Is the craze for War 2 building up?

 – Yes, the craze for Yash Raj Films’ WAR 2 is definitely building up. WAR is a big brand. And so is the excitement for YRF’s SAIYAARA. Talking about WAR 2, you must understand that besides the presence of Hrithik Roshan in the film (from the first part), there is the casting of NTR Jr. in the sequel to raise the public expectations.    

Which has taken a better start today — Metro… In Dino or Jurassic World: Rebirth?

– JURASSIC WORLD: REBIRTH has taken a better start because of various reasons: for one, it is a much older and more popular (mass-appealing) franchise than the METRO franchise. Secondly, METRO… IN DINO doesn’t have any great star names to talk about. 

Why can’t the art-house award-winning films from Hollywood be released theatrically in India?

– There is not much of a market for such films in India. Their slow pace is the biggest problem in many cases. Therefore, nobody has tried to experiment on a regular basis.  

With Sitaare Zameen Par having clicked, the trade must be euphoric, isn’t it? Will this start off a trend of such films?

 – I don’t know whether the trade is euphoric or not. As far as I understand, there are a lot of negative people in the trade, who are actually unhappy with the success of the film. Why? General frustration about anybody else’s success, I suppose. As for SITAARE ZAMEEN PAR starting off a trend of such films, well, that may happen because the herd mentality is prevalent in the industry.   

What kind of an initial do you expect Metro… In Dino to take on 4th July?

– METRO… IN DINO should take a very good start because of the METRO brand value and also due to the popularity of its music. Not to forget the exciting ensemble cast. 

Although Gujarati film Vash did not do well at the box-office, its sequel, Vash Level 2, is being made. Is there a logic to this?

– Sometimes, a film may not have done well at the ticket windows, but it may have had inherent merits which may have gotten overshadowed at the box-office. Such films sometimes do very well on satellite and/or OTT. So it is not wrong or illogical to make a sequel to such a film. Incidentally, VASH LEVEL 2 is carrying good under-production reports. It is slated for release on 27th August. 

Why has Sitaare Zameen Par had a limited release today?

– That’s the strategy which the producers have adopted. Since SITAARE ZAMEEN PAR is not the usual masala entertainer, they want the film to first generate positive talk on social media and otherwise too. That can happen if it is released in a controlled manner in the major centres and when the city audience give the film the thumbs up. The release in the next round will be in cinemas in ‘B’ and ‘C’ class centres.  

When will Sitaare Zameen Par release on an OTT platform — after how many weeks of its theatrical release, if not after eight weeks?

– The plan is to never release SITAARE ZAMEEN PAR on a digital platform. 

Will Housefull 5 turn out to be a profitable venture?

– It would’ve broken even if its total net collections would’ve been Rs. 200 crore. That seems an unachievable target. 

Why are you so against the new practice of producers doing block (corporate) bookings of their own films in a bid to show that their films are doing well at the box-office?

– I’m so against it because the practice is based on falsehood and amounts to fooling people. The practice is becoming so rampant that the sanctity of box-office collections is fast being lost. The common man is talking very derogatorily about the film industry because the housefull scenario on BookMyShow (the online cinema ticket booking app) does not match with empty auditoria. Anything that rests on fakeness or is deceptive ought to be condemned. If some other journalists are propagating the inflated box-office collections, they are guilty of two ‘crimes’: not reporting facts, and disseminating false information.  

Why are producers in a hurry to declare that their film is a hit?

– Only those producers, who know that collections of their film will come crashing down after the first weekend, are in a hurry to declare that it is a hit. 

What is your opinion on the music of Saiyaara?

– The music of SAIYAARA is very melodious and has the potential to become a hit. 

Will the double endings in Housefull 5 prove beneficial for its box-office or not? Will it start a trend of multiple endings in films?

– It may actually not make a difference to the film’s box-office. It is very unlikely that it starts a trend of two or more endings in films. For, this has been tried earlier in Hollywood but did not become popular. Incidentally, while 70% of the screens are playing the film’s first version, only the balance 30% are showing the second version. That is how the producer has planned it. 

Will the sequel to Jaat be made or was the announcement just a publicity gimmick?

– The producers of JAAT had announced its sequel after seeing the first week’s box-office collections. But the collections dropped quite markedly in the second week and went on falling in the subsequent weeks too. Ultimately, the film could not recover its cost, leave alone making a profit. It did not net even Rs. 100 crore. But the public perception, probably because of the impressive collections in the first week, is that JAAT did well at the box-office. The producers would rely on the public perception to promote their sequel at the time of its release. 

Will Sitaare Zameen Par be available on YouTube from the day the film is released in the cinemas?

– No, it will be available on YouTube after several weeks of its theatrical release. Instead of an OTT platform, it can be viewed in the comfort of your home but only for a price. 

What is the buzz around Aamir Khan’s Sitaare Zameen Par?

– Don’t go by the nonsense you may get to read on social media. The film is eagerly awaited by the people because they are loving the trailer. The public seems to be particularly liking the Aamir Khan they can see in the film’s trailer.

Will Housefull 5 take a good start next week?

– The trailer of HOUSEFULL 5 has done the trick. A comedy film’s trailer ought to make the viewers laugh and smile. And that’s exactly what happens when people watch the trailer of HOUSEFULL 5 — they laugh out loud at several places; and when they are not laughing, there’s a smile plastered on their faces. Going by the positive response to the teaser first and the trailer then, HOUSEFULL 5 should open big on 6th June.  

Which is the oldest cinema in India, which hasn’t changed hands since inception?

– Perhaps, Shree Mahalaxmi Talkies in Surendranagar (Gujarat), owned by the Kapasi family. It is 87 years old and is probably the only cinema in India which started with a government licence issued by the Britishers in 1938 and which hasn’t changed hands. The cinema was started on May 17, 1938. 

Why hasn’t this week’s Bhool Chuk Maaf taken even an ordinary opening?

– Why should it have taken even an ordinary initial? The cancellation of the film’s release on 9th May, at the last moment, got a lot of media coverage. The argument of PVR Inox in court — that producer Dinesh Vijan had cancelled the theatrical release at the eleventh hour because of poor response at the advance booking windows and not because of the war-like situation in the country — has also become public knowledge. After that, how can you expect the public to go to the cinemas to watch the film on the first day? And the most important point is the fact that BHOOL CHUK MAAF will be on OTT after two weeks. When this is public knowledge, how could you even imagine that the film would take a decent or even an average start? When the current exclusive theatrical window of eight weeks is being considered to be too small (because of which people are reluctant to come to the cinemas and instead prefer waiting for eight weeks to catch the film on OTT), you can well imagine the effect of the fact that this film will be streaming after just two weeks of its theatrical release.

What did you think of the teaser of Housefull 5?

– It’s an entertaining teaser. Plus, the film looks star-studded. The Laal pari song, shown in the trailer, should soon become popular because it looks like a potential hit!

What happens to the actors who are launched in films which don’t do well at all?

– Many of the times, the actors of such flop films also sink into oblivion because in this industry, nothing succeeds like success.

After the court order asking producer Dinesh Vijan for specific performance of contract with reference to Bhool Chuk Maaf, what is the position regarding its release?

– The film will hit the screens next week. It will stream on Amazon Prime after only two weeks in the cinemas. Incidentally, although this is an out-of-court settlement, the trade (especially producers) are shocked that PVR Inox agreed to reduce the theatrical window for the film by six weeks — that too, after winning the case. As one producer venomously remarked, “PVR Inox seems to have lost the battle after winning it. And Dinesh Vijan seems to have won the battle after losing it.” Understood?

What is the progress of Namit Malhotra’s Ramayana, being directed by Nitesh Tiwari?

– Shooting of the first part will be complete by June-end. But the film will release only next year because it has a lot of visual effects work which will take more than a year to complete.

Was the decision to cancel the theatrical release of Bhool Chuk Maaf last week right?

– Producer Dinesh Vijan cited national security concerns for cancelling the release of BHOOL CHUK MAAF. But the high court dismissed his claims. So, obviously, the decision was bad in law — and even otherwise.

What repercussions will the 100% tariff introduced by US president Donald Trump on films made outside the US have on the Indian film industry?

– It could have a devastating effect because the revenues from Overseas business of Indian films could reduce by half.

What would you say: Hollywood film Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning will release six days early or a day late? After all, it will hit the screens on a Saturday — May 17. I feel, it can be construed as a day late — May 17 (Saturday) instead of May 16 (Friday).

– Since it was originally scheduled for release in India with the US and rest of the world, on 23rd May, the new release date of 17th May will be considered as being six days early. The film’s release date in the US has not been changed and, therefore, the only way to describe the new release date in India is to say that it will come to the screens six days early. The release on 17th May could’ve been considered a day late if and only if the original release date was 16th May.

Will the cancellation of the release of Bhool Chuk Maaf this week benefit last week’s film, Raid 2?

– You bet, it will!

In their first weeks, both, Sikandar and Jaat, seemed all set to net Rs. 100 crore each in India. But it is now clear that neither will join the Rs. 100-crore club. What happened?

– Both the films followed the same pattern — they did reasonably well in their first week, but collections dropped dramatically thereafter because the reports did not match the initial collections. In its first week, Salman Khan’s SIKANDAR got the benefit of Eid while Sunny Deol’s JAAT reaped the benefit of Mahavir Jayanti and Ambedkar Jayanti in its first week. It may be added here that the benefit of Eid to SIKANDAR did not accrue fully but the festival did help give its box-office collections a boost. Had it not released on Eid, nobody would’ve even initially expected the film to net Rs. 100 crore domestically. Ditto for JAAT.

When the entire industry agrees that it is the small window between a film’s theatrical and OTT release which has resulted in lower footfalls in cinemas, why does the industry not correct the situation?

– Probably because if the window is lengthened, the money which comes from the OTT platforms to the producers will reduce. There are several films, which don’t work at the box-office because they are substandard, but they still end up being profitable ventures for the producers only because such films get handsome monies from the OTT platform. If the window between a film’s theatrical release and OTT release is increased to, say, six months, the footfalls may increase, but the table profits might decrease. That is to say, the increased footfalls (and, therefore, box-office collections) may not be enough to compensate for the loss in revenue from sale of digital rights of the film.

I have a story for a film, which has all the ingredients of a box-office entertainer. I’ve knocked the doors of so many production houses, but nobody wants to entertain me as I am a new writer. What should I do? A potential hit is waiting to happen.

– Keep trying! By the way, when they start a film, every writer, producer and director feel, they are making a blockbuster. They all are convinced that their story is the best. But yet, the box-office success ratio every year is barely 20%.