Did the postponement of Emergency release from last September adversely affect its opening today?

– It definitely must’ve adversely affected the release because the postponement was of about four months. If a film is postponed by some months, the audience sometimes get the feeling that it has become stale.

Why hasn’t Azaad taken even a decent initial today? After all, it stars newcomers from film families. Rasha Thadani is the daughter of Raveena Tandon while Aaman Devgan is the nephew of Ajay Devgan.

– Films with newcomers are a challenge today. Given the high ticket prices in cinemas, films made with new faces have to actually struggle for footfalls. When films with big stars are often unsuccessful in luring the public to the cinemas, you can well imagine how difficult it has become for films introducing new actors to do the same.

Will Deva take a nice start on 31st January? And before that, is Sky Force likely to open well?

– The excitement for DEVA is growing rapidly because of the catchy teaser. Another film which is attracting attention is LOVEYAPA, starring Junaid Khan and Khushi Kapoor.  

Of the forthcoming films, which film’s teaser/trailer has been liked by the public the most? On that basis, can we assume that that film will get a good opening when it is released?

– The public seems to be giving its love to the teaser of DEVA. Going by the buzz for the film, it should get a good opening, but for that to happen, it is also necessary that the producers maintain the tempo of the promotion till 30th January, the day when DEVA will hit the screens.

Where do you think, the Hindi dubbed version of Pushpa: The Rule Part 2 will stop?

– Around Rs. 775 crore! Needless to add, this is the highest net collections ever for a Hindi film. Paradoxically, the record for the biggest Hindi film will be held by the dubbed Hindi version of a Telugu film. Exactly, like it was held for several years by the Hindi dubbed version of BAHUBALI 2: THE CONCLUSION till the record was broken last year by PATHAAN. The record of PATHAAN was then broken by GADAR 2, which record was broken by JAWAN. STREE 2 this year outshone JAWAN. But PUSHPA: THE RULE PART 2 (Hindi dubbed) has already overtaken STREE 2 by a huge margin — and the film is still running in the cinemas!

Was it the right strategy to let Marco (Hindi dubbed) grow by word of mouth? The producers hardly spent anything on the promotion of the Hindi dubbed version!

– The producers should’ve released the film after at least creating awareness about it and its release. Had they done that, the collections would’ve picked up faster than they did! The Hindi dubbed version was released with almost no publicity. Hence it took a week for the positive word of mouth to spread. Another dubbed version of a South film, which had positive word of mouth and which was also released with dull promotion, was MAHARAJ. But that Tamil film was not as lucky as MARCO because the collections of its Hindi dubbed version did not jump as much as they should’ve.  

If you were given the power to change something about the community of actors in Bollywood, what would you change first?

– The size of their entourage, which accompanies them wherever they go, but adds precious little. I would cut that to size!

Why is it that most of the times, it is South films which are more different from the routine than Bollywood films?

– It is because the South producers are a braver lot. They are more experimentative by nature and hence they like to produce films which are different from the routine stuff. And since they are also mainstream producers, they make commercial films which are different. In Bollywood, producers usually tend to play safe. And those who play safe are resistant to change or to thinking out of the box.

What is the ideal time period to promote a film?

– Anything between three and six weeks, depending on a number of factors like budget of the film, promotion budget, star cast, music, other films running or due for release, etc.

Why did Baby John not take an initial to be proud of?

– The trailer of the film had not found much appreciation among the public. Besides, Varun Dhawan has not had a success for long and, therefore, there was no reason for BABY JOHN to open to impressive houses. Had the film not released on the festive holiday of Christmas, the initial would’ve been even worse!

There was so much of tension about show allocation between Baby John (1st week) and Pushpa: The Rule Part 2 (Hindi dubbed; 3rd week). But now that Baby John has not lived up to expectations, will the shows of Baby John be reduced in its second week in favour of Pushpa: The Rule Part 2?

– What do you mean by “will the shows… be reduced in its second week…?” The shows of PUSHPA: THE RULE PART 2 (Hindi dubbed) were increased by many cinemas and those of BABY JOHN, reduced, from the second day itself. When footfalls for the PUSHPA sequel were much more than those for BABY JOHN on the first day of the new film, why would exhibitors knowingly suffer losses by maintaining status quo?

Why is the Telugu film industry not standing in support of Allu Arjun who is being penalised for the stampede in Hyderabad on December 4 on the occasion of the premiere of his Telugu film, Pushpa: The Rule Part 2?

– You are right! The entire Telugu film industry should come out in support of Allu Arjun. It was the failure of the police machinery, not Allu Arjun’s fault, which led to the stampede in which a woman was killed and her minor son was seriously injured.

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.