Bubble Gum, Khap and Gandhi to Hitler went unnoticed
Small new releases like 'Bubble Gum', 'Khap' and 'Gandhi to Hitler' didn't get proper release since theatres preferred screening 'Singham' and 'Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara'.
There really seems to be some kind of revolution happening at the box-office. In an industry when all that matters for any film is the first weekend collections, films are going on to earn crores even in their second and third weekend. Ajay Devgn's Singham seems to be on a roll and so does Hrithik-Farhan-Abhay's Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara . With no big competition in their successive weeks, both the films are enjoying a steady run at the box office. Singham has collected Rs 14 crores in its second week and ZNMD is already a super-hit which continues to gain repeat audience in its third week.
The lack of competition in the form of big releases can be attributed to the start of the Ramzan period, which isn't considered a good period for movie business. So barring Aarakshan , one would have to wait for a month for the next big Bollywood release in the form of Salman Khan's Eid attraction Bodyguard .
But at the same time, this period is also a blessing in disguise for small films, which have no competition from bigger releases, thereby making it the safest time for them to come out. So you would see a string of small releases lined up for release and multiple releases clashing with each other every Friday. Only the ones decent on content and lucky enough to get public attention manage to survive the battle, while others are lost in oblivion.
Same was the case this week with three smallies releasing simultaneously. Bubble Gum , despite gaining decent reviews, couldn't get many screens across the city. So was the case with the issue-based Khap (Om Puri) and Gandhi To Hitler which had a very poor release and went unnoticed with almost nil audience.
The coming week sees more of such small releases. The National Award winning I Am Kalam which has already been screened at several film festivals across the world will make its theatrical release this Friday. Considering it's a quality product, the film should gain decent audience. Pankaj Kapoor's popular TV sitcom Office Office has been upgraded to a film version in the form of Chala Musaddi Office Office with the same cast and characters from the TV serial. It needs to be seen whether the satirical series, which was a huge hit on the small screen, works on the big screen as well.
Top 5 Films this Week
Film: Singham
Position: 1
Director: Rohit Shetty
Cast: Ajay Devgn, Kajal Aggarwal, Prakash Raj, Ashok Saraf
Upside: Ajay Devgn's authentic intensity, gripping fast-paced narrative
Downside: Dull romance track, cliched corruption plot, unrealistic heroism, sloppy pre-climax
Running Week: 2
Trade Comments: With no big opposition, Singham continued to rule the box-office in its second week also. The film collected a mind-blowing sum of Rs 14 crores in its second week. The gross collections have already crossed Rs 60 crores even before the second week ends. Ceratinly a Super Hit!
Film: Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara
Position: 2
Director: Zoya Akhtar
Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Farhan Akhtar, Abhay Deol, Katrina Kaif, Kalki Koechlin
Upside: Good performances, smart humour, riveting adventure sport moments, Spain beautifully captured on camera
Downside: Slow at times, long length, abrupt end
Running Week: 3
Box-Office Verdict: Super Hit
Film: Delhi Belly
Position: 3
Director: Abhinay Deo
Cast: Imran Khan, Vir Das, Kunaal Roy Kapoor, Poorna Jagganathan, Vijay Raaz
Upside: Superb humour, riveting story, good performances, authentic dark comedy feel
Downside: Practically nothing
Running Week: 5
Box-Office Verdict: Super Hit
Film: Murder 2
Position: 4
Director: Mohit Suri
Cast: Emraan Hashmi, Prashant Narayanan, Jacqueline Fernandez, Sulagna
Upside: Interesting plot, Prashant Narayanan's abnormal characterization and performance, decent direction, good music
Downside: Stretched second half, cliched climax, unconnected romance track of Emraan-Jacqueline
Running Week: 4
Box-Office Verdict: Super Hit
Film: Bubble Gum
Position: 5
Director: Sanjeevan Lal
Cast: Delzad Hiravali, Sohail Lakhani, Suraj Singh, Apoorva Arora, Sachin Khedekar, Tanvi Azmi
Upside: Simplicity is story and direction, honest attempt at understanding child psyche, authentic revival of the 80s, good performances
Downside: Slow, long and repetitive
Running Week: 1
Trade Comments: Despite being decent on content, this small film, without the backing of any big banner, hardly got screens across the city. Most cinema-halls preferred playing Singham and Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara over the new and negligible releases. So Bubble Gum went unnoticed.
Source: TOI
