What did you think of the trailer of Kabir Khan’s 83?
– The trailer of 83 is outstanding and gives the impression that the film will be a blockbuster of epic proportions. It could be one of the biggest hits of Hindi cinema, if not the biggest! Going by the trailer, the film would have thrills, the patriotic flavour, drama, melodrama, and all this, in the game of cricket which is religion for Indians.
Why do you not review films before they are released whenever you watch them in advance?
– There are several reasons for not posting the reviews before the film is released. For one, if the film is good, it is alright, but if the film is below the mark, a reviewer cannot be insensitive enough to spoil the film’s chances BEFORE it is available to the public. For, the final judge is the paying public, not any reviewer. Secondly, many reviewers shamelessly write negative reviews of films which they are not shown in advance if they get to know that one or more trade analysts like me have been shown the same film in advance. It would shock you to know that there are reviewers who openly issue threats to producers and warn them that they would ruin the chances of their films by writing negative reviews or giving one star if they are not invited in the first screening or if a special screening is not kept for them. Such reviewers aren’t even scared of their conversation with the producer concerned being recorded and posted on social media because they feel, the conversation would serve as publicity for themselves (even if it is negative publicity) and would, therefore, increase their standing on social media!! Thirdly, if a producer invites me for a film screening as a friend, I cannot ‘misuse’ my friendship and post the review in advance. Once the film is open for the public to watch, I cease to be the producer’s friend (for the limited purpose of expressing my viewpoints on the film) and am entitled to post the review.
Would you term Antim a successful film?
– Not just I, anybody who understands film business would have no hesitation in calling ANTIM a success. Only those who consider the film as a Salman Khan starrer would call it a flop. The fact is that this is an Aayush Sharma starrer and hence it is a success. The trade knows that Salman Khan is not the main hero of the film, that Aayush Sharma plays the negative hero in it, that the budget of the film is not what the budgets of Salman starrers are, that Salman Khan’s price has not been paid and, therefore, the film’s cost is less than the recoveries. Even if one considers just the box-office collections, they are good for the film’s cost. It would not be out of place to compare this film with SECRET SUPERSTAR. In that film, Aamir Khan played a lengthy guest appearance but nobody called it an Aamir starrer. Had they done so, that would not have been termed a hit!