TRADE TALK - Smile, Bollywood!
The year's first quarter rocks at the box-office
I Diganta Guha Hindustan Times
I t's April and Bollywood is smiling. The year's first quarter -even with March
not having too many releases due to exams -- has been encouraging.
The January jinx was broken with Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra's Rang De Basanti --
the first superhit film this year. "It's a hit mainly in the cities," says
trade expert Komal Nahta. But figures are heartening. RDB has earned Rs 65
crore overall and the numbers are growing. A surprise hit has been
Priyadarshan's comedy Malamaal Weekly, which experts say, is 2006's first
universal hit. A small-budget film (Rs 6 crore), it has already earned Rs 12
crore overall.
What is interesting is that small, experimental films have been appreciated.
While Malamaal Weekly, with no stars, worked well, an even smaller Mixed
Doubles, Rajat Kapoor's wife-swapping tale, did better than expected. Made on a
budget of Rs 1.5 crore, it earned around Rs 3 crore (no release abroad). Homi
Adajania's dark comedy Being Cyrus, with a budget of Rs 3 crore has earned Rs 6
crore in two weeks.
Nahta points out that even Ananth Mahadevan's Emraan Hashmi starrer Aksar has
done reasonable business. "It's more because of the music. It's helped the film
recover its costs."
Another hit, in select places, has been Milan Luthria's Taxi No 9 2 11. Taxi...
It has already earned around Rs 9 crore at the domestic box office.
Compare these figures with last year. Around the same time in 2005 we had just
two successes -- Page 3 and Black. The rest flopped.
Humko Deewana Kar Gaye Cast: Akshay Kumar and Katrina Kaif Opens on: April 22
Rs 30 cr Budget: Fanaa Cast: Aamir Khan, Kajol and Tabu Opens on: May 26 Rs 30
Cr Budget: Krrish Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Priyanka Chopra and Preity Zinta Opens
on: June 30 Rs 40 cr Budget: 36 China Town Cast: Akshay Khanna, Shahid Kapoor
and Kareena Kapoor Opens on: May 5 Rs 30 Budget:
What the successes this year prove is that both audiences and actors are open
to new ideas.' Rohan Sippy, Director `Being Cyrus did well because it showed
the characters' dark side, which we don't ideally talk about.' Homi Adajania,
Director `These days it's all about unique concepts and scripts. Viewers reject
bad films outright' Rakesh Roshan, Director
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