What did you think of the trailer of Aditya Dhar’s Dhurandhar?

 – Very impressive but also very gruesome. DHURANDHAR is based on real-life incidents and is said to be very authentic. Aditya Dhar, who is known for keeping it as close to reality as possible, should seriously consider reducing the scenes of torture so as to not alienate the potential ladies audience who are likely to find such scenes extremely difficult to watch on screen. Of course, the film has yet to be seen by the Central Board of Film Certification.

Why was 120 Bahadur released in very select cinemas just for a day on 18th November and then released widely today (21st)? Did it help boost the film’s initial today?

– 120 BAHADUR is the story of 120 brave Indian soldiers who saved the Rezang La mountain pass in India from Chinese invasion. Since 18th November is considered as the Rezang La Day, the film’s producers did a token release in about 30 cinemas across India on 18th (which was a Tuesday). This was their way of honouring the war heroes. The release on 18th was just a token one, and hence did not help boost its start today, at least as evident from the advance booking.

When will the sequel to Nishaanchi be released?

– The producers have already released it online, bypassing the theatrical release. Since the first part bombed at the box-office, the sequel has been released directly on OTT (Amazon Prime Video).            

Why is a film like Ikkis, with a relatively new hero, hitting the screens in the Christmas week with a biggie like Tu Meri Main Tera Main Tera Tu Meri?

– Not only are the producers of IKKIS taking a risk by releasing the film in opposition of TU MERI MAIN TERA MAIN TERA TU MERI, but they are also playing with fire by bringing it just a week after the third film in the hit AVATAR franchise of Hollywood, viz. AVATAR: FIRE AND ASH.

What could the reason for the ordinary opening of De De Pyaar De 2 today be?

 – Some sequels have what is called brand value while some others don’t have it. Clearly, DE DE PYAAR DE did not have much of a recall/brand value. If you remember, the first part did not even net Rs. 100 crore although it had fallen short of the figure by a few lakhs only. Also, the bomb blast earlier this week in Delhi has, to an extent, reduced the public’s enthusiasm to go to the cinemas. The excitement of an outing has been replaced by fear.     

What would you say to the media announcing earlier this week that Dharmendra was dead when he was actually not?

– The announcement was in bad taste. Television news channels do it for TRPs while online portals/websites do it for increasing traffic. In a quest to be the first to report, the television channels and online portals committed blunders which could be construed as unpardonable by purists.            

What is so special in Gujarati film Laalo: Krishna Sada Sahaayate that its collections picked up by 50 times after 20 days? How much are its lifetime net collections expected to be?

 – For a film which started (on 10th October) with collections of a few lakh rupees, LAALO: KRISHNA SADA SAHAAYATE has already netted Rs. 13 crore in 4 weeks. This is the kind of jump in collections it has experienced. The film is expected to become the biggest blockbuster of Gujarati cinema ever! The film underlines the presence of God and the feeling that God helps people in need. This reaffirmation in the presence of God has connected so beautifully with the audience that it has become a cult film!   

What is likely to be the business of Assamese film Roi Roi Binale? Your article five days back mentioned that it would probably become the biggest Assamese blockbuster.

– It has already become the biggest ever Assamese blockbuster. For, the first week’s collections are more than the lifetime collections of the previous biggest blockbuster, SRI RAGHUPATI (2023)!        

Why has Yash Raj Films’ Alpha been postponed?

– According to the producers, the film’s visual effects work is taking longer than anticipated. Hence the film’s release has been postponed from 25th December to 17th April, 2026. According to industry know-alls, YRF did not want its film to be sandwiched between AVATAR: FIRE AND ASH (due for release on 19th December) and TU MERI MAIN TERA MAIN TERA TU MERI (slated for release on 2nd January, 2026).   

Does the success of Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat suggest that Harshvardhan Rane has been accepted as a solo hero?

– It sure does mean that! Harshvardhan Rane has been loved by the audience for his portrayal of the brooding lover in the tragic love story. He should now very smartly choose his films, to take advantage of the public’s love for him.        

Besides Dhurandhar, is there no excitement around any other new film this year?

 – Other than for DHURANDHAR, there is marked excitement around at least four films due for release in the last two months of this year. They are HAQ, IKKIS, DE DE PYAAR DE 2 and TERE ISHK MEIN. And, of course, there’s Hollywood’s AVATAR: FIRE AND ASH.

What are the reports of Zubeen Garg’s Assamese film, Roi Roi Binale, released today?

– ROI ROI BINALE is carrying extraordinary reports and initial indications suggest that it may turn out to be the highest-grossing Assamese film. The sentiments attached to the film are unprecedented in view of the fact that it is the last film of the late singer-actor.     

Is it right to say that none of the Diwali releases this year performed as Diwali releases usually do?

 – It is right to say so, but one must not forget that we have been used to films of either of the three Khans or Akshay Kumar or Ajay Devgan or Ranbir Kapoor releasing on Diwali. This year, Diwali did not see the release of a film starring any of these actors. Hence the box-office performance had to be lower than the performance we are used to seeing in the festive week. Surely, we couldn’t have expected THAMMA or EK DEEWANE KI DEEWANIYAT to perform on the first day or in the first weekend how films of the aforementioned A-listers would.    

Why is there no major new film releasing on 31st October? After all, there were no big-budget or top star cast films which released on Diwali, so why didn’t any producer plan his release in the following week?

– Just one of those cases where there’s no real reason. Sometimes, things just happen!        

What’s the heat like for Aditya Dhar’s Dhurandhar?

– The heat is building up fast… and a lot of it, one must add.  

Why are the two Diwali releases — Thamma and Deewaniyat — not being released on 20th October instead of 21st?

 – Box-office collections on the day of Diwali (Laxmi Pooja) are generally adversely affected. Therefore, many producers avoid the Diwali day (20th October this year) and release their films a day later.  

Can’t something be done about the tug-of-war for shows and screens, that happens whenever two star-cast films are slated for release in the same week?

– This problem needs to be tackled at the industry level. Some broad formula of screen-sharing and show-sharing needs to be arrived at if the trade is to function in a healthy manner. Film producers and distributors seem to have forgotten two things: the philosophy of live and let live; and the philosophy of water finding its own level.        

What exactly has changed from the box-office point of view after COVID-19?

– After COVID-19, the business of hit films has grown while that of flop films has come down markedly.  

How much will the Hindi dubbed version of Kantara A Legend: Chapter 1 do? Can its net collections touch the Rs. 200-crore mark?

 – It should quite easily cross the Rs. 200-crore mark. It has netted Rs. 110 crore in the first week itself!  

Why is the heat for the Diwali releases not building up?

– There are several reasons for the heat not building up for the Diwali releases. For one, there is no big-ticket film scheduled for release this Diwali. Secondly, the magic of the promotion for both the major Diwali releases, THAMMA and DEEWANIYAT, has not yet worked in a big way. With 11 days still to go, let us hope that the heat for both builds up.       

After Diwali, which are the films to be excited about?

– As of now, the excitement is building up for the following four films: Aditya Dhar’s DHURANDHAR, Luv Ranjan’s DE DE PYAAR DE 2, Aanand L. Rai’s TERE ISHK MEIN and Hollywood’s AVATAR: FIRE AND ASH.  

Why did Kantara A Legend: Chapter 1 (Hindi dubbed) not open to bumper houses yesterday despite the Dassera holiday?

– The opening day’s collection of Rs. 19 crore is a pretty good one. The trade overestimated the power of the film. But one should not forget that the first KANTARA started at less than Rs. 1.50 crore. So the opening of the second film in the KANTARA franchise is more than 12 times the first film. Frankly, the film’s producers and distributors also forgot to appreciate the fact that the budget of the second film may have been ten times the budget of the first film, but that has no meaning for the paying public. Going by the huge budget of Rs. 160 crore, the opening might seem below the mark for a Dassera holiday release, but the fact is that the paying public does not ensure a great opening basis a film’s budget. The release strategy of the Hindi dubbed version was faulty because the film did not warrant such a massive release. The producers and distributors of the film gave the Hindi dubbed version a release which was much bigger than it deserved. The huge release was right for the original Kannada version but not for the dubbed Hindi version.      

What is going wrong with Varun Dhawan? None of his films seems to be working at the box-office.

 – His choice of films is very wrong. He needs to change his modus operandi of signing films, to avoid a devastating situation.  

What is the trade buzz around the Diwali release, Thamma?

– Since there’s no other big release on Diwali, producer Dinesh Vijan is lucky to have got the Diwali week for his THAMMA without opposition of a big film. But one has to wait and watch the public response to a horror film in the Diwali week!  

Will the fact that Homebound is India’s official entry for the Oscars make a difference to its opening today and its overall box-office performance?

– Not really! In India, the film-going public doesn’t give much importance to festivals and awards. As far as HOMEBOUND is concerned, the opening has been slightly better than what it would’ve been because the news of its selection for Oscars from India is very recent and hence the film has been in discussions of late.    

What kind of an initial do you think, Sunny Sanskari Ki Tulsi Kumari will take?

 – It should take a good start. Its title brings a smile to the face because of its quirkiness. The teaser, trailer and songs are also giving a good feeling about the film. Besides, it will release on the 2nd October holiday of Dassera.  

Will Kantara The Legend: Chapter 1 (dubbed) take a flying start next week?

– Considering that KANTARA is a big brand after the success of the first part, the second part is expected to take a fantastic initial on Dassera. 

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).