is film ko dekhne nahi aayain but still if you went there it is your fault.
3- Sonam showed middle finger. She told the viewers fuck you. I don’t give a damn it this film become hit or flop one thing i know is that Abhishek is there to take full responsibility of the disater.
4- Bipasha in two piece bikani. She knew what she has ot offer to the viewer and she done all hard work for it and showed a tonned body.
5- When the makers announced the film, i had said “Sabhi Top oh i mean agar flopstars ko hi lena tha to Aftab or Fardeen khan ne kya bigada tha”. So even in this front they didn’t disappoint ed me and took Aftab.
So here we go. Whatever the promised they kept it intact and i am loving it.
“Just look where Bachchans are placed in the industry this time and where Srk is”
If you are pointing towards Amitabh bachchan, At age 70, he has still power to give even new generation run of their mill. And you know this in your heart,
If you are pointing towards Abhishek, That’s fine.
And for SRK, he is unable to collect much now. Its pity to see his fans are melt to the level that they are happy even at 100 Crore of DON .. which was expected to be BAAP of all movies and expectations was as big as 300 crore(before release of RA.One).
actually it is a sequel of so called average film which again is va sequel of highly sucessful classic which had great shelf life … a director who has brand name and a list actress to go along with a favourable time …it undeperformedf
what would one calll a 20 cr singham which earned that much actually a tad more
box office dynamics in india is changing big time and this is to go with multiplexes going and reaching interiors which represents a huge chunk of indian population(40 to 50%) which has underrepresentation
for some reason my comments keep opening in a new response…most of the response is to karan…and the one is to you satyam…not sure why it keeps doing a new response box.
Sunday 8th January 2012 13.30 IST
Boxofficeindia.Com Trade Network
Players has got the year off to a very bad start as collections could not pick up on Saturday after a poor start. The first day collected around 4.60 crore nett and second day is in the same region. It could be 10-15 lakhs more or less when final collections come in but Players needed a 30-40% jump to even have a respectable weekend. The weekend is likely to be 15 crore nett at best.
LOL…as expected after the ridiculous comparisons earlier between Dhobi Ghat & Ra.One/Don 2, it is now the turn to compare star power/ box office draw of SRK & Abhishek !! Wow !!!
Of course that is well expected of SRK fans…now when Don 2 has failed to come even close to the collections of Salman/Aamir’s films in India, it becomes very convenient to start comparisons with the collections of Players !!
“Players is a mass market product, Don 2 is a niche market (shall we say Class market) product. ”
This is even more priceless. What an absurd statement !!
Since Don 2 failed to get even an opening at single screens, it suddenly has become a “niche/class” product…Joke !!!
For god’s sake, the really Niche/Class product films are released in limited screens and certainly not 3000+ screens which Don 2 was !!
If Don 2 were really a “niche market/class product”, why the hell was it released on a record 3600 screens ??
Enough said…don’t want to waste energy on clarifying these laughable statements !!
It is not enough to make statements, it is required to support them. You have the right to call something ridiculous, but unless you support that, it is you who ends up looking ridiculous.
Also lets stop calling each other fans etc, it does not help your case.
Don 2 has been a success, eat your heart out. It now resides in the rare 100 + Cr club (200 + possible). Very few films have achieved that. Let me ephadize this by saying that neither Sr nor Jr Bachchan have achieved that yet. Hence, you claiming it has failed (without justification) you appear irrational.
The list of movies that have made 100+ Cr worldwide is finite. It is a list of movies hat have made that amount at the BO, not in someone’s mind via “creative adjustments”. It gives me no joy to clinically report that neither Sr nor Jr have made into that very small & exclusive club. Sorry
may be people should understand there is a term called inflation and adjusting inflation highest grosser of all time in bollywood history is sholay including many of sr b movies
further analogy of don as niche product and players is mass product is hillarious to say hilt so has been comparison of stardom of abhishek to cover underperformance of don 2
both are westernised rip off of variois hw movies further one is a 75 cr movie released on 3500 screend and another 35 cr movir released on 2000 screens…
niche products don’t have this much big release its just another cover up for huge underperformance in single screens
Interesting points here shubh lol^^ haha
“You haven’t been reading my comments”-oops-old gold -I seem to be guilty of that ‘sin’ lol
Ps-just saw it-nahata does seem selectively cruel in this players ‘review’. He has said much mushier words over bigger crap …
“Let’s discuss BO using the principals of finance and economics.”
Thanks for the advice !!
Think principals of finance/economics, what constitutes Niche market/mass market film etc. need to be first understood before having these downright absurd BO discussions !!!
That was meant to imply that your double standards under any pretext cannot be allowed. Whether SRK or Aamir or Salman or Abhishek in tier 3, the same rules apply.
akshayerathi Akshaye Rathi
@
@juniorbachchan @VIVECKVASWANI collections have picked up today. Much better shows than fri / sat. Expect it to be rock steady of Monday.
Here’s the deal. With many films these days Sat collections are flatlined which is to say there’s no pickup or there’s a negligible one. Sun then usually offers a proper jump depending on how well the film has been received. I’ve seen with some 100 crore grossers forget others.
With DMD the collections were more or less flatlined across the weekend. The thing is that with films that have a strong start some of the flatlining though it is indicative of trending nonetheless leads to a considerable total.
With Players on the other hand because of the low start and the flatlined Sat you need a super Sun and moreover solid weekdays and then a second weekend almost comparable to the first one. Because there’s nowhere to fall from the first Fri! So it remains a tall order here.
Having said that this doesn’t mean that one should simply accept the lowest possible estimates many have dished out. I don’t accept the 4.5 crore number as a matter of common sense. Why? According to BOI this was DMD’s number on day 1. However for that film some of the same sources suggested even worse opening day percentages and at least not greater than the ones Players supposedly had. Given that Players has many more screens how is it possible for it to have the same very same total?!
ETC had a 6 crore number which is hardly unreasonable given that Raavan after terrible WOM had this on day 1 (according to BOI again). So matching Raavan 1.5 years later is hardly an accomplishment. Plus 6 crores could easily be the number after allowing for screen count adjustment. The reason this makes a difference is that if you have 6 crores on day 1, 6 again on day 2 and if say 8 crores on Sun (not a great jump) you get a 20 crores weekend. However if you deliberately use the lowest numbers possible you have 9 crores between Fri and Sat and then if you do a Sun jump of 6-7 crores you still have only 15 crores. Then in week 1 you keep doing the same and you have at the most 22-23 crores. However in the other scenario you get something closer to 30. Again assuming the very same trendline in each case.
30 is hardly great for the film but it is half-decent. With 23 there’s really nothing to do! ETC has a 6 crore number. So it’s not that no one has this. This is where these things make a difference and I’ve made this point consistently for years. when you keep chipping away at the number it adds up to something significant even if on any given day it might not seem like a huge difference. The same holds at the other end. When numbers have to be inflated in other cases extremely high and improbably high numbers are used. And I’m not saying it with Players. I’ve said it for Abhishek hits as well, that even BOI accepted as hits but where the numbers were depressed.
The fate of Players does not depend on this kind of dishonest reporting but it’s important to point it out. And this applies to partisans as well who just prefer the lowest numbers on one film and the highest on another.
Again Players doing something significant at this point is improbable. Sun usually shows a jump unless a film tanks. Some minimal jump is there. If it shows a big jump perhaps it has a big level of support but if it’s a 10-15% thing that’s not enough for a film that has opened this way. At that point the only rescue would be if it stayed rock steady at that lower level. Films don’t do that! Certainly not in this genre. And the ones that do create history at some level. Yet the numbers have to be represented for what they are and I don’t buy the lowest possible numbers when they come from those who have clearly been pushing an agenda much as I don’t accept the highest possible numbers from the same in other instances where a different agenda is being pushed.
let me correct some facts a so called big releae has no clean number from trade …
on first day an analyst says 4.5 cr (but more numbers are coming up -taran adarsh)
another one called komal nahata vall a 6r day one …estimates never had this one big range
btw for your information satyam a site called boi reported 3.5 cr day 1 for dmd and changed it to 5.4 cr only when producer rohan sippy released the number
JugrajRohit Jugraj Rohit
@
@juniorbachchan WORD OF MOUTH BUILDING UP STRONG,Gaiety Galaxy House full last nite an tonite,like i said AUDIENCES r d true trade Pundits!
JugrajRohit Jugraj Rohit
@bipsluvurself AUDIENCES at delhi DT cinemas, BHOPAL & GUJARAT – House Full In Night Shows! They Loving PLAYERS! Word Of mouth going STRONG.
VIVECKVASWANI viveck vaswani
@
@juniorbachchan audiences at inox loving the film, Word of mouth extremely strong! Day to day pick up!
I hope and prey that Players picked up to great extent today and give very healthy collections on next 3 weeks. Just a ray of hope, given that movie was really good.
Don 2 has emerged a blockbuster and the biggest hit of the year in Overseas as its business till now stands at around $10.5 million. It willbe the highest grosser of the year in most of the Overseas markets. Don 2 should do around $12 million plus (INR 63 crore plus) in Overseas and it is likely to have a second phase release which should add more. The business in the major markets over its first ten days is as follows.
Teasing through the box office minutiae, there are a few unibiased observations from don2/players—
A)Abhishrek bachchan is in a never before crisis. He still has films in the bag to keep him going and suspect that will keep getting some more for the time being (though this will get increasingly difficult &now producers will be wary-this will reflect in the type of roles/makers he gets)
Time for him to reinvent ASAP. Also to get involved in other areas like production, technicalities, music etc to get a holistic view of the movie business and shun this ‘ivory tower ish’ approach. And try not to touch anything mediocre, even at the cost of sitting @home (with ash)
B)don2/raone proved that SRK is far from gone/’spent force’
Posting near 100crore in both is not a joke
But the claims of ‘I’m the greatest’/no 1 etc etc are not true either.
These were his bigger bets. These haven’t beaten the current número Uno numbers thrown up by Salman/aamir and co.
So start of a new life/phase for SRK wherein he is amongst a cohort near the top but not THE no1. There are issues about his pull in India -though in the overseas, can vouch that he is still unparalleled I’m totality
C) all the best to aamir/ Salman in throwing up those big nos in 3idiots/ bodyguard etc. now hope they replicate/consolidate on those in their upcoming ones (talash, ek tha tiger) –which look promising but u never know-it’s a sticky wicket u know lol
An appeal on box office ‘debates’-to all ‘parties'(for n against)
Suggest that box office minutiae and trivialities are better left to those (poor) souls who’ve actually out in their moolah into films like players/don2
Bottom line summaries usually suffice for most (as outlined above in points ato c)
One should enjoy the movies /performances, pull up underperformers/ brilliance/oomph/ machismo etc etc and move on…
Not to get entangled in counting the pennies and pounds for the distributors/producers.
In any case-there is a lot of ‘underhand’ stuff in financial dealings due to many factors liege income tax liability, etc etc-which will never be factored in these ‘debates’
So chill n move on …
Ps-
Amy-hope u were ‘studying’ hard all this while… And were not unwell or something…
‘concentrating’ in exams and all that !!
Missed all your updates lol
Ps-as per shubhs ‘extreme’ recommendations-thinking Sherlock -shadow worth checkin out. Anyone else checked it out?
Haha Alex- I’ve not been studying too hard- just the opposite- I really need to start studying. I was on holiday and I wasn’t checking any blogs.
I saw Sherlock Holmes 2 – quite mediocre and a let down after the fun first film. I’m a huge Robert Downey Jr fan and he was the only reason I liked this film. I recommend you skip it and watch the superb BBC TV series on Sherlock instead. 🙂
Ok boss^^
Won’t see Sherlock –anyhow time constraints (though shubh was going orgasmic over it)
And don’t worry -we will make sure u ‘ study’ hard in between the blogging hehe
Will check what u r upto on the net from time to time -joking
Saw don2/mi4/ricky bahl recently -what did up think of those
Oops -need 2 do some work
Amy-that’s an interesting and promising list
Only a few of these bollywood releases will reach my local multiplex- will try n see them
Prefer seeing them on the big screen and am a bit ‘preoccupied’ (ie lazy) to travel far to catch em
“What’s your list?”
Think shanghai, agent Vinod, talaash( hate that name), ek tha tiger look more interesting
Ps– so how did u find your favourite Kareena in ek main ek tu–don’t worry: no penalties for liking her (exemption only for u)
Btw her “rate my bum” act –oh, someone control my urge to spank her out of sheer irritation
Hahaaha
Ha ha…wasn’t going “orgasmic” over Game of Shadows…just personally loved the film purely as a entertainer & so recommended it…that does not mean that it will appeal to everyone…in fact quite a few would be outraged at the film and justifiably so, they have their reasons…On the other hand, there are many others who are lapping it up bi g time ( saying this from the first hand audience reactions in the cinema I saw it )
Do catch it later if possible on DVD/torrent & let me know.
With Oscar season coming up, looking forward now to the likely nominees like Moneyball, Descendants, Artist, Hugo etc. these should be coming out in theatres in next month or so.
dude, aren’t you worried ?? I mean, at all ??? Karankumar seems hell bent on taking over oldgold’s place in giving priceless & laugh out loud return shots !! 🙂
Haha shubh : u are an entertainer lol^^
You mentioned in your previous comments that old gold has apparently joined my (long) list of “girlfriends”
She is finding this difficult to “cope with”–so she is not able to concentrate on SRK/his defence
Haha
There is no race going on here. No one is ahead, no one is behind. We are all sharing ideas and thoughts. The person who takes away the most (even if he does not contribute) is the winner, i.e. if you are hell bent on looking for winners.
Box Office Report: ‘The Devil Inside’ Opens to Record Breaking $34.5 Mil
9:02 AM PST 1/8/2012 by Pamela McClintock
The Devil Inside Possessed Woman – H 2012
Paramount Pictures
Paramount’s micro-budgeted horror film scores the biggest opening of all time for early January, and the third biggest for the month; David Fincher’s “Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” enjoys strongest hold of any wide release.
In a boost for the domestic box office, Paramount’s horror pic The Devil Inside opened to a record-breaking $34.5 million, helping to drive up theatrical revenues by more than 25 percent over last year.
The R-rated movie–acquired by Paramount for only $1 million–scored the best opening ever for early January, and the third biggest for the month after fellow Paramount title Cloverfield ($40.1 million) and George Lucas’ 1997 reissue of Star Wars ($35.9 million). Those two films were released in late January.
The Devil Inside is as polarizing as it is successful. Overall, it received an F CinemaScore on Friday night, although almost as many gave it an A (16 percent) as did an F (19 percent). The majority, or 47 percent, gave it a C and a D. Generally speaking, It’s not uncommon for horror titles to get lower CinemaScores.
Underpinning The Devil Inside’s strength were younger moviegoers, who have been largely absent from the multiplex. Nearly 60 percent of Friday night’s audience were under the age of 25, while 85 percent of the audience was under the age of 34.
Males made up 54 percent of those buying tickets.
Paramount president of domestic marketing and distribution Megan Colligan said the campaign for Devil Inside focused on making the film seem real, evidenced by the sogan “the film the Vatican doesn’t want you to see.” And on Christmas Eve, the stuido released an online trailer that prompted worldwide chatter.
“The campaign was very scary and it was intended to push the envelope,” Colligan said. “The conversation online became very robust.”
The Devil Inside took the No. 1 spot away from Paramount title Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, which itself stayed strong.
Ghost Protocol, which had topped the box office chart since opening nationwide on Dec. 20, dipped 30 percent from New Year’s weekend to $20.5 million for a hefty domestic cume of $170.2 milion. Overseas, the movie grossed $27.7 million for the weekend for an international cume of $287.9 million and worldwide total of $458.1 million.
The Tom Cruise pic wasn’t the only holiday title still enjoying good business in North America.
Warner Bros.’ sequel Sherlock Holmes–Game of Shadows also stayed high up on the box office chart, falling 33 percent to $14.1 million for a domestic cume of $157.4 million.
David Fincher’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo made news for Sony, sporting the best hold of any film in wide release and falling only 24 percent to $11.3 million for a domestic cume of $76.8 million. Dragon Tattoo continued its rollout overseas, grossing $12 million from 33 territories for an international total of $29.3 million and word cume of $106.1 million.
Fox’s Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked grossed $9.5 million for a domestic cume of $111.6 million. Internationally, the 3D family film enjoyed its strongest weekend yet, grossing $30.1 million from 62 markets for a foreign total of $128.4 million and world haul of $240 million.
DreamWorks and Disney’s War Horse, from Steven Spielberg, grew its domestic cume to $64.4 million, followed by Cameron Crowe’s We Bought a Zoo with $56.4 million. War Horse has only opened in four international markets, grossing $7.6 million to date for a world total of $64.4 million. Zoo has earned $2.6 million internationally from 14 markets for a world total of $69.9 million.
Spielberg’s second holiday film The Adventures of Tintin, from Paramount and Sony, has jumped the $300 million mark worldwide. It’s earned $61.9 million domestically and a hefty $271.8 million overseas for a total $333.7 million.
Making news at the awards box office on Friday was Focus Features and Working Title’s arthouse hit Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, which came in No. 9 for the weekend as it expanded from 57 theaters to 809 locations, grossing an estimated $5.8 million for a domestic cume of $10.4 million.
Tinker Tailor flourished in surburban markets–a theater in the surburbs north of Oklahama City was No. 5 in the country–as well as continuing to thrive in holdover art house locations.
The Devil Inside, which is being released via Paramount’s micro-budgeted Insurge label, was acquired by the studio for a mere $1 million. Insurge was launched after the phenomenal success of another low-budget Paramount horror film, Paranormal Activity.
PHOTOS: Iconic Horror Movies
Heading into the weekend, Paramount indicated that The Devil Inside would open in the $8 million to $10 million range, but that number was revised upward in light of the film’s midnight performance Thursday night, followed by strong Friday business. The Devil Inside earned $2 million in its midnight runs.
Directed and co-written by William Brent Bell, the documentary style Devil Inside is about a woman who becomes involved in a series of exorcisms after her own mother was supposedly possessed, killing three people. Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Steven Schneider, a producer on the Paranormal Activity franchise, brought the project to Paramount.
The Devil Inside was the only new wide release of the weekend.
Domestic Box Office Jan. 6-Jan. 8
Title/Weeks in Release/Studio/Theater Count/Three Day Weekend Total/Cume
1. The Devil Inside (1) Paramount/2,205, $34.5 million
2. Mission: Impossible–Ghost Protocol (4), Paramount/3,555, $20.5 million, $170.2 million
3. Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (4), Warner Bros./3,603, $14.1 million, $157.4 million
4. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (3), Sony/2950, $11.4 million, $76.8 million
5. Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked (4), 20th Century Fox/3,425, $9.5 million, $111.6 million
6. War Horse (3), DreamWorks/Disney/2,783, $8.6 million, $56.8 million
7. We Bought a Zoo (3), Fox/3,170, $8.5million, $56.4 million
8. The Adventures of Tintin (3), Paramount, Sony/3,006, $6.6 million, $61.9 million
MI4 has held up better than I expected it to. Nonetheless it’s hardly close to the Mi2 benchmark or that of the first one. It’s done better than Mi3 though but that movie was panned.
On another note Devil’s Inside got the most atrocious reviews imaginable but it didn’t matter for its audience!
Actually MI3 was received pretty well and it also coincided with the lowest point in Cruise’s career, it grossed as much as it could given the circumstances. On the other hand, MI2 was a sequel to the tremendously liked first installment. The latest movie is a big achievement, not only did it open as the number one movie in its opening weel, it is also sustaining pretty well.
Tom Cruise is no longer the superstar that he once was, but he making interesting choices in terms of roles; i believe his next movie should be Rock of Ages
prakashjaju Prakash Jaju
For Kjo group he reports more & for others, less. .@taran_adarsh: #Players *rough estimates* Friday business should be between 4 cr to 4.5.
so a decent sunday…looks like a 15-18cr opening wkd. maybe a 25cr week. as others have said..it has a completely 3 free week run. it has a chance to at least put a respectable number of 40cr. and again noone is saying this is good for abhishek. its another disappointment for him but he has talent and i think he has lots of time to redeem himself. i really think Bol Bachchan is going to be huge especially it being a comedy.
prakashjaju Prakash Jaju
Agneepath is not getting good price from distributors because of dismal performance of 3 recent films – Ra1, Don2 and Players …
Agneepath producer wants 60 cr from India, means it has to collect 120 cr to get even, with Don2 not being able to so, distributors r afraid
prakashjaju Prakash Jaju
A distributor is thinking of purchasing Agneepath for CI for 2.50 cr, means it has to collect more than 5 cr…. Don2 will collect 3.5 cr..
Karan… I suggest you stick to whatever someone says to you and which you then in turn might find find more or less acceptable. That’s fine but other people might have different terms of engagement. You don’t need to play anyone’s savior here. people can take care of themselves. I’ve removed your protest comments because I don’t want something else to start here.
I am, as you say, saving my soul. I don’t see anyone else’s honor any less or any different than my own honor. Your honor IS my honor. Old Gold’s honor is my honor. I don’t need anyone’s permission to uphold my honor.
[edited]
“I am, as you say, saving my soul. I don’t see anyone else’s honor any less or any different than my own honor. Your honor IS my honor. Old Gold’s honor is my honor. I don’t need anyone’s permission to uphold my honor. ”
I’m afraid you do need permission to do so on this blog. assuming you want to keep commenting here. Your ‘messiah’ instincts might be a bit misplaced here. No one’s soul needs to be saved. no one needs a rescue. People can take care of themselves. If there’s something that’s over the line I’ll be the judge of this (or the moderators here). But we can’t have everyone who comments apply their own sense of honor and shame across the board.
The fact that you make an effort to warm me, while not making an equal effort to prevent THE despicable behavior says where you stand on this issue. It is a green light (clear and bright).
Something’s are born out of neccessity, I don’t see myself as a Messiah, but I have never been subservient to any wrong (in public and private life).
Look at my arguments, one can in error claim I am a fan of so and so, but dig deep and you will find that I merely stood for justice.
Hence say what you may, do what you like. I will act against bad behavior. It is better you do it, but in absence of any action from you, I will act.
“Look at my arguments, one can in error claim I am a fan of so and so, but dig deep and you will find that I merely stood for justice. ”
Don’t you think that your view of yourself is a little inflated?!
“Hence say what you may, do what you like. I will act against bad behavior. It is better you do it, but in absence of any action from you, I will act.”
No you will not because you will not be allowed to. As simple as that!
I am looking at things and I have taken action where necessary. But it’s a judgment call and I take the totality of the situation into consideration. People can disagree with me, that’s fine.
No one has multiple IDs. And I’m not banning anyone. However if you insist on flouting rules that I’m specifically laying out I will have no option. I cannot join a club and then say I’m not going to accept the rules. If I don’t like them I don’t have to be there. I am not being partial to anyone here but your insistence that you will carry cudgels for everyone is more than a little unreasonable. If everyone who commented here had the same attitude and with their presumably different standards it would just be chaos!
Hmmm.
Shubh seems to be getting away with a lot here, with nonsensical comments and remarks.
Satyam’s his Messiah (and blog owner), and saves him from any retributions. LOL!
I suggest one way of handling Shubh’s nonsense – *Silence*.
To oppress is wrong (even verbally). But to suffer oppression without resistance or to observe oppression and not make any attempt to prevent it are equally wrong.
Silence is not an option. If you want a better world speak out.
I apologize to you to make all this a big deal. But for me this was a no brainer.
@Karankumar – your ideas are noble, but perhaps you should let the target of comments you deem “oppressive” decide whether s/he is being oppressed or even “suffering.”
I enjoy reading your comments, and think you bring a good new perspective to this blog. I’d hate to see that sidelined by your crusades on behalf of others, however well-intentioned. Please consider this.
Players showed good growth on Sunday of around 35-40% from Saturday but it makes no difference to the overall picture as this had to happen on Saturday for the film to have any chance at the box office.
Players had a poor weekend of around 14.75 crore nett as the film failed to make any headway over the weekend. The daily collections were 4.60 crore nett on Friday, 4.50 crore nett on Saturday and 5.50-5.75 crore nett on Sunday.
The film had growth in the North on Sunday as Saturday was the coldest day of the winter in the region and Sunday was much much so basically the film played a bit of catch up on Sunday. In the rest of the country the film was pretty flat with just 10-15% jumps which is very bad considering the collections are at such low levels.
The film will be a huge loser and the year is off to a very bad start unlike last year when No one Killed Jessica scored. Players has no co major competition for three weeks but it will make much difference as it has been rejected and exhibitors will try there luck with the small films releasing over the next two weeks.
I’m a little puzzled by one thing. Komal has one set of results headed “2011 Net Result”, followed by a table labeled “2011: Box office collections of hits”, but the classification for the same film under both headings is different in some cases. For example, he has Ready, Singham, Murder 2, and The Dirty Picture as “hit” under the first set of classifications, but has them listed as “super hit” under “box office verdict” in the second table. Can anyone explain to me what the difference is between the two summaries? It seems too widespread to be an error or sloppiness.
The Dirty Picture is still doing extremely well at the box office after a drop in collections in the third week due to the release of Don 2. The Dirty Picture collected around 1.85 crore nett in its third week and has similar collections in its fourth week. A circuit like Delhi/UP showed a 25% jump in collections from week three.
The Hindi version of the film has collected more than 77 crore nett in four weeks and is likely to remain in the theatres till the release of Agneepath. The film will do a distributor share of over 40 crore. The film will have a huge overall recovery of 65 crore plus and its production budget was just 18-20 crore.
The Dirty Picture was one the four blockbusters of 2011 and the third biggest hit of 2011 after the two Salman Khan blockbusters Bodyguard and Ready.
Hollywood has always inspired Indian cinema with their technical forwardness — be it animation or the more recent phenomena of the 3D films. And often, filmmakers have not really concerned themselves with the Indian cinegoers’ choice in the matter. And thus, animation films like Jumbo, Roadside Romeo and Toonpur Ka Superrhero have failed despite the presence of A-list stars like Akshay Kumar, Saif-Kareena and Ajay Devgn-Kajol respectively.
3D films have met with a similar reaction from the audience. While Hollywood films like Avatar and Tintin have drawn multiplex audiences, Indian attempts to master the very technical art have fallen flat. The most recent example being that of Shah Rukh Khan’s Don 2.
The film, Don 2 has managed to rake in the moolah at the box office. But its three-dimensional version has fizzled out. The last minute conversion of the film from 2D to 3D took a lot of time and effort. But the sleepless nights couldn’t somehow convert into houseful theatres. In fact, 3D prints of Don 2 were removed from almost all theatres across the country.
A representative from a leading multiplex said on the condition of anonymity, “You can’t do 3D just for the sake of making a 3D film. In the second week of Don 2, we reduced the 3D shows and in the third week, we removed it altogether. You can’t add 3D just for the shock value. We have seen films like Tintin, which was brilliant in 3D. As far as Bollywood is concerned, Haunted that was shot in 3D brought in the necessary footfalls.”
Anand Vishal, head of operations of Fun Republic said, “In all our theatres, we had more audience for 2D version of Don 2 than 3D. That is when we decided to discontinue it.”
A source close to BIG Cinemas added, “We removed some prints of the 3D version since we had to accommodate another film. In any case, the film was in its third week. Once cannot expect to get the same revenue as the first week.”
Utpal Acharya, the head of distribution and acquisition for Reliance, the makers of Don 2, said, “In the first week we had 3105 prints. This included 400 odd pirnts in 3D. The 3D prints were retained in the second week. This week the prints are reduced.”
When inquired about the audience feedback on the 3D version, he said, “People will always have issues. It happens with Hollywood films as well. The theaters who have only one 3D screen have removed the prints.”
Filmmakers are however, undaunted by the audience reaction to 3D. Vikram Bhatt, who shot Haunted in 3D and is in the final legs of shooting his second 3D venture Dangerous Ishq, said, “It is bound to fail. Conversion of 2D into 3D takes a long time if it is done well. When it’s done in a hurry the result is bad. I have not seen RA.One or Don 2 to comment on their 3D merit, but I know that I am the only one in India who is shooting films in 3D. The audience will get smart soon enough to realise the difference between converted 3D and real 3D.”
Incidentally, Shirish Kunder who has just completed shooting for his film Joker with Akshay Kumar and Sonakshi Sinha is in the process of converting his 2D film to 3D.
When contacted, Kunder said “The most important thing is that Joker is not an after thought 3D film. We had shot the film with wide angles. There will be depth and so we will get all the right effects for 3D. Also, it is very important about who is doing it in terms of technique. Even Chronicles Of Narnia was a conversion and may be the others films you talking about are not up to the mark.”
Am v busy : hectic stuff
Just checked this out
Rotflol
Nearly fell off the chair @”protecting everyone’s honor”
Ra -one part 2
Hahaha
Well handled satyam: the attempts to gag/ tie/manipulate satyam were put to place ….
It’s satyams blog and those not happy with his able and adept moderation are welcum to keep out
Anyhow : not everyday is a holiday : needto catch up sole work
Maybe back tonight
Till then : have fun folks
Poor Weekend For Players
by Shabdita Shrivastav (January 9, 2012)
Abbas-Mustan’s film Players, which released last Friday, not only received a poor opening at the box office, it also failed to sustain during the weekend. It’s weekend collection: around Rs 16. 5 crore.
In Mumbai, Rajesh Thadani of Multimedia Combines says, “The response to the film Players has been average so far. Considering the cost of the film, its collections are not as expected. Its weekend collection in Mumbai was Rs 5.5 crore while it was 16.5 crore all-India.”
In Delhi, the film earned Rs 4.4 crore at the weekend. G D Mehta of Bobby Arts International reveals, “On Friday, it was Rs 1.1 crore, on Saturday Rs 1.3 crore and on Sunday Rs 1.6 crore.”
The poor response in West Bengal, resulted in collections of Rs 20-25 lakh only, according to Sunil Singh of Aum Movies.
In CP, Sarang Chandak of Shri Rang Films says the weekend collection of Players in that territory was Rs 32 lakh. “The film has failed to attract the audience.”
In Orissa, Jeetu Khandelwal of Pioneers Movies says, “With an average response, Players did business of Rs 6 lakh in Orrisa.”
In Gujarat, Ajay Bagbai of Rajvi Traders says, “The film has not received a good response at the ticket window. Its weekend collection in Gujarat was Rs 2 crore.”
Monday drop for Players vis-a-vis Friday is not that bad, around 55%..but the problem is that Friday collections itself was well below the mark.
Right now, the only positive for the film is that it still has 2 open weeks before Agneepath. Remains to be seen how much it eventually collects, but prospects look a bit gloomy.
Don 2’s 3rd weekend collection of 3.5 cr. is again disappointing considering it was expected to pick up in a big way over the weekend due to fairly bad WOM of Players.
Overall, a not too encouraging start to 2012..high hopes from Agneepath now , although am not a big fan of the earlier Big B version.
“Monday drop for Players vis-a-vis Friday is not that bad, around 55%..but the problem is that Friday collections itself was well below the mark. ”
agreed completely..
If the film could somehow maintain this number the rest of the week and then have another weekend like the first one there would be hope! Not likely of course. But the BOI report is as usual not honest. They’ve celebrated films for similar or worse Mondays. The point of the low start is crucial but it’s also a different one. Though again they’ve had the lowest numbers. Had 4.5 crores on day 1. If one works off the 6 crores of ETC or even the 5 crores that Nahata also had within his range you might get a higher Mon.
The ten films below had the best trending from week one to second week. Although it depends on the competition, it seems to be that a 65% fall can be regarded as a normal fall.
Players did poor business overseas as it collected around $950,000 over its first weekend. The figures from major markets is as follows.
United Kingdom – £110,000
North America – $215,000
UAE – $280,000
Australia – $45,000
Don 2 has collected around $11.25 million (INR 59 crore) till date. It is the third highest grosser ever in Overseas and is likely to finish with a total of just under $12 million.
Players is a huge downward trend as collections on Tuesday fell another 25% from Monday which is shocking as Monday itself was very low. Tuesday business was around the 1,60 crore nett mark. The film will hardly do any business after its first week which is now looking at around 21.25 crore nett. The film has grossed 18.75 crore nett in five days. The daily business from some circuits is below.
i dont know about others but to me players looked just as lame as game did. it did not excite me at all. the whole go for the gold thing was very lame. so this kind of reaction from the audience is not surprising at all. DMD on the other hand was promoted heavily during the WC and i actually looked forward to that movie big time. it’s a shame that didn’t do as well as it should have. whats next for abhishek…is it bol bachchan??
Thanks Diana
That’s a hilarious review
More entertaining than the movie lol
U know my tastes well
Lol@ MA in ‘ethical hacking’
The use of ‘body’ is dwelled upon well…
Calculating Players collections help Abbas-Mustan end fight with producers
Kunal M Shah
Posted On Friday, January 13, 2012 at 02:02:20 AM
Fallouts and patch-ups have become synonymous with the industry. But what transpired between the filmmakers of Players – director duo Abbas-Mustan and the film’s producers Viacom 18 – is rather unprecedented even by Bollywood standards.
The tiff and subsequent reconciliation between the two parties has happened within a few days. When the film failed to garner the reception the filmmakers would have liked, they reportedly began playing the blame game. While the producers claimed that Abbas-Mustan made changes to the script without their consent and thereby added to the budget of the film, the directors denied any such deviation.
However, Mumbai Mirror has learnt that ever since the collections of Players have been tabulated, the figures have helped to bond the warring filmmakers.
A source close to the film revealed that Players did in fact go over budget, but it has managed to recover most of the costs incurred. The source explained, “The film was made on a budget of Rs 70 crore, which includes prints and publicity. The theatrical rights were sold for Rs 35 crore to Ponty Chadha. T-Series bought the music of the film for Rs 3.5 crore.
The overseas territory was sold for Rs 4 crore. The digital terrestrial rights, including home video and Doordarshan, went for Rs 2 crore. The satellite rights were sold to Zee TV for approximately Rs 17 crore. After doing the math, Viacom 18 realised that the film had already recovered a major sum of the money spent. The total loss amounted to Rs 8 crore. That’s when the producers sat down with Abbas-Mustan and sorted out their differences.”
Prior to this, the source informed us that the film’s producers and directors were at odds about the introductory scene. Even though the first cut was out already, Abbas-Mustan had reportedly changed the start of the film without informing the producers about it. The source revealed, “When the film was screened for the unit, it opened with a cameo by Aftab Shivadasni. However, the version that reached the silver-screen featured Abhishek Bachchan and Bipasha Basu instead. Even the music of the film caused tension between them.”
However, now Abbas-Mustan and Viacom 18 have reportedly decided to work together again. Abbas-Mustan and Vikram Malhotra of Viacom 18 remained unavailable for comment.
Players collected a very poor 21.50 crore nett in week one. All circuits were poor across the country. The daily collections for the first week are as follows.
poor week any way you look at it. i was saying last week 30cr would be good..but this is poor. now onto agneepath…looking forward to it very much. even though i hate dharma production films..this one looks awesome.
Bodyguard, Ready, The Dirt Picture and the surprise of 2011 Murder 2 emerged the biggest hits of the year. There were 19 films which scored well at the box office over the course of 2011. Below are the major success of 2011 with there theatrical revenue (distributor share in brackets).
Salman Khan continued his box office domination in 2011 with two huge grossers in the form of Bodyguard and Ready. Shahrukh Khan also had two mega grossers with Ra.One and Don 2 and both were aided by huge numbers overseas. Ajay Devgan had the biggest solo hit of his career with Singham. Emraan Hashmi had a huge year and emerged as the second most popular young star In India after Ranbir Kapoor. Imran Khan had two solid winners with Delhi Belly and Mere Brother Ki Dulhan.
SATYAMSHOT
January 5, 2012 at 10:16 PM
‘Players’ has bigger release than ‘Don 2’ in NZ
By Taran Adarsh ,Jan 6, 2012 – 08:21 hrs IST
#
Believe it or not, but the fact is that PLAYERS has had the biggest release in New Zealand. Even bigger than DON 2. The reason being, PLAYERS has been filmed extensively in New Zealand and had garnered tremendous mileage in the process. To capitalize on the craze of the film, the distributors have released the film with 11 prints in two of the biggest cinemas chains there — Event and Hoyts. The release of PLAYERS is bigger than DON 2, which was released with 9 prints in New Zealand.
The distributor of PLAYERS, Pritesh Raniga, is expecting a huge opening in New Zealand. The movie has been targeted at non-Indian customers and mainstream media, besides the avid moviegoers there.
LikeLike
January 5, 2012 at 11:18 PM
Movie is getting average to good reviews. I don’t have any hopes now. Seems movie is just good at best. Abhishek is at such point of his career where only out of this world feedback can kick him back to race. Only decent or good attempts will not do any good for him, in fact such decent attempt can hamper him further because his telly of flops will only grow.
LikeLike
January 5, 2012 at 11:27 PM
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/wknd/wknd_article.asp?xfile=/data/wkndentertainment/2012/January/wkndentertainment_January1.xml§ion=wkndentertainment&
Interesting column with some very valid points made !
LikeLike
January 5, 2012 at 11:27 PM
Kunal Guha
http://in.movies.yahoo.com/blogs/movie-reviews/players-review-130902418.html
LikeLike
January 5, 2012 at 11:42 PM
Taran Adarsh giving low rating is understandable after his rift with Jr B during BHTB days .. even bigB has given hints of these in his blog. Amitabh has clearly written that movie is enjoyable but critics will do their anti agenda for obvious reasons.
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 12:00 AM
Satyam,
Just carrying on from the earlier discussion on Son of Sardar vs SRK/ Chopra film coming on Diwali. As a matter of fact, Akshay’s Khiladi 486 is also supposed to come on the same day. Looks like either Devgan / Akshay may have to defer the release by 2 weeks, somehow don’t see 3 big films coming on Diwali.
Disagree slightly that it will be Devgan’s film which will get hit in case Son of Sardar & SRK/ Chopra film do clash. Feel it is SRK who should be feeling jittery about the clash. His domestic box office standing has taken a beating in last 4 years…Ra.One fiasco & Don 2 failing to get even an opening in single screens is a definite cause for concern. So SRK badly needs the Chopra film to work big time & be a blockbuster at the least, considering he is coming back to his favourite romantic genre. For this, the film needs to get a huge response in single screens, and not just multiplexes as has been the case with Don 2. Last year’s Diwali was a different story altogether as Ra.One was a solo release with a massive print count both at single screen & multiplexes. In fact, Ra.One getting 20 crore plus on its 2nd day was entirely due to the humongous screen count. However, this won’t be the case at this year’s Diwali. With 2 big films on same day, collections will eat into each other’s as they will get more or less equal screen space. SRK’s film will probably get a wider multiplex release but even here it is not as if it would get 95 % of multiplex shows ( as was the case with Ra.One ). Devgan’s film would also get a substantial multiplex release & a wider single screen release.
Much would also depend on the content of the 2 films. If Devgan’s film turns out to a masala entertainer in the lines of Singham, it is bound to make substantial dent in the overall collections of SRK/Chopra film. Sitting through Chopra’s last film “Veer Zaara” was sheer torture frankly…if he is going to churn out the same kind of melodramatic love story & not offer anything fresh/inventive, then it could be trouble for the film’s fate.
So basically what we can conclude that overall collections in numbers of both films will take a hit ( as against if they were coming solo )…also to add that other biggies like Race 2 are already confirmed for end November, which would mean even more that the 2 Diwali films will hardly get the breathing space to have a long run & post big numbers.
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 3:42 AM
why not hope for good films for a change, than hoping for so n so percentage of screen space?
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 2:02 AM
http://www.boxofficeindia.com/boxnewsdetail.php?page=shownews&articleid=3893&nCat=
Don 2 (Hindi) had a solid second week of around 27.50 crore taking its two week total to 98.50 crore nett. The film had a great weekend and strong Monday but saw a drop in collections from Tuesday onwards. The drop from first week is just over 60% which is good going by Hindi film industry standards today.
North India held up the best as both Delhi/UP and East Punjab fell around 55%. In East Punjab it should cross the 10 crore nett which has only been achieved by around 4-5 films before.
The third week will see a much bigger drop due to the release of Players and it remains to be seen if it can cross the 115 crore nett mark of Ra.One (Hindi).
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 2:03 AM
http://www.boxofficeindia.com/boxnewsdetail.php?page=shownews&articleid=3892&nCat=
Players opened to collections well below the mark as the opening was around the 35-40% in its first few shows at multiplexes. Select cinemas in North India were a bit better but overall the opening is well short of what a film on the scale of Players should be getting.
The film has been released on 2000 screens and if it can pick up and have occupancies in the evening of around 60% then it can come out with a decent day one.
Single screens may open to better numbers due to the action but the non presence of a big star giving it less face value could counter act the action factor.
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 2:11 AM
So Don 2 has failed to reach the 100 cr. mark even after end of 2nd week…this despite all the chest beating & frantic efforts to make it seem it had already done so first by Tuesday, then by Wednesday, then by Thursday…..etc. !!!
Will be surprised if it even touches 105 cr now considering Players has taken over substantial screen space for coming week.
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 2:35 AM
it has sustained well overall…27cr second wk is very strong. not sure how Players will affect it…with this kind of trending i can see it ending up at around 110-115..depends how it does this friday and weekend though.
players on the other hand…will a huge screening should be Abhisheks biggest opening in years…if its anything less than 30crs first week…thats a major disappointment. id say if it does 70cr-80cr thats a huge huge step forward for abhishek.
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 2:13 AM
lol at comments here, audiece isnt even liking the film and ab going mad at twitter joke ahahah
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 2:45 AM
Wow.. looks like this one is gonna bomb as well. Seems to be getting pretty bad reviews (I guess avg at best from couple of so called critics).
Will be interesting to see what the first day opening/collections look like. AB himself said in Komal’s show that he would be happy with a 25 crore ist week. Doesnt look like he’ll be able to get it. Just NOTHING is working for AB and literally he has become such a joke.
i really really feel bad for AB. This just about seals his fate. Nail in the coffin.
-Nilam
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 3:05 AM
neil has stole the show from abhisek in players aahahaha
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 3:36 AM
Just saw Komal Nahta’s review on YouTube…. He has really slammed the movie and actually taken such potshots at just about everyone (except Johnny Lever). Why does he have an axe to grind against the Bachchans???? I assure you that he will do EVERYTHING possible to pull down collections just like he does EVERYTHING possible to inflate SRKs collections. Of course Taran will be no different.
Such shame and disgrace to journalism… A personal vendetta. I hate to read what Masand is going to say… He is another one who hates the Bachchans.
What is so sad is that these idiots actually influence the outcome of movies. Gullible public will flat out rely on them.
I agree that AB jr is no superstar but he is absolutely not as bad as these guys make him out to be. They are freakin ruining his career. Such a sad state of affairs… Down right f’ing shameful and disgusting. These guys should be banned from journalism.
I am just LIVID. AAAARRRRRGGGGHHHH
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 5:31 AM
But love the way Sr Bachchan has taken it on himself to spread some positivity on twitter to the best he can. There has to be some counter to these jokers and no better than Big B to initiate it.
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 9:58 AM
Only in India can a “film critic” commit a blatant abuse of power as much as he/she likes and stays employed.
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 3:40 AM
The few reviews I saw rated it at 3 or 3.5/5, which I thought was pretty good. But why worry about reviews? As has been shown many times, especially this year, good reviews can’t make a film a success, and bad reviews can’t make it fail. Ultimately it has to connect with the audience to succeed or not. So I don’t see why you all are so worried about what the reviews say.
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 3:48 AM
I dont think the box office collections of Players will be affected much by the reviews. Public reaction is yet to be seen.
btw didnt Race also receive mixed to negative reviews, other than the usual suspects (Taran, Komal)
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 3:54 AM
film has been rejected rofl
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 4:33 AM
Catching it tonight..reviews r decent from most so far apart from Komal and Taran who most certainly are on common negative terrain for each Abhi movie.
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 5:13 AM
I have not seen movie. I am not even sure about box-office. But one thing is sure, almost 90% don’t even want to give Abhishek a chance.
As i said before, Abhishek has to come up with exceptional movies with exceptional performance to mark a comeback. Just decent product will not help him now.
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 5:25 AM
This part is a matter of perception. As someone who has been watching Abhishek very closely over the last decade, it is without a shred of doubt, that he has the hardest job in the industry!!!!! The surname may get him entrance into the industry like it does with thousands of others (note Jacvkcky Bhagnani, Uday Chopra etc) however it’s talent and potential that stand around long-term…..
After a VERY rough patch, DMD was a sign, this again wasnt a “total” blockbuster film in say a GOLMAAL kind of way, but it was enough to reinstate some faith into Abhishek.
PLAYERS is next. Here the film in all likeliness is a pretty entertaining one and the Media knows it hence the sudden vicious negativity towards the film. It’s a winner! Even those that dislike Abhishek with a passion have grudgingly accepted that the film itself is a very entertaining one and WOM should spread.
However certain sects of the media are hell bent on already flopping this film. Then comes BOL BACHCHAN where the title again is loud and clear but the spin will be it’s a Ajay Devgan film…though again, if DMD did 35-40, PLAYERS does 40-60, BOL BACHCHAN hits the 100-120…..it’s the build-up as well as the commercial line-up as well as narrative that makes people so uneasy with Abhishek.
There will come a point where even the public will realize that the media commentary and public sentiment towards Abhishek aren’t in sync…
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 5:39 AM
And that 40-60 is worse case scenario….I still think PLAYERS may wind up higher than rexpected if WOM remains at what it’s been so far….it’s got 3 weeks till AGNEEPATH!
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 8:21 PM
I am now convinced that Players will not even reach 40 Cr.
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 5:29 AM
I sincerely believe that Abhisheks bad luck will continue overall from a narrative point of view for some time simply because he poses not only a change in the paradigm, but there are certain people who see a direct ideological threat in Abhishek reaching the throne
His BO fortune will start changing across the next decade. Again, i see him as a lambi race ka ghoda whose finer years won’t be until a lot later, however till then he needs a string of successes set the record straight.
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 5:31 AM
On that note, there are 3 actors I fully endorse and support in todays scenario…..Aamir, Ajay and Abhishek (and Akshay if he does some damage with RR)
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 6:45 AM
And All ” A’s”… 😀
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 5:35 AM
Positive one from TOI: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/movie-reviews/hindi/Players/movie-review/11375842.cms
Another good one here: http://entertainment.oneindia.in/bollywood/reviews/2012/players-movie-review-060112.html
And another: http://daily.bhaskar.com/article/ENT-movie-review-players-2717925.html?HFB=
NDTV: http://movies.ndtv.com/movie_review.aspx?id=682
Zee: http://zeenews.india.com/entertainment/movies/review-players-is-a-slick-fast-paced-thriller_103390.htm
WOM on most blogs I follow is above average, though some who are slamming it are with a vicious intention.
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 8:25 PM
Those that slam Plaerys have evil intention but those still slamming Don 2 (even after it has done almost 200 Cr worldwide) are saints spreading the gospel. LOL
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 5:36 AM
yes abhisek will do a product like TZP
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 5:37 AM
Abhishek is self responsible for what he is getting. see .. he is not exceptional artiste .. He is not even consistent. Some time he come up with really good, some time really bad. What he need to do is :
1. Work on his weak areas .. Like dance. In case if he can’t improve the skills, never attempt in front of camera.
2. He should do lesser movies. And whatever he sign, always be sure to come out with exceptional performance.
3. He should involve himself in every aspect of movie, be it script, music, direction, editing or background score.
4. Finally he should make sure that nothing ordinary should be attempted. be it performance or over all movie, both should be exceptional.
This is only way i can see Abhishek can make comeback.
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 6:45 AM
Abhishek is very good actor compared to other actors in the industry.But he failed to select correct movie on box office point of view.I didnt understand why he is still doing unnecessary multi starers.He should movies do like singam etc He should either opt for south remakes or his dad movies .He need to select guarantee hit movies right now.All other actor s are not fools including Salman,SRk,hrithik,ajay and Akshay are doing south remakes or sr bachchan classic.After players what next ? Bol bachcan is good choice then why is doing chakravuh again a multi starer ? Still he didn’t understand importance first three days of the box office collections
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 7:17 AM
Distributors On Players Opening
by Shabdita Shrivastav (January 6, 2012)
The first Friday of the New Year has brought Abbas-Mustan’s Players. But the much anticipated film, with an ensemble cast and high commercial value, failed to capture the tradewallahs’ imagination. Though there was sufficient buzz around the film, box office counters across India weren’t exactly ringing.
In Mumbai, Rajesh Thadani of Multimedia Combines says, “The opening of Players was 25 to 30 per cent. However reports of the film are positive and we are expecting it to pick up in the evening. The weekend could end on a positive note.”
In Gujarat, Ajay Bagbai of Rajvi Trade Link says the response to Players was “average”. “The opening of the film was around 30 per cent. Though it has taken a slow start, the film might improve during later shows.”
‘Disappointing’, says G D Mehta of Bobby Arts International in the Delhi-UP region. “The film’s opening was below expectations and the all-India response is less than 50 per cent.”
It was the same story in East Punjab, where Jaspal Dhingra of Big Pictures says the film took an opening of 30 per cent. “A slow start and not a good response. The film is a disappointment. However, it is expected to do good business over the weekend.”
In CP, Sarang Chandak of Shri Rang Films says the response to the morning shows of Players was very weak. “It was about 30 per cent. But it’s too early to comment on the film’s business. The evening shows might improve.”
Ditto in Nizam, where Ravi Machchar of Sahy of Films dubs the response as “lukewarm”. “The opening shows had only 40-per cent occupancy,” says Machchar.
And, finally, in Orissa, Jeetu Khandelwal of Movie Pioneers says, “In spite of being a commercial film, Players has not been greeted as expected. Since the cast is huge, the film will do business over the weekend. The opening it has received is about 70 per cent in our region.”
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 7:23 AM
B.O. update: ‘Players’ has lackluster start
By Taran Adarsh, January 6, 2012 – 16:33 IST
Players The year 2012 has commenced on an unexciting note! The first release of the year, the expensive PLAYERS, shocked the industry with a lackluster opening of 20% to 30% in its opening and noon shows. At several screens, the opening response was as low as 15%, which must have come as a rude shock to its principal distributors who had acquired the India theatrical rights for an exorbitant price.
The general feeling, prior to its release, was PLAYERS would embark on a decent/strong start thanks to the superb promotion by Viacom18 and also Abbas-Mustan’s goodwill [their last release RACE was a major success]. Besides, action films, generally, open very well in India, especially in the mass belt/single screens. But PLAYERS seems to have proved this theory wrong.
PLAYERS will have to show a turnaround in business by Friday evening, besides showing a big jump in collections on Saturday and Sunday, if it has to post respectable numbers in its opening weekend.
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 7:29 AM
By “opening” people mean the first show of the day, right, typically around 10am? Now my question is, do they really expect “full” openings at that time of day? I mean, who has time to go to the movies at 10 am? The audience who has spare time available at that hour of the day is not much. (Of course I know about Rajnikanth’s movies selling out for the 6am shows, but that is Rajni, and only happens once in three years or so. 🙂 ) So I always wonder about this whenever I read about some film which had a “disappointing” opening because it’s below 100%, or even below 80%. It seems to me to be an unattainable goal.
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 7:40 AM
that never happens SM.. and this is the usual way they do it when they want to go after a film.. on the other hand when they want to be positive they go to the other extreme.. for example they said ZNMD was outstanding at multiplexes and opened at 60-70-80% in the morning and noon shows and was even better in the evening. But guess what? This film did about 7.3 crores on day 1 according to the same folks and it was well behind the Rockstar opening. If the film was doing that sort of opening on average even without any single screen participation it would twice that number at the very least. Rockstar itself was not fantastic in multiplexes across the board. Even the films that make 15-20 crores in one day are nowhere close to maintaining a 70-80% average occupancy for the day because were that number true these films would be doing closer to 30 crores!
Getting back to Players the same folks who said it wouldn’t get a good opening and would depend on WOM and what not are suddenly pretending to be so surprised that morning shows aren’t strong! BOI has it as 35-40% with North Indian theaters a bit better in morning shows. I believe that’s a good showing. Taran and Nahata have it lower at 20-30% but since BOI are no friends of Abhishek I very much doubt they’re inflating numbers!
Don’t see a problem on the review front so far. Most seem to be positive. Yes Nahata has gone after it viciously. Taran often does the good cop to his bad cop and this is no exception. They had these sorts of reviews and box office rating for even something like BnB. So I’m not surprised.
at the moment I see no problem at all. If reviews were to turn all negative that would be a different story.
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 8:00 AM
Blaming trade guys is no use right now . Abhishek need 100 crore grosser and then these trade guys will shut their mouth automatically. Because these type of films wont open big on first week and completely depend on WOM. I never expected movies like Game,DMD and players will open big numbers in first week.
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 8:05 AM
The point here is that even if it’s a 100 crore grosser these guys won’t accept it until they’re absolutely forced to. I just said the other day for SRK to get 100 crores he just needed to get 90 or even less, for Abhishek to get the same he needs 100-110 crores. The difference in each case is the trade reception and narrative.
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 8:32 PM
Satyam
If by some miracle Abhishek get’s 90 Cr, it will be accepted as 150. These days it is a mystery how/why Abhishek even gets signed for any role/any movie. Hence even a 90Cr will be a devine act.
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 8:01 AM
From BnB down to the present any film, any budget, anywhere. whether it’s BnB or BM, Guru or Paa, just anything, the box office reports are identical and the reviews are often the same from these sources. Not a general media problem but a trade problem. Now the one film that bucks this entire trend is Dostana! Guess why?! Similarly no one had a problem calling D2 because of course here they argued it was only about Hrithik. So leaving aside that sort of situation the rest if always the same. Which is why they won’t have an issue with Bol Bachchan. They’ll say it’s only about Devgan! The game is always to suggest that hit or flop Abhishek isn’t getting the initial. when the film flops no one cares what the details are even if I’ve pointed out in the past that for films like D6 or Raavan or JBJ the films couldn’t have got to those final totals without good or better openings (and we know what happens when the openings are truly terrible — Game or KhJJS.. or when they’re barely decent or better.. DMD..). when the film is a hit it’s again the same old routine, not accepting opening day, having lower numbers for a good day or weekend, when they’re forced to revise their verdicts they give the least possible credit to the film, on and on. Nothing has changed in all these years. Nothing at all.
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 8:02 AM
ZNMD was just on 900 screens compared to 2000 screens of Players and Rockstar .
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 8:13 AM
that doesn’t matter.. here’s the thing people don’t understand about screen count.. something like ZNMD is heavily concentrated in multiplexes for that lower screen count. In other words people don’t expect much from single screens and they don’t have many screens on this score but the multiplexes run as many shows as they would for a 2000-3000 screen film. Or the difference isn’t as great as the number would suggest. To put in another way still ZNMD could have easily done 20-25 crores in one day on its screen count. Much as the Bodyguard kind of film could easily do 30-35 crores or even more. If you had a 3000 screen film playing at capacity or even the 80-90% the trade guys pretend it is you would get 200 crores in a week very easily. The market has that capacity. Now one might say that’s an ‘ideal’ and no film every reaches that kind of capacity anywhere in the world. Absolutely right. except that this is precisely what these trade guys suggest when they say that films open at 70-90% or even full shows for certain films in the morning and afternoon and are then at completely full capacity in the evening.
But again whatever the screen count the question is where the prints are concentrated and what kind of gross is possible relative to these? I can assure you Rockstar wasn’t opening bigger than ZNMD because of extra screens! First of all I find it very hard to believe that there was an 1100 difference on the count between those even if this has been suggested but that’s another matter.
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 7:40 AM
satyam m still amused with ur “expectations” from this one..90 crores right?… it woulld do good to cross 50!
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 8:40 AM
I never change my bets at the last minute. I stand by what I said. If I’m wrong it wouldn’t be the first time!
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 1:26 PM
haha..i like the way u use ur words satyam..!
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 7:23 AM
every dist saying film not upto the mark and wom is neither good
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 7:24 AM
Players Opening Show Figures Jaipur And Indore
Friday 6th January 2011 12.30 IST
Boxofficeindia.Com Trade Network
Players took a poor opening in its first shows at multiplexes in Jaipur and Indore. The opening at multiplexes on all India level is in a similar range. Below are the opening figures of some cinemas.
Jaipur
EP – 21,000/48,500 43%
Inox Crystal Palm – 17,000/44,000 39%
Inox Pink Sq. – 9,000/28,000 32%
Indore
Velocity – 140/568 (audience) 25%
Inox Central – 70/325 (audience) 22%
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 7:46 AM
IBN LIve tweet review:
http://ibnlive.in.com/news/tweet-review-players-first-day-first-show/218239-8-66.html
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 8:01 AM
saw players .lIked it a lot …
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 8:25 AM
Fadnavis has a Don2 like review for players!
http://mihirfadnavis.blogspot.com/2012/01/players-review.html
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 8:25 AM
jiteshpillaai Jitesh Pillaai
The reviews of players will be out tomorrow. But my most fave moment was the breath-taking train robbery sequence. Stylish and fab edited
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 8:38 AM
jiteshpillaai Jitesh Pillaai
Make some noise for @juniorbachchan. He’s quite the player in his latest full of thrills, hi octane entertainer. Paisa vasool:)
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 8:26 AM
Anupama Chopra and Namrata Joshi are both negative on it.
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 8:28 AM
V1SH4L VISHAL DADLANI
“Players” is a full-on entertainer! Ppl lovin’ it! Congrats @juniorbachchan, @sonamakapoor, Bipasha, Bobby, Neil, Sikander and Abbas Mustan!
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 8:30 AM
5hekhar shekhar ravjiani
Go AB!! This ones gonna be a massive hit. “@juniorbachchan: See you at the movies #Players #Go4Gold !!”
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 8:29 AM
Players will be helped by the big release and WOM has to be positive.
Am hopeful for 70 crores here.
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 8:39 AM
Verdict: Average
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/bollywood/news-interviews/Players-Movie-Review/articleshow/11388042.cms
Rediff Rating: 2/5
http://www.rediff.com/movies/review/review-players-is-lacklustre-and-unimaginative/20120106.htm
Review: Players is a laugh riot
http://www.dnaindia.com/entertainment/report_review-players-is-a-laugh-riot_1634221
Rating: 1 star out of 5
http://www.apunkachoice.com/content/article/sid100007695-players_movie_review/
Abbas-Mustan’s Players is high on style, low on content, and slow in execution. As if this was not enough, according to critics, lead ‘players’ have spoken their dialogues in a flat manner and with much the same expressions throughout the drama.
http://www.hindustantimes.com/Entertainment/Bollywood/Critics-Verdict-Weak-Players-spoil-the-game/Article1-792048.aspx
Namrata Joshi
Players what a game!
http://blogs.outlookindia.com/default.aspx?ddm=10&pid=2697&eid=34
http://www.bollywoodlife.com/news-gossip/players-movie-review-all-set-to-lose-the-game/
“Players” is a synthetically made formula thriller. It does not touch you emotionally. But a good watch nonetheless.
http://www.deccanherald.com/content/217112/players-synthetic-thriller.html
The rating is purely for the thrills!
Rating : 2.5/5
http://www.glamsham.com/movies/reviews/06-players-review-movie-review-011201.asp
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 9:59 AM
Some of these reviews are hilariously stupid in talking about the lack of realism in the plot. Where was the realism in Don 2, Ready, Bodyguard, Singham or any of the other crappy movies? They don’t dare tear apart the movies of big stars (well except Akshay) but for a cast of losers it is open season.
Where is the consistency in how movies are reviewed?
LikeLike
January 7, 2012 at 11:04 PM
But when did these reviewers gave good reviews to Ready/bodyguard/Don2?
LikeLike
January 7, 2012 at 11:06 PM
From the rediff review
“Bobby Deol is the guy you relate too. He wears a pained expression throughout. It’s the same look you walk out with at the end of this film.”
ROFL…classic stuff
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 9:04 AM
The dog’s tail, even if buried for twelve years, will remain as crooked as ever and still Abhi was trying to straiten Komal’s by appearing on his show- a completely useless and objectionable exercise as Satyam noted long ago.
I also wonder why Satyam gives space to views of Komal and likes of him here. It just clogs the space and spread mindless negativity.
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 9:08 AM
I just try to represent everything out there because it’s part of the structure here whether one likes it or not.
On the reviews I think most are comparing it to the Hollywood originals and finding it lacking whereas with something like Race most weren’t even aware there was an original. The tweet reactions still seem positive with even some industry types like Arjun Rampal and VS coming and more or less suggesting it’s a success. This wasn’t happening with his flops. So let’s see how it goes. I suspect there will be a divergence here between the critics and the audience.
But getting back to the older point I like everything to be available. Now for example Power here is on a tear posting the negative reviews, she was absent when things were positive or she wasn’t posting a single negative review of Don2 when there were as many. These things happen. But the stuff’s out there. The negative reviews cut both ways. Can affect multiplex attendance and yet the core audience never makes up its mind based on this stuff. In fact I’ve heard from many people who follow the reviews that everyone takes money anyway. So it’s a cynical view of things. Let’s see how it goes with this one. Don’t sense a problem at the moment. But of course the day 1 number should give us a sense of where things are going. With the social media as potent as it is today the WOM one way or the other spreads out much faster than the reviews.
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 9:16 AM
whats up with nikhat …
4 and half stars for don 2 and again to much positive on players…reviewers shouldn’t go by box office perception
thing with players is since expectations are so low and it will work in its favour..
another multiplex affair mostly
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 9:18 AM
it’s 4 not 4.5. But here’s a comment from yesterday:
“Kazmi’s ratings tend to be unpredictable though. She gives this 3.5 stars. Also gave the same to Ra One and Raavan, DMD, Ghajini and I think Desi Boyz. Then she gave 4 stars to Don 2 and Dostana & DB & TZP. Gave 3 to D6. Her ratings seem to be on the kind side in this sense but what I like about her is that she doesn’t have a bias toward or against one kind of cinema. She gave Dev d & 3I 5 stars incidentally. It’s hard to go through her complete list but many of the ratings jump out.”
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 9:25 AM
Have always liked Abbas Mustan movies…they always come up with the goods…however I think the elephant in the room here is Abhishek.
Whatever he touches…is ruined.
Imo he’s not a bad actor. His Guru & Yuva were superb. I just feel if he wants to be taken seriously or continue as an actor he needs to go down the Jimmy Shergill route.
Jimmy tried the big movies but they didn’t work so now he’s been doing character roles in smaller but good quality movies. And his work is being appreciated.
If he continues the way he is now…he will be another Randhir Kapoor.
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 12:48 PM
jimmi is a much much better actor than abhi……jimmi is purely unlucky although his SBAG has got him few goodn assignments. Randhir kapoor comparison is good
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 9:20 AM
Kanpur Opening PLAYERS v Force v Mausam
Friday 6th January 2011 16.00 IST
Boxofficeindia.Com Trade Network
Players took a poor opening in Kanpu. Below are the first show comparisons with Force and Mausam in Kanpur.
Big Rave
Players – 5,600
Force- 12,900
Mausam – 10,200
Rave Moti
Players -8,300
Force – 13,600
Mausam – 13,000
Cinemax
Players – 5,000
Force – 12,500
Mausam – 12,200
Inox
Players – 5,600
Force – 13.200
Mausam -8,800
Heer
Mausam – 15,030
Gurdev
Players – 8,930
Mausam – 19,238
Shyam
Players – 5,556
Manjushree
Players -9,729
Force – 14,650
Mausam – 9,138
Pammi
Force – 8,062
TOTALS
Players – 48,715
Force – 74,912
Mausam – 87,606
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 9:30 AM
why so much silence on first day numbers emphasis suddenly is on first show
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 9:38 AM
actually BOI have been by their historic standards on Abhishek much more restrained on this film.
also think the viewers are really objecting to the ‘masala-ization’ of the Italian Job. Not to say they wouldn’t necessarily be negative otherwise (there were as many negative reviews on Don2) but the reasons for the negativity are different in different instances.
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 9:38 AM
Players Took a Very Bad Opening at the Box Office Today. The Film Was poor all over India And Terrible in Mass Centers.
The Average Occupancy was not more than 40% Anywhere. The Morning Shows Were bad and could not pick up in the evening.
The Early Estimate for First Day Collection is 2.25-2.5 cr or May Be Lesser. This is Bad Opening for a film with such a release. The Film Is Very Less Likely to Put up Decent Collections at the Box Office.
http://boxofficereport.net/players-first-day-collections-early-estimate/
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 9:42 AM
don’t know why you keep quoting this hatchet job of a blog that’s clearly run by a SRK fanatic. The fact is that even at 40% occupancy for the day the film could hardly do half of what DMD did on day 1. This proposition is so ridiculous that it takes the craziest agenda to even advance it. BOI themselves have predicted a 6 crore number here. I think it will be higher than that.
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 9:47 AM
players first day first show
http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/more/videos/view/showing/first-day-first-show/sort/What%27s%20New/id/1400170
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 9:48 AM
numbers are lower then force? how can first day be 6cr????? didnt u see kanpur numbers
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 9:53 AM
The day is not done yet. Secondly that’s one center. Not sure what it means. Doubt BOI will ever pick the center where Players is stronger than whatever competition they’re using. It’s completely arbitrary. I can make any film seem like a hit or flop with these sorts of selections!
And that first day prediction wasn’t made by me but by BOI yesterday based on what they called poor advance though it’s not a report you quoted.
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 11:21 AM
Example of selected reporting ….
Top 5 of 2011 @CineParkValsad (1) #Singham-2118280 (2) #Ready-1775990 (3) #Bodyguard-1650680 (4) #Ra.One-1321210 (5) #Murder 2-727220
https://twitter.com/#!/soulucky
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 9:55 AM
satyam did u see that video??? FDFS wom u can see it urself
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 9:57 AM
Power, didn’t notice anything unusual there. Did you? Most seemed to be positive. You should watch the video again and do a head count! In the meantime relax a little bit. The fate of Players isn’t going to be decided in the morning shows and these early reports which are always negative for Abhishek. If I were you I’d be more concerned about the fact that BOI are far more tentative on Players than they are for other Abhishek films.
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 9:58 AM
If the blog is run by a srk fanatic,why would they reduce the nos of juniorb’s movie?Is juniorb any competition to srk?Why such lame excuses?
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 9:59 AM
I’ve seen some of the reports posted here from that blog.. anyway I’m not about to clog up ‘this’ blog with such a discussion. let this one rest. Apologies if one of you or Power is running the blog and I’ve caused offense!
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 10:00 AM
lol that is positive satyam? see it again satyam
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 10:07 AM
Power, let’s agree to disagree. By the way I don’t want the blog clogged with a 100 responses that either repeat the same thing again and again.. just deleted your other comment about the 100 crores. Earlier I had to take care of all the reviews you posted and put them in one response with just the links otherwise these would have buried the entire forum. Now I know you’re pushing a message and that’s fine but it will have to be done with some sense of restraint. Whether it’s positive or negative the forum can’t be buried under an avalanche of some stuff. Just like the other day you had all those negative tweets. There have been tons of positive tweets on Players which haven’t been posted here unless these are by someone relatively important. A few are ok. So one needs to have a sense of proportion about these things. Quote all the BOI reports or what have you by all means but don’t come here with the explicit intention of burying everything else with a certain kind of piece and so on.
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 10:09 AM
satyam i have a request , will u follow u, be honest and post all the negative reviews urself, since all u have posted till now in this thread is positive. Be Honest
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 10:12 AM
all your negative reviews have been posted.. not sure what you’re talking about.. about the tweets I have posted those are from industry folks.. I could bury this forum with positive tweets by others but haven’t done that. By the way some of the positive reviews yesterday were also not posted by me. I typically put up a few for each film but I never aim for comprehensiveness.
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 10:11 AM
Satyam…Now you can understand the value of a movie that crosses 100cr at boxoffice.Here you are fighting to justify that juniorb’s movie has collected 6cr in its first day which seems to be like crossing mount everest for you at the moment.In couple of days you ll fight for its 50cr life time and if you remember when Don2 crossed near about 50cr in its first week,you were criticising those figures. who is bigger fanatic than you?
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 10:16 AM
actually I wasn’t agreeing with the 6 crore figure at all. I was suggesting that this too was a BOI number which Power had conveniently overlooked when quoting that 2 crore number from the blog. Hope you don’t run it. You seem quite offended! Ha!
Anyway I’ll repeat the same thing to you that I said to power. I don’t want the forum to be about this sort of back and forth. So let’s quite this kind of conversation.
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 10:21 AM
Tutejajoginder Joginder Tuteja
@
@bipsluvurself Players **** Fab action stuff and may I add, better than Italian Job. Grand scale, good twists, cool acts Review online soon
Tutejajoginder Joginder Tuteja
@
As long as people want to be plain entertained they are bound to like it 🙂 And I don’t see why Players shouldn’t entertain
hope all those who loved Joginder on the SRK stuff will find him equally credible here!
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 10:37 AM
Players has got very positive responses from aam janta. The negativism are coming from fanatics and pseudo intelligent reviewers. Hope the WOM improves the collection and provide a good first weekend.
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 10:34 AM
Satyam…I am never against players or juniorb and i want this film to succeed.I ll never act like you.
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 10:39 AM
Just came back from movie. Movie is Good, no two opinion on it. Movie has enough thrills, twists and action to keep audience glue on screen all the time. More over, i don’t see any difference between first and second half. Both are equally good. Movie is wholesome entertainer. Performances are decent and restrained, not over the top for even a moment, Neil and Abhishek justify their roles. Bips and Sonam were good also. Total paisa Vasool. 4/5 by me.
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 10:41 AM
good to hear this from you as I know you weren’t expecting much from the movie.
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 10:43 AM
All critics who are harsh and trashing this movie should sent to JAIL .. and shot dead immediately. Is Taran and Komal were smoking by giving 1 and 2 stars and writing such harsh words ? This is definitely their personal agenda .. otherwise how one can on this earth can trash this entertaining movie ?
There were around 100 people in my show, and i can sense that every one was enjoying it from start to finish.
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 10:50 AM
“All critics who are harsh and trashing this movie should sent to JAIL .. and shot dead immediately.”
Relax man, take it easy!
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 11:17 AM
Well, As much as i am saying that Players is very good entertainer … i must continue on some serious stuff about Abhishek bachchan.
He should refrain himself from restrained performances. he is already getting accusations of laid back performances, he need to come up with performances which are anther backed and need to come up with exceptional performer with those roles, just like Guru.
Players is good movie, but Abhishek should take care of his role, dialogues and footage. And more over, charisma .. he need to work out on how he can bring charisma in his presence and acting.
Guru was one such charismatic performance .. he needs to churn out more.
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 11:28 AM
these views whether one agrees with them or not make your overall impressions of the film that much more credible. Because you’re not just speaking as a fan. And I’m always looking for fans who can maintain a degree of objectivity. Because otherwise there are very many who praise all films of their favorite stars.
I’m just seeing very positive tweets on the film for the most part. Someone from Malaysia said most shows are getting sold out there over the next two days. A guy from Ghaziabad suggested a very good response. Once again think there’s a wide divergence here between the critics and the audience.
Of course the Italian Job comparisons are part of the terrain. Because when you do an official remake (or even an unofficial one for that matter) the comparison is par for the course and justified. It’s a different thing if one is objecting to the masala. Having said that I doubt most people have seen the original Italian Job or even heard of it! It’s a very different film tonally from the remake and if it were exactly replicated it would get bad reviews and would assuredly flop. It’s a very tongue-in-cheek kind of attempt. Do think it’s the stronger film of course. In the public review the Sikh guy refers to it and says there’s more closure in the Hindi version as they left the bus dangling on the precipice in the ’69 film. But that’s really part of the charm there. The remake is perfectly enjoyable too but more of a high octane ride.
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 11:32 AM
agree, his dialogues in player trial put me off. If you acting in a fast paced thriller, restrained performance doesn’t work in India.
To me, it is not a surprise. Abhishek doesn’t fit for this type of roles. For the last years, he has not been moulding himself to suit the Indian audience. What is the point of working hard without any improved results?
Bol Bachchan is HIS film. he will come back!!!
Dhoom3 has kept postponing….
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 12:17 PM
Ironically I think he is very much in a Hollywood mold on that score. or rather there are two Hollywood types. The over the top comic kind usually played by black characters or somewhat more sober like Bruce Willis or Vin Diesel but who nonetheless represent a certain working class posturing and toughness. But there are many others who are quite restrained. What about Wahlberg in the remake?! what about Damon in some of his Bourne outings. What about even Tom Cruise in MI4? Now Cruise often has a Hrithik-like earnestness but he’s nonetheless restrained. In fact often the whole point in these thrillers is to have the laid-back guy who’s nonetheless in control. In terms of the Indian audience I think 90% of the time audience likes an actor when it likes the film and vice versa. Sometimes the actor is liked when the film isn’t or not liked when the film is. But usually that doesn’t happen. Because audiences enjoy a film or not overall and like actors or not accordingly.
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 12:43 PM
D3 – all credit will go to one man here – a a m i r k h a n 🙂 probably the only movie after talaash which will surpass the b.o. expectations.
abhi will get a boost from D3 only to the extent that he will get more multi-starrers.
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 12:55 PM
If Players and Bol Bachchan both work he’ll get credit for D3. If Players doesn’t work but Bol Bachchan does and he gets all the credit then too he’ll be ok. But really Players needs to work because otherwise the ‘multistarrer’ narrative won’t be easy to dislodge. Of course Aamir is a different cup of tea anyway. When you get 100 or 200 crores on your own it’s hard for another star to get much credit. But it will be here much more about the audience/reviewers feeling that he’s made a real impact.
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 1:02 PM
idea,
Where was Amir before Lagaan? My friends and myself knew him as short guy with Rangeela and few other noticeables. He was never a star like SRk or SK.
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 1:16 PM
satyam – i want players work and beat Don2 man – not just for abhi but i want srk’s shit-films like d2 to beaten badly….
ted – where was aamir before lagaan??? “ha ha ha ha”….thats the best answer i cud come up with….
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 1:18 PM
ted – aamir still isn’t a star like SRk or SK – he is the “super-actor-star” 🙂
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 1:22 PM
idea,
Can you come up with answer? He has got sudden intelligence from year 2000. I want to add something regarding that…. but restraining.
By the way, I agree I can feel from movies, Kiran is a smart lady.
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 2:31 PM
Where was Amir before ‘Lagaan’?
Here; 😉
http://memsaabstory.wordpress.com/2012/01/05/mini-review-tum-mere-ho-1990/
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 3:23 PM
oldgold,
I am not intentionally bringing down Amir. I am reminding his past to the people who were thinking him as God.
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 3:54 PM
Ted, actually satyam has often analyzed aamir’s career before/after lagaan if i’m not mistaken and he has done it wonderfully. Still… before lagaan – his notable (B.O. Hits) films were
1). QSQT
2). Dil he ke maanta nahin
3). Jo jeeta wohi sikandar
4). Andaz apna apna (didn’t work at the b.o. but later became a cult classic)
5). Akele hum akele tum
6). Raja Hindustani
7). Ishq
8). Ghulam
9). Earth
10). Sarfarosh
so it is not that before lagaan – he was a nobody – also he himself has said that after QSQT, he signed films left and right and which was a wrong decison – and no one thinks of him (at-least I dont) as a God – but after lagaan, he is going higher and higher with each film and his sucess rate is nearly 100% post lagaan.
If u see SRK before 2000 – he had darr, baazigar, ddlj, koyla, dtph, yes boss, pardes, kkhh, dil se – 9 b.o. hits
sallu before 2000 – mpk, saajan, karan arjun, judwaa, auzaar, pktdk, biwi no. 1, hddcs, hssh(multi-starrer), hello brother – 11 hits
so all 3 were neck-to-neck….it is only post-lagaan – aamir has gone notches above the other 2
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 4:00 PM
one more aamir hit before 2000 is hum hei raahi pyar ke – which was absolutely wonderful film imo
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 4:15 PM
idea,
That list doesn’t make any difference to my opinion. He just survived because of them, but mostly overshadowed by other stars. Even now, people go to his movies for quality.
You compare Abhishek to Randhir and in other message you want him to see doing well. Let us leave double standards.
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 4:27 PM
ted, i didn’t write to change ur opinion – u keep ur opinion as it doesn’t change aamir’s present position in any way
what double standards? if wanting anyone to do well is double standards – u are going in a different direction – what u r saying is that if i criticize someone, i have no right to wish him well! ha…
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 5:38 PM
Whatever he was, he was in much better state than Abhishek! Yes he didn’t have many big hits, but there’s no denying he had become a phenomenon post QSQT (it released during Ramzan), got a National Award for Raakh, did have Dil which became biggest hit of the year (1990 – btw, he & Madhuri were chosen through an audience poll. So he must’ve had some connect with audience which is why they voted for him to be cast with Madhuri!). He did have Raja Hindustani which was ATBB (not a multi-starrer!). Rangeela was also a big hit. Whereas AAA, JJWS got sort of cult status. HHRPK, DHKMN weren’t huge hits, but were not some flops either, succeeded in urban areas. Ishq & Ghulam did well (with a song frm Ghulam being a nationwide sensation – without any hype or PR). Sarfarosh also managed an above average tag (serious film, controversial subject, released during World Cup – still did ok at BO and was highly acclaimed – actually acclaimed, not PR or hype).
His only release in 2000 was Mela (a trashy film in all respects – he signed it only for his brother!), but it did get a good opening (!) [as mentioned on BOI] and made more money than other stars’ flops like Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani, Fiza, Chal Mere Bhai!
Aamir was definitely not in the position which he has had since 2001 till now, but it was not like he was ”nowhere” in 90s. His family had been suffering a financial crisis because of his father’s films being stuck for years. So he immediately signed lots of films early in his career, just so he could make money quickly and get his family out of the crisis which they’d been suffering for years. In his hurry, he made really bad choices which hurt his career. The ghost of those crap films kept affecting his reputation till 1995. It was his bad luck that potential hits like AAA got poor release, while films like Time Machine, Rishta etc. got shelved. Later he decided to adopt this 1 film a year rule. But he ended up signing Indra Kumar’s silly films like Ishq and Mann purely out of loyalty (because his Dil had brought him back in reckoning in 1990). He himself admits he never argued with Indra Kumar, and could never say No to him. (He had to reject 1942 A Love Story, simply because he’d already committed his dates to some Indra Kumar film!)
It was only later that he decided to do things his own way. Yes he was not much of a BO force in 90s, but he had his own niche & his share of popularity – its a fact that his costumes, accessories from films like DHKMN, Ghulam & Rangeela were really popular among people and his movies like HHRPK/JJWS/AAA/DHKMN did very well on TV & home video circuit. He did win quite a few polls as best actor of Bollywood back then, including a nationwide poll by Outlook magazine. [A non-entity can’t get such response!]
He wasn’t God then, but wasn’t ”non-existent” either. And yeah, he does enjoy complete (even blind!) faith of audience now – it’s a FACT, which can’t be denied no matter how much you keep harping about his lack of success in 90s! 😀
[P.S. – He’d even banned media, awards, a popular female co-star, didn’t have any megastar daddy trying to spread positivity for his films in that period. Still he survived – is entirely his own achievement!]
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 6:00 PM
@Ted
Aamir didn’t get ”suddenly intelligent” post 2000. He simply stopped doing movies out of loyalty (as those Indra Kumar/Bhatt films). It was after Mann that he decided to take matters in his own hands and do things his own way!
And today, he’s being called intelligent only because those films got respect and succeeded commercially also. Otherwise, he was made a laughing stock in media & industry when he chose Lagaan and Dil Chahta Hai!
Finally, Salman-SRK worked with big filmmakers like Chopras, David Dhawan or Barjatyas, Aamir is the one who’s worked with most number of newbie directors!
No need to remind Aamir supporters of his past. His past makes his present achievement even more commendable and amazing.
@Others – Sorry for kind of deviating from the topic through this Aamir discussion. No more comments (at least from me!) on this. Please carry on with the original topic of discussion.
[Trashing Aamir isn’t going to help Mr. Abhishek’s cause! Jitna chahe lagey raho! 😀 Dhoom 3 is most awaited only due to Aamir-Katrina not anyone else! ]
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 6:04 PM
Prateek,
I’ve been following Indian movies since 90s. We don’t need to reiterate who was famous at that time. My only complaint is treating as God.
Regarding banning the awards, it doesn’t matter much at that time due to less media interaction compared to now.
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 7:10 PM
@Ted
I know who was more famous back in 90s. Did I or any Aamir supporter ever say that he was more famous in 90s?
Not just about banning awards. I told you he did ban media and was least visible star.
Treating as God thing (if anyone’s doing it) is only as of current scenario. Otherwise no one is ”God”. Who knew Salman Khan would come back in such a big way as he has in last 1 year or so?
And I don’t think anyone is wrong to say that credit for D3’s success would go to Aamir. Idea only said that, he didn’t say Aamir is ”God”.
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 10:59 AM
@Jeevan…I think it is better to wait for its weekend collections and the picture ll be clear by that time.Amway these critics ll never change and should never be taken seriously.
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 11:19 AM
Public review:
http://www.indiaglitz.com/channels/hindi/events/31733.html
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 11:21 AM
note how this is the same theater as the Indiafm video.. it’s just longer and interviews more people.
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 12:04 PM
Mumbai: A Bollywood remake of F Gary Gray’s heist film – ‘The Italian Job’ (2003), Abbas Mustan’s ‘Players’ is a slick, fast paced and racy thriller.
Ratings: Three cheers for this
http://zeenews.india.com/entertainment/movies/review-players-is-a-slick-fast-paced-thriller_103390.htm
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 12:16 PM
There’s an uncomfortable truth about Abbas-Mustan’s latest film Players that few critics will admit to – it’s not all bad! This fast-paced khichdi of two previous Italian Job movies and the director duo’s own last film Race has so much going on all at once that you’re left with little time to dwell on the gaping plot holes, the laughable dialogue, and the wooden performances.The story’s centered on a team of thieves, led by Abhishek Bachchan’s character Charlie, who successfully steal a gold consignment traveling from Russia to Romania, but are double-crossed by one of their own who makes off with the loot. As hard as it is to take seriously, the team is assembled by a retired master criminal (Vinod Khanna) who helps Charlie in this mission because – here it comes – he wants to build the country’s largest orphanage with his share of the booty.Abbas-Mustan, who’ve successfully delivered some engaging thrillers over the years, know a thing or two about pace. Players is packed with relentless car chases and plot twists, and the directors throw in their usual stock of skimpily dressed babes and seductive item songs. What they grapple with, unfortunately, are the little details.Sonam Kapoor’s character, we’re told, has done a thesis in ‘ethical hacking’, so she traces the world’s most notorious computer hacker with only a few clicks of the mouse. Bobby Deol is a celebrated illusionist wearing a permanent scowl because he maimed his little daughter while performing a magic trick. In one of my favorite scenes in the film, a seasoned criminal looks at photographs of a scene of crime, and deduces that a woman is behind the robbery because a flower vase that stood carelessly in a corner of the room before the crime, appears to have been placed more aesthetically in a post-theft photograph. To be fair, there’s lots of unintentional humor in the film, but that contributes to the appeal of Players.Unlike Don 2 recently, which openly aped action scenes and the very look and feel of polished Hollywood blockbusters, Players is a distinctly Bollywood-ised remake that celebrates its corny humor, and even throws a love-triangle into a heist plot. Johnny Lever shows up as an Indian in New Zealand whose gori wife speaks only in Hindi and invites guests to attend a Satyanarayan ki pooja at their home. It’s cheesy beyond belief, but you’ll laugh.What fails the film after all, is the over-enthusiasm of its makers, who overstay your hospitality by dragging the film on for an unforgivable 2 hours and 45 minutes. Also, harsh as this may sound, the film suffers considerably on account of its dull cast.A stylish action thriller that involves as much posturing as Players, requires compelling actors who arrest your attention when they’re on screen. Abhishek Bachchan is earnest, and thankfully dials down his trademark smugness to play the ringleader of the team. Bobby Deol and Sikander Kher have no screen presence, but Neil Nitin Mukesh gets some interesting scenes to sink his teeth into. Bipasha Basu fills out a bikini nicely, but poor Sonam Kapoor changes her costumes and her hairstyle more frequently than her expressions. Together this team has the appeal of a pack of drained batteries.I’m going with two-and-a-half out of five for Abbas-Mustan’s Players. What could have been a satisfying entertainer doesn’t quite achieve its potential.
http://www.rajeevmasand.com/reviews/our-films/fools-gold/
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 1:37 PM
I think this person is some kind of *reviewer-lite*.
What does he mean by;
“Sonam Kapoor’s character, we’re told, has done a thesis in ‘ethical hacking’, so she traces the world’s most notorious computer hacker with only a few clicks of the mouse. ”
If he’s a serious reviewer, and pays attention to what he’s going to review he wouldn’t wonder about this, because the explanation is right there in the film.
*spoiler*
Nitin’s character asks Abhishek (very clearly) the same question, and mocks him about this lack of intelligent leadership in recognizing such facts. He discloses that it was he himself who had made it possible for Sonam to easily track him down.
Players and Don2 are not a genre I normally watch, but did, because of the opportunity, and I ended up liking both.
I found players more fun and more entertaining with lots to laugh.
Even the actual act of theft was more exhilarating in Players with the two trains speeding, and running parallel with all the action in between.
The plan in Players is easy to understand.
I liked Abhishek’s restrained acting, and also SRK’s flamboyant Don. It would get boring if everyone did the same thing.
Neil Nitin did try some such ‘attutude’ expressions, which was a marked change from his earlier expressions in the film to suit his role.
If people don’t run down the film for the sake of running it down, it should do well…very well.
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 12:18 PM
rajeev masand is funny guy,never know what to ecpect.
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 12:19 PM
yeah I thought he’d have a negative review. the opening line is the key one here:
“There’s an uncomfortable truth about Abbas-Mustan’s latest film Players that few critics will admit to – it’s not all bad!” So he’s suggesting this film is being more negatively reviewed than it ought to be. I think this is a kinder review from him than on DMD!
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 12:37 PM
positive review from Dubai –
http://www.moviereviews.ae/Players.html
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 12:58 PM
OQSpot Omar Qureshi
‘Players’ slick suave cool. If you’ve seen ‘The Italian Job’ you’ve seen it all. But it has the desi melodrama & masala. Watch it for style
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 12:59 PM
Lukewarm Opening For Players
by Harshita Vaishnav (January 6, 2012)
It was expected to get off to a good start but its opening was lukewarm. The first release of the year, Abhishek Bachchan-starrer Players directed by Abbas-Mustan, improved with the evening shows. At the end of the day, this is what distributors across territories felt about the first-day collections of the film.
Rajesh Thadani of Multimedia Combines says, “In Mumbai, the film received a lukewarm response and the first-day collections are around Rs 1-1.5 crore. All-India collections are pegged at Rs 3.5-4 crore.”
Punjab distributor Surendra Saluja of Lakshya Movies says business was ‘average’ in this territory. “Collection for the first day of Players will range between Rs 30 lakh and Rs 40 lakh while all-India business will amount to Rs 2.5 crore.”
Jeetu Khandelwal of Movie Pioneers says Players failed to impress in Orissa and that the first-day collections are around Rs 5 lakh. “The film is being screened in 72 cinemas,” he adds.
In Mysore, B H Basha of Bahar Enterprises reveals that Players opened to a response that was less than average. “But towards the evening, the film gained a little momentum. “Occupancy was Rs 30-40 per cent,” Basha says.
Ajay Bagbai of Rajvi Trade Link concludes, “ In Gujarat, Players did business worth Rs 50-Rs 60 lakh, while all-India, it is pegged at Rs 4-4.5 crore.”
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 1:01 PM
every distributor has a different all-India estimate. find it impossible to believe that this film is only doing as much as DMD on opening day.
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 1:10 PM
Satyam, you have to accept. Abhishek is at lowest point of his career and i repeat again, to make a come back and gain audience faith, he need to come up with exceptional performance … and players is not that one.
Players is good movie, but impression based on trailers was not good and also negativity surrounding Abhishek will not let it go ..
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 1:17 PM
He has to Call Mani to give that kind of performance. I am not sure what he has to do at this stage. He should keep doing comic and serious ones, leaving stylish and action to HR and others.
The problem is if you are good at dance, automatically get fast songs. With box office you get top actresses. With him,he is neither getting good music or top actress.
From reviews, I can sense this movie would have done very well with top star.
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 1:14 PM
Midday:
http://www.mid-day.com/entertainment/2012/jan/060112-Movie-review-players-mid-day.htm
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 1:20 PM
SrBachchan Amitabh Bachchan
T 615 – आज कल के ज़माने में बेहयाई की हद नहीं , कीमत होती है !! पैसा फेक ! बेहयाई देख !!!
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 1:34 PM
Amitabh seems to be very angry on critics and rightly so. Movie was not meant to be trashed by any sense .. what ever Komal and Taran has done, is not forgivable.
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 1:36 PM
He’s angry because he knows the kind of corruption that takes place behind the scenes. People wouldn’t believe the stuff that goes on.
and with an Abhishek starrer irrespective of how it opens or not there is always this attempt to ‘kill’ the film by spreading as much negativity as possible. Irrespective of the opening, irrespective of the eventual result.
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 1:42 PM
And i am sure, now Amitabh will be bashed for being harsh on critics … Media and critics are like TANASHAH now days .. vo kuch bhi kahein, you should remain silent, agar against bola to watt laga denge ..
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 2:27 PM
yeah but in his case they’ve always said stuff whether or not he’s engaged.
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 3:05 PM
Whas that ^^^
Are these amitabhs words ?
Surprising -not expected
Is Amitabh born yesterday
Not condoning Nahata etc, –they are uktracorrupt kike
Manu people in all spheres in india
but y hasn’t he learnt to align with these guys / sort them out ( by whatever it takes)if they are so essential
Or else pull up ones socks that they no longer matter
If not- dont cry foul-simple
One cant keep sleeping with some one(though this doesn’t apply to Amitabh that much ) and be vocal about ones fear that person may have aiids !!
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 1:34 PM
akshayerathi Akshaye Rathi
@
@Tutejajoginder @bipsluvurself @vivekagnihotri agree! @NeilNMukesh is d surprise package & @juniorbachchan is truly HERO material! #Players
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 2:42 PM
Quite sure the movie will trend well. A couple of biased reviews isn’t going decide the fate of the movie. With Taran, it’s quite predictable. If he is invited to a special screening and his review is out by the mid-week, expect a positive review from him. If his review isn’t out until late Thursday or Friday then expect a negative review from him. As for Nahta, the lesser said the better. This guy was claiming that Bachan had pumped Hum’s box office collections by buying all the tickets and that Anil Kapoor was the No. 1 back then. He claims that Ghajini made distributors lose money but Ra 1 is an earner!
I wasn’t epecting a blistering start for Players. But the reviews are average to good. The WOM seems even better. It is going to trend well. It has a free run until Agneepath arrives. It will prevail.
Will be catching it up in Mauritius on Sunday with a group of friends.
And it seems to be a major release here. It’s being shown at practically the same number theatres Don 2 was released in.
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 2:54 PM
the free run it has is definitely an advantage if it needs to pick up.. there are people tweeting from Singapore and Malaysia talking about heavily booked shows through the weekend.
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 2:46 PM
Catching the movie in 2hrs time…I am going in with moderate expectations!
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 2:53 PM
eager to hear your views.. unfortunately I might not be able to catch it before Sun.
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 2:56 PM
Regarding media corruption, I witnessed it first hand. My uncle is into business which involves govt contracts. The local news paper guy was frequently writing negative articles abt his work. My uncle confronted him and the journo sent message thru someone else for the need of a laptop. He got that now and all the articles stopped. This is the case in a small town and the business involved is only couple of lakhs per yr. Newspaper is a very reputed one here. This happened abt 5 months back.
One can only imagine what it will be in the movie business when a lot is at stake. Now I have a feeling media is more corrupt than politicians. No ethics in reporting even the smallest of news. Very sad.
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 3:07 PM
the film media is really an arm of the industry.. from camcorders and others such gifts to vacations in private farm-houses to in some cases blatant cash gifts (can’t anyone here) it’s all done. Not just this even the numbers that are thrown out are really done so by a relatively small number of people and these are mostly very rough estimates. They even talk to each other, they exchange notes — ‘you give it 18 crores, I’ll slap down 17.4’. Not exaggerating at all. The producer totals and so on. It’s all a racket. Then they select the centers they want to back up their evidence. All of this doesn’t make a hit movie flop or a flop a hit. But the ‘narrative’ can be radically different from hit to hit or flop to flop. A number of films that are called big winners by these sources end up losing fair amounts of money. A number of very successful films are then presented as ‘not all that’. leaving aside the agendas one way or the other it’s just a very corrupt business. And the stars that prosper most are very frankly those that are willing to pay in some form or fashion. Otherwise it’s a much harder Aamir-like route where you have to go through a decade of every kind of success and you’re more or less ignored and it’s only when you get the massive grosser that things change. Obviously he was very consistent so they couldn’t say much beyond a point but they were rather unkind to many of his films on the ratings. The grosses were always lower, the ratings harsh. When MP came about it was as if the world had crashed. With RDB Nahata didn’t accept the success for 2-3 weeks. Ultimately he accumulated so much prestige, was so incredibly consistent that they had to stop. But it took a very long time and a supergrosser. Others have been celebrated for far far less. Sure there are some who don’t play the game who are nonetheless celebrated sometimes but that’s usually part of some larger agenda. It’s just a very corrupt business. Everyone in the industry knows this of course and frankly most people in India also just accept this stuff as such. But nonetheless the power of running a consistent narrative cannot be underestimated. If you keep shouting from the rooftops that a film isn’t doing well or that it is even if people think you’re exaggerating your essential narrative might carry some force. Again let me just give two Abhishek examples here. JBJ after tanking completely made about 20 crores in week 1 (even according to BOI) in mid-2007. Dostana made 26 crores (according to the same source) in late 2008. Obviously JBJ opened much bigger (couldn’t have got to 20 with a low start) than Dostana but the media/trade kept saying the latter had opened poorly while in three days Dostana was declared a hit. What was the difference?! Johar’s good offices! There are literally crores added to overall totals at times by ‘playing the game’. As I said it’s a big racket. Not surprised by what you’ve said at all.
and of course not just saying it happens here. It’s worse when it comes to media outlets that report on corporations or those that cover politics. Because the stakes are even higher. The power asymmetry is simply too great.
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 3:26 PM
The media is corrupt. But in spite of that amitabh has risen to the peak. In spite of media boycott fora decade or so. Aamir has reached where he has in spite of not attending the Filmfare functions or not being on the magazine’s cover fora decade or more. Yes, these two are superbly talented and Aamir, in addition possesses a superb script sense. Not all can be like them. But there is no denying the fact that Abhishek does not do a month’s work out to lok sharp when he is playing police officer in films like Dhoom 2 or Dum Maro Dum. Who can save him?
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 3:54 PM
Indian cops don’t have 6 packs man, abhi wants to be real hence he don’t workout to look fit 🙂 But he is definitely a good actor.
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 3:58 PM
Hiya utkal uncle-so nice to see u
How’s life
What are the films u have watched recently
Any mini-reviews a la nabokovs diaphanous glow -plz
Anyhow –still surprised how the multiplexes that did not show wanted, dabang, aarakshan, TDP, TMK are showing players–intriguing indeed …
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 5:20 PM
Well said Utkalji. I totally agree with you. In a way I am really delighted and happy that AB jr is going thro’ this “struggle” for sometime. His mom had somewhere said,”where else (in life) do these (privileged) kids get to see struggle” IT makes a mard out of you..so be it. He 2 will get his dues maybe in 10 years or so but one needs to keep working at the art and look at it as art rather than commerce (something Aamir is good at).
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 7:32 PM
“happy that AB jr is going thro’ this “struggle” for sometime. ”
sometime??? It’s almost a decade now 😉
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 3:28 PM
The fact of the matter is that NO sphere is devoid of corruption ANYWHERE in the world, in the real sense.
In India and some other countries, it is institutionalised and endemic and perhaps more than others..
About corruption in films andnfilm related media–If nargis fakhri as an example feigns ‘ignorance’,(can’t avoid maher mention lol) in these matters it’s still understandable
But if the grand daddy of all, bachchan suddenly acts like a ‘virginal’ beauty amongst male prisoners, it’s surprising
I know that he may not like to indulge in these shenanigans –and he doesn’t
But the and abhishrek need to get down n dirty and learn the ‘rules of the street’
This ivory tower-ish approach and ‘looking down upon’ this business won’t help em
To win a game, one needs to play IN it
One can’t sit in the air conditioned side galleries and come down intermittently to ‘check the weather’
THAT’S the real difference between guys like abhishrek and a guy like SRK who came from nowhere and won everything ( one can argue about his status now though, that’s a different matter)
Period!!
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 3:37 PM
Basically I’m in a no nonsense mood after giving a junior subordinate a well deserved dressing down lol
Anyhow–
Abut abhishrek -hope this movie and his career do well and most probably check out players this weekend –also to contribute to its gross lol
Also feel that if a movie and actor is REALLY good, NOTHING can stop the movie or the actor
For marginal cases, the other ‘soft skills’ come into play
Im not talking about gross unethical stuff like supplying prostitutes etc etc
But PR and basic street rules HAVE to be learnt
The MAIN problem with abhishrek is his solid resistance to change
The likes of saif metamorphosed since they showed a VISIBLE change in looks/acting/attitude/work ethic/choices
One cannot see ONE such change in abhishrek (other than the fact that he has managed to marry ash and a produce a child lol)
But can’t deny that he is a ‘nice guy’ and being bachchans son and the ASH connection, will keep getting my sympathy
But guys like me can never be blind to someone’s obvious failings , be it anybody, including myself
That reminds me of a dialogue from wanted….
hahaha
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 4:06 PM
alex, what is with abhi”shrek” – i think he better sign the next “shrek” film 😉 that will be quite an image-change….or simply a change as he doesn’t have any image yet after 200 years in his bollywood career…;-)
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 4:24 PM
^^haha u took only a few months/years to notice that intentional spelling ‘mistake’!!!
Satyam has been convulsing for a while lol
Di –good posts recently from u vvv
By “street rules” didn’t mean bachchan should indulge in public mud slinging like this
There is a “method” in everything and this isnt that…
Diana-sorry the ‘autocomplete’ function keeps typing ‘Diana’ for ‘dI’-hope u won’t mind changing ur name lol
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 4:12 PM
On those re-tweets, here is classic bachchan:
And yes … I do retweet the good reactions of praise for Abhishek’s films .. and yes I am his Father and shall not stop from doing it just because a few abusive elements on this social network think otherwise. Look into your own ‘daman’ and see how every single tweet of the media is all about themselves and a request to go watch their particular programmes. No one ever complains about them do they ? !! Why, just the other day I had a message from RajDeep Sardesai of CNNIBN asking me if I could mention one of his programmes on my site on twitter !!! So … yes .. my numbers are large on Twitter … 1.88 million followers .. largest in India and fourth largest in Asia .. an attractive reach out to prospectives !!! But they are not large to put out your matter. I shall decide what I wish to and what I do not … and yes on occasion my son shall have priority … YOU GOT A PROBLEM WITH THAT …. !!!!!
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 5:18 PM
is this dude for real?? i love big b..but what the hell…twitter and some other social networking have given these people a little too much ‘air’ time. ok so his son hasn’t been getting the respect he deserves. let him earn it on his own.
As an Aamir fan i had to deal with this throughout the 90’s. Aamir got zero respect during the decade, it was all about SRK, Sallu or Govinda. Finally around 2006 on Aamir got his due because you couldn’t ignore his hits anymore.
Maybe it’ll be the same way with Abhishek. He has talent and he isn’t going anywhere. If player’s sucks then it sucks…it probably deserves to flop. Had no hope from the start because of Abbas-Mustan as directors are average at best. Big B just needs to calm down…every time a Abhishek film releases he comes out of nowhere to blast the media and what not. Just let it unfold by itself…it will be that much sweeter in the end. Whining and crying like this makes him seem desperate for his son.
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 5:24 PM
aamirfan: yeh freedom of expression hai…last time I checked we (india) was still a free country. Which dad (worth his salt) be not concerned. So think of it as daddy reaction and not super-star reaction. All parents are protective. Especially he might feel quilty that it is HIS career and track record that is making Junior look back (ironically THAT also is giving junior break after break into films/industry).
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 5:25 PM
we *were*. typos galore.
I am sure Sattu will be wincing somewhere.
😉
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 5:29 PM
just because they have the freedom does not mean it’s right. so i have no problem with that aspect. what im saying is it is better to remain quiet when you are down and in the end when you are hailed it is just that much sweeter. yes i agree that he is being a protective dad.
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 5:37 PM
Agree with aamirsfan–read my outburst below
Don’t like bachchan behaving like this -it’s degrading for his fans somewhat
Coming back to my own self styled (wtf)awards
Btw I feel aamirsfan is in the running for the ‘most sensible blogger’ here
Seldom says anything non rational
Keep ‘it’ up m8
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 5:33 PM
great, finally saw one Aamir fan who accepts the truth….
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 6:31 PM
Aamir got ”zero” respect probably only in terms of box office discussions. Going by old articles from that time, he did get respect as an actor. And I also believe one shouldn’t ignore the fact that he had banned filmi media very early in his career. So one can’t expect them to sing praises for him if he banned all those film magazines!
Discussions should be balanced and keep all factors in mind. Things like he was ”nowhere” or had ”zero” respect are way too extreme.
As for BO or Aamir’s status as per trade in 90s, found some trade buzz stuff about him in an old issue of Filmfare (no one has trashed him like he was a nobody):
Part 1 – http://aamirkhan.org/gallery/displayimage.php?album=lastup&cat=72&pos=5
Part 2 – http://aamirkhan.org/gallery/displayimage.php?album=lastup&cat=72&pos=2
[Yeah, and no Aamir fan has ever denied that he was behind SRK-Salman back then! So no one needs to especially come up to show Aamir fans a ”mirror”]
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 11:24 PM
Ok my bad it wasnt zero respect..it wasn’t the respect he should’ve gotten that he is getting today. yes he is a lot more media friendly today so that helps. i’m just saying it was frustrating as hell for me that most of the respect and accolades went to SRK, sallu bhai and govinda. Aamir in the 90’s was as path breaking as he was this past decade. but this really isn’t about aamir khan. this is about Big B and Abhishek. The point being about getting respect. Big B needs to lay low and let Abhishek handle his own and be his own man. in my opinion.
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 6:58 PM
Why is he boasting about his reach/followers across Twitter? I feel he’s too dignified and classy to indulge in all this. I grew up idolising him and always believed he let work speak for itself.
I feel such ”defense” from the superstar father only makes people feel as if he has it too easy or makes it look like they’re ”desperate” to prove it as success. It is not doing any good, rather harming perception of Abhishek in people’s eyes. Seeing such stuff people again get a reason to say he’s what he is just because he’s Amitabh Bachchan’s son or he gets it easy because he’s his son!
Let people focus on Abhishek and stop bringing the father-son or Bachchan surname angle to things!
If he really wants to promote his son then get some other fan club type handle started on Twitter to counter negativity instead of doing it himself. What he’s doing currently, is honestly repulsive!
I feel stars should take it a little easy and not go far in promoting their family members or defending them on public platforms. Even Aamir got flak for his ”Kiran jaap” during DG release & his constant & desperate measures to defend ”the kind of film” his wife had made & kind of sensibilities required to ”appreciate” that film!
Kindly let public perceive and decide about the film themselves. That’s the only thing I hope from stars!
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 7:10 PM
absolutely bang on,Amitabh should not interfear with his son,
creates problem and make matter worse..
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 7:16 PM
To sum it up – it makes people believe Abhishek’s being spoonfed even till date! [Even if it could actually not be so in real life!]
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 7:21 PM
is it that Amitabh is insecure Abhisekhs films need more marketing or is he just securing the lack of confidence from his son,btw have you seen players
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 7:29 PM
Valid point by Big B here. Why should he post negative tweets about Abhi or even any other actors movie? Most of the film personalities praise each others work (except Shirish Kunder Khan) and that’s how it should be in an Industry.
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 4:16 PM
“Where was Amir before ‘Lagaan’?
Here; ….”
Hahaha
anyhow-aamir is currently for the last ten years or more giving a master class of how to overcome nes obvious limitations-
Subpar height (hope the likes of poor Henry dont undergo convulsions here-god bless his soul)
Lack of spontaneity
Lack of screen presence and authentic machismo
Inability to multitask
But he has turned all this on its head
Made a paradigm shift wherein he plays the game which he wants, at his pace, strengths irrespective of outside noise
The results are there to see–
He is not only walking into the box office records but into the annals of all time greatness (by current form unless he does a tiger woods!!!)
Heard an interview from abhishrek some where–” if u can’t beat them in quality -beat them in quantity”
Ie sign every damn filth that gets offered to u
This sort of “more the better” perspective has been turned on its head by aamir
Wtf-is abhishrek getting starved sitting at home
Y can’t he sit @ home and do some housekeeping till some thing really worthwhile comes his way
Remember —
Most families/couples/groups who have lost their 30-40£/ 40-60$/1000ish rs on the crap dished out by these “quantity” freaks don’t forget and don’t forgive that easily !!!
Whereas with someone like aamir they feel (rightly or wrongly) can take a chance…
Not everyone has unlimited disposable cash : mates
Hence the expectedly poor opening numbers
Infact I felt that the whole “star” cast of “flop” players should be paid peanuts (literally) before the films release–infact should be charged for another chance to redeem their careers
Oly if it earns something, can they be given something as percentage lol
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 4:20 PM
Actually he should focus on quantity…otherwise confidence level would go way down. He should keep acting, keep taking whatever roles because in bollywood or in life, one never knows what might click/work.
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 6:20 PM
He does have screen presence. Maybe not as great as say a Salman. But it isn’t like he totally lacks screen presence. He does connect with audience and nobody ever said he comes across as insipid (as in case of some other actors seemingly favored here!). Say whatever you want to, about his inability to multi-task, but he’s proven himself and succeeded in every department of filmmaking – actor, producer, director, writer, marketer and even got a chartbuster as a singer!
Height argument is laughable! When people have nothing else to talk about, they talk of his height! Pff!
BTW, agree with you about how Aamir has proven that one need not go after quantity. The way you’ve written your comment, one wonders if you were praising him genuinely or ”had to accept” his achievement (could I say grudgingly?)
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 4:31 PM
Other celebrities compete with each other in terms of their number of fans, followers on twitter etc
Abhishrek has surpassed everybody in the number of career advisors -some he may have employed but the majority are self styled and are free eg on blogs lol
Think I should stop his anti abhishrek diatribe
Sometimes I just get into this moods
Just wanted to kick some ass really
Missing miss karankumar oops hahaha
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 5:26 PM
“some he may have employed but the majority are self styled and are free eg on blogs lol”
employed…hmm…is it sattu U talking about?!?!? or yourself 😉
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 5:30 PM
Haha
Definitely did not mean Satyam ….
Meant the long list of career advisors including myself
Am using kidsgloves with Diana
Seem Weve got another ‘stalker’
Ps-Diana who are your favourite actors/films
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 4:41 PM
Abhishreks resistance/inertia to change reminds me of something–
-just asking for a suggestion
If a lazy female subordinate keeps repeating stupid mistakes Again n again–
And believes that her ‘charm’ will take care of the rest…
Ie ways of giving her a “dressing down” (pun intended)
(how do u deal with this without the risk of having indulged in “harassment”!!!)
Hahaha
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 5:17 PM
“lazy, stupid” “charm will take care of the rest”:
Sounds like you have already made passed and judged her. She may be incompetent and pretty while incompetent. No harm in ignoring her “charm” aspect and letting her know that her performance needs to improve pronto. In long run such people won’t succeed. So no worries.
P.S: don’t try to (sexually or otherwise) harrass her. It is not YOUR direct responsibility to find out who is competent and who is not. IN her eyes you might worse performing nightmare (chatting on blogs all day long) and thinking too highly of himself and depending only on charm quota. LOLz. Just chill. OK.
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 5:27 PM
Oops
Was about to say That comment of mine about “dressing down” needs to be removed, I think lol-Satyam plz thanks
And not only bcos diana objected…hehe
Also – don’t know who may be “spying” me here hehe
That’s y don’t like Facebook/twitter-no privacy lol
Ps-old gold : that link on “memsaabstory” seems interesting
Is it your blog /Any good?
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 6:42 PM
Off-topic, just for curiosity sake, may I know why and how Aamir Khan got dragged in a discussion about an Abhishek Bachchan film? I mean, his name in discussion of some other Khan film is understandable. But Abhishek? Never seen them being discussed together!
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 6:50 PM
Abhishek is getting more popular,amir khan is being compared .wow.
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 6:52 PM
catching it tomorrow to see this latest slick,btw the reviews are not good but the trailor looks good,hopefully it will not dissapointment.
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 10:06 PM
from Calcutta:
“Gyan, the assistant manager of Cinepolis, which is screening six shows, said: “The film is doing pretty good. The morning and matinee shows have more takers as compared to the night show. We have sold 820 seats for the six shows slotted for the day. Morning show tickets have been priced at Rs 130 while those for the evening are available at Rs 180. Bookings are open till Sunday. Let’s see what’s in store.” ”
“Mona is the only other theatre in the capital screening Players in four shows. Sharad, the manager, said: “We have sold 300 tickets for the noon show, 400 tickets for the matinee show, making it almost a houseful. For the evening show, we sold 200 tickets for Rs 160 each. Online booking for Sunday shows is open.” :
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1120107/jsp/bihar/story_14972287.jsp
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 11:05 PM
Alex,
Great last few comments, man !!
“He is not only walking into the box office records but into the annals of all time greatness (by current form unless he does a tiger woods!!!) ”
LOL…Alex !! Don’t really foresee Aamir to do the Tiger Woods way…Jokes apart, your observations on Aamir bang on !!
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 11:34 PM
sallu bhai ‘pulled a tiger’ earlier in his career in my mind. lol. he was on a high and then the black buck case happened and then the accident and killing a innocent person happened..he got jail time and then finally the ash incident happened. but unlike tiger so far..sallu bhai has made one heckuva come back and seems like has learned his lessons. tiger has just lost in mental stability and in golf you need that more than anything else!
LikeLike
January 6, 2012 at 11:11 PM
Saw “Sherlock Holmes : A Game of Shadows” last night…haven’t had this much fun at the movies in a long time…Robert Downey Jr. at his best, sparkling wit & chemistry between him & Jude Law, jaw dropping action scenes & a rocking background score by the one & only Hans Zimmer…just love Guy Ritchie’s films !!
LikeLike
January 7, 2012 at 2:23 AM
The end? 😛
LikeLike
January 7, 2012 at 12:11 AM
Satyam, i was just reading your comment about JBJ and Dostana BO. This was time when Abhishek was fresh from BO as well as huge critical success of Guru along with Super hit B&B and some other winners like Dus, Bluff master etc. If you see closely, even after B&B and Dus, Bluffmaster didn’t open that well, because though B&B was super hit, his acting was not exceptional. His fan base grew only two times, first after Yuva and second time after Guru. Why ? Because in both movies he gave splendid performance.
In last three years, his only worthy and credible performance was DMD, else he was almost sleep walking in all other movies. A good actor can make comeback any time. In all these 10 years, Abhishek has mixed bag of good and bad performances. Why he is not consistent is beyond my understanding.
Anyways, as i already explained and i am firm about this, only way Abhishek can make come back is with one after another exceptional movies and performance … there is no other way. And this is possible only if he do only 1 movie a year and give his 500% to it.
LikeLike
January 7, 2012 at 12:12 AM
Players First Day Business
Saturday 7th January 2012 10.30 IST
Boxofficeindia.Com Trade Network
Players had a poor first day of around 4.25-4.50 crore nett as per early estimates. The film started poorly and it did not show much improvement as the day went along.
The business was poor across all circuits in India and it will have to show huge jumps which have not been seen in recent times to come out with just a respectable weeeknd total of 18-20 crore nett. A more realistic result is probably a weekend in the 15 crore nett range though Saturday is the all important day.
If we compare with other films recently then the first day business is in the range that films like Force and Ladies Vs Ricky Bahl achieved but here Players had double the multiplex release of Force which was a 1500 screen release and Ladies Vs Ricky Bahl was 1200 screen release.
Players has an approx 2000 screen release across India.
http://www.boxofficeindia.com/boxnewsdetail.php?page=shownews&articleid=3898&nCat=
LikeLike
January 7, 2012 at 12:12 AM
This was the prediction for Players I had made last week:’
I was hoping against hope , for Abhishek’s sake, that this one would work and fetch 70 cr. But after watching all the promos out closer to the release, I have to say, no,it’s not to be. Abbas-Mastan’s ability to stage action and narrate a racy story is negated by the tired and totally misfit star cast. Abhishek is a joke trying to command a heist operation. His face has no intensity, no urgency. He is equaly bland tring to be passionate, killing the half away decent song Jhoom Jhoom. Bipasha is another have-been with tired moves and overexposed body. Sonam is just not right for this film..her face is too innocent, devoid of any sensuality or hidden facets, which is a must for a thriller. Bobby too is past his prime. Neil Nitin Mukesh may be just about ok. And there is the music and the staging of songs. Both are old fashioned, uninspiring and yawn-inducing. Feels like Deja vu..its Khelnge Hum Hee Jaan Se once again. But it might yet have some spectacular action sequences, great locales and some typical Abbas Maastan twists ( which sadly will have less takers today than in the times of race. today they prefer a more realistic Don 2). So a max of 45 cr. Take heart Abby Baby Jr. You can’t have it all. Win in love, lose in box office. It’s all in the Game.
LikeLike
January 8, 2012 at 9:56 AM
Nice comments here Utkal-ji. Some how reading your comments, I feel you have zero agenda (unlike others). So reads good and always good to read your insightful comments.
I feel AB jr can take some acting lessons which can improve his weeknesses. I think he comes across wooden instead of subtle actor (for me), a sort of Keeanu Reeves of Bollywood. But then Keeanu Reevs too found a genre where wooden was good (Matrix series). So maybe that is Abhishek’s niche.
I think we all desperately want him to succeed in BO terms though it is sad that success is measured like so.
LikeLike
January 8, 2012 at 10:00 AM
“Khelnge Hum Hee Jaan Se once again.”
Though would it be fair to compare Players with KHJJS?!? Both are completely different genres. However I do understand what you are trying to say here.
Somewhere A-Mastan were asked,”why abhishek for this movie” and they said,”At the time(of signing him) he had lot of movies” and seemed that things were looking up for him…it was almost as if they were regretting hiring him.
Interesting thing is this time even Ram Gopal Verma did not make any noise!!
LikeLike
January 7, 2012 at 12:17 AM
prakashjaju Prakash Jaju
PLAYERS – Fri 5.09 cr
LikeLike
January 7, 2012 at 12:24 AM
taran_adarsh taran adarsh
#Players *rough estimates* Friday business should be between 4 cr to 4.5 cr. Figures still pouring in…
LikeLike
January 7, 2012 at 1:15 AM
idiot taran. why are you giving rough estimates. wait and give an ‘accurate’ figure.
anyway…looks like another weak opening day for abhishek. 7cr would be good..8 would be great. 5-6cr would be weak. i think that BOI figure will adjust upwards. this kind of film does not depend on WOM. what was race’s first day figure?
LikeLike
January 7, 2012 at 1:29 AM
i guess according to BOI race’s first day was 6.32..which was a record in early 2008 until later on RNBJ and Ghajni destroyed it.
so this should’ve been opened stronger. ofcourse race had katrina and the ‘zara zara’ song was a rage i remmeber back then. this film had no song that was creating any sort of buzz.
LikeLike
January 7, 2012 at 2:53 PM
Most probably- about to watch players v shortly ….
Hopefully this should boost its box office somewhat lol
LikeLike
January 7, 2012 at 2:54 PM
Ha! and I’m doing the same tomorrow!
LikeLike
January 7, 2012 at 7:12 PM
How can 7 Cr be great in an era when 12-15 opening is not considered good ? Are you forgetting the position that this blog took during Don 2’s opening ? Unfortunately if we go by the standards adopted here then Players is approx 4.5 Cr, hence it should be called a disaster or a flop, i.e. Players has been rejected.
Now I am not one to enjoy someone’s misfortune. I am sad at Abhishek’s loss. I take the position that don’t even discuss BO when it comes to Abhishek because he has never and will never deliver at BO (barring the broken clocks also being right consideration), But if you have to discuss BO then lets be fair. Let us use the same yardstick with which we measured Don 2. Don’t lower the bar to make Abhishek look good, while we had raised the bar to make SRK look bad. Use the same yardstick. Use the new (post BG) re-calibrated yardstick. Be honest, be fair.
LikeLike
January 7, 2012 at 7:30 PM
The very obvious point that you’re missing is that if Abhishek is considered at this point a star on par with SRK we can use exactly the same standards for Players as we used for Don2. Deal?
The logic here is so elementary it’s amazing that this has to be elucidated this way! It’s like Rockstar had a strong opening but not compared to BG! Of course Ranbir isn’t comparable to Salman anyway! He might be tomorrow or the tables might turn in the other direction or whatever but he isn’t as of now.
The same standard is never used for every star and every film. That’s absurd. And to even explain this feels absurd!
LikeLike
January 7, 2012 at 7:59 PM
Sorry the comment below went somewhere else.
Satyam
Basically your response suggests that you do subscribe to having a higher bar for SRK and a lower bar for Abhishek. Lets us not compare SRK’s performance with the legend of SRK, nor rate Abhishek based on his past series of failures. The only issue that matters is market potential for a genre and the market share it achieves.
True I am willing to give a pass to new entrants. But for those that have been around, it should be pure economics.
See I don;t worry about the fact that Players had more screens than even Don 2 (or atleast as many), that only primes the pump and front loads, does not add or subtract from the finally tally.
Players is a full on Abbass/Mastan entertainer. It is massy whereas Don 2 is niche appeal. For me regardless of the screens, Players should do better than Don 2 at BO. Yet Don 2 was 12-15 Cr first day while Players is 4.5-5 Cr. Hence Players is either a disaster OR Don 2 was bloody damn good. It is one or the other, you pick, my friend, tell me which one you choose. Either admit Players is a disaster or say that Don 2 was excellento.
LikeLike
January 7, 2012 at 11:04 PM
in india…it is a star system. this isnt like hollywood.
and if you want market potential for don 2..it shouldve opened MUCH higher then a decent 12-15cr. yes don 2 is a success…but with SRK and it being a sequel..it shouldve done much much better business. RaOne has hurt him big time. but if you want to settle for 4th best opening…for a star who claims hes the king…then go right ahead. live in la la land. lol.
LikeLike
January 8, 2012 at 5:45 AM
Let’s discuss BO using the principals of finance and economics. Reject all emotions and stick to facts.
Players is a mass market product, Don 2 is a niche market (shall we say Class market) product. SRK’s star power overrode this disadvantage , while Abhishek’s lack of star power could not even capitalize on this advantage.
You claim that Don 2 should have done better ? Please define better ? How much better ? Even with a Class/Niche product he was the third best opening, how much better do you think he should have done. We know what the best full on entertainer can do and Don 2 almost did as much.
I think at this rate nothing that SRK achieves is enough while Abhishek is victorious just for getting his movies released in theatres.
LikeLike
January 8, 2012 at 5:55 AM
Re: your (and some others’) repetition of ‘self proclaimed king’, or ‘who claims himself king’ is getting a bit shrill now.
I gather the shrillness is a result of frustration that inspite of things he is still considered one by his fans, and media (dismissed in the easiest way possible, as being bought).
Fans call him that, and SRK being SRK uses it to needle people like the ones on this blog 😉
One can understand that fans of other stars don’t like it, but they forget that they too have come up with silly titles like ‘perfectionist’ (LOL) or emperor.
LikeLike
January 8, 2012 at 5:58 AM
The above comment is in response to AmirsFan comment. I don’t know why it didn’t get posted as such.
LikeLike
January 7, 2012 at 10:57 PM
lol. thank you satyam bhai. pretty much said what u said.
LikeLike
January 7, 2012 at 10:55 PM
it’s not about making abhishek look good it’s about SRK in a higher tier than abhishek. if you want to put SRK and Abhishek in the same category then go right ahead. lol for me though abhishek isn’t in the league of Sallu aamir or even akki. but hey if you think SRK and Abhishek are in the same league…thats alllll you! lol.
but being serious, this is a poor opening for him no doubt. and yes 7cr for him would’ve been great. and 13cr first day for the self proclaimed king of bollywood…is not that great…when the bar has been set higher. but no use in discussing that with you.
LikeLike
January 8, 2012 at 12:38 PM
rejection does not happen in one or 2 days and its simple common sense
further never deleivered at box office is again absurd
in 2004 on of the big grosser was dhoom and the secone biggest grosser on 2005 was bunty and bubli(infact between them and sarkar a film called paheli suffered)
further in 06 and 07 d2 and guru where big grossers of the year
thing is post 07 abhishek run into so called art or seriouis cinema has only resulted in so called underperformance
in between dostana and paa had decent run
lets be fair here and if one is using big words he should be able to support it with facts
LikeLike
January 7, 2012 at 12:25 AM
ETCBollywood etc
Players fri collections at approx 6cr ! Exact figures still coming in. Its a slow start. Sat / Sun may improve.
LikeLike
January 7, 2012 at 12:48 AM
usually Jaju’s numbers are lower than Taran’s and so on for every film. Recently for example he had 62-65 crores for Don2’s week 1 when everyone had at least 70. Mysteriously his number is now higher than the rest on this. As always they take the lowest numbers on Abhishek’s film while it’s the highest with others. Notwithstanding the fact that this film needs massive jumps over the weekend even at 6 crores to do anything serious the fact is that I just don’t trust that 4 crore range.
LikeLike
January 7, 2012 at 1:14 AM
I’ve actually found Jaju’s figures to be consistently higher than everyone else’s. It seems his Don 2 numbers were more of an aberration.
LikeLike
January 7, 2012 at 7:38 AM
Don’t believe that’s true though I think his numbers come in higher when it’s a ‘for the masses’ effort. If you follow his tweets he in any case has a very nationalistic angle. He can get offensive a lot of times but will say that a lot of his essential claims are not wrong. Not talking about the numbers here but on stuff like attendance, capacity and so on.
LikeLike
January 7, 2012 at 5:28 PM
We knew about Prakash Jaju, no need to google about him. But mostly the figures are correct from him. It is nothing to do with his personality, many of top stars have similar values whom we treat as gods.
LikeLike
January 7, 2012 at 5:18 PM
Don’t take Jaju’s numbers seriously. Just google and find out every detail about him. He was Priyanka Chopra’s Ex-Secretary and was arrested in some case.
http://www.planetbollywood.com/displayArticle.php?ou caid=n082608063943
You can follow his tweets or even Amod Mehera’s tweets to know that these are two big rascals.
If someone wants to feel happy to see the inflated figures for his fav star’s movies from these guys then best of luck to them.
BTW what are the first day figures for Players by IBOS, Andhra BO and Yakuza?
LikeLike
January 7, 2012 at 5:50 PM
IBOS rarely ever update these days. I don’t know about the others. they’re all rascals. There is no difference between any of them when it comes to their ‘honesty’ and this includes the sites as well. I find jaju a strange, odd, perhaps shady character but I ‘know’ what the likes of Taran and Nahata are usually upto. Nothing to choose here. Just that Taran and Nahata are the most influential.
LikeLike
January 7, 2012 at 6:06 PM
“I find jaju a strange, odd, perhaps shady character but I ‘know’ what the likes of Taran and Nahata are usually upto”
Comparing Jaju with Taran is like comparing Rakhi Sawant with Aishwarya. See the standard of Jaju. Have u seen anything like this from Taran or komal
prakashjaju Prakash Jaju
@
@IAMKOOL Wakai puri film main woh hinjda lag raha tha, sub ne bola ki Kjo ke saath rah rah kar hinjda ho gaya hai …
LikeLike
January 7, 2012 at 6:13 PM
Jaju is not my standard. He says plenty of offensive stuff, he even says some very poor stuff on political grounds. But this does not mean that Taran is honest and he’s dishonest here. With all due respect I find the Rakhi Sawant/Ash analogy appalling here. But it’s unfortunately true that we tend to get very offended by certain kinds of language and so on (not saying we shouldn’t be) but we somehow equate ‘politeness’ with honesty on the other side. Jaju might be a scoundrel. Taran and Nahata are not lesser scoundrels just because they don’t say those things.
Of course the other amusing thing is that we get all offended when we hear obnoxious stuff from the likes of Jaju but don’t mind it at all when it comes to major politicians as long as we support those parties. But either it isn’t about bourgeois politeness here. It’s about honesty. And at the same time there is much insult and innuendo that can be conducted in the guise of politeness. It’s not like abusing someone but I am unsure if the violence is necessarily lesser. I can think of many kinds of insult that I (or anyone) would find worse than abuse of various kinds.
So no Jaju is not my guide. But nor are the others. And do you really think I would be that committed to a 5 crore or 6 crore number over 4.5?! As if everything changes for Players based on this difference! But that doesn’t mean anything goes. Even if a film makes 2 crores that might be disaster but why should one accept 1 crore on that score?!
LikeLike
January 7, 2012 at 5:59 PM
“We knew about Prakash Jaju, no need to google about him. But mostly the figures are correct from him. ”
How? Is it because he has the highest first day figures for Players? Last time some of the guys here thought Andhra BO was genuine. LOL Suddenly Jaju has become the messiah of Box office for this blog after he declared 6 crores for Players.
LikeLike
January 7, 2012 at 6:08 PM
Actually he declared 5 crores for Players. 6 crores was declared by ETC, something Nahata is associated with as a matter of fact.
LikeLike
January 7, 2012 at 12:59 AM
There is one question that has been puzzling me a lot for a while now. When Ek Tha Tiger was shooting in Ireland, all the publicity materials kept mentioning that it could prove to be a big boost to Irish tourism as the film will be seen by “100 million” people in 40 countries around the world. That figure struck me as quite low. Now earlier in this or the previous box office thread, Satyam said that, films making 20 crore or more on one day is no big deal, because, with the wide release strategy that big films now have, the capacity of the market is for 30 crore. So I did a little calculation, and 30 crore at Rs.100/ticket comes out to just three million viewers! Even if I take an average ticket price of Rs.50, to account for the split between multiplexes and single screens, the total number of viewers comes out to only six million. In a country of 1.2 billion, that’s amazingly low. Even if we restrict it to the 400 million or so Hindi speakers, it is still only about 1.5% of the population! So what this means is that the number of people actually willing to go out to the theater to see a film is minuscule, compared to the total population of the country. Then why are movies, and more importantly, movie stars, considered to be so influential on society in general. Granted, that many people see these films on TV and legit/pirated dvd’s, but still, it’s worth keeping in mind that the actual viewing public is not really that large. If we factor in repeat viewers, the number shrinks even further.
If I do a similar calculation for the U.S., a film that grosses $100 million over a weekend, at an average ticket rate of $10, gives a total viewing population of ten million. If I split that in half, because I was looking at a weekend figure, it still comes to five million viewers; in other words, more or less on par with the Hindi audience number. So why is India considered a much more “movie crazy” nation than the U.S.?
Did I miss a couple of zeros somewhere?
LikeLike
January 7, 2012 at 1:03 AM
Now again we have different nos from different sources.
Even at the highest which is provided by ETC 6 cr is not what I was expecting. I know the music was dull which obviously hampered the film but the film was promoted massively. Only last night they were in London according to my local radio station. Few days before that in Dubai and they traveled many cities in India.
The promotion was done and done well. The screen count is pretty big infact massive so 6 cr is extremely disappointing.
I am yet to see the film and I do plan to see it sometime next week but abhi on Komal’s show saying he would take a 25 cr week may indeed turn out to be true.
However, the film has a smooth run till Agneepath and may do a TWM and collect a respectable total.
The reviews I don’t think make much a difference (coming from a Salman fan I know better than most 😛 but they range from good, decent to downright pathetic. I don’t know how the ‘Players’ have performed but from what I’m gathering Neil has and is being applauded. I think Abhi needs some of that appreciation coming his way.
Sat now becomes the real acid test for the film. Falter now and no one will be going home with any gold.
LikeLike
January 7, 2012 at 7:15 AM
yes absolutely.. the film needs a very big jump Sat, otherwise it’s over. The fri numbers aren’t the sort where Sat can stay relatively flatlined and then Sun shows a bit of a jump and it’s all. It needs a way bigger Sat and then a Sun at least somewhat bigger than the Sun.
LikeLike
January 7, 2012 at 1:06 AM
I think first day business should in the range of 5.5 to 6 Cr. In Bangalore, WOM & bookings is very good for players, it will surely have double the business on Saturday & Sunday compare to friday at Blore. the rest of India, if it is the same trend, then junior B has the sure shot winner on hand.
LikeLike
January 7, 2012 at 1:37 AM
Caught the movie last night. Its a highly entertaining film start to finish. Abhi and Neil are stars of the show with Neil putting in a surprisingly strong performance. The humour element and constant twists and turns kept the audiences engaged throughout and almost most of arnd the 40% occupied theatre enjoyed it. Locales were beautiful too. The train sequence is pure brilliance and one of the best shot sequences this year. I cannot believe critics who gave movies like Ready,Bodyguard and Ra-one 4 stars are panning this big time. I mean do you rate a movie or its box office?.
LikeLike
January 7, 2012 at 1:48 AM
@ Dino – why the comparisons with those films. I have noticed many seem to do that. Anyway Ready, Bodyguard and Ra-1 were thrashed by the critics on the whole so your argument doesn’t hold much weight.
Do critics influence people to go to the theaters??? They surely as hell don’t influence me and never will.
LikeLike
January 7, 2012 at 3:21 AM
@Naveed – many including me also appreciate films like Dabang & Wanted u don’t seem to have a problem with tht. Point is guys like taran,komal were dishing out 4+ stars to films like Ra-one & Bodyguard but its shocking tht these same guys dish out 1-2 stars for Players a film which is much much superior . Thus my question do they rate a movie or its BO performance?
LikeLike
January 7, 2012 at 2:25 AM
Ready and Bodyguard got 4 stars from a critic?! Who? Where?
LikeLike
January 7, 2012 at 3:23 AM
SM not even 4 stars taran gave bodyguard 4 1/2 stars unbelievable guys.
LikeLike
January 7, 2012 at 1:43 AM
Abhi has been appreciated by masses and Classes at BAngalore. Only Guru has given him this kind of popularity. Of course people are also liking Sonam and Neil.
LikeLike
January 7, 2012 at 5:40 AM
Saw the movie last night. It has its moments but overall was not impressed. There is induced humour and emotion in the movie but I think it jars the overall film that really should just have been an out and out heist come revenge thriller.
But lacks in this film is not pace but editing. Certain angles, sub plots could have been done with to make a tighter cohesive film.
Performance wise nothing to really mention. The film does not demand much from the cast and generally I thought the whole cast did not gel so well as a team of “players”. It may have worked better in this film if the roles of Neil, Abhishek and Bobby were reversed. Abhishek to play Neils, Bobby to play Abhisheks and Neil to play Bobbys. The twist then would have made a sharper impact.
Spolier
The first 30-45mins could have been completed avoided. The “making” of the team of players, establishing them, establishing the plan and going through all that was totally not required. If the film started precisely at the moment of the heist it would have sufficed. The real story here is the twist after the heist and thats the most interesting path of the film. Also Bips turning out bad like in Race was extremely predictable.
LikeLike
January 7, 2012 at 5:46 AM
On the box office front I don’t see big things for the film as the start needed to be electric. It’s the type of movie that needs to open big, make its bread and butter early because sooner or later it will dip in collections as even though it entertains in parts its not a Guru or TZP or CDI type of film that will have great WOM.
Precisely it needed to open like Race or Jannat or Murder 2 on the scale of 2000 prints, which by all means were 2-3 week films.
With a below par average start it will find it hard now because the film is not an interesting plot/message/superlative performance film driven – very polished it is but rather predictable and films like this in this type of genre come out regularly anyway.
LikeLike
January 7, 2012 at 7:14 AM
thanks Jay.. agreed with everything you’ve said on the box office here.. haven’t seen it yet.. will do so in all probability tomorrow.
LikeLike
January 7, 2012 at 7:11 AM
taran_adarsh taran adarsh
#Players Friday: Australia A$ 13,312, very poor… New Zealand + Fiji NZ$ 23,165, very good.
LikeLike
January 7, 2012 at 7:35 AM
Players First Day Territorial Breakdown
Saturday 7th January 2012 17.00 IST
Boxofficeindia.Com Trade Network
Players had a poor first day with very low business for a film of its size. The first day territorial breakdown is as follows.
Mumbai – 1.60 crore
Delhi/UP – 95 lakhs
East Punjab – 41 lakhs
West Bengal – 23 lakhs
Bihar – 12 lakhs
CP Berar – 21 lakhs
CI – 19 lakhs
Rajasthan – 26 lakhs
Nizam – 28 lakhs
Mysore – 23 lakhs
Others – 15 lakhs
TOTAL – 4.63 crore
LikeLike
January 7, 2012 at 8:27 AM
I was expecting this to do close to Don’s first day. With 4.63cr on first day its very difficult to post a respectable total unless it has very good WOM.
LikeLike
January 7, 2012 at 7:36 AM
Don 2 Takes Heavy Hit In Week Three
Saturday 7th January 2012 13.30 IST
Boxofficeindia.Com Trade Network
Don 2 fell heavily at the start of its third week as it collcted around 75 lakhs approx on its third Friday. The collections are 80-85% down from last Friday.
This was mainly due to the release of Players which had a huge release taking away a lot of the screen space but Don 2 is likely to show a huge jump on Saturday and Sunday and may take its weekend business to around 4 crore nett.
The lifetime business of the Hindi version is unlikely to go over 110 crore nett though the film is likely to be on a steady run from week 4 onwards.
LikeLike
January 7, 2012 at 7:47 AM
There is no way this is a 110 crore film. Frankly I still have the greatest skepticism it’s even done 100 crores. Here’s the thing, any claim that one wants to make about SRK getting a certain result even as a waning star or with a film that wasn’t that hot or whatever can be made even with 90 or 95 crores. The ‘100 crore club’ makes for a nice story line but it doesn’t change the ‘essentials’ in any significant sense. The numbers here are rather fishy to say the least. After the initial weekend this has just been a very weak film at the box office. Nothing special in the numbers anywhere. Accepted by certain segments but it hasn’t even replicated the earlier Don’s trending. But in any case don’t buy this as a 100 crore film at all. If one goes through Jaju’s tweets he points out small center discrepancies on actual theater totals and reported numbers and says the same when done in a bigger center creates greater disparities. I haven’t looked at all of this in detail and nor am I inclined to but let’s say I am nonetheless not speaking without knowledge. But again whether one thinks DOn2 did great or poor relative to the star and the kind of production this is and so on it seems to me that both sides can make that claim equally with 90 crores. But from day 1 all the usual suspects have just been desperate to drag this across the 100 crore finish line.
Anyway hope this won’t lead to partisan wrangling. Don’t want the forum clogged up. This is just my take on this, take it or leave it.
LikeLike
January 7, 2012 at 7:49 AM
Joginder has probably the most positive review on the filmt:
http://www.indiaglitz.com/channels/hindi/review/13217.html
LikeLike
January 7, 2012 at 9:25 AM
@Satyam…Don2 has done enough business at boxoffice and don’t worry it will pick up again as players will be out of theatres in its first week itself.So people ll have no option but to watch Don2.So my advice to you is instead of wasting time in pulling down Don2,try to findout some strategy so that players gets at least a flop tag instead of disaster at boxoffice.
LikeLike
January 7, 2012 at 9:30 AM
Satyam,
Don 2 crossing 100 cr or not is hardly the issue now…the bottomline is that the film has underperformed in India…the crucial opening weekend of 48 cr was hardly anything to shout about considering the favourable release factors ( won’t go into all that as those have repeated umpteen times earlier )…the film not getting even an opening at single screens was another issue of concern..releasing the film in 3D was a no brainer, it just added additional cost burden.
More importantly, the varied verdicts given by different trade sources also raises valid doubts on how far the film has been successful…it has been rated “Hit”, ” Plus”, “break even”, “commission earner” etc.
LikeLike
January 7, 2012 at 9:47 AM
that’s my point, those extra 10 or 20 crores aren’t the difference between a hit or a flop. If 100 crores is impressive so is 90 in the right circumstances and vice versa. Much as Ra One did more than this but it was a much worse result.
LikeLike
January 7, 2012 at 9:37 AM
“saw Rockstar once more on DVD.. I’ve seen it three times so far.. somehow I find it quite moving every time..”
Haha Satyam: so grudgingly u have been ‘forced’ to acknowledge it
Am happy u did
Btw as pointed it earlier-rockstar joined the ultra select list of films I have seen on the big screen twice
And yes-loved it second time as well
The music doesn’t go out of my system
Actually it needs to be seen as ‘the various passionate moods/phases’ of a musician expressedt through his music
Rest is all peripheral
Think IMO this is perhaps one of rahmans most complete, comprehensive and accessible albums
Btw checked out nargis f with interest this time
I’m convinced–this HAS to be the most unfairly criticised and misunderstood performance
Yes she is awkward, unsure, lacking in acting skill set
But those amateurish attempts to emote made it all even more cute and endearing
Her lips and ‘mobile’ mouth is a different issue for another day
But she makes up for it by ‘sheer effort, feeling and seeping into the character ‘
And in a few places, she looked great
Satyam-what are your ‘views’
LikeLike
January 7, 2012 at 9:46 AM
To be honest I am more or less where I was the first time around and I think my review made this clear.. but some films don’t hold up as well on repeat viewing.. will say that having seen it twice in the theater there was a tremendous loss on the DVD in terms of the theater acoustics. In this sense the film should really be seen or have been seen on the big screen.
on Nargis Fakhri I don’t think she has a ‘performance’, she’s quite often off-key in serious ways but her presence works for the film and I think the extent to which one enjoys the movie depends on the degree to which one is willing to fall in love with her a bit! Don’t mean this facetiously. But this film I think would be far less interesting with a more established actress. I say this again as someone who considers her rather poor as an actress in many key scenes, even embarrassingly so sometimes.
And once more the flaws are never less than evident in the sense that really a much greater film could have been fashioned from this material. But as I said it holds up for me. There are very many films I like more than this or think more highly of in the contemporary era. But not many of those have stayed in the mind as much. Which is why I hope Imtiaz Ali doesn’t abandon this kind of work for another LAK or something. That would be a great pity.
LikeLike
January 7, 2012 at 9:52 AM
“I think the extent to which one enjoys the movie depends on the degree to which one is willing to fall in love with her a bit! Don’t mean this facetiously. But this film I think would be far less interesting with a more established actress”–worthy words from a person of Satyams “maturity” lol
Anyhow an interesting post ( not on players/don2 for a change)-
The specimen goes to a party. It is a good hour to arrive; the party is peaking. Unlike other days, the specimen is happy to come to a party; he has good material for social conversation. The specimen begins by saying how he went to see Rockstar with his girlfriend over the weekend. The doorbell rings; a woman and a man. The host immediately recognises the girl as her flatmate.
The two walk in; the flatmate comes to terms with the fact that a party is underway in her house; she goes to the bathroom. Her gait throws light on her short dress but does not reveal whether she really wishes to use the bathroom or is plainly marking territory. Someone talks about the way she walks. A girl interjects; it is rude to stare, she says. The man proudly reveals he is from Delhi. The girl smiles at him; he stops staring.
The host follows her flatmate to the bathroom. Everyone else inspects the strangely dressed man who appears to be located on the far end of the 18-35 demographic corridor. For a man his age he looks intense. Upon random questioning by the men of the group (according to prevalent norms of social conversation, in complete harmony with the UN charter on global human rights), the man appears evasive. Everyone leaves him alone. Someone calls him oversmart; someone else says he looks like a hedge fund manager. Someone talks about how intensely the man is staring at the lamp in the corner.
Article continues below the advertisement…
The specimen picks up where he left. So, he went to watch Rockstar with his girlfriend over the weekend. Someone interjects and asks the specimen for his opinion on Nargis Fakiri’s legs. The specimen gulps his drink, a stiff old monk-and-rum, to arouse the spirit of Socrates; he meditatively looks within. The two women appear from the bathroom. The intense looking flatmate joins her date; the host walks to the kitchen. Almost instantaneously the specimen follows her; he needs a refill. The picture gets clearer.
“They randomly met at a bar; she didn’t know I was having people over.”
“I don’t get this. How can people randomly meet at bars? I have never met anyone.”
“You’re a man.”
“So is he.”
“He had some coke.”
“Oh. Like that.”
The story spreads; the party, as a social organism, appears more chilled out. The host reminds the specimen, and a bunch of guests, that the party would have been more chilled out if her flatmate and her random date had not snorted everything on their way. The group silently condemns the selfish (yet very self gratifying) behaviour of the flatmate but absolves her date because, someone says, a hedge fund manager needs his fix.
The specimen is meditating on Nagis Fakhri’s legs. He reminds himself that the truth is almost always scandalous. Plus one gets lonelier as one approaches it. He wonders how to ascribe notions of objective knowledge, especially of an empirical kind, to a phenomenon that is beyond knowledge; perception of the phenomenon affects not just the brain but the entire nervous system. The specimen wonders if he should think up some verse but checks himself as soon as the melting elastic of his underwear makes an appearance in his metaphorical landscape. Deep in thought, the specimen isn’t aware of the fact that his blank inward looking stare is falling straight on the upper torso of the flatmate.
The host asks her flatmate is she is feeling okay. The flatmate says she is fine but her friend is feeling tired and wants to crash. The random man speaks up; don’t worry about me, he says with a confident drawl. The specimen comes out of the meditative trance and wants to express his opinion on Nargis Fakhri’s legs. Anxious to get the couple out of the way, he suggests the flatmate and her friend crash at his place instead. I live with my wife, the random man reveals. The man from Delhi suggests that they crash in the car. The specimen observes his smile; it suggests the man from Delhi does not mean sleeping when he uses the word crash. The flatmate and her friend leave. The specimen wants to talk but the host talks for two minutes about the perils of living with people in Bombay; about how submissively polite she will now have to be with her flatmate.
Someone — a reporter type — senses psychoanalysis in the air. He starts talking about Anna. It appears that the party as a social organism chooses problems of the society over the problems of one particular individual. The specimen withdraws inwards and blankly stares at the chair the flatmate was sitting on; the chair stares back blankly.
“Everybody is calling him a rockstar,” the reporter type says and brings the specimen back to the party. “We don’t need the kind of democracy we have or any kind of democracy. India doesn’t need democracy; it needs a CEO. A number of people who are supporting Anna, people who do not speak English, told me that the Lokpal is like a CEO.” A girl hands the reporter type a stiff drink.
A struggling poet looks at the scene and appears inspired. She types furiously on her iPad and five minutes later comes up with a short poem: Reporter, quarter/ Peace is still manufactured.
The specimen looks at the poet. “What do you think of Rockstar?” he asks.
“Across the road in the fog, a blind girl walks her dog,” she says. The specimen has a curious expression on his face. The specimen scans the room. His eyes settle on the reporter type listening to the host. Everywhere around him the party as a social organism is bored. The specimen goes back to meditating on Nargis Fakhri’s legs.
LikeLike
January 7, 2012 at 9:58 AM
Ranbir: Nargis fakhri is the best actress I have ever worked with!!!
Haha–so I have got SOME company–atleast someone shares my views here haha(though the reasons maybe different )
LikeLike
January 7, 2012 at 10:08 AM
Also to note-part of nargis fakhris problems were-
No/poor acting skill set/background
Problems with an ‘Indian’ body language
The head nodding and mannerisms correlating with an american conversationalistic tone rather than indian
Awkward body control typical of debutants before the camera
All this was confused rightly or wrongly as a ‘horrible’ performance
BUT
where it really matters
Ie putting up a heartfelt empathetic act
‘feeling!’ the scene etc
She did more than admirably
I will keep announcing my own (sic wtf) awards for this intermittently
So I hand the ‘best debutant -male/female’ award to Nargis Fakhri
clapping!!!!
Anyhow — will admit my ‘bias’ here lol
LikeLike
January 7, 2012 at 11:23 AM
yes saw that.. this is the sort of thing that makes people snigger! and you know why!
LikeLike
January 7, 2012 at 9:53 AM
Alex,
As regards the music of Rockstar, agree it is easily the finest album Rahman has composed after probably Delhi 6…some fantastic songs..a few timeless ones..
As regards the movie, somehow it didn’t work for me…it started well but somehow lost its way…Ranbir however was terrific..this guy is born to act & will go places !!
Have you seen Sherlock Holmes…Game of Shadows btw ?? Saw it yesterday…Robert Downey Jr is THE man !! Haven’t had this much fun at the movies in a long time, trust me !!!
LikeLike
January 7, 2012 at 10:01 AM
^^^Shub: ya may catch sherlock … Too much on my ‘plate’ currently
V v few Bollywood releases occur near me and disappear fast-so give em priority ..
what is your ranking of the rockstar songs what did u feel about nargis fakhri
Ps-u right well and some how have a ‘female’ style of writing (along with ‘prateek’)–I maybe entirely wrong though hahaha
LikeLike
January 7, 2012 at 11:22 AM
to be honest I am not a fan of Sherlock Holmes at all in this current reworking. Find it a travesty that he’s been converted into a bit of an action star!
LikeLike
January 7, 2012 at 10:19 AM
Alex,
My rating for Rockstar album :
1) Kun Faaya Kun ( Best song of 2011 !! )
2) Sadda Haq
3) Nadaan Parindey/ Hawaa Hawaa
4) Kateya Karoon
5) Aur Ho / Tum Ho
Nargis Fakhri…great looker…suited the role but needs to work on her acting…actually the role itself was quite challenging for a newcomer….the problem i foresee she may likely to face is comparisons with Katrina Kaif.
LikeLike
January 7, 2012 at 10:25 AM
Alex,
Best debutant female to Nargis ?? Hmmmm. No.
there were better debuts to be fair…Kriti Malhotra & Monica Dogra were both terrific in Dhobi Ghat.
I would actually give it to Parineeti Chopra for “Ladies vs Ricky Bahl”…she just stole the show in an otherwise average film…she is a complete natural !! Definitely one to watch out for the future.
LikeLike
January 7, 2012 at 10:30 AM
Shub– there will be ‘blood shed’ now
Unless u retract your statement lol (joking)
Ps-parineeti-was spontaneous but that was an obvious ‘crowd pleaser’ role over acted at times
Wasn’t reallyk impressed beyond a point
Yes. Shai from Dhobi ghaat was good
If imtiazk had taken the ‘physical component’ in the second half , things would’ve been more palatable to the Indian audience I think–maybe there was a loss of ‘sympathy ‘
(ps shub- plz explain the reason for your ‘female’ style do writing along with ‘prateek’ lol–caught ya !!!!—maybe wrong though)
LikeLike
January 7, 2012 at 10:25 AM
Another interesting bit on ‘cyberloafing’–
Only for those who need a break from the don2/box office breakdown from cooch behar /other unheard of centres lol
A study performed at the National University of Singapore has confirmed what many of us seem to know intuitively: taking a little time off of coding or writing to check your favorite blogs or webcomics is actually a productive behavior.
Just as taking a short break to get a snack or a coffee can reinvigorate you, taking a very short break to do something other than type or mouse around improves the quality of your work thereafter.
The study, done by researchers Don J.Q. Chen and Vivien K.G Lim, started out with participants doing a repetitive task: highlighting every “e” in a 3500-word document. They then were told to do one of three things: one group was told to stack sticks in a certain way, another was told to do anything but go on the web, and another was told to go on the web and check out a few standard blogs and sites. Lastly, they were asked to repeat their first task with a different document.
Not surprisingly, the web people were the least mentally exhausted (according to the infallible questionnaire) and most productive. Interestingly, checking email did not tend to restore people, as it was viewed as a kind of work to read and respond.
Methodologically, it’s not bulletproof. People doing “anything but web” in their own environment, rather than a lab, would likely be as refreshed as the web people. And tasks that require more focus and skill (creative tasks rather than repetitive) might not be as forgiving of interruption. But the point was made that web browsing didn’t have any deleterious effect on the participants’ ability to function. It didn’t act as an opiate.
Naturally, this only applies to a certain extent (no WoW raids), and real-life work conditions must be reasonable as well (web access may not improve sweatshop morale). But attempting to limit or control workers’ ability to go to certain sites or take short breaks like this (I just took one in the middle of the last paragraph) is certainly counter-productive. It reduces trust and makes people unhappy. And saying that checking Reddit or 1UP is stealing from the company only alienates the people who know better. Plus, they’ll keep on “stealing” without a second thought.
So next time your boss walks up to your cube while you’re taking five to hit up a few blogs, tell him about this study and suggest they make it policy. People love policy.
LikeLike
January 7, 2012 at 11:27 AM
http://www.boxofficeindia.co.in/understanding-filmtrac/
the Players FTI seems to be a healthy one but at least the Fri numbers haven’t kept track with this. Remains to be seen if today and tomorrow jumps will be seen.
LikeLike
January 7, 2012 at 11:33 AM
although they did predict 20-25 crores for the weekend a week before release when the FTI was 32. The thing is that even accepting the higher ETC 6 crore figure it will have to jump a bit for the higher end of that range. But they’ve (boxofficeindia.co.in) have also gone with a 4.5 crore number. So now it will have to jump very significantly on both days just to catch the lower end of that prediction. More or less 16 crores between Sat and Sun. If it does that it’s a good trend but to post serious numbers it will have to be impressive even during the week. All a tall order based on the Fri number, specially with a genre that even on its best day is heavily front-loaded or makes most of its money going in. The film would have to buck this more or less historic trend to put up anything sizable.
LikeLike
January 7, 2012 at 11:27 AM
Watched Players (as Dragon Tattoo which was supposed to open did not open in Mumbai). Quite frankly this is a major crap-fest. DMD/ Raavan are classics compared to this. Even Race was much better. Don2 was way more entertaining. Except for probably Neil the performances are shallow. This will fold up in 10 days. Big Cinemas has 25% occupancy for Sat eve 5:30pm show!
LikeLike
January 7, 2012 at 12:05 PM
Satyam, today i had discussions with my friends, some of them are die hard bachchan fans. The topic was about negativity surrounding Abhishek .. and its effect on Amitabh career .. Our conclusion was :
1. Till 2001, Amitabh movies were getting huge openings .. Mrityudata, Major Saab, Bade Miyan Chote Miyan, Aks and even Lal badshah opened to great response at boxoffice, regardless of final fate. Bade Miyan Chote Miyan even broke the opening week record.
2. Telly of Abhishek flops effected Amitabh movies as well, because naam to bachchans ka hi kharaab ho raha tha.
3. It was only 2005, when things were seems to be improving .. with 2005 year owned totally by Amitabh and Abhishek.
4. But Abhishek is on down spree since then.
5. Abhishek is at lowest point of his career, and more than flops, he has been criticized by majority for bad movies and sometime acting(Jab waqt bura ho to sab bura ho jaata hai, and there is no way he can go further down.
6. But this is pain to see Amitabh sir also suffering because of Abhishek’s failures. Miserable openings of some later Amitabh movies are proof that Abhishek damaged him as well.
I am not sure what is solution now. I am Amitabh bachchan fan and well wisher of Abhishek(Even like him whenever he does good job regardless of boxoffice). But any how Amit ji is my priority. This is pain to see him in pain because of Abhishek.
LikeLike
January 7, 2012 at 12:28 PM
I fundamentally disagree with just about every single conclusion you’ve reached but I’ve been through this too many times before to repeat everything except to stress one point — I’ve said a number of times that Abhishek could either be a major star or nobody. The option of just being a lower tier star was closed off to him. Much of what I’ve seen in recent times confirms this to my mind. But again I try to learn from the box office whether it’s a success or failure. The problem with most positions people have on stars or films isn’t really whether one can agree with them or not but that they remain fixed dogmatically irrespective of the circumstances. We see in many of the successes and failures what we want to see in them. The problem is particularly acute with most people who are under 30 or under 25 today because their link to the history is very fragile or non-existent. And so a kind of ‘presentism’ dominates. And what happens is that when huge surprises are thrown up by stars or films (I could name very many major surprises in this past decade) these are just taken as ‘givens’ without anyone analyzing how and why the result came about. So for example Aamir was doing well enough in the 90s, he then reinvented himself with Lagaan which is once in a lifetime moment but that reinvention also comes about when many of the historical forces are on your side. Lagaan couldn’t have been a great moment in 1995. Not literally so but as a matter of probability. Much as Ghajini couldn’t have come in 2002. Similarly and even moreso Salman could have been this resurgent and this big only at this moment in time. These are just examples but I could offer many individual films where the ultimate success ratio was simply not predictable. But again once it happens people take it as a given. That’s not analysis however. That is just describing what ‘is’.
Getting back to Abhishek I have seen both among fans and non-fans the obsession with his physical appearance. This too I fundamentally disagree with. I am not saying ‘anything goes’ but those who are obsessed with him in this sense feel the problem is that he isn’t more like other stars who work out or whatever. It is not that I don’t believe these things would help to a degree but the essential problem in terms of his box office woes lies elsewhere.
In any case people tend to say more or less the same things at every stage. Salman in a refreshing bit of candor said on the eve of the Ready release that he was lucky that he had Wanted and Dabanng behind him and the film had become hot, otherwise some years prior to this it wouldn’t have done much. And he was absolutely right. For most of the past decade even the films of his that worked as comedies or whatever were flatlined at a certain gross.
The reasons are different for different stars but it requires reinvention by the star but also a confluence of historical forces. Because a star cannot conduct just ‘any’ reinvention. It has to be in keeping with a certain core of his signature. Salman couldn’t have suddenly become a Yashraj hero all those years ago. SRK never had the credibility doing different that Aamir did. And so on.
finally if one considers success or failure to be overdetermined based on one’s pre-suppositions one reads everything a certain way. Even with successful stars there are very few films that literally open up new avenues of reinvention. Similarly different successes or failures must be treated differently. Lagaan or RDB didn’t put the Ghajini or 3I sort of numbers but they are not less important otherwise.
With Abhishek and assuming Players doesn’t pick up he is at a serious crisis. A truly serious ‘existential’ crisis which goes beyond a bad run at the box office. However there is still great opportunity here. At the risk of sounding crazy I believe he can still reshape his career more profoundly than Hrithik who’s never quite had to and who’s always remained despite some of the different efforts essentially the KNPH guy and is so perceived by the audience (which is why in a different film he either has to be the D2 kind of guy.. the attractive physical specimen as in JA.. or fly below the radar as in ZNMD or now Agneepath.. in other words the films are not ‘essentially’ about him as a star-actor). I’d even say that Abhishek’s crisis is greater precisely because his potential is far more profound. But it’s now beyond just getting a hit or two. It’s about creating that moment with the audience where he once again seems ‘definitive’ as he did from Yuva through Guru. It’s like the Dabanng thing.. the important point here is not the scale of the success but that Salman electrified the audience for the first more or less since his debut period, even moreso in many ways. Whether you were a Salman fan or not you had to like him in Dabanng. This is different for every star but that is the sort of moment Abhishek now needs. And again this is the sort of thing that SRK has not been able to manage in many years whether in hits or in flops. so on and so forth.
But again I disagree with 99% of the propositions that are available on Abhishek either in the media or in the blogosphere. And it’s not because I am partial to Abhishek. I disagree with most of what is said about other stars too.
LikeLike
January 7, 2012 at 1:42 PM
Satyam, what is the reason for people not turning up to his movies?
In your view which roles Abhishek should take up at this stage?
LikeLike
January 7, 2012 at 2:53 PM
LOL Ted where have you been these past few years?!
But to answer your question briefly (and very briefly by my standards!) I have never believed that the audience (fans or not) really want a six pack from him or that kind of gym physicality.
Abhishek should do two kinds of roles really and then the commercial stuff can be like fillers in between. In other words his core is defined by something else and he should keep returning to it with escapist or formula interludes regularly. What do I mean by this? Firstly Southern masala. Not just anything but proper narrative-oriented stuff like Okkadu and Ghajini that covers a large audience base because the films in question have action and romance and comedy and emotional resonance and so on. Or even a more stream-lined narrative like Kakka Kakka (of course they messed it up with Force) which nonetheless plays to his strengths. And have Southern directors make these films because hardly any Bombay director has that immediate connection with this heritage anymore. Even if they do they don’t really know how to handle stardom on this terrain which is not just about putting actors in these films and making them successes. Southern directors understand the Bachchan signature better than anyone in Bombay today and moreover understand Abhishek’s potential better than anyone else too (and of course from RGV to Rathnam Southern directors have given him his most important parts!). The nothing masala film which is simply a joyride can be used as a filler but it shouldn’t be the main deal. And again most of the Bombay genres just don’t highlight Abhishek’s physical strengths because they’re made for gym bodies and a certain bland kind of physicality. Obvious ‘types’ or obvious models of global beauty. If abhishek were in Tamil cinema he would have no problem at all. Because they make many films he’d be perfectly suited for in all kinds of genres. Bombay is just a very different cup of tea. It’s not about getting a hit in a Dostana or something. That sort of thing should be the exception because that doesn’t highlight his physicality the way a Sarkar or a Guru or a Yuva or a DMD does.
But on the Bombay front there should be author-backed parts that really highlight his ‘thespian’ attributes if you will. The stuff that got him great reviews even as recently as DMD. The only ‘compromise’ that should be made at this point is that the different should have an obvious hook with the audience, a very clear narrative. It cannot be experimental at this stage of the game. Not every role can be a Guru of course but a strong part with a proper ‘commercial’ narrative. It could be Rathnam or Neeraj Pandey or Santoshi. A number of directors who can do this at various budgets.
In sum something that plays to his strengths one way or the other. A Players or something of the sort is fine in between but it shouldn’t be what his career depends. Of the upcoming films I think Bol Bachchan is fine. D3 not as much. Because these are plastic genres and he’s for better or worse too ‘authentic’ as an actor and in physical terms.
As for the audience I have always said this — they want special things from him. They don’t him to be his father’s clone in any ways but they want films where the ‘difference’ of being a Bachchan comes through one way or the other. A wide variety of genres are fine but these cannot be films which though commercially viable have him in central roles that are otherwise not invested with symbolic potency. Abhishek has to ‘mean’ something more than the centrality of the part.
The other stuff like ‘laid-back’ and ‘lack of intensity’ and ‘doesn’t work out’ and what not are just improper translation of certain emotional responses people have to his stuff. I understand what’s going on here but the vocabulary used is I believe wrong. with the right film everything falls in place. The audience automatically defines whatever it likes with the vocabulary it likes and vice versa. If I like an actor in a film I say he’s intense, if not I say he didn’t connect and what not. I never take this stuff very seriously. In the movie business these things turn on a dime. After the event everyone becomes an analyst. It’s easy to say later why something worked and something didn’t but most of what is truly important at any given point isn’t completely predictable. The predictable is never that significant even when it works. Lagaan and Rangeela matter over time, not Raja Hindustani! So on and so forth.
I do think Abhishek needs a serious change of strategy which builds on his failures (because there is a lot to be redeemed here) but if I were advising him I’d urge him to forget 99% of the stuff that’s said about him in the media and in the blogosphere. You can be successful doing the obvious, even very successful but you cannot be important doing this. Any important star at any point in time is always about doing what was not predictable even if he or she eventually gets institutionalized. The same goes with movies.
LikeLike
January 7, 2012 at 7:06 PM
Even if Players will fail at box office, Abhi have films like Bol bachcan, Chakravuh and Dhoom3 are there. But his career will depend what type of movies he will select after Dhoom3 success.Luckily for Abhishek every thing is available if he want to act in mass movies .If he wants produce his banner ABCL is there and directors like Raj kumar santhoshi,Rohi shetty etc interested to work with him.Also Bigb has good contacts with south industry so they can easily purchase rights for what ever movie they want and also if he want to remakes his father movies there.Only thing is he need to make correct decision on box office point of view.One thing he need to remember other actors like Salman,Akshay,hrithik,SRK and even Aamil are not fools doing south ramakes and his father remakes.Abhi also need to understand his father bacame suaperstar because of masses and they loved him.He need to do movies what ordinary Indian likes not something like mero cenetric or class movies.
LikeLike
January 8, 2012 at 7:53 AM
I feel masala doesn’t work for him. He has to keep doing Delhi-6/DMD kind of films even with low profile directors.
He has to restrict his number of films. Saturday’s figures are very low, looks like a flop from the day one.
LikeLike
January 7, 2012 at 12:20 PM
I think players will pickup during weekend.
LikeLike
January 7, 2012 at 12:26 PM
Satyam,
Ha ha…you are certainly not the first who has felt outraged at this new avatar of Holmes !!
Btw BBC Entertainment channel also started a new “Sherlock” series in 2010…which is about Holmes & Watson solving mysteries in the modern world using latest gizmos !! Some of the episode titles read as “Scandal in Belgravia”, “The Hounds of the Baskerville” !!!
Guess Arthur Conan Doyle must be turning in his grave now !!!
LikeLike
January 7, 2012 at 12:30 PM
Alex,
LOL…My “female” style of writing ??!!!!
Am speechless, now….really don’t know what to say !!! Ha ha ha
LikeLike
January 7, 2012 at 12:36 PM
Satyam,
Leaving aside how Holmes has been portrayed…purely on a cinematic level, Game of Shadows is atleast a well made & damn good entertainer if nothing else…most recent Indian films which pass off as “entertainers” have failed to deliver even in this aspect eg. Ready, Bodyguard….long list !!!
LikeLike
January 7, 2012 at 2:58 PM
taran_adarsh taran adarsh
#Players Friday: USA $ 66,200 on 85 screens. Dull start.
LikeLike
January 7, 2012 at 6:57 PM
So what is the consensus on Players, will there be a Players 2 ?
Currently it looks like 12-15 Cr weekend at most (perhaps less). So what does that make Players in todays’s world, i.e. the world post BG. Lets use our new yardstick to analyze this.
LikeLike
January 7, 2012 at 8:04 PM
Watched players
V Good occupancy for this screen -maybe due to sat nite
Went in with v low expectations. In these cases, good to take entertaining company, Incase the movie fails to…
Overall an ok reasonably executed entertainer–does what it says ‘on the tin’-nothing more, nothing less…
Typical all round twists, comedy, masala…
Liked the Russia/ train sequences
Have a certain liking for that Murmansk stretch–have been there myself and have some fond experiences (not of the train robbery types though)
Abbas mustan do what they do best
Performances
Abhishrek does alright–seems to be ‘holding back’& underplaying most of the time(even where not required)
For me it’s always about moments-he did show some glimpses of being a star actor though–
The ‘Talking to bobbys daughter on phone’ was well handled by abhishrek -went nothing wrong in that scene but such ‘depth’ was probably out of place for this film
This film stands out for getting the girls DO something substantial-be it being an automotive expert (that too a railway engine) or a computer hacker or a masterful seducer
They weren’t just arm candy-so THAT’S something creditable lol
Neil is ok but nothing as being made out to be. Have always found him promising somewhat with good looks. Have only see him in new York and he was very good there
Bobby deol-felt truly sorry/ sympathetic for him and his plight.
C’mon man: he is bad times but his length (of role) was embarrassing although he was ok
Bipasha does well ; better than I expected: she is ageing well (so far) and she is showing some staying power
Sonam-she can be photogenic but her looks / hair etc can be very inconsistent -needed someone with real oomph here
Coming to the film-it doesn’t deserve to flop and won’t (though sopme parts of the media with agenda may prove it)
But won’t make it to a conclusive earner/hit status either
LikeLike
January 7, 2012 at 8:14 PM
I think players is a history now.
LikeLike
January 7, 2012 at 11:06 PM
i pity u…for comparing srk and abhi..its like david (abhi) and goliath (srk) in popularity:)
LikeLike
January 7, 2012 at 11:44 PM
Thanks for ‘Team Players’ to keep the promise.
Since the release day i am seeung heavy bashing of players which, in my view, is not right. The team player kept thier promise and i am giving you point by point explanation.
1- They said “Jis jagah pe khatam sabki baat hoti hai us jagah se hamaru shuruaat hoti hai”. So thier you go Jitne carore per doosri films ka buisness khatam hota hai us jagah per Players ka buisness Shuru (4 cr) hota hai.
2- They said “Buddhi de bhagwan”. So they prayed to the god that Viewers ko itni buddhi do ki wo is film ko dekhne nahi aayain but still if you went there it is your fault.
3- Sonam showed middle finger. She told the viewers fuck you. I don’t give a damn it this film become hit or flop one thing i know is that Abhishek is there to take full responsibility of the disater.
4- Bipasha in two piece bikani. She knew what she has ot offer to the viewer and she done all hard work for it and showed a tonned body.
5- When the makers announced the film, i had said “Sabhi Top oh i mean agar flopstars ko hi lena tha to Aftab or Fardeen khan ne kya bigada tha”. So even in this front they didn’t disappoint ed me and took Aftab.
So here we go. Whatever the promised they kept it intact and i am loving it.
LikeLike
January 8, 2012 at 12:20 AM
lol..
”Players” should renamed to “Strugglers”
LikeLike
January 8, 2012 at 12:05 AM
“Just look where Bachchans are placed in the industry this time and where Srk is”
If you are pointing towards Amitabh bachchan, At age 70, he has still power to give even new generation run of their mill. And you know this in your heart,
If you are pointing towards Abhishek, That’s fine.
And for SRK, he is unable to collect much now. Its pity to see his fans are melt to the level that they are happy even at 100 Crore of DON .. which was expected to be BAAP of all movies and expectations was as big as 300 crore(before release of RA.One).
LikeLike
January 8, 2012 at 1:18 AM
Nagpur PLAYERS Saturday v Friday
Sunday 8th January 2011 10.00 IST
Boxofficeindia.Com Trade Network
Players showed a small jump in Nagpur but jump is too small considering low opwning.
Liberty – 38,498 (44,384)
Alankar – 17,869 (18,683)
Jayshree – 16,812 (27,440)
Rajvilas – 6,602 (9,003)
Big Sangam – 17,417 (13,898)
Inox Poonam – 73,321 (53,607)
Inox Jaswant – 59,236 (54,716)
Cinemax – 1,44,946 (1,31,963)
TOTAL – 3,74,701 (3,53,694) +5.65%
LikeLike
January 8, 2012 at 1:38 AM
lol this is height of desperation ..srk has been now compared to abhishek at its new low which further indicated the degarading stardom of srk
economics here does not match at all
don is a 75 cr movie released on 3200 screens and players is a 35 cr movie released on 2000 screen
this is a new low for srk certainly
LikeLike
January 8, 2012 at 1:59 AM
actually it is a sequel of so called average film which again is va sequel of highly sucessful classic which had great shelf life … a director who has brand name and a list actress to go along with a favourable time …it undeperformedf
what would one calll a 20 cr singham which earned that much actually a tad more
LikeLike
January 8, 2012 at 2:03 AM
box office dynamics in india is changing big time and this is to go with multiplexes going and reaching interiors which represents a huge chunk of indian population(40 to 50%) which has underrepresentation
domestic market in india will expand big time
LikeLike
January 8, 2012 at 2:06 AM
for some reason my comments keep opening in a new response…most of the response is to karan…and the one is to you satyam…not sure why it keeps doing a new response box.
LikeLike
January 8, 2012 at 3:11 AM
http://boxofficeindia.com/boxnewsdetail.php?page=shownews&articleid=3903&nCat=
not good to see boi report…..
LikeLike
January 8, 2012 at 3:11 AM
Players Fails Badly At The Box Office
Sunday 8th January 2012 13.30 IST
Boxofficeindia.Com Trade Network
Players has got the year off to a very bad start as collections could not pick up on Saturday after a poor start. The first day collected around 4.60 crore nett and second day is in the same region. It could be 10-15 lakhs more or less when final collections come in but Players needed a 30-40% jump to even have a respectable weekend. The weekend is likely to be 15 crore nett at best.
Delhi/UP
Friday – 95 lakhs
Saturday – 93 lakhs
CP Berar
Friday – 21 lakhs
Saturday – 19 lakhs
CI
Friday – 18.50 lakhs
Saturday – 15.80 lakhs
Nizam
Friday – 28 lakhs
Saturday – 23 lakhs
Mysore
Friday – 23 lakhs
Saturday – 29 lakhs
LikeLike
January 8, 2012 at 3:36 AM
Komal Nahta Reviews Players
Komal is such a pathetic reviewer. Producer kaun hai movie ka. Paise bheje nahin iske ghar pe 😉
LikeLike
January 8, 2012 at 6:18 AM
“Fans call him that, and SRK being SRK uses it to needle people like the ones on this blog”–haha
Oldie goldie–what were your views on don2, players…
LikeLike
January 8, 2012 at 6:47 AM
You haven’t been reading my comments. I’ve already written what I thought about the two films.
LikeLike
January 8, 2012 at 8:19 AM
I told yesterday that this film ll be out of theatres by wednesday but it seems it ll be before that.
LikeLike
January 8, 2012 at 9:10 AM
LOL…as expected after the ridiculous comparisons earlier between Dhobi Ghat & Ra.One/Don 2, it is now the turn to compare star power/ box office draw of SRK & Abhishek !! Wow !!!
Of course that is well expected of SRK fans…now when Don 2 has failed to come even close to the collections of Salman/Aamir’s films in India, it becomes very convenient to start comparisons with the collections of Players !!
“Players is a mass market product, Don 2 is a niche market (shall we say Class market) product. ”
This is even more priceless. What an absurd statement !!
Since Don 2 failed to get even an opening at single screens, it suddenly has become a “niche/class” product…Joke !!!
For god’s sake, the really Niche/Class product films are released in limited screens and certainly not 3000+ screens which Don 2 was !!
If Don 2 were really a “niche market/class product”, why the hell was it released on a record 3600 screens ??
Enough said…don’t want to waste energy on clarifying these laughable statements !!
LikeLike
January 8, 2012 at 10:22 AM
Shubh
It is not enough to make statements, it is required to support them. You have the right to call something ridiculous, but unless you support that, it is you who ends up looking ridiculous.
Also lets stop calling each other fans etc, it does not help your case.
Don 2 has been a success, eat your heart out. It now resides in the rare 100 + Cr club (200 + possible). Very few films have achieved that. Let me ephadize this by saying that neither Sr nor Jr Bachchan have achieved that yet. Hence, you claiming it has failed (without justification) you appear irrational.
LikeLike
January 8, 2012 at 10:56 AM
Lolll .. Sr. B has given Dozens of 500+ Crore grosser in his hey days (Inflation adjusted) .. get your facts right.
LikeLike
January 8, 2012 at 11:15 AM
The list of movies that have made 100+ Cr worldwide is finite. It is a list of movies hat have made that amount at the BO, not in someone’s mind via “creative adjustments”. It gives me no joy to clinically report that neither Sr nor Jr have made into that very small & exclusive club. Sorry
LikeLike
January 8, 2012 at 12:21 PM
lol hillarious another absurd comment
may be people should understand there is a term called inflation and adjusting inflation highest grosser of all time in bollywood history is sholay including many of sr b movies
further analogy of don as niche product and players is mass product is hillarious to say hilt so has been comparison of stardom of abhishek to cover underperformance of don 2
both are westernised rip off of variois hw movies further one is a 75 cr movie released on 3500 screend and another 35 cr movir released on 2000 screens…
niche products don’t have this much big release its just another cover up for huge underperformance in single screens
LikeLike
January 8, 2012 at 11:18 AM
Interesting points here shubh lol^^ haha
“You haven’t been reading my comments”-oops-old gold -I seem to be guilty of that ‘sin’ lol
Ps-just saw it-nahata does seem selectively cruel in this players ‘review’. He has said much mushier words over bigger crap …
LikeLike
January 8, 2012 at 9:26 AM
“Let’s discuss BO using the principals of finance and economics.”
Thanks for the advice !!
Think principals of finance/economics, what constitutes Niche market/mass market film etc. need to be first understood before having these downright absurd BO discussions !!!
LikeLike
January 8, 2012 at 10:26 AM
Shubh
That was meant to imply that your double standards under any pretext cannot be allowed. Whether SRK or Aamir or Salman or Abhishek in tier 3, the same rules apply.
LikeLike
January 8, 2012 at 10:38 AM
Nahata has 4.5-5 crores for Sat.
LikeLike
January 8, 2012 at 10:39 AM
akshayerathi Akshaye Rathi
@
@juniorbachchan @VIVECKVASWANI collections have picked up today. Much better shows than fri / sat. Expect it to be rock steady of Monday.
LikeLike
January 8, 2012 at 10:54 AM
Here’s the deal. With many films these days Sat collections are flatlined which is to say there’s no pickup or there’s a negligible one. Sun then usually offers a proper jump depending on how well the film has been received. I’ve seen with some 100 crore grossers forget others.
With DMD the collections were more or less flatlined across the weekend. The thing is that with films that have a strong start some of the flatlining though it is indicative of trending nonetheless leads to a considerable total.
With Players on the other hand because of the low start and the flatlined Sat you need a super Sun and moreover solid weekdays and then a second weekend almost comparable to the first one. Because there’s nowhere to fall from the first Fri! So it remains a tall order here.
Having said that this doesn’t mean that one should simply accept the lowest possible estimates many have dished out. I don’t accept the 4.5 crore number as a matter of common sense. Why? According to BOI this was DMD’s number on day 1. However for that film some of the same sources suggested even worse opening day percentages and at least not greater than the ones Players supposedly had. Given that Players has many more screens how is it possible for it to have the same very same total?!
ETC had a 6 crore number which is hardly unreasonable given that Raavan after terrible WOM had this on day 1 (according to BOI again). So matching Raavan 1.5 years later is hardly an accomplishment. Plus 6 crores could easily be the number after allowing for screen count adjustment. The reason this makes a difference is that if you have 6 crores on day 1, 6 again on day 2 and if say 8 crores on Sun (not a great jump) you get a 20 crores weekend. However if you deliberately use the lowest numbers possible you have 9 crores between Fri and Sat and then if you do a Sun jump of 6-7 crores you still have only 15 crores. Then in week 1 you keep doing the same and you have at the most 22-23 crores. However in the other scenario you get something closer to 30. Again assuming the very same trendline in each case.
30 is hardly great for the film but it is half-decent. With 23 there’s really nothing to do! ETC has a 6 crore number. So it’s not that no one has this. This is where these things make a difference and I’ve made this point consistently for years. when you keep chipping away at the number it adds up to something significant even if on any given day it might not seem like a huge difference. The same holds at the other end. When numbers have to be inflated in other cases extremely high and improbably high numbers are used. And I’m not saying it with Players. I’ve said it for Abhishek hits as well, that even BOI accepted as hits but where the numbers were depressed.
The fate of Players does not depend on this kind of dishonest reporting but it’s important to point it out. And this applies to partisans as well who just prefer the lowest numbers on one film and the highest on another.
Again Players doing something significant at this point is improbable. Sun usually shows a jump unless a film tanks. Some minimal jump is there. If it shows a big jump perhaps it has a big level of support but if it’s a 10-15% thing that’s not enough for a film that has opened this way. At that point the only rescue would be if it stayed rock steady at that lower level. Films don’t do that! Certainly not in this genre. And the ones that do create history at some level. Yet the numbers have to be represented for what they are and I don’t buy the lowest possible numbers when they come from those who have clearly been pushing an agenda much as I don’t accept the highest possible numbers from the same in other instances where a different agenda is being pushed.
LikeLike
January 8, 2012 at 12:30 PM
let me correct some facts a so called big releae has no clean number from trade …
on first day an analyst says 4.5 cr (but more numbers are coming up -taran adarsh)
another one called komal nahata vall a 6r day one …estimates never had this one big range
btw for your information satyam a site called boi reported 3.5 cr day 1 for dmd and changed it to 5.4 cr only when producer rohan sippy released the number
LikeLike
January 8, 2012 at 10:59 AM
JugrajRohit Jugraj Rohit
@
@juniorbachchan WORD OF MOUTH BUILDING UP STRONG,Gaiety Galaxy House full last nite an tonite,like i said AUDIENCES r d true trade Pundits!
JugrajRohit Jugraj Rohit
@bipsluvurself AUDIENCES at delhi DT cinemas, BHOPAL & GUJARAT – House Full In Night Shows! They Loving PLAYERS! Word Of mouth going STRONG.
VIVECKVASWANI viveck vaswani
@
@juniorbachchan audiences at inox loving the film, Word of mouth extremely strong! Day to day pick up!
LikeLike
January 8, 2012 at 11:52 AM
I hope and prey that Players picked up to great extent today and give very healthy collections on next 3 weeks. Just a ray of hope, given that movie was really good.
LikeLike
January 8, 2012 at 11:54 AM
If the improbable here seems somewhat possible it’s because it has a three week free run..
LikeLike
January 8, 2012 at 12:23 PM
have told you on first day itself expectation is pretty low but it has 3 week free run and wom on multiplexes are quite good
will be another multiplex driven movie
LikeLike
January 8, 2012 at 1:49 PM
akshayerathi Akshaye Rathi
@
@juniorbachchan recorded some audience reaction and sent it for thee…hear it out & put a big smile on ur face now! 😉
LikeLike
January 8, 2012 at 11:19 AM
Don 2 Emerges BLOCKBUSTER Overseas
Wednesday 4th January 2012 09.00 IST
Boxofficeindia.Com Trade Network
Don 2 has emerged a blockbuster and the biggest hit of the year in Overseas as its business till now stands at around $10.5 million. It willbe the highest grosser of the year in most of the Overseas markets. Don 2 should do around $12 million plus (INR 63 crore plus) in Overseas and it is likely to have a second phase release which should add more. The business in the major markets over its first ten days is as follows.
United Kingdom – £1,120,000
North America – $3,175,000
UAE – $2,100,000
Australia – $625,000
LikeLike
January 8, 2012 at 11:32 AM
Teasing through the box office minutiae, there are a few unibiased observations from don2/players—
A)Abhishrek bachchan is in a never before crisis. He still has films in the bag to keep him going and suspect that will keep getting some more for the time being (though this will get increasingly difficult &now producers will be wary-this will reflect in the type of roles/makers he gets)
Time for him to reinvent ASAP. Also to get involved in other areas like production, technicalities, music etc to get a holistic view of the movie business and shun this ‘ivory tower ish’ approach. And try not to touch anything mediocre, even at the cost of sitting @home (with ash)
B)don2/raone proved that SRK is far from gone/’spent force’
Posting near 100crore in both is not a joke
But the claims of ‘I’m the greatest’/no 1 etc etc are not true either.
These were his bigger bets. These haven’t beaten the current número Uno numbers thrown up by Salman/aamir and co.
So start of a new life/phase for SRK wherein he is amongst a cohort near the top but not THE no1. There are issues about his pull in India -though in the overseas, can vouch that he is still unparalleled I’m totality
C) all the best to aamir/ Salman in throwing up those big nos in 3idiots/ bodyguard etc. now hope they replicate/consolidate on those in their upcoming ones (talash, ek tha tiger) –which look promising but u never know-it’s a sticky wicket u know lol
LikeLike
January 8, 2012 at 11:46 AM
Satyam- trailer for The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. It looks good 🙂
http://www.film-news.co.uk/show-news.asp?H=The-Best-Exotic-Marigold-Hotel-trailer&nItemID=8785
LikeLike
January 8, 2012 at 11:47 AM
Seriously incredible cast too.
LikeLike
January 8, 2012 at 12:04 PM
An appeal on box office ‘debates’-to all ‘parties'(for n against)
Suggest that box office minutiae and trivialities are better left to those (poor) souls who’ve actually out in their moolah into films like players/don2
Bottom line summaries usually suffice for most (as outlined above in points ato c)
One should enjoy the movies /performances, pull up underperformers/ brilliance/oomph/ machismo etc etc and move on…
Not to get entangled in counting the pennies and pounds for the distributors/producers.
In any case-there is a lot of ‘underhand’ stuff in financial dealings due to many factors liege income tax liability, etc etc-which will never be factored in these ‘debates’
So chill n move on …
Ps-
Amy-hope u were ‘studying’ hard all this while… And were not unwell or something…
‘concentrating’ in exams and all that !!
Missed all your updates lol
Ps-as per shubhs ‘extreme’ recommendations-thinking Sherlock -shadow worth checkin out. Anyone else checked it out?
LikeLike
January 8, 2012 at 12:13 PM
Haha Alex- I’ve not been studying too hard- just the opposite- I really need to start studying. I was on holiday and I wasn’t checking any blogs.
I saw Sherlock Holmes 2 – quite mediocre and a let down after the fun first film. I’m a huge Robert Downey Jr fan and he was the only reason I liked this film. I recommend you skip it and watch the superb BBC TV series on Sherlock instead. 🙂
LikeLike
January 8, 2012 at 12:19 PM
Ok boss^^
Won’t see Sherlock –anyhow time constraints (though shubh was going orgasmic over it)
And don’t worry -we will make sure u ‘ study’ hard in between the blogging hehe
Will check what u r upto on the net from time to time -joking
Saw don2/mi4/ricky bahl recently -what did up think of those
Oops -need 2 do some work
LikeLike
January 8, 2012 at 12:38 PM
MI4 was good fun. I did not watch Don2, Ricky Bahl or Players- not interested in any of them.
Films I am interested in watching this year-
Talaash
Kahaani
Vishal Baradwaj’s new film with Imran and Anuskha
Rani-Prithviraj rom-com
Lootera
Bhaag Mikha Bhaag
Shanghai
Guilty pleasure-
Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu
Teri Meru Prem Kahaani
Ali Zafar rom-com
Might watch, depending on trailers-
Agent Vinod
Gangs of Wasseypur
Heroine
Ek Tha Tiger
What’s your list? 🙂
LikeLike
January 8, 2012 at 1:26 PM
Amy-that’s an interesting and promising list
Only a few of these bollywood releases will reach my local multiplex- will try n see them
Prefer seeing them on the big screen and am a bit ‘preoccupied’ (ie lazy) to travel far to catch em
“What’s your list?”
Think shanghai, agent Vinod, talaash( hate that name), ek tha tiger look more interesting
Ps– so how did u find your favourite Kareena in ek main ek tu–don’t worry: no penalties for liking her (exemption only for u)
Btw her “rate my bum” act –oh, someone control my urge to spank her out of sheer irritation
Hahaaha
LikeLike
January 8, 2012 at 12:47 PM
Alex,
Ha ha…wasn’t going “orgasmic” over Game of Shadows…just personally loved the film purely as a entertainer & so recommended it…that does not mean that it will appeal to everyone…in fact quite a few would be outraged at the film and justifiably so, they have their reasons…On the other hand, there are many others who are lapping it up bi g time ( saying this from the first hand audience reactions in the cinema I saw it )
Do catch it later if possible on DVD/torrent & let me know.
With Oscar season coming up, looking forward now to the likely nominees like Moneyball, Descendants, Artist, Hugo etc. these should be coming out in theatres in next month or so.
LikeLike
January 8, 2012 at 12:53 PM
Alex,
dude, aren’t you worried ?? I mean, at all ??? Karankumar seems hell bent on taking over oldgold’s place in giving priceless & laugh out loud return shots !! 🙂
LikeLike
January 8, 2012 at 1:16 PM
Haha shubh : u are an entertainer lol^^
You mentioned in your previous comments that old gold has apparently joined my (long) list of “girlfriends”
She is finding this difficult to “cope with”–so she is not able to concentrate on SRK/his defence
Haha
LikeLike
January 8, 2012 at 1:35 PM
best to not make it a continuous back and forth over the same points.. I see where you’re coming from but it gets pointless after a while.
LikeLike
January 8, 2012 at 10:25 PM
Shubh
There is no race going on here. No one is ahead, no one is behind. We are all sharing ideas and thoughts. The person who takes away the most (even if he does not contribute) is the winner, i.e. if you are hell bent on looking for winners.
LikeLike
January 8, 2012 at 1:38 PM
Box Office Report: ‘The Devil Inside’ Opens to Record Breaking $34.5 Mil
9:02 AM PST 1/8/2012 by Pamela McClintock
The Devil Inside Possessed Woman – H 2012
Paramount Pictures
Paramount’s micro-budgeted horror film scores the biggest opening of all time for early January, and the third biggest for the month; David Fincher’s “Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” enjoys strongest hold of any wide release.
In a boost for the domestic box office, Paramount’s horror pic The Devil Inside opened to a record-breaking $34.5 million, helping to drive up theatrical revenues by more than 25 percent over last year.
The R-rated movie–acquired by Paramount for only $1 million–scored the best opening ever for early January, and the third biggest for the month after fellow Paramount title Cloverfield ($40.1 million) and George Lucas’ 1997 reissue of Star Wars ($35.9 million). Those two films were released in late January.
The Devil Inside is as polarizing as it is successful. Overall, it received an F CinemaScore on Friday night, although almost as many gave it an A (16 percent) as did an F (19 percent). The majority, or 47 percent, gave it a C and a D. Generally speaking, It’s not uncommon for horror titles to get lower CinemaScores.
Underpinning The Devil Inside’s strength were younger moviegoers, who have been largely absent from the multiplex. Nearly 60 percent of Friday night’s audience were under the age of 25, while 85 percent of the audience was under the age of 34.
Males made up 54 percent of those buying tickets.
Paramount president of domestic marketing and distribution Megan Colligan said the campaign for Devil Inside focused on making the film seem real, evidenced by the sogan “the film the Vatican doesn’t want you to see.” And on Christmas Eve, the stuido released an online trailer that prompted worldwide chatter.
“The campaign was very scary and it was intended to push the envelope,” Colligan said. “The conversation online became very robust.”
The Devil Inside took the No. 1 spot away from Paramount title Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, which itself stayed strong.
Ghost Protocol, which had topped the box office chart since opening nationwide on Dec. 20, dipped 30 percent from New Year’s weekend to $20.5 million for a hefty domestic cume of $170.2 milion. Overseas, the movie grossed $27.7 million for the weekend for an international cume of $287.9 million and worldwide total of $458.1 million.
The Tom Cruise pic wasn’t the only holiday title still enjoying good business in North America.
Warner Bros.’ sequel Sherlock Holmes–Game of Shadows also stayed high up on the box office chart, falling 33 percent to $14.1 million for a domestic cume of $157.4 million.
David Fincher’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo made news for Sony, sporting the best hold of any film in wide release and falling only 24 percent to $11.3 million for a domestic cume of $76.8 million. Dragon Tattoo continued its rollout overseas, grossing $12 million from 33 territories for an international total of $29.3 million and word cume of $106.1 million.
Fox’s Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked grossed $9.5 million for a domestic cume of $111.6 million. Internationally, the 3D family film enjoyed its strongest weekend yet, grossing $30.1 million from 62 markets for a foreign total of $128.4 million and world haul of $240 million.
DreamWorks and Disney’s War Horse, from Steven Spielberg, grew its domestic cume to $64.4 million, followed by Cameron Crowe’s We Bought a Zoo with $56.4 million. War Horse has only opened in four international markets, grossing $7.6 million to date for a world total of $64.4 million. Zoo has earned $2.6 million internationally from 14 markets for a world total of $69.9 million.
Spielberg’s second holiday film The Adventures of Tintin, from Paramount and Sony, has jumped the $300 million mark worldwide. It’s earned $61.9 million domestically and a hefty $271.8 million overseas for a total $333.7 million.
Making news at the awards box office on Friday was Focus Features and Working Title’s arthouse hit Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, which came in No. 9 for the weekend as it expanded from 57 theaters to 809 locations, grossing an estimated $5.8 million for a domestic cume of $10.4 million.
Tinker Tailor flourished in surburban markets–a theater in the surburbs north of Oklahama City was No. 5 in the country–as well as continuing to thrive in holdover art house locations.
The Devil Inside, which is being released via Paramount’s micro-budgeted Insurge label, was acquired by the studio for a mere $1 million. Insurge was launched after the phenomenal success of another low-budget Paramount horror film, Paranormal Activity.
PHOTOS: Iconic Horror Movies
Heading into the weekend, Paramount indicated that The Devil Inside would open in the $8 million to $10 million range, but that number was revised upward in light of the film’s midnight performance Thursday night, followed by strong Friday business. The Devil Inside earned $2 million in its midnight runs.
Directed and co-written by William Brent Bell, the documentary style Devil Inside is about a woman who becomes involved in a series of exorcisms after her own mother was supposedly possessed, killing three people. Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Steven Schneider, a producer on the Paranormal Activity franchise, brought the project to Paramount.
The Devil Inside was the only new wide release of the weekend.
Domestic Box Office Jan. 6-Jan. 8
Title/Weeks in Release/Studio/Theater Count/Three Day Weekend Total/Cume
1. The Devil Inside (1) Paramount/2,205, $34.5 million
2. Mission: Impossible–Ghost Protocol (4), Paramount/3,555, $20.5 million, $170.2 million
3. Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (4), Warner Bros./3,603, $14.1 million, $157.4 million
4. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (3), Sony/2950, $11.4 million, $76.8 million
5. Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked (4), 20th Century Fox/3,425, $9.5 million, $111.6 million
6. War Horse (3), DreamWorks/Disney/2,783, $8.6 million, $56.8 million
7. We Bought a Zoo (3), Fox/3,170, $8.5million, $56.4 million
8. The Adventures of Tintin (3), Paramount, Sony/3,006, $6.6 million, $61.9 million
9. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (5), Focus Features/809, $5.8 million, $10.4 million
10. New Year’s Eve (5), Warner Bros./New Line/1,864, $3.3 million, $52 million
LikeLike
January 8, 2012 at 1:40 PM
MI4 has held up better than I expected it to. Nonetheless it’s hardly close to the Mi2 benchmark or that of the first one. It’s done better than Mi3 though but that movie was panned.
On another note Devil’s Inside got the most atrocious reviews imaginable but it didn’t matter for its audience!
LikeLike
January 8, 2012 at 3:18 PM
Actually MI3 was received pretty well and it also coincided with the lowest point in Cruise’s career, it grossed as much as it could given the circumstances. On the other hand, MI2 was a sequel to the tremendously liked first installment. The latest movie is a big achievement, not only did it open as the number one movie in its opening weel, it is also sustaining pretty well.
Tom Cruise is no longer the superstar that he once was, but he making interesting choices in terms of roles; i believe his next movie should be Rock of Ages
LikeLike
January 8, 2012 at 10:06 PM
Everybody is talking about Abhishek and me: Sonam Kapoor
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/bollywood/news-interviews/Everybody-is-talking-about-Abhishek-and-me-Sonam-Kapoor/articleshow/11413166.cms
LikeLike
January 9, 2012 at 9:45 AM
ROFL! sonam kapoor needs a reality check….
LikeLike
January 8, 2012 at 10:32 PM
prakashjaju Prakash Jaju
PLAYERS – Fri 5.09 cr, Sat 4.34 cr, Sun 6.29 cr
LikeLike
January 8, 2012 at 10:34 PM
prakashjaju Prakash Jaju
For Kjo group he reports more & for others, less. .@taran_adarsh: #Players *rough estimates* Friday business should be between 4 cr to 4.5.
LikeLike
January 8, 2012 at 11:17 PM
so a decent sunday…looks like a 15-18cr opening wkd. maybe a 25cr week. as others have said..it has a completely 3 free week run. it has a chance to at least put a respectable number of 40cr. and again noone is saying this is good for abhishek. its another disappointment for him but he has talent and i think he has lots of time to redeem himself. i really think Bol Bachchan is going to be huge especially it being a comedy.
LikeLike
January 8, 2012 at 10:33 PM
prakashjaju Prakash Jaju
Agneepath is not getting good price from distributors because of dismal performance of 3 recent films – Ra1, Don2 and Players …
Agneepath producer wants 60 cr from India, means it has to collect 120 cr to get even, with Don2 not being able to so, distributors r afraid
prakashjaju Prakash Jaju
A distributor is thinking of purchasing Agneepath for CI for 2.50 cr, means it has to collect more than 5 cr…. Don2 will collect 3.5 cr..
LikeLike
January 8, 2012 at 11:08 PM
Satyam, I saw your comments in twitter.,keen to read your review.
LikeLike
January 9, 2012 at 4:22 AM
will try and expand in a post.. do think you should check it out in a theater.. don’t think you’d be disappointed.
LikeLike
January 9, 2012 at 2:54 AM
to be frank most of the comments are there to needle irritate some especially
btw from where jaju has emerged he is on fire and not to wrong mostly …never seen a politician who is involved and is getting numbers
if i am correct he has history with priyanka chopra
http://www.santabanta.com/cinema.asp?pid=4140
http://movies.dcealumni.com/archives/priyanka-chopra-relieved-from-prakash-jaju/
indian box office is full of murky dealings
LikeLike
January 9, 2012 at 2:35 AM
Karan… I suggest you stick to whatever someone says to you and which you then in turn might find find more or less acceptable. That’s fine but other people might have different terms of engagement. You don’t need to play anyone’s savior here. people can take care of themselves. I’ve removed your protest comments because I don’t want something else to start here.
LikeLike
January 9, 2012 at 3:52 AM
Satyam
I am, as you say, saving my soul. I don’t see anyone else’s honor any less or any different than my own honor. Your honor IS my honor. Old Gold’s honor is my honor. I don’t need anyone’s permission to uphold my honor.
[edited]
LikeLike
January 9, 2012 at 4:24 AM
“I am, as you say, saving my soul. I don’t see anyone else’s honor any less or any different than my own honor. Your honor IS my honor. Old Gold’s honor is my honor. I don’t need anyone’s permission to uphold my honor. ”
I’m afraid you do need permission to do so on this blog. assuming you want to keep commenting here. Your ‘messiah’ instincts might be a bit misplaced here. No one’s soul needs to be saved. no one needs a rescue. People can take care of themselves. If there’s something that’s over the line I’ll be the judge of this (or the moderators here). But we can’t have everyone who comments apply their own sense of honor and shame across the board.
LikeLike
January 9, 2012 at 4:43 AM
Satyam
The fact that you make an effort to warm me, while not making an equal effort to prevent THE despicable behavior says where you stand on this issue. It is a green light (clear and bright).
Something’s are born out of neccessity, I don’t see myself as a Messiah, but I have never been subservient to any wrong (in public and private life).
Look at my arguments, one can in error claim I am a fan of so and so, but dig deep and you will find that I merely stood for justice.
Hence say what you may, do what you like. I will act against bad behavior. It is better you do it, but in absence of any action from you, I will act.
LikeLike
January 9, 2012 at 7:32 AM
“Look at my arguments, one can in error claim I am a fan of so and so, but dig deep and you will find that I merely stood for justice. ”
Don’t you think that your view of yourself is a little inflated?!
“Hence say what you may, do what you like. I will act against bad behavior. It is better you do it, but in absence of any action from you, I will act.”
No you will not because you will not be allowed to. As simple as that!
I am looking at things and I have taken action where necessary. But it’s a judgment call and I take the totality of the situation into consideration. People can disagree with me, that’s fine.
LikeLike
January 9, 2012 at 7:45 AM
Satyam
I think you are allowing your disagreement with me to color your judgement.
You can ban me but you cannot stop me from taking action. You have ALLOWED one guy to create multiple IDs and subject everyone to filth.
LikeLike
January 9, 2012 at 9:21 AM
No one has multiple IDs. And I’m not banning anyone. However if you insist on flouting rules that I’m specifically laying out I will have no option. I cannot join a club and then say I’m not going to accept the rules. If I don’t like them I don’t have to be there. I am not being partial to anyone here but your insistence that you will carry cudgels for everyone is more than a little unreasonable. If everyone who commented here had the same attitude and with their presumably different standards it would just be chaos!
LikeLike
January 9, 2012 at 6:35 AM
@Satyam, please check your email on your yahoo account. Thanks.
LikeLike
January 9, 2012 at 7:41 AM
will check and respond..
LikeLike
January 9, 2012 at 6:22 AM
Hmmm.
Shubh seems to be getting away with a lot here, with nonsensical comments and remarks.
Satyam’s his Messiah (and blog owner), and saves him from any retributions. LOL!
I suggest one way of handling Shubh’s nonsense – *Silence*.
LikeLike
January 9, 2012 at 7:39 AM
Old Gold
To oppress is wrong (even verbally). But to suffer oppression without resistance or to observe oppression and not make any attempt to prevent it are equally wrong.
Silence is not an option. If you want a better world speak out.
I apologize to you to make all this a big deal. But for me this was a no brainer.
LikeLike
January 9, 2012 at 9:22 AM
Karan.. don’t you think your language here needs somewhat bigger causes?!
LikeLike
January 9, 2012 at 4:03 PM
@Karankumar – your ideas are noble, but perhaps you should let the target of comments you deem “oppressive” decide whether s/he is being oppressed or even “suffering.”
I enjoy reading your comments, and think you bring a good new perspective to this blog. I’d hate to see that sidelined by your crusades on behalf of others, however well-intentioned. Please consider this.
LikeLike
January 9, 2012 at 5:20 PM
ROTFLOL
no comments ….
LikeLike
January 9, 2012 at 2:36 AM
Players Weekend Delhi/UP: Growth On Sunday
Monday 9th January 2012 09.30 IST
Boxofficeindia.Com Trade Network
Players showed good growth on Sunday of around 35-40% from Saturday but it makes no difference to the overall picture as this had to happen on Saturday for the film to have any chance at the box office.
Delhi/UP
Friday – 95 lakhs
Saturday – 93 lakhs
Sunday – 1.25-1.30 crore
LikeLike
January 9, 2012 at 2:37 AM
Players Has Poor First Weekend
Monday 9th January 2012 11.30 IST
Boxofficeindia.Com Trade Network
Players had a poor weekend of around 14.75 crore nett as the film failed to make any headway over the weekend. The daily collections were 4.60 crore nett on Friday, 4.50 crore nett on Saturday and 5.50-5.75 crore nett on Sunday.
The film had growth in the North on Sunday as Saturday was the coldest day of the winter in the region and Sunday was much much so basically the film played a bit of catch up on Sunday. In the rest of the country the film was pretty flat with just 10-15% jumps which is very bad considering the collections are at such low levels.
The film will be a huge loser and the year is off to a very bad start unlike last year when No one Killed Jessica scored. Players has no co major competition for three weeks but it will make much difference as it has been rejected and exhibitors will try there luck with the small films releasing over the next two weeks.
LikeLike
January 9, 2012 at 4:06 AM
Year end report card of 2011 films from Komal Nahta:
http://www.koimoi.com/box-office/salman-khan-s-bodyguard-biggest-hit-83-percent-bollywood-films-flopped-in-2011/
I’m a little puzzled by one thing. Komal has one set of results headed “2011 Net Result”, followed by a table labeled “2011: Box office collections of hits”, but the classification for the same film under both headings is different in some cases. For example, he has Ready, Singham, Murder 2, and The Dirty Picture as “hit” under the first set of classifications, but has them listed as “super hit” under “box office verdict” in the second table. Can anyone explain to me what the difference is between the two summaries? It seems too widespread to be an error or sloppiness.
LikeLike
January 9, 2012 at 4:31 AM
LOL, who can make sense of Nahata?!
but here’s an older response on this:
LikeLike
January 9, 2012 at 9:14 AM
The Dirty Picture Super Strong In Week Four
http://www.boxofficeindia.com/boxnewsdetail.php?page=shownews&articleid=3909&nCat=
The Dirty Picture is still doing extremely well at the box office after a drop in collections in the third week due to the release of Don 2. The Dirty Picture collected around 1.85 crore nett in its third week and has similar collections in its fourth week. A circuit like Delhi/UP showed a 25% jump in collections from week three.
The Hindi version of the film has collected more than 77 crore nett in four weeks and is likely to remain in the theatres till the release of Agneepath. The film will do a distributor share of over 40 crore. The film will have a huge overall recovery of 65 crore plus and its production budget was just 18-20 crore.
The Dirty Picture was one the four blockbusters of 2011 and the third biggest hit of 2011 after the two Salman Khan blockbusters Bodyguard and Ready.
LikeLike
January 9, 2012 at 9:21 AM
Dirty Picture still going great guns at the box office…may even cross 80 crores now which would be simply stupendous !!
Vidya Balan is on a roll… promo of her next “Kahaani” one of the best to have come out of late and should be gripping viewing.
LikeLike
January 9, 2012 at 9:26 AM
LOL…Nahta now has put both Don 2 & Ra.One in the “commission earner” category , with few circuits losing !!!
Guess he has got cold feet over the enormous backlash he has been receiving over the last 2-3 months !!!
LikeLike
January 9, 2012 at 9:37 AM
B’wood loves 3D, but do we?
After Don 2 in 3D crashes at the plexes, theatre owners and filmmakers tell us why the format is failing to lure the masses
http://www.mumbaimirror.com/article/30/20120109201201090209146876f2ff693/B%E2%80%99wood-loves-3D-but-do-we.html
Hollywood has always inspired Indian cinema with their technical forwardness — be it animation or the more recent phenomena of the 3D films. And often, filmmakers have not really concerned themselves with the Indian cinegoers’ choice in the matter. And thus, animation films like Jumbo, Roadside Romeo and Toonpur Ka Superrhero have failed despite the presence of A-list stars like Akshay Kumar, Saif-Kareena and Ajay Devgn-Kajol respectively.
3D films have met with a similar reaction from the audience. While Hollywood films like Avatar and Tintin have drawn multiplex audiences, Indian attempts to master the very technical art have fallen flat. The most recent example being that of Shah Rukh Khan’s Don 2.
The film, Don 2 has managed to rake in the moolah at the box office. But its three-dimensional version has fizzled out. The last minute conversion of the film from 2D to 3D took a lot of time and effort. But the sleepless nights couldn’t somehow convert into houseful theatres. In fact, 3D prints of Don 2 were removed from almost all theatres across the country.
A representative from a leading multiplex said on the condition of anonymity, “You can’t do 3D just for the sake of making a 3D film. In the second week of Don 2, we reduced the 3D shows and in the third week, we removed it altogether. You can’t add 3D just for the shock value. We have seen films like Tintin, which was brilliant in 3D. As far as Bollywood is concerned, Haunted that was shot in 3D brought in the necessary footfalls.”
Anand Vishal, head of operations of Fun Republic said, “In all our theatres, we had more audience for 2D version of Don 2 than 3D. That is when we decided to discontinue it.”
A source close to BIG Cinemas added, “We removed some prints of the 3D version since we had to accommodate another film. In any case, the film was in its third week. Once cannot expect to get the same revenue as the first week.”
Utpal Acharya, the head of distribution and acquisition for Reliance, the makers of Don 2, said, “In the first week we had 3105 prints. This included 400 odd pirnts in 3D. The 3D prints were retained in the second week. This week the prints are reduced.”
When inquired about the audience feedback on the 3D version, he said, “People will always have issues. It happens with Hollywood films as well. The theaters who have only one 3D screen have removed the prints.”
Filmmakers are however, undaunted by the audience reaction to 3D. Vikram Bhatt, who shot Haunted in 3D and is in the final legs of shooting his second 3D venture Dangerous Ishq, said, “It is bound to fail. Conversion of 2D into 3D takes a long time if it is done well. When it’s done in a hurry the result is bad. I have not seen RA.One or Don 2 to comment on their 3D merit, but I know that I am the only one in India who is shooting films in 3D. The audience will get smart soon enough to realise the difference between converted 3D and real 3D.”
Incidentally, Shirish Kunder who has just completed shooting for his film Joker with Akshay Kumar and Sonakshi Sinha is in the process of converting his 2D film to 3D.
When contacted, Kunder said “The most important thing is that Joker is not an after thought 3D film. We had shot the film with wide angles. There will be depth and so we will get all the right effects for 3D. Also, it is very important about who is doing it in terms of technique. Even Chronicles Of Narnia was a conversion and may be the others films you talking about are not up to the mark.”
LikeLike
January 9, 2012 at 9:45 AM
Am v busy : hectic stuff
Just checked this out
Rotflol
Nearly fell off the chair @”protecting everyone’s honor”
Ra -one part 2
Hahaha
Well handled satyam: the attempts to gag/ tie/manipulate satyam were put to place ….
It’s satyams blog and those not happy with his able and adept moderation are welcum to keep out
Anyhow : not everyday is a holiday : needto catch up sole work
Maybe back tonight
Till then : have fun folks
LikeLike
January 9, 2012 at 3:06 PM
Poor Weekend For Players
by Shabdita Shrivastav (January 9, 2012)
Abbas-Mustan’s film Players, which released last Friday, not only received a poor opening at the box office, it also failed to sustain during the weekend. It’s weekend collection: around Rs 16. 5 crore.
In Mumbai, Rajesh Thadani of Multimedia Combines says, “The response to the film Players has been average so far. Considering the cost of the film, its collections are not as expected. Its weekend collection in Mumbai was Rs 5.5 crore while it was 16.5 crore all-India.”
In Delhi, the film earned Rs 4.4 crore at the weekend. G D Mehta of Bobby Arts International reveals, “On Friday, it was Rs 1.1 crore, on Saturday Rs 1.3 crore and on Sunday Rs 1.6 crore.”
The poor response in West Bengal, resulted in collections of Rs 20-25 lakh only, according to Sunil Singh of Aum Movies.
In CP, Sarang Chandak of Shri Rang Films says the weekend collection of Players in that territory was Rs 32 lakh. “The film has failed to attract the audience.”
In Orissa, Jeetu Khandelwal of Pioneers Movies says, “With an average response, Players did business of Rs 6 lakh in Orrisa.”
In Gujarat, Ajay Bagbai of Rajvi Traders says, “The film has not received a good response at the ticket window. Its weekend collection in Gujarat was Rs 2 crore.”
LikeLike
January 9, 2012 at 3:12 PM
Did you see the movie yet, Satyam?
LikeLike
January 9, 2012 at 3:18 PM
OK..nevermind…saw your comment on the blog. Thx
LikeLike
January 10, 2012 at 1:39 AM
I had said on Sat morning that Sat was pivotal for the film. Now having checked how Mon panned out it really is a sad state of affairs.
I’m sure Abhi would love his prediction of 25cr in first week to come true.
LikeLike
January 10, 2012 at 1:48 AM
Players Weekend Territorial Breakdown
http://www.boxofficeindia.com/boxnewsdetail.php?page=shownews&articleid=3910&nCat=
Players had a poor weekend and is a big flop. The weekend territorial breakdown is as follows.
Mumbai – 5.19 crore
Delhi/UP – 3.14 crore
East Punjab – 1.29 crore
West Bengal – 82 lakhs
Bihar – 36 lakhs
CP Berar – 64 lakhs
CI – 57 lakhs
Rajasthan – 79 lakhs
Nizam – 81 lakhs
Mysore – 82 lakhs
Others – 45 lakhs
TOTAL – 14.88 crore
LikeLike
January 10, 2012 at 1:50 AM
Players Has Very Poor Monday
http://www.boxofficeindia.com/boxnewsdetail.php?page=shownews&articleid=3913&nCat=
Players had a very poor Monday of around 2.25 crore nett. The four day business of the film is between the 17-17.25 crore nett range.
The figures from some circuits on Monday are as follows.
Mumbai – 75-80 lakhs
Delhi/UP – 49 lakhs
East Punjab – 21 lakhs
CP Berar – 10 lakhs
CI – 9 lakhs
Rajasthan – 12 lakhs
Players is likely to have a 22.50 crore nett first week which will be less than a film like Ladies Vs Ricky Bahl.
LikeLike
January 10, 2012 at 1:51 AM
Don 2 Third Weekend Territorial Breakdown
http://www.boxofficeindia.com/boxnewsdetail.php?page=shownews&articleid=3911&nCat=
Don 2 dropped heavily in its third weekend as it grossed 3.50 crore nett. The third weekend territorial breakdown is as follows.
Mumbai – 92 lakhs
Delhi/UP – 66 lakhs
East Punjab – 41 lakhs
West Bengal – 24 lakhs
Bihar – 10 lakhs
CP Berar – 14 lakhs
CI – 8 lakhs
Rajasthan – 20 lakhs
Nizam – 23 lakhs
Mysore – 40 lakhs
Others – 15 lakhs
TOTAL – 3.53 crore
LikeLike
January 10, 2012 at 2:01 AM
Monday drop for Players vis-a-vis Friday is not that bad, around 55%..but the problem is that Friday collections itself was well below the mark.
Right now, the only positive for the film is that it still has 2 open weeks before Agneepath. Remains to be seen how much it eventually collects, but prospects look a bit gloomy.
Don 2’s 3rd weekend collection of 3.5 cr. is again disappointing considering it was expected to pick up in a big way over the weekend due to fairly bad WOM of Players.
Overall, a not too encouraging start to 2012..high hopes from Agneepath now , although am not a big fan of the earlier Big B version.
LikeLike
January 10, 2012 at 6:21 AM
“Monday drop for Players vis-a-vis Friday is not that bad, around 55%..but the problem is that Friday collections itself was well below the mark. ”
agreed completely..
If the film could somehow maintain this number the rest of the week and then have another weekend like the first one there would be hope! Not likely of course. But the BOI report is as usual not honest. They’ve celebrated films for similar or worse Mondays. The point of the low start is crucial but it’s also a different one. Though again they’ve had the lowest numbers. Had 4.5 crores on day 1. If one works off the 6 crores of ETC or even the 5 crores that Nahata also had within his range you might get a higher Mon.
LikeLike
January 10, 2012 at 10:52 PM
Is there any Problem in comment section. There are no comment since 8 january.
LikeLike
January 10, 2012 at 10:55 PM
no everything’s fine.. sometimes there’s a glitch on wordpress and the newer comments start getting collecting at an earlier point in the thread..
LikeLike
January 11, 2012 at 12:38 AM
2011 Best Trending First Week To Second
http://www.boxofficeindia.com/boxnewsdetail.php?page=shownews&articleid=3914&nCat=
The ten films below had the best trending from week one to second week. Although it depends on the competition, it seems to be that a 65% fall can be regarded as a normal fall.
1. Singham – 48.95%
2. Ready – 52.89%
3. Mere Brother Ki Dulhan – 54.81%
4. Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara – 56.03%
5. Yamla Pagla Deewana – 57.49%
6. Delhi Belly – 59.31%
7. Don 2 – 61.71%
8. Thank You – 62.65%
9. The Dirty Picture – 64.72%
10. Rockstar – 66.60%
LikeLike
January 11, 2012 at 12:40 AM
http://www.boxofficeindia.com/overdetail.php?page=shownews&articleid=3916&nCat=
Players did poor business overseas as it collected around $950,000 over its first weekend. The figures from major markets is as follows.
United Kingdom – £110,000
North America – $215,000
UAE – $280,000
Australia – $45,000
Don 2 has collected around $11.25 million (INR 59 crore) till date. It is the third highest grosser ever in Overseas and is likely to finish with a total of just under $12 million.
LikeLike
January 11, 2012 at 4:09 AM
Players On A Huge Downward Trend
Wednesday 11th January 2012 12.00 IST
Boxofficeindia.Com Trade Network
Players is a huge downward trend as collections on Tuesday fell another 25% from Monday which is shocking as Monday itself was very low. Tuesday business was around the 1,60 crore nett mark. The film will hardly do any business after its first week which is now looking at around 21.25 crore nett. The film has grossed 18.75 crore nett in five days. The daily business from some circuits is below.
Delhi/UP
Friday – 95 lakhs
Saturday – 93 lakhs
Sunday – 1.26 crore
Monday – 49 lakhs
Tuesday – 36 lakhs
East Punjab
Friday – 41 lakhs
Saturday – 39 lakhs
Sunday – 49 lakhs
Monday – 21 lakhs
Tuesday – 16 lakhs
CI
Friday – 18.50 lakhs
Saturday – 15.80 lakhs
Sunday – 22.70 lakhs
Monday – 8.70 lakhs
Tuesday – 6.60 lakhs
http://boxofficeindia.com/boxnewsdetail.php?page=shownews&articleid=3917&nCat=
LikeLike
January 12, 2012 at 2:05 PM
i dont know about others but to me players looked just as lame as game did. it did not excite me at all. the whole go for the gold thing was very lame. so this kind of reaction from the audience is not surprising at all. DMD on the other hand was promoted heavily during the WC and i actually looked forward to that movie big time. it’s a shame that didn’t do as well as it should have. whats next for abhishek…is it bol bachchan??
LikeLike
January 12, 2012 at 2:36 PM
Alex will like this review:
http://www.firstpost.com/bollywood/we-are-all-players-now-178905.html
LikeLike
January 12, 2012 at 3:14 PM
Thanks Diana
That’s a hilarious review
More entertaining than the movie lol
U know my tastes well
Lol@ MA in ‘ethical hacking’
The use of ‘body’ is dwelled upon well…
LikeLike
January 12, 2012 at 4:55 PM
How it added up
Calculating Players collections help Abbas-Mustan end fight with producers
Kunal M Shah
Posted On Friday, January 13, 2012 at 02:02:20 AM
Fallouts and patch-ups have become synonymous with the industry. But what transpired between the filmmakers of Players – director duo Abbas-Mustan and the film’s producers Viacom 18 – is rather unprecedented even by Bollywood standards.
The tiff and subsequent reconciliation between the two parties has happened within a few days. When the film failed to garner the reception the filmmakers would have liked, they reportedly began playing the blame game. While the producers claimed that Abbas-Mustan made changes to the script without their consent and thereby added to the budget of the film, the directors denied any such deviation.
However, Mumbai Mirror has learnt that ever since the collections of Players have been tabulated, the figures have helped to bond the warring filmmakers.
A source close to the film revealed that Players did in fact go over budget, but it has managed to recover most of the costs incurred. The source explained, “The film was made on a budget of Rs 70 crore, which includes prints and publicity. The theatrical rights were sold for Rs 35 crore to Ponty Chadha. T-Series bought the music of the film for Rs 3.5 crore.
The overseas territory was sold for Rs 4 crore. The digital terrestrial rights, including home video and Doordarshan, went for Rs 2 crore. The satellite rights were sold to Zee TV for approximately Rs 17 crore. After doing the math, Viacom 18 realised that the film had already recovered a major sum of the money spent. The total loss amounted to Rs 8 crore. That’s when the producers sat down with Abbas-Mustan and sorted out their differences.”
Prior to this, the source informed us that the film’s producers and directors were at odds about the introductory scene. Even though the first cut was out already, Abbas-Mustan had reportedly changed the start of the film without informing the producers about it. The source revealed, “When the film was screened for the unit, it opened with a cameo by Aftab Shivadasni. However, the version that reached the silver-screen featured Abhishek Bachchan and Bipasha Basu instead. Even the music of the film caused tension between them.”
However, now Abbas-Mustan and Viacom 18 have reportedly decided to work together again. Abbas-Mustan and Vikram Malhotra of Viacom 18 remained unavailable for comment.
LikeLike
January 12, 2012 at 5:28 PM
they haven’t reported the Players numbers after Tue.
LikeLike
January 13, 2012 at 1:47 AM
Players Collects 21.50 Crore In Week One
http://www.boxofficeindia.com/boxnewsdetail.php?page=shownews&articleid=3923&nCat=
Players collected a very poor 21.50 crore nett in week one. All circuits were poor across the country. The daily collections for the first week are as follows.
Friday – 4.65 crore
Saturday – 4.50 crore
Sunday – 5.70 crore
Weekend – 14.85 crore
Monday – 2.20 crore
Tuesday – 1.65 crore
Wednesday – 1.45 crore
Thursday – 1.25 crore
TOTAL – 21.40 Crore
LikeLike
January 13, 2012 at 2:26 AM
poor week any way you look at it. i was saying last week 30cr would be good..but this is poor. now onto agneepath…looking forward to it very much. even though i hate dharma production films..this one looks awesome.
LikeLike
January 13, 2012 at 1:53 AM
The Top HITS Of 2011
Friday 13th January 2012 10.00 IST
Boxofficeindia.Com Trade Network
Bodyguard, Ready, The Dirt Picture and the surprise of 2011 Murder 2 emerged the biggest hits of the year. There were 19 films which scored well at the box office over the course of 2011. Below are the major success of 2011 with there theatrical revenue (distributor share in brackets).
BLOCKBUSTER
1. Bodyguard – 79.50 crore
2. Ready – 64.50 crore
3. The Dirty Picture – 40 crore*
4. Murder 2 – 25 crore
SUPER HIT
5. Singham – 49.50 crore
6. Delhi Belly – 28 crore
HIT
7. Ra.One – 64 crore*
8. Don 2 – 57.50 crore*
9. Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara – 41.50 crore
10. Yamla Pagla Deewana – 29.50 crore
11. Mere Brother Ki Dulhan – 29 crore
12. Tanu Weds Manu – 17 crore
13. Haunted 3D – 12.50 crore
SEMI HIT
14. Rockstar – 34 crore
15. No One Killed Jessica – 14 crore
ABOVE AVERAGE
16. Double Dhamaal – 24 crore
17. Faltu – 11.50 crore
18. Pyaar Ka Punchnama – 5.25 crore
19. Ragin MMS – 5.25 crore
* Hindi language business only
http://boxofficeindia.com/npages.php?page=shownews&articleid=3922&nCat=
LikeLike
January 13, 2012 at 1:54 AM
Top Actors 2011
Thursday 12th January 2012 09.00 IST
Boxofficeindia.Com Trade Network
Salman Khan continued his box office domination in 2011 with two huge grossers in the form of Bodyguard and Ready. Shahrukh Khan also had two mega grossers with Ra.One and Don 2 and both were aided by huge numbers overseas. Ajay Devgan had the biggest solo hit of his career with Singham. Emraan Hashmi had a huge year and emerged as the second most popular young star In India after Ranbir Kapoor. Imran Khan had two solid winners with Delhi Belly and Mere Brother Ki Dulhan.
1. Salman Khan
Bodyguard
Ready
2. Shahrukh Khan
Ra.One
Don 2
3. Ajay Devgan
Singham
4. Emraan Hashmi
The Dirty Picture
Murder 2
5. Imran Khan
Delhi Belly
Mere Brother Ki Dulhan
http://boxofficeindia.com/npages.php?page=shownews&articleid=3918&nCat=
LikeLike
January 13, 2012 at 2:23 AM
lol @ emran hashmi at being no. 4. come on man!!!!
LikeLike
January 13, 2012 at 6:38 AM
yeah he’s fast threatening Aamir on the BOI charts! For them TDP is a Hashmi hit!
LikeLike
January 13, 2012 at 6:48 AM
Surely number 4 should be “sex and sleaze” and not Emraan Hashmi 🙂
LikeLike