Why was there no clarity about the VPF charges for this week’s release, Jolly LL.B 3? Had there been clarity, the advance booking would’ve gone on smoothly, without PVR Inox having to suspend it twice in two days.

– There was no clarity because the rules are different for Hollywood films from what they are for Bollywood films. While Hollywood studios in India are not liable to pay VPF, the Indian distributors are required to pay VPF to the exhibitors. This is an anomaly which needs to be removed. It is high time, exhibitors stopped charging VPF. Coming back to JOLLY LL.B 3, it is being distributed by a Hollywood studio and hence it took the view that it would not be liable to pay VPF on its Indian film too. However, the PVR Inox multiplex chain claimed VPF from Star Studio18 because JOLLY LL.B 3 is an Indian film. The chain’s argument is that the waiver of VPF is for Hollywood films only.   

Can you explain how Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba The Movie: Infinity Castle, a Japanese anime film, did so well in India last week?

 – Japanese anime films are soon becoming a craze with the young brigade in India. 

How did Aabeer Gulaal fare in the Overseas circuit. I ask this question because I’d like to know whether releasing a film only in Overseas circuit, without releasing it simultaneously in India, can become a trend, like Aabeer Gulaal was released last week?

– AABEER GULAAL fared extremely badly abroad. Such a lopsided release was suicidal. Anyway, why would you even want to know whether such a release strategy would become a trend? After all, no one in his senses would want to release his film in just one circuit (Overseas) to the complete exclusion of the whole of India. The producers of AABEER GULAAL had no other option because there is no clarity on the point of India theatrical release of a film starring a Pakistani hero (Fawad Khan in the case of AABEER GULAAL). 

Is it true that Aabeer Gulaal has been released in Overseas circuit this week?

– Yes, it is true that the producers of AABEER GULAAL have released it all over today, except in India. The presence of Pakistani actor Fawad Khan in the male lead may be objected to after the recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam and, therefore, the producers did not want to release it in India this week. But they are definitely contemplating releasing it after two weeks in India too. Incidentally, the film could not be released in Pakistan too. It may be mentioned here that Fawad Khan and Vaani Kapoor have given wonderful performances in the love story which boasts of lovely music. 

Why did Mirai not take even an average start in Hindi today?

– The awareness about the film’s release was minimal. The odd title also played a part in the weak opening. 

How is the Diwali week looking this year for the box-office?

 – The usual excitement may not be seen this Diwali as there is no clash one normally expects at the box-office. After all, THAMA and EK DEEWANE KI DEEWANIYAT are both not big-budget extravaganzas. They also don’t give the vibe of festival releases. Wish, some big film would release on the occasion of the festival of lights. 

While Baaghi 4 is the fourth film in the Baaghi franchise, The Bengal Files is the third in the Files film trilogy. Yet, both the films did not open to bumper houses today. Just why?

– The public had found the trailer of BAAGHI 4 too violent and hence the film was never expected to take off in a big way. Frankly, after watching the film, one feels, the film’s trailer did not do justice to the content which has so much more to offer. As for THE BENGAL FILES, it doesn’t boast of star names and, therefore, it couldn’t possibly have taken a flying start. Its opening today is very weak. 

So what was the public response to Hindi dubbed Vash Vivash Level 2? Was the response to the original Gujarati film, Vash Level 2, any different?

 – The response to the original Gujarati version was good in the first week. However, the Hindi dubbed version did not find favour with the public. 

Today, why do films not have repeat value, generally speaking, as in the good old days?

– In the good old days, films used to be available only in cinemas. Later, they started becoming available on satellite channels too, but much after their theatrical run was over. However, today, they are available on OTT within weeks of their theatrical release. They can also be downloaded — illegally, of course — on some apps. Hence today, the tendency of people to repeat a film in the cinemas has declined. Of course, that doesn’t mean that films nowadays don’t have repeat value. A much-loved film could inspire the audience to repeat it in cinemas, but, thanks to the above reason, repeat value of films has gone down. In recent times, SAIYAARA had been repeated by the youth, to some extent.         

Why did this week’s Param Sundari record dull advance booking?

 – There was not much reason for the advance booking of PARAM SUNDARI to be impressive because neither was the film very hot before release nor are the main actors of the kind which would warrant the plans to open big. 

The producers of Gujarati Vash Level 2 released the Gujarati Vash sequel this week after dubbing it in Hindi even though the first part was not dubbed in Hindi? Is this an advisable move?

– Strictly speaking, it’s not an advisable move because the second part may not be completely comprehensible to the Hindi film-going audience as they haven’t watched the first part in Hindi. The producers may have taken the liberty of doing what they did because VASH (the first part) was remade in Hindi by Ajay Devgan as SHAITAAN. However, the ending of SHAITAAN was very different from that of VASH. By the way, the title of the Hindi dubbed version of VASH LEVEL 2 is VASH VIVASH LEVEL 2.

There’s suddenly a rush of new releases on 5th and 12th September. Why is it so?

– Sometimes, there are too many releases for no apparent reason. The film release schedules are often like the Bombay traffic — unpredictable!        

If I were to ask you just one reason for the failure of War 2, what would that be?

 – The main reason for the non-success of Hrithik Roshan and Jr. NTR’s WAR 2 is its extremely weak script. The drama was so poor that the visuals looked like they were screaming, “Look, we are so beautiful, so much money has been spent on the film to make it a visual treat, look, it is so extravagant!” The huge budget irritated the audience even more because of the below-average content. 

How have the producers of Gujarati Vash made a sequel? Vash did not work at the box-office.

– VASH may not have done well at the Gujarati box-office, but the producers made profits on the project because they sold its remaking rights for other languages for a hefty price to Ajay Devgan. And Ajay remade the film in Hindi as SHAITAAN which did very well at the Hindi box-office. The producers of VASH also sold the OTT rights for a very good price. VASH LEVEL 2 (Gujarati) is slated for release next week — in Gujarati and Hindi (dubbed) too. The Hindi dubbed version is titled VASH VIVASH LEVEL 2.    

Since there’s no new Hindi film release today (22nd August), will War 2 reap the benefit of lack of new opposition?

– WAR 2 will not reap the benefit of lack of new opposition because collections dropped down markedly in the first week itself. The major part of the benefit will go to MAHAVATAR NARSIMHA.        

It is the South industry once again which has made a blockbuster animation film, Mahavatar Narsimha. Why is it that only the South filmmakers come up with winning ideas?

 – They do so because they think out of the box. Bollywood filmmakers often focus their energies on repeating a successful formula instead of tackling novel ideas.

How much business will Saiyaara do in the Overseas circuit?

– Its gross collections Overseas may probably cross $20 million! That would be a record for a love story starring new faces. In the UK, it is the fourth biggest Bollywood film!!     

Can Mahavatar Narsimha be called the modern-day Jai Santoshi Maa?

– Yes, you may call it the modern-day JAI SANTOSHI MAA because it has the same kind of following.        

What kind of an initial do you expect War 2 to take on Thursday, August 14?

 – Bumper! The trade is not quite confident about an earth-shattering start to the film but that’s because most of them are unable to understand and assess the magic of the Hrithik Roshan and Jr. NTR jodi. The thrill of watching them together on screen is something they cannot fathom today but will realise when the film hits the screens.         

With YRF’s Saiyaara still running in the cinemas, won’t the same production house’s War 2 eat into its collections from 14th August onwards? Couldn’t YRF have postponed the release of War 2?

– What you say is not easy, practically speaking. Yash Raj Films kept a gap of four weeks between the release of the two films, and that must’ve seemed good enough by any stretch of imagination at the time when SAIYAARA had not been released. To change the release plan of WAR 2 now or even one or two weeks earlier would’ve been an almost impossible task.    

Why did Dhadak 2 fare so poorly at the box-office?

– DHADAK 2 may have done far better if it had been made as a love story set against the backdrop of a casteist society. But what it turned out to be was a film about casteism set against the backdrop of a love story.        

How did Mahavatar Narsimha do so well in its first week when Saiyaara was still going strong in the second week?

 – One film ruling the box-office doesn’t mean that another film cannot do well. MAHAVATAR NARSIMHA released a week after SAIYAARA. But we have had two films releasing on the same day and both scoring at the ticket counters. Remember GADAR EK PREM KATHA and LAGAAN? They hit the screens on the same day, and both were box-office winners.         

Is it true that Son Of Sardaar 2 and Dhadak 2 did not get adequate number of shows in cinemas because of Saiyaara and Mahavatar Narsimha?

– Yes, very true. The showcasing for the two new releases of this week, viz. SON OF SARDAAR 2 and DHADAK 2 was adversely affected because of the running films viz. SAIYAARA and MAHAVATAR NARSIMHA.    

Why did one of the two films of this week — Son Of Sardaar 2 and Dhadak 2 — not release next week? They could’ve avoided the clash.

– The producers of both the films did not want to get their films next week because WAR 2 will be hitting the screens on 14th August (Thursday). That means, the film which would have opted to release next Friday, would have only six days (not even a full week) of ‘no competition’. After six days, there would be a huge film like WAR 2 to contend with. On the other hand, in the current scenario, SON OF SARDAAR 2 and DHADAK 2 have 13 days before WAR 2 hits the screens.        

What is the business potential of Saiyaara?

 – As of today (July 25, after the completion of its first week), the lower limit is Rs. 450 crore. But that doesn’t mean that the final all-India business will be around this figure only. It could actually go up to Rs. 500 crore too, maybe more! What I mean to say is that the film is doing such tremendous business that it is difficult to predict a figure.         

Saiyaara managed a flying start without much promotion in the form of interviews and city tours and the like. Will this become a trend? Should this become a trend?

– It shouldn’t become a trend because every film is different. A producer can probably do without promotion in the form of interviews and city tours but for that, he has to have songs and song picturisations like SAIYAARA, a lead pair like Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda, which becomes a rage no sooner than the first teaser is released, and the tempo to keep the excitement alive, like the producers of SAIYAARA had. Unfortunatley, several producers will emulate the strategy of SAIYAARA due to the herd mentality prevalent in the industry, and, perhaps, fall flat on their face as the aforementioned conditions would not have been fulfilled.   

Why did Tanvi The Great not work at the box-office in spite of the subject being so heart-touching and the film having been made with noble intentions?

– Simply because a film does not work due to the intentions behind making it. It works if it offers entertainment to the paying public. The entertainment can be of various kinds but it must offer entertainment. In the case of TANVI THE GREAT, the story idea may have been heart-touching but the film wasn’t. It didn’t touch the hearts of too many people and it didn’t offer them entertainment of the kind they were looking for in a film of this kind.       

What could have made Metro… In Dino take a better start?

 – More saleable names in the cast. Neither Aditya Roy Kapur nor Sara Ali Khan nor Fatima Sana Shaikh nor Pankaj Tripathi can lure the first-day audience to the cinemas. Besides them, the other four actors in the lead cast, viz. Ali Fazal, Anupam Kher, Konkona Sen Sharma and Neena Gupta are character actors. So, in the present form, it couldn’t have taken a flying start, if that’s what you mean.       

Why are films opening slow nowadays and then picking up on Saturday?

– Perhaps, because people want to venture to the cinemas only after hearing the public reports. If the reports are good, collections pick up in the evening and night shows on Friday itself. 

One had never heard of shows of new films being cancelled on the opening day, but we get to hear of this quite often now. Any reason why?

– Because of films being released in too many cinemas and too many shows. Since it is the age of initial business mainly, producers and distributors want to encash on the initial craze for their films rather than wait for the collections to grow because of positive word of mouth. The fear is, what if the reports are not good? That is why, producers adopt over-saturated release strategies for their films. Obviously then, show cancellations on the opening day are common.