Has the matter of allotment of shows to Pushpa: The Rule Part 2 (Hindi dubbed) and Baby John from 25th December been resolved between the exhibitors and the producers/distributors of the two films?

– Yes, it was resolved late last night. Read details elsewhere in our issue.

Why did Vanvaas not open well today (20th December)? Is it because of the Pushpa 2 wave?

– VANVAAS opened to a lukewarm response partly because of the continuing craze for PUSHPA 2. But it is also a fact that even otherwise, the promotion of VANVAAS had not caught the fancy of the public. So, a dull initial for the film was on the cards.       

Is there a slump in production activity in Bollywood?

– Yes, there is a decline in the number of films being announced and started because producers and stars are in a confused state of mind about what to make. A wrong step could prove to be an expensive mistake.

Where do you think, Pushpa: The Rule Part 2 (Hindi dubbed) will stop?

– It appears unstoppable as of now. Even Rs. 800 crore looks like an achievable figure for the Hindi dubbed version’s net all-India collections. Whatever the total collections would be, it is a given that PUSHPA: THE RULE PART 2 (dubbed) will prove to be the biggest blockbuster of Hindi cinema till date!

With the way Pushpa: The Rule Part 2 (Hindi dubbed) is going super-strong at the box-office, is it advisable to release Vanvaas and Baby John on December 20 and 25 respectively?

– For a new film to release two weeks or three weeks after a blockbuster may appear alright but then, PUSHPA: THE RULE PART 2 seems to be breaking every rule in the book. Even if it may appear to be a scary prospect for the opening of the two new films while the Hindi dubbed version is going so strong, you can’t expect the producers of VANVAAS or BABY JOHN to change the release date now.      

What about Sunny Deol’s film which was being produced by Kamal Mukut? When will that release? I ask this question because Jaat was started after that film, but its teaser is already out.

– Kamal Mukut’s film, which was started before the release of GADAR 2, is not yet complete. JAAT may have started after GADAR 2, but it is almost complete and so, it will be Sunny’s next release.  

Will the Hindi dubbed version of Pushpa: The Rule Part 2 turn out to be the biggest blockbuster of Hindi cinema?

– From the looks of it, there seems to be not even an iota of doubt that the Hindi dubbed version of PUSHPA: THE RULE PART 2 will turn out to be the biggest Hindi blockbuster.

Why did the 3D version of Pushpa: The Rule Part 2 (Hindi dubbed) not release this week?

– The certification of the 3D version of the Hindi dubbed film was delayed. Therefore, the producers and distributors decided to release it next week instead of mid-week.      

How would you sum up year 2024 for Bollywood?

– It was good but definitely not great. PUSHPA: THE RULE PART 2 (dubbed), STREE 2, KALKI 2898 AD (dubbed) and BHOOL BHULAIYAA 3 were the big grossers which saved the day for Bollywood. There were some small- and medium-budget films which also scored very well. However, films like BADE MIYAN CHOTE MIYAN, MAIDAAN, AURON MEIN KAHAN DUM THA, SARFIRA and FIGHTER were dampeners.  

Why has no major film released this week?

– Shall we just say, it’s the calm before the storm next week which will see the release of PUSHPA: THE RULE PART 2?

Has the release of Chhaava been postponed? Why was no formal announcement made by the producers for the postponement?

– The producers must’ve not made a formal announcement of the postponement because except for the announcement of the scheduled release on 6th December, in the teaser (released many weeks back), there was no other indication that the film would hit the screens next week. By implication, therefore, it was evident that the film had been postponed. Otherwise, the trailer would’ve been released, and the other usual activities around the release would’ve started at least in mid-November. Incidentally, instead of clashing with PUSHPA: THE RULE PART 2, CHHAAVA will now come on 14th February, 2025.      

Why did big stars not perform at the IFFI in Goa this year?

– Stars are difficult to get after agencies have started managing their affairs. Their demands are unrealistic! It is learnt that Allu Arjun backed out at the last minute after agreeing to remain present for the IFFI’s closing ceremony. 

What is your assessment of the trailer of Pushpa 2: The Rule?

– After watching the trailer, one can safely predict that PUSHPA 2: THE RULE (Hindi dubbed) will take the biggest opening ever for a Hindi film! The first day’s collection figure could be upward of Rs. 70 crore!!

How would you describe year 2024 for the box-office?

– Wait for the year to get over. One film — PUSHPA 2: THE RULE (dubbed) — could completely change the scene. So it would be unfair to the South dubbed film to say anything about the year, till it has released and its box-office potential is clear.     

Is Chhaava also due in the first week of December with Pushpa 2: The Rule?

– Although CHHAAVA had been announced for release on 6th December, lack of any activity around that film gives the impression that it may not come in opposition of PUSHPA 2: THE RULE. 

Will the producers of the two Diwali releases make profits?

– The producers of BHOOL BHULAIYAA 3 will make huge profits of around Rs. 60-70 crore, maybe more. The producers of SINGHAM AGAIN, which cost more than double the budget of BHOOL BHULAIYAA 3, will not be able to break even.

Why is Jio Studios not remaking its super-hit Marathi film, Baipan Bhari Deva, in Hindi?

– Probably because it is available in Hindi on OTT platform Disney+ Hotstar. Nowadays, OTT platforms either dub regional language films in Hindi or add Hindi/English subtitles in the original language version when they acquire the streaming rights. After that, it may no longer be worthwhile to remake a regional language film in Hindi.     

Has Ajay Devgan given his consent for the release of his more-than-a-decade-old film, Naam?

– There is no way an actor can prevent the release of his film, however stale it might be. Morally, no actor would be justified in doing that. Late producer Dinesh Patel’s wife approached the star who is said to have forthwith given his go-ahead to the film’s release now. Incidentally, Ajay Devgan had not charged Dinesh Patel a single naya paisa for working in NAAM. You may be aware that it was Dinesh Patel’s PHOOL AUR KAANTE which introduced Ajay Devgan as an actor. Not only did Ajay do NAAM as a gesture of goodwill to bail Patel out of the difficult times he had landed himself in but he also asked his friend, director Anees Bazmee, to direct the film for free. And Anees Bazmee readily obliged. The script of NAAM had been originally written by Anees Bazmee for Ajay Devgan to produce it. 

In hindsight, was the tension between exhibitors and the distributors of last week’s Singham Again and Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 worth it?

– Not at all! Because both the films have underperformed. Compared to the promise the two films held, their performances at the box-office have been underwhelming. Since the producers of both the films had expected their respective film to prove a hit, none of them was willing to postpone the release of his film and hence the tension could not have been averted.

Why is IMPPA getting the governments of different states like Bihar and Jharkhand to announce film policies? Do producers shoot in these states?

– Of course, producers of small films do shoot in different states of India. And if they don’t already shoot, they will start shooting, thanks to the film policies.  

Why do big filmmakers in India generally avoid attending film festivals?

– Because they are busy making films and profits.

How would you describe the initials of both the releases of this week?

– Bumper! The two films — SINGHAM AGAIN and BHOOL BHULAIYAA 3 — together might end up giving a total box-office of Rs. 70-plus crore today!

Now that both the Diwali films have released, do you still feel that they should not have come on the same day and in the same week?

– Yes, I still feel, there should’ve been a gap of two or, better still, four weeks between the two releases. The simultaneous release will adversely affect collections of each of the two films by several crores of rupees. Of course, my reply is easier said than done because the question is: who would sacrifice the Diwali week and opt for another week instead?    

By how many crores would the business of Singham Again have been less had it not been released on Diwali?

– We’ve had films releasing on non-holiday weeks and turning out to be hits at the box-office. Holiday weekend or not, a hit film finds its audience, no matter what! So, the answer to your question about how much would the business have been affected had it not been released today is: maybe not at all!

What kind of opening-day figures do you estimate for Singham Again and Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3?

– Rs. 40-45 crore and Rs. 30-32 crore respectively. You may be aware that in half of India, the Laxmi Pooja is now scheduled for 31st October rather than 1st November which is the day of the films’ release. Had 1st November been the day of Laxmi Pooja, the figures would’ve been lower because the Laxmi Pooja rituals keep a section of the audience away from the cinemas. For those who observe Diwali on 31st October, New Year will fall on 2nd November as there is no festival on 1st November. As for those performing the Laxmi Pooja on 1st November, the New Year’s Day will, of course, be on 2nd November. Incidentally, the community of traders in North India still maintains that the traders will perform Laxmi Pooja on 1st November. Call it confusion or two days of Laxmi Pooja, but the fact is that there is lack of clarity.

What, according to you, is the biggest takeaway from the deal for sale of 50% stake in Dharma Productions to Adar Poonawalla?

– For the trade, the biggest takeaway is that a person completely, wholly and absolutely unconnected with the film industry and not even remotely  related to it has invested Rs. 1,000 crore in the business.   

Will the Dharma-Poonawalla deal be a one-off case or will we now hear of more such deals?

– It is very likely that more such deals may happen in the months and years to come. The entry of Adar Poonawalla in the entertainment business may prompt more industrialists to get into the business.

Why has no big film released this week?

– It is probably because next week is the pre-Diwali week which is considered very poor for the box-office. However, producers of smaller films often take advantage and release their films two weeks prior to Diwali as big films more often than not don’t make the scene in that week. This time, however, not many small films have also released.

With the Diwali week approaching, what are the predictions for the showcasing of Singham Again and Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3?

– In all probability, SINGHAM AGAIN will get 55-60% of the shows while BHOOL BHULAIYAA 3 will get 40-45%. In many single-screen cinemas, the show allotment will be 50:50. Since SINGHAM AGAIN is being distributed all-India by PVR-Inox Pictures, you can be sure that the showcasing in PVR-Inox chain will be tilted in favour of its own film. On the other hand, we must not forget that the all-India distributor of BB 3 is Anil Thadani, who is a very big distributor with an enviable line-up of forthcoming releases so that exhibitors cannot afford to antagonise him with shows which are very less as compared to SINGHAM AGAIN.  

With Sitaare Zameen Par not releasing on Christmas this year, it will indeed be a Khan-less year! Will we get to see the three Khans on the big screen in 2025?

– Aamir Khan’s SITAARE ZAMEEN PAR, and Salman Khan’s SIKANDAR will hit the screens next year. Shah Rukh Khan’s KING might not be ready for release next year. It is likely to hit the screens in 2026.