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594 Responses to “Khiladi 786, Talaash and rest of the Box Office chatter”
Amazing! My most awaited film of next year. I thought the 1st part was SUPERB 9and much better better than the entire recent Star War trilogy- in any case I prefer the Trek universe to the former)-
I can’t remember — are you one of the people around here who despise the current masala films in Hindi? What do you think the Star Trek and Star Wars films are, except masala? 🙂 What exactly appeals to you about the Star Trek film?
On Star Trek, i love the its entire universe. And Spock to my mind is ‘Vijay of Zanjeer who is lost in space and is constantly by his visions and memories’
LOL, OK, if you love masala films, then no wonder you like Star Trek and Star Wars. As I said, both are as masala as you can get! 🙂 I like Star Wars well enough, more out of habit in some ways than because I like them as films, and at least they don’t make egregious scientific errors (as long as you’re willing to overlook the michiclorian mumbo jumbo 🙂 ) You may or may not know that Star Trek started out as a TV series, and I and some of my fellow students used to watch it to laugh at its humongous science errors. Still, as you say, Spock was an interesting character, and Leonard Nimoy was a good actor. I saw the first Star Trek movie with the new cast and didn’t like it at all. They changed the characterizations quite a bit, and completely violated Vulcan physiology that had been established through all the TV episodes and the previous films. So I’m not interested in checking out any more of them. And now that George Lucas has sold the Star Wars franchise to Disney, I can only expect it to be a watered down, error filled shadow of its former self.
Since I haven’t seen Zanjeer, I can’t say about Spock resembling Vijay. But if this is a variation of the “angry young man” character, then it can’t possibly be like Spock (the real one, not this bizarre mutation that the present writers have concocted. 🙂 )
Great note here SM. Agreed on Shellby. IMO J.J.Abrams’s idea of using an alternate timeline to connect the 2 worlds of Star Trek in the previous film was a masterstroke.
Really looking forward to this. Thought the first movie was very entertaining. I’ve never seen more than a handful of any of the Star Trek series but that latest one was just very well done. Throw in Bendedict Cumberbatch from the excellent new Sherlock series and you’ve got me hooked!
Here is the difference between akshay masala and Salman masala. while akshay’s is confusion over script sense, Salman has become script conscious and his films are less confusing.
Well that’s sweet, cant compare myself to AA, he is a special case 😀
anyways nice to know u werent offended, some people get so, thus explained, but ya sanju sounds cool, actually it reminds me of some movie, now that i have used that word, but m failing to remember, i guess some movie from childhood… where sanju was used again and again… u have any idea?
“Was Khiladi786 released in Japan? Now they will blame the movie for the earthquake.”
Haha sanjana
U do come up with really funny one-liners
What’s the secret…
Btw I like your blogging name–sanjana/sanju
Note that sanju on a guy doesn’t sound as good
FINALLY got the chance of seeing Talaash. Not a particularly bad one, but, not good either. The first half was actually quite gripping, but the second half just faltered completely. Shekhawat is a simply annoying character who cannot handle any of his situations with sensibility. I know they were going for an intentionally flawed character, but, this was a little too much. Aamir does an awesome job (does that really need to be said???). Shekhawat’s wife is the one that I think I felt particularly sympathetic towards the whole movie. She’s alone, she lost her son, her husband’s a _____ . Rani does w/e she has to do. She’s good too. Kareena’s character is well established, but, apparently Kagti had to completely ruin that at the end of the movie.
Story is the back bone of the movie, but the movie goes at a dragging pace. I found myself to be dozing off several times. Also, what the film ends up doing is that it shifts, without warning, between Shekhawat and Shreya’s not-so-romantic life after their son’s boating incident. And this interferes a lot in the movie. Just as the movie gets a little bit interesting, this just comes out of nowhere. Now, up until the end of the first half, the movie focuses primarily on the couple’s married life with a few bland moments between Shekhawat and a prostitute, Rosy (played by Kareena Kapoor).
In the second half is when the movie COMPLETELY goes down the drain. So, there come some chase sequences, which are okay, I guess. But, the main problem is that since the movie is a suspense-psychological-drama-thriller, there was no suspense (in the second half), the psychological-drama parts were uninteresting and there was very little thrill. What blew my mind here is that the plot “continuity” was extremely awkward.
So, overall, not such a great movie as it doesn’t know where to keep the viewers focused. Halfway through, I was thinking, “What’s this ‘talaash’ for?…is it the dead kid? is it the actor? is shekhawat in the talaash of the prostitute (*cough*)?” The movie’s plot MADE SENSE, which is important. However, being a story-driven movie, it’s incredibly slow, there’s absolutely no fluidity to the story in the second half and the protagonist is just really irritating.
Now, it may seem like I’m trying to rip the movie apart, but, no. The movie does have its strong points (ie [somewhat] the first half and most of the performances).
Special note…climax is total crap. Oldest trick in the book and they used it on the CLIMAX …
2.5/5
average film that could be worth a watch if you’re patient enough with the dragging pace, some ludicrous moments and Shekhawat.
B.O. update: ‘Khiladi 786’ super at single screens, low at plexes
By Taran Adarsh, December 7, 2012 – 17:08 IST
KHILADI 786 has opened to fantastic houses at single screens of the mass belt. In certain circuits, the film embarked on a 90% response, but the response at multiplexes, especially those at urban centres, was on the lower side. In fact, the business will have to grow rapidly at plexes to pack a solid weekend. The evening and night shows on Friday are crucial for the film.
Khiladi 786 had a mixed opening as some centres opened well while others were below the mark. The film took a 80% start at some single screens of UP bit in the same circuit some of the Delhi multiplexes were just 35%.
The best opening is in UP and some other areas are also good but many big cities are below the mark. The film has wide release on around 2750 screens which should enable day one to put up a decent number but whether the number is strong as a 2750 screen release should be is another matter.
A stronghold market for Akshay Kumar like East Punjab has not opened too strongly and may not even collect as much as Talaash did last week. Overall its a decent start but the film have to show strong weekend trends to come out with a good weekend.
Khiladi 786 Takes Average Opening But Could Soar
by Soumita Sengupta (December 7, 2012)
After delivering two blockbusters – Housefull 2 and Rowdy Rathore – in 2012, and one super hit – OMG – Oh My God! – Akshay Kumar could continue his winning streak with action masala film Khiladi 786. The other release of the week is 10ml Love starring Rajat Kapoor, Tisca Chopra, Purab Kohli, Tara Sharma and Koel Purie.
Although the much-awaited Khiladi 786, which also features Asin and Himesh Reshammiya, opened to only 50 per cent occupancy all India, tradewallahs believe it will pick up during the afternoon shows and emerge a winner during the weekend. Being a massy film, Khiladi 786 will take clean sweep and add a feather to Kumar’s already decorated cap.
As for 10ml Love, the film was barely assigned any morning shows in most territories and opened at a mere 10 per cent. Last week’s Talaash is still going strong in multiplexes, earning Rs 65-68 crore in its first week.
In Mumbai, Rajesh Thadani of Multimedia Combines says, “Khiladi 786 opened at 50 per cent in Mumbai and across India. The reports of the film are good and it’s a massy film. So it should enjoy a bumper weekend without a doubt. The other film, 10ml Love opened at 10 per cent.”
In East Punjab, Surendra Saluja of Lakshya Movies adds that Khiladi 786 opened to 50 per cent in his territory too. “As the day progresses, the film will gain momentum and wrap day one on a positive note. Akshay Kumar has had a really good year and Khiladi 786 should be another 100 crore film for him.”
In West Bengal, Debashish Dey of Aum Moviez says Khiladi 786 opened with average numbers, at 30-40 per cent. “But I would still say it is a good opening because it wasn’t promoted very much. It is also a very massy and commercial film. Talaash is going strong in certain centres in single-screens.”
In CP, Sarang Chandak of Shri Rang Films says Khiladi 786 took an opening of 40 per cent in single-screens and 30 per cent in multiplexes. “This is a single-screen film and will go down with the masses. Talaash will do well in multiplexes. 10ml Love didn’t have a morning show in our circuit.”
Things were very different in Rajasthan, where Khiladi 786 opened to 90 per cent. “Everyone loves Akshay Kumar and the promo suggested it would be a very entertaining film. By the weekend, the film will run houseful without any doubt,” says Gaurav Gaur of O’Real Imaginations
In Nizam, Ravi Machhar of Sahyog Films says Khiladi 786 opened really well in some centers in Pune, at 70-80 per cent, whereas in centres like Aurangabad and Hyderabad, the film took a 40-50 per cent opening. “I am expecting the numbers to rise with the afternoon shows. Basically, the reports are good and everyone is saying it’s a very entertaining film.”
In answer to a question about what she thought of her Matru Ki Bijli Ka Mandola co-star Imran Khan, the actress said, “I thought he was a paedophile,” and giggled.
For the next few seconds,everybody present at the event was rendered speechless. Imran, being a thorough gentleman, simply replied: “Yeah, I’ve heard such talks doing the rounds.” But unlike Imran, people from the industry haven’t been able to take the statement in good humour. A senior filmmaker who happened to see Anushka’s outburst of cocky exuberance wondered if she knows the meaning of ‘paedophile’ saying, “Some things aren’t done in civil society. Joking about paedophilia is one of them.”
Wow. I thought I’d read 79 comments about K786 and instead am reading about the size of a mans penis and about Sonams assets (which are very nice by the way 😀
Anyway IF Anushka did call Imran a peadophile in the presence of the media then she has simply embarrassed herself. How old is she again..???
yeah tell me about it! Three pages of comments about what Anushka said and what she meant and what others said or did along similar lines! The problem is it takes a great deal of effort to delete so many comments without screwing up the order of the thread.
Beyond this comments will be deleted on this topic.
“Talaash is looking like Sachin trying to complete a century and making his admirers gasp and get heart attacks.”
Hahah sanju–wanna pat your back 🙂
All for the biggest star actor ever –even a bloody 100crores is looking a big deal –genre or no genre –my foot!!!
And ETTs 200 crore was being called ‘ordinary’
Mind u –the effective gap between 0- 100 is much less than between 100-150, forget about150-20@ since the slope changes, multiple market forces take over — as mentioned earlier
And where are the aamir fans
Who said this will do 150-200
Well done –atleAst u were true to your icon–did not downgrade him and compare him to hashmis box office
What if aamir failed–his fan got critical appreciation and his ‘true’ fans won–cheers unique idea and others
Unique idea–I give u ileana for today evening–enjoy
@AA – as a Salman fan and knowing you don’t like him I appreciate and applaud your stance on EK THA TIGER and it’s box office performance.
I mean the film did well across the board. Multiplexes, single screens and overseas. Reaching almost 200 cr is no bloody joke and it made around 307 worldwide. I fully expect Dabangg 2 to go close again. I will be the first to accept its underperformance if it doesn’t.
One should applaud the facts more than anyone’s stance. No one is arguing about salman’s initial or his current standing. But the fact is that ETT faded quite fast after a very massive initial. It trended worse than just about every 100 crore grosser out barring a few. This too means something. One cannot only choose the facts one likes. This film could easily have done 230-250 crores. It just wasn’t liked very much. people showed up because of Salman but they didn’t care for the film. This is why it faded quickly. 3I got to 200 after starting at 80, not 140-150 (or whatever the number was for ETT). If it had just maintained trending of Ghajini or films that trended far more poorly than Ghajini it would have done way more than 200. So again let’s not play the Israel double game here. Israel is very happy to call itself the only true democracy in the Mideast. Ok fine. But when they are criticized for their human rights abuses etc they suddenly turn around and say ‘look what’s happen in Saudi arabia’! The standard can’t be different at each end of the equation. So if one wants to talk about massive initials one should also follow the logic of the numbers at the other end. As for Dabanng 2 it will in likelihood also fade in the same way after another massive initial. Unless this film is better than the first one. Obviously a film that opens to 140 or 150 crores is not going to fold at 170! That’s just outside the realm of possibility. But 200 after doing that sort of initial is precisely a fast fade. The idea that most films don’t do this sort of total is completely irrelevant. Most films don’t do 160 also. So maybe a film could open at 140 and do 160 and declare victory!
damn it with imraan/anushka -satyam, this bo threadis hijacked – pl move all those comments in a separate post – i’ve been searching for b.o. updates and K786 reviews
I’ve completely cleaned up this thread barring Saurabh’s original comment. I’ve said this before but once so many comments are put up it takes ages to clear the thread. It’s not quite the simple process many think it is. And in any case it clogs up the forum.
I don’t want to be tougher about this but I might forced to if this sort of thing continues. One can put up all kinds of comments but a never-ending discussion on such a topic is another thing.
satyam, thnx but people seem to be pay little heed to this: see the hordes of comments again – there is nothing of B.O. or K, T etc. movies. I guess u keep a permanent post “cocktail” = where people can discuss anything….that will save this post at-least
No with the poor performance of K786 and Talaash only earning in the high end multiplexes it will just about hit the century mark.
The film is well worthy of hitting such high numbers but can those who consider the ‘trending’ theory now please apply it to Talaash.
Film has earned what 67 cr in week one and will most probably make 100. Ek Tha Tiger made around 110 in its first week and 140 ish in its first 9 days. It ended around 190.
ETT is no where near as bad as what’s projected by some on here. When other biggies i.e Dhoom 3 and Krishh 3 arrive next year then I will be fully active on here 😛
Khildi 786 is set to have a disappointing day one. The film was never likely to have a huge first day but the early first day figures are set to be well below the mark. A Talaash sort of opening or 5-10% less would have been okay but the early figures coming in from Delhi/UP, East Punjab and Rajasthan suggest that even a 10 crore nett total is not on the cards.
The figures from other circuits may surprise but its unlikely as if an Akshay Kumar starrer is weak in Delhi and East Punjab where his starrers are normally so strong then other places will find it tough going.
A likely scenario is a first day total between 8-9 crore nett and if night shows are strong it may add another 25 lakhs odd to the total.
Whatever the total it is simply shocking that an Akshay Kumar mass entertainer has collected less than a film like Jism 2 in Delhi/UP and East Punjab on day one. These sort of opening numbers in key circuits means the film needs a miraculous jump over the weekend.
BOI these days are pretending everyone is either failing or miserably under-performing and this makes the case for Salman for them! Not saying this is a great number but again they’ve defended similar stuff before.
note by the way how they stopped talking about Talaash after Mon. They stopped updating and kept to the vaguest generalities. even now they’ve said nothing on today’s business for Talaash.
in a lighter vein…multiplex audiences will refuse to throw away rs. 300-400 for a crap like K786 esp. after aamir has spoiled (or improved) their taste with a good flick like T. They would rather watch it again….on a serious note, films like T can surely make one think whether the obscene money spent in multiplexes on mindless craps is worth it?
wow…8-9cr opening? was not expecting this. good thing akki has bagged up two 100cr grossers this year…or else this would be a ‘wake up’ call for him. this shouldn’t effect him that much.
“It is also said that Mary Kom herself might also make a special appearance in the film, as the opponent of the on-screen Mary Kom.”
I hoep I’m proved wrong, but this film feels very insincere and gimmicky, especially with PC being cast in the lead. When films like Vicky Donor, Ishaqzaade and Oh My God all do well, the producers have no excuse to not cast a new North-Eastern woman instead of opting for such an unsuitable star.
Ami I don’t think regionalism should come in while casting. I just want that Pritanka should look like a pugilist (and she should seem to be belonging to the right weight category) when she comes on screen- whether steroids are used or special effects are employed to achieve this, I don’t care
It’s not about regionalism, it’s about authenticity. Not every detail needs to be perfect, but there needs to be some believability. For example with Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, some people couldn’t accept farhan’s physique, but I didn’t mind because I felt like they had achieved the over all look of Milkha Singh, and the muscular look wasn’t too impluasible in an Olympic athlete.
With Priyanka as Mary on the other hand, nothing feels right. it’s so obvious that they’ve just cast one of the most saleable female stars possible in the role of the most talked about female athelete of the moment, and decided that it will be a hit. It’s as bizarre as them deciding to make a biopic on Sachin, and then casting Hrithik lead.
I think that casting a tall, slender, beauty paegant winning Punjabi in the role of a short, stocky, North-Eastern woman is just stretching it too much. And especially since the North-East is a part of India but we hardly ever see that aknowledged in films in terms of using actors and locations from that region, this would have been the perfect opportunity to introduce Bollywood to a different type of Indian face. And whilst Priyanka might be alright with wearing minimal makeup and an unflattering wig for a role like Barfi, there’s no way that she will make a more permanent change by developing the body-type of a boxer- it’ll intefere too much with her glamour girl appeal, her beauty product endorsements etc.
So U tell me the name of a north eastern actress. Ami I was a hurdles runner in school and I must say that Farhan does not look like an athelete at all and esp not a surdar. A well built body does not require six packs.on the other hand Irrfan had the right physique for a steeplechase runner
Why does the North-Eastern actress have to be a famous star? Like I said earlier, when films like Vicky Donor, Ishaqzaade and Oh My God can all be successes without big stars, a film about one of the ‘it’ athletes of the moment has a good chance at the box office without a big star.
As for Farhan- he’s half Punjabi, and to my eyes, he does bear a striking resemblance to Milkha in the trailer and photos. Yes, he’s more muscular than Milkha, but it’s not too unbeleivable because many Olympic runners today do have six-packs. On the other hand, there’s no Olympic female boxer who has Priyanka’s body type.
Sorry- Apparently I was mistaken and Farhan is not Punjabi. But anyway, from the promos and photos it is evident that they’ve worked very hard to make him look a lot like Milkha, atleast facially.
May I know which famous/successful Olympic ‘sprinter’ has a ‘six pack’- Usain Bolt, Maurice Greene, Carl Lewis, Tim Montgomery, Ben Johnson or any other. Ok find me a top Marathon or 10000 m runner like than even though Milkha did short distances only
I never mentioned ‘star’. U just name me one n.eastern heroine who can do this role. I mean when Scorses decided to make Raging Bull he decided to cast a saleable star in the role of Jake La Motta and not a guy with the ‘most’ suited physique for a welterweight boxer. Ami I do see ur objection but bwood does not have much choices. Btw since i am arguing with U i must also add this as a disclaimer that i do not mean to make a snide or to mock U. not everyone is soderbergh. For example no one raised an objection when Abhishek was cast as a real life Bengali freedom fighter Surji Sen in khjjs
In hwood on similar lines imo Rourke’s casting for the Wrestler was the best example of casting
Don’t worry- I do not think that you are mocking me
See, why does the actress have to be a heroine? Doesn’t Hollywood (since you bring in that example) take talented nobodies and make films with the all the time? And I’m sure I don’t have to explain the difference between casting Abhishek as a Bengali and casting Priyanka as a North-Eastern woman.
Antya- She’s saleable in the sense that she’s one of the top actresses today, she makes headlines and will bring the film publicity, everybody knows her, she’s done both big commercial films and more offbeat roles that she’s been praised for etc. Obviously for a female-centric film you don’t have a choice of too many actresses who’ve had solo hits- it’s just about who is the best known/ most newsworthy.
Well Boult does have good abs but they are still not six packs. But even though notice how he has something apart from abs- a well toned body (triceps, calf muscles etc). Also no Indian Olympic athelete has Ever had such a body
I’m sorry Saurabh- no offence, but that’s an absurd objection- Bolt has very clearly defined abs and to say that they are not ‘exactly’ six packs is nitpicking too much! 😛 And your intial objection was that no famous sprinter has such abs, now it’s changed to no Indian sprinter has such abs- there aren’t all of that many famous Indian sprinters to begin with- Milkha was the ONLY Indian male to ever win an individual medal at the Olympics.
My point is, Olympic athletes today do have such muscular physiques, so even if it isn’t completely accurate in the case, I personally don’t find it absurd or distractingly unbelievable as in the case of PC/ Kom.
Anyway, I don’t want this to turn into another long thread that is a repeat of the previous Anushka discussion, so let’s just agree to disagree! 😛
but why make a big scale epic anyway? she is not that kind of figure, why not go with a small scale one?
leo did his best to play j edgar too, but it turned out bad and tanked, partially due to casting (other things too). so it doesn’t always work even when you have first-rate talent like leo and clint on board.
and priyanka may be better than sridevi in your opinion, but she is hardly daniel day lewis who can pull anything off.
Since you for ask for a NE heroine- there’s Tonthoi, a national-award winning actress, (just like Priyanka!) who is apparently the highest paid star in the Manipuri film indsutry. And I don’t know her name, but there is also that girl who played a Manipuri Hockey player in Chak DE!, another sports film.
ah, forgot the best example that ami thought of. the most well-known biopic in hw, kingley was a barely known british actor. and there was a lot of criticism on account of him being a half-indian brit with accent.
I did not ask whether it was his debut as a lead actor but if it was his screen debut. And I am sure u are aware with the body of work of that Manipuri actress and that she has a physique like Marykom
Again with the nit-picking! 😛 What does it matter if it was screen debut or not?! The point is that he had zero star value/ commercial viability before this, and that they made a very important biopic with an actor who had never carried a film on his own or even played a lead role in a movie before. When I said newcomer this is what I meant- somebody who has not had a lead role before. I obviously did not mean that they had to cast somebody who has never appeared in front of the camera ever before.
“Ami I don’t think regionalism should come in while casting.”
Casting appropriately is not regionalism- it’s only when somebody casts a completely unsuitable woman because they feel like actors from a particular region will not be saleable in the mainstream, that it becomes regionalism! 😛
i know what you meant. i am just saying the sheer stupidity is mind boggling. apart from the unintentional hilarity that will ensue from priyanka playing this role, it’s not like she is box office gold on her own in any case. other than a couple of crores opening difference, this wouldn’t do any more or less due to her presence than it would with a newcomer. and slb has been a disaster in his own right for some time now, so thinking his and priyanka’s names will be enough is delusional. they could have gone with a known face and just make a regular sports film (chak de type) or commit to the subject and do proper casting, even if it ends up being a smaller film. but they want to have their cake and eat it too, anything to make a quick buck.
Heartening to see U target me with that snide remark. I was only trying to lighten up the mood since after a point of the time discussions here start getting heated up unnecessarily (I have had enough experience with this). And since U brought up Alex lemme tell U that U would not find a more sporting guy than him on the blog (as someone whom I admire a lot I may be majorly pissed with his recent attitude but I have to say the truth). If it would have been anyone else U would not have gotten away scot-free after making some of ur sarcastic remarks (not that U meant any ill-will or that he did not deserve them. So I am not blaming U at all). And no I had no intention of ‘winning’ the debate.
oh geez! i know you were joking, you are the one being touchy.
i was kidding too with the aa comment. i am sure he can defend himself but i wouldn’t indulge in this kind of mutual ribbing with someone i didn’t think was a sport. ok, checking out from this discussion now.
i think I was too harsh on you (i don’t like getting into a fight with people whom I respect over here). Apologies.And wasn’t being touchy Antya but i did think U were mocking me.
Relax folks. I have a solution; infact Bhansali has a solution.
Firstly, the story will be set in the ‘bluish’ town of Bhansalipur.
Secondly Mary will suffer from an off-shoot of Progeria, i.e., she will not age rapidly, but Mary will go on from being a little lamb to a tall Priyanka’s Mary within no time..
And the film will be 90% in English, 8% in Hindi, and 2% in Mary’s native language (only the swear-words, i.e.)
“Kareena Kapoor was born to be a star She has single-handedly introduced an entire nation to Size Zero and become the highest paid actress of her time. In ‘The Style Diary of a Bollywood Diva’, the ultimate glamour girl lets you into her fabulous life She reveals her best-kept secrets, tips and tricks Follow Bebo as she goes from being a chubby teenager accompanying her sister on shoots to transforming into the hottest leading lady on screen today.”
Sounds like scintillating stuff- now Alex’s friends know what to get him for Christmas! 😛
“Kareena Kapoor was born to be a star She has single-handedly introduced an entire nation to Size Zero and become the highest paid actress of her time. In ‘The Style Diary of a Bollywood Diva’, to transforming into the hottest leading lady on screen today”
ROFLOLOLOL reading that description of Kareena
“Sounds like scintillating stuff- now Alex’s friends know what to get him for Christmas! “Haha Amy –the person gifting me that kareena book will cease to be a friend or even an acquaintance hoho
Thanx anya –interesting link
“Show me a man who was shattered by the unnatural death of a loved one, and has made peace with it without doing anything unnatural. Shit happens, and then we find our ways to cope with it. I am an atheist but i have seen/heard/experienced things which are difficult to explain and impossible to believe. They remain unanswered and life goes on till another death comes knocking.”
Thanks! It was great to hear him name Bachchan in Zanjeer but I was even happier to hear him highlight Ardh Satya for both Om Puri’s lead performance and Naseer in his small cameo. Om Puri in that film is probably my favorite Indian screen cop.
Agreed GF, But after zanjeer, Khakee and Dev top the list for me. Then comes Ardh Satya, and Not a lot of people will agree but really liked Randeep Hooda as a cop in OUATIM. Kids’ got fire, needs the right script for a lead as a cop.
If this is true, what was Nikhil Advani thinking? You cannot rip-off and release the movie in America!!! But hey, BARFI! is selected for the Oscars.. No wonder then..
“All the more reason why ‘Talaash’ was such a letdown because its lead protagonist and social torch bearer compromised the stand he took months ago on showing the uneducated, ill informed, misguided and superstitious Indians the light of reason and rationalism.”
Khiladi 786 is the Akshay’s 4th movie released this year.What happened to Abhishek ? Dhoom3 shooting completed still he didn’t start any new project why he so lazy? 40 plus actors Salman,ameer,akshay,ajay and SRK are working non stop without break. Also abhishek should stop working multi starrers . Even if Dhoom3 will big hit ,no use for him and credit will go to Ameer.A bhishek should act in solo movies with directors like Raj kumar santhishi,priya darshan,prabh deva etc
“It has two heroine Cocktailish similarity ”
Yeah munna–realised talaash did have certain cocktail-wannabe moments
Though not exactly apt but May have gone for a talaash spoof –liked Aamirs role for myself
Wondering who to take for ranis role and who for Kareena –oops
Any suggestions, folks 😉
Talaash- the myriad moods of insomnia, grief & redemption
Am tired so details later-But to me, all else became immaterial beyond a point
I simply lost interest in who had bloody f..ckin killed whom etc
Neither did the ‘suspense’ or twist engage me beyond a point
It also doesn’t help with some folks struggling with subtitles lol
The film is good, could have been v good but a classic or exceptionally it certainly isn’t
What prevents it from being one–well, will write later
Actresses /direction etc later
Nawazu whatever –did NOT see why everyone is raving so much bout him. My apologies–I switched off after a few minutes and that character just ceased to exist for me!! And his ‘love story’–oh c’mon
The ONLY thing that I cared for/ liked/ enjoyed
Was Aamir khan
A flawed inconsistent role/performance with basic issues
BUT
As I’ve always said–I care more bout moments
And aamir did provide the ones I like
15 minutes into this film, all I could see was aamir ONLY
he was restrained yes, perhaps a bit too much
But like a masterly performer, he kept a certain tone though out that is a subtle thin line between going over the top and ‘deliberate obnoxious under acting’
He didn’t do either fortunately
When the film ended –all I was left with was a few aamir master moments–
a) Rosie-u r not for this place!
b)The ‘drowning scene’ where he couldn’t save his son
C)The ‘bedroom’ scene with aamir just dozing off finally
d)The final breakdown scene by aamir which ranks amongst his career best scenes yet (will have to revisit that scene again to confirm the exact rank)
And finally
If I were to summarise Aamirs master moments in this film–
e)Tears slowly welling up in his eyes slowly
And then “I’m v tired”
Aamir khan -your name is now up there in the best indian star-actors of all time –alas the film couldn’t truly match your brilliance here
And as he said– I’m v tired …zzz (c’mon anya, sanju)
Nawaaz was very good, but nothing extraordinary. However he has always been good, whether in Sarfarosh (small role) or Peepli Live or Kahaani, or Talaash. But it is his character in Talaash that’s so appealing; a selfish pimp who does a selfless act. loved his story with Nirmala. In Kahaani, i found Nawaz, good, competent, but not extraordinary. Liked him more in Talaash. Need to watch PL again; loved that funny dark film; need to revisit Nawaaz’s performance too; forgotten it’s details.
i thought the best performance of the movie belonged to Rani in her short but very important role. hers was the only performance that i actually ‘felt’ something for…and no not in that way. lol.
Wow, Alex m–you writing this?! Unbiased writing from a true cinema fan. I’m impressed.
BTW, do read , if interested,my fairly sympathetic review of much maligned Ra-one –at my blog ( http://www.lalipond.blogspot.in/2012_01_01_archive.html ) ,; I’ve been fair to film and SRK. I wrote it many months back, after watching it on tv.
Am now planning to write a post on films that have polarized viewers.
@LS–Thanx
I’m NOT an srk/ aamir/Salman film
I praise what I like to the extent I like an the portion I like
ONLY
what I don’t gets mercilessly dissed
Simple
No complications/compulsions/confounding factors
May expand on what I mentioned in talaash soon–in the middle of something…
Would appreciate a longer piece from u
Sanjana I’m not an srk fan nor an aamir/Salman or of anyone (including myself)
Good nite
Loved the scene-“I’m v tired” — end of my talaash (for brilliance in this film)–rest were incidental props
There was one source which said that 9th day collection for Talaash is 74 crores. It maybe that overseas figure for saturday might also have been included. When I tried to post the link, it failed.
Khiladi 786 Opens Below The Mark Talaash Has Good First Week
Saturday 8th December 2012 09.00 IST
Boxofficeindia.Com Trade Network
Khiladi 786 opened below the mark with a good response only at single screens of some circuits (UP and Bihar mainly). Multiplexes were average in some circuits but low at many places. Today a 40 crore nett weekend is par for major films but looking at early figures of Khiladi 786 in key markets this film may not even get a 30 crore nett weekend.
Talaash had a good first week of 62.50 crore nett approx due to a good pick up over the weekend. The film had a decent Monday but collections started coming down fast from the next day onwards. There has been another major drop on the eighth day.
Jab Tak Hai Jaan has taken its three week total to 102 crore nett approx. HIT
Son Of Sardaar has taken its three week total to 88 crore nett. HIT
Talaash dropped on its second Friday collecting around 2.25 crore nett. The drop is more than 80% from day one. The drops is across all circuits of India. There should be a pick up on Saturday and Sunday but still the second weekend will show a big drop.
The lifetime business of the film is looking to be around 85 crore nett which is not that good but with a poor showing by another big film Khiladi 786 this week it makes the total look more respectable.
I thought Aamir cuts across genres to give biggest openings and grosses in every film he makes 😛
Lol. My two cents. Talaash was a fine watch, well made but not something I would lose my sleep over or take seriously. Worked for me, not in a profound way though.
repeat watches may change my opinion. but as for Aamir, all talks of he being the ‘perfectionist’ seem hogwash. 3 idiots, though very entertaining and high on repeat value was cheesy and idiotic in several portions, ghajini raped memento, fanaa insulted your intelligence like any Akki starrer would, n then there’s Mangal Pandey too..
He is a perfectionist and thats why he took the risk of acting in Talaash after 3 Idiots stupendous success. Just see Salman, Akki. They are repeating themselves with 12345 series of their successful movies. Aamir could have done 3 Idiots 2 type if he wanted only BO success.
Fanaa was a loved film and which Indian film does not insult your intelligence?
Ghajini showcased the other side of Aamir Khan’s screen persona and its stupendous success negates your sarcasm.
Mangal Pandey was not a flop and it was a well liked film.
3 Idiots success was its sheer entertainment value with a serious message which cant be compared to brainless entertainers churned out by the likes of Sajid Khan.
While choosing a person for a life partner, one does not go by whether he is very rich only. One sees whether that chosen person has some good qualities besides being very rich. BO success is like being very rich. Unless the films having boxoffice success have other qualities like good script, good acting, the film will only be remembered as statistics.
Im not denying the success of his films. They’ve all been well-liked and successful. But cant help but smirk at some who seem to think they’re probably as good in quality terms as the best ones ever.
Aamir is a smart guy .. he makes some good cinema (Will be his admirer forever for what he did with Lagaan) but not all time. Instead of being a perfectionist, I’d call him a cut above the rest. and considering the crap that is thrown at us every week in the name of entertainment, he is an andho-mei-kaana raaja
to me the term ‘perfectionist’ doesn’t necessarily mean he is perfect. to me it means he strives for perfection. and you can clearly see that within all his movies.
There is a difference between his diehard fans and normal fans. I usually ignore diehard fans and concentrate on who are fence sitters.
Are you not making a sweeping remark by saying that he is better than others? There are some in others who are better than him though may not be that successful in terms of pure quality.
Tony U know I really respect your views but U are underselling Aamir here. Now I agree there was nothing special abt Fanaa but it was hardly a bad film. On Ghajini while it did have the Memento angle it wasn’t a rip-off (no one is denying the inspiration) and after Khaaki it is BY FAR the best Masala I have seen in 2 decades. Finally I sincerely think U should give MP a rewatch-it’s not at all a flawless film but is a film which is a glorious film IMO and is a must watch. Having said that I think ur objections on both Fanas and 3I is valid.
Saurabh,
I’d rather not compare Ghajini to Khakee (the latter is much superior IMO). Ghajini did earn crores and started the whole masala trend again but not a film i find appealing in repeat watches.
film is good or bad is depends on what and whom we like or dislike. But BO collections of talaash are big shocker.. WTF…and Tony is right in articulating his POV. Its sort of flop or perception flop on BO parameters…
So its not star that sells it but genre and bit of everything in the movie, Tragedy, comedy, romance, action..
let’s rmbr Vidya Balan’s golden words in The dirty picture, ” Entertainment, Entertainment, Entertainment” 😀
film is good or bad depends what we like or dislike more than the star. Eaga is one film which I liked and its performance in hindi version made me very sad. SOS in telugu version was good and I felst however watered down, the essence of it made SOS a success. JTHJ must have had some alluring moments and it deserved its success due to that.
No ‘good’ or ‘bad’ is not subjective. One needs to have a basic knowledge about calling something bad or good and needs to give valid arguements to support whether a film is good or bad. On the other hand liking or disliking is completely subjective. I can dislike Pyaasa completely and i do not need to give any arguement for this. But as soon as i say that Pyaasa is a bad film i need to give ‘informed’ and ‘valid’ to strongly make my case
On the other hand ‘entertainment’ is mostly subjective. Actually anything which engrosses us or holds our attention is termed entertaining by us. So i find the so called ‘entertaining’ DDLJ completely ‘unentertaining’. OTOH i find Ardhasatya and Ankur very entertaining
Even good and bad with valid arguments can only be an academic exercise. What is good for the gander may not be good for the goose. Ultimately everything boils down to subjective preferences.
ill admit…the trending isn’t the greatest. but lets see if it goes back up to 5cr tomorrow or will remain below that mark. needs to have at least 10cr weekend to have any chance of 90cr now. trending shows the film hasn’t been liked that much to be frank. i think in comparison..this would be a DCH type ‘hit’.
Even many hollywood films which are highly acclaimed insult our intelligence in more ways. We dont watch cinema just not to be insulted. They have to entertain as well besides keeping the ludicrous elements to the bare minimum. Watching documentaries will be a way out for intelligent people.
That’s a superb point SM. And many documentaries also require viewers to perform a leap of faith. Intact let me say that sometimes even they are filled with fictional elements though that’s a fiction of a different kind
I like Aamir a lot but I certainly do not believe that he is the demi-god that some make him out to be, nor do I think that he is this intense ‘perfectionist’ that the media projects him as . What I do appreciate about Aamir is his incredible sincerity to his craft and to his principles- which is an extremely rare quality in this superficial, intellectually bankrupt industry.
To criticize or praise Aamir based on the box office of his big releases alone is to completely miss the point of what makes him unique- what’s special about Aamir is that he’s the man who producers indie, art-circuit films like Peepli Live and Dhobi Ghat, acts in a Masala blockbuster like Ghajini and then backs a frivolous multiplex effort like Delhi Belly- and manages to succeed with it all. Yes he has a couple of misses- Dhobi Ghat and now Talaash- which haven’t hit the mark commercially. But which major star has a perfect track record? And better than one ‘fails’ with a film like Talaash, than one fails with a film like Ra.One, Veer, Joker or Game.
It’s easy for makers of offbeat cinema to be condescending about super hit films whose commercial success they can never hope to mimic, or for big marquee filmmakers to completely ignore the quality of cinema that they produce, and then shamelessly cite their box office profits as a proof of their movie’s worth. What’s difficult is for a filmmaker to accept each genre of cinema with open-mindedness, and to treat each film they produce with the same dedication, regardless of whether the end ‘reward’ is going to 100 crores at the BO, appreciation from a young multiplex audience or good reviews from a foreign film festival. And that’s what makes Aamir who he is- he genuinely appreciates cinema of all kinds, without any biases, and does his best to produce good cinema and to ensure that it gets the audience it deserves.
Look at SRK hosting Jor Ka Jhatka and Salman hosting Big Boss, and then look at Aamir hosting SMJ and even promising to make a second season of it, despite recieving death threats from the Khap Panchayat, boycotts from ‘men’s rights’ activits and heated protests from doctors and ministers.
I’m not saying that SRK and Salman are wrong in hosting these shows, but my point is- how can you try to compare them to Aamir on the basis of box office returns alone, when it’s so obvious that their motivation, objectives, intellect and principles are so far removed from Aamir’s? He has no desire to be part of that rat race, and it’s silly to the force him into it and then make it look like he’s not winning.
BTW- this comment is not targetted at Tony. I think that he’s a very reasonable, level-headed person, and not biased at all. I mean this comment for the general public (mostly the extreme fans of other stars) who’re trying to act like Aamir is a failure just because Talaash has not made 100 crores.
He has no desire to be part of that rat race, and it’s silly to the force him into it and then make it look like he’s not winning
You articulated it well. Amy. He may like bo success(who does not) but let him do what he likes without bothering about numbers.
Just because he gave Ghajini and 3 I, should not make him not to pursue something different. The success should not become a hangman’s noose.
“I like Aamir a lot but I certainly do not believe that he is the demi-god that some make him out to be, nor do I think that he is this intense ‘perfectionist’ that the media projects him as . What I do appreciate about Aamir is his incredible sincerity to his craft and to his principles”
this is exactly how i feel about Aamir or anyone else is in the industry today. someone who sticks to his/her principles is a winner in my book and has the highest respect from me.
Excellent points Ami. However atleast in cases of Ra.One and Veer there was atleast a slight attempt to do something serious so irrespective of the final products they were not empty films like BG and Ready. Game I thought was treated too unfairly, it was a good film for its terrain and I found it infinitely superior to players or don 2
But you have to agree that in terms of content Talaash trumps Ra.One, Veer and Game, which is the point that I’m trying to make.
As for BG and Ready, they’re both big hits- I was talking about how it’s better to make a good film that underperforms (like Dhobi Ghat) than to make a film that is sub-par both in terms of commerce and content.
And in case you are ready to over-look my habit of ‘nit-picking’ here is an earlier comment On Game-
In Game, more than the actual suspense, what I really liked was the the setting and the ambience of the film. The fact that the film is inspired from Agatha Christie’s “And Then There Were None”, to really enjoy the film one needed to have been acquainted with the world of Christie.U mention that even hwood thrillers r cheesy but in a different sense- exactly, if one notices Christie’s immortal character ‘Poirot’, the Belgian detective is also displayed in a slightly cheesy manner- his egg shaped head, his hat, his fixation for dressing up immaculately etc- None of the critic seemed to understand this.
Also it is one of the rare Indian films where the storytelling and its pace suited the suspense genre. The way the film unfolds keepf u rivetted to the scree. I personally believe it has benn the slickest film to have come out ever from bollywood- even better than don 2 in the looks department.Kangana Ranaut’s act is the sole jarring performance in the film. And Anupam Kher after a long time was in top-form here.
And by the end of Game all the twists are neatly tied up with moments in the earlier portion of the film. But what Bollywood usually does ‘best’ is precisely not tie up loose ends very well!. And to understand this point one needs to see this film more in context of a whodunnit than as a mere suspense thriller.
this film belongs to the subgenre of “locked room mystery” thrillers.Egar Allen Poe’s “The Murder in the Rue Morgue” and Doyle’s “A sign of four” r my favs from this genre. The fact that Game at places took me back to those novels is itself a sign of how much I liked the film. It also sumwhere reminded me of Dharmendra’s Shalimar.
Well just to clarify my stance I don’t think I ever said that Talaash was a failure. And I also refuse to see anything special with PL or DB. I found the latter quite entertaining (Vijay Raaz was a hoot) inspite of the always irritating presence of the so called ‘gentleman’ but it was neither as quirky as Jhankaar Beats or some of Rajat Kapoor films nor as good a Tarantino/Guy Ritchie like effort like the delectable 99 or even Sankat City. On Pl, it was again a decent and noble effort but that’s abt it. Just recently Benegal made 2 much better satires like Welcome To Sajjanpur and Well Done Abba (and I am not even going to some of the great satires of the 70s)
I also disagree that Talaash had a better ‘content’ than Game (of course the treatment of Talaash was much better and so it was a much better film). both films are very much derivatives of many Hollywood films. And finally I found DMD better than Talaash
Why must everything be turned into an arguement? This is not about my opinion of films vs. yours, it’s just me trying to explain why I think that the comparisons between the three Khans are inappropriate by some overzealous fans are inappropriate.
The different films I mentioned was to emphasize that Aamir does indeed have a record of success that cuts across all genres- and that one underperforming film or two doesn’t change this. I don’t understand why Benegal films ( that did not meet with a successful reception) and satirical movies from the 70s are now being brought up to dispute my points- I don’t recall saying that I thought that Peepli Live was the best satire ever made in India or that DB was the best urban comedy ever. His name is a sort of ‘quality mark’ that guarantess that his movies, regardless of genre, are going to have a certain basic merit to them- obviously not every film is going to be a Lagaan, or the best film ever produced in that genre, that’s too much to ask.
If you notice, I did begin my comment by saying that I do NOT think that he is a demi-god or perfect- I’m not indulging in hyperbole and calling each of his films peerless masterpieces, so I really do not understand the point of your arguements. In any case, these constant debates are tiring me, so I’m going to check out of this conversation now! 😛
Wasn’t trying to intentionally dispute your points, was only presenting my views on the topic. In any case I agreed with most of what you were saying, my only disagreements were specifically with the few of the films you had mentioned (for instance DB is hardly a ‘quality product’ to begin with. I an consider PL). But since you have this notion that all I do is dispute your points (inspite of me having clearly stated that I respect your views more than most here) I have nothing to say. And btw you don’t need to hide ur comment behind those smilies (the tone very much gives it away in most cases).
In any case you wouldn’t see me arguing/discussing with you anymore on the blog (not that my respect for ur views or writing has lessened or anything) but I do hope to continue learning from you
I disagree. Aamir is very much into the rat race too this is why he’s signed films like Dhoom 3 (which are not great cinema by any stretch of imagination!).
I applaud SMJ for what it is but more than concern for social issues he’s doing it because it suits his image. Even he knows he doesn’t have it in him to host a show like DKD or KBC!
Talaash for me was not an excellent film. It could’ve been wonderful but somehow something felt amiss. Its elements didn’t blend together well. It lacked the Aamir Khan finesse!
Its numbers are BAD even if taken as a good film! Even Barfi (younger stars, offbeat theme, non holiday release) did 100 crore this year! Whereas Talaash is a film with much bigger stars & most reputed banners coming together! Its IMDb & Rotten Tomatoes ratings are also lower than Aamir’s previous films (just feels rotten to see OMG, English Vinglish, Kahani, Barfi all ahead of an Aamir Khan film on IMDb!). On Ormax Media’s WOM survey it ranked the last among all films of the year!
Sorry, but this is not what I accept as an Aamir Khan fan considering his past standards! Talaash is underwhelming both in terms of box office & quality.
Today we need Khiladi 786 to perform badly in hope of Talaash to trend better, I didn’t think such scenario would spring up for an Aamir Khan film! Talaash is not a Dhobi Ghat either that its performance can be excused! 😦
Never thought it’d be a 3 Idiots but never thought it’d be this much of a struggler either. In fact films like Barfi, OMG, Kahani doing so well used to give a lot of hopes on what Talaash could do considering it also has Aamir in it!
I agree with you on the the film’s reception and box office- I did say in the above comment of mine that Talaash is a misstep for Aamir commercially. However, I don’t think that B.O. success should be the primary measure by which Aamir is measured, as opposed to Akshay/ Salman/ SRK where such measures are apt. Just because he’s doing one Dhoom 3, it doesn’t make him a hardcore commerical actor in the same way as those other stars.
I have to disagree completely on the SMJ bit though- just because he can’t do a KBC, doesn’t mean that he couldn’t do a Zor Ka Jhatka/ Big Boss and pocket a big paycheck for minimal effort like SRK/ Salman.Instead, Aamir put an enormous amount of time and effort into conceiving and producing a show like SMJ which might have earnt him a lot of prestige, but has also ruffled a lot of feathers and made him unpopular with several groups and organizations.
I don’t know if you’ve read about this, but recently one of the men who spoke against the Khap Panchayat on the honour killings episode was murdered violently and publically in his village, and there were heated protests from certain ministers as well as thousands of ‘men’s rights’ activists campaigning against him and boycotting his films as a result of SMJ. In a society as conservative as India, a major star speaking so publically and powerfully against these deeply entrenched prejudices is not something that can be undertaken so glibly just because it suits one’s image; it requires an admirable amount of passion and principle to do what Aamir did with SMJ.
it will struggle to be among top 10 movie domestically and that to aamir coming after a gap of three years
prices of tickets where inflated in first weekend much like ett thanks to the curiosity
aamir has a recent talked about shows fresh in public memory though not that sucessfull and remembered what happed to ab after kbc …interest in mohabbatein and salman after dus ka dum that revived him and later wanted
to be fair direction is indeed shoddy and script being confused …films looks outdated and made in hurry having difficulty adjusting to modern theme
isnt noir in kahaani was visible when ghosh adjusted things beautifully to religious scripture and dark underbelly of kolkata…a mock on democracy and system …
“Panchayat on the honour killings episode was murdered violently and publically in his village”
thanx for that info–didnt know
To me–aamirs best role tll now has been SMJ–He DID try something nobel
One can be cynical and find motives etc–but at the end of the day–the show DID make a difference to lives
Does ANY gr8 film make a difference to a life–doubt it
Interesting views here,Prateek. More so from a self-proclaimed fan.
I too find numbers disappointing but not the total. always felt it would be hard for this fil to fetc a huge total. But as mentioned elsewhere, the same total would have been more plataeble if it ere reached with a smaller opening and better trending.
Other arguments and comparisions ith Barfi and Kahani ( incidentallly liked them both ) remain somewhat disingenuous.
As for it being misstep commecially for Aamir, it depends on what he expected from the film. If he had intended it to be a blockbuster, surely than it is a misstep. Instead, if he wanted to be involved in a hatke suspense drama sans compromises and obvious commercial hooks that doesnt entail losses, he might have done alright. Obviously, he is a smart operator and knows that in order to keep his edgier stuff viable, he HAS to do a D3 and a Fanaa..Aamir MO always knew the commercial reach here was somewhat limited and he ran the publicity campaign accordingly. As a believer in trending theory, I accept that trending has been disapointng.It is a solace that with any other star the eventual total would not have eben even as much were it ever made with any other major star. I dont think it is necessary to belitle other films often inappropriately mentioned in the same breath lik \e Barfi and Kaahani but it is intllectualy dishonest compare them.
One of the other things people forget here is that the extra advertising isn’t free. Even if with some stars the trade pretends that the British and German govts picked up the tab! So if you spend a bit more or a lot more on advertising can you can get that many more people to the theater? That’s questionable.
I think it was either Rohit Shetty or Devgan who said that (and this is probably right) that 99% of the time an audience decides after the first preview whether the movie is worth checking out or not. The theory being that beyond this you only get diminishing returns with extra advertising. Or that you can’t really turn a campaign around if people didn’t find the first preview good enough. You then have to wait for WOM.
well there are red herrings on both side. Of course he’s a commercial actor, he’s not in it for charity! On the other side the fans sometimes pretend he’s doing social service!
i have huge apprehension there to(smj but again different in indian context):
on big mouth reema kagti ( remembered her ridiculing kahaani)
talaash lacks visual style ,,, a true mental instabilty of a leding man and a morally questionable hero and a true disturbing script…neither a true noir or neo noir
as well as on aamir he takes calculative script( not a radical one):
e.g on same genre
memento was allready a cult so comes ghajini
with talaash has big influence of 6th sense and machinist
wong kar wai’s work on migrants and there loneliness comparitively makes dhobhi ghaat a 2nd hand copy but ya in indian context atleast he is trying
No one can make one film encompassing the entire Mahabharata. They should only make a film of a particular episode or story from it, like they used to do in Telugu in earlier decades.
this news has been going on for about 3-4 years now. i think if he would ever get the ‘courage’ to do it…id bet on it being a huge long time consuming (production wise) film with a grand budget.
It’s more than 3-4 years. The talk started right after Lagaan, while Mangal Pandey was still in production. That same producer (Bobby someone?) announced he was going to make the MB with a 100 cr budget, which in those days was unimaginable. Perhaps not surprisingly, the investors didn’t materialize.
Please do watch this excellent Aamir interview, done with Faridoon Sharyar of Bollywood Hungama, 5 days after Talaash release. Especially note what he says at 4 minutes onwards and later too when he talks about films being remembered for their intrinsic quality, not numbers. Towards the end he seems to feel that the film may do up to 70 crores in firstweek, India and 30 crores plus overseas. But he is also hesitant about giving number prediction, leaving it to trade experts. He seems satisfied that the film has connected to viewers the way it connected to the film team. I feel he is right. The interview is just under 12 minutes, so do watch.
Same Aamir used to flout Ghajin nums and 3I nums… Let’s face it. Bo number matters and srk and salman also says same thing, “our fans should like the movies and etc” ..
aamir does make different films but that doesn’t mean he is not concerned about BO nums…
You can now sense why he wanted to postpone talaash again when Relaince didnt oblige him..
@saurabh
Agree good and bad are subjective and what you said abiut bad or disliking movie…
I am not here talking baout if talaash is good or bad but BO nums which are BAD.
BAD according to you. Not bad for me. It is also subjective. When a good film, different film does something like this, it is gratifying for some and it is a ridiculing point for some.
i had made a comment earlier in the week that these numbers were bad in terms of BO for a actor like Aamir Khan. i still think thats true..but again that is a subjective thought. if i was a producer of this film id be satisfied with these kind of numbers.
Where I do disagree with most Aamir fans is the entire idea that Aamir is a great actor or that he is Bachchan. He is definitely a very good actor (who never ever destroys a film by his presence. Something which folks like Salman, Imran and Rampal are guilty of) and has come up with some very fine performance in the last 10-12 yrs or so (and apart from Fanaa and Mela I have liked him everywhere in the entire deade or so, something I can’t say of Dutt whom i think is a much better actor). But leave aside AB and Dilip Kumar he is not even as good. And his filmography is still devoid of that iconic performance- He does not have a Guru/Yuva or a Zakhm/TLOBS or a Naam/Munnabhai/Vaastav/Khalnayak or an Omkara. I easily rate him above SRK as an actor but even he has a CDI/DDLJ
glad you said most. lol. because i certainly don’t think he’s a ‘great’ actor. again that is a subjective term so people are entitled to their opinion. i do think he has had a ‘munna’ and ‘bhuvan’ role to prove he is worthy of being called a good actor and a memorable actor. does he belong in the amitabh/dilip/guru dutt/balraj sahni, IMO no he doesn’t. but to me in todays times he’s one of the best actors out there, if not the best.
goodness! what is this obsession of yours and satyam to drag the bachchans into everything? first of all, nobody worth taking seriously ever compared him to ab or dk (you must be thinking of some salman fans who, ever since he got success two years ago, think he is bigger than bachchan. being a salman fan is injurious to the brain apparently).
secondly, you may consider abhi and dutt great actors or their performances iconic but most people don’t. among the ones listed here, only ddlj and munnabhai are considered iconic for various reasons, although you may personally like a lot of other ones too. just like everything is not blockbuster, excellent, outstanding as labeled by media, not everything you were impressed by becomes iconic, even if they are excellent films and performances.
aamir is the best star-actor of his generation who also has a knack for picking better scripts, varying his roles all the time instead of repeating himself, backing somewhat riskier projects and has been hugely successful while doing his own thing. it makes him unique in this industry where standards are so low. that’s about it.
Since you continue to act snide there is no point in arguing over this with you (as I don’t feel like retaliating in the same manner). And yes I am ‘obsessed’ with Bachchan- I am sure there are bigger crimes than being a Bachchan fan
I never said that Abhishek is a great actor. Even with Dutt I never I used the word ‘great’ btw. And Vaastav and Khalnayak are pretty much iconic irrespective whether someone likes those acts or not. Same is the case with Guru.
Antya,
You are confusing issues here. The argument here is about Aamir’s actng prowess. I tend to agree with Saurabh and AF here inspite of being a huge Aamir fan. AAMIR is certaily unique and I admire him and like him immensely but purely as an actor, he is not exceptional. But,the whole package is something else. No one from current generation comes close to Aamir from that aspect. As for Bachchan, he is like Mt.Everest. he is just there and whenever a discusson re best, best star-actor, most influential, most succesful, most iconic etc occurs, he is going to be the yard stick. One can ignore him but the discussion wouldnt be meaningful.
i see both points-but i WILL support anya here –
in my opinion–
One can hold bachchan to high esteem and agree that given his innate ability and transcendence, there is NO crime in that.
There are bigger sins that being a bachchan (sr) fan–about jr, im not sure lol
But theres no reason poor antya also has to also submit to that.
it doesnt have to be forced down everyones throat or down those who visit this site..
Theres a difference between having a view or even fandom and trying to create a ‘fear psychosis’ wherein anyone not finding bachchan sr /jr worth worshipping should be ‘bullied’!!
infact bahchcan jr adulation (beyond a point) is the one that needs to be investigated, if at all 🙂
even if you go to the top of this thread, nothing there seems to have triggered this thread about his acting prowess. nobody ever said he is a great actor and nobody was actually making that point by comparing him to bachchan. he is a competent, versatile one who has performances well-integrated into the films he does. but i just don’t know where saurabh’s comment came from since nobody above said such a thing. if it’s a general comment, i have seen no such impression coming from any of the aamir fans here. and as for extreme fans, they are crazy anyway and we usually don’t see people like that on this blog.
it’s just a general tendency of people here to bring their favorite actors into the discussion even when that’s not the point. saurabh didn’t just bring ab, he also brought in abhi, devgan,
dutt. i didn’t know we were comparing his skills with them. to what end? also, films and performances become ‘iconic’ for all sorts of reasons, not acting skill. that’s why, salman’s role in dabangg is more ‘iconic’ than some others listed here. so saurabh is the one mixing up and confusing a lot of things here. and gets upset when i point it out. i like him a lot, so it’s not that i was mad at him. i genuinely did not understand where this argument started since i saw no such argument in the first place. ok, my bad.
OK,Antya – chill.
I also do not agree with some of Saurabh’s choices here and accept your point of iconic performances/ roles. And, since the subject has already been broached, it would be fair to say Aamir has not had a Yuva/Guru/Vastav/Dabaang moment tho his overall career is far more ‘iconic’.
I like you a lot too Antya. And i have tremendous respect for u and ur views. But u are not aware of some of the past discussions on the blog about Aamir and Bachchan so u are missing the context of the entire comment. That is why u saw AF and Rajen Sir catching the drift of the issue
Re: The barbarians are always at the gates waiting to take things down otherwise!
LOL! So true. But, a couple seemed to have escaped the asylum and made thru the gates here!
OTOH, it helps as we gain a greater appreciation of normal people when we see these sad cases.
i figured i was missing something. as i said, my bad.
off topic, this is a space with mostly smart and reasonable people, including those involved in this discussion. so this is not targeted towards anyone. but unless i am being illogical and argumentative in a tone that suggests aggressiveness, or just blasting someone for no reason, i don’t appreciate being told to chill. or relax. or calm down. those phrases indicate someone being told to take a time out because they are somewhat out of control. and it takes other connotations when males on the blog say this to females. even if not intended that way (i have noticed people telling that to ami even though she is a very reasonable person). so just throwing it out there. may be we should all (including me) chill a little and be more sensitive towards others in future.
“don’t appreciate being told to chill. or relax. or calm down. those phrases indicate someone being told to take a time out because they are somewhat out of control. ”
I totally agree there
Its ok to say that to the likes of me and some others—but not to poor anya or even amy…
he/she doesnt even threaten to be remotely rude (except to me lol) or ‘politically incorrect’ (for this blog) —stays mum on certain obvious inconsistencies (unlike me)
This ‘code of likings/dislikes’ is not fair..
Mr/ms anya has been a perfect gentle(wo)man—is more well-read than most here—not sure why he/she needs to be told to chill and follow a ‘whip’ 🙂
“also, to compare everyone today to a yesteryear star is kind of a futile exercise since things have changed so much, the terms of the comparisons are not viable most of the time. it’s better to compare within a time-frame.”-
I am sorry Antya but I COMPLETELY disagree with this. We simply cannot use the time-frame excuse otherwise one can even say that Kamal Sadanah was better than Motilal. Or that Kalyanji-Anandji were better than Rahman.
The thing is – some things are comparable, some are not. There is a comparison to be had between Kishore nad Rafi but not between Kishore and Sonu Nigam or Kishore and Manna Dey irrespective of what one likes. Otherwise people start saying stuff like Vishwanath or Merchant were better than Sachin because they played without a helmet (mostly). Gavaskar and Sachin, using the same Helmet arguement, are atleast somewhat comparable because Gavaskar was at a point of time the best batsman in the world. Sachin of course is better in every way but that’s another matter
lol@kamal sadanah. extra points for remembering he exists.
but let’s not be ludicrous. that’s why bachchan – pradip kumar comparison doesn’t bother me. because nobody in history has ever made that comparison, that would be silly. but ab & dk comparisons are made all the time, because there is some basic argument to be had. i am just saying the terms of such a discussion (not really even a debate, people can have preferences but x or y wins will be a silly conclusion) will be complex. people have probably written essays about that sort of time-bridging comparisons, certain things will have to agreed upon and assumed. i said i personally find that futile, not that it can or should not be done. may be ormaxmedia can come up with a mathematical formula to debate that. or you can make a post and all of us can have a go.
ps: i almost indulged in my silly habit of putting a smiley there in the end but then i remembered that it annoys you.
LOL. I remember Sadanah bcos of a film he did called Rang (remember it was a hit too). The film had Ms. Bharti who used to give me, ahem let’s say, some different type of dreams.
Agreed with this comment of urs.
And c’mon please don’t embarass me with the smiley comment (aur began mujhse anjaane me koi bhool-chook ho gayi ho to maaf kar di jiyega 🙂 ). I only objected to that person’s usage of the emoticon bcos she was continuosly using it to hide behind them while the tone of the comments was giving it away.
Btw since I do think I was harsh with U in that comment, lemme clarify that I only interact/debate with people whom I like and respect a lot. Hope someone else is also reading this
that applies to me too; i discuss with people who i think can hold their own, have something worthwhile to say and whom i can learn from.
divya bharti, eh? reminds me of the time i went on a blind date with a guy who told me he used to love her. i spent the entire time ribbing him about it (not that i had anything against her, but i thought it was funny and i had to entertain myself).
not to self – don’t make fun of your date. sigh!
“I only objected to that person’s usage of the emoticon bcos she was continuosly using it to hide behind them while the tone of the comments was giving it away.”
It’s not my fault if you read all kinds of unintended insinuations into my comments and automatically assume the worst about my intentions and ‘tone’. I’ve always punctuated my comments with emoticons, so it’s not like I never used them before and suddenly started including them only when I was interacting with you.
Also, I’m not somebody who minces my words. If I’ve had a problem with you before, I’ve told you so directly- you’re not somebody who I am afraid of that I have to ‘hide’ my (imaginary) insults behind emoticons!
agree with amy–she never hides behind emoticons usually..
She doesnt spare words–just recalled—even when she was amy ‘annoyed’
when she suddenly appeared from denovo to give me a dose
🙂
“reminds me of the time i went on a blind date with a guy who told me he used to love her”
LOL! The funniest Bollywood-related date story I’ve heard is from a friend who went on a date with a guy who went on about how he and my friend would have 2 children together, a boy and a girl, whom they would name Rahul and Anjali- mind you, this was their FIRST date, and she hardly knew him! 😛 Needless to say she wasn’t so keen on him after that…
rofl!
and double rofl on hi wanting to name his children rahul and anjali. making them siblings. no wonder she let him go, those kids would be tortured endlessly.
Rofl Antya on the date. Thanks for sharing (and do share more such anecdotes). Btw hope U have found someone with a better taste 🙂 . I have my own hilarious date story to share but some other time.
On the topic of 90’s heroines I fell head over heels in love with Ayesha Julka after watching her dance in rain with Akki in Khiladi. She was so cute in that cap. And Raveena’s Tip Tip (with Viju Shah’s crackling bg score) has formed a big part in my evolution from a boy to a man! 🙂
i personally dont like this ‘policing’ wherein anyone even hinting at not finding bachchan the greatest ever or anyone supposed to be ‘worshipped’ here, should be ganged up against
Anya has no reason to retract what shes said or felt
and this is inspte of her feeling that im a ‘troll’
my views on this are unchanged 🙂
“As for Bachchan, he is like Mt.Everest. he is just there and whenever a discusson re best, best star-actor, most influential, most succesful, most iconic etc occurs, he is going to be the yard stick. One can ignore him but the discussion wouldnt be meaningful.”
are u khomeini or his pet !!
Yes i love bachchan –adore him and am his biggest fan
BUt stop trying to act like this club bouncer
[edited]
i consider the 70’s bachchan the sort of unmatched superstar/versatile actor/performer/entertainer with his list of films and iconic roles, basically the kind of phenomenon that is almost like a freak accident. we haven’t seen anything like it happen before or after. and we probably won’t ever again. because a lot of things have to align to make that happen. like the big bang. the conditions were just right, it didn’t happen in a vacuum. that is why, even ab had a hard time once those conditions were not so good.
i don’t consider him the greatest just as an actor, there were and are many better than him, but that combination that was rare, he only had. i don’t care much for anything he has done since (barring a couple of things here and there). also, his sort of please-everyone attitude, his wishy-washy politics, his choices etc. have diluted the phenomenon and the halo around him too.
but i personally have nothing against him. also, to compare everyone today to a yesteryear star is kind of a futile exercise since things have changed so much, the terms of the comparisons are not viable most of the time. it’s better to compare within a time-frame. that’s why the ab – dk comparison never works for me either.
I am sorry Alex that I cant respond in kind. But, I WOULD sugesst that if you are going to frequent the blog, try something different than twisting words or sucking up to female bloggers or in some cases even male bloggers whose name causes confusion or can be erroneously miscontrued. And, as I have mentioned before it is a shame since you ave hte potential to make more meaningful contributions instead of using the blog as a substitute for gaining female attention which sadly doesnt seem to be happening in your real lie.
Though you’re completely distorting what has been said on this as always.. let’s stipulate this — Indeed people of inferior taste should be ganged up against so that civilization can be saved for the rest! There should be no compromise on this. The barbarians are always at the gates waiting to take things down otherwise!
im sorry but i CAN more than respond to u in kind or MUCH more!
People do come here for varuous reasons and thats none of YOUR friggin business
But what has been noted is that u come sporadically to sort of ENFORCE a certain moral code or constitution of what nneds to be held in high esteem, what needs to be dissed and so on
But unlike others, theres NO constructive commentary or rational justificagion except PARTISAN hatred and bigotism
Whilst u are welcome to rot in your own biases –u have NO reason to impose it on others
as to what i do or dont–u neither have an idea nor u should!1
so keep your ass in the correct slot b4 it gets kicked again !! 🙂
the above ‘dose’ was for rogue rajen who was begging for it for a while —hes got his bit
It was NOT for satyam obviosuly who i admit has been v patient with me
This is nothing to do with Anya — this is a person who makes her/his points genuinely /civilly tries not to offend most people (except me) —still why does he/she be forced to acknowledge that bachchan is the greatest EVER?
Btw Antya notice I didn’t even say that Dutt is a better actor than Aamir (even if I believe that. I also think that Ranbir is better than him on this score). I said that he lacks an iconic performance in his filmography
you are perfectly justified in liking dutt better. i love shammi kapoor pretty much more than anyone else, and he was hardly an actor. i am just saying, nobody has said aamir is better than ab. and yes, he does not have an iconic performance as such. but most people don’t consider zakhm, vaastav, cdi as iconic. excellent performances, not ‘iconic’, there is a difference. and many fans consider his rangeela, lagaan and rdb performances to be iconic (i don’t) but it wouldn’t be correct. ddlj and munnabhai on the other hand, are iconic.
It’s interesting to note how England is owning India in India and on spinning pitches and home conditions (for India)
Always felt this English team was v good
Eng spinners are also better–and lets not even talk bout seaming conditions/ pacers etc
Always knew with this team we can beat anyone at home but to go over to the subcontinent and beat India on their wickets deserves a round of applause (I’ll do the honours)
Plus we are looking so good and Cook what an inspiration 🙂
As much as I loved Cook I am extremely elated to see Anderson finely perform. One of the finest swing bowlers of his generation and while he struggled with the SG ball initially (since they play with Duke in England), he really used the reverse swing very well.
And I am not sure if it has happened before that a non-subcontinent spinner has taken 5 wickets on the 1st day of the test twice in a series in India- Swann in the 1st test and Panesar in the second
@amirsfan – I was born in Eng and have lived here all my life. I don’t understand why I should support Pak but when Eng and Pak go against each other then it’s great fun because many of my family members support the latter 😀
Will write more about talaash soon–
But what’s caught my attention is the reports that talaash is going to wrap up around 80-85 cr net finally –hmm..
Now this IS disappointing box office –yeah it has done well overseas (ESP for an aamir daily after 3 years and for this genre)
No excuses
Interestingly aamir doesn’t attend/believe in 2many parties
But on this occasion —
Aamir has already attended a celebratory party within a fee days of release, declared that he is more than happy with the result and that has been out up an endorsement of the great success that talaash has been here n elsewhere n so on
Let’s be fair n honest folks
As for aamirs own performance I lOVED parts of it
But let’s not get confused in different issues
Liking a star, liking his performance, hating another star, hating parts of a film, hating politics of a star/director should NOT affect one overall assessments
That’s called true objectivity and lack of bias
Difficult /impossible to achieve but atleast let’s try folks
Yeah –aamirs overall worth is more than just box office since he helps bring out some changes /improvement in the overall popula Bollywood culture
And so on..
But when talking bout box office–let’s stick to that
Aamir isn’t the box office giant lothario who was last seen slaying everyone in 3 idiots–
3I was an excellent film, packaging, overall product
Things need a proportion and objectivity
ill admit…the trending isn’t the greatest. but lets see if it goes back up to 5cr tomorrow or will remain below that mark. needs to have at least 10cr weekend to have any chance of 90cr now. trending shows the film hasn’t been liked that much to be frank. i think in comparison..this would be a DCH type ‘hit’.
“That is HUGE whichever way one looks at it. Now can someone apply the trending theory here.”
Haha agree Naveed
The problem is that when things don’t go the right way, whichever way u try to spin it–it gets difficult really
Rather than this ‘struggle’–don’t know why people don’t take the easy route–being fair n honest to themselves 🙂
@ Naveed– I still can’t forget how ETTs 200 crores were deconstructed here and callers ‘ordinary’ or expected
By trending theories–just bcos ETT had a monster opening –it was effectively called a failure here—
I don’t believe in biases –it was proved earlier and will now prove again –that stance was really disappointing –and I’m not a Salman fan
Ps: actually I do hope and believe that talaash will again pick up during the weekend since most normal multiplexers will prefer it over k786
Hope aamir adds to the tally –I hope so
who in their right mind said ETT was a failure? i do remember satyam bhai comparing ETT trending to ghajini, ready and 3I and compared to those films..the trending of ETT WAS disappointing. but i don’t think he ever said ETT was a failure.
@Naveed — I’m not talking about what the general consensus was about the film, just what this particular NG member’s verdict was. I do remember it was some film that was considered barely “average” in terms of its box office perofrmance.
to me the trending ‘theory’ has nothing to do with the trade…it has everything to do with the audience and how much it likes the film. i like to keep it simple. lol. in terms of trade…ETT is most likely a stupendous ‘hit’.
Yes, exactly, none of the recognized trade analysts use either this term or this theory when giving their verdicts on a film (though some times they do come up with “subsidy blockbuster” and “emotional blockbuster.” 🙂 )
agreed but the trending of a film does give a person, who is interested in such things, a gauge if the film is liked or not. like saurabh said in the post below…im sure YRF give two hoots about ETT’s poor trending considering what the final BO outcome was.
when a film opens to 130cr week..and ends up at 198cr…how is that NOT disappointing or ordinary? the only thing awesome and unbelievable about ETT was the opening week.
there is such a thing…but not for ETT’s box office performance. to me what ‘130cr first opening/198cr total’ represents is sallu bhai’s HUGE bo prowess at the moment…but his films are not liked all that much.
You are right here AF. I think Satyam was correctly saying that ETT’s disappointing trending says that it was not ‘truly’ liked by the audience. Where I differ from him is that it was a commercial/BO disappointment. How would it matter to a producer/distributor whether, let us say, he earns 150 crores on the 1st day itself or 150 crores in 3 weeks. Actually he will prefer the first option
“Where I differ from him is that it was a commercial/BO disappointment. How would it matter to a producer/distributor whether, let us say, he earns 150 crores on the 1st day itself or 150 crores in 3 weeks. Actually he will prefer the first option”
completely agree saurabh. of course im not the most knowledgeable on the indian BO system as Satyam bhai and others are here..but that seems like common sense to me.
so Talaash wraps under max 85 crores..OMG did 80..a Raaz3 ad 75!! so much for star power..if SRK is a fading star having the third hundred crore plus grosser in and year (diwali to diwali raone don2 and Jthj).. then what is aamir..a movie after three years and this result..Satyam said he expects a 100 here..whats your verdict on this now..a 80% fall shows audience havent taken to the movie..! and please satyam trust one source for all movies..BOI has lower numbers for JTHJ and Talaash both..I have seen people here using BOI numbers for JTHJ and Taran’s higher rnumbers for Talaash
IMO, the indian BO numbers are so shady, i just use a ‘range’ system. meaning i take BOI, taran’s numbers, komal nahta’s number, and lately box office capsule’s numbers and just use all of them. clearly there isn’t one accurate number out there. usually almost all of the times..BOI numbers are significantly lower than the rest.
The music I am listening to now on the ipod and really like balma, long drive and hookah baar. Himesh Reshammiya consistency in delivering catchy tracks is remarkable. Still rank Tere Naam as his best work and the sales of that album give my opinion some weight.
Now this film has not opened too well. How ironic seeing as most if not all considered ‘masala’ to be a safe genre. The myth has well and truly been broken. To put K786 numbers into context both Jism 2 and Heroine opened better.
Film will do well to reach over 55 cr lifetime.
If I see the film I’ll make a more definite prediction.
I will take boi numbers though they are on the lower side and I dont like their commentary. Either they should be impartial or they should shut their mouths. The way they treated SOS is terrible.
Salman, currently the biggest star, will he go on doing action comedy which is a safe bet for him? He experimented with all the heroines and may drop Sonakshi in future projects. May do more films with Katrina.
SRK, the second one , will be doing romantic movies, his safest genre.
Akki will be doing more Khiladi types in the hope that the gmble may payoff once in a while.
Ajay will be doing comedy, action, emotion and his films may have some surprises for us.
As Aamir has nothing to lose in terms of anything, he will experiment, produce some interesting movies, may go for season2 of SMJ.
Sonakshi will move to south as hindi audience has enough of her.
Anushka will be the future star actress if she is careful and less over confident.
Deepika will be the surprise package.
Ranbir is the dark horse waiting to displace many current stars. The only handicap is his boyish looks.
This is an absolutely unnecessary comment Sanjana- Scorcese is an international icon and one of the most-respected figures in cinema today, and it’s heartening to see that people like him are appreciative of Indian cinema, considering that the rest of the world has long looked at Hindi cinema with a patronizing attitude (evident in all of the foreign newspaper reviews of even the best Hindi films today).
One does not need to blindly refuse to recognize the merit of foreign film figures in order to prove that one is proud of his/ her own filmic heritage. Just because I admire Scorcese and I am excited by this news it does not mean that I don’t respect any of the Indian filmmakers. Let’s not confuse jingoism with national pride!
Anyway, there’s no link- AK merely hinted at this in his tweets.
The fact is we love to be praised by foreigners especially the fair skinned ones .And HW is our gold standard and Oscars too. We wait with bated breath about how our films fare at the final list and afterwards the final prize. It is eluding us and now we have come to terms with it. Same with Miss world and Miss Universe titles and booker and Nobel Prizes. Olympics, Wimbledon etc.
This is not wrong. But wish the same reciprocity is shown atleast in some ways other than Slumdog Millionaire.
Olympics, Nobel etc are international prizes- every single country, include the Western ones, appreciate these recognitions far more than their national awards.
And we all saw what happened when the Common Wealth games were hosted in Delhi- you cannot expect the rest of the world to pretend that the ceremonies we host are as coveted as the well-established, well-organized ones in other parts of the world, just for political correctness sake.
Like I said, having realistic national pride is one thing, indulging in blatant jingoism is another. I do agree that Bollywood/ the Indian media’s obsession with HW is very irritating and slavishly post-colonial- but that doesn’t mean that we have to go to the other extreme and completely ignore the merit of one of the greatest living filmmakers (Scorcese) and pretend that his aknowledgement is worthless.
Who is overwhelmed? All I said was that it was pretty amazing- I do not think that this is an extreme reaction in any way.
And it’s completely understandable to me if a filmmaker (from any country) is more excited by the praise of an inaccessible international icon whom he is not aquainted with, and whom he has only known through his famous films, than by the praise of one of the legends within his own film fraternity, whom he has interacted with before and who is far more likely to be aware of his films.
Obviously Kamal Hasan is going to be aware of Anurag’s films considering that he is one of the most talked about Hindi filmmakers. On the other hand, he is pretty insignificant on the international circuit, and for Scorcese to have watched and appreciated his films is an achievement for Anurag. It’s not that our own filmmakers are less worthy, but that their aknowledgement of Anurag’s work is more expected, and therefore less exciting.
You are so right Sanjana. Bachchan saying Gow was amazing matters less than Scorsese saying this. And given his track record I have a feeling Kashyap may she lying regarding the Scorsese thing
Sanjana you are right again. And people and Kashyap should realise that great as he is Scorsese does not know a thing abt Hindi cinema (apart from probably knowing abt Ray and Mrinal Sen)
not surprising amy—i LOVED devd –and though havent seen gow felt the same bout it
kashyap is simply a cut above the rest
and yes scorceses approval does matter–wiriting a letter marks an individualised gesture rather than a token one
i would suggest that folks here rise above internal politics, equation with bachchan and kashyaps obviously irritating sporadic rants to appreciate and acknwoledge kashyaps undeniable brilliance..
@ amy—what did u feel about the look/styling/makeup of kareena in talaash.
Im asking u this since i feel u know more about this aspect than most here–not trying to be funny but would watn your unbiased views on this…
there was a bit of a discussion with some i saw the movie with on this –they were bolllywood naive…
well, i know im in minority here but i liked ranis look/styling after a looong time in talaash
the ‘no makeup’ look suited her
Infact she looked ‘soothing’ and even ‘attractive’
eg a scene wherein her sari was being pulled 😉
Im surprised how some (like satyam) like her in ‘hot’ attires like bunty n babli and some (like amy probably) loved her in aiyyah
and some lusted over her in that crapfest in a ‘bikini top’ in the shahid movie wherein she plays a sick cricketer or something–dont remember the name
In talaash, i think her look/attire were calibrated correctly and she carried it off well–there was the requisite ‘vulnerability’ and ‘simplicity’—but i know it wont be appreciated much in the times of aiyya, bnb, bikini tops–sigh…
“Im surprised how some (like satyam) like her in ‘hot’ attires like bunty n babli”
yes me too.. specially since I don’t remember holding such a view. Have often talked about her in Yuva but can’t blame you for the mix-up. Those who like Cocktail more than Talaash can be excused for these confusions!
Ok folks here’s the relevant BOI passage from their Talaash 8th day report:
“Talaash dropped on its second Friday collecting around 2.25 crore nett. The drop is more than 80% from day one. The drops is across all circuits of India. There should be a pick up on Saturday and Sunday but still the second weekend will show a big drop.”
Cocktail did well on its eighth day as it collected 2.75 crore nett approx. The drop is 75% from day one but that has become par for the course nowadays. the film will pick up on Saturday and Sunday and could do a weekend in the 12 crore nett range which is good.”
So 2.75 crores for a genre like Cocktail is just fine on day 8 without any new competition while for a genre like Talaash 2.25 crores with a new major release is suddenly depressing news! and it’s not just Cocktail. very many films show very weak second Fridays these days.
“Agneepath had a huge extended first week of around 85.50 crore nett. The film held up well on weakdays after a big fall on its second day. The second Friday has dropped around 70% from last Friday but that is par for the course in terms of business and the film will pick up hugely on Sunday.”
by the note that because of the extended week Agneepath’s first Fri wasn’t the day of release for the film but its third day. It was a much weaker number compared to the massive opening day and the film still fell 70% on its second Fri. The very same holds for pretty much all the other big releases (the Salman films and so on.. though hopefully no one will make me dig up all the numbers!). In fact I remember remember commenting at the time that BB had a better holdover the second Fri despite the Cocktail competition than many of these other bigger openers did without competition.
In any case let’s see what Talaash does over the second weekend. Far bigger productions in far more safe genres have lower standards to live upto apparently!
Incidentally I believe BOI will have it around 90 crores or a bit more eventually, Taran’s numbers will probably give it something closer to 100. Unless the second weekend is lower than I’m expecting it to be. BOI though are following the BB route here. There they suddenly caught up by the end and pretended it somehow did 102 crores but they did so by giving it a 45 day period for this which is much greater than other 100 crore grossers that started off with similar numbers.
Joginder has the BOI like commentary in a piece but says it will do 90 crores or so. This is essentially the lower end of the range.
hahaha satyam
your having to resort to the cocktail comparison says it all 😉
who is talking about cock tale here anyhow and since whe did cocktail become the gold standard in box office and critical acclaim
Recently aamir had become that gold standard so unfortunately he has to stand that bigger test –simple…
and he has succeeded in the critical acclaim mostly
box office only partly–accept it ha
check out the rest of the comparisons I’ve made. Name me a film you’d like the comparison to be made with and I’ll pull up the numbers. If Agneepath or BG don’t suffice I could get something else. Would you like me to go through the ETT numbers again?
yeah according to nahta K786 numbers are falling quite a bit on Sat. and yeah I expect stability for Talaash. In any case I’m headed for a second screening tonight!
satyam—rise above all this boi/other sites machinations
i know they all are biased one way or the other
Look within
and plz answer me–
do u think 85 crores domestic is good for a solo aamir starrer after 3 years in an excel production as a moustachioied cop with demure rani and prostitute kareena –yes or no…lol
But I don’t accept it will do 85 crores! and why is my opinion important for you anyway? I think ETT was poor after a massive start. You didn’t like that opinion! Even otherwise you have lots of snide remarks. So why are you asking here?!
but what if that ‘tree’ ultimately IS proven to be an ‘elephant’
Perhaps the ‘tree’ was a mirage created by a combo of bias, compulsions and ignorance
This ‘mirage’ afftects everyone including myself… 😉
relax satyam–calm down—i also hope talaash does 100 crore and much more 😉
Infact i hoped and wanted talaash to do 150-175 and more..
but its a sad fact
and btw i feel this is more the fault of excel/kagti and less aamirs fault–will elaborate soon…
Alex is right. Satyam should accept the fact the film is clearly drooping and underperforming. JTHJ was more stable than this. Basically the year belongs to Devgn, Akki and Salman after giving 2 100 Cr hits each. And then Devgn also did some social service by giving Abhishek a hit in a platter in the form of BB
To begin with–
talaash is obviously a very good effort and would rank in the 95th percentile quality wise in mainstream bw
A very worthwhile effort and attempt by excel/kagti
but do we think excel/kagti/aamir aimed a 70-80-90 crore grosser here and thats y they went for this?–nope
So whats went wrong–relatively IMO
Obviously these are just conjectures …
What do u do when u have a one-two film old new director and a star/actor/director/producer who has PROVEN ability in terms of script sense, discretion, product placement and audience responses critically and bo terms
u take ADVANTAGE of that resource pool called AAMIR khan
someone said that talaash is RELENTLESS, DARK etc
my question–is it more important to make a ‘relentless, dark’ film than a successful, GOOD , engrossing film? -i hope not!
Thats where aamirs expertise comes in
I recall there being reports of aamir trying to ‘meddle’ but zoya/kagti putting their ‘foot down’
Apparently aamir even threatened to withdraw from all proprmotions as a protest
An ’emergency’ meet was convened by farhan, sidhwani and others with aamir
Unlike akshay in Joker, Aamir gave in but one could see that his involvement and ‘heart’ wasnt there in the promotions though he did put up some effort lately
I HOPED the aamir-ised version had been allowed
OI could sense atleast TEN junctures wherein a MINOR TWEAK could have improved the FILM and the BOX OFFICE markedly WITHOUT compromising with quality etc
But alas–excel/zoya/kagti seemed more concerned with their ‘vision’ than trusting aamirs judgement !
even I suspected this. His promotion was quite half hearted. Maybe he did not want the type of backlash to be repeated when he took over the direction of TZP.
Having said that, I am ok with the success Talaash has achieved. It got good reviews on an average and did quite well in the first week and trended not too badly for the kind of film it is.
Yes, I also feel like Aamir did not promote this film because he wasn’t happy with the final results.
Having said that, you cannot fault a director for sticking to her vision- Aamir knew what she had in mind when he signed up for the film, and he should have chosen another script if he didn’t like what Reema presented him with or wanted to make something more commercially-friendly- it’s not like he has any shortage of offers!
I’m not trying to find fault with him though- actually, kudos to him for remaining so professional and promoting the film and even praising Reema despite the fact that he might have had some disagreements with her. He’s a huge star and she’s totally unestablished so he could have easily bullied her and got his way if he wanted, or just refused to promote the film like Akki did.
But Reema was just doing her job, and she is not at fault in any way. She’s spoken about how she’s wanted to make this film for almost a decade now, and how it was a very difficult film for her to get made. It’s clearly a project that is very close to her heart, and she has the right, as director, to film it in the manner that she thinks is best.
I don’t think that either of them should be blamed- if they did have a difference in opinion they’ve both handled it in a very dignified way, and I suppose that these clashes are inevitable when you have a lot of talented, creative minds working together.
^^Yeah–good that amy, sanju and others now see the point.
its these crucial but cryptic things that catch my eye 😉
im less interested in the ‘suspense’ or friggin ‘who killed whom’? sort of deals
yeah–those things did matter to me till couple of years back but either have got bored with that stuff or have ‘evolved’ or devolved as a viewer– dont know haha
Then I guess Aamir must be unhappy with most of his films before Ghajini as he never promoted them EXTENSIVELY. It was only from from Ghajini that this marketing and all was started by Aamir.
He did what was necessary for Talaash too. It clearly didn’t need to be over promoted as simple as that. Mind you he is the co-producer of the film right from the beginning itself, he wouldn’t have been one if he wasn’t interested or did not like it.
“Yeah–good that amy, sanju and others now see the point.
its these crucial but cryptic things that catch my eye ”
Your arrogance is amazing. Seriously have you even read some of your comments? Of course it’s unsurprising that Scorcese liked Dev.D since *you* loved it- of course all the others are totally wrong in their interpretations of Talaash, since *you* are able to read Kagti’s mind and discover that she is not capable of such thought.
Anyway, I felt that Aamir wasn’t completely happy with Talaash even when the promotions were happening, because the marketing was so lukewarm. However, I didn’t want to comment because I felt like I would be accused of being anti-Aamir or trying to pull Talaash down or whatever. So it’s not like your random rants have made me ‘see’ things in a new light. And it so happens that I complete disagree with your point about Reema vs. Aamir.
RDB- Marketing has changed immensely since the pre-Ghajini days, back then such extensive efforts were not necessary. And I’m not trying to blame him at all- like I said it is understandable if he had a clash with Reema, and he’s behaved in a very professional way, however he felt about the film.
But it’s just a feeling that I have- given that there were so many reports of re-shooting and disputes, and then that relatively low-key promotion. And there is a big difference between hearing a script and seeing the final product, so the fact that he signed on as co-producer does not guarantee that he will like the actual film.
Anyway, I don’t really have any evidence to prove my point, nor am I trying to suggest that this is what happened for sure- it’s just a hunch that I have, that’s all.
Amy–one doesnt HAVE to agree on everything
as i mentioned, talaash is lready in the tp 95 th percentile quality wise and remains a v good effort by kagti
The KEY difference however was that extra bit
basically kagti would have got her sarfarsoh, rdb (probably not dch, lagaan here) but she shose not to
All she had to do was to ‘submit’ to aamirs ‘guidance’
its NOT bad to be guided by someone who is undenaiably BETTER than u
it wont have made kagit/zoya small
they could have shown their ‘vision’ in the next non-aamir film
these are all conjectures though i agree
ps-as for ‘arrogance’, i mean why should i or even u amy, feel that our views are any less valid than any tom dick and harry or any of the so-called ‘biggy’ –we are just giving our ‘opinion’ and no actual money /stake is being spent on them lol
So lets respect our own views amy–assume we both know a lot
😉
Well, when you accept yourself that the film was in the 95th percentile in terms of quality, then what good would have come of Kagti compromising on her vision? A few more crores at the box office? That was clerly never Aamir’s aim anyway- otherwise he could have done 10 Singham/ Golmaal type films between 3 Idiots and Talash.
Alex, U are right and I am with U man. U were the one who pointed out abt the low promotion as well as those scenes of Aamir. Sad that U are being termed arrogant for this.
I wasn’t taking a cheap shot. I simply did not like Alex being called arrogant (I have done the some when people criticised U unfairly in the past). And have U ever seen me take a cheap shot at U before.
I just can’t help feeling that all those reports about hot-headed Reema and a vaguely disatisfied Aamir, have some substance. Apparently Reema has a temper ; that’s what reports from media suggested.
If im in aamirs place, I would FORCE my way!!!
its his standing thats getting messed up by this nonsense!
what do folks mean by ‘interference’?
what happened to—-
Mutththan after sarfarosh?
Farhan after DCH?
Mehra after D6?
Gwarikar after Lagaan?
Who is Kagti? Aschool girl in front of aamir Khan
All i needed to see was ONE scene
The one where tears well up in aamirs eyes—
and he states—Im v tired!!
its a pity that such talent/performance/ inviolevement was not used up–i havent even started my rant against kagti/zoya
And im even more surprised at how people saw all sorts of metaphors and auteuristic tendencies in kagti/zoya –something they wouldnt have dreamt in their (collective) dreams…anyhow
Talaash is worth the time spent only for a couple of aamirs scenes
everything else is incidental relatively….
Look didn’t Aamir say that for a film to be successful it must triple its opening weekend. Now Taalash will come no where near that. Anyway I don’t believe in the above. For me a film is a success (am only talking about the BO) when the costs have been covered and a bit more. No one should lose any money on the film.
Now Talaash clearly wasn’t an expensive film considering Aamir will take his fees out of the profits. BUT again can those who were very quick to mock other biggies falling by 70-75% now also tag Taalash with those same terms.
Heck Talaash has dropped more than Agneepath, JTHJ and ETT and some of these films were coming off HUGE extended weeks.
I’m not trying to undermine Talaash and I do take the genre into consideration. I also don’t think one should hold it against Aamir in that he took 3 years in coming with this film. For me 100 if it reaches there would be a GREAT result but coming of 67 week naa it ‘should’ have done more.
When ETT which made 110 in its first 7 days went on to add another 80 is considered poor then what should Talaash be thought of as.
P. S sorry if I seem like am going on and on but the same rules should apply to all films.
I havent seen the movie, so cant say much abt treatment, but as u say u r counting GENRE, u are underestimating it, i am not an expert of links, but one of my first comments after first teaser 7-8 months ago was this would wrap under 100.
I agree on trending and other things, and on this i will say talaash might be shockingly low. Yet i feel GENRE rule might provide the reason.
But yeah on trending its a FLOP. But some movies are beyond box office and this one seems to be the same, i know many people fail to get that concept, but i will share simple eg. there was a movie called phir milenge of salman, i consider that beyond box office.
note: i havent seen talaash, whatever i have said is as per what i have read.
“Aamir knew what she had in mind when he signed up for the film, and he should have chosen another script if he didn’t like what Reema presented him with or wanted to make something more commercially-friendly- it’s not like he has any shortage of offers! ”
Amy–to be frank i can see your point
BUt i can appreciate why aamir tries to ‘take over’
Yeah these makers do come to him wihtt their IDEAS but Aamir crucially gives them his NAME and INVOLVEMENT by his approval and signing the film
aftter that, it becomes HIS prestige issue and HE gets judged by it
Its only natural that he feels irritated when things start going haywire
Being a proeffesional, aamir cant close his eyes KNOWINGLY
i SUPPORT aamirs stance and INTERFERRENCE hahah
he SHOULD take over projects midway IF these buggers are making a mess of the film
Anyhow thats what I would have done in his shoes
and would have TAKEN OVER KAGTI MIDWAY or else stalled it–yeah it would have been unprofessional but sometimes tjese tactics ARE needed
would invite satyams views on this…
ps–satyam–as u will now see– im not anti-aamir
its just that i like getting to the bottom of the whole premise/problem… 🙂
You’re talking totally illogically Alex. Just because Aamir accept’s a director’s project, it doesn’t give him a right to take over and do her job, and squash her vision for her own script. If he’s so rigid in how he expects a film to shape up, then he should direct all of his films on his own, and only ask people to provide him with scripts. What’s the point of hiring a director and not allowing her to do her own job?!
Anyway, he seems to be much more mature than that, and he is not intefering in such an arrogant and dictatorial manner at all, so I don’t see how you can ‘support’ his stance and inteference when it isn’t even happening!
As usual, alex is simply making something out of nothing. Better not to fall into the trap and even if we fall, better to get up and run for our sanity to be intact.
“What’s the point of hiring a director and not allowing her to do her own job?!”
direction is hard work, a thankless 24×7 job
acting is much much cushy
plus u get to kiss rani and kareena 🙂
So i would give kagti a chance to show her skills and come in only when she gets ‘derailed’
and take over only when/where needed
ditto for any male directors as well (like farhan,gowarikar,muuththan) etc
Then he should hire some desperate, sidey director who is willing to do whatever Aamir says- not somebody like Kagti who clearly has opinions and ideas of her own that she does not want to compromise on. And he can act and direct in a film at the same time, lots of people do it- plus, he clearly doesn’t have an aversion to directing considering that he did direct TZP.
I also do not think that he took over DCH creatively- that was clearly Farhan’s world and sensibility. It’s just that some filmmakers never top the innoncence and genuineness of their first film- look at Adi’s career after DDLJ, for instance.
i agree amy–those are two v good points
as for kagti in talaash–
she is getting the advantage of getting aamir in the film
with any other actor, this subject wouldve been mushc less viable
So she shoudl also repsect hisjudgment and not be so stringent on her ‘vision”
after all ammirs inputs would only have helped her OWN film
kagti could have done a non-aamir film next and induged in her own casting couches etc
its this MATURITY that diferentiates ‘freedom’ from commonsense’
but amy–u do make some good points there
“Then he should hire some desperate, sidey director who is willing to do whatever Aamir says-”
good point but those ‘sidey directors’ prpbably didint bring such good subjects/roles to him that excited him
also there sensibilities/styles arent promising
one has to be a bit selfish/blunt in these things–to get the nest of everything –only helps the overall product 🙂
She’s an artist Alex, of course she’s going to be protective of her artistic freedom and her vision for her project. How can any creative person be expected to view their creation in an objective, ‘common sense’ manner?
For instance, look at this rant that she wrote on not being allowed to show people smoking on screen- does she seem to you like the sort of person who will meekly accept the opinion of another because it’s ‘common sense’?
IT took me five years to make Talaash. I waited till
I got the opportunity to be as authentic as the story
demanded. A crew of about 200 professionals shot for gruelling hours extending over months. Aamir Khan, Rani Mukerji and Kareena Kapoor, along with a host of other talented actors, travelled daily to seedy locations in the Mumbai underbelly so that we could create a world that looks and feels as authentic and real as possible. We wanted the viewers of our cinema to go beyond the glitz and take the gritty journey that we have embarked on.
This is a story that features cops, film stars, prostitutes, pimps, madams, businessmen and the people that they interact with. Now, here comes the TRUTH — Many of these people SMOKE.
So when you watch the film we have bent over backwards to make, you see a super ON THE FILM every time any character is even holding a cigarette. As someone who is passionate about her work, this has left me feeling very angry, confused and heartbroken.
Even if I were to ignore the fact that this is a desecration of my work and the government has no right to ‘lawfully’ trample on my rights as an artiste and an individual, I am left wondering what purpose it serves; besides making sure the audience is consistently pulled out of their involvement in the film with the supers.
Indians smoke. According to a global tobacco usage study done in 2010, India is the second-highest tobacco user in the world. A frighteningly high number of these users are children. In such a disturbing scenario, one would expect the health ministry to lobby for the ban of tobacco products. So why is it not doing so?
The primary reason cited is the right to livelihood of tobacco farmers. That is an absolute load of crock! Are you telling me in the 65 years of freedom, the government could not manage to find alternate sources of income for these tobacco farmers, who happen to make up only 0.03 % of the total farmer population?
I think that the government won’t ban smoking because it collects more than 5,000 crore every year from excise duties levied, to ‘discourage’ tobacco users. A recent study ranks India lagging behind 123 countries out of the 198 as far as pictorial warning on cigarette packets go! So if you can’t even put adequate warnings on the poison packet why are you putting it on films?
Of course, there is also the fact that one of the major reasons of tobacco usage growing in India is because international tobacco giants are focusing on developing world markets. The government is actually doing nothing about
this menace, apart from making money. However, since the Indian government needs to project an image of fighting the tobacco menace, my film has come into this sorry mess. These mandatory guidelines imposed on filmmakers are the least effective way to deal with the problem.
It is my job and constitutional right as an artiste to reflect reality. Smoking is an unpleasant but existing reality. What possible service to society would I be doing by showing a smoke-free world on screen when any child can buy cigarettes on the streets of India today?
But people who didn’t accept my ideas on all of this with other films have no right to do so now! It’s the old Abhishek argument. When he was signing the prestige projects they were supposed to be not really so etc. When he failed suddenly he had done so in big name films! So those who weren’t accepting my trending ‘theories’ when I was talking about them for years using every example in the book have no leg to stand on to challenge me now. Again this is similar to something I’ve always said. You can’t pick your ‘truth’ in different ways at each end of the equation. So if Talaash does a 100 yes 67% of it will have come in week 1. Let’s leave aside the genre argument for a minute. For anyone who wants to call this an under-performer on my terms has to do the same with every other film with a similar ratio (which means every 100 crore grosser with the exception of Ghajini, 3I, Singham).
Now one might argue that those films have bigger grosses and what not. Again let’s leave aside genre for a minute. Those who now want to test me on trending also have to accept the rest of the argument. For me it was never about getting to 100 or 200 but the terms on which this came about. This was the whole point about ETT recently! It’s a point I made just the other day. Is it ok to start out with 170 and finish off with 200 and say ‘yeah I did 200’?!
I am willing to have a debate over Talaash (depending where it ends up) with honest brokers. Not those who keep changing the terms of the debate depending on who they want to support. JTHJ was a bad result. I dislike RNBDJ as well but the latter was very stable on trending, a point I’ve made for years. So revolutionary as this concept might seem it’s not about liking or disliking stars. I have Aamir fans who make fun of me when I say things about abhishek using the same box office logic and so on or when I talk about him as an actor but who are completely on board with me when it comes to Aamir and when I use the very same thought process! So it happens all round.
Finally those who are into dogmatic claims without adequate reasons and refused to respond when challenged and try to go off into other tangents are also not serious when it comes to these matters. if Talaash doesn’t do anything much to add to this week 1 total I won’t have a problem with the ‘facts’ even if I’ll find the results disappointing. but that hasn’t happened here. let’s see how it does this weekend.
But again don’t be foolish enough to play games here, quoting what I’ve said in the past. Unfortunately for many I not only remember all too well what I’ve said, I also remember everything everyone else has said. So if you were accept my thinking on ready, BG, ETT, JTHJ, agneepath, Ra One or as the case might be sure I’ll be happy to have a debate on Talaash (again based on where it ends up eventually). But the great thinker Vijay was as always right — I won’t be the first one to sign! What does this mean? I will summarize a longer comment I once left on this. If a system is essentially dishonest and/or compromised/corrupt in a structural sense you cannot just pretend it’s about one criminal and insist on his confession? Not because his actions are defensible but because the larger structure breeds people like him.
so again don’t just say that it’s 67 crore week 1 and it now has to do 135 by my rights. Begin my saying that 67 crores in week 1 is more or less the Ready and Don2 number in week 1 in a much trickier genre, without Christmas advantages or whatever, and without competition in week 2. In the next step also say that a star can only get a big initial and after that it also depends on WOM (isn’t this the logic that is used to pull down stuff like 3I and prop up some other films.. ‘if he could do this much with a bad film how much would he do with a good one’?!), which I of course accept, and that even if the film does not double its initial (on my terms) Aamir will still have proved a great deal by matching those initials in this sort of film!
Ha! What happened? Do you know why balloons get punctured so easily? Because they are only filled with air! So before some of you guys decide to start questioning me I’d ask you to do yourselves a favor, learn a few things before you start launching into these silly partisan games.
And now back to masala.. though I am generally a mellower person here than what I used to be on NG (for more than one reason), I will still say this — main aaj bhi wahi aadmi hoon jo pachees baras pehle hua karta tha! LOL! remember that before you begin the ‘debate’!
No dude, you are off the tangent here. Talaash is already an earner in my books and the same one said ETT did very well to make those big profits.
Its you who shift your standards, which many then rebuke/ridicule.
From your arguments only, if Talaash gets to 100 cr from 67 cr week 1, then it basically trends just as well/bad as Don 2. Now Don 2 was not appreciated by your trending standards here, so how come 100 cr for Talaash is suddenly acceptable now????
Quite bizarre, isnt it?
As I said in the Shekhar Kapur thread, one needs to be either ‘mind’-less or simply dishonest to not see the obvious.
Ok so let me unpack what you’re really saying — ‘I find you inconsistent and unpersuasive but I nonetheless want you to now be consistent with your earlier inconsistent positions’! LOL!
Wrong again, just pointing out the inconsistencies. Not that I am expecting anything better.
The only option you have is to ban me, since pointing out the inconsistencies seem to be hurting you. Else why bother to twist my words everytime I comment?
LOL, your thoughts are already so twisted it doesn’t take me to add anything to them! It’s your own utter lack of logic that’s letting you down. You said you always found “awkward loopholes” (as opposed to the more elegant variety) in what I say, that you never agreed with me, that you found my positions inconsistent. Alright fine. But now you’re asking me to be consistent with my earlier positions. What does it mean? Maintain the “awkward loopholes” et al? Well what is the opposite of this? If I was earlier indicating these lapses in logic and being totally inconsistent what’s the opposite of these things? I would think a better logic! But you want me to revert back from this!
But there is also an old masala villain possibility here… the guys who did everything bad. They smuggled gold, they raped women, they killed families etc. So your version implies that earlier I was just smuggling gold and killing families, you did not agree with this and found this ‘inconsistent’, now I am being inconsistent and raping women too whereas I should just stick to smuggling and murder!
So not sure which it is with you. But hey with your homophobic comments elsewhere perhaps you should first write your book on everything that you like so much and perhaps I can review it here!
Alright everyone I’m saying this again, don’t come up with too many one-line responses.. because these box office threads get clogged up very quickly. Also this isn’t a place for ‘conversation’ beyond reasonable limits. Now I can keep deleting stuff but it’s a headache for all the reasons I’ve pointed out before. So people who keep doing this repeatedly (hence making me work!) might find themselves barred in other ways. Hope this doesn’t happen but I’m tried to be polite and reasonable with everyone about this. Again even if you are sticking to the topic or saying something relevant don’t keep putting up ten comments with one or two sentences each. Collect your thoughts first and put it all in one! I am only pointing to the repeat-offenders here. Not everyone.
taran is one of the very few who gave the film 3+ – he baffles me often. Apparently, BWH and himself might be “fed” handsomely do such things – not a bad business!
OT–just came across this cocktail MASHUP
a ‘tribute’ to all the members of my spoof( those who were a part, know!) haha
Ofcourse the film needs no introduction
Put on your prancing shoes Satyams and all folks–party
So I saw JTHJ today. I am baffled at people finding this worse than SOTY. It is one of the better films of the year and SRK comes with a matured performance. And it is much better than that crappy Son Of Sardar
SOTY on the other hand is the prime example of what people term as regressive cinema. The ending is an absolute shame. Both the male leads are useless. Alia Bhatt is sizzling hot
I found it appalling. I thought it wasn’t possible to fall lower than RNBDJ but that’s a classic compared to this. Both as a pure narrative and in terms of the absurdity of the plot. Did prefer the second half though. Will try and write a note on this at some point.
I haven’t seen SOTY but JTHJ is tonally inconsistent movie apart from multiple plot nonsense. I liked for most part how the dialogues were delivered but then you have contant “Sir Jesus” and effervescent Anuska. The film needed atleast 30-40 minutes of trimming and no need of Amnesia.
in the name of the father, the son and the god-damn-it sanity – we demand a separate post: “unending rantings of AA and Ami” – grow up kids – we request AA also to stop using one hand while other is busy driving. Please start using your legs to write “relevant” comments – perhaps then Talaash might do 350 cr nett in Japan.
idea–we wont grow up –thats our motto –what say amy..
relax and do give me some updates of your favorite ielana da cruz–any latest pics/updates thanx
ps–if one hand can do so much–two hands …i shudder 🙂
I guess i normally wont interfere, but Ami how come?
Idea, i have read many of her comment and found those interesting, may be i guess its her replies to AA which might be offending u, as it encourages more AA single handed comments 😛
“may be i guess its her replies to AA which might be offending u”
hehe ok amy–do respond to these guys as well once in a while–they seem to be getting ‘jealous’ of us 🙂
joking—good nite…
Something stayed with me after watching aamir in Talaash
Needless to say, he was like a cape that engulfed me for some parts so much so that i didnt notice much of the rest of the movie.
Have mentioned some key scenes already here–
and now i know
This was a sort of continuum of one of my favorite alltime bachchan performances –know it wont be in anyones list of even top 50 but it is for me–akayla
An average film in all respects
But bachchan maintained a certain tone and understated melancholy there which gets unleashed more overtly albeit still implosively here—Aamir in Talaash
Sheer Brilliance
Bachchan in Akayla To Aamir in Talaash–
The former did have the ‘megastar’ in it though in his autumnal slightly over the hill phase (and the film was made on a lesser budget, ambition & motivation), in the latter, aamir ‘strips’ himself totally on even the baggage he had in a similar setting sarfarosh
I think, thats why his role isnt /wont attract similar acclaim!
BUt oh man, what restrain, committment and involvement to do SUCH an inerpretation of this role at this stage of his career wherein he could have got away wth even murder!
Would like satyams views on this
Its difficult to compare these two masterclasses and i suspect, they both will be relegated to the background interms of the overall oeuvre of both bachchan and aamir–but in my opinion, they both are right up there in their acting careers….
AA
“And Saurabh is more knowledgeable about cinema than ami.”-
LOL…Thanks Sanjana but I simply cannot agree to this. And I say this with the greatest of sincerity and honesty that I am embarrassed to be mentioned in the same breath as Ami (And I mean it when I say that there are not many who write as well as her). She, or for that matter almost everyone here, know much more than me about cinema (amongst other things). And I am just a tyro happy learning from folks like Ami, GF and Satyam (and even you. Your sharp wisecracks are pretty much the life of the blog) and being allowed to be a part of the blog
And I know you said it as a compliment but these things sometimes can cause unnecessary controversies so it’s better that I am not compared with such titans 🙂
I dont think it is exaggerated. While ami is very good about contemporary cinema and writes really well, your knowledge of older cinema, that is the 60s and 70s has more depth.
What I like about ami is her forthrightness and her honesty.
Of course none here can be as knowledgeable as Satyam and also as insightful as him.
But that might be only because I ‘might’ have seen more old Bollywood films than her…and while that ‘might’ give me more factual knowledge it hardly means that I know more about a film/films than her
And even then there are many people who are leagues ahead of me in their knowledge of old films (and I am not even talking about Satyam, GF, Q and Abzee here)- There is Oldgold. Then there is Utkal Sir. Rajen SIr himself knows a lot. And finally how I could I forget Antya who is a very good writer
Here is a very short but an extraordinary note by Ami on an old Bollywood film- “DUVIDHA” by Mani Kaul….I URGE you to read it
If ami can forgive me, I would like to say that she is more gender conscious while reviewing certain films, certain actors etc. She may not be so but somehow I got this impression. while reading some of her pieces. Everyone has some preferences like this and no one is completely exempt from this. But the way she fights for the right causes, is really commendable. I visualise her as goddess Durga. We need more of Amis to set many wrongs right.
Well that’s an interesting observation but I don’t think I am good enough to comment on her writing skills. And I suggest you should read that piece of her before forming any impression about her writing.
BTW you have might have unintentionally pissed Ami off. She wouldn’t be happy being compared to someone like me 🙂
ROFL! at Goddess Durga, and no I’m not offended by these comments at all, so there is no need for me to ‘forgive’ you! 😛
And I agree completely that Saurabh is a lot more knowledegeable in areas like 60s/70s Indian cinema, Hong Kong cinema and Masala movies, which are subjects that I know very little about.
Khiladi 786 managed to grow around 10% on Saturday as compared to Friday. The collections on Saturday will be in the 9.25-9.50 crore nett range adding to the 8.50 crore nett on Friday giving it a two day total of 17 crore nett approx.
The growth is mainly due to the fact that collections in Delhi/UP, East Punjab, West Bengal and Mysore were very low on Friday and all these circuits have added in the 10-30% range on Saturday. The central belt of CPCI Rajasthan along with Bihar is seeing the best business and collections held well in these areas on Saturday.
Although the film has managed growth on Saturday it is still a limited upturn especially considering low collections on day one and even a 30 crore nett weekend does not look forthcoming unless Sunday somehow manages phenomenal growth.
I am in talaash of talaash numbers. And none of the prominent sites is giving any information. Taran is not well but he is giving updates on other movies. BOI blocked Talaash completely. Do the producers not giving any numbers at all?
Just like andaz apna Apna and other such movies, Talaash may find its place. How is Khiladi faring overseas? any idea?
By Ankita Mehta | December 8, 2012 11:11 AM IST
‘Talaash’ Box Office Collection: Aamir-Starrer Crosses ₹ 100-Crore Mark in First Week
Suspense thriller “Talaash: The Answer Lies Within” crossed the ₹ 100-crore mark at the box office within first week of its release. Reema Kagti’s directorial film has earned ₹67.9 crore at domestic and ₹36.75 crore at overseas box offices in its first week.
The worldwide total of Aamir Khan-starrer film now stands at ₹ 104.65 crore.
The movie also featuring Kareena Kapoor and Rani Mukherjee in the lead roles was released on a non-holiday Friday across 2500 screens in India and 520 screens overseas.
“#Talaash Overseas 1st Week total: $ 6.75 million [₹ 36.75 cr],” trade analyst and film critic Taran Adarsh tweeted adding, “#Talaash collects ₹ 67.9 cr nett in 1st Week.”
Despite the mixed reactions, “Talaash” has done good business at multiplexes and average to good at single screens, according to Adarsh.
The movie had a tremendous opening on the first day and showed growth over the weekend, especially on Sunday; however, the business witnessed a fall on weekdays.
It collected ₹ 18.1 crore on first Sunday, but on Monday the business declined by ₹ 11.36 crore. On Tuesday it raked in ₹ 5.72 cr, Wednesday ₹ 4.56 cr and Thursday ₹ 3.7 crore.
“Talaash” business might get affected due to Akshay Kumar’s action masala film “Khiladi 786” which was released on December.
“Talaash” is jointly produced by Excel Entertainment and Aamir Khan Productions. Besides the three big stars, the movie also features Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Raj Kumar Yadav, Shernaz Patel and Bengali actor Subrat Dutta in supporting roles.
To report problems or to leave feedback about this article, e-mail: a.mehta@ibtimes.com
Dude I saw a month back (after you told me that a friend of yours had directed after going thru a lot of troubles) and absolutely loved it (had put the same video earlier)- this has to be one of the best festival-films of the decades from Bollywood-
ya another uncoloured version after gandu….an interesting parallel is ray’s devi where symbol of godess was forced upon teenage married lady and in a moment of subversion here the lady looks for devi and in both cases for a happy family
aside drought continues after jthj and sos as both talaash(highly confused and unlayered sript) and mediocre k786 are underperformers
argo and looper are recent of two with unchained to follow:
liked looper a nice scien morece fiction and better extension of source code…liked climax and in indian context even mama of krishna knew who will kill him in future but agan you can change future only by uncertainity of your existence
argo again a real movie ironically in disguise of fake one…politics , thrill , tension nd realism you cant ask for
aside amusing to see indians cant even come with one mythological fiction when most of the hollywoodish one ( starting from matrix,startrek to most of recent one borrows heavilly from indian mythology rather intelligently)
budget, time taking restriaint and audience taste and market is time and tested excuse
Looper- This for me is year’s best film till now (though I enjoyed The Grey more). I will try and write in more detail later but for now I can easily say that it’s a film one should miss at one’s own risk- the film definitely has some high-art aspirations (and a seductive central premise) it mixes that with cheap genre thrills to come up with a sci-fi film reminiscent of yore. Rian Johnson is the director to look out for. And it was very satisfying to see Bruce Willis, after ages, getting a good enough role to sink his teeth into. Gordon Levitt, though a wrong choice for the part (he was better in Killshot incase any of u have seen that film), is still a competent enough actor to carry the film on his shoulder. And Blunt is always an interesting actress (heck i even loved her in Wolfman). And btw the plot reminded me slightly of Van Damme’s highly enjoyable Timecop
easily the best and most intelligent one ( thanks to climax) and ya bruce willis found something decent but physically he looks in bad shape(though the role demanded it and hides it somewht) and talking about plot its an extension of bruce own maverick time machine movie called 12 monkeys,,,
Just re-watched Kadhalil Sodhappuvdahu Yeppadi- this is easily the best rom-com to have come out of Indian cinema in the last few years. I’ll reccomend it highly to anyone who is even slightly interested in the genre- it’s young and urbane without once being artificially modern or trying too hard to be cool, it has a lovely ensemble cast where each character is well-developed and relatable and a light, even tone that seldom meanders into saccharine or melodramatic territory.
Here’s Barawadaj Rangan’s highly positive review, if it persuades anybody to watch the film-
thanx amy–is this available subtitled
And folks—has b rangan got time to watch/review talaash yet
@ sanjana—ready your comment above—well, i treat u (& some others not all) with kid gloves —if i do reply (in my own way)–folks find it difficult tot cope and just disappear from the blog itself—dont wanna do that—so u can continue with your fun lol
btw Wonder where poor oldgold and anya have disappeared…
The Girl on the bridge–La Fille sur le Pont
Vanessa Paradis–Patrice Leconte
Saw portions–more to give company/ payback
An enchanting, surreal, magical take–the way only the french can.
Playful, surreal, erotic, semi spiritual–Found this piece which sums it up better
The word “telepathy” literally means “feeling at a distance.” Frederic Myers, the scholar who invented the word, once defined love as “a form of exalted and unspecialized telepathy.” Anyone who has ever been caught up in a spellbinding romance knows this to be true. Lovers are able to magically commune with each other even over vast distances. They are so attuned to each other that when one is feeling lonely, the other immediately calls.
In the prologue to Girl on the Bridge, 21-year-old Adele (Vanessa Paradis) is being interviewed by another woman. She confesses that due to her sexual promiscuity with men, her life is a terrible mess. She gets carried away by promises that shouldn’t be taken seriously. And she has incredibly bad luck.
Later, Adele is on a bridge in Paris, contemplating suicide. Gabor (Daniel Auteuil), a middle-aged man with an intense look in his eyes, appears on the scene and tries to talk her out of ending her life. She leaps; he follows and rescues her. At the hospital where they are being treated for hypothermia, Gabor offers her a job as a human target — he’s a knife thrower. “With your body and my skill we can go far,” he tells her. Besides, what has she got to lose; she was about to give up anyway.
They head off to Monte Carlo. On a train, she has sex with a man in a restroom. Gabor tells the fellow to buzz off: “I’m a good fairy.” True to his word, he pays for Adele’s makeover into a stunning target. “There’s no wrong road,” Gabor assures her, “only bad company.” He pushes himself upon some circus entrepreneurs by promising to “throw blind.” Adele surrenders herself to the knives and the two of them find themselves united in telepathic harmony.
After winning lots of money in a casino following Gabor’s instructions, Adele pushes her luck in a raffle and wins a car. Suddenly the hapless waif is on a big-time roll of good luck and Gabor has found his muse. He presents her with a bill torn in half, stressing how each part, like they do, needs the other. On a cruise ship, Gabor throws the knives while Adele spins on the “wheel of death.” By now she feels an erotic surge during this experience; fear and pleasure are entwined. But then she succumbs to her sexual addiction and runs off with a newly married Greek. Gabor loses his job and crashes into a deep depression. Can they reconnect?
Patrice Leconte directs this French black-and-white drama based on a witty screenplay by Serge Frydman. As an exploration of love, luck, and telepathy, The Girl on the Bridge is a beguiling film from start to finish.
This film was actually screened about a year ago by the French film society at my Uni.
The central premise is bizarre, but handled with a wonderful sense of humour. Often you have these European art films which deal with decidedly odd, even pervese, situations but they’re too busy taking themselves seriously to milk the eccentricity of their characters for humour.
Here, for a change, the film has a cheeky, self-aware sense of fun and that makes it a sophisticated yet unpretentious and amusing watch.
exactly amy–u have summed it better than i could have
“Often you have these European art films which deal with decidedly odd, even pervese, situations but they’re too busy taking themselves seriously to milk the eccentricity of their characters for humour.”
Well said!!
the other point is that in many euro circles–these situations arent AS ‘odd/preverse’ as one from indian sensibilites may feel..
U maybe aware–that these are all part of the ‘growing up’ or ‘exploring man/womanhood’ deals
For some, this ‘exploration’ keeps goin on 😉
Anyhow, vanessa paradis (the heroine here) isnt just a pretty face..(besides depps ex)
one of her commonly known seminal tracks–enjoy guys
“the other point is that in many euro circles–these situations arent AS ‘odd/preverse’ as one from indian sensibilites may feel”
When I say perverse, I don’t mean it in a literal way- as in, scandolous/ sexually inappropriate. What I mean is that much of this kind of European cinema is concerned with exploring the quirks, hypocrisies and dichotomies of human nature, but sometimes the filmmakers take this mission so seriously that they fail to see the humour in this eccentricity of human nature.
In any case, this film is also very odd on a more obvious level: the whole glamorous-knife-target-who-literally-gambles-with-her-life-at-stake angle adds a nice touch of the surreal to the film.
good point amy about “they fail to see the humour in this eccentricity of human nature”
to me, ‘humour’ doesnt/shouldnt come written with a placard saying–“hey here comes humour”
there are many many varieties OTHER than the sajid khan, roht shetty, johny lever, even rowan atkninson, the ricky gervais types
The ones which are acerbic,dark, paradoxical, unstated and subtle enthrall me more n longer….
I’m a huge fan of classic Brit humour (but then, who isn’t?)- Monty Python, Yes Prime Minister, Fry and Laurie. Amongst the more recent lot, I like David Mitchell and Sue Perkins.
besides that, amy, I loved the use of black and white cinematography –thought it enhanced the overall impact though the reasons arent clear how it does so
Also there is a compassionate camera behind this fable-like theme–these are commonplace in european cinema but somehow not really taken up by india
Dhobi ghaat was a good attempt in that direction though flawed.
as for talaash the film–as an afterthought, also liked the underwater sequence where kareena ‘saves’ aamir..
The underwater sequence where the heroine the saves the hero seems to be a reccuring motif in Kagti-Akhtar’s cinema: in ZNMD too, Hrithik was rescued from his hydrophobia by Katrina.
“a reccuring motif in Kagti-Akhtar’s cinema: in ZNMD too, Hrithik was rescued from his hydrophobia by Katrina.”
oh amy–yeah–didnt notice that
well, have a weakness for that hritik role –loved it—u probably know lol
as for katrina–that remains her BEST role 🙂
good stuff.. some interesting bits between Aamir and Rani! But also check out some of Aamir’s (and Rani’s) discussion on 100 crores. I’ve never seen Aamir so relaxed and cheerful in an interview..
Kareena and Aamir are refreshingly candid and relaxed, but Rani’s being an embarassing brown noser here. On an aside, I think that Aamir looks the best of the 3 Khans at this point.
Yeah its an interesting interview and surprise surprise, this is perhaps kareenas most sensible interview in her life by HER standards
also noted that kareena really respects rani and aamir and wasnt even trying to ‘compete’ with them
But the key points here were–
When aamir was asked about his fear–
a) people not turning up on friday–thinking they will see it on sat!
endearing
b) about losing the ‘connect’ with the audience and that most film folks lose it
and they are the LAST ones to know that..
there is something CONSCIENTIOUS about aamir khan–period!
I wish I had enough time to watch Wreck it Ralph last month.
did watch Hotel Transylvania today, though. Apart from a few laughs, I did not particularly like it. It was kind of the animated version of the Twilight saga – the female being the vampire this time.
somehow no one’s providing any info on Talaash this weekend. Not sure why. This was the only thing I managed to find on it:
Sunday, December 9, 2012
Talaash Second Sunday Collection Update. Good Jump.
Talash is showing good jump everywhere on 2nd Sunday at the box office. After a slow start to 2nd Friday, Talaash showed good jump of around 55% on 2nd Saturday. Jump is even better in 2nd Sunday. Talaash has collected around 2.4 cr nett on 2nd Friday and 3.8 cr nett on 2nd Saturday as per early estimates. As per early trend 2nd Sunday collection should be around 5 crore nett which is good. Actual may vary as large report still to be received.
Talaash Second Weekend Collection should be around 11-11.5 crore nett. Talaash performing mainly in multiplexes. Talaash total collection after 2nd Weekend should be around 78-79 crore nett. Talaash lifetime collections is heading for around 90 crore nett mark. It will get a free run in the next week also. If K786 performs poorly in weekdays, Talaash might have an outside chance of touching 100 crore nett mark. But looks an uphill task at the present moment.
—somehow no one’s providing any info on Talaash this weekend. Not sure why—
Hmm..maybe they are taking Aamir Khan’s reprimand in TALAASH a tad bit seriously..”Yeh bahut hi hi-profile case/movie hain..Kuch bhi bahaar nahin jaana chahiye!!”
Talaash has grossed 75 crore nett approx ten days as it grossed around 10.50 crore nett in its second weekend. The film had a good jump of 60-65% on Saturday.
The film has dropped in most markets but cities with high concentration of premium multiplexes like Mumbai, Pune, Delhi, Gurgaon, Kolkata and Bangalore are doing pretty well. These areas all have high ticket rates so therefore the film has managed fair collections in second weekend despite limited appreciation.
The film had heavy drops in places like CPCI and Rajasthan where Khiladi 786 has done its best business. There is no release next week and if the premium multiplexes can give good performance next weekend, Talaash can go towards 90 crore nett and a share of around 45 crore.
@ Satyam—note that u saw talaash a second time..
was it worthwhile—actually was also thinking of checking it again for aamirs performance and also bcos in my first viewing, i was ‘distracted’ from the movie by some other factors
did u gain anything second time round?
as I said elsehwere I liked it as much the second time around. Could even watch it a third time. Don’t think there’s a contest between Bachchan in Akyala and Aamir in Talaash. Not even close! As I said in my review though I liked Aamir a lot here and can see both sides of the argument I ultimately think that he could have been more expressive even with that controlled, compact performance. And here it’s not about using Akayla as the standard. Abhishek in DMD is to my mind superior (I consider it one of his fine performances anyway). Admittedly he has some masala lines and so on here but even where he doesn’t he does a lot with little. He’s always been this kind of actor and it’s the principal dividing line between those who really take to him and those who don’t (BM is another great example.. as is SR for anyone watching closely.. the first Sarkar I find overrated in this respect..). One has to understand and/or like his economy. Again I’m not really criticizing Aamir either, just saying that at points I did not find his ‘expressiveness’ optimal. I do think Munna had a point when he said that when you’re working with that kind of huge mustache the more subtle gestures can easily get lost (half-smiles and so on).
thanx satyam–some v good points here and agree with most..
“Not even close!”—just to ensure ive got u correctly–so u r saying bachchans performance was much better?
well, to me akaylas perfromance is amongst bachchans alltime best shockingly just bcos it is a v v difficult tone to portray consistently…in an entire movie
as for aamirs talaash–the role and characterisation didnt support him uniformly
For eg –why was aamir behaving like a ‘virgin’ when kareena took him to the hotel–ok, he didnt do any hanky panky but he was a goddamm ‘hardened’ policeman –so not sure how/why he was supposed to be this ‘babe in the wood’
another of Kagtis misses but thats not the point
Aamirs performance dropped at places, some places became tedious monotonous repetitive
BUT in the key scenes, he delivered and how..
I think its not that easy an comparison
Moreover, bachchans career at that point was in a different state of health
Aamirs doing this role and THIS way after 3 idiots is laudable
Btw remember u had written something about bachchans akayla and agneepath being two sides of the same coin >? or something
DO u have the link
Also for the sake of sanity and discussion, lets take out abhishreks dmd out of the other two esteemed gentlemen
There are no terms of debate that can be hand with me when it comes to contemporary Indian star-actors (or those beginning with Aamir’s generation) and not only in Hindi that do not have a ‘starring’ (!) role for Abhishek. If one doesn’t agree with me I’m afraid one should take the discussion to others!
“I do think Munna had a point when he said that when you’re working with that kind of huge mustache the more subtle gestures can easily get lostt (half-smiles and so on).”-
But didn’t AB achieve the same inspite of that heavy make-up in Paa and Black
Can’t blame a person for not being Bachchan..! But on Paa Bachchan actually wasn’t able to do much here with his because of the prosthetic stuff. However he made up for it with his body language and eyes and so on. Obviously prosthetics isn’t the same as a mustache anyway.
My probably with Abhishek is that while I love him in a lot of films (including Game, Run etc) I find him ‘atrocious’ when he is having an off day- For example he made a fool out of himself in Players as well as Drona
Oh I hated him in Players. He was completely miscast as the charismatic group leader. Now Neil is by far a lesser actor than him but he took Abhishek’s case in there one-on-one sequences. And with that belly he was misfit for the action sequences
yes Skyfall has done extraordinarily well and it’s the best sustaining Bond in at least a few decades. At least since the days of View to a Kill. Amazingly I’ve not talked to anyone who’s truly loved this. Or maybe there are a couple of exceptions. The vast majority did not like it much, many hated it, very many liked it without loving it. So to see trending here that’s way better than Casino Royale’s is pretty puzzling. I’m clearing missing some crucial demographic here! I was in the group of those who liked it without loving it, who appreciated the ‘meta-film’ here more than the actual narrative. Must say though that I really disliked the last bit in Scotland and the whole back-story even though it was visually superb in these segments.
On a related note I revisited Quantum of Solace after watching this and liked it more than the first time around in the theaters. In general Daniel Draig has been the most angst-ridden Bond ever!
but he looks soooo good while being angsty 🙂
but kidding aside, that’s why he fits these current bond films best, since they are going in this direction. can you imagine brosnan being all angsty?
whether or not people like this direction is another matter. i have liked them (except qos, may be i should re-visit too) but i am not a true bond fan anyway
frequent visitor of this brilliant blog……just feel like comenting on this issue of aamir as an actor. i am not an aamir fan but dont dislike him either. according to me the best actor currently is irfan khan. aamir might not be comparable to AB, Dilip and the likes but when people say ajay devgan, sanjay dutt are better actors its laughable. which other mainstream star has the range of movies that he does……just look at ajay devgan…..the guy used to be very good( albeit in the same intense brooding kind of roles) but look at him now with gems like son of sardar, golmaal, singham, bol bachan……in short taking the easy way out to make money…….and i really admire sanjay dutt….he can come up with a vaastav and munnabhai…..but for every vaastav we have 5 bad 0movies…….in short a bit like ajit agarkar( consistently inconsistent)
the likes of srk,hrithik dont even merit comparisons.
what aamir might lack in so called iconic roles is more than compensated with his choice of movies and overall sense of making movies…….the problem is that an aamir performance will never overpower his movie……and that for me is his greatest strength.
thanks much for your first comment.. do keep it up.. I too agree that even though Devgan and Dutt have had some very good days (dutt especially) their general competence level cannot be compared with Aamir’s. I wouldn’t be that harsh on SRK though, at least through the 90s. But it’s also true that Aamir has never quite had the flamboyance for truly commercial formats (don’t mean it as a criticism necessarily) and I also wouldn’t say he’s truly fine as an actor. But yes his outings specially over the past decade or more interesting me (i.e. in terms of his performance) the way those of many others don’t. He’s a hard one to talk about in some ways because he’s really done interesting work and consequently elevated himself as a performer too. People forget that actors have to constantly nurture themselves to do better. But I still wouldn’t call him brilliant, even on his best day, though as you said the competition cannot be compared with him most of the time.
Satyam I already said that Dutt has had a bad decade in terms of role and so on. But my counter question to u is- Is Aamir at his best (say Sarfarosh, Earth, Lagaan, MP) better than Dutt at his best (Naam, Munnabhai, Vaastav, Mission Kashmir, LOC, Kabzaa, Khalnayak)? I don’t think so
thats a matter of opinion. i believe aamir in Earth was great…i believe Aamir in Rangeela was great. id take aamir over dutt and devgn as actors anyday. to me anil kapoor is a better actor than Aamir Khan though. again this is all a matter of ones opinion. these kinds of things can never be proven definite.
But if I say Aamir in Ghulam/Earth or whatever was better than Bachchan in AAA or Deewar that an also be my opinion. Do you think any one would take my opinion seriously then? No.
but it is still your opinion. Amitabh is a better actor than Aamir no doubt…but im just saying these things can’t be proven with a definite answer. someone who says Aamir is a better actor than Amitabh may be a little crazy but his answer can’t be proven wrong.
I believe he is. Dutt at his best makes up for the gap with mood and gesturality and of course he’s a greater physical presence (on this note I think LoC is his single most underrated performance). But I’d easily take Aamir over him though my choices wouldn’t necessarily be the ones you have over there barring MP. But note I am not saying Dutt is necessarily inferior at his best. It’s not always about pure performance but if that is the yardstick yes I’d take Aamir over him.
Again, hate to defend Saurabh as he can speak for himself but I dont think he said Dutt/Devgan are better actors but that they had those ‘iconic” (am beginning t hate the word!) moments that Aamir hasnt so far.But, yes Aamir stands head and shoulders above the rest of his contemporaries when one considers everything.
You are bang on target here Rajen Sir. And here is a part of my older comment-
“He is definitely a very good actor (who never ever destroys a film by his presence. Something which folks like Salman, Imran and Rampal are guilty of) and has come up with some very fine performance in the last 10-12 yrs or so (and apart from Fanaa and Mela I have liked him everywhere in the entire deade or so, something I can’t say of Dutt whom i think is a much better actor)”
these numbers might be lower tomorrow..but even here the film seems to have had a healthy fall. Im not going to say the film has been rejected…but obviously it has not clicked.
oops thanx –oh so it was dev anands ‘death’ anniv-sorry..
well, havent seen any of her films but madhubala here is bewitching, somewhat ‘hypnotising’ here —i usually am ‘scared’ of such stuff–mb is ‘dangerous’ here..better 2 just listen to the track ha
Ok, my little knowledge/ taste for ‘old’ songs was ‘spoonfed’ partly by oldgold—so this one for her folks 🙂
gnite cmon anya zzz
Many thanx anya—sorry didnt see these earlier-u seem to have taken over where oldgold left (in more ways than one) 😉
All three tracks u have chosen are v good choices–esp the howrah bridge one
that dev anand one above is simply ‘dangerous’
taking over from og? no thanks. i have no intention of proclaiming my eternal devotion to srk and hatred for aamir every 2 seconds. but we do miss her insights on other things here, especially with old films and songs, so hope she comes out of hiding.
glad you liked these.
“Talaash” collected 2.90 cr nett on Saturday taking film’s 16 day collections to 73 cr nett. Film will collect 8-9 cr nett in 2nd weekend and 2nd week will end at 13 cr nett.
Film will finish 2 week at 81-82 cr nett and lifetime collections at best will not cross 84-85 cr nett. Worldwide collections too fall short of expectations and will end around 50-52 cr nett and that means 135 cr nett worldwide figure.
Film will end up as 3rd biggest hit overseas of the year 2012 and that proves again that overseas performance of “3 Idiots” was more about content than star power and same was the case at domestic box ofice.
“Film will end up as 3rd biggest hit overseas of the year 2012 and that proves again that overseas performance of “3 Idiots” was more about content than star power and same was the case at domestic box ofice.”
agree Jo… the simple thing is opening possible in a genre reflects start power on First Day IMO or at max Sat… if content is weak drops are clearly visible.
Talash has collected around 11.5 crore nett in its 2nd Weekend at the box office. Talaash 10 day collection now stands at 79.19 crore nett mark. Talaash registered good growth on 2nd Saturday and again on 2nd Sunday. 2nd Saturday jump was around 60% and 2nd Sunday jump was around 35%.
Talaash performed exceedingly well in high-end plexes in the second weekend. Performance in single screens, mass belt and interiors is poor. From now on whatever Talaash collects it will be mainly from premiun plexes in metro citites and B tier cities. Talaash lifetime collection will definitely touch 90 crore nett mark. It has got an open week in its next week also, which might help it to proceed towards 100 crore nett mark. But, that looks an uphill task at the moment now.
Khiladi 786 Fails Weekend Test Too, Earns 29 Cr
by Shabdita Shrivasta (December 10, 2012)
Friday saw the release of Akshay Kumar-starrer Khiladi 786, a film that has disappointed tradewallahs. The film, which opened weak, earned Rs 29 crore pan-India over the weekend. Barring one or two centres, collections of the film have been unremarkable.
In Mumbai, Rajesh Thadani of Multimedia Combines says, “The pan-India collection of Khiladi 786 is Rs 28-29 crore while in Mumbai it is Rs 10 crore. Collections in single-screens are decent but in multiplexes, it is not up to the mark.
G D Mehta of Bobby Arts International says, “In the Delhi-UP circuit, the collection of the film is Rs 5 crore. The film did not pick up on either Saturday or Sunday.”
According to Surendra Saluja of Lakshya Movies, Khiladi 786 earned Rs 60 lakh on Friday, Rs 70 lakh on Saturday and Rs 90 lakh on Sunday in East Punjab. “Hence, its weekend collection here is Rs 2.2 crore. The movie has definitely not lived up to our expectations.”
Debashish Dey of Aum Moviez explains, “The collections of the film are very encouraging. The film did well yesterday and its weekend collections here are Rs 1.1 crore. It earned Rs 25 lakh Friday, Rs 30 lakh on Saturday and over Rs 50 lakh on Sunday. The film saw a huge jump with Sunday’s numbers.”
BH Basha of Bahar Enterprises says, “The weekend collection of Khiladi 786 is Rs 80 lakh in our territory. The collections are average and below expectations.”
Sarang Chandak of Shri Rang Films concludes, “In CP, collections of Khiladi 786 were Rs 85 lakh. We were expecting the film to do well in single-screens but the response there too was not up to the mark.”
despite the big drop over the second weekend in the US (72%) Talaash will end its US run around 2.6m or so. This will be about 200k more than Ghajini and about 400k more than RNBDJ.
On a related note JTHJ ended its run around 3m. This was 600k short of OSO, 400k short of JA, and 1m short of MNIK.
The absolute record holder in the US continues to be 3I, still 2.5m of its closest competitor (MNIK).
Now once again using the US numbers here to provide some context. Yes this was one of the strongest markets for Talaash and yet it dipped greatly here but that’s still a pretty good number all things considered.
The larger point here as in India is you can’t have it both ways. if you say that film fell a lot and so on in which case you have to attribute more of the total to Aamir’s initial, that too in a difficult genre. So getting back to India I think the 68 crores or so he got in week 1 is an impressive number. Could it have been 10% or so higher with stronger WOM? Sure! But when the same Aamir puts up say 150 crores in a week in a Hirani film it’s not automatically a more impressive achievement for me. Why? Because the two opening numbers accounting for genre might be ‘comparable’. Much as TZP did very well, had excellent trending (though tax breaks were part of the story and these were received early, with CDI this was an even greater factor) but Ghajini a year later made almost that entire amount in a week. So all else being equal a RDB will never gross as much as a Ghajini, a TZP will never gross as much as a RDB. And so on. Now most stars don’t have the minimal credibility across genres to get strong numbers even after accounting for these facts but even a star who does (like Aamir) is still not going to get numbers in the same range.
The reason some of the discussions here got ‘obscene’ on Talaash is that people were just pulling numbers out of a hat. So if 3I did 205 ‘x’ years ago Talaash would do at least 150 or 175 even accounting for genre. MP even after dropping got pretty much the same initial that RDB did after being loved. Because the audience pool was larger in one case. we saw with ZNMD, a film that trended very well, that it did about 90. Now it certainly could have opened much stronger than it did (a couple of months later MBKD opened exactly the same way!) but even accounting for a 15-20% better opening it couldn’t have made 150 crores! This in a far safer, acceptable multiplex genre where we know for a fact that the core audience liked the film a lot (hence good trending). So it doesn’t take much of a leap of faith to imagine a higher opening here and the rest would still be in place. You can’t just throw out numbers arbitrarily. Some of the analysis has to precede it!
Let’s look at some stars who do very commercial genres (mass market formats, remakes, sequels et al). Salman is clearly in a league of his own. with Akshay you’re in the 70-120 or so opening/final gross range. With Devgan you now see the first part of this coming through but not really the second one. However it’s a matter of time before he does this. He’s not that far from it either. Salman on the other hand is at a very different level. The ETT opening did all of this within a week! Obviously with Dabanng once again he won’t have a problem repeating tnat performance. With BG he was already well in excess of 120. So the point is that he’s been generally playing at the higher side of the numbers usually seen in these genres. The fact that many of these films, in fact all I’d argue, underperform doesn’t obviously damage his standing as a star. He’s drawing these massive initials. But in any case even here one cannot just throw out numbers without figuring out the rest as well.
well said satyam. What I liked more is that K786 was a crap film as per most of the reviews and audience did not throw away their hard-earned money on it. Aamir often says that audience should feel that the money they spent on the movie was worth it – so instead of BO nos., he opts for the audience satisfaction first. And that is the reason – whatever genre he tries, people flock. Tasveer and Talaash comparison is a solid proof for this. Tasveer was a poor product as akki did not participate in the project as aamir in Talaash. Otherwise Nagesh K. after the stunning film Dor was no less a director. If Aamir did Tasveer, I am sure he would have got involved more and the script would have gone major changes and outcome would have been like Talaash.
SRK, Sallu…they haven’t managed this kind of success with diff. genre like aamir. So aamir has proven his versality, b.o.-bankability and after D3 and P.K. – his stock price will be skyrocketed
MNIK in 2010 opened to a 45 crore week and ended around 75.. Was that genre (the muslim angle, the autistic hero) safe? and the kind of BO SRK managed was not appreciated on this blog, while Talaash after almost 3 years, more screens after after 3 years etc at 85-90 crores is a brilliant achievement?
PKP is something you can watch with a gang of male friends for some good time and forget about it. Certainly not something to be taken seriously. If you do, it can have dangerous complications and spoiled relationships!
agree. you can just look at it as superfluous entertainment and in that sense, the film is ok. other than that, it follows the now tried and tested path of new wave american comedy depicting the lives of poor hapless nerds whose lives are made miserable by nagging, humorless females.
here’s an article by a o scott examining the debate around depiction of females in films.
” it follows the now tried and tested path of new wave american comedy depicting the lives of poor hapless nerds whose lives are made miserable by nagging, humorless females.”-
But that is actually what is happening in even Indian societies where some of these women are a pain in the posterior for the men.
not denying women like that exist. but when film after film is depicting all its female characters in the same fashion for laughs, so much so that it’s becoming a genre in itself, then they cannot avoid the misogyny charges either. in the same way that lifetime network gets routinely criticized and made fun of for depicting all its males as selfish wimps or predators.
I saw pyaar ka punch naama on a lufthansa? flight, this being one of the 4-5 bollywood movies in their range–had seen all the other known ones
So i proceeded to watch this one half awake…
The film obviously a misogynist take on things and that too in the indian context, is lopsided, biased..
Its best aimed at few guys watching it in a boys- hostel -sort -of- deal
BUT
to give the film the credit where its due
I remember LOLing at least in one or two scenes so much so that a young german air hostess was amused and began to see what i was watching–(i did ask her for a few more drink topups–i think she was really attractive…)
I could see in each of the ‘suffering males’ some real life examples i know and who didnt ‘listen’
Some suffered like the guys in PKP –remember one poor guy beeing used and abused and then thrown away like a used con.om
but jokes apart
we DO see these example(s) all around(even here)–wont name them though lol
And some even go ahead, like abhishrek bahchan dont learn and
become the munnas and satyams when they become adults
hahaha
sorry folks–that last one was only in good spirit—not to be taken seriously 🙂
this can be deleted if offends anyone…hoho
yeah munna–ive been spoilt and pampered from the time i was a baby 🙂
arrgh– work will drain me–just when 1 starts having fun, deadlines initimidate u…off2 work window.
Saw Talaash last night. ( Spoilers galore ahead. Don’t read on if you haven’t seen the film)
And I am afraid this ghost business spoilt it for me totally.
The God business spoilt Jab Tak Hai Jaan , but then there was nothing much right in the film to spoil and I had mentally switched myself off from it after first ten minutes or so. The God business spoilt Life of Pi for me too, but then the God line comes only in the beginning and end of the film and thankfully, the main narrative tract of the film is not contaminated by the corny and glib validation in the belief of God. So the tale of the boy , the tiger and the sea could be enjoyed as a great cinematic achievement.
Talaash is different.
It had so much going for it. Right from the first frame with the hobo, the stray dog who foretold the chronicle of a death, the crazed car diving headlong into the sea.. and the striking opening scene segueing into the night lights of Mumbai streets, the film looks seductively dark.
The cop with a troubled past, the hooker with a mysterious aura, the grief-stricken wife being sucked into the succor of séance sessions and the colourful denizens of the Mumbai red light area caught up in their acts of deceit, double-dealing and debauchery set up a drama that thankfully unfolds languorously like a delicious slow acting drug.
Things are a little listless after the interval but the narrative gathers its wits and speed once again, as Inspector Sekhawat begins to get even more unhinged , Taimur gets shot and Rosy begins to look even more seductive than before.
That’s when the ghost thing happens.
Now I have no problem with either God or ghosts in films. Oh My God was wonderful. So was Sixth Sense and The Other. But being entities that are outside the pale of normal human phenomenon , God and ghosts call for special handling. You cannot use them to work out resolutions to dramas set in pure human terms. It takes the genius of Shyamalan to write something like The Sixth Sense.. . and make it work. But my problem with Talaash is not about reaching that level ( How many films since then have?) . My grouse with the ghist elemnent in the film is that it is a total cop out. And mixing this supernatural business with the wonderful police procedure drama, the noir atmosphere and the human story of coping with loss and guilt was to me as aesthetically revolting to me as the mixing of that Alzheimer angle to the simple story of a teacher teaching a blind girl to learn. In my book, it’s not done.
Look at the damage.
The film had a number of things going for it. The noir atmosphere of Mumbai was so well established. There were this seedy characters like Shashi and Taimur, Madam and Mallika involved with a seedy drama of murder and blackmail. There was a payoff to be had. There was the story of the parents o had lost their son, the father being doubly afflicted, by grief as well as guilt. There is payoff to be had in the resolution of their story. And it comes in the brilliant letter from the dead absolving ‘dadda’ of all guilt.. But our savouring of these payoff is interfered with by this cheap gimmick.
I call this a cheap gimmick even though Kareena is wonderful as Rosie and her appearance in the car and as the mermaid saving Sekhawat under water is appropriately spooky and poetic . Because this wronged woman’s ghost seeking revenge upon the wrongdoers is at its core a B-grade Hindi film cliché. And there has not much been done to elevate it to anything of a higher level. Now amnesia is another stupid Hindi film cliché and it rightfully belongs in a third rate film like Jab Tak Hai Jaan. But look at how it was elevated in a film like Ghajini. With all those notes stuck all over the wall, all those body tattoos and all the detailing in the process of searching for the culprit it creates an engaging cinematic paradigm. The physiognomy of Aamir Khan with his bald head gives the talea texture. And of course he does not get back his memory by another blow or something. The amnesia of Ghajini does not remind you of the amnesiacs of earlier Rajendra Kumar or Sunil Dutt films. The avenging fallen woman in Talaash and the template of her revenge on the other hand is not much different from those seen Ramsay Brother’s films. (I am not talking of the films as a whole but just this ghost element. ) It’s a kind of imaginatively challenged script solution.
I feel angry because there was so much mythical and metaphorical riches to be mined here if the script had just played it straight. Like when Rosie says , “ We are invisible. So how can we disappear.? ” and all that it implies. There was this water angle for Sekhawat..his son drowning and his own last minute escape from under water. There was this delicious irony of a superstar getting caught up in this hooker business. One did not need a ghost to bring it all together.
I played it in mind many times after I walked out of the hall ( That’s why I am writing it today instead of yesterday.) How it could have been done different. My ground rules for using the supernatural are three simple ones. One: You set your story in a world a little removed from the ordinary and base the story largely around the supernatural…don’t mix it up with other flavours. Two: If you are setting it up in a more normal setting, give scope for ambiguity. With room for a possible rational explanation as well. Three : Use it as a little aside, without affecting the main narrative too much ( Like Ang Lee did in Life of Pi . Or even better, like Reema herself did in Honeymoon Travels.). What I did not like at all is Rosie helping Sekhwat with actual solving of the case by informing about Arman Kapoor and Nikhil visiting Hotel Lido. If she had to be there as ghost, her interaction with Sekhawat had to be more ethereal, she not speaking too much or giving any actual information , making it possible for us to explain it as a hallucinatory image born out of Sekhawat’s stressed mind. ( The séance thing lends itself to such a rational explanation. The Shernaz character could be just making it all up after finding bits of information by talking with Roshni and snooping around… and using her knowledge of human psychology.) A second alternative could be to have Rosie as a real character…a friend of Simran, a twin sister, whatever. And she could devise ways of killing people through perfectly human means..if a fly could, surely a woman can. Here I would create little more palpable sexual chemistry between Rosie and Sekhawat, giving more meat to Roshni’s assertion that he was having an affair. He would pull back just in time ..triggered by some form of memory of his dead son..and water. That would also provide a break from the single note performance that the script has confined Aamir to ( though I must say, he is wonderfully in character throughout.) I would perhaps create another strand of narrative, making Sekhawat involved with the murky world of red light Mumbai in his younger days. And I would end it with Sekhawat getting rid of all his demons and willing to concede to Roshnis desire for having another baby. The film is dark. But there is a promise of a brand new day at the end of it.
But then I am not the scriptwriter and only the viewer of the film. So did I like it? Not quite. But then I am not the scriptwriter and only the viewer of the film. So did I like it? Not quite. ( Apart from the ghost angle, I thought the listless manner in which the mystery was unravelled in the second half lacked tension and control.) Will I see it again? Absolutely. And perhaps a couple of more times. Because right until the ghost revelation, it is a delicious film viewing experience. I liked Nawajuddin performance so much.. and also that of Kareena. I liked the whole atmosphere at the Madam’s establishment. I liked the collision of this seedy world with that of the genteel Sekhawat and the respectable Surjan. Was glad for the privilege of entering the world of Mallika and Shashi. I liked Mumbai by night as captured in the film. It was James Ellroy. It was Murakami. I loved the moody music conjured by Ram Sampat..all of them.. Jee Le Zaaraa more than others perhaps.
And I loved Aamir Khan for making this film…. for not playing it safe, for showing Bollywood how superstars need not take on only parts of super heroes, and how they need to be in every frame with concocted double roles, or singing dancing fighting and providing variety entertainment, instead of just playing a character and being a part of sincere, passionate storytelling.
thanks for sharing. this film is really dividing audience. i didn’t mind the supernatural angle here though i usually do. so it really reiterates how different people are viewing this film differently. and also why it’s still very engaging even though you were disappointed.
Anya–plz dont become the ‘anjali singh’ for utkal uncle!!
He will start coming out with poetry now…
noooo…. 🙂
joking utkal uncle–do write more here (i note that u disapppeared with anjalis disappearance)..
I don’t agree that Aamir was in character…watch Al Pacino in movie Insomnia (I think was the title) where he is sleep deprived in Alaska, also solving a crime. That was “in character”. Rest of your review, I almost agree. “My ground rules for using the supernatural are three simple ones….” Since writer is already ‘cheating’ the audience by bringing supernatural, you as a script writer have to be honest (as Shyamalan was) by not cheating audience furthur (eg. ghost lying about her name and many more examples). As far as seediness of mumbai’s night life, there are better depictions in hindi cinema. I felt talaash had cheated on that too and make it bit more ‘glamorous’ for which I don’t have any complains but I don’t particularly feel it is so much praiseworthy as almost every reviewer praising the night life of mumbai in their reviews! Kahaani was superior at almost all levels…Ghost had shoe strong budget and ‘do or die’ attitude and took several risks but was unpretentious in his approach. Talaash on the other hand was sold for 90 crore, I hear, had over 500 minutes of shooting to be editing and took over one year on edit table, by no means underdog. Bengal Vs Assam, Bengal wins hands down 😉
Disagree on aamir being not in character. Personally I found Aamir as much in character in Talaash as much Pacino was in Insomnia. In quite a few scenes, you could see the helplessness of a father who could have saved his son, or a tired man who needs some peace (be in any form) within. I think he pulled it off really well.
Personally I also dislike this habit of constantly using a Hollywood performance as the ‘authorized’ one. I don’t think that the two characters have anything in common. Being depressed doesn’t mean that it’s all the same or that there is only one kind of response to depression. In any case I often see these discussions where people use a Hollywood reference and the Indian actor then is only good or bad to the extent that he or she can be compared favorably or not. I’m of course not saying that such analogies are illegitimate, just that these shouldn’t be brought up in a knee jerk way.
The key words are “in quite a few scenes”…I agree…if you analyse individual scenes by itself, Aamir is great. From character standpoint (sorry couldn’t come up with any similar hindi movie) Pacino was in character from the way his eyebrows are arched to keep his eyes open in the whole movie to dark circles around eyes to his speech etc. I couldn’t unfortunately see that in Aamir’s performance in terms of character. Somewhere I read that katgi asked him to be like spock from starwars…so maybe it was director’s fault…Aamir’s stature in hindi cinema is like andho may kana raja…sorry Aamir fans 😦
i think dimple has a valid point
I loved aamirs performance (perhaps the only thing i noticed and liked) –but it wasnt a tonally consistent one to be fair.
BUt in certain key scenes, he excelled, yes..
ps–dimple–miss your lexy-ing me 🙂
“One: You set your story in a world a little removed from the ordinary and base the story largely around the supernatural…don’t mix it up with other flavours. Two: If you are setting it up in a more normal setting, give scope for ambiguity. With room for a possible rational explanation as well. Three : Use it as a little aside, without affecting the main narrative too much ”
How do all three fit with Sixth Sense story which apprently you liked immensely? I think you are contradicting yourself.
I missed u utkal uncle–what a comment!!
i had similar feelings
” feel angry because there was so much mythical and metaphorical riches to be mined here if the script had just played it straight. Like when Rosie says , “ We are invisible. So how can we disappear.? ”
well said–thats why i said that kagti missed a wonderful opportunity
Disclaimer–this is NOT to be viewed as a negative criticism but some humble, but honest observations..plz take them in the correct context
Also would like to say soemthing that shouldnt hopefully be taken in the wrong context
Talaash came and the who’s who of this blogs best wirters came one after another with (over)analytical posts on talaash
Some wiht three guys in a merc caption and some using the memory fixation whilst some focusing on ‘night vision’
While i respect and enjoyed them, I somehow felt that they saw too much into the merits of this film
ie their posts were too good for the actual film
There were key tools of ‘bluff’ here
An excel production with kagti as the maker
Aamir who had to supported at any cost
Also there seemed to be a unanimous infact a prostration towards the film wherein even before kagti had revealed her ‘goods’ (no pun intended), the intention was already to lionise the film
What followed was beautiful writing and metaphorical allegories and ‘associations’ of all types
By gods grace, i dint read all of them due to fear of spoilers–but the bits i did read made me wonder as if im reading the review of a bergman or alteast a mallick
On seeing the actual film, i did feel as if i was watching the same film
Note–i did find aamirs performace at places more than brilliant
As the final pieces of clothing are derobed from the potential 150 crores talaash, one needs to be circumscept not only in lionising someone to the extreme but also repsecting ones OWN judgment
I felt each of the writers who wrote brillaint pieces on talaash know MORE about cinema than kagti probably
Its time they respect their own knowledge/knowhow and give accolades only where they are deserved 🙂
again this is to be read in the correct context …i do NOT intend to ‘mock’ those writers, infact its the other way around….
“As the final pieces of clothing are derobed from the potential 150 crores talaash, one needs…..”
Not quite sure if this ‘rapist’ framing of things really makes your case.. We can get to Bergman and others later.. let’s get some decency and dignity into the discussion first!
Cmon a barfi with a deaf mute hero and a heroine (PC) that is not a ‘heroine’ from any sense of the word and with half the screens made 100 crores
Its painful to see talaash wind down at 80-85
BUt yes–box office is NOT everything
HAve already mentioned my admiration for aamir for selecting this film at THIS stage and doing those key scenes exceptionally well…
But Alex, Barfi’s 100+ crs was its lifetime business, Where this is just barely 10 days, And with Khiladi not doing so great, It will easily hit the 100 cr in maybe 20 Days. Which is good timing right before the storm called Dabangg 2.
The amusing thing is Alex says he was expecting 150-175 from Talaash. Apparently he was only expecting 25-45 crores more than this for ETT. Because he seems incredibly happy with the latter result. Much as JTHJ for him at 100 is only a disappointment comparable to Talaash’s at 85-90. It’s perfectly fine if one really likes stuff like Cocktail and ETT. But then it seems a bit strange to pick holes in Talaash! Much as I have problems with some Scorsese films but it’s hard to object if my favorite film is otherwise Expendables!
Now of course films can be good in different genres. You don’t compare them in absolute terms. Fine. But then why is the box office being compared so absolutely? No one says in Hollywood ‘oh Brad Pitt didn’t gross in Benjamin Button (lifetime gross, 127m) what Cruise did in MI’! No one says ‘ DiCaprio didn’t prove his stardom in Shutter Island (lifetime gross, 128m)’!
My point isn’t that people cannot make the case against the Talaash box office. Clearly this film isn’t going to match Aamir’s usual trending. However one shouldn’t be crude about this stuff. The argument should be made in a sane way. And again no one who wasn’t accepting the Aamir trending deal earlier or this idea in general has any right to now attack Talaash on these grounds. I went into great detail on this the other day and won’t repeat everything.
@kash–yeah agree –thats an apt handle for me
as i said earlier–i try to follow the dictum 🙂
“Na Samman Ka Moh,
Na Apmaan Ka Bhay”
@ satyam–all this is with the premise that aamir is THE biggest star and the one with the best ‘prestige’, momentum, audience trust and a certain confluence of classes n masses –the types he (apparently) showed with 3 idiots
Now, its easy to bestowed with these no1 tags, one has to prove it over n over again–unfortunately thats the problem with that position and thats y it is so ‘slippery’
Note that although many consider salman ‘undisputed no1’ now, even he ddoesnt have the ‘aura’ of aamir
So with that background, expecting a 150 crores where barfi did 100 and with aamir coming after 3 years with rani/kareena and double screens (assuming one agrees that aamir is a much bigger star than ranbir) isnt outlandish
Its not ‘shameful’ to falter at this difficult standard but then, what aamir was being bestowed with WAS meant to be difficult to achieve–thats y we are not expecting anyone else to do it!
BUt the fact remains–that he has faltered
And i will also go ahead and say that for some purists of aamir acting lovers, his credibility will get slightly affected for many..
Also u mentioned only 25-50 crores kess than ETT
THATS my point—the ‘gap’ between 50-100 crores is NOT the same as 150-200—its not arithmetic or logarithmic
One reaches that stage of the graph after many weeks wherein many other extraneuosu facotrs come in to make it further complex and the ‘slope’ much less steep..
As for cocktail and ETT–it is about ‘expectations’, ‘product placement besides genre…
The other ‘absolute’ thing about his argument is the BARFI thing. I don’t comment much on BO stuff mainly because I am ill-equipped but this was really getting to me. He is making BARFI to be some ‘out of this world’ stuff because Ranbir plays a deaf-mute character. So, apparently, by virtue of just being a deaf-mute hero, and an autistic heroine, the film is classified as ‘an out of the box’ movie.
It is clearly not. It is as romantic as a Hindi movie gets. There is not a SINGLE dark scene in the movie. Even with the deaf-mute-autistic combo, it is a FEEL-GOOD movie. It is definitely not ‘masala’ but it is not a SPARSH either!! There is nothing extraordinarily out of the way in the movie except for these factors. It has good, catchy songs; it has the current heart-throb Ranbir (so repeat foot-falls WILL include the oohing and aahing teenage girls APART from aunties, uncles, and extended everyone!!)
This is not BLACK where a 70 year old actor is dragging along a kid and beating her to teach her alphabets! I can understand if AA would be perplexed with BLACK’s success and hold it against TALAASH. But BARFI!!! So then, SEE NO EVIL HEAR NO EVIL, because of having ‘damaged’ characters, has to be a classic that worked..to hell with the fact that it is a comedy!!
In AA world then, everything is black and white. BARFI! is a ‘different’ (using his famous mathematical formula of mute+deaf+autistic) film that MANAGED to get to 100 crore. But TALAASH, because it has Aamir Khan (and this 3 year stuff..so his defn of start-power is; put Salman Khan in ‘Shatranj Ke Khilari’ after a hiatus of 3 years and you will have as many footfalls as in Dabaang!!).
Personally, I care a damn if TALAASH makes 80 or 90 or 40. As far as it has left memorable impact on the audience and as far as AK has not compromised, I am fine.
In the long run, GURU DUTT’s movies are remembered more than Jubilee Kumar (who might have earned the producers in 1 movie what Guru Dutt failed to earn in 5 movies..).
But when you reminisce and feel like visiting those memories, what DVD do you pick up? Gurudutt as a poet in PYAASA or Rajendra Kumar dancing around a nuclear reactor as a nuclear scientist in love with those electrons?
@an–I dont know the links where i posted my thoughts
will retrieve them later with some time in my hand
I LOVED aamirs performance and commended him for doing this type of film at this stage
Also
Also, i have paid aamir the ultimate compliment (for me) by comparing his talaash perfomrance to bahchchans akeyla (thats one of my fave bahcchan masterclasses)
Unlike satyam (who feels bachchans is much better)–i find them v comparable–again will have to dig the link later
BUt the bottomline is that even v sensible folks get confused in this adualtion for a star with hate for another with boxoffice facts..
IF aamir is what u and even me are claiming him to be –he HAS to stand the ultimate test !
Yeah it HAS to be someting nobody else can do at that point of time–it HAS to be unachievable for others
its not shameful to fall short of that high standard–but then i will also withdraw the ‘ultimate’ tag i gave him 🙂
so u see, as the battle gets hot–the stakes rise, the game gets tougher— and it should’
Otherwise we shall see eveery tom dick n harry getting that tag by rotation
these postions are ‘exclusive’ and let them be xclusive
Finally
Just like a surgeon dissects various layers carefully before teasing out the ‘contents’ causing minimal collateral damage whilst still reaching to the ‘area of interest’
lets dissect each issue separately and cleanly
no bias no hanky panky
although both achieve the same result–thats wht separates a ‘surgeon’ from a ‘butcher’
good nite ann and say my hi to your gf 😉
LOL, great comment! agree mostly.. Barfi getting to 100 crores is creditable for sure but yes once you get past the disability issue it’s a rather conventional film. It’s not even like Guzaarish where Hrithik Roshan has to stay in bed all the time. Ranbir isn’t limited in the same way. Nonetheless credit is due here but it’s certainly not Talaash by any stretch. And your larger point is the right one, I am as interested in the box office as anything else but it’s got to the point where both among the fans and the detractors (of all stars in each case) the box office has become the sole topic of discussion. Here too there’s a point that some of us have been making for years. An actor at any level ultimately needs a body of work or some set of films that can potentially stand the test of time or be rediscovered and/or reinvented and so on. I like Akshay Kumar but there isn’t a single film of his likely to meet this test. He’s not even likely to be in the Shammi Kapoor ‘classic’ category. Sometimes time is unfair to important films. However it usually isn’t the case that completely disposable or junk entertainment gets refashioned as something significant! So again I am very interested in the box office for all sorts of reasons but it does not at all define for me what makes for a worthwhile film.
how many people here think that if Talaash was done by SRK, Sallu, Ajay, Akki or any other actor – it would have reached so far at the b.o.? pl be honest. What aamir is doing a slow build-up fanbase where he can do all kind of cinema and still come out a winner at the b.o. and audience would like the films also.
“how many people here think that if Talaash was done by SRK, Sallu, Ajay, Akki or any other actor – it would have reached so far at the b.o.? pl be honest. ”
Do you think if Aamir would have done JTHJ, it would have reached so far at the BO?
Actually with Aamir working with YR for the first time, JTHJ would have touched around 250 +, there would be a curiosity factor from all angles, Him with Katrina and Anushka for the first time, A romantic film after long, with YR after long, also, the big curiosity would have been the fact that the took Aamir instead of their Blue eyed boy, It would have catapulated the film to some totally different level.
Alex, Your predictions might just come true, When D3 release, albiet for another movie but still Yash Raj, Which Yash Raj expected from their Blue eyed boy to do with JTHJ. Well if it has to be Aamir, it will be.
For d3– even 500 crores can’t be ruled out –as per the limitless markets and nonstop trending theories 😉
Jokes apart–yrf have no ‘blue eyed’ boys
If tomorrow, the likes of Tushar, fardeen and aftaab become hot (shudder!!) won’t take long for yrf to shift allegiance
They follow success not a person (as it should be)
I’d disagree with that, YRF has always considered SRK as their blue eyed boy, All major films are with him coming out of YRF, if that was the case, Salman is the hottest right now, How come he didn’t do JTHJ or even Aamir? Ek Tha Tiger was signed just a bit after Dabangg, they had no Idea salman would be that big.
Aamir Khan pretty much endorses Imran Khan’s Tareek-e-Insaaf political party (start at 47:49 for Aamir Khan comment):
I guess IK was in india past week to explain his thoughts and ideas about his political party. Obviously the mass of Pakistan are hoping for a “change” of their own. I’ve been following Imran Khan and his speeches for a while now and he talks a very good game but I hope he can bring all this talk into action. In a place like Pakistan, hope is truly needed at this point and for the majority of Pakistan…Imran Khan represents that hope. if you have an hour to spare watch this entire interview.
I really have only disgust for people like Imran Khan. His ‘explanation’ for his refusal to be on the same platform that Rushdie was at a summit is laughable. His ‘playboy turned semi-jehadi’ stance is puke-inducing. After showing his prowess in orgies with Benazir for proof –and bedding white women and giving rise to a few legitimate and one ‘bastard’ child– in Oxford University where he barely managed to scrape through academically, he talks of Rushdie insulting Islam via The Satanic Verses!! Because he no longer has power left in his loins thanks to his age, there seems to be a more than necessary blood rush to his brain and hence he is coming up with such stupid statements. And the great country of India keeps inviting such people for ‘guidance’ and talks. Guess they wanted to know from Musharaff how the Indian army could have better- countered Kargil!! Nothing else explains the invitations he keeps getting year-after-year to India..
That is why such ‘promising’ leaders scare me. That is why Obama (definitely not comparing him to Imran khan) scares me when he, of all people, goes on a tirade against outsourcing–not as a ‘capitalist construct per se’– repeatedly hammering the name of a country so many times that the immigration officers and the INS as a whole gets ‘conditioned’ to be more than ‘administrative’ than usual with people from certain countries (India – mainly).
When supposedly intelligent and smart and charismatic politicians start towing such lines, we can rest assured that Gandhi will remain a once in centuries phenomenon..
Hopefully Obama will have only one more term and Imran Khan is not trusted that much in his own country.
Having said that Obama recently toned down a bit, it seems. Victory made him a bit more tolerant.
Sanjana – Obama’s term is the last term. No US President can have more than 2 terms. But the other side of the coin is, this would make him all the more powerful. Remember Bush Jr who went to war with Iraq in his last term, screwed Iraq and screwed US economically? He is now enjoying his life peacefully in a ranch in Texas..
Nowadays, if one observes closely, it is not the absolute starpower of a star that makes a film blockbuster. It is the likeability of a film by middle and lower classes generally. Though Salman fans say it is his star power, it is not so really. Let him do a film like Talaash or even TMK and I am sure those films would not have made BO history. This is the reason a Singham is successful inspite of Ajay Devgun. Singham would have been successful with any of the top stars. Even Barfi’s success is more to do with the novelty factor and the film had author backed roles for all the three. Rocket singh, anjaana anjaani and even rockstar failed inspite of Ranbir.
Of course a big star guarantees a big opening and thats all to it. the rest depends on the likeability and endorsement by the paying public.
Kahaani, OMG, English Vinglish had lesser stars and touched the middleclass people’s hearts Sridevi is not currently in the running and so I have called her a lesser star. And Vidya balan is more of an actress and OMG has a relevant script.
Thus Dhoom 3 will run because of the franchise and Aamir Khan’s presence will act as a boost.
Lastly Ghajini would have been successful even if it had Ajay Devgun but not anyone else other than Aamir due to extreme intensity of the role.
he iconic Kamal Haasan idolizes two actors. “I grew up hero-worshipping Shivaji Ganesan. He was like the guiding sun in my life. Then I discovered an entire galaxy in Dilip Saab. I discovered Dilip Saab rather late. It took me a long time to learn to appreciate him. I belong to another culture, another generation. The first film of Dilip Saab that I saw was Mughal-E-Azam. He touched something deep within me as an actor. You have to be an actor to fully understand what Dilip Saab achieves through his performances. I am still in the process of discovering his virtuosity. Actually I was introduced to Hindi cinema very late. The first Hindi film I saw was Padosan, and that too because I was told that the Tamil community was lampooned in the film through Mehmood Saab’s character. I ended up becoming a fan of Hindi cinema. I never stopped seeing Hindi films. I gradually revisited the classics. I saw V Shantaram’s Jal Bin Machali Nritya Bin Bijli and I wondered why they called Shantaramji a great filmmaker. Then I saw Jhanak Jhanak Paayal Baje and Dr Kotnis Ki Amar Kahani and I knew why.”
Then Kamal Haasan saw Dilip Kumar in Mughal-E-Azam. “It changed my life. It re-defined any attitude to acting. I thought that was the ultimate. Then when I came to Mumbai to do Ek Duuje Ke Liye I met Javed Akhtar Saab. I told him I am a fan of Dilip Saab although I had seen just one film Mughal-E-Azam. He advised urged and implored me to see Ganga Jamuna. I saw it. I couldn’t stop raving about it. Just looking at Dilip Saab in Ganga Jamuna I got all the inspiration that I needed. In Ganga Jamuna he did an amazing thing. He signed on an unknown teenager to play his character’s younger version. It was a very risky thing to do. Normally characters go from childhood to adult. Here in Ganga Jamuna, Dilip Saab was cutting it closer. He trained the teenager to behave like ‘Dilip Kumar’ The way the boy walks, climbs, talks….he brought his own spirit into the boy.”
i’ve never understood the fuss about dilip kumar. he was good but the way big b, kamal, aamir, srk and film industry treat him as some kind of acting god – that is beyond me.
Just watch him in FOOTPATH (1953). You will know what he is about. That was the first film I saw of his when I was still in my teens and I was blown away. He brought subtlety to Hindi movies whose actors at that time were immersed in theatricality of a very high order (barring maybe Motilal & later Balraj Sahni). His is a terrific performance in FOOTPATH; and it stands out taller simply because he avoided theatricality as much as possible even though it was quite in vogue at that time..
I will put AB and DK on par. The way DK could portray a prince in M-E-A to a tongawala in Naya Daur, froma suave lover in Andaz to a trade union leader in Sagina, from a tragic Devdas to a comic Ram Aur Shyam froma dark hero of sunghursh to a swashbuckling star of Aan..his range and finesse is unparalleled.
i agree, i think they are at the same level. may be people can argue about star status and so on but the terms of stardom had also changed from 50’s to 70’s.
Saw Talaash over the weekend.
I liked the film, well made and well-acted. Highly engaging and contrary to some resentment on the climax, I think the supernatural aspect worked as a late surprise rather than basing the whole film around it. From the get go the film engages and keeps the viewer hooked throughout. The pace for me was not slow, what was disjointed was short scenes and 3-4 storylines all enfolding…it meant the film shifted a lot without a linear plot. But when it all comes together it’s worth it.
I am surprised how its performed in the end at the box office. At least some sort of audience has liked the film (high end multiplex audience it seems)…as the emotional intent and drama works. Overall the numbers point to a film that really did not connect beyond the opening weekend but not your Mangal Pandey type response.
Kareena was superb I felt, played the role well. Good to see Rani back in a significant role. Aamir worked well in the emotional scenes relating to his son. Director did a good job.
Definitely will try to watch it again! The wife enjoyed it thank god!
Second viewing makes pace look faster. It is just like driving through a strange lane and it seems the drive is quite long. The second time, the distance and the drive magically shortens.
Satyam, MNIK in 2010 opened to a 45 crore week and ended around 75.. Was that genre (the muslim angle, the autistic hero) safe? and the kind of BO SRK managed was not appreciated on this blog, while Talaash after almost 3 years, more screens after after 3 years etc at 85-90 crores is a brilliant achievement?
Just like Talaash was not liked by a section, MNIK is not also liked by a section. Pasand apni apni. I heard that SRK acted well and he even outperformed Kajol.
srk and kajol are similar actors. charismatic, showy and can be effective in certain movies with the right director. but they are hardly skilled actors.
actually i agree with sanju that kajol was good in fanaa
Actually, for a while i hated kajols ‘unibrow’ and she elicited reactions similar to the screecho sisterz-kareena/karisma
BUT
there is a crucial difference
Kajol on a good day can out-act and out-perform anyday
and can also look reasonable (unlike kareena/karisma)
Kajol is an ‘instinctive spontaneous’ type of actor somewhat like srk and it wasnt a surprise that the two got along like a house on fire (much to the chagrin of cuckolded ajay devgun lol)
Fanaa was a movie that i never had the courage to watch since it reminds one of the 70-80s type of melodramatic potboilers of blind belles being lured by charming thugs etc
BUT
again was forced to watch it in a flight and must say, its not THAT bad !
Kajol in fanaa was perhaps the ONLY actress that not only stood on equal terms to aamirs acting in fanaa but in crucial scenes sort of ‘owned’ him and that too not by ‘shouting her gills out’ by nuanced work–(something that she never quite achineved with srk not bcos srk is a more superior actor to aamir but srk could tap/grab her at her game that aamir couldnt)
BUT
i liked their pairing and look 4ward to an aamir-kajol film again –which might happen now after jthj-sos fiasco…
A few scenes did show 2 masters @ wrk–ive already stated who won (narrlowly though)
By my count MNIK didn’t get anywhere close to 75 (even have doubts about the 45 crore opening.. think that it was most likely a 40-42 deal that folded up around 60-65..). Leaving this aside I find it a far more safe film than Talaash. Just no comparison. It’s like Barfi. So even though the trending was better than Talaash’s it ought to have been a lot more so. Just as Barfi over-performed any expectations one might have had for the film (what’s worse than MNIK? LAK! Which had more or less the same numbers in an even safer genre). Just having a hero with a disability does not automatically make an unsafe film! But again you only have a right to make this claim if you were considering Aamir’s achievements brilliant (in box office terms) before this. Allow me to be a bit skeptical when people crawl out of the woodwork only when it’s about Talaash’s trending! For years we’ve had discussions on trending which most people either ignored or disagreed with. Suddenly Talaash doesn’t trend like other Aamir films and the same folks are asking questions about trending!
Khiladi 786 had a low Monday of around 4.75-5 crore nett but collections were steady as compared to Friday The collections are around 45% lower than Friday which is better than normal for a Monday but the film had a low Friday.
The four day total of the film is 34 crore nett approx and the first week should collect in the 45 crore nett region. The opening of the film really killed the film’s potential at the box office.
The film is unlikely to match the expectations even in some of its good areas. Gujarat which is one of the better circuits for the film fetched around 7 crore for the film just before release and the first week share is looking 3.5 crore at best which will eventually lead to a 30-35% loss for the distributors.
Satyam- where is your promised note on JTHJ? 🙂 If you’re not going to write it, can you atleast write a couple of comments on what you thought of the film?
can i ask – what was so different about talaash??i liked talaash and didnt mind the supernatural angle – but it was a conventional movie as any other. don’t get what all the fuss is about. it starred the top stars of bollywood and had a catchy song and it wasn’t too dark as even the prostitute angle was shown in a more glamorous light. it was another commercial movie full stop and i think people need to admit it has underperformed.
as for aamirs acting – i agree he is one of the better actors out there but i don’t find anything special in his performance in this movie, ghajini or 3 idiots. i think he could ve easily been replaced in any of those movies. someone said only aamir could ve done ghajini – but im sure salman khan would ve been amazing in that role and its a shame he wasnt given that part.i think there seems to be adulation for all bollywood stars so you can’t really compare hollywood with bollywood. i think in india ultimately it does all depend on box office success whereas with hollywood movies its a bit different.there a particular ‘genre’ is never in. you have chick flick releasing alongside an action movie alongside a serious/arty kind of movie. its only here we hear of safe genre and unsafe genre. in my books if a movie is good it will work and if it isn’t it won’t. obviously not everyone is gonna like any the same movie. i personally hated 3 idiots but the rest of the world loved it.so each to their own.
Speaking for myself I have never claimed that no one but Aamir could have done the Ghajini role. My position was that no one but him could have got the film that gross at that point in time. Nothing had done more than 85 crores at that point, this film did 115 or so. A massive jump. The same goes for the initial. This is not as easy as it seems. No film since Ghajini has been able to match the overall achievement of this film, i.e. as a combination of initial and gross being that much ahead of the existing standards and the trending still being very solid (more than doubling the initial eventually) and finally after adjusting for inflation (all kinds) both factors pretty much hold. Similarly with 3I you still don’t have a film that has actually touched its 205 crores. ETT even with very poor trending couldn’t do it, with the same trending or even just Ghajini-like trending we should be seeing grosses in the range of 275 crores.
As for the Salman comparison of course he could have done Ghajini. But notice how much Salman grossed with Wanted.. only as much as Ghajini did in its extended first week. And this after Ghajini’s release. so the masala example had been set. Therefore it is entirely reasonable to say that Salman couldn’t have achieved much better results with Ghajini. And from the other side Aamir came to Ghajini after years of constant success. So he had built a certain credibility with his audience. All of this helped. It’s not just any star who could have done Ghajini and achieved the same result.
The idea that in Bollywood it’s only about success (I assume you mean gross) while in Hollywood it’s about genres and relative expectations is quite false. You have the latter bit right but not the former. Even in a historic sense this hasn’t been true. Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s films were considered very successful with major commercial stars (Rajesh Khanna, Bachchan, Dharmendra etc) without having to live up to the gross standards of a Manmohan Desai film! Even today no one expects TZP and CDI to gross as much as Ghajini or OSO! Because of important tax breaks the gap actually seems less than it is (significant but would be moreso without the breaks). Because of fan politics on blogs and of course trade politics elsewhere this nonsense is peddled. But no sane person and certainly no sane distributor ever expects this.
here’s the problem with saying Aamir’s not special in many of these films. What’s the standard? If you then say Salman would be amazing it’s a bit hard to take the comment seriously. Unless you just mean gesturality in which case you should make it clear. But what is the standard? I am skeptical of those who find SRK and Salman and whoever very special (though frankly even with all my criticism I think it’s an insult to SRK to compare him as an actor with Salman!) and not Aamir! Otherwise in an honest discussion I don’t find this to be an odd position at all. on 3I similarly while I don’t think one absolutely has to like it it’s rather hard to conceive of a situation where one hates the film. I think if this film doesn’t meet the entertainment test for one 99% of Bollywood films from any period ought not to as well. I am being completely serious here. It’s one thing to not love it and quite another to hate it. What’s to hate here?!
On Talaash no one’s saying this is Dhobi Ghaat! Obviously it is a commercial production intended to achieve a certain result. But within those parameters it’s a risky film. The way many people get out of this is by loosening the definitions of different so much that either every other film is different or tightening them so much that no one other than the Shyam Benegal of the 70s need apply. This is your strategy here. The same goes for those who think there’s nothing special about this film et al. Sure! But not if one otherwise likes some very questionable pieces of cinema!
In the final analysis it’s less about liking one film or the other. I actually wouldn’t have a problem with someone who was rather harsh on Deewar! The question however is: what are the terms of the debate? There has to be some minimal consistency to these things. The argument has to be an ‘honest’ one, which is to say it must make some sense using not some objective definitions but the terms set up by the person making the claim. So if Talaash isn’t special what are ten special Bollywood commercial films over the last decade or so? There can be sane answers to this question. One just doesn’t hear them very often in the blogosphere if at all!
The same people comparing MNIK to Talaash will be the same defending Swades or Paheli’s box office performance.
It’s obvious Talaash has not trended well. As a fan of “trending” this is crystal clear. Numbers don’t really lie.
It opened well enough but just fizzled out. The only saving grace is the second weekend (mainly sat and sun) showed improvement vs. Friday which suggests an audience has been found for the film, but the film’s size and expectations means this is not enough. Probably this film was better suited a smaller production just aimed purely at multiplexes, a nicher presentation. With Aamir, Kareena, Rani in it, the expectations were much bigger. And I fully endorse the view, no one else could have taken this film in terms of collections any higher! Or put it another way, no current actor-star has a film in his filmography with similar characteristics suggesting they are a better bet in this type of film. Not even Salman! Think about Ek Haseena Thi or Tasveer…they grossed minimal. A film like Omkara or DMD fizzled. These dark, broody, moody films are not commercial moneyspinners like Dhooms.
I misplaced my prediction too but expected to see a more commercial film. Though still a tad surprised the film has not performed better.
Now if the film was less serious and more commercial, maybe it fits into the Vikram Bhatt – Emraan Hashmi dimension of films. Maybe a sleazy film, more commercial etc…the format could have been more successful. But in this domain, the way the films been made, it’s done more than anyone else could have.
The discussions have had before. Bloggers did not believe it when RDB or TZP was compared to Krrish or D2…sure the former were lower grossers, but the currency earnt was bigger. The same naysayers saw what happened when Aamir came in a full blown entertainer like Ghajini. Even that was a risk. And then 3 Idiots. Given the right commercials, most star-actors can extract a big gross – very few do it with a film that remains steady for a few weeks!
But let’s stop the ludicrously there. It’s not clever to compare Talaash to MNIK. The people who do this don’t compare 3 Idiots with Ra.One or Jab Tak Hai Jaan. They can barely get away with a comparison with Ghajini, a pee sized release 4 years ago – Emraan Hashmi films release like Ghajini on print counts today. In today’s world, a release like Ghajini is a B grade actors release. And A listers barely get to the film’s gross. It’s quite embarrassing how long it has taken some stars to get to Ghajini! And even more humour in getting to 3 Idiots!
The key ingredient is a film liked. Big openers that fizzle will eventually get to 200 crore by 2014 (a Salman film quicker maybe 2013 or maybe even Dabangg), but by that time the benchmark will be 300 crore. Because how much is 3 Idiots worth in today’s money. Definitely not 200 crore. Much more.
My big bets for next year are D3, Krrish 2 and P.K. The former 2 are pan India films, for all ages. Big releases, big hype, big commercials. Almost guaranteed moneyspinners. The last, P.K. is the next big benchmark potentially. Hirani’s record is unmatchable. From 25 crore (MB MBBS) to 70 crore (LRM) to 200 crore (3 Idiots), each film has shown the level of growth parallel to the pan India growth in business. That combination with Aamir is potentially lethal and anything 50% to 3 Idiots is a banker 200 crore, anything close to 100% is going to beat 3 Idiots by a big margin. These are the acid tests to the theories. My wager would be 2 of these will breakout beyond 200 crore, and one substantially to prove the underperformance of some so called “moneyspinners”.
“but it was a conventional movie as any other.”
I don’t think so. Treatment and presentation of story make it different. If you give the same movie to Vikram Bhatt and you know what would have been the result. Many people here claim Kahaani was better. It was a well made movie in Indian context but it didn’t add anything to main commercial bollywood cinema but Talaash did (in terms of treatment and presentation).
ps – I have seen many comments on online suggesting that Saya was better. It is no more than an individual opinion and probably have no idea of what constitutes cinema in general.
agreed on the kahaani point and the Vikram Bhatt one. Some pretend this is Raaz! But even on the former, a film which I liked, you’re making exactly the right point. It doesn’t bother anyone irrespective of whether they like it or not. It is just a suspense narrative with a twist and of course the local authenticity. There’s nothing else happening here. Again not an argument against the film, only its overrating. On the other hand those who think Talaash is just a suspense narrative with no subtexts have missed the plot (!). Which is not to say one isn’t allowed to dislike the film. One absolutely can. But the terms many of the naysayers are offering are questionable. To be kind about it!
@ antya:
But Satyam isn’t impressed with Dilip’s work as much as he is with Raj’s. I got this impression after his take on ANDAAZ. But I will have to agree to disagree here and Dilip for me among the 3 will remain the uncrowned king when it comes to histrionics…
Will be interesting to read Satyam’s post on Dilip for sure…
Raj Kapoor was commonly perceived as having stolen the show from Dilip in Andaaz when the latter released. the iconic moment here was when Nargis speaks to who she thinks is Dilip Kumar in the dark, the lights come on and it isn’t him, she looks the other way and there’s Raj Kapoor gradually turning around lighting his cigarette or whatever it is. I do however agree with the general perception on this. Wouldn’t generalize too much from here though at his best I just find Raj Kapoor a more spontaneous and empathetic performer, one who’s also rather deceptive in certain ways. He could often be fine but not in the showy sort of way. Of course beyond a point the image took over. But still he is the only one in Chalin’s genealogy who also established his own universal brand. From China to Russia to france they have always loved him. On the rest:
Of course what I think of him as an actor and how I judge his influence are two different things. On the latter though I reject the Dilip Kumar-Amitabh Bachchan analogy. It holds in a limited sense which is to say that for an entire generation or two Dilip Kumar defined the horizon for the star-actor. Bachchan did this after him. However the analogy ends here. Because Dilip Kumar wasn’t a superstar in the sense that Rajesh Khanna was or Bachchan was for a much longer period. This is about understanding the magnitude of box office accomplishment in a very precise sense. Today the word superstar is thrown around all the time and it’s meaningless. But there is to my mind no star before or after who matches Bachchan’s box office record for many years or Rajesh Khanna’s for a more limited period. So it’s not just about different notions of stardom. Because even relative to their onw age these two were so much ahead of the competition. The other stars were not even on the same spectrum. Which is why when it was said for Bachchan that he was 1-10 it made complete sense. No one was within even striking distance which wasn’t true for Dilip Kumar, even leaving aside the superstardom bit. For one he was first among equals but he was part of that great trio that also included Dev and Raj kapoor. Leaving this aside Bachchan’s relevance as a cultural figure, one symptom of which is his extraordinary longevity, is pretty much unparalleled at a national level (in the South you have important figures who’ve lasted that long). Let’s just take a quick example here — Bachchan’s films 30-40 years after release are current in a way which is totally singular for Bombay cinema. No one was watching Dilip Kumar’s 50s films in the 70s or 80s. They were archaic even then. And this is the norm. This is the fate of pretty much every star barring fads where one star or another becomes cool (Shammi Kapoor currently). But with bachchan those three to four decade old films exist in a contemporaneous sense. There is simply no model for such lasting relevance. My ultimate claim though has always been that Bachchan is simply one of the 3-4 most influential Indians of post-Independence history. Again have talked about this elsewhere, won’t repeat everything.
So the Dilip-Bachchan analogy does hold upto a point but one can’t take this too far. also remember that while a great figure is always linked to his or her contexts this does not mean that just anyone given those contexts could achieve that sort of fame. The Elizabethan age was a very rich period for drama. Shakespeare was one of the beneficiaries. He wouldn’t have been Shakespeare in every other age. But the Elizabethan era could as easily have survived without Shakespeare. Similarly it’s not as if without Bachchan there would have been some other ‘angry young man’. There would have been no one! This applies to some other stars too and Dilip Kumar is certainly in that category. And I am all for relativizing things based on contexts. But this need not give way to an easy ‘equalizing’. Chaucer was Shakespeare before Shakespeare. A similar analogy holds here. But Shakespeare is simply the greater force. That kind of symmetry holds better for Sivaji/Kamalahaasan.
Thanks Antya for instigating this, Agreed with you An Jo, I like Raj as a filmmaker more than the actor. But my vote has always been to Dev Anand, (Not for his acting capabilities, Just love the man’s style and charisma), But yes Dilip Saheb was in league of his own.
agree on most of your points here satyam. made a brief comment about the ‘star’ thing myself, although i like both of them equally as actors within their era (may be a little partial to dk).
raj, i agree, though not as techinally skilled as dilip or as charismatic as dev, was in my opinion still a very subtly effective presence. he was very successful in portraying that presence in the kind of world and narrative he created. on andaz, i loved him as much as dilip. but just to argue the other side, it is easy to ‘steal the show’ when you are the perceived ‘underdog’, so to speak. in other words, may be nobody expected him to hold his own against dilip and nargis, but he did more than that. his portrayal of a man wrecked with jealousy in sangam, who nonetheless, loves both the people who he thinks are betraying him, was also very effective. and i cannot picture anyone else in awara.
But Andaz was too early in their careers.. Raj Kapoor wasn’t an underdog then. Of course even at Dilip’s peak Raj was part of the reigning trio. No one would have called him an underdog at any point. Dilip was offered the Rajendra Kumar role in Sangam but he did not take the Andaaz chance again and he was quite right not to do so (though the film would have been better with him).
on this Dilip/Raj comparison though if you combine the latter’s directorial history there’s no doubt in my mind that he’s simply the greater figure compared to the former. Not just this. Raj Kapoor is easily one of the most iconic post-Independence public figures in his own right.
hmmm……not sure i agree with this, did not know about sangam casting though.
and yes, on the whole, raj is one of the defining figures in hindi cinema history in a sense. no doubt about that.
in fact during ghajini release – aamir himself said that when he was approached first, he asked the makers to approach sallu as he fitted the role most but it was murugadoss who wanted aamir as surya had also advised him. 3i was initially offered to srk but when it came to aamir, he asked for changes in script. It is this involvement of him that sets him apart from the rest. Lagaan, DCH, 3I, TZP, Talaash, DG, RDG, Fanaa, Ghajini – in 2001 till now – he has done only these 9 films as an actor and each one is a different genre and he has come out a winner at the b.o. and critically also in each of them. Is that a lesser achievement? Which other actor of his generation or the later generation has done it in last 12 years? Add to this coming films D3 and P.K. – the man is clearly on a mission.
So I was lucky enough to attend the screenings of Kurasawa’s films at the 3rd Eye Asian Festival in Pune (it’s also going on in Bombay). This is the 1st film festival I have attended and I saw Quiet Duel and Scandal. The festival continues till 13 Dec.
try to watch some of the others. These are works of apprenticeship for Kurosawa. More interesting for some of the themes he develops as opposed to being fully realized efforts.
Thanks for the suggestions Satyam. Sadly i would not be able to attend the screenings as I have left Pune (didn’t have enough pocket money left). They were showing Roshomon tomorrow
Just saw Aamir on TV his message to his audience “Loogon ko Talaash pasand aye but kuch section of audience ko nahi pasand aye which is ok next time aur mehnat karke unn loogon ko bhi khush karne ki koshish karunga”.
Ok folks–for the fans waiting and praying for talaash suxess
“success party” of talaash –enjoy n ‘celebrate’
one does note the slight over eagerness and haste of this ‘party’
aamir who normally doesnt attend parties is keen to explain his point and is creditably balanced
also he has not seen any songs/trailers of any film not featuring himself haha
Kareena is her usual pea sized brain and rani makes all the p-correct sounds and speaks of her ‘friendships’
And finally Kagtis mood and ‘numbers dont speak to me’ says it all
🙂
hahaha anya– rise above these 80 cr or 100 cr bickering folks–even folks who have made losses are celebrating in the link above lol
Enjoy the kajol/aamir song i posted above –for aamir fans, enjoy his ‘different’ acting here as well lol–it surely is ‘prestigious’ luring a ‘blind’ gal hahah
Nowadays i can understand & appreciate lyrics–check em out
courtesy Miss Google—
“Yeh Saazish Hain Boondon Ki Koi Khwaahish Hain Chup Chup Si…
Dekho Na Dekho Na…
Hawa Kuchh Haule Haule Zubaan Se Kya Kuchh Bole
Kyon Duuri Hain Ab Darmayaan
Dekho Na Dekho Na…
( Phir Na Hawayen Hogi Itani Besharam
Phir Na Dag Mag Dag Mag Honge Yeh Kadam…
Haa Saawan Yeh Seedha Nahi Khufia Bada
Kuchh Toh Baraste Hue Keh Raha
Samjho Na… Samjho Na”
1. 90 cr or 80 cr Indian Net on a production cost of 40 cr or even 60 cr if you add a notional actor’s fee of 20 cr is a big success anyw ay you lok at it ( Especially if you compare toa Net of 115 cr ona production cost 0f 125 cr of Ra One)
2. But regardless of the limitation of the genre, if it was a better film , a more satisfying film, it would have made 150 cr. Which is also the ase with Jab Tak Hai Jaan. If it was areally good film, it too would have earned 150 cr.
3. In spite of mr not particularly liking Talaash, when it comes to waht it attempts or even what it has achieved, Jab Tak Hai Jaan is no comparison. The latter is unadulterated trash.
4. Come to think of it , given a chance I will see Talaash again rather than Kahani. Kahani is just one dimensional..it is very Hollywood..and it leaves me cold. One time viewing yes. But there are no layers for me to revisit it again. Just like I can watch Chak De only once while a Lagaan or even Swades..any number of times. And for the record, I find Vidya Balan’s performance in The Dirty Picture far more challenging and interesting and mould breaking than in Kahaani.
5. Those who say Barfi was safe film or a a more audience friendly film are being unfair to Anurag Basu. How many said that before the film’s release? People predicted a net of 50 cr at most. Even after seeing the film no one thought it would do more than 60 cr. Afyter reading the figure of 105 cr to say that it was not dark , it was not unsafe..is very easy and convenient.
6.Same goes for 3 Idiots. People somehow try to imply that it was a masala film meant for the masses. My foot it was. How many said that before the film’s release? Or on the first day after seeing it ? People did not think that it could match Ghajini, and patronizingly said it would be a hit of course and notch upto 80 cr. A mass film? Based on the them of three engineering student pitching their perspective on education gainst that of their professor? Where the jokes are about how does one start an electric motor? And where the hero;’s punches to his adversary is why they dont use pencils in space ships for writing? Where the songs go like Behti hawa sa that woh, or Give me some sunshine or all Izz well? Give me a break? It si again gross injustice to the genius of Hirani and the brilliant film that he made.
“Kahani is just one dimensional..it is very Hollywood..and it leaves me cold….” that is harsh and totally unfair. How many directors out there would have the b…s to hire a female (hero) pregnant protagonist with literally unknown faces but all really good actors and base all that in Kolkotta and make the sidekick fall in love with pregnant hero(ine). I just loved the way (durga) puja theme was played against main character’s revenge (shakti) theme…there are layers if you want to see it!! At least it didn’t have talaash’s corney dialogues. If you don’t agree then chalo saath mai lataktey hai aur baat kartey hai…that is Farhan Aktar saying lets hang together and discuss 😉
Every character from nawaz to his love interest are typecast (the female has played prostitute in almost 100% of her movies)..kareena is totally a misfit as a prostitute though her performance is ‘effective’ …people are praising her because for once she didn’t annoy and drive audience insane over her ‘acting’…but then everything was wrong with her makeup, clothes. I can go on….I found talaash a very fake product.
Bilkul sahi kahi Sanjana. Aamir haters are there all over the net…and in the process some real worthwhile work from Aamir or his colleagues — it’s all dismissed,they all get victimized. I love Talaash despite its flaws, just as I like Mangal Pandey ( a noble film that deserved better reception). in fact its almost a dejavu Mangal Pandey moment for Aamir this year, people ready to dismiss his work from all these years, simply because Talaash did not achieve its potential. it was good film that could have been better — and i’m saddened.
I may be an Aamir supporter, but i also recognize that Talaash is lit up by Kareena’s presence. She did full justice to her character. She and Nawaz sparkled in their roles. Aamir-Rani have roles that are interesting but low key and morose in characterization. Difficult roles which they carried off, but not exactly audience-friendly roles. They are realistic roles-characters; people like them, deeplly enmeshed in their own sorrows – they do exist; I’ve got one in my extended family!
I liked Kahaani but would not like to compare it with Talaash, which has its own charm. Talaash is definitely a film that is more than a one time watch; can be appreciated better second time around, nuances understood, appreciated.
Di–agree somewhat with that
Except–
“kareena is totally a misfit as a prostitute “–this is one role that suited her to the t.. 🙂
. She carried off he body language and vibe well here –though agree it wasn’t anything that people are making it out to be.
“Those who say Barfi was safe film or a a more audience friendly film are being unfair to Anurag Basu. How many said that before the film’s release? People predicted a net of 50 cr at most. Even after seeing the film no one thought it would do more than 60 cr. Afyter reading the figure of 105 cr to say that it was not dark , it was not unsafe..is very easy and convenient.”
good point uncle utkal—also bout 3 idiots
btw who do u think did a better job–kareena or rani in talaash
AA: Karena any day. Rani and Aamir were good, totally in character, anchoring the emotional wight of the film, but a tad boring. It is Kareena and Nawajjuddin who were the life of the film.
Though I like Kareena, i did not find her that appealing and I loved Rani. And one very trivial thing distracted me too much during the last 20 minutes
actually kareena’s character was written in such a way that she had to put her best foot forward to come out trumps – and she did that. Rest of the characters had a bit complex role to play and ….but yeah kareena is the soul of this movie
Di: I am not questioning Suhjoy Ghish’s ballsiness. Though you must accept at that kind of budget many films are being made with no big stars. What stars did Gangs of Wasseypur ahve? Niot even a Vidya Balan! So it was not all that ballsy. The film was decent enough. I have no quarrel with anyone who likes it a lot. Just that one note surprise ending films like Kahaani and A WEdnesday leave me cold and I never want to revisit them.
( You missed the whole coolness of Farhan’s line. It is obvioudsly translated literally from an English idiomn and the literalnes is meant to show.)
Why Talaash engages me in spite of all the fklaws is because the characters , Sekhawat, Roshni, Simran, Malliak, Timur, Shashi…interest me. more than the chraxters in Kahaani.)
The film is looking at an approx 60 crore nett lifetime total and if it manages some business after the release of Dabangg 2 it could do a little bit more. Lifetime business in the range of films like Kahaani and Student Of The Year is nowhere near the desired results of Khiladi 786.
Q. Can Khiladi 786 still do 100 crore because Bol Bachchan and Son of Sardaar also had same openings and went to do around 100?
A. Son Of Sardaar and Bol Bachchan had much better openings
and more importantly had better reports. Khiladi 786 has no chance of 75 crore let alone 100 crore.
I am quite addicted to the song muskan jhooti hain. When one of my acquaintances smiled at me, I blurted out mukan jhooti hain and she stared at me somewhat bewildered and angry.
SATYAMSHOT 
December 7, 2012 at 1:40 AM
Amazing! My most awaited film of next year. I thought the 1st part was SUPERB 9and much better better than the entire recent Star War trilogy- in any case I prefer the Trek universe to the former)-
Trailer of “STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS”
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December 7, 2012 at 2:11 AM
I can’t remember — are you one of the people around here who despise the current masala films in Hindi? What do you think the Star Trek and Star Wars films are, except masala? 🙂 What exactly appeals to you about the Star Trek film?
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December 7, 2012 at 2:32 AM
I LOVE MASALA FILMS. I have been watching them throughout my life. Here is a piece I wrote where I connected the ‘Masal hero with the hong-kong action genre’- https://satyamshot.wordpress.com/2012/07/30/saurabh-on-hong-kong-action-cinema-and-the-masala-hero/
On Star Trek, i love the its entire universe. And Spock to my mind is ‘Vijay of Zanjeer who is lost in space and is constantly by his visions and memories’
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December 7, 2012 at 2:44 AM
Ah too many typos- ‘constantly haunted by his visions’
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December 7, 2012 at 5:42 AM
LOL, OK, if you love masala films, then no wonder you like Star Trek and Star Wars. As I said, both are as masala as you can get! 🙂 I like Star Wars well enough, more out of habit in some ways than because I like them as films, and at least they don’t make egregious scientific errors (as long as you’re willing to overlook the michiclorian mumbo jumbo 🙂 ) You may or may not know that Star Trek started out as a TV series, and I and some of my fellow students used to watch it to laugh at its humongous science errors. Still, as you say, Spock was an interesting character, and Leonard Nimoy was a good actor. I saw the first Star Trek movie with the new cast and didn’t like it at all. They changed the characterizations quite a bit, and completely violated Vulcan physiology that had been established through all the TV episodes and the previous films. So I’m not interested in checking out any more of them. And now that George Lucas has sold the Star Wars franchise to Disney, I can only expect it to be a watered down, error filled shadow of its former self.
Since I haven’t seen Zanjeer, I can’t say about Spock resembling Vijay. But if this is a variation of the “angry young man” character, then it can’t possibly be like Spock (the real one, not this bizarre mutation that the present writers have concocted. 🙂 )
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December 8, 2012 at 4:44 AM
Great note here SM. Agreed on Shellby. IMO J.J.Abrams’s idea of using an alternate timeline to connect the 2 worlds of Star Trek in the previous film was a masterstroke.
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December 7, 2012 at 11:04 AM
Really looking forward to this. Thought the first movie was very entertaining. I’ve never seen more than a handful of any of the Star Trek series but that latest one was just very well done. Throw in Bendedict Cumberbatch from the excellent new Sherlock series and you’ve got me hooked!
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December 7, 2012 at 1:53 AM
Khiladi 786 is unclever, unfunny
http://www.rediff.com/movies/review/review-khiladi-786-is-unclever-unfunny/20121207.htm
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December 7, 2012 at 3:21 AM
lol..0.5 out of 5 in this reveiw – this film looks horrible.
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December 7, 2012 at 2:48 AM
Talaash domestic total for the first week 68 crores according to koimoi.
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December 7, 2012 at 2:52 AM
Here is the difference between akshay masala and Salman masala. while akshay’s is confusion over script sense, Salman has become script conscious and his films are less confusing.
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December 7, 2012 at 2:58 AM
Khiladi786 has mixed opening according to boi.. Supposedly the earth shaking movie threatening the very existence of Talaash.
Maybe it may shake earth on saturday and sunday.
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December 7, 2012 at 3:12 AM
LOL sanju! ya i am too surprised! after reading all this reports of excellent hype and buzz… but let’s wait may be it picks up?
or is it joker effect!
Also only those masala movies have succeeded where they had south directors, (except may be dabang? )
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December 7, 2012 at 3:16 AM
m sorry i should have written sanjana instead of sanju… but the opening update made me laugh, so i addressed u in the flow!
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December 7, 2012 at 3:17 AM
no problem. All my friends call me sanju. And AA already calls me that.
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December 7, 2012 at 3:21 AM
Well that’s sweet, cant compare myself to AA, he is a special case 😀
anyways nice to know u werent offended, some people get so, thus explained, but ya sanju sounds cool, actually it reminds me of some movie, now that i have used that word, but m failing to remember, i guess some movie from childhood… where sanju was used again and again… u have any idea?
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December 7, 2012 at 4:25 AM
east japan has earthquake of 7.4 – khiladi has far-reaching impact 🙂
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December 7, 2012 at 4:44 AM
lol idea
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December 7, 2012 at 8:44 AM
Was Khiladi786 released in Japan? Now they will blame the movie for the earthquake.
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December 7, 2012 at 9:01 AM
“Was Khiladi786 released in Japan? Now they will blame the movie for the earthquake.”
Haha sanjana
U do come up with really funny one-liners
What’s the secret…
Btw I like your blogging name–sanjana/sanju
Note that sanju on a guy doesn’t sound as good
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December 7, 2012 at 3:03 AM
LOL. I am going to check this out with or without subs.
Sudeep’s new film “BACHCHAN”-
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December 7, 2012 at 3:11 AM
The most-hyped psychological suspense thriller has raked in Rs 69.56 crore at the domestic collection centres in seven days.
http://entertainment.oneindia.in/bollywood/box-office/2012/aamir-talaash-7-days-first-week-collection-box-office-10176
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December 7, 2012 at 3:24 AM
i am quite confused how much will it end up making, and if true as per reports K786 is not that good, how shall that too affect this one!
Because if k786 is as bad as most reviews suggest, that not even masala moment can save it, this can get some stable collections.
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December 7, 2012 at 5:45 AM
But the real problem is that Talaash has lost quite a few screens (including some multiplex ones) to K786, I think.
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December 7, 2012 at 4:10 AM
“All my friends call me sanju. And AA already calls me that.”
Yeah I caught the right name, sanju ha
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December 7, 2012 at 6:23 AM
FINALLY got the chance of seeing Talaash. Not a particularly bad one, but, not good either. The first half was actually quite gripping, but the second half just faltered completely. Shekhawat is a simply annoying character who cannot handle any of his situations with sensibility. I know they were going for an intentionally flawed character, but, this was a little too much. Aamir does an awesome job (does that really need to be said???). Shekhawat’s wife is the one that I think I felt particularly sympathetic towards the whole movie. She’s alone, she lost her son, her husband’s a _____ . Rani does w/e she has to do. She’s good too. Kareena’s character is well established, but, apparently Kagti had to completely ruin that at the end of the movie.
Story is the back bone of the movie, but the movie goes at a dragging pace. I found myself to be dozing off several times. Also, what the film ends up doing is that it shifts, without warning, between Shekhawat and Shreya’s not-so-romantic life after their son’s boating incident. And this interferes a lot in the movie. Just as the movie gets a little bit interesting, this just comes out of nowhere. Now, up until the end of the first half, the movie focuses primarily on the couple’s married life with a few bland moments between Shekhawat and a prostitute, Rosy (played by Kareena Kapoor).
In the second half is when the movie COMPLETELY goes down the drain. So, there come some chase sequences, which are okay, I guess. But, the main problem is that since the movie is a suspense-psychological-drama-thriller, there was no suspense (in the second half), the psychological-drama parts were uninteresting and there was very little thrill. What blew my mind here is that the plot “continuity” was extremely awkward.
So, overall, not such a great movie as it doesn’t know where to keep the viewers focused. Halfway through, I was thinking, “What’s this ‘talaash’ for?…is it the dead kid? is it the actor? is shekhawat in the talaash of the prostitute (*cough*)?” The movie’s plot MADE SENSE, which is important. However, being a story-driven movie, it’s incredibly slow, there’s absolutely no fluidity to the story in the second half and the protagonist is just really irritating.
Now, it may seem like I’m trying to rip the movie apart, but, no. The movie does have its strong points (ie [somewhat] the first half and most of the performances).
Special note…climax is total crap. Oldest trick in the book and they used it on the CLIMAX …
2.5/5
average film that could be worth a watch if you’re patient enough with the dragging pace, some ludicrous moments and Shekhawat.
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December 7, 2012 at 2:29 PM
I know it is not a masterpiece like JTHJ!
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December 7, 2012 at 2:32 PM
Ha!
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December 7, 2012 at 4:39 PM
what does this have to do with JTHJ? 🙂
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December 7, 2012 at 7:12 AM
Top 5: ‘Talaash’ 67.9 cr nett
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December 7, 2012 at 7:12 AM
B.O. update: ‘Khiladi 786’ super at single screens, low at plexes
By Taran Adarsh, December 7, 2012 – 17:08 IST
KHILADI 786 has opened to fantastic houses at single screens of the mass belt. In certain circuits, the film embarked on a 90% response, but the response at multiplexes, especially those at urban centres, was on the lower side. In fact, the business will have to grow rapidly at plexes to pack a solid weekend. The evening and night shows on Friday are crucial for the film.
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December 7, 2012 at 7:13 AM
Khiladi 786 Has Mixed Opening
Friday 7th December 2012 12.30 IST
Boxofficeindia.Com Trade Network
Khiladi 786 had a mixed opening as some centres opened well while others were below the mark. The film took a 80% start at some single screens of UP bit in the same circuit some of the Delhi multiplexes were just 35%.
The best opening is in UP and some other areas are also good but many big cities are below the mark. The film has wide release on around 2750 screens which should enable day one to put up a decent number but whether the number is strong as a 2750 screen release should be is another matter.
A stronghold market for Akshay Kumar like East Punjab has not opened too strongly and may not even collect as much as Talaash did last week. Overall its a decent start but the film have to show strong weekend trends to come out with a good weekend.
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December 7, 2012 at 7:14 AM
Khiladi 786 Takes Average Opening But Could Soar
by Soumita Sengupta (December 7, 2012)
After delivering two blockbusters – Housefull 2 and Rowdy Rathore – in 2012, and one super hit – OMG – Oh My God! – Akshay Kumar could continue his winning streak with action masala film Khiladi 786. The other release of the week is 10ml Love starring Rajat Kapoor, Tisca Chopra, Purab Kohli, Tara Sharma and Koel Purie.
Although the much-awaited Khiladi 786, which also features Asin and Himesh Reshammiya, opened to only 50 per cent occupancy all India, tradewallahs believe it will pick up during the afternoon shows and emerge a winner during the weekend. Being a massy film, Khiladi 786 will take clean sweep and add a feather to Kumar’s already decorated cap.
As for 10ml Love, the film was barely assigned any morning shows in most territories and opened at a mere 10 per cent. Last week’s Talaash is still going strong in multiplexes, earning Rs 65-68 crore in its first week.
In Mumbai, Rajesh Thadani of Multimedia Combines says, “Khiladi 786 opened at 50 per cent in Mumbai and across India. The reports of the film are good and it’s a massy film. So it should enjoy a bumper weekend without a doubt. The other film, 10ml Love opened at 10 per cent.”
In East Punjab, Surendra Saluja of Lakshya Movies adds that Khiladi 786 opened to 50 per cent in his territory too. “As the day progresses, the film will gain momentum and wrap day one on a positive note. Akshay Kumar has had a really good year and Khiladi 786 should be another 100 crore film for him.”
In West Bengal, Debashish Dey of Aum Moviez says Khiladi 786 opened with average numbers, at 30-40 per cent. “But I would still say it is a good opening because it wasn’t promoted very much. It is also a very massy and commercial film. Talaash is going strong in certain centres in single-screens.”
In CP, Sarang Chandak of Shri Rang Films says Khiladi 786 took an opening of 40 per cent in single-screens and 30 per cent in multiplexes. “This is a single-screen film and will go down with the masses. Talaash will do well in multiplexes. 10ml Love didn’t have a morning show in our circuit.”
Things were very different in Rajasthan, where Khiladi 786 opened to 90 per cent. “Everyone loves Akshay Kumar and the promo suggested it would be a very entertaining film. By the weekend, the film will run houseful without any doubt,” says Gaurav Gaur of O’Real Imaginations
In Nizam, Ravi Machhar of Sahyog Films says Khiladi 786 opened really well in some centers in Pune, at 70-80 per cent, whereas in centres like Aurangabad and Hyderabad, the film took a 40-50 per cent opening. “I am expecting the numbers to rise with the afternoon shows. Basically, the reports are good and everyone is saying it’s a very entertaining film.”
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December 7, 2012 at 7:46 AM
ROFL- I thought Imran was a paedophile: Anushka
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/bollywood/news-interviews/I-thought-Imran-was-a-paedophile-Anushka/articleshow/17516560.cms
In answer to a question about what she thought of her Matru Ki Bijli Ka Mandola co-star Imran Khan, the actress said, “I thought he was a paedophile,” and giggled.
For the next few seconds,everybody present at the event was rendered speechless. Imran, being a thorough gentleman, simply replied: “Yeah, I’ve heard such talks doing the rounds.” But unlike Imran, people from the industry haven’t been able to take the statement in good humour. A senior filmmaker who happened to see Anushka’s outburst of cocky exuberance wondered if she knows the meaning of ‘paedophile’ saying, “Some things aren’t done in civil society. Joking about paedophilia is one of them.”
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December 7, 2012 at 11:30 AM
Wow. I thought I’d read 79 comments about K786 and instead am reading about the size of a mans penis and about Sonams assets (which are very nice by the way 😀
Anyway IF Anushka did call Imran a peadophile in the presence of the media then she has simply embarrassed herself. How old is she again..???
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December 7, 2012 at 11:31 AM
what is this k786 that you speak of?
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December 7, 2012 at 12:06 PM
K786 = Khiladi 786
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December 7, 2012 at 12:10 PM
i know, i was kidding
sarcasm does not translate well on the internet 🙂
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December 7, 2012 at 12:19 PM
LOL antya I thought you were
….and I felt stupid answering your question.
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December 7, 2012 at 11:33 AM
yeah tell me about it! Three pages of comments about what Anushka said and what she meant and what others said or did along similar lines! The problem is it takes a great deal of effort to delete so many comments without screwing up the order of the thread.
Beyond this comments will be deleted on this topic.
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December 7, 2012 at 11:58 AM
Most likely it is a publicity stunt and things without context should be taken with bucket of salt. There was an event related with MKBM.
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December 7, 2012 at 11:48 AM
Khiladi786 seems to be a mixed bag. Some like it some dont. While SOS had more or less better wom comparatively.
Talaash is looking like Sachin trying to complete a century and making his admirers gasp and get heart attacks.
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December 7, 2012 at 11:51 AM
I have a soft corner for akshay as Rajesh Khanna’s damaad.
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December 7, 2012 at 11:53 AM
“Talaash is looking like Sachin trying to complete a century and making his admirers gasp and get heart attacks.”
Hahah sanju–wanna pat your back 🙂
All for the biggest star actor ever –even a bloody 100crores is looking a big deal –genre or no genre –my foot!!!
And ETTs 200 crore was being called ‘ordinary’
Mind u –the effective gap between 0- 100 is much less than between 100-150, forget about150-20@ since the slope changes, multiple market forces take over — as mentioned earlier
And where are the aamir fans
Who said this will do 150-200
Well done –atleAst u were true to your icon–did not downgrade him and compare him to hashmis box office
What if aamir failed–his fan got critical appreciation and his ‘true’ fans won–cheers unique idea and others
Unique idea–I give u ileana for today evening–enjoy
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December 7, 2012 at 11:56 AM
But that does not make me admire Salman more than aamir.
And I loved talaash.
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December 7, 2012 at 12:15 PM
@AA – as a Salman fan and knowing you don’t like him I appreciate and applaud your stance on EK THA TIGER and it’s box office performance.
I mean the film did well across the board. Multiplexes, single screens and overseas. Reaching almost 200 cr is no bloody joke and it made around 307 worldwide. I fully expect Dabangg 2 to go close again. I will be the first to accept its underperformance if it doesn’t.
Hud Dabangg Dabangg 😀
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December 7, 2012 at 12:24 PM
One should applaud the facts more than anyone’s stance. No one is arguing about salman’s initial or his current standing. But the fact is that ETT faded quite fast after a very massive initial. It trended worse than just about every 100 crore grosser out barring a few. This too means something. One cannot only choose the facts one likes. This film could easily have done 230-250 crores. It just wasn’t liked very much. people showed up because of Salman but they didn’t care for the film. This is why it faded quickly. 3I got to 200 after starting at 80, not 140-150 (or whatever the number was for ETT). If it had just maintained trending of Ghajini or films that trended far more poorly than Ghajini it would have done way more than 200. So again let’s not play the Israel double game here. Israel is very happy to call itself the only true democracy in the Mideast. Ok fine. But when they are criticized for their human rights abuses etc they suddenly turn around and say ‘look what’s happen in Saudi arabia’! The standard can’t be different at each end of the equation. So if one wants to talk about massive initials one should also follow the logic of the numbers at the other end. As for Dabanng 2 it will in likelihood also fade in the same way after another massive initial. Unless this film is better than the first one. Obviously a film that opens to 140 or 150 crores is not going to fold at 170! That’s just outside the realm of possibility. But 200 after doing that sort of initial is precisely a fast fade. The idea that most films don’t do this sort of total is completely irrelevant. Most films don’t do 160 also. So maybe a film could open at 140 and do 160 and declare victory!
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December 8, 2012 at 1:57 AM
looking at the bad reviews for k786 – Talaash might trend well in next few weeks
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December 7, 2012 at 11:57 AM
alex, it ought to be a crime to come up with so much distortion and so much logically disjunctive stuff in one comment!
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December 7, 2012 at 11:59 AM
but for aa, it’s par the course. he likes to live on the edge (of insanity)
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December 7, 2012 at 12:17 PM
ha ha ha ha – satyam, that is a bullet!
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December 7, 2012 at 12:01 PM
🙂
Haha enuf mischief as of now
Seems goin to see talaash now
Some more mischief… Haha
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December 7, 2012 at 12:27 PM
damn it with imraan/anushka -satyam, this bo threadis hijacked – pl move all those comments in a separate post – i’ve been searching for b.o. updates and K786 reviews
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December 7, 2012 at 12:32 PM
Can completely delete them as they serve no purpose on this thread anymore.
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December 7, 2012 at 12:54 PM
I’ve completely cleaned up this thread barring Saurabh’s original comment. I’ve said this before but once so many comments are put up it takes ages to clear the thread. It’s not quite the simple process many think it is. And in any case it clogs up the forum.
I don’t want to be tougher about this but I might forced to if this sort of thing continues. One can put up all kinds of comments but a never-ending discussion on such a topic is another thing.
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December 7, 2012 at 12:57 PM
Sorry for contributing to that mess.
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December 7, 2012 at 8:42 PM
satyam, thnx but people seem to be pay little heed to this: see the hordes of comments again – there is nothing of B.O. or K, T etc. movies. I guess u keep a permanent post “cocktail” = where people can discuss anything….that will save this post at-least
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December 7, 2012 at 9:01 PM
Or off the topic. Gossip. Timepass.
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December 7, 2012 at 9:11 PM
A thread which is not visible on right side and people don’t take umbrage when comments in the thread get deleted. Form of Chatbox 🙂
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December 7, 2012 at 12:28 PM
http://www.boxofficeindia.co.in/khiladi-786-day-1-may-touch-10-cr/
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December 7, 2012 at 12:53 PM
thnx sanjana – K looks like a disaster
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December 7, 2012 at 1:01 PM
Today, start of Talaash second week, my niece and school going daughter watched Talaash, full house, loved it.
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December 7, 2012 at 1:02 PM
Talaash may struggle to reach rs 100 crores, or just about make it; but the film is special, no doubts.
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December 7, 2012 at 1:36 PM
No with the poor performance of K786 and Talaash only earning in the high end multiplexes it will just about hit the century mark.
The film is well worthy of hitting such high numbers but can those who consider the ‘trending’ theory now please apply it to Talaash.
Film has earned what 67 cr in week one and will most probably make 100. Ek Tha Tiger made around 110 in its first week and 140 ish in its first 9 days. It ended around 190.
ETT is no where near as bad as what’s projected by some on here. When other biggies i.e Dhoom 3 and Krishh 3 arrive next year then I will be fully active on here 😛
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December 7, 2012 at 1:20 PM
http://www.boxofficeindia.com/boxnewsdetail.php?page=shownews&articleid=5177&nCat=
Khiladi 786 Has Disappointing Day One
Friday 8th December 2012 22.00 IST
Boxofficeindia.Com Trade Network
Khildi 786 is set to have a disappointing day one. The film was never likely to have a huge first day but the early first day figures are set to be well below the mark. A Talaash sort of opening or 5-10% less would have been okay but the early figures coming in from Delhi/UP, East Punjab and Rajasthan suggest that even a 10 crore nett total is not on the cards.
The figures from other circuits may surprise but its unlikely as if an Akshay Kumar starrer is weak in Delhi and East Punjab where his starrers are normally so strong then other places will find it tough going.
A likely scenario is a first day total between 8-9 crore nett and if night shows are strong it may add another 25 lakhs odd to the total.
Whatever the total it is simply shocking that an Akshay Kumar mass entertainer has collected less than a film like Jism 2 in Delhi/UP and East Punjab on day one. These sort of opening numbers in key circuits means the film needs a miraculous jump over the weekend.
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December 7, 2012 at 1:27 PM
BOI these days are pretending everyone is either failing or miserably under-performing and this makes the case for Salman for them! Not saying this is a great number but again they’ve defended similar stuff before.
note by the way how they stopped talking about Talaash after Mon. They stopped updating and kept to the vaguest generalities. even now they’ve said nothing on today’s business for Talaash.
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December 7, 2012 at 1:36 PM
in a lighter vein…multiplex audiences will refuse to throw away rs. 300-400 for a crap like K786 esp. after aamir has spoiled (or improved) their taste with a good flick like T. They would rather watch it again….on a serious note, films like T can surely make one think whether the obscene money spent in multiplexes on mindless craps is worth it?
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December 7, 2012 at 9:14 PM
wow…8-9cr opening? was not expecting this. good thing akki has bagged up two 100cr grossers this year…or else this would be a ‘wake up’ call for him. this shouldn’t effect him that much.
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December 7, 2012 at 1:37 PM
So it’s confirmed- Priyanka Chopra is to play Mary Kom in an upcoming biopic-
http://www.firstpost.com/bollywood/priyanka-wants-lessons-from-mary-kom-548247.html
“It is also said that Mary Kom herself might also make a special appearance in the film, as the opponent of the on-screen Mary Kom.”
I hoep I’m proved wrong, but this film feels very insincere and gimmicky, especially with PC being cast in the lead. When films like Vicky Donor, Ishaqzaade and Oh My God all do well, the producers have no excuse to not cast a new North-Eastern woman instead of opting for such an unsuitable star.
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December 7, 2012 at 1:53 PM
Ami I don’t think regionalism should come in while casting. I just want that Pritanka should look like a pugilist (and she should seem to be belonging to the right weight category) when she comes on screen- whether steroids are used or special effects are employed to achieve this, I don’t care
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December 7, 2012 at 2:07 PM
It’s not about regionalism, it’s about authenticity. Not every detail needs to be perfect, but there needs to be some believability. For example with Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, some people couldn’t accept farhan’s physique, but I didn’t mind because I felt like they had achieved the over all look of Milkha Singh, and the muscular look wasn’t too impluasible in an Olympic athlete.
With Priyanka as Mary on the other hand, nothing feels right. it’s so obvious that they’ve just cast one of the most saleable female stars possible in the role of the most talked about female athelete of the moment, and decided that it will be a hit. It’s as bizarre as them deciding to make a biopic on Sachin, and then casting Hrithik lead.
I think that casting a tall, slender, beauty paegant winning Punjabi in the role of a short, stocky, North-Eastern woman is just stretching it too much. And especially since the North-East is a part of India but we hardly ever see that aknowledged in films in terms of using actors and locations from that region, this would have been the perfect opportunity to introduce Bollywood to a different type of Indian face. And whilst Priyanka might be alright with wearing minimal makeup and an unflattering wig for a role like Barfi, there’s no way that she will make a more permanent change by developing the body-type of a boxer- it’ll intefere too much with her glamour girl appeal, her beauty product endorsements etc.
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December 7, 2012 at 2:18 PM
So U tell me the name of a north eastern actress. Ami I was a hurdles runner in school and I must say that Farhan does not look like an athelete at all and esp not a surdar. A well built body does not require six packs.on the other hand Irrfan had the right physique for a steeplechase runner
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December 7, 2012 at 2:26 PM
Why does the North-Eastern actress have to be a famous star? Like I said earlier, when films like Vicky Donor, Ishaqzaade and Oh My God can all be successes without big stars, a film about one of the ‘it’ athletes of the moment has a good chance at the box office without a big star.
As for Farhan- he’s half Punjabi, and to my eyes, he does bear a striking resemblance to Milkha in the trailer and photos. Yes, he’s more muscular than Milkha, but it’s not too unbeleivable because many Olympic runners today do have six-packs. On the other hand, there’s no Olympic female boxer who has Priyanka’s body type.
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December 7, 2012 at 2:29 PM
Sorry- Apparently I was mistaken and Farhan is not Punjabi. But anyway, from the promos and photos it is evident that they’ve worked very hard to make him look a lot like Milkha, atleast facially.
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December 7, 2012 at 2:31 PM
May I know which famous/successful Olympic ‘sprinter’ has a ‘six pack’- Usain Bolt, Maurice Greene, Carl Lewis, Tim Montgomery, Ben Johnson or any other. Ok find me a top Marathon or 10000 m runner like than even though Milkha did short distances only
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December 7, 2012 at 2:36 PM
Here is Usain Bolt- I’m pretty sure that’s called a six pack:
http://www.ronaldo7.net/news/2012/540-usain-bolt-i-have-no-doubts-that-cristiano-ronaldo-is-better-than-messi.html
And almost every single Olympic athlete today has a very buff physique.
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December 7, 2012 at 2:40 PM
I never mentioned ‘star’. U just name me one n.eastern heroine who can do this role. I mean when Scorses decided to make Raging Bull he decided to cast a saleable star in the role of Jake La Motta and not a guy with the ‘most’ suited physique for a welterweight boxer. Ami I do see ur objection but bwood does not have much choices. Btw since i am arguing with U i must also add this as a disclaimer that i do not mean to make a snide or to mock U. not everyone is soderbergh. For example no one raised an objection when Abhishek was cast as a real life Bengali freedom fighter Surji Sen in khjjs
In hwood on similar lines imo Rourke’s casting for the Wrestler was the best example of casting
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December 7, 2012 at 2:45 PM
Don’t worry- I do not think that you are mocking me
See, why does the actress have to be a heroine? Doesn’t Hollywood (since you bring in that example) take talented nobodies and make films with the all the time? And I’m sure I don’t have to explain the difference between casting Abhishek as a Bengali and casting Priyanka as a North-Eastern woman.
Antya- She’s saleable in the sense that she’s one of the top actresses today, she makes headlines and will bring the film publicity, everybody knows her, she’s done both big commercial films and more offbeat roles that she’s been praised for etc. Obviously for a female-centric film you don’t have a choice of too many actresses who’ve had solo hits- it’s just about who is the best known/ most newsworthy.
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December 7, 2012 at 2:40 PM
saleable? how? which films have priyanka sold? saat khoon maaf? this sounds like a disaster already. and authenticity? please!
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December 7, 2012 at 2:46 PM
Well Boult does have good abs but they are still not six packs. But even though notice how he has something apart from abs- a well toned body (triceps, calf muscles etc). Also no Indian Olympic athelete has Ever had such a body
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December 7, 2012 at 2:55 PM
I’m sorry Saurabh- no offence, but that’s an absurd objection- Bolt has very clearly defined abs and to say that they are not ‘exactly’ six packs is nitpicking too much! 😛 And your intial objection was that no famous sprinter has such abs, now it’s changed to no Indian sprinter has such abs- there aren’t all of that many famous Indian sprinters to begin with- Milkha was the ONLY Indian male to ever win an individual medal at the Olympics.
My point is, Olympic athletes today do have such muscular physiques, so even if it isn’t completely accurate in the case, I personally don’t find it absurd or distractingly unbelievable as in the case of PC/ Kom.
Anyway, I don’t want this to turn into another long thread that is a repeat of the previous Anushka discussion, so let’s just agree to disagree! 😛
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December 7, 2012 at 2:57 PM
Milkha never won any medal at Olympics though he beat the existing WR in heats.
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December 7, 2012 at 3:00 PM
Sorry, I meant Commonwelath not Olympics, we’ve been talking so much about Olympic athletes, that I mistakenly typed that 😛
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December 7, 2012 at 2:50 PM
But tell me a biopic made on a large scale where a debutante/newcomer has been cast. Don’t think this has happened ever in hwood.
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December 7, 2012 at 2:59 PM
“But tell me a biopic made on a large scale where a debutante/newcomer has been cast. Don’t think this has happened ever in hwood.”
Kingsley was a no-name before Gandhi!
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December 7, 2012 at 3:00 PM
but why make a big scale epic anyway? she is not that kind of figure, why not go with a small scale one?
leo did his best to play j edgar too, but it turned out bad and tanked, partially due to casting (other things too). so it doesn’t always work even when you have first-rate talent like leo and clint on board.
and priyanka may be better than sridevi in your opinion, but she is hardly daniel day lewis who can pull anything off.
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December 7, 2012 at 3:03 PM
Was Kingsley making his screen debut in Gandhi?!
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December 7, 2012 at 3:09 PM
Last comment on the topic-
Since you for ask for a NE heroine- there’s Tonthoi, a national-award winning actress, (just like Priyanka!) who is apparently the highest paid star in the Manipuri film indsutry. And I don’t know her name, but there is also that girl who played a Manipuri Hockey player in Chak DE!, another sports film.
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December 7, 2012 at 3:10 PM
ah, forgot the best example that ami thought of. the most well-known biopic in hw, kingley was a barely known british actor. and there was a lot of criticism on account of him being a half-indian brit with accent.
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December 7, 2012 at 3:12 PM
“Was Kingsley making his screen debut in Gandhi?!”
Yes- it was his debut film as a lead actor.
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December 7, 2012 at 2:59 PM
milkha lost the medal by 1/100 th of a second Ami
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December 7, 2012 at 3:28 PM
I did not ask whether it was his debut as a lead actor but if it was his screen debut. And I am sure u are aware with the body of work of that Manipuri actress and that she has a physique like Marykom
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December 7, 2012 at 3:45 PM
Again with the nit-picking! 😛 What does it matter if it was screen debut or not?! The point is that he had zero star value/ commercial viability before this, and that they made a very important biopic with an actor who had never carried a film on his own or even played a lead role in a movie before. When I said newcomer this is what I meant- somebody who has not had a lead role before. I obviously did not mean that they had to cast somebody who has never appeared in front of the camera ever before.
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December 7, 2012 at 2:12 PM
“Ami I don’t think regionalism should come in while casting.”
Casting appropriately is not regionalism- it’s only when somebody casts a completely unsuitable woman because they feel like actors from a particular region will not be saleable in the mainstream, that it becomes regionalism! 😛
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December 7, 2012 at 2:16 PM
I agree with you there Ami, if you are making a movie on Bruce Lee, You cant cast Statham for the role. LOL.
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December 7, 2012 at 2:53 PM
i know what you meant. i am just saying the sheer stupidity is mind boggling. apart from the unintentional hilarity that will ensue from priyanka playing this role, it’s not like she is box office gold on her own in any case. other than a couple of crores opening difference, this wouldn’t do any more or less due to her presence than it would with a newcomer. and slb has been a disaster in his own right for some time now, so thinking his and priyanka’s names will be enough is delusional. they could have gone with a known face and just make a regular sports film (chak de type) or commit to the subject and do proper casting, even if it ends up being a smaller film. but they want to have their cake and eat it too, anything to make a quick buck.
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December 7, 2012 at 2:57 PM
So Antya U suggest me alternative names? Sridevi comes to my mind instantly 🙂
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December 7, 2012 at 3:03 PM
irrelevant jokes in the middle of an actual discussion, which makes you think you ‘won’? have you been hanging out with aa?
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December 7, 2012 at 3:21 PM
Heartening to see U target me with that snide remark. I was only trying to lighten up the mood since after a point of the time discussions here start getting heated up unnecessarily (I have had enough experience with this). And since U brought up Alex lemme tell U that U would not find a more sporting guy than him on the blog (as someone whom I admire a lot I may be majorly pissed with his recent attitude but I have to say the truth). If it would have been anyone else U would not have gotten away scot-free after making some of ur sarcastic remarks (not that U meant any ill-will or that he did not deserve them. So I am not blaming U at all). And no I had no intention of ‘winning’ the debate.
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December 7, 2012 at 3:53 PM
oh geez! i know you were joking, you are the one being touchy.
i was kidding too with the aa comment. i am sure he can defend himself but i wouldn’t indulge in this kind of mutual ribbing with someone i didn’t think was a sport. ok, checking out from this discussion now.
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December 7, 2012 at 4:37 PM
i think I was too harsh on you (i don’t like getting into a fight with people whom I respect over here). Apologies.And wasn’t being touchy Antya but i did think U were mocking me.
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December 7, 2012 at 3:07 PM
Ami and Saurabh:
Relax folks. I have a solution; infact Bhansali has a solution.
Firstly, the story will be set in the ‘bluish’ town of Bhansalipur.
Secondly Mary will suffer from an off-shoot of Progeria, i.e., she will not age rapidly, but Mary will go on from being a little lamb to a tall Priyanka’s Mary within no time..
And the film will be 90% in English, 8% in Hindi, and 2% in Mary’s native language (only the swear-words, i.e.)
Everybody happy then??
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December 7, 2012 at 3:11 PM
hahaha…
best bw movie ever!
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December 7, 2012 at 1:40 PM
Aamir :
Aamir Khan says a film should triple its weekend business to be considered a success. Half our “blockbusters” are below poverty line, then.
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December 7, 2012 at 1:48 PM
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December 7, 2012 at 1:58 PM
Kareena’s co-authored a book-
“Kareena Kapoor was born to be a star She has single-handedly introduced an entire nation to Size Zero and become the highest paid actress of her time. In ‘The Style Diary of a Bollywood Diva’, the ultimate glamour girl lets you into her fabulous life She reveals her best-kept secrets, tips and tricks Follow Bebo as she goes from being a chubby teenager accompanying her sister on shoots to transforming into the hottest leading lady on screen today.”
Sounds like scintillating stuff- now Alex’s friends know what to get him for Christmas! 😛
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December 7, 2012 at 2:23 PM
ha!
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December 7, 2012 at 8:03 PM
“Kareena Kapoor was born to be a star She has single-handedly introduced an entire nation to Size Zero and become the highest paid actress of her time. In ‘The Style Diary of a Bollywood Diva’, to transforming into the hottest leading lady on screen today”
ROFLOLOLOL reading that description of Kareena
“Sounds like scintillating stuff- now Alex’s friends know what to get him for Christmas! “Haha Amy –the person gifting me that kareena book will cease to be a friend or even an acquaintance hoho
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December 7, 2012 at 2:03 PM
http://www.rajeevmasand.com/video-vault/aamir-khan-on-the-twist-ending-of-talaash/
Aamir’s interview on the twist and ending of Talaash. Enjoy friends.
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December 7, 2012 at 7:23 PM
another interesting take. man, this film is generating pieces like octomom
http://moifightclub.wordpress.com/2012/12/07/the-curious-case-of-talaash-works-best-when-you-know-the-twist/
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December 7, 2012 at 8:00 PM
Thanx anya –interesting link
“Show me a man who was shattered by the unnatural death of a loved one, and has made peace with it without doing anything unnatural. Shit happens, and then we find our ways to cope with it. I am an atheist but i have seen/heard/experienced things which are difficult to explain and impossible to believe. They remain unanswered and life goes on till another death comes knocking.”
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December 7, 2012 at 2:25 PM
Here is one more, He talks about his fav screen cops here around 5:40. rest i am sure you heard or read other places.
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December 7, 2012 at 4:27 PM
Thanks! It was great to hear him name Bachchan in Zanjeer but I was even happier to hear him highlight Ardh Satya for both Om Puri’s lead performance and Naseer in his small cameo. Om Puri in that film is probably my favorite Indian screen cop.
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December 7, 2012 at 4:55 PM
Agreed GF, But after zanjeer, Khakee and Dev top the list for me. Then comes Ardh Satya, and Not a lot of people will agree but really liked Randeep Hooda as a cop in OUATIM. Kids’ got fire, needs the right script for a lead as a cop.
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December 7, 2012 at 5:03 PM
Agreed. I also loved both of them in drohkaal
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December 7, 2012 at 3:47 PM
Seen talaaash viwws shortly
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December 7, 2012 at 5:05 PM
It has two heroine Cocktailish similarity 🙂
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December 7, 2012 at 4:11 PM
If this is true, what was Nikhil Advani thinking? You cannot rip-off and release the movie in America!!! But hey, BARFI! is selected for the Oscars.. No wonder then..
http://movies.nytimes.com/2012/12/07/movies/delhi-safari-directed-by-nikhil-advani.html?ref=movies
The review is harsh…but I guess if it is rip-off of ideas, then harsh reviews are the least of our problems..
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December 7, 2012 at 5:17 PM
‘Satyamev Jayate’ vs ‘Talaash’: Should Aamir Khan practise what he preached?
http://ibnlive.in.com/news/satyamev-jayate-vs-talaash-should-aamir-khan-practise-what-he-preached/309236-8-66.html
“All the more reason why ‘Talaash’ was such a letdown because its lead protagonist and social torch bearer compromised the stand he took months ago on showing the uneducated, ill informed, misguided and superstitious Indians the light of reason and rationalism.”
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December 7, 2012 at 5:20 PM
Khiladi 786 is the Akshay’s 4th movie released this year.What happened to Abhishek ? Dhoom3 shooting completed still he didn’t start any new project why he so lazy? 40 plus actors Salman,ameer,akshay,ajay and SRK are working non stop without break. Also abhishek should stop working multi starrers . Even if Dhoom3 will big hit ,no use for him and credit will go to Ameer.A bhishek should act in solo movies with directors like Raj kumar santhishi,priya darshan,prabh deva etc
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December 7, 2012 at 8:06 PM
“It has two heroine Cocktailish similarity ”
Yeah munna–realised talaash did have certain cocktail-wannabe moments
Though not exactly apt but May have gone for a talaash spoof –liked Aamirs role for myself
Wondering who to take for ranis role and who for Kareena –oops
Any suggestions, folks 😉
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December 7, 2012 at 9:08 PM
Talaash- the myriad moods of insomnia, grief & redemption
Am tired so details later-But to me, all else became immaterial beyond a point
I simply lost interest in who had bloody f..ckin killed whom etc
Neither did the ‘suspense’ or twist engage me beyond a point
It also doesn’t help with some folks struggling with subtitles lol
The film is good, could have been v good but a classic or exceptionally it certainly isn’t
What prevents it from being one–well, will write later
Actresses /direction etc later
Nawazu whatever –did NOT see why everyone is raving so much bout him. My apologies–I switched off after a few minutes and that character just ceased to exist for me!! And his ‘love story’–oh c’mon
The ONLY thing that I cared for/ liked/ enjoyed
Was Aamir khan
A flawed inconsistent role/performance with basic issues
BUT
As I’ve always said–I care more bout moments
And aamir did provide the ones I like
15 minutes into this film, all I could see was aamir ONLY
he was restrained yes, perhaps a bit too much
But like a masterly performer, he kept a certain tone though out that is a subtle thin line between going over the top and ‘deliberate obnoxious under acting’
He didn’t do either fortunately
When the film ended –all I was left with was a few aamir master moments–
a) Rosie-u r not for this place!
b)The ‘drowning scene’ where he couldn’t save his son
C)The ‘bedroom’ scene with aamir just dozing off finally
d)The final breakdown scene by aamir which ranks amongst his career best scenes yet (will have to revisit that scene again to confirm the exact rank)
And finally
If I were to summarise Aamirs master moments in this film–
e)Tears slowly welling up in his eyes slowly
And then “I’m v tired”
Aamir khan -your name is now up there in the best indian star-actors of all time –alas the film couldn’t truly match your brilliance here
And as he said– I’m v tired …zzz (c’mon anya, sanju)
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December 7, 2012 at 9:14 PM
Unbiased review from an SRK fan. thanks. even I felt that about Tehmur played by Nawajuddin. It was simply overhyped.
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December 8, 2012 at 12:37 AM
Nawaaz was very good, but nothing extraordinary. However he has always been good, whether in Sarfarosh (small role) or Peepli Live or Kahaani, or Talaash. But it is his character in Talaash that’s so appealing; a selfish pimp who does a selfless act. loved his story with Nirmala. In Kahaani, i found Nawaz, good, competent, but not extraordinary. Liked him more in Talaash. Need to watch PL again; loved that funny dark film; need to revisit Nawaaz’s performance too; forgotten it’s details.
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December 7, 2012 at 11:37 PM
i thought the best performance of the movie belonged to Rani in her short but very important role. hers was the only performance that i actually ‘felt’ something for…and no not in that way. lol.
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December 8, 2012 at 12:29 AM
Wow, Alex m–you writing this?! Unbiased writing from a true cinema fan. I’m impressed.
BTW, do read , if interested,my fairly sympathetic review of much maligned Ra-one –at my blog ( http://www.lalipond.blogspot.in/2012_01_01_archive.html ) ,; I’ve been fair to film and SRK. I wrote it many months back, after watching it on tv.
Am now planning to write a post on films that have polarized viewers.
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December 8, 2012 at 4:52 AM
@LS–Thanx
I’m NOT an srk/ aamir/Salman film
I praise what I like to the extent I like an the portion I like
ONLY
what I don’t gets mercilessly dissed
Simple
No complications/compulsions/confounding factors
May expand on what I mentioned in talaash soon–in the middle of something…
Would appreciate a longer piece from u
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December 8, 2012 at 4:54 AM
Thanks for your views Alex. And u are spot with the Aamir scenes. You seem to be the only one who has made this observation
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December 7, 2012 at 9:19 PM
Sanjana I’m not an srk fan nor an aamir/Salman or of anyone (including myself)
Good nite
Loved the scene-“I’m v tired” — end of my talaash (for brilliance in this film)–rest were incidental props
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December 7, 2012 at 9:21 PM
‘JTHJ’-‘SOS’ tussle affected my relationships: Kajol
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/bollywood/news-interviews/JTHJ-SOS-tussle-affected-my-relationships-Kajol/articleshow/17521127.cms
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December 7, 2012 at 9:33 PM
There was one source which said that 9th day collection for Talaash is 74 crores. It maybe that overseas figure for saturday might also have been included. When I tried to post the link, it failed.
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December 7, 2012 at 11:41 PM
Khiladi 786 Opens Below The Mark Talaash Has Good First Week
Saturday 8th December 2012 09.00 IST
Boxofficeindia.Com Trade Network
Khiladi 786 opened below the mark with a good response only at single screens of some circuits (UP and Bihar mainly). Multiplexes were average in some circuits but low at many places. Today a 40 crore nett weekend is par for major films but looking at early figures of Khiladi 786 in key markets this film may not even get a 30 crore nett weekend.
Talaash had a good first week of 62.50 crore nett approx due to a good pick up over the weekend. The film had a decent Monday but collections started coming down fast from the next day onwards. There has been another major drop on the eighth day.
Jab Tak Hai Jaan has taken its three week total to 102 crore nett approx. HIT
Son Of Sardaar has taken its three week total to 88 crore nett. HIT
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December 8, 2012 at 2:03 AM
2nd Friday Worldwide Box Office Collections Of TALAASH
http://www.boxofficecapsule.com/boxoffice-collections.aspx?id=973
2nd Friday 02.35 cr from this site. This is a drop of 80-85% from 1st Friday. BOI will have lower figures from this probably.
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December 8, 2012 at 2:24 AM
http://www.boxofficeindia.com/boxnewsdetail.php?page=shownews&articleid=5179&nCat=
Talaash dropped on its second Friday collecting around 2.25 crore nett. The drop is more than 80% from day one. The drops is across all circuits of India. There should be a pick up on Saturday and Sunday but still the second weekend will show a big drop.
The lifetime business of the film is looking to be around 85 crore nett which is not that good but with a poor showing by another big film Khiladi 786 this week it makes the total look more respectable.
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December 8, 2012 at 2:24 AM
I thought Aamir cuts across genres to give biggest openings and grosses in every film he makes 😛
Lol. My two cents. Talaash was a fine watch, well made but not something I would lose my sleep over or take seriously. Worked for me, not in a profound way though.
repeat watches may change my opinion. but as for Aamir, all talks of he being the ‘perfectionist’ seem hogwash. 3 idiots, though very entertaining and high on repeat value was cheesy and idiotic in several portions, ghajini raped memento, fanaa insulted your intelligence like any Akki starrer would, n then there’s Mangal Pandey too..
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December 8, 2012 at 2:39 AM
He is a perfectionist and thats why he took the risk of acting in Talaash after 3 Idiots stupendous success. Just see Salman, Akki. They are repeating themselves with 12345 series of their successful movies. Aamir could have done 3 Idiots 2 type if he wanted only BO success.
Fanaa was a loved film and which Indian film does not insult your intelligence?
Ghajini showcased the other side of Aamir Khan’s screen persona and its stupendous success negates your sarcasm.
Mangal Pandey was not a flop and it was a well liked film.
3 Idiots success was its sheer entertainment value with a serious message which cant be compared to brainless entertainers churned out by the likes of Sajid Khan.
While choosing a person for a life partner, one does not go by whether he is very rich only. One sees whether that chosen person has some good qualities besides being very rich. BO success is like being very rich. Unless the films having boxoffice success have other qualities like good script, good acting, the film will only be remembered as statistics.
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December 8, 2012 at 2:47 AM
Sanjana I disagree with Tony on both Ghajini and MP but he is allowed to dislike a film
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December 8, 2012 at 2:48 AM
I am allowed to answer back, Saurabh. This is what debate is all about.
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December 8, 2012 at 2:48 AM
Im not denying the success of his films. They’ve all been well-liked and successful. But cant help but smirk at some who seem to think they’re probably as good in quality terms as the best ones ever.
Aamir is a smart guy .. he makes some good cinema (Will be his admirer forever for what he did with Lagaan) but not all time. Instead of being a perfectionist, I’d call him a cut above the rest. and considering the crap that is thrown at us every week in the name of entertainment, he is an andho-mei-kaana raaja
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December 8, 2012 at 2:53 AM
to me the term ‘perfectionist’ doesn’t necessarily mean he is perfect. to me it means he strives for perfection. and you can clearly see that within all his movies.
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December 8, 2012 at 2:54 AM
There is a difference between his diehard fans and normal fans. I usually ignore diehard fans and concentrate on who are fence sitters.
Are you not making a sweeping remark by saying that he is better than others? There are some in others who are better than him though may not be that successful in terms of pure quality.
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December 8, 2012 at 2:57 AM
though they may not be that successful in boxoffice terms though quality wise they maybe a wee bit better.
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December 8, 2012 at 3:01 AM
Tony U know I really respect your views but U are underselling Aamir here. Now I agree there was nothing special abt Fanaa but it was hardly a bad film. On Ghajini while it did have the Memento angle it wasn’t a rip-off (no one is denying the inspiration) and after Khaaki it is BY FAR the best Masala I have seen in 2 decades. Finally I sincerely think U should give MP a rewatch-it’s not at all a flawless film but is a film which is a glorious film IMO and is a must watch. Having said that I think ur objections on both Fanas and 3I is valid.
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December 8, 2012 at 3:05 AM
Saurabh,
I’d rather not compare Ghajini to Khakee (the latter is much superior IMO). Ghajini did earn crores and started the whole masala trend again but not a film i find appealing in repeat watches.
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December 8, 2012 at 3:12 AM
Khakhee was a beautiful movie.
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December 8, 2012 at 3:14 AM
think ill have to watch khakee again…agreed ghajini wasn’t great..but from what i remember neither was khakee.
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December 8, 2012 at 4:48 AM
Tony has made a good worthy point here
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December 8, 2012 at 2:57 AM
film is good or bad is depends on what and whom we like or dislike. But BO collections of talaash are big shocker.. WTF…and Tony is right in articulating his POV. Its sort of flop or perception flop on BO parameters…
So its not star that sells it but genre and bit of everything in the movie, Tragedy, comedy, romance, action..
let’s rmbr Vidya Balan’s golden words in The dirty picture, ” Entertainment, Entertainment, Entertainment” 😀
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December 8, 2012 at 3:02 AM
film is good or bad depends what we like or dislike more than the star. Eaga is one film which I liked and its performance in hindi version made me very sad. SOS in telugu version was good and I felst however watered down, the essence of it made SOS a success. JTHJ must have had some alluring moments and it deserved its success due to that.
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December 8, 2012 at 3:22 AM
I prefer to like and dislike than analyse what is good and what is bad and go too deep. It makes me tired and sleepy. I take the easy way out.
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December 8, 2012 at 3:13 AM
No ‘good’ or ‘bad’ is not subjective. One needs to have a basic knowledge about calling something bad or good and needs to give valid arguements to support whether a film is good or bad. On the other hand liking or disliking is completely subjective. I can dislike Pyaasa completely and i do not need to give any arguement for this. But as soon as i say that Pyaasa is a bad film i need to give ‘informed’ and ‘valid’ to strongly make my case
On the other hand ‘entertainment’ is mostly subjective. Actually anything which engrosses us or holds our attention is termed entertaining by us. So i find the so called ‘entertaining’ DDLJ completely ‘unentertaining’. OTOH i find Ardhasatya and Ankur very entertaining
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December 8, 2012 at 3:25 AM
agreed with this. but when people start saying terms like ‘great’, ‘horrible’ for a movie then thats when it becomes subjective.
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December 8, 2012 at 3:28 AM
@Aamirsfan: How about “crap?” 🙂
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December 8, 2012 at 3:29 AM
lol…yes crap is purely subjective also… 🙂
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December 8, 2012 at 3:30 AM
Even good and bad with valid arguments can only be an academic exercise. What is good for the gander may not be good for the goose. Ultimately everything boils down to subjective preferences.
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December 8, 2012 at 2:49 AM
ill admit…the trending isn’t the greatest. but lets see if it goes back up to 5cr tomorrow or will remain below that mark. needs to have at least 10cr weekend to have any chance of 90cr now. trending shows the film hasn’t been liked that much to be frank. i think in comparison..this would be a DCH type ‘hit’.
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December 8, 2012 at 2:46 AM
Even many hollywood films which are highly acclaimed insult our intelligence in more ways. We dont watch cinema just not to be insulted. They have to entertain as well besides keeping the ludicrous elements to the bare minimum. Watching documentaries will be a way out for intelligent people.
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December 8, 2012 at 3:02 AM
What makes you think documentaries don’t insult the audience’s intelligence? 🙂
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December 8, 2012 at 3:18 AM
That’s a superb point SM. And many documentaries also require viewers to perform a leap of faith. Intact let me say that sometimes even they are filled with fictional elements though that’s a fiction of a different kind
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December 8, 2012 at 3:20 AM
One good thing about documentaries is, especially DD type,they will make me sleep.
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December 8, 2012 at 3:30 AM
I like Aamir a lot but I certainly do not believe that he is the demi-god that some make him out to be, nor do I think that he is this intense ‘perfectionist’ that the media projects him as . What I do appreciate about Aamir is his incredible sincerity to his craft and to his principles- which is an extremely rare quality in this superficial, intellectually bankrupt industry.
To criticize or praise Aamir based on the box office of his big releases alone is to completely miss the point of what makes him unique- what’s special about Aamir is that he’s the man who producers indie, art-circuit films like Peepli Live and Dhobi Ghat, acts in a Masala blockbuster like Ghajini and then backs a frivolous multiplex effort like Delhi Belly- and manages to succeed with it all. Yes he has a couple of misses- Dhobi Ghat and now Talaash- which haven’t hit the mark commercially. But which major star has a perfect track record? And better than one ‘fails’ with a film like Talaash, than one fails with a film like Ra.One, Veer, Joker or Game.
It’s easy for makers of offbeat cinema to be condescending about super hit films whose commercial success they can never hope to mimic, or for big marquee filmmakers to completely ignore the quality of cinema that they produce, and then shamelessly cite their box office profits as a proof of their movie’s worth. What’s difficult is for a filmmaker to accept each genre of cinema with open-mindedness, and to treat each film they produce with the same dedication, regardless of whether the end ‘reward’ is going to 100 crores at the BO, appreciation from a young multiplex audience or good reviews from a foreign film festival. And that’s what makes Aamir who he is- he genuinely appreciates cinema of all kinds, without any biases, and does his best to produce good cinema and to ensure that it gets the audience it deserves.
Look at SRK hosting Jor Ka Jhatka and Salman hosting Big Boss, and then look at Aamir hosting SMJ and even promising to make a second season of it, despite recieving death threats from the Khap Panchayat, boycotts from ‘men’s rights’ activits and heated protests from doctors and ministers.
I’m not saying that SRK and Salman are wrong in hosting these shows, but my point is- how can you try to compare them to Aamir on the basis of box office returns alone, when it’s so obvious that their motivation, objectives, intellect and principles are so far removed from Aamir’s? He has no desire to be part of that rat race, and it’s silly to the force him into it and then make it look like he’s not winning.
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December 8, 2012 at 3:31 AM
BTW- this comment is not targetted at Tony. I think that he’s a very reasonable, level-headed person, and not biased at all. I mean this comment for the general public (mostly the extreme fans of other stars) who’re trying to act like Aamir is a failure just because Talaash has not made 100 crores.
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December 8, 2012 at 3:36 AM
He has no desire to be part of that rat race, and it’s silly to the force him into it and then make it look like he’s not winning
You articulated it well. Amy. He may like bo success(who does not) but let him do what he likes without bothering about numbers.
Just because he gave Ghajini and 3 I, should not make him not to pursue something different. The success should not become a hangman’s noose.
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December 8, 2012 at 3:39 AM
It is like putting pressure on a topper kid to become a doctor or IIT grad. While the kid may want to do literature or philosophy.
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December 8, 2012 at 3:40 AM
Well said Sanjana and Ami. And these are the sentiments he has expressed in this interview with BH that I’ve put up here a few moments ago.
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December 8, 2012 at 3:36 AM
“I like Aamir a lot but I certainly do not believe that he is the demi-god that some make him out to be, nor do I think that he is this intense ‘perfectionist’ that the media projects him as . What I do appreciate about Aamir is his incredible sincerity to his craft and to his principles”
this is exactly how i feel about Aamir or anyone else is in the industry today. someone who sticks to his/her principles is a winner in my book and has the highest respect from me.
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December 8, 2012 at 3:43 AM
Excellent points Ami. However atleast in cases of Ra.One and Veer there was atleast a slight attempt to do something serious so irrespective of the final products they were not empty films like BG and Ready. Game I thought was treated too unfairly, it was a good film for its terrain and I found it infinitely superior to players or don 2
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December 8, 2012 at 3:47 AM
But you have to agree that in terms of content Talaash trumps Ra.One, Veer and Game, which is the point that I’m trying to make.
As for BG and Ready, they’re both big hits- I was talking about how it’s better to make a good film that underperforms (like Dhobi Ghat) than to make a film that is sub-par both in terms of commerce and content.
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December 8, 2012 at 3:49 AM
And in case you are ready to over-look my habit of ‘nit-picking’ here is an earlier comment On Game-
In Game, more than the actual suspense, what I really liked was the the setting and the ambience of the film. The fact that the film is inspired from Agatha Christie’s “And Then There Were None”, to really enjoy the film one needed to have been acquainted with the world of Christie.U mention that even hwood thrillers r cheesy but in a different sense- exactly, if one notices Christie’s immortal character ‘Poirot’, the Belgian detective is also displayed in a slightly cheesy manner- his egg shaped head, his hat, his fixation for dressing up immaculately etc- None of the critic seemed to understand this.
Also it is one of the rare Indian films where the storytelling and its pace suited the suspense genre. The way the film unfolds keepf u rivetted to the scree. I personally believe it has benn the slickest film to have come out ever from bollywood- even better than don 2 in the looks department.Kangana Ranaut’s act is the sole jarring performance in the film. And Anupam Kher after a long time was in top-form here.
And by the end of Game all the twists are neatly tied up with moments in the earlier portion of the film. But what Bollywood usually does ‘best’ is precisely not tie up loose ends very well!. And to understand this point one needs to see this film more in context of a whodunnit than as a mere suspense thriller.
this film belongs to the subgenre of “locked room mystery” thrillers.Egar Allen Poe’s “The Murder in the Rue Morgue” and Doyle’s “A sign of four” r my favs from this genre. The fact that Game at places took me back to those novels is itself a sign of how much I liked the film. It also sumwhere reminded me of Dharmendra’s Shalimar.
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December 8, 2012 at 4:23 AM
Well just to clarify my stance I don’t think I ever said that Talaash was a failure. And I also refuse to see anything special with PL or DB. I found the latter quite entertaining (Vijay Raaz was a hoot) inspite of the always irritating presence of the so called ‘gentleman’ but it was neither as quirky as Jhankaar Beats or some of Rajat Kapoor films nor as good a Tarantino/Guy Ritchie like effort like the delectable 99 or even Sankat City. On Pl, it was again a decent and noble effort but that’s abt it. Just recently Benegal made 2 much better satires like Welcome To Sajjanpur and Well Done Abba (and I am not even going to some of the great satires of the 70s)
I also disagree that Talaash had a better ‘content’ than Game (of course the treatment of Talaash was much better and so it was a much better film). both films are very much derivatives of many Hollywood films. And finally I found DMD better than Talaash
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December 8, 2012 at 4:56 AM
Why must everything be turned into an arguement? This is not about my opinion of films vs. yours, it’s just me trying to explain why I think that the comparisons between the three Khans are inappropriate by some overzealous fans are inappropriate.
The different films I mentioned was to emphasize that Aamir does indeed have a record of success that cuts across all genres- and that one underperforming film or two doesn’t change this. I don’t understand why Benegal films ( that did not meet with a successful reception) and satirical movies from the 70s are now being brought up to dispute my points- I don’t recall saying that I thought that Peepli Live was the best satire ever made in India or that DB was the best urban comedy ever. His name is a sort of ‘quality mark’ that guarantess that his movies, regardless of genre, are going to have a certain basic merit to them- obviously not every film is going to be a Lagaan, or the best film ever produced in that genre, that’s too much to ask.
If you notice, I did begin my comment by saying that I do NOT think that he is a demi-god or perfect- I’m not indulging in hyperbole and calling each of his films peerless masterpieces, so I really do not understand the point of your arguements. In any case, these constant debates are tiring me, so I’m going to check out of this conversation now! 😛
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December 8, 2012 at 5:10 AM
Wasn’t trying to intentionally dispute your points, was only presenting my views on the topic. In any case I agreed with most of what you were saying, my only disagreements were specifically with the few of the films you had mentioned (for instance DB is hardly a ‘quality product’ to begin with. I an consider PL). But since you have this notion that all I do is dispute your points (inspite of me having clearly stated that I respect your views more than most here) I have nothing to say. And btw you don’t need to hide ur comment behind those smilies (the tone very much gives it away in most cases).
In any case you wouldn’t see me arguing/discussing with you anymore on the blog (not that my respect for ur views or writing has lessened or anything) but I do hope to continue learning from you
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December 9, 2012 at 2:16 PM
I disagree. Aamir is very much into the rat race too this is why he’s signed films like Dhoom 3 (which are not great cinema by any stretch of imagination!).
I applaud SMJ for what it is but more than concern for social issues he’s doing it because it suits his image. Even he knows he doesn’t have it in him to host a show like DKD or KBC!
Talaash for me was not an excellent film. It could’ve been wonderful but somehow something felt amiss. Its elements didn’t blend together well. It lacked the Aamir Khan finesse!
Its numbers are BAD even if taken as a good film! Even Barfi (younger stars, offbeat theme, non holiday release) did 100 crore this year! Whereas Talaash is a film with much bigger stars & most reputed banners coming together! Its IMDb & Rotten Tomatoes ratings are also lower than Aamir’s previous films (just feels rotten to see OMG, English Vinglish, Kahani, Barfi all ahead of an Aamir Khan film on IMDb!). On Ormax Media’s WOM survey it ranked the last among all films of the year!
Sorry, but this is not what I accept as an Aamir Khan fan considering his past standards! Talaash is underwhelming both in terms of box office & quality.
Today we need Khiladi 786 to perform badly in hope of Talaash to trend better, I didn’t think such scenario would spring up for an Aamir Khan film! Talaash is not a Dhobi Ghat either that its performance can be excused! 😦
Never thought it’d be a 3 Idiots but never thought it’d be this much of a struggler either. In fact films like Barfi, OMG, Kahani doing so well used to give a lot of hopes on what Talaash could do considering it also has Aamir in it!
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December 9, 2012 at 2:19 PM
Prateek —u deserve an applause for that
u are a shining example of what a true fan should be like
im proud of u my buoy 🙂
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December 9, 2012 at 2:22 PM
Excellent comment Prateek.
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December 9, 2012 at 2:36 PM
I agree with you on the the film’s reception and box office- I did say in the above comment of mine that Talaash is a misstep for Aamir commercially. However, I don’t think that B.O. success should be the primary measure by which Aamir is measured, as opposed to Akshay/ Salman/ SRK where such measures are apt. Just because he’s doing one Dhoom 3, it doesn’t make him a hardcore commerical actor in the same way as those other stars.
I have to disagree completely on the SMJ bit though- just because he can’t do a KBC, doesn’t mean that he couldn’t do a Zor Ka Jhatka/ Big Boss and pocket a big paycheck for minimal effort like SRK/ Salman.Instead, Aamir put an enormous amount of time and effort into conceiving and producing a show like SMJ which might have earnt him a lot of prestige, but has also ruffled a lot of feathers and made him unpopular with several groups and organizations.
I don’t know if you’ve read about this, but recently one of the men who spoke against the Khap Panchayat on the honour killings episode was murdered violently and publically in his village, and there were heated protests from certain ministers as well as thousands of ‘men’s rights’ activists campaigning against him and boycotting his films as a result of SMJ. In a society as conservative as India, a major star speaking so publically and powerfully against these deeply entrenched prejudices is not something that can be undertaken so glibly just because it suits one’s image; it requires an admirable amount of passion and principle to do what Aamir did with SMJ.
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December 9, 2012 at 2:48 PM
numbers are indeed bad:
it will struggle to be among top 10 movie domestically and that to aamir coming after a gap of three years
prices of tickets where inflated in first weekend much like ett thanks to the curiosity
aamir has a recent talked about shows fresh in public memory though not that sucessfull and remembered what happed to ab after kbc …interest in mohabbatein and salman after dus ka dum that revived him and later wanted
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December 9, 2012 at 3:01 PM
to be fair direction is indeed shoddy and script being confused …films looks outdated and made in hurry having difficulty adjusting to modern theme
isnt noir in kahaani was visible when ghosh adjusted things beautifully to religious scripture and dark underbelly of kolkata…a mock on democracy and system …
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December 9, 2012 at 3:12 PM
“Panchayat on the honour killings episode was murdered violently and publically in his village”
thanx for that info–didnt know
To me–aamirs best role tll now has been SMJ–He DID try something nobel
One can be cynical and find motives etc–but at the end of the day–the show DID make a difference to lives
Does ANY gr8 film make a difference to a life–doubt it
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December 9, 2012 at 3:14 PM
Interesting views here,Prateek. More so from a self-proclaimed fan.
I too find numbers disappointing but not the total. always felt it would be hard for this fil to fetc a huge total. But as mentioned elsewhere, the same total would have been more plataeble if it ere reached with a smaller opening and better trending.
Other arguments and comparisions ith Barfi and Kahani ( incidentallly liked them both ) remain somewhat disingenuous.
As for it being misstep commecially for Aamir, it depends on what he expected from the film. If he had intended it to be a blockbuster, surely than it is a misstep. Instead, if he wanted to be involved in a hatke suspense drama sans compromises and obvious commercial hooks that doesnt entail losses, he might have done alright. Obviously, he is a smart operator and knows that in order to keep his edgier stuff viable, he HAS to do a D3 and a Fanaa..Aamir MO always knew the commercial reach here was somewhat limited and he ran the publicity campaign accordingly. As a believer in trending theory, I accept that trending has been disapointng.It is a solace that with any other star the eventual total would not have eben even as much were it ever made with any other major star. I dont think it is necessary to belitle other films often inappropriately mentioned in the same breath lik \e Barfi and Kaahani but it is intllectualy dishonest compare them.
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December 9, 2012 at 3:30 PM
One of the other things people forget here is that the extra advertising isn’t free. Even if with some stars the trade pretends that the British and German govts picked up the tab! So if you spend a bit more or a lot more on advertising can you can get that many more people to the theater? That’s questionable.
I think it was either Rohit Shetty or Devgan who said that (and this is probably right) that 99% of the time an audience decides after the first preview whether the movie is worth checking out or not. The theory being that beyond this you only get diminishing returns with extra advertising. Or that you can’t really turn a campaign around if people didn’t find the first preview good enough. You then have to wait for WOM.
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December 9, 2012 at 3:26 PM
well there are red herrings on both side. Of course he’s a commercial actor, he’s not in it for charity! On the other side the fans sometimes pretend he’s doing social service!
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December 9, 2012 at 3:38 PM
i have huge apprehension there to(smj but again different in indian context):
on big mouth reema kagti ( remembered her ridiculing kahaani)
talaash lacks visual style ,,, a true mental instabilty of a leding man and a morally questionable hero and a true disturbing script…neither a true noir or neo noir
as well as on aamir he takes calculative script( not a radical one):
e.g on same genre
memento was allready a cult so comes ghajini
with talaash has big influence of 6th sense and machinist
wong kar wai’s work on migrants and there loneliness comparitively makes dhobhi ghaat a 2nd hand copy but ya in indian context atleast he is trying
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December 8, 2012 at 3:03 AM
Aamir wants to play Krishna in the Mahabharata:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/bollywood/news-interviews/Aamir-keen-on-to-make-Mahabharata-wants-Krishnas-role/articleshow/17530127.cms
No one can make one film encompassing the entire Mahabharata. They should only make a film of a particular episode or story from it, like they used to do in Telugu in earlier decades.
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December 8, 2012 at 3:07 AM
My favourite character in mahabharat is Karna or Karan.
Aamir Khan must be thinking about 8 wives and 16k gopikas .
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December 8, 2012 at 3:08 AM
this news has been going on for about 3-4 years now. i think if he would ever get the ‘courage’ to do it…id bet on it being a huge long time consuming (production wise) film with a grand budget.
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December 8, 2012 at 3:26 AM
It’s more than 3-4 years. The talk started right after Lagaan, while Mangal Pandey was still in production. That same producer (Bobby someone?) announced he was going to make the MB with a 100 cr budget, which in those days was unimaginable. Perhaps not surprisingly, the investors didn’t materialize.
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December 8, 2012 at 3:24 AM
most of the reviews for K786 are bad in the range of 0.5 to 2.5 /5
looks like it will tank from Monday onwards
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December 8, 2012 at 3:37 AM
Please do watch this excellent Aamir interview, done with Faridoon Sharyar of Bollywood Hungama, 5 days after Talaash release. Especially note what he says at 4 minutes onwards and later too when he talks about films being remembered for their intrinsic quality, not numbers. Towards the end he seems to feel that the film may do up to 70 crores in firstweek, India and 30 crores plus overseas. But he is also hesitant about giving number prediction, leaving it to trade experts. He seems satisfied that the film has connected to viewers the way it connected to the film team. I feel he is right. The interview is just under 12 minutes, so do watch.
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December 8, 2012 at 3:41 AM
Without that moustache, he looks good and young in this video.
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December 8, 2012 at 3:51 AM
Same Aamir used to flout Ghajin nums and 3I nums… Let’s face it. Bo number matters and srk and salman also says same thing, “our fans should like the movies and etc” ..
aamir does make different films but that doesn’t mean he is not concerned about BO nums…
You can now sense why he wanted to postpone talaash again when Relaince didnt oblige him..
@saurabh
Agree good and bad are subjective and what you said abiut bad or disliking movie…
I am not here talking baout if talaash is good or bad but BO nums which are BAD.
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December 8, 2012 at 3:57 AM
BAD according to you. Not bad for me. It is also subjective. When a good film, different film does something like this, it is gratifying for some and it is a ridiculing point for some.
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December 8, 2012 at 4:05 AM
Not according to me but just Bad nums… 🙂
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December 8, 2012 at 3:57 AM
box office numbers bad compared to what though? in terms of trade its not bad at all.
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December 8, 2012 at 4:00 AM
i had made a comment earlier in the week that these numbers were bad in terms of BO for a actor like Aamir Khan. i still think thats true..but again that is a subjective thought. if i was a producer of this film id be satisfied with these kind of numbers.
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December 8, 2012 at 4:04 AM
According to Taran, Friday figures for Akki film is well over 10 crores nett in India and they are still counting.
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December 8, 2012 at 5:01 AM
@Sanjana – Taran quotes producers numbers. Notice how for every film a) his glowing reviews b) highest numbers reported
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December 8, 2012 at 4:10 AM
Another short interview, with Rajeev Masand; interesting points made.
http://www.rajeevmasand.com/video-vault/aamir-khan-on-the-twist-ending-of-talaash/
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December 8, 2012 at 4:51 AM
Where I do disagree with most Aamir fans is the entire idea that Aamir is a great actor or that he is Bachchan. He is definitely a very good actor (who never ever destroys a film by his presence. Something which folks like Salman, Imran and Rampal are guilty of) and has come up with some very fine performance in the last 10-12 yrs or so (and apart from Fanaa and Mela I have liked him everywhere in the entire deade or so, something I can’t say of Dutt whom i think is a much better actor). But leave aside AB and Dilip Kumar he is not even as good. And his filmography is still devoid of that iconic performance- He does not have a Guru/Yuva or a Zakhm/TLOBS or a Naam/Munnabhai/Vaastav/Khalnayak or an Omkara. I easily rate him above SRK as an actor but even he has a CDI/DDLJ
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December 8, 2012 at 5:10 AM
glad you said most. lol. because i certainly don’t think he’s a ‘great’ actor. again that is a subjective term so people are entitled to their opinion. i do think he has had a ‘munna’ and ‘bhuvan’ role to prove he is worthy of being called a good actor and a memorable actor. does he belong in the amitabh/dilip/guru dutt/balraj sahni, IMO no he doesn’t. but to me in todays times he’s one of the best actors out there, if not the best.
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December 8, 2012 at 5:32 AM
Actually AF, u were one of the people not included in that ‘most’. Agreed that he is one of the best star-actors today
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December 9, 2012 at 11:24 AM
goodness! what is this obsession of yours and satyam to drag the bachchans into everything? first of all, nobody worth taking seriously ever compared him to ab or dk (you must be thinking of some salman fans who, ever since he got success two years ago, think he is bigger than bachchan. being a salman fan is injurious to the brain apparently).
secondly, you may consider abhi and dutt great actors or their performances iconic but most people don’t. among the ones listed here, only ddlj and munnabhai are considered iconic for various reasons, although you may personally like a lot of other ones too. just like everything is not blockbuster, excellent, outstanding as labeled by media, not everything you were impressed by becomes iconic, even if they are excellent films and performances.
aamir is the best star-actor of his generation who also has a knack for picking better scripts, varying his roles all the time instead of repeating himself, backing somewhat riskier projects and has been hugely successful while doing his own thing. it makes him unique in this industry where standards are so low. that’s about it.
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December 9, 2012 at 11:41 AM
Since you continue to act snide there is no point in arguing over this with you (as I don’t feel like retaliating in the same manner). And yes I am ‘obsessed’ with Bachchan- I am sure there are bigger crimes than being a Bachchan fan
I never said that Abhishek is a great actor. Even with Dutt I never I used the word ‘great’ btw. And Vaastav and Khalnayak are pretty much iconic irrespective whether someone likes those acts or not. Same is the case with Guru.
Do agree with your last para
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December 9, 2012 at 11:43 AM
Antya,
You are confusing issues here. The argument here is about Aamir’s actng prowess. I tend to agree with Saurabh and AF here inspite of being a huge Aamir fan. AAMIR is certaily unique and I admire him and like him immensely but purely as an actor, he is not exceptional. But,the whole package is something else. No one from current generation comes close to Aamir from that aspect. As for Bachchan, he is like Mt.Everest. he is just there and whenever a discusson re best, best star-actor, most influential, most succesful, most iconic etc occurs, he is going to be the yard stick. One can ignore him but the discussion wouldnt be meaningful.
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December 9, 2012 at 11:51 AM
i see both points-but i WILL support anya here –
in my opinion–
One can hold bachchan to high esteem and agree that given his innate ability and transcendence, there is NO crime in that.
There are bigger sins that being a bachchan (sr) fan–about jr, im not sure lol
But theres no reason poor antya also has to also submit to that.
it doesnt have to be forced down everyones throat or down those who visit this site..
Theres a difference between having a view or even fandom and trying to create a ‘fear psychosis’ wherein anyone not finding bachchan sr /jr worth worshipping should be ‘bullied’!!
infact bahchcan jr adulation (beyond a point) is the one that needs to be investigated, if at all 🙂
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December 9, 2012 at 12:06 PM
even if you go to the top of this thread, nothing there seems to have triggered this thread about his acting prowess. nobody ever said he is a great actor and nobody was actually making that point by comparing him to bachchan. he is a competent, versatile one who has performances well-integrated into the films he does. but i just don’t know where saurabh’s comment came from since nobody above said such a thing. if it’s a general comment, i have seen no such impression coming from any of the aamir fans here. and as for extreme fans, they are crazy anyway and we usually don’t see people like that on this blog.
it’s just a general tendency of people here to bring their favorite actors into the discussion even when that’s not the point. saurabh didn’t just bring ab, he also brought in abhi, devgan,
dutt. i didn’t know we were comparing his skills with them. to what end? also, films and performances become ‘iconic’ for all sorts of reasons, not acting skill. that’s why, salman’s role in dabangg is more ‘iconic’ than some others listed here. so saurabh is the one mixing up and confusing a lot of things here. and gets upset when i point it out. i like him a lot, so it’s not that i was mad at him. i genuinely did not understand where this argument started since i saw no such argument in the first place. ok, my bad.
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December 9, 2012 at 12:12 PM
OK,Antya – chill.
I also do not agree with some of Saurabh’s choices here and accept your point of iconic performances/ roles. And, since the subject has already been broached, it would be fair to say Aamir has not had a Yuva/Guru/Vastav/Dabaang moment tho his overall career is far more ‘iconic’.
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December 9, 2012 at 12:50 PM
I like you a lot too Antya. And i have tremendous respect for u and ur views. But u are not aware of some of the past discussions on the blog about Aamir and Bachchan so u are missing the context of the entire comment. That is why u saw AF and Rajen Sir catching the drift of the issue
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December 9, 2012 at 1:40 PM
I agree with this.. sometimes conversations on blogs have much longer and deeper contexts..
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December 9, 2012 at 1:03 PM
Re: The barbarians are always at the gates waiting to take things down otherwise!
LOL! So true. But, a couple seemed to have escaped the asylum and made thru the gates here!
OTOH, it helps as we gain a greater appreciation of normal people when we see these sad cases.
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December 9, 2012 at 1:58 PM
i figured i was missing something. as i said, my bad.
off topic, this is a space with mostly smart and reasonable people, including those involved in this discussion. so this is not targeted towards anyone. but unless i am being illogical and argumentative in a tone that suggests aggressiveness, or just blasting someone for no reason, i don’t appreciate being told to chill. or relax. or calm down. those phrases indicate someone being told to take a time out because they are somewhat out of control. and it takes other connotations when males on the blog say this to females. even if not intended that way (i have noticed people telling that to ami even though she is a very reasonable person). so just throwing it out there. may be we should all (including me) chill a little and be more sensitive towards others in future.
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December 9, 2012 at 2:06 PM
“don’t appreciate being told to chill. or relax. or calm down. those phrases indicate someone being told to take a time out because they are somewhat out of control. ”
I totally agree there
Its ok to say that to the likes of me and some others—but not to poor anya or even amy…
he/she doesnt even threaten to be remotely rude (except to me lol) or ‘politically incorrect’ (for this blog) —stays mum on certain obvious inconsistencies (unlike me)
This ‘code of likings/dislikes’ is not fair..
Mr/ms anya has been a perfect gentle(wo)man—is more well-read than most here—not sure why he/she needs to be told to chill and follow a ‘whip’ 🙂
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December 9, 2012 at 2:11 PM
“also, to compare everyone today to a yesteryear star is kind of a futile exercise since things have changed so much, the terms of the comparisons are not viable most of the time. it’s better to compare within a time-frame.”-
I am sorry Antya but I COMPLETELY disagree with this. We simply cannot use the time-frame excuse otherwise one can even say that Kamal Sadanah was better than Motilal. Or that Kalyanji-Anandji were better than Rahman.
The thing is – some things are comparable, some are not. There is a comparison to be had between Kishore nad Rafi but not between Kishore and Sonu Nigam or Kishore and Manna Dey irrespective of what one likes. Otherwise people start saying stuff like Vishwanath or Merchant were better than Sachin because they played without a helmet (mostly). Gavaskar and Sachin, using the same Helmet arguement, are atleast somewhat comparable because Gavaskar was at a point of time the best batsman in the world. Sachin of course is better in every way but that’s another matter
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December 9, 2012 at 2:26 PM
lol@kamal sadanah. extra points for remembering he exists.
but let’s not be ludicrous. that’s why bachchan – pradip kumar comparison doesn’t bother me. because nobody in history has ever made that comparison, that would be silly. but ab & dk comparisons are made all the time, because there is some basic argument to be had. i am just saying the terms of such a discussion (not really even a debate, people can have preferences but x or y wins will be a silly conclusion) will be complex. people have probably written essays about that sort of time-bridging comparisons, certain things will have to agreed upon and assumed. i said i personally find that futile, not that it can or should not be done. may be ormaxmedia can come up with a mathematical formula to debate that. or you can make a post and all of us can have a go.
ps: i almost indulged in my silly habit of putting a smiley there in the end but then i remembered that it annoys you.
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December 9, 2012 at 2:49 PM
LOL. I remember Sadanah bcos of a film he did called Rang (remember it was a hit too). The film had Ms. Bharti who used to give me, ahem let’s say, some different type of dreams.
Agreed with this comment of urs.
And c’mon please don’t embarass me with the smiley comment (aur began mujhse anjaane me koi bhool-chook ho gayi ho to maaf kar di jiyega 🙂 ). I only objected to that person’s usage of the emoticon bcos she was continuosly using it to hide behind them while the tone of the comments was giving it away.
Btw since I do think I was harsh with U in that comment, lemme clarify that I only interact/debate with people whom I like and respect a lot. Hope someone else is also reading this
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December 9, 2012 at 2:54 PM
kajols debut hero lol
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December 9, 2012 at 3:01 PM
that applies to me too; i discuss with people who i think can hold their own, have something worthwhile to say and whom i can learn from.
divya bharti, eh? reminds me of the time i went on a blind date with a guy who told me he used to love her. i spent the entire time ribbing him about it (not that i had anything against her, but i thought it was funny and i had to entertain myself).
not to self – don’t make fun of your date. sigh!
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December 9, 2012 at 3:02 PM
“I only objected to that person’s usage of the emoticon bcos she was continuosly using it to hide behind them while the tone of the comments was giving it away.”
It’s not my fault if you read all kinds of unintended insinuations into my comments and automatically assume the worst about my intentions and ‘tone’. I’ve always punctuated my comments with emoticons, so it’s not like I never used them before and suddenly started including them only when I was interacting with you.
Also, I’m not somebody who minces my words. If I’ve had a problem with you before, I’ve told you so directly- you’re not somebody who I am afraid of that I have to ‘hide’ my (imaginary) insults behind emoticons!
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December 9, 2012 at 3:09 PM
agree with amy–she never hides behind emoticons usually..
She doesnt spare words–just recalled—even when she was amy ‘annoyed’
when she suddenly appeared from denovo to give me a dose
🙂
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December 9, 2012 at 3:09 PM
“reminds me of the time i went on a blind date with a guy who told me he used to love her”
LOL! The funniest Bollywood-related date story I’ve heard is from a friend who went on a date with a guy who went on about how he and my friend would have 2 children together, a boy and a girl, whom they would name Rahul and Anjali- mind you, this was their FIRST date, and she hardly knew him! 😛 Needless to say she wasn’t so keen on him after that…
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December 9, 2012 at 3:15 PM
rofl!
and double rofl on hi wanting to name his children rahul and anjali. making them siblings. no wonder she let him go, those kids would be tortured endlessly.
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December 9, 2012 at 3:16 PM
did he not get red balllooon for your friend..
remember a scene in dch bout something like that
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December 9, 2012 at 4:32 PM
Rofl Antya on the date. Thanks for sharing (and do share more such anecdotes). Btw hope U have found someone with a better taste 🙂 . I have my own hilarious date story to share but some other time.
On the topic of 90’s heroines I fell head over heels in love with Ayesha Julka after watching her dance in rain with Akki in Khiladi. She was so cute in that cap. And Raveena’s Tip Tip (with Viju Shah’s crackling bg score) has formed a big part in my evolution from a boy to a man! 🙂
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December 9, 2012 at 6:48 PM
Ami I might have misunderstood U and pardon for sounding a bit cheesy here (and for the spelling or grammatical errors)- “enna mannichudunga”
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December 9, 2012 at 12:15 PM
i personally dont like this ‘policing’ wherein anyone even hinting at not finding bachchan the greatest ever or anyone supposed to be ‘worshipped’ here, should be ganged up against
Anya has no reason to retract what shes said or felt
and this is inspte of her feeling that im a ‘troll’
my views on this are unchanged 🙂
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December 9, 2012 at 12:17 PM
[edited]
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December 9, 2012 at 12:20 PM
[edited]
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December 9, 2012 at 12:22 PM
“As for Bachchan, he is like Mt.Everest. he is just there and whenever a discusson re best, best star-actor, most influential, most succesful, most iconic etc occurs, he is going to be the yard stick. One can ignore him but the discussion wouldnt be meaningful.”
are u khomeini or his pet !!
Yes i love bachchan –adore him and am his biggest fan
BUt stop trying to act like this club bouncer
[edited]
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December 9, 2012 at 12:29 PM
i consider the 70’s bachchan the sort of unmatched superstar/versatile actor/performer/entertainer with his list of films and iconic roles, basically the kind of phenomenon that is almost like a freak accident. we haven’t seen anything like it happen before or after. and we probably won’t ever again. because a lot of things have to align to make that happen. like the big bang. the conditions were just right, it didn’t happen in a vacuum. that is why, even ab had a hard time once those conditions were not so good.
i don’t consider him the greatest just as an actor, there were and are many better than him, but that combination that was rare, he only had. i don’t care much for anything he has done since (barring a couple of things here and there). also, his sort of please-everyone attitude, his wishy-washy politics, his choices etc. have diluted the phenomenon and the halo around him too.
but i personally have nothing against him. also, to compare everyone today to a yesteryear star is kind of a futile exercise since things have changed so much, the terms of the comparisons are not viable most of the time. it’s better to compare within a time-frame. that’s why the ab – dk comparison never works for me either.
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December 9, 2012 at 12:31 PM
I am sorry Alex that I cant respond in kind. But, I WOULD sugesst that if you are going to frequent the blog, try something different than twisting words or sucking up to female bloggers or in some cases even male bloggers whose name causes confusion or can be erroneously miscontrued. And, as I have mentioned before it is a shame since you ave hte potential to make more meaningful contributions instead of using the blog as a substitute for gaining female attention which sadly doesnt seem to be happening in your real lie.
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December 9, 2012 at 12:31 PM
Though you’re completely distorting what has been said on this as always.. let’s stipulate this — Indeed people of inferior taste should be ganged up against so that civilization can be saved for the rest! There should be no compromise on this. The barbarians are always at the gates waiting to take things down otherwise!
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December 9, 2012 at 12:37 PM
im sorry but i CAN more than respond to u in kind or MUCH more!
People do come here for varuous reasons and thats none of YOUR friggin business
But what has been noted is that u come sporadically to sort of ENFORCE a certain moral code or constitution of what nneds to be held in high esteem, what needs to be dissed and so on
But unlike others, theres NO constructive commentary or rational justificagion except PARTISAN hatred and bigotism
Whilst u are welcome to rot in your own biases –u have NO reason to impose it on others
as to what i do or dont–u neither have an idea nor u should!1
so keep your ass in the correct slot b4 it gets kicked again !! 🙂
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December 9, 2012 at 12:40 PM
the above ‘dose’ was for rogue rajen who was begging for it for a while —hes got his bit
It was NOT for satyam obviosuly who i admit has been v patient with me
This is nothing to do with Anya — this is a person who makes her/his points genuinely /civilly tries not to offend most people (except me) —still why does he/she be forced to acknowledge that bachchan is the greatest EVER?
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December 9, 2012 at 11:49 AM
Btw Antya notice I didn’t even say that Dutt is a better actor than Aamir (even if I believe that. I also think that Ranbir is better than him on this score). I said that he lacks an iconic performance in his filmography
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December 9, 2012 at 12:12 PM
you are perfectly justified in liking dutt better. i love shammi kapoor pretty much more than anyone else, and he was hardly an actor. i am just saying, nobody has said aamir is better than ab. and yes, he does not have an iconic performance as such. but most people don’t consider zakhm, vaastav, cdi as iconic. excellent performances, not ‘iconic’, there is a difference. and many fans consider his rangeela, lagaan and rdb performances to be iconic (i don’t) but it wouldn’t be correct. ddlj and munnabhai on the other hand, are iconic.
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December 8, 2012 at 4:58 AM
Mauka miltaa nahi, jantaa chaukaa maar deti hai 🙂
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December 8, 2012 at 5:01 AM
Jo Eng ne India ki hashr kar diya, Chaukaa ab bahot mhenga hoo gaya hain… 🙂
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December 8, 2012 at 5:08 AM
It’s interesting to note how England is owning India in India and on spinning pitches and home conditions (for India)
Always felt this English team was v good
Eng spinners are also better–and lets not even talk bout seaming conditions/ pacers etc
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December 8, 2012 at 5:34 AM
Feels proud to be an Englishman 😀
Always knew with this team we can beat anyone at home but to go over to the subcontinent and beat India on their wickets deserves a round of applause (I’ll do the honours)
Plus we are looking so good and Cook what an inspiration 🙂
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December 8, 2012 at 5:39 AM
As much as I loved Cook I am extremely elated to see Anderson finely perform. One of the finest swing bowlers of his generation and while he struggled with the SG ball initially (since they play with Duke in England), he really used the reverse swing very well.
And I am not sure if it has happened before that a non-subcontinent spinner has taken 5 wickets on the 1st day of the test twice in a series in India- Swann in the 1st test and Panesar in the second
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December 8, 2012 at 5:55 AM
whats with the ‘we’ man…i thought ‘we’ were Pakistani and support the Pakistan team!!…lol.
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December 8, 2012 at 10:11 AM
@amirsfan – I was born in Eng and have lived here all my life. I don’t understand why I should support Pak but when Eng and Pak go against each other then it’s great fun because many of my family members support the latter 😀
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December 8, 2012 at 4:59 AM
Will write more about talaash soon–
But what’s caught my attention is the reports that talaash is going to wrap up around 80-85 cr net finally –hmm..
Now this IS disappointing box office –yeah it has done well overseas (ESP for an aamir daily after 3 years and for this genre)
No excuses
Interestingly aamir doesn’t attend/believe in 2many parties
But on this occasion —
Aamir has already attended a celebratory party within a fee days of release, declared that he is more than happy with the result and that has been out up an endorsement of the great success that talaash has been here n elsewhere n so on
Let’s be fair n honest folks
As for aamirs own performance I lOVED parts of it
But let’s not get confused in different issues
Liking a star, liking his performance, hating another star, hating parts of a film, hating politics of a star/director should NOT affect one overall assessments
That’s called true objectivity and lack of bias
Difficult /impossible to achieve but atleast let’s try folks
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December 8, 2012 at 5:05 AM
Yeah –aamirs overall worth is more than just box office since he helps bring out some changes /improvement in the overall popula Bollywood culture
And so on..
But when talking bout box office–let’s stick to that
Aamir isn’t the box office giant lothario who was last seen slaying everyone in 3 idiots–
3I was an excellent film, packaging, overall product
Things need a proportion and objectivity
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December 8, 2012 at 5:07 AM
I don’t normally pay ‘much’ attention to other actors films except Salman but Talaash has had a drop/crash by 80-85%
That is HUGE whichever way one looks at it. Now can someone apply the trending theory here.
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December 8, 2012 at 5:14 AM
this is what i said earlier:
AamirsFan Says:
December 8, 2012 at 2:49 AM
ill admit…the trending isn’t the greatest. but lets see if it goes back up to 5cr tomorrow or will remain below that mark. needs to have at least 10cr weekend to have any chance of 90cr now. trending shows the film hasn’t been liked that much to be frank. i think in comparison..this would be a DCH type ‘hit’.
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December 8, 2012 at 5:26 AM
Thanks amirsfan and appreciate the honesty.
@AA – I commented above about ETT and I am informed about your views on its box office performance.
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December 9, 2012 at 7:22 AM
I think I said it on Day 1 that the audience response is average in the multiplexes and poor elsewhere. The film is lucky not to have flopped.
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December 9, 2012 at 7:40 AM
sensible sane words there, sandyi…
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December 8, 2012 at 5:12 AM
“That is HUGE whichever way one looks at it. Now can someone apply the trending theory here.”
Haha agree Naveed
The problem is that when things don’t go the right way, whichever way u try to spin it–it gets difficult really
Rather than this ‘struggle’–don’t know why people don’t take the easy route–being fair n honest to themselves 🙂
@ Naveed– I still can’t forget how ETTs 200 crores were deconstructed here and callers ‘ordinary’ or expected
By trending theories–just bcos ETT had a monster opening –it was effectively called a failure here—
I don’t believe in biases –it was proved earlier and will now prove again –that stance was really disappointing –and I’m not a Salman fan
Ps: actually I do hope and believe that talaash will again pick up during the weekend since most normal multiplexers will prefer it over k786
Hope aamir adds to the tally –I hope so
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December 8, 2012 at 5:18 AM
who in their right mind said ETT was a failure? i do remember satyam bhai comparing ETT trending to ghajini, ready and 3I and compared to those films..the trending of ETT WAS disappointing. but i don’t think he ever said ETT was a failure.
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December 8, 2012 at 5:28 AM
ETT was labeled a “flop” by devotees of the trending theory at NG. 🙂
(some one of Shahid Kapoor’s films — not Jab We Met– was declared to be an ATBB according to trending)
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December 8, 2012 at 5:29 AM
LOL.That must have been Vivaah
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December 8, 2012 at 5:37 AM
No, I think it was Kaminey. Vivah was declared a BB by the trade, I think, based on total ROI.
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December 8, 2012 at 5:44 AM
@sm – it was Vivah. Kaminey was an average ish kind of film at the BO
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December 8, 2012 at 5:46 AM
@Naveed — I’m not talking about what the general consensus was about the film, just what this particular NG member’s verdict was. I do remember it was some film that was considered barely “average” in terms of its box office perofrmance.
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December 8, 2012 at 5:42 AM
to me the trending ‘theory’ has nothing to do with the trade…it has everything to do with the audience and how much it likes the film. i like to keep it simple. lol. in terms of trade…ETT is most likely a stupendous ‘hit’.
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December 8, 2012 at 5:48 AM
Yes, exactly, none of the recognized trade analysts use either this term or this theory when giving their verdicts on a film (though some times they do come up with “subsidy blockbuster” and “emotional blockbuster.” 🙂 )
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December 8, 2012 at 5:59 AM
agreed but the trending of a film does give a person, who is interested in such things, a gauge if the film is liked or not. like saurabh said in the post below…im sure YRF give two hoots about ETT’s poor trending considering what the final BO outcome was.
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December 8, 2012 at 5:20 AM
when a film opens to 130cr week..and ends up at 198cr…how is that NOT disappointing or ordinary? the only thing awesome and unbelievable about ETT was the opening week.
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December 8, 2012 at 5:26 AM
Isn’t there such a thing as market saturation?
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December 8, 2012 at 5:38 AM
there is such a thing…but not for ETT’s box office performance. to me what ‘130cr first opening/198cr total’ represents is sallu bhai’s HUGE bo prowess at the moment…but his films are not liked all that much.
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December 8, 2012 at 5:45 AM
You are right here AF. I think Satyam was correctly saying that ETT’s disappointing trending says that it was not ‘truly’ liked by the audience. Where I differ from him is that it was a commercial/BO disappointment. How would it matter to a producer/distributor whether, let us say, he earns 150 crores on the 1st day itself or 150 crores in 3 weeks. Actually he will prefer the first option
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December 8, 2012 at 5:50 AM
“Where I differ from him is that it was a commercial/BO disappointment. How would it matter to a producer/distributor whether, let us say, he earns 150 crores on the 1st day itself or 150 crores in 3 weeks. Actually he will prefer the first option”
completely agree saurabh. of course im not the most knowledgeable on the indian BO system as Satyam bhai and others are here..but that seems like common sense to me.
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December 8, 2012 at 5:27 AM
so Talaash wraps under max 85 crores..OMG did 80..a Raaz3 ad 75!! so much for star power..if SRK is a fading star having the third hundred crore plus grosser in and year (diwali to diwali raone don2 and Jthj).. then what is aamir..a movie after three years and this result..Satyam said he expects a 100 here..whats your verdict on this now..a 80% fall shows audience havent taken to the movie..! and please satyam trust one source for all movies..BOI has lower numbers for JTHJ and Talaash both..I have seen people here using BOI numbers for JTHJ and Taran’s higher rnumbers for Talaash
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December 8, 2012 at 5:41 AM
Agree with the last part of your comment.
One should use the same source for every film. Whether that be BOI, Taran or Komal is irrelevant.
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December 8, 2012 at 5:45 AM
IMO, the indian BO numbers are so shady, i just use a ‘range’ system. meaning i take BOI, taran’s numbers, komal nahta’s number, and lately box office capsule’s numbers and just use all of them. clearly there isn’t one accurate number out there. usually almost all of the times..BOI numbers are significantly lower than the rest.
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December 8, 2012 at 6:05 AM
A word of advise amirsfan
Bollywood capsule are a JOKE run by a SRK fan. I know this trust me.
Anyway your method is fine but I’ll stick to BOI numbers. Their verdicts and commentary, well that’s a debate for another day.
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December 8, 2012 at 6:14 AM
Now K786
The music I am listening to now on the ipod and really like balma, long drive and hookah baar. Himesh Reshammiya consistency in delivering catchy tracks is remarkable. Still rank Tere Naam as his best work and the sales of that album give my opinion some weight.
Now this film has not opened too well. How ironic seeing as most if not all considered ‘masala’ to be a safe genre. The myth has well and truly been broken. To put K786 numbers into context both Jism 2 and Heroine opened better.
Film will do well to reach over 55 cr lifetime.
If I see the film I’ll make a more definite prediction.
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December 8, 2012 at 6:26 AM
I will take boi numbers though they are on the lower side and I dont like their commentary. Either they should be impartial or they should shut their mouths. The way they treated SOS is terrible.
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December 8, 2012 at 6:56 AM
How our stars will present themselves in future?
Salman, currently the biggest star, will he go on doing action comedy which is a safe bet for him? He experimented with all the heroines and may drop Sonakshi in future projects. May do more films with Katrina.
SRK, the second one , will be doing romantic movies, his safest genre.
Akki will be doing more Khiladi types in the hope that the gmble may payoff once in a while.
Ajay will be doing comedy, action, emotion and his films may have some surprises for us.
As Aamir has nothing to lose in terms of anything, he will experiment, produce some interesting movies, may go for season2 of SMJ.
Sonakshi will move to south as hindi audience has enough of her.
Anushka will be the future star actress if she is careful and less over confident.
Deepika will be the surprise package.
Ranbir is the dark horse waiting to displace many current stars. The only handicap is his boyish looks.
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December 8, 2012 at 8:25 AM
So, apparently Martin Scorcese saw GOW 1&2 and Dev.D, and then wrote a letter about it to Anurag Kashyap. That’s pretty amazing…
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December 8, 2012 at 8:33 AM
Where is the link?
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December 8, 2012 at 8:37 AM
Thats the power of being a HW producer director. If, for example, kamal hasan did it, it would not have been an amazing news.
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December 8, 2012 at 8:51 AM
This is an absolutely unnecessary comment Sanjana- Scorcese is an international icon and one of the most-respected figures in cinema today, and it’s heartening to see that people like him are appreciative of Indian cinema, considering that the rest of the world has long looked at Hindi cinema with a patronizing attitude (evident in all of the foreign newspaper reviews of even the best Hindi films today).
One does not need to blindly refuse to recognize the merit of foreign film figures in order to prove that one is proud of his/ her own filmic heritage. Just because I admire Scorcese and I am excited by this news it does not mean that I don’t respect any of the Indian filmmakers. Let’s not confuse jingoism with national pride!
Anyway, there’s no link- AK merely hinted at this in his tweets.
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December 8, 2012 at 9:32 AM
The fact is we love to be praised by foreigners especially the fair skinned ones .And HW is our gold standard and Oscars too. We wait with bated breath about how our films fare at the final list and afterwards the final prize. It is eluding us and now we have come to terms with it. Same with Miss world and Miss Universe titles and booker and Nobel Prizes. Olympics, Wimbledon etc.
This is not wrong. But wish the same reciprocity is shown atleast in some ways other than Slumdog Millionaire.
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December 8, 2012 at 9:42 AM
Olympics, Nobel etc are international prizes- every single country, include the Western ones, appreciate these recognitions far more than their national awards.
And we all saw what happened when the Common Wealth games were hosted in Delhi- you cannot expect the rest of the world to pretend that the ceremonies we host are as coveted as the well-established, well-organized ones in other parts of the world, just for political correctness sake.
Like I said, having realistic national pride is one thing, indulging in blatant jingoism is another. I do agree that Bollywood/ the Indian media’s obsession with HW is very irritating and slavishly post-colonial- but that doesn’t mean that we have to go to the other extreme and completely ignore the merit of one of the greatest living filmmakers (Scorcese) and pretend that his aknowledgement is worthless.
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December 8, 2012 at 9:47 AM
I did not say his acknowledgment is worthless. But the way we are overwhelmed is what makes me wonder at the whole thing.
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December 8, 2012 at 9:58 AM
Who is overwhelmed? All I said was that it was pretty amazing- I do not think that this is an extreme reaction in any way.
And it’s completely understandable to me if a filmmaker (from any country) is more excited by the praise of an inaccessible international icon whom he is not aquainted with, and whom he has only known through his famous films, than by the praise of one of the legends within his own film fraternity, whom he has interacted with before and who is far more likely to be aware of his films.
Obviously Kamal Hasan is going to be aware of Anurag’s films considering that he is one of the most talked about Hindi filmmakers. On the other hand, he is pretty insignificant on the international circuit, and for Scorcese to have watched and appreciated his films is an achievement for Anurag. It’s not that our own filmmakers are less worthy, but that their aknowledgement of Anurag’s work is more expected, and therefore less exciting.
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December 8, 2012 at 10:01 AM
I said we are overwhelmed, not you in particular.
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December 8, 2012 at 9:38 AM
You are so right Sanjana. Bachchan saying Gow was amazing matters less than Scorsese saying this. And given his track record I have a feeling Kashyap may she lying regarding the Scorsese thing
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December 8, 2012 at 10:03 AM
Sanjana you are right again. And people and Kashyap should realise that great as he is Scorsese does not know a thing abt Hindi cinema (apart from probably knowing abt Ray and Mrinal Sen)
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December 8, 2012 at 8:46 AM
not surprising amy—i LOVED devd –and though havent seen gow felt the same bout it
kashyap is simply a cut above the rest
and yes scorceses approval does matter–wiriting a letter marks an individualised gesture rather than a token one
i would suggest that folks here rise above internal politics, equation with bachchan and kashyaps obviously irritating sporadic rants to appreciate and acknwoledge kashyaps undeniable brilliance..
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December 8, 2012 at 8:33 AM
@ amy—what did u feel about the look/styling/makeup of kareena in talaash.
Im asking u this since i feel u know more about this aspect than most here–not trying to be funny but would watn your unbiased views on this…
there was a bit of a discussion with some i saw the movie with on this –they were bolllywood naive…
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December 8, 2012 at 8:39 AM
Ranis look/styling in talaash
well, i know im in minority here but i liked ranis look/styling after a looong time in talaash
the ‘no makeup’ look suited her
Infact she looked ‘soothing’ and even ‘attractive’
eg a scene wherein her sari was being pulled 😉
Im surprised how some (like satyam) like her in ‘hot’ attires like bunty n babli and some (like amy probably) loved her in aiyyah
and some lusted over her in that crapfest in a ‘bikini top’ in the shahid movie wherein she plays a sick cricketer or something–dont remember the name
In talaash, i think her look/attire were calibrated correctly and she carried it off well–there was the requisite ‘vulnerability’ and ‘simplicity’—but i know it wont be appreciated much in the times of aiyya, bnb, bikini tops–sigh…
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December 8, 2012 at 8:59 AM
“Im surprised how some (like satyam) like her in ‘hot’ attires like bunty n babli”
yes me too.. specially since I don’t remember holding such a view. Have often talked about her in Yuva but can’t blame you for the mix-up. Those who like Cocktail more than Talaash can be excused for these confusions!
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December 8, 2012 at 9:10 AM
LOL! I’ve commented many times on SS on how much I liked Rani’s look in Talaash, and how I was not fond of Kareena’s styling.
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December 8, 2012 at 9:19 AM
didnt see those comments amy–can u elaborate–thanx
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December 8, 2012 at 8:40 AM
Ok folks here’s the relevant BOI passage from their Talaash 8th day report:
“Talaash dropped on its second Friday collecting around 2.25 crore nett. The drop is more than 80% from day one. The drops is across all circuits of India. There should be a pick up on Saturday and Sunday but still the second weekend will show a big drop.”
http://boxofficeindia.com/boxnewsdetail.php?page=shownews&articleid=5179&nCat=
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December 8, 2012 at 8:42 AM
but now let’s look at their Cocktail report:
“Cocktail Eighth Day Business
Saturday 21st July 2012 14.00 IST
Boxofficeindia.Com Trade Network
Cocktail did well on its eighth day as it collected 2.75 crore nett approx. The drop is 75% from day one but that has become par for the course nowadays. the film will pick up on Saturday and Sunday and could do a weekend in the 12 crore nett range which is good.”
So 2.75 crores for a genre like Cocktail is just fine on day 8 without any new competition while for a genre like Talaash 2.25 crores with a new major release is suddenly depressing news! and it’s not just Cocktail. very many films show very weak second Fridays these days.
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December 8, 2012 at 8:54 AM
check out Agneepath here again from BOI:
“Agneepath had a huge extended first week of around 85.50 crore nett. The film held up well on weakdays after a big fall on its second day. The second Friday has dropped around 70% from last Friday but that is par for the course in terms of business and the film will pick up hugely on Sunday.”
by the note that because of the extended week Agneepath’s first Fri wasn’t the day of release for the film but its third day. It was a much weaker number compared to the massive opening day and the film still fell 70% on its second Fri. The very same holds for pretty much all the other big releases (the Salman films and so on.. though hopefully no one will make me dig up all the numbers!). In fact I remember remember commenting at the time that BB had a better holdover the second Fri despite the Cocktail competition than many of these other bigger openers did without competition.
In any case let’s see what Talaash does over the second weekend. Far bigger productions in far more safe genres have lower standards to live upto apparently!
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December 8, 2012 at 9:05 AM
Incidentally I believe BOI will have it around 90 crores or a bit more eventually, Taran’s numbers will probably give it something closer to 100. Unless the second weekend is lower than I’m expecting it to be. BOI though are following the BB route here. There they suddenly caught up by the end and pretended it somehow did 102 crores but they did so by giving it a 45 day period for this which is much greater than other 100 crore grossers that started off with similar numbers.
Joginder has the BOI like commentary in a piece but says it will do 90 crores or so. This is essentially the lower end of the range.
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December 8, 2012 at 8:50 AM
hahaha satyam
your having to resort to the cocktail comparison says it all 😉
who is talking about cock tale here anyhow and since whe did cocktail become the gold standard in box office and critical acclaim
Recently aamir had become that gold standard so unfortunately he has to stand that bigger test –simple…
and he has succeeded in the critical acclaim mostly
box office only partly–accept it ha
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December 8, 2012 at 8:56 AM
check out the rest of the comparisons I’ve made. Name me a film you’d like the comparison to be made with and I’ll pull up the numbers. If Agneepath or BG don’t suffice I could get something else. Would you like me to go through the ETT numbers again?
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December 8, 2012 at 9:04 AM
i think there is “disaster” written all over K786 so Talaash should trend well for next 2 weeks
lets assume it does 2 cr daily and then 4 cr each for sat-sunday – it can easily cross 100cr before ending its run
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December 8, 2012 at 9:05 AM
yeah according to nahta K786 numbers are falling quite a bit on Sat. and yeah I expect stability for Talaash. In any case I’m headed for a second screening tonight!
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December 8, 2012 at 9:07 AM
if talaash has to wait n pray for khiladi 786 to fall in the first weekend to do well– to heck with it 🙂
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December 8, 2012 at 12:16 PM
vow satyam, u beat me at that – do write more after 2nd viewing
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December 8, 2012 at 9:39 AM
How BOI tried its best to block SOS and concentrated on fabulous numbers of JTHJ?
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December 8, 2012 at 9:03 AM
satyam—rise above all this boi/other sites machinations
i know they all are biased one way or the other
Look within
and plz answer me–
do u think 85 crores domestic is good for a solo aamir starrer after 3 years in an excel production as a moustachioied cop with demure rani and prostitute kareena –yes or no…lol
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December 8, 2012 at 9:08 AM
But I don’t accept it will do 85 crores! and why is my opinion important for you anyway? I think ETT was poor after a massive start. You didn’t like that opinion! Even otherwise you have lots of snide remarks. So why are you asking here?!
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December 8, 2012 at 9:35 AM
Arguing wigh AA is like arguing with willow of the wisp. If he decides to call a tree an elephant, he will do so without blinking.
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December 8, 2012 at 9:36 AM
and he will say wigh is the right spelling if he decides to.
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December 8, 2012 at 9:51 AM
but what if that ‘tree’ ultimately IS proven to be an ‘elephant’
Perhaps the ‘tree’ was a mirage created by a combo of bias, compulsions and ignorance
This ‘mirage’ afftects everyone including myself… 😉
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December 8, 2012 at 9:13 AM
relax satyam–calm down—i also hope talaash does 100 crore and much more 😉
Infact i hoped and wanted talaash to do 150-175 and more..
but its a sad fact
and btw i feel this is more the fault of excel/kagti and less aamirs fault–will elaborate soon…
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December 8, 2012 at 9:49 AM
Alex is right. Satyam should accept the fact the film is clearly drooping and underperforming. JTHJ was more stable than this. Basically the year belongs to Devgn, Akki and Salman after giving 2 100 Cr hits each. And then Devgn also did some social service by giving Abhishek a hit in a platter in the form of BB
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December 8, 2012 at 9:43 AM
TALAASH–how was this BRILLIANT opportunity MESSED up ?
these are some random thoughts on what i felt about the ‘film’ and aamir performance–which i dont think can be talked of in the same breath
To begin with–
talaash is obviously a very good effort and would rank in the 95th percentile quality wise in mainstream bw
A very worthwhile effort and attempt by excel/kagti
but do we think excel/kagti/aamir aimed a 70-80-90 crore grosser here and thats y they went for this?–nope
So whats went wrong–relatively IMO
Obviously these are just conjectures …
What do u do when u have a one-two film old new director and a star/actor/director/producer who has PROVEN ability in terms of script sense, discretion, product placement and audience responses critically and bo terms
u take ADVANTAGE of that resource pool called AAMIR khan
someone said that talaash is RELENTLESS, DARK etc
my question–is it more important to make a ‘relentless, dark’ film than a successful, GOOD , engrossing film? -i hope not!
Thats where aamirs expertise comes in
I recall there being reports of aamir trying to ‘meddle’ but zoya/kagti putting their ‘foot down’
Apparently aamir even threatened to withdraw from all proprmotions as a protest
An ’emergency’ meet was convened by farhan, sidhwani and others with aamir
Unlike akshay in Joker, Aamir gave in but one could see that his involvement and ‘heart’ wasnt there in the promotions though he did put up some effort lately
I HOPED the aamir-ised version had been allowed
OI could sense atleast TEN junctures wherein a MINOR TWEAK could have improved the FILM and the BOX OFFICE markedly WITHOUT compromising with quality etc
But alas–excel/zoya/kagti seemed more concerned with their ‘vision’ than trusting aamirs judgement !
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December 8, 2012 at 9:57 AM
even I suspected this. His promotion was quite half hearted. Maybe he did not want the type of backlash to be repeated when he took over the direction of TZP.
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December 8, 2012 at 10:04 AM
Having said that, I am ok with the success Talaash has achieved. It got good reviews on an average and did quite well in the first week and trended not too badly for the kind of film it is.
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December 8, 2012 at 10:07 AM
And I am happy that Kagti did not allow Aamir completely to take over. Her vision is too good for me.
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December 8, 2012 at 10:15 AM
whatever were the shortcomings in the film they were due to Kagti. She should be blamed for it
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December 8, 2012 at 10:05 AM
Yes, I also feel like Aamir did not promote this film because he wasn’t happy with the final results.
Having said that, you cannot fault a director for sticking to her vision- Aamir knew what she had in mind when he signed up for the film, and he should have chosen another script if he didn’t like what Reema presented him with or wanted to make something more commercially-friendly- it’s not like he has any shortage of offers!
I’m not trying to find fault with him though- actually, kudos to him for remaining so professional and promoting the film and even praising Reema despite the fact that he might have had some disagreements with her. He’s a huge star and she’s totally unestablished so he could have easily bullied her and got his way if he wanted, or just refused to promote the film like Akki did.
But Reema was just doing her job, and she is not at fault in any way. She’s spoken about how she’s wanted to make this film for almost a decade now, and how it was a very difficult film for her to get made. It’s clearly a project that is very close to her heart, and she has the right, as director, to film it in the manner that she thinks is best.
I don’t think that either of them should be blamed- if they did have a difference in opinion they’ve both handled it in a very dignified way, and I suppose that these clashes are inevitable when you have a lot of talented, creative minds working together.
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December 8, 2012 at 10:06 AM
Typo- Yes, I also feel like Aamir did not promote this film EXTENSIVELY because he wasn’t happy with the final results.
He did promote it obviously, but it wasn’t the usual excellent marketing campaign that we see from him.
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December 8, 2012 at 10:15 AM
^^Yeah–good that amy, sanju and others now see the point.
its these crucial but cryptic things that catch my eye 😉
im less interested in the ‘suspense’ or friggin ‘who killed whom’? sort of deals
yeah–those things did matter to me till couple of years back but either have got bored with that stuff or have ‘evolved’ or devolved as a viewer– dont know haha
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December 8, 2012 at 10:22 AM
Then I guess Aamir must be unhappy with most of his films before Ghajini as he never promoted them EXTENSIVELY. It was only from from Ghajini that this marketing and all was started by Aamir.
He did what was necessary for Talaash too. It clearly didn’t need to be over promoted as simple as that. Mind you he is the co-producer of the film right from the beginning itself, he wouldn’t have been one if he wasn’t interested or did not like it.
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December 8, 2012 at 10:24 AM
“Yeah–good that amy, sanju and others now see the point.
its these crucial but cryptic things that catch my eye ”
Your arrogance is amazing. Seriously have you even read some of your comments? Of course it’s unsurprising that Scorcese liked Dev.D since *you* loved it- of course all the others are totally wrong in their interpretations of Talaash, since *you* are able to read Kagti’s mind and discover that she is not capable of such thought.
Anyway, I felt that Aamir wasn’t completely happy with Talaash even when the promotions were happening, because the marketing was so lukewarm. However, I didn’t want to comment because I felt like I would be accused of being anti-Aamir or trying to pull Talaash down or whatever. So it’s not like your random rants have made me ‘see’ things in a new light. And it so happens that I complete disagree with your point about Reema vs. Aamir.
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December 8, 2012 at 10:29 AM
RDB- Marketing has changed immensely since the pre-Ghajini days, back then such extensive efforts were not necessary. And I’m not trying to blame him at all- like I said it is understandable if he had a clash with Reema, and he’s behaved in a very professional way, however he felt about the film.
But it’s just a feeling that I have- given that there were so many reports of re-shooting and disputes, and then that relatively low-key promotion. And there is a big difference between hearing a script and seeing the final product, so the fact that he signed on as co-producer does not guarantee that he will like the actual film.
Anyway, I don’t really have any evidence to prove my point, nor am I trying to suggest that this is what happened for sure- it’s just a hunch that I have, that’s all.
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December 8, 2012 at 10:33 AM
Amy–one doesnt HAVE to agree on everything
as i mentioned, talaash is lready in the tp 95 th percentile quality wise and remains a v good effort by kagti
The KEY difference however was that extra bit
basically kagti would have got her sarfarsoh, rdb (probably not dch, lagaan here) but she shose not to
All she had to do was to ‘submit’ to aamirs ‘guidance’
its NOT bad to be guided by someone who is undenaiably BETTER than u
it wont have made kagit/zoya small
they could have shown their ‘vision’ in the next non-aamir film
these are all conjectures though i agree
ps-as for ‘arrogance’, i mean why should i or even u amy, feel that our views are any less valid than any tom dick and harry or any of the so-called ‘biggy’ –we are just giving our ‘opinion’ and no actual money /stake is being spent on them lol
So lets respect our own views amy–assume we both know a lot
😉
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December 8, 2012 at 10:39 AM
Well, when you accept yourself that the film was in the 95th percentile in terms of quality, then what good would have come of Kagti compromising on her vision? A few more crores at the box office? That was clerly never Aamir’s aim anyway- otherwise he could have done 10 Singham/ Golmaal type films between 3 Idiots and Talash.
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December 8, 2012 at 10:43 AM
exactly amy–this ‘satisfaction’ at reaching 90-95 percentile is what restricts them
Thats why a hirani > kagti/gowarikar/farhan/muththan
btw did u hear aamir interferring with hirani… hahah
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December 8, 2012 at 10:34 AM
Alex, U are right and I am with U man. U were the one who pointed out abt the low promotion as well as those scenes of Aamir. Sad that U are being termed arrogant for this.
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December 8, 2012 at 10:40 AM
Look if you don’t want to interact with me, then stop taking these cheap, indirect shots!
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December 8, 2012 at 10:53 AM
I wasn’t taking a cheap shot. I simply did not like Alex being called arrogant (I have done the some when people criticised U unfairly in the past). And have U ever seen me take a cheap shot at U before.
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December 8, 2012 at 12:56 PM
AA– You have articulated what I suspected.
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December 8, 2012 at 1:08 PM
“AA– You have articulated what I suspected.”
thanx LS–Im the voice of unbiased sanity haha
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December 8, 2012 at 1:38 PM
I just can’t help feeling that all those reports about hot-headed Reema and a vaguely disatisfied Aamir, have some substance. Apparently Reema has a temper ; that’s what reports from media suggested.
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December 8, 2012 at 1:42 PM
hmmm didnt know about any such reports
but this is the sense i got from the film
zoya isnt better apparenly
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December 8, 2012 at 10:05 AM
If im in aamirs place, I would FORCE my way!!!
its his standing thats getting messed up by this nonsense!
what do folks mean by ‘interference’?
what happened to—-
Mutththan after sarfarosh?
Farhan after DCH?
Mehra after D6?
Gwarikar after Lagaan?
Who is Kagti? Aschool girl in front of aamir Khan
All i needed to see was ONE scene
The one where tears well up in aamirs eyes—
and he states—Im v tired!!
its a pity that such talent/performance/ inviolevement was not used up–i havent even started my rant against kagti/zoya
And im even more surprised at how people saw all sorts of metaphors and auteuristic tendencies in kagti/zoya –something they wouldnt have dreamt in their (collective) dreams…anyhow
Talaash is worth the time spent only for a couple of aamirs scenes
everything else is incidental relatively….
AA
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December 8, 2012 at 10:25 AM
Look didn’t Aamir say that for a film to be successful it must triple its opening weekend. Now Taalash will come no where near that. Anyway I don’t believe in the above. For me a film is a success (am only talking about the BO) when the costs have been covered and a bit more. No one should lose any money on the film.
Now Talaash clearly wasn’t an expensive film considering Aamir will take his fees out of the profits. BUT again can those who were very quick to mock other biggies falling by 70-75% now also tag Taalash with those same terms.
Heck Talaash has dropped more than Agneepath, JTHJ and ETT and some of these films were coming off HUGE extended weeks.
I’m not trying to undermine Talaash and I do take the genre into consideration. I also don’t think one should hold it against Aamir in that he took 3 years in coming with this film. For me 100 if it reaches there would be a GREAT result but coming of 67 week naa it ‘should’ have done more.
When ETT which made 110 in its first 7 days went on to add another 80 is considered poor then what should Talaash be thought of as.
P. S sorry if I seem like am going on and on but the same rules should apply to all films.
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December 8, 2012 at 1:45 PM
i dont guess anyone disagrees with u naveed!
I havent seen the movie, so cant say much abt treatment, but as u say u r counting GENRE, u are underestimating it, i am not an expert of links, but one of my first comments after first teaser 7-8 months ago was this would wrap under 100.
I agree on trending and other things, and on this i will say talaash might be shockingly low. Yet i feel GENRE rule might provide the reason.
But yeah on trending its a FLOP. But some movies are beyond box office and this one seems to be the same, i know many people fail to get that concept, but i will share simple eg. there was a movie called phir milenge of salman, i consider that beyond box office.
note: i havent seen talaash, whatever i have said is as per what i have read.
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December 8, 2012 at 10:26 AM
The NEED for take-over
“Aamir knew what she had in mind when he signed up for the film, and he should have chosen another script if he didn’t like what Reema presented him with or wanted to make something more commercially-friendly- it’s not like he has any shortage of offers! ”
Amy–to be frank i can see your point
BUt i can appreciate why aamir tries to ‘take over’
Yeah these makers do come to him wihtt their IDEAS but Aamir crucially gives them his NAME and INVOLVEMENT by his approval and signing the film
aftter that, it becomes HIS prestige issue and HE gets judged by it
Its only natural that he feels irritated when things start going haywire
Being a proeffesional, aamir cant close his eyes KNOWINGLY
i SUPPORT aamirs stance and INTERFERRENCE hahah
he SHOULD take over projects midway IF these buggers are making a mess of the film
Anyhow thats what I would have done in his shoes
and would have TAKEN OVER KAGTI MIDWAY or else stalled it–yeah it would have been unprofessional but sometimes tjese tactics ARE needed
would invite satyams views on this…
ps–satyam–as u will now see– im not anti-aamir
its just that i like getting to the bottom of the whole premise/problem… 🙂
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December 8, 2012 at 10:33 AM
You’re talking totally illogically Alex. Just because Aamir accept’s a director’s project, it doesn’t give him a right to take over and do her job, and squash her vision for her own script. If he’s so rigid in how he expects a film to shape up, then he should direct all of his films on his own, and only ask people to provide him with scripts. What’s the point of hiring a director and not allowing her to do her own job?!
Anyway, he seems to be much more mature than that, and he is not intefering in such an arrogant and dictatorial manner at all, so I don’t see how you can ‘support’ his stance and inteference when it isn’t even happening!
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December 8, 2012 at 10:39 AM
As usual, alex is simply making something out of nothing. Better not to fall into the trap and even if we fall, better to get up and run for our sanity to be intact.
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December 8, 2012 at 10:40 AM
“What’s the point of hiring a director and not allowing her to do her own job?!”
direction is hard work, a thankless 24×7 job
acting is much much cushy
plus u get to kiss rani and kareena 🙂
So i would give kagti a chance to show her skills and come in only when she gets ‘derailed’
and take over only when/where needed
ditto for any male directors as well (like farhan,gowarikar,muuththan) etc
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December 8, 2012 at 10:47 AM
Then he should hire some desperate, sidey director who is willing to do whatever Aamir says- not somebody like Kagti who clearly has opinions and ideas of her own that she does not want to compromise on. And he can act and direct in a film at the same time, lots of people do it- plus, he clearly doesn’t have an aversion to directing considering that he did direct TZP.
I also do not think that he took over DCH creatively- that was clearly Farhan’s world and sensibility. It’s just that some filmmakers never top the innoncence and genuineness of their first film- look at Adi’s career after DDLJ, for instance.
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December 8, 2012 at 10:52 AM
i agree amy–those are two v good points
as for kagti in talaash–
she is getting the advantage of getting aamir in the film
with any other actor, this subject wouldve been mushc less viable
So she shoudl also repsect hisjudgment and not be so stringent on her ‘vision”
after all ammirs inputs would only have helped her OWN film
kagti could have done a non-aamir film next and induged in her own casting couches etc
its this MATURITY that diferentiates ‘freedom’ from commonsense’
but amy–u do make some good points there
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December 8, 2012 at 10:57 AM
“Then he should hire some desperate, sidey director who is willing to do whatever Aamir says-”
good point but those ‘sidey directors’ prpbably didint bring such good subjects/roles to him that excited him
also there sensibilities/styles arent promising
one has to be a bit selfish/blunt in these things–to get the nest of everything –only helps the overall product 🙂
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December 8, 2012 at 10:58 AM
She’s an artist Alex, of course she’s going to be protective of her artistic freedom and her vision for her project. How can any creative person be expected to view their creation in an objective, ‘common sense’ manner?
For instance, look at this rant that she wrote on not being allowed to show people smoking on screen- does she seem to you like the sort of person who will meekly accept the opinion of another because it’s ‘common sense’?
IT took me five years to make Talaash. I waited till
I got the opportunity to be as authentic as the story
demanded. A crew of about 200 professionals shot for gruelling hours extending over months. Aamir Khan, Rani Mukerji and Kareena Kapoor, along with a host of other talented actors, travelled daily to seedy locations in the Mumbai underbelly so that we could create a world that looks and feels as authentic and real as possible. We wanted the viewers of our cinema to go beyond the glitz and take the gritty journey that we have embarked on.
This is a story that features cops, film stars, prostitutes, pimps, madams, businessmen and the people that they interact with. Now, here comes the TRUTH — Many of these people SMOKE.
So when you watch the film we have bent over backwards to make, you see a super ON THE FILM every time any character is even holding a cigarette. As someone who is passionate about her work, this has left me feeling very angry, confused and heartbroken.
Even if I were to ignore the fact that this is a desecration of my work and the government has no right to ‘lawfully’ trample on my rights as an artiste and an individual, I am left wondering what purpose it serves; besides making sure the audience is consistently pulled out of their involvement in the film with the supers.
Indians smoke. According to a global tobacco usage study done in 2010, India is the second-highest tobacco user in the world. A frighteningly high number of these users are children. In such a disturbing scenario, one would expect the health ministry to lobby for the ban of tobacco products. So why is it not doing so?
The primary reason cited is the right to livelihood of tobacco farmers. That is an absolute load of crock! Are you telling me in the 65 years of freedom, the government could not manage to find alternate sources of income for these tobacco farmers, who happen to make up only 0.03 % of the total farmer population?
I think that the government won’t ban smoking because it collects more than 5,000 crore every year from excise duties levied, to ‘discourage’ tobacco users. A recent study ranks India lagging behind 123 countries out of the 198 as far as pictorial warning on cigarette packets go! So if you can’t even put adequate warnings on the poison packet why are you putting it on films?
Of course, there is also the fact that one of the major reasons of tobacco usage growing in India is because international tobacco giants are focusing on developing world markets. The government is actually doing nothing about
this menace, apart from making money. However, since the Indian government needs to project an image of fighting the tobacco menace, my film has come into this sorry mess. These mandatory guidelines imposed on filmmakers are the least effective way to deal with the problem.
It is my job and constitutional right as an artiste to reflect reality. Smoking is an unpleasant but existing reality. What possible service to society would I be doing by showing a smoke-free world on screen when any child can buy cigarettes on the streets of India today?
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December 8, 2012 at 11:00 AM
to summarise–a good girl should know when to ‘assert’ and when to ‘submit’ 😉
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December 8, 2012 at 11:03 AM
@ amy–im impressed with that info on smoking/stats
good points–thanx
r u writing /working on a uni project currently btw….
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December 8, 2012 at 11:04 AM
That’s not my writing- it’s Reema’s! 😛
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December 8, 2012 at 11:06 AM
@amy–forget bout reema
u write well and can write proessionally (if u dont already)
hav u thought of it
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December 8, 2012 at 11:17 AM
btw i think both rani, kareena were good
amy–who do u think had a better role and who did a better job
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December 8, 2012 at 10:31 AM
Geez! 67 cr week one?
Now it has to do 135 cr to be considered an ‘accepted’ movie – else we live in a world of hypocrites.
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December 8, 2012 at 11:00 AM
But people who didn’t accept my ideas on all of this with other films have no right to do so now! It’s the old Abhishek argument. When he was signing the prestige projects they were supposed to be not really so etc. When he failed suddenly he had done so in big name films! So those who weren’t accepting my trending ‘theories’ when I was talking about them for years using every example in the book have no leg to stand on to challenge me now. Again this is similar to something I’ve always said. You can’t pick your ‘truth’ in different ways at each end of the equation. So if Talaash does a 100 yes 67% of it will have come in week 1. Let’s leave aside the genre argument for a minute. For anyone who wants to call this an under-performer on my terms has to do the same with every other film with a similar ratio (which means every 100 crore grosser with the exception of Ghajini, 3I, Singham).
Now one might argue that those films have bigger grosses and what not. Again let’s leave aside genre for a minute. Those who now want to test me on trending also have to accept the rest of the argument. For me it was never about getting to 100 or 200 but the terms on which this came about. This was the whole point about ETT recently! It’s a point I made just the other day. Is it ok to start out with 170 and finish off with 200 and say ‘yeah I did 200’?!
I am willing to have a debate over Talaash (depending where it ends up) with honest brokers. Not those who keep changing the terms of the debate depending on who they want to support. JTHJ was a bad result. I dislike RNBDJ as well but the latter was very stable on trending, a point I’ve made for years. So revolutionary as this concept might seem it’s not about liking or disliking stars. I have Aamir fans who make fun of me when I say things about abhishek using the same box office logic and so on or when I talk about him as an actor but who are completely on board with me when it comes to Aamir and when I use the very same thought process! So it happens all round.
Finally those who are into dogmatic claims without adequate reasons and refused to respond when challenged and try to go off into other tangents are also not serious when it comes to these matters. if Talaash doesn’t do anything much to add to this week 1 total I won’t have a problem with the ‘facts’ even if I’ll find the results disappointing. but that hasn’t happened here. let’s see how it does this weekend.
But again don’t be foolish enough to play games here, quoting what I’ve said in the past. Unfortunately for many I not only remember all too well what I’ve said, I also remember everything everyone else has said. So if you were accept my thinking on ready, BG, ETT, JTHJ, agneepath, Ra One or as the case might be sure I’ll be happy to have a debate on Talaash (again based on where it ends up eventually). But the great thinker Vijay was as always right — I won’t be the first one to sign! What does this mean? I will summarize a longer comment I once left on this. If a system is essentially dishonest and/or compromised/corrupt in a structural sense you cannot just pretend it’s about one criminal and insist on his confession? Not because his actions are defensible but because the larger structure breeds people like him.
so again don’t just say that it’s 67 crore week 1 and it now has to do 135 by my rights. Begin my saying that 67 crores in week 1 is more or less the Ready and Don2 number in week 1 in a much trickier genre, without Christmas advantages or whatever, and without competition in week 2. In the next step also say that a star can only get a big initial and after that it also depends on WOM (isn’t this the logic that is used to pull down stuff like 3I and prop up some other films.. ‘if he could do this much with a bad film how much would he do with a good one’?!), which I of course accept, and that even if the film does not double its initial (on my terms) Aamir will still have proved a great deal by matching those initials in this sort of film!
Ha! What happened? Do you know why balloons get punctured so easily? Because they are only filled with air! So before some of you guys decide to start questioning me I’d ask you to do yourselves a favor, learn a few things before you start launching into these silly partisan games.
And now back to masala.. though I am generally a mellower person here than what I used to be on NG (for more than one reason), I will still say this — main aaj bhi wahi aadmi hoon jo pachees baras pehle hua karta tha! LOL! remember that before you begin the ‘debate’!
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December 8, 2012 at 11:29 AM
No dude, you are off the tangent here. Talaash is already an earner in my books and the same one said ETT did very well to make those big profits.
Its you who shift your standards, which many then rebuke/ridicule.
From your arguments only, if Talaash gets to 100 cr from 67 cr week 1, then it basically trends just as well/bad as Don 2. Now Don 2 was not appreciated by your trending standards here, so how come 100 cr for Talaash is suddenly acceptable now????
Quite bizarre, isnt it?
As I said in the Shekhar Kapur thread, one needs to be either ‘mind’-less or simply dishonest to not see the obvious.
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December 8, 2012 at 1:26 PM
“From your arguments only”
how many of my previous arguments have you accepted? Itemize these and we can talk!
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December 8, 2012 at 6:44 PM
Last time in plain words – i am hardly ever persuaded by your arguments.
Its your awkward loopholes and inconsistencies that keep sticking out.
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December 8, 2012 at 9:48 PM
Ok so let me unpack what you’re really saying — ‘I find you inconsistent and unpersuasive but I nonetheless want you to now be consistent with your earlier inconsistent positions’! LOL!
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December 9, 2012 at 12:02 PM
Wrong again, just pointing out the inconsistencies. Not that I am expecting anything better.
The only option you have is to ban me, since pointing out the inconsistencies seem to be hurting you. Else why bother to twist my words everytime I comment?
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December 9, 2012 at 12:25 PM
LOL, your thoughts are already so twisted it doesn’t take me to add anything to them! It’s your own utter lack of logic that’s letting you down. You said you always found “awkward loopholes” (as opposed to the more elegant variety) in what I say, that you never agreed with me, that you found my positions inconsistent. Alright fine. But now you’re asking me to be consistent with my earlier positions. What does it mean? Maintain the “awkward loopholes” et al? Well what is the opposite of this? If I was earlier indicating these lapses in logic and being totally inconsistent what’s the opposite of these things? I would think a better logic! But you want me to revert back from this!
But there is also an old masala villain possibility here… the guys who did everything bad. They smuggled gold, they raped women, they killed families etc. So your version implies that earlier I was just smuggling gold and killing families, you did not agree with this and found this ‘inconsistent’, now I am being inconsistent and raping women too whereas I should just stick to smuggling and murder!
So not sure which it is with you. But hey with your homophobic comments elsewhere perhaps you should first write your book on everything that you like so much and perhaps I can review it here!
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December 8, 2012 at 10:37 AM
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December 8, 2012 at 11:12 AM
Alright everyone I’m saying this again, don’t come up with too many one-line responses.. because these box office threads get clogged up very quickly. Also this isn’t a place for ‘conversation’ beyond reasonable limits. Now I can keep deleting stuff but it’s a headache for all the reasons I’ve pointed out before. So people who keep doing this repeatedly (hence making me work!) might find themselves barred in other ways. Hope this doesn’t happen but I’m tried to be polite and reasonable with everyone about this. Again even if you are sticking to the topic or saying something relevant don’t keep putting up ten comments with one or two sentences each. Collect your thoughts first and put it all in one! I am only pointing to the repeat-offenders here. Not everyone.
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December 8, 2012 at 11:17 AM
BOI have K786 under 9 for Fri:
http://boxofficeindia.com/boxnewsdetail.php?page=shownews&articleid=5181&nCat=
Taran is talking about 10+
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December 8, 2012 at 1:05 PM
taran is one of the very few who gave the film 3+ – he baffles me often. Apparently, BWH and himself might be “fed” handsomely do such things – not a bad business!
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December 8, 2012 at 12:12 PM
OT–just came across this cocktail MASHUP
a ‘tribute’ to all the members of my spoof( those who were a part, know!) haha
Ofcourse the film needs no introduction
Put on your prancing shoes Satyams and all folks–party
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December 8, 2012 at 12:48 PM
So I saw JTHJ today. I am baffled at people finding this worse than SOTY. It is one of the better films of the year and SRK comes with a matured performance. And it is much better than that crappy Son Of Sardar
SOTY on the other hand is the prime example of what people term as regressive cinema. The ending is an absolute shame. Both the male leads are useless. Alia Bhatt is sizzling hot
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December 8, 2012 at 1:31 PM
I found it appalling. I thought it wasn’t possible to fall lower than RNBDJ but that’s a classic compared to this. Both as a pure narrative and in terms of the absurdity of the plot. Did prefer the second half though. Will try and write a note on this at some point.
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December 8, 2012 at 6:18 PM
I haven’t seen SOTY but JTHJ is tonally inconsistent movie apart from multiple plot nonsense. I liked for most part how the dialogues were delivered but then you have contant “Sir Jesus” and effervescent Anuska. The film needed atleast 30-40 minutes of trimming and no need of Amnesia.
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December 8, 2012 at 1:24 PM
in the name of the father, the son and the god-damn-it sanity – we demand a separate post: “unending rantings of AA and Ami” – grow up kids – we request AA also to stop using one hand while other is busy driving. Please start using your legs to write “relevant” comments – perhaps then Talaash might do 350 cr nett in Japan.
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December 8, 2012 at 1:33 PM
Which comments of mine do you object to?
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December 8, 2012 at 1:40 PM
idea–we wont grow up –thats our motto –what say amy..
relax and do give me some updates of your favorite ielana da cruz–any latest pics/updates thanx
ps–if one hand can do so much–two hands …i shudder 🙂
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December 8, 2012 at 1:39 PM
I am not trying to fight for her or anything but it’s absolutely incorrect to call Ami’s comments as rants. She always something worthwhile to say
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December 8, 2012 at 2:14 PM
I guess i normally wont interfere, but Ami how come?
Idea, i have read many of her comment and found those interesting, may be i guess its her replies to AA which might be offending u, as it encourages more AA single handed comments 😛
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December 8, 2012 at 7:12 PM
“may be i guess its her replies to AA which might be offending u”
hehe ok amy–do respond to these guys as well once in a while–they seem to be getting ‘jealous’ of us 🙂
joking—good nite…
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December 8, 2012 at 6:42 PM
From Akayla To Talaash
Something stayed with me after watching aamir in Talaash
Needless to say, he was like a cape that engulfed me for some parts so much so that i didnt notice much of the rest of the movie.
Have mentioned some key scenes already here–
and now i know
This was a sort of continuum of one of my favorite alltime bachchan performances –know it wont be in anyones list of even top 50 but it is for me–akayla
An average film in all respects
But bachchan maintained a certain tone and understated melancholy there which gets unleashed more overtly albeit still implosively here—Aamir in Talaash
Sheer Brilliance
Bachchan in Akayla To Aamir in Talaash–
The former did have the ‘megastar’ in it though in his autumnal slightly over the hill phase (and the film was made on a lesser budget, ambition & motivation), in the latter, aamir ‘strips’ himself totally on even the baggage he had in a similar setting sarfarosh
I think, thats why his role isnt /wont attract similar acclaim!
BUt oh man, what restrain, committment and involvement to do SUCH an inerpretation of this role at this stage of his career wherein he could have got away wth even murder!
Would like satyams views on this
Its difficult to compare these two masterclasses and i suspect, they both will be relegated to the background interms of the overall oeuvre of both bachchan and aamir–but in my opinion, they both are right up there in their acting careers….
AA
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December 9, 2012 at 2:18 AM
Alex dude- Akeyla and Talaash- that’s a superb connection. You should atleast write a proper short note on it
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December 8, 2012 at 10:18 PM
According to some, saturday was around 10 crores for Akki starrer. The haze created intentionally will be cleared next week, hopefully.
The most inconsistent and the most confusing arguments are by AA. In the process, he tries to confuse us sometimes quite successfully. hehe.
Satyam is more or less the most consistent.
Ami is passionate and I love her for calling a spade a spade.
And Saurabh is more knowledgeable about cinema than ami.
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December 9, 2012 at 1:29 AM
“And Saurabh is more knowledgeable about cinema than ami.”-
LOL…Thanks Sanjana but I simply cannot agree to this. And I say this with the greatest of sincerity and honesty that I am embarrassed to be mentioned in the same breath as Ami (And I mean it when I say that there are not many who write as well as her). She, or for that matter almost everyone here, know much more than me about cinema (amongst other things). And I am just a tyro happy learning from folks like Ami, GF and Satyam (and even you. Your sharp wisecracks are pretty much the life of the blog) and being allowed to be a part of the blog
And I know you said it as a compliment but these things sometimes can cause unnecessary controversies so it’s better that I am not compared with such titans 🙂
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December 9, 2012 at 1:36 AM
I dont think it is exaggerated. While ami is very good about contemporary cinema and writes really well, your knowledge of older cinema, that is the 60s and 70s has more depth.
What I like about ami is her forthrightness and her honesty.
Of course none here can be as knowledgeable as Satyam and also as insightful as him.
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December 9, 2012 at 1:47 AM
But that might be only because I ‘might’ have seen more old Bollywood films than her…and while that ‘might’ give me more factual knowledge it hardly means that I know more about a film/films than her
And even then there are many people who are leagues ahead of me in their knowledge of old films (and I am not even talking about Satyam, GF, Q and Abzee here)- There is Oldgold. Then there is Utkal Sir. Rajen SIr himself knows a lot. And finally how I could I forget Antya who is a very good writer
Here is a very short but an extraordinary note by Ami on an old Bollywood film- “DUVIDHA” by Mani Kaul….I URGE you to read it
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December 9, 2012 at 1:50 AM
If ami can forgive me, I would like to say that she is more gender conscious while reviewing certain films, certain actors etc. She may not be so but somehow I got this impression. while reading some of her pieces. Everyone has some preferences like this and no one is completely exempt from this. But the way she fights for the right causes, is really commendable. I visualise her as goddess Durga. We need more of Amis to set many wrongs right.
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December 9, 2012 at 1:58 AM
Well that’s an interesting observation but I don’t think I am good enough to comment on her writing skills. And I suggest you should read that piece of her before forming any impression about her writing.
BTW you have might have unintentionally pissed Ami off. She wouldn’t be happy being compared to someone like me 🙂
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December 9, 2012 at 2:02 AM
ROFL! at Goddess Durga, and no I’m not offended by these comments at all, so there is no need for me to ‘forgive’ you! 😛
And I agree completely that Saurabh is a lot more knowledegeable in areas like 60s/70s Indian cinema, Hong Kong cinema and Masala movies, which are subjects that I know very little about.
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December 9, 2012 at 2:54 AM
30 Cr weekend for K – that means from monday, the film is gonna tank big time – lifelong will be 55 at the most – disaster
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December 9, 2012 at 3:03 AM
Just visited koimoi. their report says it is 20 crore.
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December 9, 2012 at 3:43 AM
today will add another 10 so weekend = 30
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December 9, 2012 at 1:09 AM
Khiladi 786 Has Growth On Saturday
Saturday 9th December 2012 10.30 IST
Boxofficeindia.Com Trade Network
Khiladi 786 managed to grow around 10% on Saturday as compared to Friday. The collections on Saturday will be in the 9.25-9.50 crore nett range adding to the 8.50 crore nett on Friday giving it a two day total of 17 crore nett approx.
The growth is mainly due to the fact that collections in Delhi/UP, East Punjab, West Bengal and Mysore were very low on Friday and all these circuits have added in the 10-30% range on Saturday. The central belt of CPCI Rajasthan along with Bihar is seeing the best business and collections held well in these areas on Saturday.
Although the film has managed growth on Saturday it is still a limited upturn especially considering low collections on day one and even a 30 crore nett weekend does not look forthcoming unless Sunday somehow manages phenomenal growth.
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December 9, 2012 at 2:26 AM
I am in talaash of talaash numbers. And none of the prominent sites is giving any information. Taran is not well but he is giving updates on other movies. BOI blocked Talaash completely. Do the producers not giving any numbers at all?
Just like andaz apna Apna and other such movies, Talaash may find its place. How is Khiladi faring overseas? any idea?
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December 9, 2012 at 2:41 AM
From this official fb page for the film — https://www.facebook.com/TalaashTheOfficial
the following link:
http://www.ibtimes.co.in/articles/412890/20121208/talaash-box-office-collection-aamir-starrer-crosses.htm
By Ankita Mehta | December 8, 2012 11:11 AM IST
‘Talaash’ Box Office Collection: Aamir-Starrer Crosses ₹ 100-Crore Mark in First Week
Suspense thriller “Talaash: The Answer Lies Within” crossed the ₹ 100-crore mark at the box office within first week of its release. Reema Kagti’s directorial film has earned ₹67.9 crore at domestic and ₹36.75 crore at overseas box offices in its first week.
The worldwide total of Aamir Khan-starrer film now stands at ₹ 104.65 crore.
The movie also featuring Kareena Kapoor and Rani Mukherjee in the lead roles was released on a non-holiday Friday across 2500 screens in India and 520 screens overseas.
“#Talaash Overseas 1st Week total: $ 6.75 million [₹ 36.75 cr],” trade analyst and film critic Taran Adarsh tweeted adding, “#Talaash collects ₹ 67.9 cr nett in 1st Week.”
Despite the mixed reactions, “Talaash” has done good business at multiplexes and average to good at single screens, according to Adarsh.
The movie had a tremendous opening on the first day and showed growth over the weekend, especially on Sunday; however, the business witnessed a fall on weekdays.
It collected ₹ 18.1 crore on first Sunday, but on Monday the business declined by ₹ 11.36 crore. On Tuesday it raked in ₹ 5.72 cr, Wednesday ₹ 4.56 cr and Thursday ₹ 3.7 crore.
“Talaash” business might get affected due to Akshay Kumar’s action masala film “Khiladi 786” which was released on December.
“Talaash” is jointly produced by Excel Entertainment and Aamir Khan Productions. Besides the three big stars, the movie also features Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Raj Kumar Yadav, Shernaz Patel and Bengali actor Subrat Dutta in supporting roles.
To report problems or to leave feedback about this article, e-mail: a.mehta@ibtimes.com
To contact the editor, e-mail: editor@ibtimes.com
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December 9, 2012 at 2:20 AM
a must-see:
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December 9, 2012 at 2:23 AM
Dude I saw a month back (after you told me that a friend of yours had directed after going thru a lot of troubles) and absolutely loved it (had put the same video earlier)- this has to be one of the best festival-films of the decades from Bollywood-
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December 9, 2012 at 3:04 AM
ya another uncoloured version after gandu….an interesting parallel is ray’s devi where symbol of godess was forced upon teenage married lady and in a moment of subversion here the lady looks for devi and in both cases for a happy family
aside drought continues after jthj and sos as both talaash(highly confused and unlayered sript) and mediocre k786 are underperformers
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December 9, 2012 at 2:28 AM
New York Film Critics Circle Awards 2013-
http://collider.com/new-york-film-critics-circle-awards-zero-dark-thirty/215499/
Best Film:
Zero Dark Thirty
Best Director:
Kathryn Bigelow – Zero Dark Thirty
Best Screenplay:
Tony Kushner – Lincoln
Best Actor:
Daniel Day-Lewis – Lincoln
Best Actress:
Rachel Weisz – The Deep Blue Sea
Best Foreign Language Film:
Amour
Best Animated Film:
Frankenweenie
Best Supporting Actor:
Matthew McConaughey – Magic Mike
Best Supporting Actress:
Sally Field – Lincoln
Best Cinematographer:
Greig Fraser – Zero Dark Thirty
Best Non-Fiction Film (Documentary):
The Central Park Five
Best First Film:
David France – How to Survive a Plague
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December 9, 2012 at 2:35 AM
National Board Of Review Awards 2013-
http://collider.com/national-board-of-review-winners-2012-zero-dark-thirty/215989/
Best Film: ZERO DARK THIRTY
Best Director: Kathryn Bigelow, ZERO DARK THIRTY
Best Actor: Bradley Cooper, SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK
Best Actress: Jessica Chastain, ZERO DARK THIRTY
Best Supporting Actor: Leonardo DiCaprio, DJANGO UNCHAINED
Best Supporting Actress: Ann Dowd, COMPLIANCE
Best Original Screenplay: Rian Johnson, LOOPER
Best Adapted Screenplay: David O. Russell, SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK
Best Animated Feature: WRECK-IT RALPH
Special Achievement in Filmmaking: Ben Affleck, ARGO
Top Films
(in alphabetical order)
ARGO
BEASTS OF THE SOUTHERN WILD
DJANGO UNCHAINED
LES MISÉRABLES
LINCOLN
LOOPER
THE PERKS OF BEING A WALLFLOWER
PROMISED LAND
SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK
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December 9, 2012 at 3:30 AM
argo and looper are recent of two with unchained to follow:
liked looper a nice scien morece fiction and better extension of source code…liked climax and in indian context even mama of krishna knew who will kill him in future but agan you can change future only by uncertainity of your existence
argo again a real movie ironically in disguise of fake one…politics , thrill , tension nd realism you cant ask for
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December 9, 2012 at 3:38 AM
aside amusing to see indians cant even come with one mythological fiction when most of the hollywoodish one ( starting from matrix,startrek to most of recent one borrows heavilly from indian mythology rather intelligently)
budget, time taking restriaint and audience taste and market is time and tested excuse
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December 9, 2012 at 3:54 AM
My previous comment on Looper-
Looper- This for me is year’s best film till now (though I enjoyed The Grey more). I will try and write in more detail later but for now I can easily say that it’s a film one should miss at one’s own risk- the film definitely has some high-art aspirations (and a seductive central premise) it mixes that with cheap genre thrills to come up with a sci-fi film reminiscent of yore. Rian Johnson is the director to look out for. And it was very satisfying to see Bruce Willis, after ages, getting a good enough role to sink his teeth into. Gordon Levitt, though a wrong choice for the part (he was better in Killshot incase any of u have seen that film), is still a competent enough actor to carry the film on his shoulder. And Blunt is always an interesting actress (heck i even loved her in Wolfman). And btw the plot reminded me slightly of Van Damme’s highly enjoyable Timecop
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December 9, 2012 at 4:24 AM
easily the best and most intelligent one ( thanks to climax) and ya bruce willis found something decent but physically he looks in bad shape(though the role demanded it and hides it somewht) and talking about plot its an extension of bruce own maverick time machine movie called 12 monkeys,,,
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December 9, 2012 at 4:25 AM
hint:the climax
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December 9, 2012 at 4:28 AM
you are right on both the Kansa reference and the Gilliam film
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December 9, 2012 at 6:13 AM
Just re-watched Kadhalil Sodhappuvdahu Yeppadi- this is easily the best rom-com to have come out of Indian cinema in the last few years. I’ll reccomend it highly to anyone who is even slightly interested in the genre- it’s young and urbane without once being artificially modern or trying too hard to be cool, it has a lovely ensemble cast where each character is well-developed and relatable and a light, even tone that seldom meanders into saccharine or melodramatic territory.
Here’s Barawadaj Rangan’s highly positive review, if it persuades anybody to watch the film-
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December 9, 2012 at 8:52 AM
Thanks for the recco. Had never heard of it before. The genre usually keeps me away from such films.
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December 9, 2012 at 6:55 AM
thanx amy–is this available subtitled
And folks—has b rangan got time to watch/review talaash yet
@ sanjana—ready your comment above—well, i treat u (& some others not all) with kid gloves —if i do reply (in my own way)–folks find it difficult tot cope and just disappear from the blog itself—dont wanna do that—so u can continue with your fun lol
btw Wonder where poor oldgold and anya have disappeared…
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December 9, 2012 at 7:14 AM
The Girl on the bridge–La Fille sur le Pont
Vanessa Paradis–Patrice Leconte
Saw portions–more to give company/ payback
An enchanting, surreal, magical take–the way only the french can.
Playful, surreal, erotic, semi spiritual–Found this piece which sums it up better
The word “telepathy” literally means “feeling at a distance.” Frederic Myers, the scholar who invented the word, once defined love as “a form of exalted and unspecialized telepathy.” Anyone who has ever been caught up in a spellbinding romance knows this to be true. Lovers are able to magically commune with each other even over vast distances. They are so attuned to each other that when one is feeling lonely, the other immediately calls.
In the prologue to Girl on the Bridge, 21-year-old Adele (Vanessa Paradis) is being interviewed by another woman. She confesses that due to her sexual promiscuity with men, her life is a terrible mess. She gets carried away by promises that shouldn’t be taken seriously. And she has incredibly bad luck.
Later, Adele is on a bridge in Paris, contemplating suicide. Gabor (Daniel Auteuil), a middle-aged man with an intense look in his eyes, appears on the scene and tries to talk her out of ending her life. She leaps; he follows and rescues her. At the hospital where they are being treated for hypothermia, Gabor offers her a job as a human target — he’s a knife thrower. “With your body and my skill we can go far,” he tells her. Besides, what has she got to lose; she was about to give up anyway.
They head off to Monte Carlo. On a train, she has sex with a man in a restroom. Gabor tells the fellow to buzz off: “I’m a good fairy.” True to his word, he pays for Adele’s makeover into a stunning target. “There’s no wrong road,” Gabor assures her, “only bad company.” He pushes himself upon some circus entrepreneurs by promising to “throw blind.” Adele surrenders herself to the knives and the two of them find themselves united in telepathic harmony.
After winning lots of money in a casino following Gabor’s instructions, Adele pushes her luck in a raffle and wins a car. Suddenly the hapless waif is on a big-time roll of good luck and Gabor has found his muse. He presents her with a bill torn in half, stressing how each part, like they do, needs the other. On a cruise ship, Gabor throws the knives while Adele spins on the “wheel of death.” By now she feels an erotic surge during this experience; fear and pleasure are entwined. But then she succumbs to her sexual addiction and runs off with a newly married Greek. Gabor loses his job and crashes into a deep depression. Can they reconnect?
Patrice Leconte directs this French black-and-white drama based on a witty screenplay by Serge Frydman. As an exploration of love, luck, and telepathy, The Girl on the Bridge is a beguiling film from start to finish.
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December 9, 2012 at 7:49 AM
This film was actually screened about a year ago by the French film society at my Uni.
The central premise is bizarre, but handled with a wonderful sense of humour. Often you have these European art films which deal with decidedly odd, even pervese, situations but they’re too busy taking themselves seriously to milk the eccentricity of their characters for humour.
Here, for a change, the film has a cheeky, self-aware sense of fun and that makes it a sophisticated yet unpretentious and amusing watch.
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December 9, 2012 at 7:57 AM
exactly amy–u have summed it better than i could have
“Often you have these European art films which deal with decidedly odd, even pervese, situations but they’re too busy taking themselves seriously to milk the eccentricity of their characters for humour.”
Well said!!
the other point is that in many euro circles–these situations arent AS ‘odd/preverse’ as one from indian sensibilites may feel..
U maybe aware–that these are all part of the ‘growing up’ or ‘exploring man/womanhood’ deals
For some, this ‘exploration’ keeps goin on 😉
Anyhow, vanessa paradis (the heroine here) isnt just a pretty face..(besides depps ex)
one of her commonly known seminal tracks–enjoy guys
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December 9, 2012 at 8:13 AM
btw amy–this was NOT to encourage U to ‘explore’ similar themes /deals or gap year shenanigans–just commenting on some trends ha
@ tony–“animated version of the Twilight saga – the female being the vampire this time”—hahaha
@ satyam–evn those box office folks take it easy on weekends…lol
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December 9, 2012 at 2:54 PM
Man, I’ve become a v paradis fan of sorts
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December 9, 2012 at 8:17 AM
“the other point is that in many euro circles–these situations arent AS ‘odd/preverse’ as one from indian sensibilites may feel”
When I say perverse, I don’t mean it in a literal way- as in, scandolous/ sexually inappropriate. What I mean is that much of this kind of European cinema is concerned with exploring the quirks, hypocrisies and dichotomies of human nature, but sometimes the filmmakers take this mission so seriously that they fail to see the humour in this eccentricity of human nature.
In any case, this film is also very odd on a more obvious level: the whole glamorous-knife-target-who-literally-gambles-with-her-life-at-stake angle adds a nice touch of the surreal to the film.
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December 9, 2012 at 8:24 AM
good point amy about “they fail to see the humour in this eccentricity of human nature”
to me, ‘humour’ doesnt/shouldnt come written with a placard saying–“hey here comes humour”
there are many many varieties OTHER than the sajid khan, roht shetty, johny lever, even rowan atkninson, the ricky gervais types
The ones which are acerbic,dark, paradoxical, unstated and subtle enthrall me more n longer….
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December 9, 2012 at 8:35 AM
I’m a huge fan of classic Brit humour (but then, who isn’t?)- Monty Python, Yes Prime Minister, Fry and Laurie. Amongst the more recent lot, I like David Mitchell and Sue Perkins.
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December 9, 2012 at 8:47 AM
besides that, amy, I loved the use of black and white cinematography –thought it enhanced the overall impact though the reasons arent clear how it does so
Also there is a compassionate camera behind this fable-like theme–these are commonplace in european cinema but somehow not really taken up by india
Dhobi ghaat was a good attempt in that direction though flawed.
as for talaash the film–as an afterthought, also liked the underwater sequence where kareena ‘saves’ aamir..
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December 9, 2012 at 8:51 AM
The underwater sequence where the heroine the saves the hero seems to be a reccuring motif in Kagti-Akhtar’s cinema: in ZNMD too, Hrithik was rescued from his hydrophobia by Katrina.
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December 9, 2012 at 8:56 AM
“a reccuring motif in Kagti-Akhtar’s cinema: in ZNMD too, Hrithik was rescued from his hydrophobia by Katrina.”
oh amy–yeah–didnt notice that
well, have a weakness for that hritik role –loved it—u probably know lol
as for katrina–that remains her BEST role 🙂
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December 9, 2012 at 9:53 AM
saw parts of this interivew–interesting –aamir impresses
must say kareena looks her part totally
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December 9, 2012 at 11:08 AM
good stuff.. some interesting bits between Aamir and Rani! But also check out some of Aamir’s (and Rani’s) discussion on 100 crores. I’ve never seen Aamir so relaxed and cheerful in an interview..
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December 9, 2012 at 11:20 AM
Kareena and Aamir are refreshingly candid and relaxed, but Rani’s being an embarassing brown noser here. On an aside, I think that Aamir looks the best of the 3 Khans at this point.
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December 9, 2012 at 11:55 AM
Yeah its an interesting interview and surprise surprise, this is perhaps kareenas most sensible interview in her life by HER standards
also noted that kareena really respects rani and aamir and wasnt even trying to ‘compete’ with them
But the key points here were–
When aamir was asked about his fear–
a) people not turning up on friday–thinking they will see it on sat!
endearing
b) about losing the ‘connect’ with the audience and that most film folks lose it
and they are the LAST ones to know that..
there is something CONSCIENTIOUS about aamir khan–period!
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December 9, 2012 at 12:10 PM
think Vanessa paradis did quite a good job–an under rated performance
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December 9, 2012 at 7:28 AM
I wish I had enough time to watch Wreck it Ralph last month.
did watch Hotel Transylvania today, though. Apart from a few laughs, I did not particularly like it. It was kind of the animated version of the Twilight saga – the female being the vampire this time.
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December 9, 2012 at 8:41 AM
I loved Wreck It Ralph
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December 9, 2012 at 8:02 AM
somehow no one’s providing any info on Talaash this weekend. Not sure why. This was the only thing I managed to find on it:
Sunday, December 9, 2012
Talaash Second Sunday Collection Update. Good Jump.
Talash is showing good jump everywhere on 2nd Sunday at the box office. After a slow start to 2nd Friday, Talaash showed good jump of around 55% on 2nd Saturday. Jump is even better in 2nd Sunday. Talaash has collected around 2.4 cr nett on 2nd Friday and 3.8 cr nett on 2nd Saturday as per early estimates. As per early trend 2nd Sunday collection should be around 5 crore nett which is good. Actual may vary as large report still to be received.
Talaash Second Weekend Collection should be around 11-11.5 crore nett. Talaash performing mainly in multiplexes. Talaash total collection after 2nd Weekend should be around 78-79 crore nett. Talaash lifetime collections is heading for around 90 crore nett mark. It will get a free run in the next week also. If K786 performs poorly in weekdays, Talaash might have an outside chance of touching 100 crore nett mark. But looks an uphill task at the present moment.
http://www.addatoday.com/2012/12/talaash-second-sunday-collection-update.html#more
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December 9, 2012 at 12:49 PM
68 cr – w1
18 cr – w2
8 cr – w3
5 cr – rest
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December 10, 2012 at 2:48 AM
—somehow no one’s providing any info on Talaash this weekend. Not sure why—
Hmm..maybe they are taking Aamir Khan’s reprimand in TALAASH a tad bit seriously..”Yeh bahut hi hi-profile case/movie hain..Kuch bhi bahaar nahin jaana chahiye!!”
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December 10, 2012 at 3:09 AM
according to BOI crossed 75 crore.
http://www.boxofficeindia.com/boxnewsdetail.php?page=shownews&articleid=5187&nCat=
Talaash has grossed 75 crore nett approx ten days as it grossed around 10.50 crore nett in its second weekend. The film had a good jump of 60-65% on Saturday.
The film has dropped in most markets but cities with high concentration of premium multiplexes like Mumbai, Pune, Delhi, Gurgaon, Kolkata and Bangalore are doing pretty well. These areas all have high ticket rates so therefore the film has managed fair collections in second weekend despite limited appreciation.
The film had heavy drops in places like CPCI and Rajasthan where Khiladi 786 has done its best business. There is no release next week and if the premium multiplexes can give good performance next weekend, Talaash can go towards 90 crore nett and a share of around 45 crore.
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December 9, 2012 at 8:39 AM
@ Satyam — What about the link I gave this morning? Am repeating it.
http://www.ibtimes.co.in/articles/412890/20121208/talaash-box-office-collection-aamir-starrer-crosses.htm
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December 9, 2012 at 8:47 AM
that’s only about the first week.
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December 9, 2012 at 9:26 AM
So I saw this rare B grade Mithun film “Billa No. 786”- now this is a gem because it spoofs innumerable Bachchan films. Has anyone seen it, Satyam?
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December 9, 2012 at 1:01 PM
@ Satyam—note that u saw talaash a second time..
was it worthwhile—actually was also thinking of checking it again for aamirs performance and also bcos in my first viewing, i was ‘distracted’ from the movie by some other factors
did u gain anything second time round?
Also felt there was a connection to ‘akayla’
which performance was better –aamirs or amitabhs–know its a difficult one
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December 9, 2012 at 1:29 PM
as I said elsehwere I liked it as much the second time around. Could even watch it a third time. Don’t think there’s a contest between Bachchan in Akyala and Aamir in Talaash. Not even close! As I said in my review though I liked Aamir a lot here and can see both sides of the argument I ultimately think that he could have been more expressive even with that controlled, compact performance. And here it’s not about using Akayla as the standard. Abhishek in DMD is to my mind superior (I consider it one of his fine performances anyway). Admittedly he has some masala lines and so on here but even where he doesn’t he does a lot with little. He’s always been this kind of actor and it’s the principal dividing line between those who really take to him and those who don’t (BM is another great example.. as is SR for anyone watching closely.. the first Sarkar I find overrated in this respect..). One has to understand and/or like his economy. Again I’m not really criticizing Aamir either, just saying that at points I did not find his ‘expressiveness’ optimal. I do think Munna had a point when he said that when you’re working with that kind of huge mustache the more subtle gestures can easily get lost (half-smiles and so on).
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December 9, 2012 at 1:47 PM
thanx satyam–some v good points here and agree with most..
“Not even close!”—just to ensure ive got u correctly–so u r saying bachchans performance was much better?
well, to me akaylas perfromance is amongst bachchans alltime best shockingly just bcos it is a v v difficult tone to portray consistently…in an entire movie
as for aamirs talaash–the role and characterisation didnt support him uniformly
For eg –why was aamir behaving like a ‘virgin’ when kareena took him to the hotel–ok, he didnt do any hanky panky but he was a goddamm ‘hardened’ policeman –so not sure how/why he was supposed to be this ‘babe in the wood’
another of Kagtis misses but thats not the point
Aamirs performance dropped at places, some places became tedious monotonous repetitive
BUT in the key scenes, he delivered and how..
I think its not that easy an comparison
Moreover, bachchans career at that point was in a different state of health
Aamirs doing this role and THIS way after 3 idiots is laudable
Btw remember u had written something about bachchans akayla and agneepath being two sides of the same coin >? or something
DO u have the link
Also for the sake of sanity and discussion, lets take out abhishreks dmd out of the other two esteemed gentlemen
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December 9, 2012 at 3:24 PM
There are no terms of debate that can be hand with me when it comes to contemporary Indian star-actors (or those beginning with Aamir’s generation) and not only in Hindi that do not have a ‘starring’ (!) role for Abhishek. If one doesn’t agree with me I’m afraid one should take the discussion to others!
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December 9, 2012 at 1:52 PM
“I do think Munna had a point when he said that when you’re working with that kind of huge mustache the more subtle gestures can easily get lostt (half-smiles and so on).”-
But didn’t AB achieve the same inspite of that heavy make-up in Paa and Black
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December 9, 2012 at 3:19 PM
Can’t blame a person for not being Bachchan..! But on Paa Bachchan actually wasn’t able to do much here with his because of the prosthetic stuff. However he made up for it with his body language and eyes and so on. Obviously prosthetics isn’t the same as a mustache anyway.
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December 9, 2012 at 3:47 PM
The point was the character was not suppose to laugh full throated. So only shade it could show were minor smiles at some of the lighter times.
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December 9, 2012 at 1:56 PM
My probably with Abhishek is that while I love him in a lot of films (including Game, Run etc) I find him ‘atrocious’ when he is having an off day- For example he made a fool out of himself in Players as well as Drona
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December 9, 2012 at 3:25 PM
I’d agree on Drona. By no stretch of the imagination can Players be included in such a list.
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December 9, 2012 at 4:02 PM
Oh I hated him in Players. He was completely miscast as the charismatic group leader. Now Neil is by far a lesser actor than him but he took Abhishek’s case in there one-on-one sequences. And with that belly he was misfit for the action sequences
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December 9, 2012 at 1:07 PM
Weekend BO-
Skyfall – 11m
Twilight 9 m
Thankfully order seems to have been restored in the universe.
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December 9, 2012 at 1:33 PM
yes Skyfall has done extraordinarily well and it’s the best sustaining Bond in at least a few decades. At least since the days of View to a Kill. Amazingly I’ve not talked to anyone who’s truly loved this. Or maybe there are a couple of exceptions. The vast majority did not like it much, many hated it, very many liked it without loving it. So to see trending here that’s way better than Casino Royale’s is pretty puzzling. I’m clearing missing some crucial demographic here! I was in the group of those who liked it without loving it, who appreciated the ‘meta-film’ here more than the actual narrative. Must say though that I really disliked the last bit in Scotland and the whole back-story even though it was visually superb in these segments.
On a related note I revisited Quantum of Solace after watching this and liked it more than the first time around in the theaters. In general Daniel Draig has been the most angst-ridden Bond ever!
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December 9, 2012 at 1:44 PM
but he looks soooo good while being angsty 🙂
but kidding aside, that’s why he fits these current bond films best, since they are going in this direction. can you imagine brosnan being all angsty?
whether or not people like this direction is another matter. i have liked them (except qos, may be i should re-visit too) but i am not a true bond fan anyway
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December 9, 2012 at 1:49 PM
“but he looks soooo good while being angsty ”
😉
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December 9, 2012 at 1:25 PM
frequent visitor of this brilliant blog……just feel like comenting on this issue of aamir as an actor. i am not an aamir fan but dont dislike him either. according to me the best actor currently is irfan khan. aamir might not be comparable to AB, Dilip and the likes but when people say ajay devgan, sanjay dutt are better actors its laughable. which other mainstream star has the range of movies that he does……just look at ajay devgan…..the guy used to be very good( albeit in the same intense brooding kind of roles) but look at him now with gems like son of sardar, golmaal, singham, bol bachan……in short taking the easy way out to make money…….and i really admire sanjay dutt….he can come up with a vaastav and munnabhai…..but for every vaastav we have 5 bad 0movies…….in short a bit like ajit agarkar( consistently inconsistent)
the likes of srk,hrithik dont even merit comparisons.
what aamir might lack in so called iconic roles is more than compensated with his choice of movies and overall sense of making movies…….the problem is that an aamir performance will never overpower his movie……and that for me is his greatest strength.
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December 9, 2012 at 1:38 PM
thanks much for your first comment.. do keep it up.. I too agree that even though Devgan and Dutt have had some very good days (dutt especially) their general competence level cannot be compared with Aamir’s. I wouldn’t be that harsh on SRK though, at least through the 90s. But it’s also true that Aamir has never quite had the flamboyance for truly commercial formats (don’t mean it as a criticism necessarily) and I also wouldn’t say he’s truly fine as an actor. But yes his outings specially over the past decade or more interesting me (i.e. in terms of his performance) the way those of many others don’t. He’s a hard one to talk about in some ways because he’s really done interesting work and consequently elevated himself as a performer too. People forget that actors have to constantly nurture themselves to do better. But I still wouldn’t call him brilliant, even on his best day, though as you said the competition cannot be compared with him most of the time.
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December 9, 2012 at 1:47 PM
Satyam I already said that Dutt has had a bad decade in terms of role and so on. But my counter question to u is- Is Aamir at his best (say Sarfarosh, Earth, Lagaan, MP) better than Dutt at his best (Naam, Munnabhai, Vaastav, Mission Kashmir, LOC, Kabzaa, Khalnayak)? I don’t think so
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December 9, 2012 at 2:09 PM
thats a matter of opinion. i believe aamir in Earth was great…i believe Aamir in Rangeela was great. id take aamir over dutt and devgn as actors anyday. to me anil kapoor is a better actor than Aamir Khan though. again this is all a matter of ones opinion. these kinds of things can never be proven definite.
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December 9, 2012 at 2:13 PM
But if I say Aamir in Ghulam/Earth or whatever was better than Bachchan in AAA or Deewar that an also be my opinion. Do you think any one would take my opinion seriously then? No.
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December 9, 2012 at 2:31 PM
but it is still your opinion. Amitabh is a better actor than Aamir no doubt…but im just saying these things can’t be proven with a definite answer. someone who says Aamir is a better actor than Amitabh may be a little crazy but his answer can’t be proven wrong.
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December 10, 2012 at 12:57 AM
Aamir in 1947Earth, Rangeela and Sarfarosh –Aamir at his best. Effortless, spontaneous charm, not attained later, came close, but THAT Aamir…miss him.
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December 9, 2012 at 2:32 PM
actually, i’d like to hear the answer to that too. satyam?
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December 9, 2012 at 3:22 PM
I believe he is. Dutt at his best makes up for the gap with mood and gesturality and of course he’s a greater physical presence (on this note I think LoC is his single most underrated performance). But I’d easily take Aamir over him though my choices wouldn’t necessarily be the ones you have over there barring MP. But note I am not saying Dutt is necessarily inferior at his best. It’s not always about pure performance but if that is the yardstick yes I’d take Aamir over him.
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December 9, 2012 at 1:44 PM
Again, hate to defend Saurabh as he can speak for himself but I dont think he said Dutt/Devgan are better actors but that they had those ‘iconic” (am beginning t hate the word!) moments that Aamir hasnt so far.But, yes Aamir stands head and shoulders above the rest of his contemporaries when one considers everything.
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December 9, 2012 at 1:50 PM
You are bang on target here Rajen Sir. And here is a part of my older comment-
“He is definitely a very good actor (who never ever destroys a film by his presence. Something which folks like Salman, Imran and Rampal are guilty of) and has come up with some very fine performance in the last 10-12 yrs or so (and apart from Fanaa and Mela I have liked him everywhere in the entire deade or so, something I can’t say of Dutt whom i think is a much better actor)”
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December 9, 2012 at 2:28 PM
what makes a performance ‘iconic?’ awards…test of time..box office success…well then these are iconic performances in my book througout the years:
DK: Gunja Jumna/Naya Daur
AB: Deewar/Zanjeer
Anil Kapoor: Mr. India/Beta
Aamir Khan: Lagaan/Rangeela
Sanjay Dutt: Munna Bhai MBBS/Khalnayak
Ajay Devgn: Zakhm
Abhishek Bachchan: Guru/Yuva
SRK: DDLJ/Darr
Salman Khan: Dabangg
Hrithik Roshan: Koi Mil Gaya
Sunny Doel: Ghayal
Naseerudin Shah: Masoom
Madhuri: HAHK/Sajaan
Madhubala: M-e-A/Howrah Bridge
Sridevi: Mr. India/Chandini
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December 9, 2012 at 2:12 PM
dirk h the …way …of writing ….reminds me of someone…
😉
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December 9, 2012 at 3:32 PM
14 Talaash Relbig. $449,000 -72.6%
http://www.boxofficemojo.com/weekend/chart/
these numbers might be lower tomorrow..but even here the film seems to have had a healthy fall. Im not going to say the film has been rejected…but obviously it has not clicked.
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December 9, 2012 at 4:18 PM
yes not a good sign for long term trends because it had one of its best openings in N American over the first weekend.
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December 9, 2012 at 5:23 PM
ot–just swtiching telly channels–came across this track
apparently dev anands anniversary–birth?–not sure
anyhow–lovely song
ps–would be appreciated by the likes of oldgold–if lurking–enjoy 🙂
ps2–now i know about madhubala–hmm
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December 9, 2012 at 5:55 PM
oh i love this song. madhubala is terrific here, which is not always the case.
dev anand passed away in Dec last year.
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December 9, 2012 at 6:31 PM
oops thanx –oh so it was dev anands ‘death’ anniv-sorry..
well, havent seen any of her films but madhubala here is bewitching, somewhat ‘hypnotising’ here —i usually am ‘scared’ of such stuff–mb is ‘dangerous’ here..better 2 just listen to the track ha
Ok, my little knowledge/ taste for ‘old’ songs was ‘spoonfed’ partly by oldgold—so this one for her folks 🙂
gnite cmon anya zzz
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December 9, 2012 at 6:59 PM
at the risk of repeating a word we are all a little sick of today, here are some iconic madhubala moments for you
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December 10, 2012 at 2:03 PM
Many thanx anya—sorry didnt see these earlier-u seem to have taken over where oldgold left (in more ways than one) 😉
All three tracks u have chosen are v good choices–esp the howrah bridge one
that dev anand one above is simply ‘dangerous’
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December 10, 2012 at 2:08 PM
taking over from og? no thanks. i have no intention of proclaiming my eternal devotion to srk and hatred for aamir every 2 seconds. but we do miss her insights on other things here, especially with old films and songs, so hope she comes out of hiding.
glad you liked these.
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December 10, 2012 at 2:10 PM
“glad you liked these”—i alwayz like what u post including reprimands, scoldings, warnings 🙂
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December 10, 2012 at 2:19 PM
thanks mr. troll 🙂
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December 10, 2012 at 2:24 PM
i love that name … 🙂
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December 9, 2012 at 7:49 PM
this is a longish video from the aaj tak meet
http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/aamir-khans-dream-is-to-make-the-mahabharata-on-film/1/236661.html
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December 9, 2012 at 7:54 PM
another interesting discussion at aaj tak meet. javed akhtar makes great points, even if he sounds like an angry young man 🙂
http://indiatoday.intoday.in/video/dont-fall-into-the-trap-of-speaking-or-writing-pure-language-javed-akhtar/1/236444.html
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December 10, 2012 at 12:24 AM
TALAASH Approaching 75 Cr Nett
“Talaash” collected 2.90 cr nett on Saturday taking film’s 16 day collections to 73 cr nett. Film will collect 8-9 cr nett in 2nd weekend and 2nd week will end at 13 cr nett.
Film will finish 2 week at 81-82 cr nett and lifetime collections at best will not cross 84-85 cr nett. Worldwide collections too fall short of expectations and will end around 50-52 cr nett and that means 135 cr nett worldwide figure.
Film will end up as 3rd biggest hit overseas of the year 2012 and that proves again that overseas performance of “3 Idiots” was more about content than star power and same was the case at domestic box ofice.
http://www.boxofficecapsule.com/boxoffice-collections.aspx?id=976
can’t find anything else on Talaash’s second weekend Indian collections yet. why is it being shunned out?
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December 10, 2012 at 12:26 AM
Mein Talaash karthe karthe thak gaya hoon! lol
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December 10, 2012 at 1:28 AM
“Film will end up as 3rd biggest hit overseas of the year 2012 and that proves again that overseas performance of “3 Idiots” was more about content than star power and same was the case at domestic box ofice.”
ROFL
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December 10, 2012 at 1:49 AM
Hilarious!!!! Someone’s got to make a movie on these box-office pundits’ machinations..I mean, seriously.
SRK or HR or SK do it; it is star-power. AK does it, it is content only!!!
To quote the great Indian actor Arshad Warsi, ” Tumhara pyaar pyaar, aur humara love sex??”
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December 10, 2012 at 1:57 AM
agree Jo… the simple thing is opening possible in a genre reflects start power on First Day IMO or at max Sat… if content is weak drops are clearly visible.
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December 10, 2012 at 1:58 AM
http://www.addatoday.com/2012/12/talaash-second-weekend-box-office.html
Talaash Second Weekend Box Office Collection
Talash has collected around 11.5 crore nett in its 2nd Weekend at the box office. Talaash 10 day collection now stands at 79.19 crore nett mark. Talaash registered good growth on 2nd Saturday and again on 2nd Sunday. 2nd Saturday jump was around 60% and 2nd Sunday jump was around 35%.
Talaash performed exceedingly well in high-end plexes in the second weekend. Performance in single screens, mass belt and interiors is poor. From now on whatever Talaash collects it will be mainly from premiun plexes in metro citites and B tier cities. Talaash lifetime collection will definitely touch 90 crore nett mark. It has got an open week in its next week also, which might help it to proceed towards 100 crore nett mark. But, that looks an uphill task at the moment now.
Collection Breakup –
1st Week – 67.69 cr nett.
2nd Fri – 2.4 cr nett.
2nd Sat – 3.85 cr nett.
2nd Sun – 5.25 cr nett.
Total – 79.19 cr nett.
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December 10, 2012 at 3:14 AM
interesting discussions in the comments section here:
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December 10, 2012 at 5:01 AM
@taran_adarsh
#Talaash collected approx Rs 11.20 cr nett in its Weekend 2. Grand total: Rs 79.10 cr nett.
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December 10, 2012 at 5:30 AM
@taran_adarsh
#Khiladi786 and #Talaash – The detailed report on their weekend business
http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/trade/top5/id/920/date/2012-12-10
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December 10, 2012 at 5:33 AM
@girishjohar
“Talaash has a good 2nd wknd….is surely now THE HIGHEST EVER BO collected film in the Suspense Drana genre !!”
“If Talaash continues this way at the BO, as it is doing now….it is still on course to reach the 3 digit cr milestone”
“we expect the film to run steadily…then possible…as this wk no major releases, it will continue at mpxs with Dabangg2 also”
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December 10, 2012 at 5:45 AM
@supercinemaent (Super Cinema)
#Talaash — 1st week – 68.50 cr, 2nd week: fri – 2.50 cr, sat – 4.00 cr, sun – 5.50 cr, Total 80.50 cr.
#Khiladi786 — fri – 9.15 cr, sat – 9.85 cr, sun – 11.50 cr, Total – 30.50 cr.
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December 10, 2012 at 7:36 AM
Khiladi 786 Fails Weekend Test Too, Earns 29 Cr
by Shabdita Shrivasta (December 10, 2012)
Friday saw the release of Akshay Kumar-starrer Khiladi 786, a film that has disappointed tradewallahs. The film, which opened weak, earned Rs 29 crore pan-India over the weekend. Barring one or two centres, collections of the film have been unremarkable.
In Mumbai, Rajesh Thadani of Multimedia Combines says, “The pan-India collection of Khiladi 786 is Rs 28-29 crore while in Mumbai it is Rs 10 crore. Collections in single-screens are decent but in multiplexes, it is not up to the mark.
G D Mehta of Bobby Arts International says, “In the Delhi-UP circuit, the collection of the film is Rs 5 crore. The film did not pick up on either Saturday or Sunday.”
According to Surendra Saluja of Lakshya Movies, Khiladi 786 earned Rs 60 lakh on Friday, Rs 70 lakh on Saturday and Rs 90 lakh on Sunday in East Punjab. “Hence, its weekend collection here is Rs 2.2 crore. The movie has definitely not lived up to our expectations.”
Debashish Dey of Aum Moviez explains, “The collections of the film are very encouraging. The film did well yesterday and its weekend collections here are Rs 1.1 crore. It earned Rs 25 lakh Friday, Rs 30 lakh on Saturday and over Rs 50 lakh on Sunday. The film saw a huge jump with Sunday’s numbers.”
BH Basha of Bahar Enterprises says, “The weekend collection of Khiladi 786 is Rs 80 lakh in our territory. The collections are average and below expectations.”
Sarang Chandak of Shri Rang Films concludes, “In CP, collections of Khiladi 786 were Rs 85 lakh. We were expecting the film to do well in single-screens but the response there too was not up to the mark.”
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December 10, 2012 at 11:33 AM
despite the big drop over the second weekend in the US (72%) Talaash will end its US run around 2.6m or so. This will be about 200k more than Ghajini and about 400k more than RNBDJ.
On a related note JTHJ ended its run around 3m. This was 600k short of OSO, 400k short of JA, and 1m short of MNIK.
The absolute record holder in the US continues to be 3I, still 2.5m of its closest competitor (MNIK).
Now once again using the US numbers here to provide some context. Yes this was one of the strongest markets for Talaash and yet it dipped greatly here but that’s still a pretty good number all things considered.
The larger point here as in India is you can’t have it both ways. if you say that film fell a lot and so on in which case you have to attribute more of the total to Aamir’s initial, that too in a difficult genre. So getting back to India I think the 68 crores or so he got in week 1 is an impressive number. Could it have been 10% or so higher with stronger WOM? Sure! But when the same Aamir puts up say 150 crores in a week in a Hirani film it’s not automatically a more impressive achievement for me. Why? Because the two opening numbers accounting for genre might be ‘comparable’. Much as TZP did very well, had excellent trending (though tax breaks were part of the story and these were received early, with CDI this was an even greater factor) but Ghajini a year later made almost that entire amount in a week. So all else being equal a RDB will never gross as much as a Ghajini, a TZP will never gross as much as a RDB. And so on. Now most stars don’t have the minimal credibility across genres to get strong numbers even after accounting for these facts but even a star who does (like Aamir) is still not going to get numbers in the same range.
The reason some of the discussions here got ‘obscene’ on Talaash is that people were just pulling numbers out of a hat. So if 3I did 205 ‘x’ years ago Talaash would do at least 150 or 175 even accounting for genre. MP even after dropping got pretty much the same initial that RDB did after being loved. Because the audience pool was larger in one case. we saw with ZNMD, a film that trended very well, that it did about 90. Now it certainly could have opened much stronger than it did (a couple of months later MBKD opened exactly the same way!) but even accounting for a 15-20% better opening it couldn’t have made 150 crores! This in a far safer, acceptable multiplex genre where we know for a fact that the core audience liked the film a lot (hence good trending). So it doesn’t take much of a leap of faith to imagine a higher opening here and the rest would still be in place. You can’t just throw out numbers arbitrarily. Some of the analysis has to precede it!
Let’s look at some stars who do very commercial genres (mass market formats, remakes, sequels et al). Salman is clearly in a league of his own. with Akshay you’re in the 70-120 or so opening/final gross range. With Devgan you now see the first part of this coming through but not really the second one. However it’s a matter of time before he does this. He’s not that far from it either. Salman on the other hand is at a very different level. The ETT opening did all of this within a week! Obviously with Dabanng once again he won’t have a problem repeating tnat performance. With BG he was already well in excess of 120. So the point is that he’s been generally playing at the higher side of the numbers usually seen in these genres. The fact that many of these films, in fact all I’d argue, underperform doesn’t obviously damage his standing as a star. He’s drawing these massive initials. But in any case even here one cannot just throw out numbers without figuring out the rest as well.
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December 10, 2012 at 1:19 PM
well said satyam. What I liked more is that K786 was a crap film as per most of the reviews and audience did not throw away their hard-earned money on it. Aamir often says that audience should feel that the money they spent on the movie was worth it – so instead of BO nos., he opts for the audience satisfaction first. And that is the reason – whatever genre he tries, people flock. Tasveer and Talaash comparison is a solid proof for this. Tasveer was a poor product as akki did not participate in the project as aamir in Talaash. Otherwise Nagesh K. after the stunning film Dor was no less a director. If Aamir did Tasveer, I am sure he would have got involved more and the script would have gone major changes and outcome would have been like Talaash.
SRK, Sallu…they haven’t managed this kind of success with diff. genre like aamir. So aamir has proven his versality, b.o.-bankability and after D3 and P.K. – his stock price will be skyrocketed
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December 11, 2012 at 6:35 AM
MNIK in 2010 opened to a 45 crore week and ended around 75.. Was that genre (the muslim angle, the autistic hero) safe? and the kind of BO SRK managed was not appreciated on this blog, while Talaash after almost 3 years, more screens after after 3 years etc at 85-90 crores is a brilliant achievement?
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December 10, 2012 at 12:39 PM
So I finally saw Pyaar Ka Panchanaama. And liked it quite a bit- it showed an ugly truth about how some women use men for their own good
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December 10, 2012 at 12:56 PM
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December 10, 2012 at 1:15 PM
PKP is something you can watch with a gang of male friends for some good time and forget about it. Certainly not something to be taken seriously. If you do, it can have dangerous complications and spoiled relationships!
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December 10, 2012 at 1:52 PM
agree. you can just look at it as superfluous entertainment and in that sense, the film is ok. other than that, it follows the now tried and tested path of new wave american comedy depicting the lives of poor hapless nerds whose lives are made miserable by nagging, humorless females.
here’s an article by a o scott examining the debate around depiction of females in films.
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December 10, 2012 at 2:27 PM
” it follows the now tried and tested path of new wave american comedy depicting the lives of poor hapless nerds whose lives are made miserable by nagging, humorless females.”-
But that is actually what is happening in even Indian societies where some of these women are a pain in the posterior for the men.
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December 10, 2012 at 2:33 PM
not denying women like that exist. but when film after film is depicting all its female characters in the same fashion for laughs, so much so that it’s becoming a genre in itself, then they cannot avoid the misogyny charges either. in the same way that lifetime network gets routinely criticized and made fun of for depicting all its males as selfish wimps or predators.
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December 10, 2012 at 2:34 PM
also, the article i linked is really good, examines different sides of it. i recommend it.
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December 10, 2012 at 2:21 PM
Pyaar ka punchnaama–inflight review
I saw pyaar ka punch naama on a lufthansa? flight, this being one of the 4-5 bollywood movies in their range–had seen all the other known ones
So i proceeded to watch this one half awake…
The film obviously a misogynist take on things and that too in the indian context, is lopsided, biased..
Its best aimed at few guys watching it in a boys- hostel -sort -of- deal
BUT
to give the film the credit where its due
I remember LOLing at least in one or two scenes so much so that a young german air hostess was amused and began to see what i was watching–(i did ask her for a few more drink topups–i think she was really attractive…)
I could see in each of the ‘suffering males’ some real life examples i know and who didnt ‘listen’
Some suffered like the guys in PKP –remember one poor guy beeing used and abused and then thrown away like a used con.om
but jokes apart
we DO see these example(s) all around(even here)–wont name them though lol
And some even go ahead, like abhishrek bahchan dont learn and
become the munnas and satyams when they become adults
hahaha
sorry folks–that last one was only in good spirit—not to be taken seriously 🙂
this can be deleted if offends anyone…hoho
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December 10, 2012 at 3:22 PM
And you are mollycoddled? 🙂 Good for you. All are not that fortunate. 😀
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December 10, 2012 at 3:30 PM
yeah munna–ive been spoilt and pampered from the time i was a baby 🙂
arrgh– work will drain me–just when 1 starts having fun, deadlines initimidate u…off2 work window.
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December 10, 2012 at 2:30 PM
OT- has anyone checked out this PC game called Darksiders. It’s superb
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December 10, 2012 at 2:48 PM
Saw Talaash last night. ( Spoilers galore ahead. Don’t read on if you haven’t seen the film)
And I am afraid this ghost business spoilt it for me totally.
The God business spoilt Jab Tak Hai Jaan , but then there was nothing much right in the film to spoil and I had mentally switched myself off from it after first ten minutes or so. The God business spoilt Life of Pi for me too, but then the God line comes only in the beginning and end of the film and thankfully, the main narrative tract of the film is not contaminated by the corny and glib validation in the belief of God. So the tale of the boy , the tiger and the sea could be enjoyed as a great cinematic achievement.
Talaash is different.
It had so much going for it. Right from the first frame with the hobo, the stray dog who foretold the chronicle of a death, the crazed car diving headlong into the sea.. and the striking opening scene segueing into the night lights of Mumbai streets, the film looks seductively dark.
The cop with a troubled past, the hooker with a mysterious aura, the grief-stricken wife being sucked into the succor of séance sessions and the colourful denizens of the Mumbai red light area caught up in their acts of deceit, double-dealing and debauchery set up a drama that thankfully unfolds languorously like a delicious slow acting drug.
Things are a little listless after the interval but the narrative gathers its wits and speed once again, as Inspector Sekhawat begins to get even more unhinged , Taimur gets shot and Rosy begins to look even more seductive than before.
That’s when the ghost thing happens.
Now I have no problem with either God or ghosts in films. Oh My God was wonderful. So was Sixth Sense and The Other. But being entities that are outside the pale of normal human phenomenon , God and ghosts call for special handling. You cannot use them to work out resolutions to dramas set in pure human terms. It takes the genius of Shyamalan to write something like The Sixth Sense.. . and make it work. But my problem with Talaash is not about reaching that level ( How many films since then have?) . My grouse with the ghist elemnent in the film is that it is a total cop out. And mixing this supernatural business with the wonderful police procedure drama, the noir atmosphere and the human story of coping with loss and guilt was to me as aesthetically revolting to me as the mixing of that Alzheimer angle to the simple story of a teacher teaching a blind girl to learn. In my book, it’s not done.
Look at the damage.
The film had a number of things going for it. The noir atmosphere of Mumbai was so well established. There were this seedy characters like Shashi and Taimur, Madam and Mallika involved with a seedy drama of murder and blackmail. There was a payoff to be had. There was the story of the parents o had lost their son, the father being doubly afflicted, by grief as well as guilt. There is payoff to be had in the resolution of their story. And it comes in the brilliant letter from the dead absolving ‘dadda’ of all guilt.. But our savouring of these payoff is interfered with by this cheap gimmick.
I call this a cheap gimmick even though Kareena is wonderful as Rosie and her appearance in the car and as the mermaid saving Sekhawat under water is appropriately spooky and poetic . Because this wronged woman’s ghost seeking revenge upon the wrongdoers is at its core a B-grade Hindi film cliché. And there has not much been done to elevate it to anything of a higher level. Now amnesia is another stupid Hindi film cliché and it rightfully belongs in a third rate film like Jab Tak Hai Jaan. But look at how it was elevated in a film like Ghajini. With all those notes stuck all over the wall, all those body tattoos and all the detailing in the process of searching for the culprit it creates an engaging cinematic paradigm. The physiognomy of Aamir Khan with his bald head gives the talea texture. And of course he does not get back his memory by another blow or something. The amnesia of Ghajini does not remind you of the amnesiacs of earlier Rajendra Kumar or Sunil Dutt films. The avenging fallen woman in Talaash and the template of her revenge on the other hand is not much different from those seen Ramsay Brother’s films. (I am not talking of the films as a whole but just this ghost element. ) It’s a kind of imaginatively challenged script solution.
I feel angry because there was so much mythical and metaphorical riches to be mined here if the script had just played it straight. Like when Rosie says , “ We are invisible. So how can we disappear.? ” and all that it implies. There was this water angle for Sekhawat..his son drowning and his own last minute escape from under water. There was this delicious irony of a superstar getting caught up in this hooker business. One did not need a ghost to bring it all together.
I played it in mind many times after I walked out of the hall ( That’s why I am writing it today instead of yesterday.) How it could have been done different. My ground rules for using the supernatural are three simple ones. One: You set your story in a world a little removed from the ordinary and base the story largely around the supernatural…don’t mix it up with other flavours. Two: If you are setting it up in a more normal setting, give scope for ambiguity. With room for a possible rational explanation as well. Three : Use it as a little aside, without affecting the main narrative too much ( Like Ang Lee did in Life of Pi . Or even better, like Reema herself did in Honeymoon Travels.). What I did not like at all is Rosie helping Sekhwat with actual solving of the case by informing about Arman Kapoor and Nikhil visiting Hotel Lido. If she had to be there as ghost, her interaction with Sekhawat had to be more ethereal, she not speaking too much or giving any actual information , making it possible for us to explain it as a hallucinatory image born out of Sekhawat’s stressed mind. ( The séance thing lends itself to such a rational explanation. The Shernaz character could be just making it all up after finding bits of information by talking with Roshni and snooping around… and using her knowledge of human psychology.) A second alternative could be to have Rosie as a real character…a friend of Simran, a twin sister, whatever. And she could devise ways of killing people through perfectly human means..if a fly could, surely a woman can. Here I would create little more palpable sexual chemistry between Rosie and Sekhawat, giving more meat to Roshni’s assertion that he was having an affair. He would pull back just in time ..triggered by some form of memory of his dead son..and water. That would also provide a break from the single note performance that the script has confined Aamir to ( though I must say, he is wonderfully in character throughout.) I would perhaps create another strand of narrative, making Sekhawat involved with the murky world of red light Mumbai in his younger days. And I would end it with Sekhawat getting rid of all his demons and willing to concede to Roshnis desire for having another baby. The film is dark. But there is a promise of a brand new day at the end of it.
But then I am not the scriptwriter and only the viewer of the film. So did I like it? Not quite. But then I am not the scriptwriter and only the viewer of the film. So did I like it? Not quite. ( Apart from the ghost angle, I thought the listless manner in which the mystery was unravelled in the second half lacked tension and control.) Will I see it again? Absolutely. And perhaps a couple of more times. Because right until the ghost revelation, it is a delicious film viewing experience. I liked Nawajuddin performance so much.. and also that of Kareena. I liked the whole atmosphere at the Madam’s establishment. I liked the collision of this seedy world with that of the genteel Sekhawat and the respectable Surjan. Was glad for the privilege of entering the world of Mallika and Shashi. I liked Mumbai by night as captured in the film. It was James Ellroy. It was Murakami. I loved the moody music conjured by Ram Sampat..all of them.. Jee Le Zaaraa more than others perhaps.
And I loved Aamir Khan for making this film…. for not playing it safe, for showing Bollywood how superstars need not take on only parts of super heroes, and how they need to be in every frame with concocted double roles, or singing dancing fighting and providing variety entertainment, instead of just playing a character and being a part of sincere, passionate storytelling.
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December 10, 2012 at 3:01 PM
thanks for sharing. this film is really dividing audience. i didn’t mind the supernatural angle here though i usually do. so it really reiterates how different people are viewing this film differently. and also why it’s still very engaging even though you were disappointed.
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December 10, 2012 at 3:09 PM
Anya–plz dont become the ‘anjali singh’ for utkal uncle!!
He will start coming out with poetry now…
noooo…. 🙂
joking utkal uncle–do write more here (i note that u disapppeared with anjalis disappearance)..
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December 10, 2012 at 3:24 PM
Excellent take here
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December 11, 2012 at 8:01 AM
I don’t agree that Aamir was in character…watch Al Pacino in movie Insomnia (I think was the title) where he is sleep deprived in Alaska, also solving a crime. That was “in character”. Rest of your review, I almost agree. “My ground rules for using the supernatural are three simple ones….” Since writer is already ‘cheating’ the audience by bringing supernatural, you as a script writer have to be honest (as Shyamalan was) by not cheating audience furthur (eg. ghost lying about her name and many more examples). As far as seediness of mumbai’s night life, there are better depictions in hindi cinema. I felt talaash had cheated on that too and make it bit more ‘glamorous’ for which I don’t have any complains but I don’t particularly feel it is so much praiseworthy as almost every reviewer praising the night life of mumbai in their reviews! Kahaani was superior at almost all levels…Ghost had shoe strong budget and ‘do or die’ attitude and took several risks but was unpretentious in his approach. Talaash on the other hand was sold for 90 crore, I hear, had over 500 minutes of shooting to be editing and took over one year on edit table, by no means underdog. Bengal Vs Assam, Bengal wins hands down 😉
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December 11, 2012 at 9:05 AM
I meant Ghosh had shoe string budget…other typos too 😦
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December 11, 2012 at 10:53 AM
Disagree on aamir being not in character. Personally I found Aamir as much in character in Talaash as much Pacino was in Insomnia. In quite a few scenes, you could see the helplessness of a father who could have saved his son, or a tired man who needs some peace (be in any form) within. I think he pulled it off really well.
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December 11, 2012 at 11:03 AM
Personally I also dislike this habit of constantly using a Hollywood performance as the ‘authorized’ one. I don’t think that the two characters have anything in common. Being depressed doesn’t mean that it’s all the same or that there is only one kind of response to depression. In any case I often see these discussions where people use a Hollywood reference and the Indian actor then is only good or bad to the extent that he or she can be compared favorably or not. I’m of course not saying that such analogies are illegitimate, just that these shouldn’t be brought up in a knee jerk way.
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December 11, 2012 at 12:33 PM
The key words are “in quite a few scenes”…I agree…if you analyse individual scenes by itself, Aamir is great. From character standpoint (sorry couldn’t come up with any similar hindi movie) Pacino was in character from the way his eyebrows are arched to keep his eyes open in the whole movie to dark circles around eyes to his speech etc. I couldn’t unfortunately see that in Aamir’s performance in terms of character. Somewhere I read that katgi asked him to be like spock from starwars…so maybe it was director’s fault…Aamir’s stature in hindi cinema is like andho may kana raja…sorry Aamir fans 😦
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December 11, 2012 at 12:46 PM
i think dimple has a valid point
I loved aamirs performance (perhaps the only thing i noticed and liked) –but it wasnt a tonally consistent one to be fair.
BUt in certain key scenes, he excelled, yes..
ps–dimple–miss your lexy-ing me 🙂
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December 11, 2012 at 1:03 PM
“One: You set your story in a world a little removed from the ordinary and base the story largely around the supernatural…don’t mix it up with other flavours. Two: If you are setting it up in a more normal setting, give scope for ambiguity. With room for a possible rational explanation as well. Three : Use it as a little aside, without affecting the main narrative too much ”
How do all three fit with Sixth Sense story which apprently you liked immensely? I think you are contradicting yourself.
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December 10, 2012 at 2:54 PM
I missed u utkal uncle–what a comment!!
i had similar feelings
” feel angry because there was so much mythical and metaphorical riches to be mined here if the script had just played it straight. Like when Rosie says , “ We are invisible. So how can we disappear.? ”
well said–thats why i said that kagti missed a wonderful opportunity
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December 10, 2012 at 3:05 PM
How to bluff an ‘auteur’
Disclaimer–this is NOT to be viewed as a negative criticism but some humble, but honest observations..plz take them in the correct context
Also would like to say soemthing that shouldnt hopefully be taken in the wrong context
Talaash came and the who’s who of this blogs best wirters came one after another with (over)analytical posts on talaash
Some wiht three guys in a merc caption and some using the memory fixation whilst some focusing on ‘night vision’
While i respect and enjoyed them, I somehow felt that they saw too much into the merits of this film
ie their posts were too good for the actual film
There were key tools of ‘bluff’ here
An excel production with kagti as the maker
Aamir who had to supported at any cost
Also there seemed to be a unanimous infact a prostration towards the film wherein even before kagti had revealed her ‘goods’ (no pun intended), the intention was already to lionise the film
What followed was beautiful writing and metaphorical allegories and ‘associations’ of all types
By gods grace, i dint read all of them due to fear of spoilers–but the bits i did read made me wonder as if im reading the review of a bergman or alteast a mallick
On seeing the actual film, i did feel as if i was watching the same film
Note–i did find aamirs performace at places more than brilliant
As the final pieces of clothing are derobed from the potential 150 crores talaash, one needs to be circumscept not only in lionising someone to the extreme but also repsecting ones OWN judgment
I felt each of the writers who wrote brillaint pieces on talaash know MORE about cinema than kagti probably
Its time they respect their own knowledge/knowhow and give accolades only where they are deserved 🙂
again this is to be read in the correct context …i do NOT intend to ‘mock’ those writers, infact its the other way around….
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December 10, 2012 at 3:14 PM
“As the final pieces of clothing are derobed from the potential 150 crores talaash, one needs…..”
Not quite sure if this ‘rapist’ framing of things really makes your case.. We can get to Bergman and others later.. let’s get some decency and dignity into the discussion first!
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December 10, 2012 at 3:21 PM
🙂
that was to be taken in the correct context
Cmon a barfi with a deaf mute hero and a heroine (PC) that is not a ‘heroine’ from any sense of the word and with half the screens made 100 crores
Its painful to see talaash wind down at 80-85
BUt yes–box office is NOT everything
HAve already mentioned my admiration for aamir for selecting this film at THIS stage and doing those key scenes exceptionally well…
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December 10, 2012 at 4:45 PM
But Alex, Barfi’s 100+ crs was its lifetime business, Where this is just barely 10 days, And with Khiladi not doing so great, It will easily hit the 100 cr in maybe 20 Days. Which is good timing right before the storm called Dabangg 2.
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December 10, 2012 at 4:54 PM
BTW Alex, I have an apt handle for you for the blog here, Besharam. haha/ J/K bro, take it lightly.
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December 10, 2012 at 5:22 PM
The amusing thing is Alex says he was expecting 150-175 from Talaash. Apparently he was only expecting 25-45 crores more than this for ETT. Because he seems incredibly happy with the latter result. Much as JTHJ for him at 100 is only a disappointment comparable to Talaash’s at 85-90. It’s perfectly fine if one really likes stuff like Cocktail and ETT. But then it seems a bit strange to pick holes in Talaash! Much as I have problems with some Scorsese films but it’s hard to object if my favorite film is otherwise Expendables!
Now of course films can be good in different genres. You don’t compare them in absolute terms. Fine. But then why is the box office being compared so absolutely? No one says in Hollywood ‘oh Brad Pitt didn’t gross in Benjamin Button (lifetime gross, 127m) what Cruise did in MI’! No one says ‘ DiCaprio didn’t prove his stardom in Shutter Island (lifetime gross, 128m)’!
My point isn’t that people cannot make the case against the Talaash box office. Clearly this film isn’t going to match Aamir’s usual trending. However one shouldn’t be crude about this stuff. The argument should be made in a sane way. And again no one who wasn’t accepting the Aamir trending deal earlier or this idea in general has any right to now attack Talaash on these grounds. I went into great detail on this the other day and won’t repeat everything.
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December 10, 2012 at 6:05 PM
@kash–yeah agree –thats an apt handle for me
as i said earlier–i try to follow the dictum 🙂
“Na Samman Ka Moh,
Na Apmaan Ka Bhay”
@ satyam–all this is with the premise that aamir is THE biggest star and the one with the best ‘prestige’, momentum, audience trust and a certain confluence of classes n masses –the types he (apparently) showed with 3 idiots
Now, its easy to bestowed with these no1 tags, one has to prove it over n over again–unfortunately thats the problem with that position and thats y it is so ‘slippery’
Note that although many consider salman ‘undisputed no1’ now, even he ddoesnt have the ‘aura’ of aamir
So with that background, expecting a 150 crores where barfi did 100 and with aamir coming after 3 years with rani/kareena and double screens (assuming one agrees that aamir is a much bigger star than ranbir) isnt outlandish
Its not ‘shameful’ to falter at this difficult standard but then, what aamir was being bestowed with WAS meant to be difficult to achieve–thats y we are not expecting anyone else to do it!
BUt the fact remains–that he has faltered
And i will also go ahead and say that for some purists of aamir acting lovers, his credibility will get slightly affected for many..
Also u mentioned only 25-50 crores kess than ETT
THATS my point—the ‘gap’ between 50-100 crores is NOT the same as 150-200—its not arithmetic or logarithmic
One reaches that stage of the graph after many weeks wherein many other extraneuosu facotrs come in to make it further complex and the ‘slope’ much less steep..
As for cocktail and ETT–it is about ‘expectations’, ‘product placement besides genre…
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December 10, 2012 at 6:07 PM
The other ‘absolute’ thing about his argument is the BARFI thing. I don’t comment much on BO stuff mainly because I am ill-equipped but this was really getting to me. He is making BARFI to be some ‘out of this world’ stuff because Ranbir plays a deaf-mute character. So, apparently, by virtue of just being a deaf-mute hero, and an autistic heroine, the film is classified as ‘an out of the box’ movie.
It is clearly not. It is as romantic as a Hindi movie gets. There is not a SINGLE dark scene in the movie. Even with the deaf-mute-autistic combo, it is a FEEL-GOOD movie. It is definitely not ‘masala’ but it is not a SPARSH either!! There is nothing extraordinarily out of the way in the movie except for these factors. It has good, catchy songs; it has the current heart-throb Ranbir (so repeat foot-falls WILL include the oohing and aahing teenage girls APART from aunties, uncles, and extended everyone!!)
This is not BLACK where a 70 year old actor is dragging along a kid and beating her to teach her alphabets! I can understand if AA would be perplexed with BLACK’s success and hold it against TALAASH. But BARFI!!! So then, SEE NO EVIL HEAR NO EVIL, because of having ‘damaged’ characters, has to be a classic that worked..to hell with the fact that it is a comedy!!
In AA world then, everything is black and white. BARFI! is a ‘different’ (using his famous mathematical formula of mute+deaf+autistic) film that MANAGED to get to 100 crore. But TALAASH, because it has Aamir Khan (and this 3 year stuff..so his defn of start-power is; put Salman Khan in ‘Shatranj Ke Khilari’ after a hiatus of 3 years and you will have as many footfalls as in Dabaang!!).
Personally, I care a damn if TALAASH makes 80 or 90 or 40. As far as it has left memorable impact on the audience and as far as AK has not compromised, I am fine.
In the long run, GURU DUTT’s movies are remembered more than Jubilee Kumar (who might have earned the producers in 1 movie what Guru Dutt failed to earn in 5 movies..).
But when you reminisce and feel like visiting those memories, what DVD do you pick up? Gurudutt as a poet in PYAASA or Rajendra Kumar dancing around a nuclear reactor as a nuclear scientist in love with those electrons?
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December 10, 2012 at 6:25 PM
@an–I dont know the links where i posted my thoughts
will retrieve them later with some time in my hand
I LOVED aamirs performance and commended him for doing this type of film at this stage
Also
Also, i have paid aamir the ultimate compliment (for me) by comparing his talaash perfomrance to bahchchans akeyla (thats one of my fave bahcchan masterclasses)
Unlike satyam (who feels bachchans is much better)–i find them v comparable–again will have to dig the link later
BUt the bottomline is that even v sensible folks get confused in this adualtion for a star with hate for another with boxoffice facts..
IF aamir is what u and even me are claiming him to be –he HAS to stand the ultimate test !
Yeah it HAS to be someting nobody else can do at that point of time–it HAS to be unachievable for others
its not shameful to fall short of that high standard–but then i will also withdraw the ‘ultimate’ tag i gave him 🙂
so u see, as the battle gets hot–the stakes rise, the game gets tougher— and it should’
Otherwise we shall see eveery tom dick n harry getting that tag by rotation
these postions are ‘exclusive’ and let them be xclusive
Finally
Just like a surgeon dissects various layers carefully before teasing out the ‘contents’ causing minimal collateral damage whilst still reaching to the ‘area of interest’
lets dissect each issue separately and cleanly
no bias no hanky panky
although both achieve the same result–thats wht separates a ‘surgeon’ from a ‘butcher’
good nite ann and say my hi to your gf 😉
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December 10, 2012 at 9:10 PM
LOL, great comment! agree mostly.. Barfi getting to 100 crores is creditable for sure but yes once you get past the disability issue it’s a rather conventional film. It’s not even like Guzaarish where Hrithik Roshan has to stay in bed all the time. Ranbir isn’t limited in the same way. Nonetheless credit is due here but it’s certainly not Talaash by any stretch. And your larger point is the right one, I am as interested in the box office as anything else but it’s got to the point where both among the fans and the detractors (of all stars in each case) the box office has become the sole topic of discussion. Here too there’s a point that some of us have been making for years. An actor at any level ultimately needs a body of work or some set of films that can potentially stand the test of time or be rediscovered and/or reinvented and so on. I like Akshay Kumar but there isn’t a single film of his likely to meet this test. He’s not even likely to be in the Shammi Kapoor ‘classic’ category. Sometimes time is unfair to important films. However it usually isn’t the case that completely disposable or junk entertainment gets refashioned as something significant! So again I am very interested in the box office for all sorts of reasons but it does not at all define for me what makes for a worthwhile film.
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December 11, 2012 at 12:12 AM
how many people here think that if Talaash was done by SRK, Sallu, Ajay, Akki or any other actor – it would have reached so far at the b.o.? pl be honest. What aamir is doing a slow build-up fanbase where he can do all kind of cinema and still come out a winner at the b.o. and audience would like the films also.
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December 11, 2012 at 1:28 AM
“how many people here think that if Talaash was done by SRK, Sallu, Ajay, Akki or any other actor – it would have reached so far at the b.o.? pl be honest. ”
Do you think if Aamir would have done JTHJ, it would have reached so far at the BO?
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December 11, 2012 at 1:38 AM
with aamir in JTJH – the script would have changed despite YR being at the helm 😉 that is to start with and the rest would have been 200 cr nett 🙂
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December 11, 2012 at 1:39 AM
Yes. More than that. JTHJ is a romance. Aamir and Salman both could have carried it very well.
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December 11, 2012 at 1:11 PM
Actually with Aamir working with YR for the first time, JTHJ would have touched around 250 +, there would be a curiosity factor from all angles, Him with Katrina and Anushka for the first time, A romantic film after long, with YR after long, also, the big curiosity would have been the fact that the took Aamir instead of their Blue eyed boy, It would have catapulated the film to some totally different level.
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December 11, 2012 at 1:14 PM
i think it would have been 400crores+
would have taken bollywood to frontiers not seen b4 🙂
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December 11, 2012 at 1:19 PM
Alex, Your predictions might just come true, When D3 release, albiet for another movie but still Yash Raj, Which Yash Raj expected from their Blue eyed boy to do with JTHJ. Well if it has to be Aamir, it will be.
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December 11, 2012 at 1:29 PM
For d3– even 500 crores can’t be ruled out –as per the limitless markets and nonstop trending theories 😉
Jokes apart–yrf have no ‘blue eyed’ boys
If tomorrow, the likes of Tushar, fardeen and aftaab become hot (shudder!!) won’t take long for yrf to shift allegiance
They follow success not a person (as it should be)
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December 11, 2012 at 3:04 PM
I’d disagree with that, YRF has always considered SRK as their blue eyed boy, All major films are with him coming out of YRF, if that was the case, Salman is the hottest right now, How come he didn’t do JTHJ or even Aamir? Ek Tha Tiger was signed just a bit after Dabangg, they had no Idea salman would be that big.
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December 10, 2012 at 3:47 PM
The supernatural angle at the end seems to have offended many ppl and also the only reason the film will end up collecting 15%-20% less now.
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December 10, 2012 at 6:05 PM
Aamir Khan pretty much endorses Imran Khan’s Tareek-e-Insaaf political party (start at 47:49 for Aamir Khan comment):
I guess IK was in india past week to explain his thoughts and ideas about his political party. Obviously the mass of Pakistan are hoping for a “change” of their own. I’ve been following Imran Khan and his speeches for a while now and he talks a very good game but I hope he can bring all this talk into action. In a place like Pakistan, hope is truly needed at this point and for the majority of Pakistan…Imran Khan represents that hope. if you have an hour to spare watch this entire interview.
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December 10, 2012 at 9:45 PM
I really have only disgust for people like Imran Khan. His ‘explanation’ for his refusal to be on the same platform that Rushdie was at a summit is laughable. His ‘playboy turned semi-jehadi’ stance is puke-inducing. After showing his prowess in orgies with Benazir for proof –and bedding white women and giving rise to a few legitimate and one ‘bastard’ child– in Oxford University where he barely managed to scrape through academically, he talks of Rushdie insulting Islam via The Satanic Verses!! Because he no longer has power left in his loins thanks to his age, there seems to be a more than necessary blood rush to his brain and hence he is coming up with such stupid statements. And the great country of India keeps inviting such people for ‘guidance’ and talks. Guess they wanted to know from Musharaff how the Indian army could have better- countered Kargil!! Nothing else explains the invitations he keeps getting year-after-year to India..
That is why such ‘promising’ leaders scare me. That is why Obama (definitely not comparing him to Imran khan) scares me when he, of all people, goes on a tirade against outsourcing–not as a ‘capitalist construct per se’– repeatedly hammering the name of a country so many times that the immigration officers and the INS as a whole gets ‘conditioned’ to be more than ‘administrative’ than usual with people from certain countries (India – mainly).
When supposedly intelligent and smart and charismatic politicians start towing such lines, we can rest assured that Gandhi will remain a once in centuries phenomenon..
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December 10, 2012 at 9:53 PM
Hopefully Obama will have only one more term and Imran Khan is not trusted that much in his own country.
Having said that Obama recently toned down a bit, it seems. Victory made him a bit more tolerant.
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December 10, 2012 at 10:01 PM
Sanjana – Obama’s term is the last term. No US President can have more than 2 terms. But the other side of the coin is, this would make him all the more powerful. Remember Bush Jr who went to war with Iraq in his last term, screwed Iraq and screwed US economically? He is now enjoying his life peacefully in a ranch in Texas..
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December 10, 2012 at 10:14 PM
Another perspective for boxoffice success.
Nowadays, if one observes closely, it is not the absolute starpower of a star that makes a film blockbuster. It is the likeability of a film by middle and lower classes generally. Though Salman fans say it is his star power, it is not so really. Let him do a film like Talaash or even TMK and I am sure those films would not have made BO history. This is the reason a Singham is successful inspite of Ajay Devgun. Singham would have been successful with any of the top stars. Even Barfi’s success is more to do with the novelty factor and the film had author backed roles for all the three. Rocket singh, anjaana anjaani and even rockstar failed inspite of Ranbir.
Of course a big star guarantees a big opening and thats all to it. the rest depends on the likeability and endorsement by the paying public.
Kahaani, OMG, English Vinglish had lesser stars and touched the middleclass people’s hearts Sridevi is not currently in the running and so I have called her a lesser star. And Vidya balan is more of an actress and OMG has a relevant script.
Thus Dhoom 3 will run because of the franchise and Aamir Khan’s presence will act as a boost.
Lastly Ghajini would have been successful even if it had Ajay Devgun but not anyone else other than Aamir due to extreme intensity of the role.
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December 11, 2012 at 1:40 AM
with Ghajini, aamir brought in a concept of innovative and extensive marketing which everyone else is following since then
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December 11, 2012 at 2:03 AM
http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/more/videos/view/id/1628904
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December 11, 2012 at 2:15 AM
he iconic Kamal Haasan idolizes two actors. “I grew up hero-worshipping Shivaji Ganesan. He was like the guiding sun in my life. Then I discovered an entire galaxy in Dilip Saab. I discovered Dilip Saab rather late. It took me a long time to learn to appreciate him. I belong to another culture, another generation. The first film of Dilip Saab that I saw was Mughal-E-Azam. He touched something deep within me as an actor. You have to be an actor to fully understand what Dilip Saab achieves through his performances. I am still in the process of discovering his virtuosity. Actually I was introduced to Hindi cinema very late. The first Hindi film I saw was Padosan, and that too because I was told that the Tamil community was lampooned in the film through Mehmood Saab’s character. I ended up becoming a fan of Hindi cinema. I never stopped seeing Hindi films. I gradually revisited the classics. I saw V Shantaram’s Jal Bin Machali Nritya Bin Bijli and I wondered why they called Shantaramji a great filmmaker. Then I saw Jhanak Jhanak Paayal Baje and Dr Kotnis Ki Amar Kahani and I knew why.”
Then Kamal Haasan saw Dilip Kumar in Mughal-E-Azam. “It changed my life. It re-defined any attitude to acting. I thought that was the ultimate. Then when I came to Mumbai to do Ek Duuje Ke Liye I met Javed Akhtar Saab. I told him I am a fan of Dilip Saab although I had seen just one film Mughal-E-Azam. He advised urged and implored me to see Ganga Jamuna. I saw it. I couldn’t stop raving about it. Just looking at Dilip Saab in Ganga Jamuna I got all the inspiration that I needed. In Ganga Jamuna he did an amazing thing. He signed on an unknown teenager to play his character’s younger version. It was a very risky thing to do. Normally characters go from childhood to adult. Here in Ganga Jamuna, Dilip Saab was cutting it closer. He trained the teenager to behave like ‘Dilip Kumar’ The way the boy walks, climbs, talks….he brought his own spirit into the boy.”
http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/celebrities/features/type/view/id/4277
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December 11, 2012 at 2:27 AM
What happened to that boy afterwards? What is his name?
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December 11, 2012 at 2:46 AM
i’ve never understood the fuss about dilip kumar. he was good but the way big b, kamal, aamir, srk and film industry treat him as some kind of acting god – that is beyond me.
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December 11, 2012 at 3:56 AM
IMO the guy is among the best ever to act. amitabh exceeded him in acting and star power…but other than him…DK is truly the next best ‘star-actor’.
my fave DK movies:
1. Naya Daur
2. Devdas
3. Shakti
4. Andaz
5. Ganga Jumna
6. M-e-A
7. Madhumati
8. Mashaal
9. Karma
10. Ram aur Shyam
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December 11, 2012 at 4:28 AM
Dilip Kumar is like Talaash, seemingly slow but utterly brilliant.
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December 11, 2012 at 11:11 AM
Just watch him in FOOTPATH (1953). You will know what he is about. That was the first film I saw of his when I was still in my teens and I was blown away. He brought subtlety to Hindi movies whose actors at that time were immersed in theatricality of a very high order (barring maybe Motilal & later Balraj Sahni). His is a terrific performance in FOOTPATH; and it stands out taller simply because he avoided theatricality as much as possible even though it was quite in vogue at that time..
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December 11, 2012 at 4:31 AM
I will put AB and DK on par. The way DK could portray a prince in M-E-A to a tongawala in Naya Daur, froma suave lover in Andaz to a trade union leader in Sagina, from a tragic Devdas to a comic Ram Aur Shyam froma dark hero of sunghursh to a swashbuckling star of Aan..his range and finesse is unparalleled.
My top 10 of DK:
1. Devdas 2. Gunga Jamuna 3. M-e-A 4. Shakti 5. Naya Daur 6. Sagian 7. Andaz 8. Ram aur Shyam 9. Madhumati 10. Mashal
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December 11, 2012 at 11:38 AM
i agree, i think they are at the same level. may be people can argue about star status and so on but the terms of stardom had also changed from 50’s to 70’s.
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December 11, 2012 at 5:11 AM
http://entertainment.oneindia.in/bollywood/box-office/2012/khiladi-786-talaash-collection-overseas-box-office-101847.html
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December 11, 2012 at 6:22 AM
Saw Talaash over the weekend.
I liked the film, well made and well-acted. Highly engaging and contrary to some resentment on the climax, I think the supernatural aspect worked as a late surprise rather than basing the whole film around it. From the get go the film engages and keeps the viewer hooked throughout. The pace for me was not slow, what was disjointed was short scenes and 3-4 storylines all enfolding…it meant the film shifted a lot without a linear plot. But when it all comes together it’s worth it.
I am surprised how its performed in the end at the box office. At least some sort of audience has liked the film (high end multiplex audience it seems)…as the emotional intent and drama works. Overall the numbers point to a film that really did not connect beyond the opening weekend but not your Mangal Pandey type response.
Kareena was superb I felt, played the role well. Good to see Rani back in a significant role. Aamir worked well in the emotional scenes relating to his son. Director did a good job.
Definitely will try to watch it again! The wife enjoyed it thank god!
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December 11, 2012 at 6:29 AM
Second viewing makes pace look faster. It is just like driving through a strange lane and it seems the drive is quite long. The second time, the distance and the drive magically shortens.
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December 11, 2012 at 6:36 AM
Satyam, MNIK in 2010 opened to a 45 crore week and ended around 75.. Was that genre (the muslim angle, the autistic hero) safe? and the kind of BO SRK managed was not appreciated on this blog, while Talaash after almost 3 years, more screens after after 3 years etc at 85-90 crores is a brilliant achievement?
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December 11, 2012 at 6:42 AM
Just like Talaash was not liked by a section, MNIK is not also liked by a section. Pasand apni apni. I heard that SRK acted well and he even outperformed Kajol.
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December 11, 2012 at 6:45 AM
And Talaash is a risk as Aamir is not as popular as SRK to get away easily.
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December 11, 2012 at 6:49 AM
“Pasand apni apni. I heard that SRK acted well and he even outperformed Kajol.”
LOL! Since when is outperfoming Kajol a compliment? 😛 Kajol is an enormously charismatic star, but she is no actoress.
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December 11, 2012 at 6:50 AM
But yes, SRK did act well in MNIK.
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December 11, 2012 at 7:21 AM
Have you seen Fanaa? Kajol performs in an understated way and highly effective.
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December 11, 2012 at 12:17 PM
srk and kajol are similar actors. charismatic, showy and can be effective in certain movies with the right director. but they are hardly skilled actors.
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December 11, 2012 at 12:34 PM
KAJOL–a career recap
actually i agree with sanju that kajol was good in fanaa
Actually, for a while i hated kajols ‘unibrow’ and she elicited reactions similar to the screecho sisterz-kareena/karisma
BUT
there is a crucial difference
Kajol on a good day can out-act and out-perform anyday
and can also look reasonable (unlike kareena/karisma)
Kajol is an ‘instinctive spontaneous’ type of actor somewhat like srk and it wasnt a surprise that the two got along like a house on fire (much to the chagrin of cuckolded ajay devgun lol)
Fanaa was a movie that i never had the courage to watch since it reminds one of the 70-80s type of melodramatic potboilers of blind belles being lured by charming thugs etc
BUT
again was forced to watch it in a flight and must say, its not THAT bad !
Kajol in fanaa was perhaps the ONLY actress that not only stood on equal terms to aamirs acting in fanaa but in crucial scenes sort of ‘owned’ him and that too not by ‘shouting her gills out’ by nuanced work–(something that she never quite achineved with srk not bcos srk is a more superior actor to aamir but srk could tap/grab her at her game that aamir couldnt)
BUT
i liked their pairing and look 4ward to an aamir-kajol film again –which might happen now after jthj-sos fiasco…
A few scenes did show 2 masters @ wrk–ive already stated who won (narrlowly though)
a nice track from fanaa
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December 11, 2012 at 8:23 AM
By my count MNIK didn’t get anywhere close to 75 (even have doubts about the 45 crore opening.. think that it was most likely a 40-42 deal that folded up around 60-65..). Leaving this aside I find it a far more safe film than Talaash. Just no comparison. It’s like Barfi. So even though the trending was better than Talaash’s it ought to have been a lot more so. Just as Barfi over-performed any expectations one might have had for the film (what’s worse than MNIK? LAK! Which had more or less the same numbers in an even safer genre). Just having a hero with a disability does not automatically make an unsafe film! But again you only have a right to make this claim if you were considering Aamir’s achievements brilliant (in box office terms) before this. Allow me to be a bit skeptical when people crawl out of the woodwork only when it’s about Talaash’s trending! For years we’ve had discussions on trending which most people either ignored or disagreed with. Suddenly Talaash doesn’t trend like other Aamir films and the same folks are asking questions about trending!
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December 11, 2012 at 8:17 AM
thanks Jay.. concisely stated.. hard to disagree with anything.. I could even watch it a third time and might well do so.
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December 11, 2012 at 8:27 AM
Khiladi 786 Steady But Low On Monday
Tuesday 10th December 2012 10.30 IST
Boxofficeindia.Com Trade Network
Khiladi 786 had a low Monday of around 4.75-5 crore nett but collections were steady as compared to Friday The collections are around 45% lower than Friday which is better than normal for a Monday but the film had a low Friday.
The four day total of the film is 34 crore nett approx and the first week should collect in the 45 crore nett region. The opening of the film really killed the film’s potential at the box office.
The film is unlikely to match the expectations even in some of its good areas. Gujarat which is one of the better circuits for the film fetched around 7 crore for the film just before release and the first week share is looking 3.5 crore at best which will eventually lead to a 30-35% loss for the distributors.
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December 11, 2012 at 8:28 AM
taran adarsh @taran_adarsh
#Khiladi786 Mon 5.4 cr nett. Steady!
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December 11, 2012 at 8:35 AM
Satyam- where is your promised note on JTHJ? 🙂 If you’re not going to write it, can you atleast write a couple of comments on what you thought of the film?
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December 11, 2012 at 8:58 AM
will put up a note on it.. thanks for the interest..
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December 11, 2012 at 10:11 AM
can i ask – what was so different about talaash??i liked talaash and didnt mind the supernatural angle – but it was a conventional movie as any other. don’t get what all the fuss is about. it starred the top stars of bollywood and had a catchy song and it wasn’t too dark as even the prostitute angle was shown in a more glamorous light. it was another commercial movie full stop and i think people need to admit it has underperformed.
as for aamirs acting – i agree he is one of the better actors out there but i don’t find anything special in his performance in this movie, ghajini or 3 idiots. i think he could ve easily been replaced in any of those movies. someone said only aamir could ve done ghajini – but im sure salman khan would ve been amazing in that role and its a shame he wasnt given that part.i think there seems to be adulation for all bollywood stars so you can’t really compare hollywood with bollywood. i think in india ultimately it does all depend on box office success whereas with hollywood movies its a bit different.there a particular ‘genre’ is never in. you have chick flick releasing alongside an action movie alongside a serious/arty kind of movie. its only here we hear of safe genre and unsafe genre. in my books if a movie is good it will work and if it isn’t it won’t. obviously not everyone is gonna like any the same movie. i personally hated 3 idiots but the rest of the world loved it.so each to their own.
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December 11, 2012 at 10:51 AM
Speaking for myself I have never claimed that no one but Aamir could have done the Ghajini role. My position was that no one but him could have got the film that gross at that point in time. Nothing had done more than 85 crores at that point, this film did 115 or so. A massive jump. The same goes for the initial. This is not as easy as it seems. No film since Ghajini has been able to match the overall achievement of this film, i.e. as a combination of initial and gross being that much ahead of the existing standards and the trending still being very solid (more than doubling the initial eventually) and finally after adjusting for inflation (all kinds) both factors pretty much hold. Similarly with 3I you still don’t have a film that has actually touched its 205 crores. ETT even with very poor trending couldn’t do it, with the same trending or even just Ghajini-like trending we should be seeing grosses in the range of 275 crores.
As for the Salman comparison of course he could have done Ghajini. But notice how much Salman grossed with Wanted.. only as much as Ghajini did in its extended first week. And this after Ghajini’s release. so the masala example had been set. Therefore it is entirely reasonable to say that Salman couldn’t have achieved much better results with Ghajini. And from the other side Aamir came to Ghajini after years of constant success. So he had built a certain credibility with his audience. All of this helped. It’s not just any star who could have done Ghajini and achieved the same result.
The idea that in Bollywood it’s only about success (I assume you mean gross) while in Hollywood it’s about genres and relative expectations is quite false. You have the latter bit right but not the former. Even in a historic sense this hasn’t been true. Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s films were considered very successful with major commercial stars (Rajesh Khanna, Bachchan, Dharmendra etc) without having to live up to the gross standards of a Manmohan Desai film! Even today no one expects TZP and CDI to gross as much as Ghajini or OSO! Because of important tax breaks the gap actually seems less than it is (significant but would be moreso without the breaks). Because of fan politics on blogs and of course trade politics elsewhere this nonsense is peddled. But no sane person and certainly no sane distributor ever expects this.
here’s the problem with saying Aamir’s not special in many of these films. What’s the standard? If you then say Salman would be amazing it’s a bit hard to take the comment seriously. Unless you just mean gesturality in which case you should make it clear. But what is the standard? I am skeptical of those who find SRK and Salman and whoever very special (though frankly even with all my criticism I think it’s an insult to SRK to compare him as an actor with Salman!) and not Aamir! Otherwise in an honest discussion I don’t find this to be an odd position at all. on 3I similarly while I don’t think one absolutely has to like it it’s rather hard to conceive of a situation where one hates the film. I think if this film doesn’t meet the entertainment test for one 99% of Bollywood films from any period ought not to as well. I am being completely serious here. It’s one thing to not love it and quite another to hate it. What’s to hate here?!
On Talaash no one’s saying this is Dhobi Ghaat! Obviously it is a commercial production intended to achieve a certain result. But within those parameters it’s a risky film. The way many people get out of this is by loosening the definitions of different so much that either every other film is different or tightening them so much that no one other than the Shyam Benegal of the 70s need apply. This is your strategy here. The same goes for those who think there’s nothing special about this film et al. Sure! But not if one otherwise likes some very questionable pieces of cinema!
In the final analysis it’s less about liking one film or the other. I actually wouldn’t have a problem with someone who was rather harsh on Deewar! The question however is: what are the terms of the debate? There has to be some minimal consistency to these things. The argument has to be an ‘honest’ one, which is to say it must make some sense using not some objective definitions but the terms set up by the person making the claim. So if Talaash isn’t special what are ten special Bollywood commercial films over the last decade or so? There can be sane answers to this question. One just doesn’t hear them very often in the blogosphere if at all!
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December 11, 2012 at 11:52 AM
The same people comparing MNIK to Talaash will be the same defending Swades or Paheli’s box office performance.
It’s obvious Talaash has not trended well. As a fan of “trending” this is crystal clear. Numbers don’t really lie.
It opened well enough but just fizzled out. The only saving grace is the second weekend (mainly sat and sun) showed improvement vs. Friday which suggests an audience has been found for the film, but the film’s size and expectations means this is not enough. Probably this film was better suited a smaller production just aimed purely at multiplexes, a nicher presentation. With Aamir, Kareena, Rani in it, the expectations were much bigger. And I fully endorse the view, no one else could have taken this film in terms of collections any higher! Or put it another way, no current actor-star has a film in his filmography with similar characteristics suggesting they are a better bet in this type of film. Not even Salman! Think about Ek Haseena Thi or Tasveer…they grossed minimal. A film like Omkara or DMD fizzled. These dark, broody, moody films are not commercial moneyspinners like Dhooms.
I misplaced my prediction too but expected to see a more commercial film. Though still a tad surprised the film has not performed better.
Now if the film was less serious and more commercial, maybe it fits into the Vikram Bhatt – Emraan Hashmi dimension of films. Maybe a sleazy film, more commercial etc…the format could have been more successful. But in this domain, the way the films been made, it’s done more than anyone else could have.
The discussions have had before. Bloggers did not believe it when RDB or TZP was compared to Krrish or D2…sure the former were lower grossers, but the currency earnt was bigger. The same naysayers saw what happened when Aamir came in a full blown entertainer like Ghajini. Even that was a risk. And then 3 Idiots. Given the right commercials, most star-actors can extract a big gross – very few do it with a film that remains steady for a few weeks!
But let’s stop the ludicrously there. It’s not clever to compare Talaash to MNIK. The people who do this don’t compare 3 Idiots with Ra.One or Jab Tak Hai Jaan. They can barely get away with a comparison with Ghajini, a pee sized release 4 years ago – Emraan Hashmi films release like Ghajini on print counts today. In today’s world, a release like Ghajini is a B grade actors release. And A listers barely get to the film’s gross. It’s quite embarrassing how long it has taken some stars to get to Ghajini! And even more humour in getting to 3 Idiots!
The key ingredient is a film liked. Big openers that fizzle will eventually get to 200 crore by 2014 (a Salman film quicker maybe 2013 or maybe even Dabangg), but by that time the benchmark will be 300 crore. Because how much is 3 Idiots worth in today’s money. Definitely not 200 crore. Much more.
My big bets for next year are D3, Krrish 2 and P.K. The former 2 are pan India films, for all ages. Big releases, big hype, big commercials. Almost guaranteed moneyspinners. The last, P.K. is the next big benchmark potentially. Hirani’s record is unmatchable. From 25 crore (MB MBBS) to 70 crore (LRM) to 200 crore (3 Idiots), each film has shown the level of growth parallel to the pan India growth in business. That combination with Aamir is potentially lethal and anything 50% to 3 Idiots is a banker 200 crore, anything close to 100% is going to beat 3 Idiots by a big margin. These are the acid tests to the theories. My wager would be 2 of these will breakout beyond 200 crore, and one substantially to prove the underperformance of some so called “moneyspinners”.
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December 11, 2012 at 11:51 AM
“but it was a conventional movie as any other.”
I don’t think so. Treatment and presentation of story make it different. If you give the same movie to Vikram Bhatt and you know what would have been the result. Many people here claim Kahaani was better. It was a well made movie in Indian context but it didn’t add anything to main commercial bollywood cinema but Talaash did (in terms of treatment and presentation).
ps – I have seen many comments on online suggesting that Saya was better. It is no more than an individual opinion and probably have no idea of what constitutes cinema in general.
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December 11, 2012 at 12:01 PM
agreed on the kahaani point and the Vikram Bhatt one. Some pretend this is Raaz! But even on the former, a film which I liked, you’re making exactly the right point. It doesn’t bother anyone irrespective of whether they like it or not. It is just a suspense narrative with a twist and of course the local authenticity. There’s nothing else happening here. Again not an argument against the film, only its overrating. On the other hand those who think Talaash is just a suspense narrative with no subtexts have missed the plot (!). Which is not to say one isn’t allowed to dislike the film. One absolutely can. But the terms many of the naysayers are offering are questionable. To be kind about it!
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December 11, 2012 at 12:06 PM
yes, it’s ok to like kahaani better but one should also be honest enough to say kahaani was very much overrated.
saaya? rofl!
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December 11, 2012 at 12:30 PM
satyam, don’t you think there should be a dilip kumar post, 90th birthday and everything?
there my not be another milestone you know. the man is old 🙂
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December 11, 2012 at 12:51 PM
@ antya:
But Satyam isn’t impressed with Dilip’s work as much as he is with Raj’s. I got this impression after his take on ANDAAZ. But I will have to agree to disagree here and Dilip for me among the 3 will remain the uncrowned king when it comes to histrionics…
Will be interesting to read Satyam’s post on Dilip for sure…
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December 11, 2012 at 1:40 PM
Raj Kapoor was commonly perceived as having stolen the show from Dilip in Andaaz when the latter released. the iconic moment here was when Nargis speaks to who she thinks is Dilip Kumar in the dark, the lights come on and it isn’t him, she looks the other way and there’s Raj Kapoor gradually turning around lighting his cigarette or whatever it is. I do however agree with the general perception on this. Wouldn’t generalize too much from here though at his best I just find Raj Kapoor a more spontaneous and empathetic performer, one who’s also rather deceptive in certain ways. He could often be fine but not in the showy sort of way. Of course beyond a point the image took over. But still he is the only one in Chalin’s genealogy who also established his own universal brand. From China to Russia to france they have always loved him. On the rest:
Of course what I think of him as an actor and how I judge his influence are two different things. On the latter though I reject the Dilip Kumar-Amitabh Bachchan analogy. It holds in a limited sense which is to say that for an entire generation or two Dilip Kumar defined the horizon for the star-actor. Bachchan did this after him. However the analogy ends here. Because Dilip Kumar wasn’t a superstar in the sense that Rajesh Khanna was or Bachchan was for a much longer period. This is about understanding the magnitude of box office accomplishment in a very precise sense. Today the word superstar is thrown around all the time and it’s meaningless. But there is to my mind no star before or after who matches Bachchan’s box office record for many years or Rajesh Khanna’s for a more limited period. So it’s not just about different notions of stardom. Because even relative to their onw age these two were so much ahead of the competition. The other stars were not even on the same spectrum. Which is why when it was said for Bachchan that he was 1-10 it made complete sense. No one was within even striking distance which wasn’t true for Dilip Kumar, even leaving aside the superstardom bit. For one he was first among equals but he was part of that great trio that also included Dev and Raj kapoor. Leaving this aside Bachchan’s relevance as a cultural figure, one symptom of which is his extraordinary longevity, is pretty much unparalleled at a national level (in the South you have important figures who’ve lasted that long). Let’s just take a quick example here — Bachchan’s films 30-40 years after release are current in a way which is totally singular for Bombay cinema. No one was watching Dilip Kumar’s 50s films in the 70s or 80s. They were archaic even then. And this is the norm. This is the fate of pretty much every star barring fads where one star or another becomes cool (Shammi Kapoor currently). But with bachchan those three to four decade old films exist in a contemporaneous sense. There is simply no model for such lasting relevance. My ultimate claim though has always been that Bachchan is simply one of the 3-4 most influential Indians of post-Independence history. Again have talked about this elsewhere, won’t repeat everything.
So the Dilip-Bachchan analogy does hold upto a point but one can’t take this too far. also remember that while a great figure is always linked to his or her contexts this does not mean that just anyone given those contexts could achieve that sort of fame. The Elizabethan age was a very rich period for drama. Shakespeare was one of the beneficiaries. He wouldn’t have been Shakespeare in every other age. But the Elizabethan era could as easily have survived without Shakespeare. Similarly it’s not as if without Bachchan there would have been some other ‘angry young man’. There would have been no one! This applies to some other stars too and Dilip Kumar is certainly in that category. And I am all for relativizing things based on contexts. But this need not give way to an easy ‘equalizing’. Chaucer was Shakespeare before Shakespeare. A similar analogy holds here. But Shakespeare is simply the greater force. That kind of symmetry holds better for Sivaji/Kamalahaasan.
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December 11, 2012 at 1:25 PM
was planning to do this.. will do it today..
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December 11, 2012 at 1:27 PM
Thanks Antya for instigating this, Agreed with you An Jo, I like Raj as a filmmaker more than the actor. But my vote has always been to Dev Anand, (Not for his acting capabilities, Just love the man’s style and charisma), But yes Dilip Saheb was in league of his own.
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December 11, 2012 at 1:47 PM
would have kept harassing satyam until he did 🙂
looking forward satyam, will be good to have everybody’s opinions too. should be fun.
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December 11, 2012 at 1:58 PM
agree on most of your points here satyam. made a brief comment about the ‘star’ thing myself, although i like both of them equally as actors within their era (may be a little partial to dk).
raj, i agree, though not as techinally skilled as dilip or as charismatic as dev, was in my opinion still a very subtly effective presence. he was very successful in portraying that presence in the kind of world and narrative he created. on andaz, i loved him as much as dilip. but just to argue the other side, it is easy to ‘steal the show’ when you are the perceived ‘underdog’, so to speak. in other words, may be nobody expected him to hold his own against dilip and nargis, but he did more than that. his portrayal of a man wrecked with jealousy in sangam, who nonetheless, loves both the people who he thinks are betraying him, was also very effective. and i cannot picture anyone else in awara.
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December 11, 2012 at 2:02 PM
But Andaz was too early in their careers.. Raj Kapoor wasn’t an underdog then. Of course even at Dilip’s peak Raj was part of the reigning trio. No one would have called him an underdog at any point. Dilip was offered the Rajendra Kumar role in Sangam but he did not take the Andaaz chance again and he was quite right not to do so (though the film would have been better with him).
on this Dilip/Raj comparison though if you combine the latter’s directorial history there’s no doubt in my mind that he’s simply the greater figure compared to the former. Not just this. Raj Kapoor is easily one of the most iconic post-Independence public figures in his own right.
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December 11, 2012 at 2:09 PM
hmmm……not sure i agree with this, did not know about sangam casting though.
and yes, on the whole, raj is one of the defining figures in hindi cinema history in a sense. no doubt about that.
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December 11, 2012 at 12:10 PM
in fact during ghajini release – aamir himself said that when he was approached first, he asked the makers to approach sallu as he fitted the role most but it was murugadoss who wanted aamir as surya had also advised him. 3i was initially offered to srk but when it came to aamir, he asked for changes in script. It is this involvement of him that sets him apart from the rest. Lagaan, DCH, 3I, TZP, Talaash, DG, RDG, Fanaa, Ghajini – in 2001 till now – he has done only these 9 films as an actor and each one is a different genre and he has come out a winner at the b.o. and critically also in each of them. Is that a lesser achievement? Which other actor of his generation or the later generation has done it in last 12 years? Add to this coming films D3 and P.K. – the man is clearly on a mission.
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December 11, 2012 at 11:19 AM
Telugu remake of BB in the works:
http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-12-06/news-interviews/35646343_1_bol-bachchan-rana-daggubati-venky
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December 11, 2012 at 11:39 AM
So I was lucky enough to attend the screenings of Kurasawa’s films at the 3rd Eye Asian Festival in Pune (it’s also going on in Bombay). This is the 1st film festival I have attended and I saw Quiet Duel and Scandal. The festival continues till 13 Dec.
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December 11, 2012 at 11:43 AM
ooh, nice. do write your impressions about films you like.
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December 11, 2012 at 2:04 PM
Would definitely give my impressions Antta but not today. Too tired, riding a bike amidst the traffic takes a lot out of you
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December 11, 2012 at 2:12 PM
sucks you couldn’t stay. roshomon is one of my favorite films. will wait for your write-up.
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December 11, 2012 at 11:44 AM
try to watch some of the others. These are works of apprenticeship for Kurosawa. More interesting for some of the themes he develops as opposed to being fully realized efforts.
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December 11, 2012 at 1:46 PM
Thanks for the suggestions Satyam. Sadly i would not be able to attend the screenings as I have left Pune (didn’t have enough pocket money left). They were showing Roshomon tomorrow
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December 11, 2012 at 1:59 PM
A pity.. still it’s good you got a chance to see the ones you did..
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December 11, 2012 at 11:55 AM
Just saw Aamir on TV his message to his audience “Loogon ko Talaash pasand aye but kuch section of audience ko nahi pasand aye which is ok next time aur mehnat karke unn loogon ko bhi khush karne ki koshish karunga”.
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December 11, 2012 at 12:17 PM
Ok folks–for the fans waiting and praying for talaash suxess
“success party” of talaash –enjoy n ‘celebrate’
one does note the slight over eagerness and haste of this ‘party’
aamir who normally doesnt attend parties is keen to explain his point and is creditably balanced
also he has not seen any songs/trailers of any film not featuring himself haha
Kareena is her usual pea sized brain and rani makes all the p-correct sounds and speaks of her ‘friendships’
And finally Kagtis mood and ‘numbers dont speak to me’ says it all
🙂
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December 11, 2012 at 12:26 PM
This is also a kind of marketing and telling the doubting thomases that All is Well.
Having said that do you expect that the team will celebrate a failure party or mourning party?
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December 11, 2012 at 12:28 PM
how is 80 cr in 10 days a failure? oh you mean by alex’s standards? yeah, massive failure then. jthj on the other hand was blockbuster at 100.
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December 11, 2012 at 12:54 PM
hahaha anya– rise above these 80 cr or 100 cr bickering folks–even folks who have made losses are celebrating in the link above lol
Enjoy the kajol/aamir song i posted above –for aamir fans, enjoy his ‘different’ acting here as well lol–it surely is ‘prestigious’ luring a ‘blind’ gal hahah
Nowadays i can understand & appreciate lyrics–check em out
courtesy Miss Google—
“Yeh Saazish Hain Boondon Ki Koi Khwaahish Hain Chup Chup Si…
Dekho Na Dekho Na…
Hawa Kuchh Haule Haule Zubaan Se Kya Kuchh Bole
Kyon Duuri Hain Ab Darmayaan
Dekho Na Dekho Na…
( Phir Na Hawayen Hogi Itani Besharam
Phir Na Dag Mag Dag Mag Honge Yeh Kadam…
Haa Saawan Yeh Seedha Nahi Khufia Bada
Kuchh Toh Baraste Hue Keh Raha
Samjho Na… Samjho Na”
Gross 🙂
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December 11, 2012 at 1:05 PM
Few quick comments:
1. 90 cr or 80 cr Indian Net on a production cost of 40 cr or even 60 cr if you add a notional actor’s fee of 20 cr is a big success anyw ay you lok at it ( Especially if you compare toa Net of 115 cr ona production cost 0f 125 cr of Ra One)
2. But regardless of the limitation of the genre, if it was a better film , a more satisfying film, it would have made 150 cr. Which is also the ase with Jab Tak Hai Jaan. If it was areally good film, it too would have earned 150 cr.
3. In spite of mr not particularly liking Talaash, when it comes to waht it attempts or even what it has achieved, Jab Tak Hai Jaan is no comparison. The latter is unadulterated trash.
4. Come to think of it , given a chance I will see Talaash again rather than Kahani. Kahani is just one dimensional..it is very Hollywood..and it leaves me cold. One time viewing yes. But there are no layers for me to revisit it again. Just like I can watch Chak De only once while a Lagaan or even Swades..any number of times. And for the record, I find Vidya Balan’s performance in The Dirty Picture far more challenging and interesting and mould breaking than in Kahaani.
5. Those who say Barfi was safe film or a a more audience friendly film are being unfair to Anurag Basu. How many said that before the film’s release? People predicted a net of 50 cr at most. Even after seeing the film no one thought it would do more than 60 cr. Afyter reading the figure of 105 cr to say that it was not dark , it was not unsafe..is very easy and convenient.
6.Same goes for 3 Idiots. People somehow try to imply that it was a masala film meant for the masses. My foot it was. How many said that before the film’s release? Or on the first day after seeing it ? People did not think that it could match Ghajini, and patronizingly said it would be a hit of course and notch upto 80 cr. A mass film? Based on the them of three engineering student pitching their perspective on education gainst that of their professor? Where the jokes are about how does one start an electric motor? And where the hero;’s punches to his adversary is why they dont use pencils in space ships for writing? Where the songs go like Behti hawa sa that woh, or Give me some sunshine or all Izz well? Give me a break? It si again gross injustice to the genius of Hirani and the brilliant film that he made.
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December 11, 2012 at 1:31 PM
“Kahani is just one dimensional..it is very Hollywood..and it leaves me cold….” that is harsh and totally unfair. How many directors out there would have the b…s to hire a female (hero) pregnant protagonist with literally unknown faces but all really good actors and base all that in Kolkotta and make the sidekick fall in love with pregnant hero(ine). I just loved the way (durga) puja theme was played against main character’s revenge (shakti) theme…there are layers if you want to see it!! At least it didn’t have talaash’s corney dialogues. If you don’t agree then chalo saath mai lataktey hai aur baat kartey hai…that is Farhan Aktar saying lets hang together and discuss 😉
Every character from nawaz to his love interest are typecast (the female has played prostitute in almost 100% of her movies)..kareena is totally a misfit as a prostitute though her performance is ‘effective’ …people are praising her because for once she didn’t annoy and drive audience insane over her ‘acting’…but then everything was wrong with her makeup, clothes. I can go on….I found talaash a very fake product.
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December 11, 2012 at 1:37 PM
Of course you will find it a fake product as you are a self confessed hater of Aamir Khan or anything to do with the actor. Nothing surprising.
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December 11, 2012 at 11:46 PM
Bilkul sahi kahi Sanjana. Aamir haters are there all over the net…and in the process some real worthwhile work from Aamir or his colleagues — it’s all dismissed,they all get victimized. I love Talaash despite its flaws, just as I like Mangal Pandey ( a noble film that deserved better reception). in fact its almost a dejavu Mangal Pandey moment for Aamir this year, people ready to dismiss his work from all these years, simply because Talaash did not achieve its potential. it was good film that could have been better — and i’m saddened.
I may be an Aamir supporter, but i also recognize that Talaash is lit up by Kareena’s presence. She did full justice to her character. She and Nawaz sparkled in their roles. Aamir-Rani have roles that are interesting but low key and morose in characterization. Difficult roles which they carried off, but not exactly audience-friendly roles. They are realistic roles-characters; people like them, deeplly enmeshed in their own sorrows – they do exist; I’ve got one in my extended family!
I liked Kahaani but would not like to compare it with Talaash, which has its own charm. Talaash is definitely a film that is more than a one time watch; can be appreciated better second time around, nuances understood, appreciated.
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December 11, 2012 at 1:39 PM
Di–agree somewhat with that
Except–
“kareena is totally a misfit as a prostitute “–this is one role that suited her to the t.. 🙂
. She carried off he body language and vibe well here –though agree it wasn’t anything that people are making it out to be.
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December 11, 2012 at 1:12 PM
“Those who say Barfi was safe film or a a more audience friendly film are being unfair to Anurag Basu. How many said that before the film’s release? People predicted a net of 50 cr at most. Even after seeing the film no one thought it would do more than 60 cr. Afyter reading the figure of 105 cr to say that it was not dark , it was not unsafe..is very easy and convenient.”
good point uncle utkal—also bout 3 idiots
btw who do u think did a better job–kareena or rani in talaash
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December 11, 2012 at 1:31 PM
AA: Karena any day. Rani and Aamir were good, totally in character, anchoring the emotional wight of the film, but a tad boring. It is Kareena and Nawajjuddin who were the life of the film.
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December 11, 2012 at 1:43 PM
Though I like Kareena, i did not find her that appealing and I loved Rani. And one very trivial thing distracted me too much during the last 20 minutes
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December 11, 2012 at 9:37 PM
Completely agree. Kareena is being seriously overrated.
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December 12, 2012 at 2:25 AM
actually kareena’s character was written in such a way that she had to put her best foot forward to come out trumps – and she did that. Rest of the characters had a bit complex role to play and ….but yeah kareena is the soul of this movie
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December 12, 2012 at 2:29 AM
Soul Rooh atma ghost.
Kareena should do Woh Kaun Thee remake with one of the Khans and with the same songs.
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December 11, 2012 at 2:01 PM
Di: I am not questioning Suhjoy Ghish’s ballsiness. Though you must accept at that kind of budget many films are being made with no big stars. What stars did Gangs of Wasseypur ahve? Niot even a Vidya Balan! So it was not all that ballsy. The film was decent enough. I have no quarrel with anyone who likes it a lot. Just that one note surprise ending films like Kahaani and A WEdnesday leave me cold and I never want to revisit them.
( You missed the whole coolness of Farhan’s line. It is obvioudsly translated literally from an English idiomn and the literalnes is meant to show.)
Why Talaash engages me in spite of all the fklaws is because the characters , Sekhawat, Roshni, Simran, Malliak, Timur, Shashi…interest me. more than the chraxters in Kahaani.)
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December 11, 2012 at 9:35 PM
http://www.impactnottingham.com/2012/12/review-talaash/
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December 12, 2012 at 1:47 AM
The film is looking at an approx 60 crore nett lifetime total and if it manages some business after the release of Dabangg 2 it could do a little bit more. Lifetime business in the range of films like Kahaani and Student Of The Year is nowhere near the desired results of Khiladi 786.
http://www.boxofficeindia.com/boxnewsdetail.php?page=shownews&articleid=5190&nCat=
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December 12, 2012 at 1:50 AM
Q. Can Khiladi 786 still do 100 crore because Bol Bachchan and Son of Sardaar also had same openings and went to do around 100?
A. Son Of Sardaar and Bol Bachchan had much better openings
and more importantly had better reports. Khiladi 786 has no chance of 75 crore let alone 100 crore.
http://www.boxofficeindia.com/youdetail.php?page=shownews&articleid=5188&nCat=
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December 12, 2012 at 2:44 AM
I am quite addicted to the song muskan jhooti hain. When one of my acquaintances smiled at me, I blurted out mukan jhooti hain and she stared at me somewhat bewildered and angry.
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