It was felt by the trade that Dhamaal 4 would not succeed at the box-office because it was coming just two weeks after Welcome To The Jungle which belonged to the same genre. Then what was the reason for Dhamaal 4 to have done well?

– The trade goes by fixed perceptions. But films don’t follow any pattern. That’s because there are no rules which are sacrosanct in film business.    

Has Dharma Productions paid MG royalty for acquiring the distribution rights of Namit Malhotra’s Ramayan?

– No, the payment is advance and the rights are for the Hindi version for all India (except South).  

After Jigra, even Alia Bhatt’s Alpha has failed at the box-office. Does that mean that Alia is not cut out for women-centric action films?

– More than that, it means that both the films were not what the audience wanted to watch.    

Is it a wise decision to have released Dhamaal 4 this week, considering the fact that another mad hatter comedy, Welcome To The Jungle, was released only two weeks back?

– It may not be the wisest decision to bring a film of the same genre — that too, a crazy comedy — just two weeks after a film in that genre was released. But with so many films lined up for release, it is not always possible to have a release date which suits the film cent per cent. Releasing DHAMAAL 4 two weeks after WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE is at least better than releasing both the films in the same week! Sometimes, two films of the same genre are pitted against one another in the same week.    

How do you think will Toxic: A Fairy Tale For Grown-Ups open?

– It may take an earth-shattering start.      

Vvan has been postponed to avoid the clash with Toxic: A Fairy Tale For Grown-Ups (dubbed) in the last week of August. You had predicted this in this very column last week. How did you know that this would happen?

– It is not an intelligent move to release three big films in the same week. Since TOXIC was to come with VVAN and EETHA, it was a foregone conclusion that either EETHA or VVAN would be pushed ahead. And, as expected, VVAN has been postponed.    

Why is Alia Bhatt being trolled so much on social media?

– It’s strange, it’s weird, and it’s sad. It doesn’t look real. Some people in the industry say, it is part of a publicity gimmick for ALPHA which has released today.   Rather unbelievable!   

How has Welcome To The Jungle collected so well in the first week in spite of several people hating the film?

– If you recall, we had mentioned in our review that there will be a section of the audience, which will not be able to take very kindly to the film. While talking about the script of the film, we had mentioned: ‘Of course, for those who want logic even in comedies, this drama will simply not work. Also, for viewers who don’t like nonsensical or farcical comedies, there’s absolutely nothing in the story or screenplay.’ Summing up the box-office potential of the film, we had predicted: ‘On the whole, WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE is an enjoyable entertainer and will do well at the ticket windows. It may not appeal to those who don’t like crazy and over-the-top comedies and films about the film industry, but it would find favour with those wanting to laugh out loud.’ Obviously, the number of people who are liking the film is far exceeding the number of people who aren’t liking it.      

Will Eetha and Vvan clash with Toxic: A Fairy Tale For Grown-Ups (dubbed) in the last week of August?

– As of now, yes. But as more and more heat for TOXIC: A FAIRY TALE FOR GROWN-UPS (dubbed) generates, it is possible that the release of one of the two other films might be postponed.   

Looking to the below-the-mark initial of Welcome To The Jungle this week, what do you predict will be the opening of Dhamaal 4 after two weeks?

– In all likelihood, the opening of DHAMAAL 4 on 10th July should be good because not only is it a popular franchise but its trailer has also been liked by the public. By the way, the opening of WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE may not have been good in the morning shows, but collections are picking up as the day is progressing. Of course, not everywhere!

Why have the producers of Toxic: A Fairy Tale For Grown-Ups decided to release the film on 26th August, a Wednesday?

– To take advantage of the Eid-e-Milad and Onam holiday on 26th August. The festive mood is likely to continue on 27th (Thursday). And there’s the Raksha Bandhan holiday on 28th (Friday). So effectively, the film will have a 5-day weekend.      

Does Sunny Deol play a Muslim character in Rajkumar Santoshi’s forthcoming Batwara 1947?

– Yes, he plays Sikandar Mirza. The film is based on the play Jis Lahore Nai Vekhya, O Jamyai Ni.   

On a rough estimate, by what percentage should stars reduce their prices, given that films are flopping one after the other?

– All those stars, who don’t command good initials on Friday, should reduce their remunerations by at least 25%-50% if they care for the film industry which has made them what they are. The stars whose films invariably pick up after shaky starts may reduce their prices by 15%-30%.    

What is the story behind the partnership between Dinesh Vijan and Luv Ranjan in this week’s Cocktail 2?

– The subject of COCKTAIL 2 was Luv Ranjan’s. Dinesh Vijan liked it and felt, it fitted the COCKTAIL franchise and hence offered to buy the same. Since Luv Ranjan doesn’t write for anybody except his own banner, he agreed to sell his script (co-written with Tarun Jain) and simultaneously co-produce the film. That’s how Luv and his partner, Ankur Garg, are joint producers with Dinesh Vijan.     

Week in and week out, the trade laments that films are not opening well and then not scoring at the box-office. Is there no solution to the problems?

– Of course, there is a solution: filmmakers should make better films! Easier said than done, did you say? But nothing comes easy, right?   

What kind of an initial do you predict Alpha to take on 3rd July?

– ALPHA cannot be expected to open big because it’s a female spy film. As you must be aware, female-centric films rarely command an initial.   

What did you think of the trailers of Dhamaal 4 and Welcome To The Jungle?

– Both the trailers, released this week, give the impression that the audience are in for fun rides. Both have a lot of actors in them, and both are films of successful franchises. So, one hopes that both the films do well at the box-office.    

Why are so many top producers like Aditya Chopra, Karan Johar and Shah Rukh Khan getting into the space of micro dramas?

– Obviously, because they see a bright future for micro dramas.   

Why did Peddi (Hindi dubbed) not open extraordinarily yesterday (June 4)?

– It was an odd-day (Thursday) release. Besides, Ram Charan does not command initial value in the non-South territories despite an RRR behind him.   

Will next week’s Main Vaapas Aaunga take a good initial?

– The chances of a good initial for MAIN VAAPAS AAUNGA are slim because the film has not been extensively promoted. If the film has merits, it will have to depend on word of mouth to score after the first day.    

What is the kind of collaboration between Dinesh Vijan’s Maddock Films and Luv Ranjan and Ankur Garg’s Luv Films for Cocktail 2?

– They are joint producers of the film. The script of COCKTAIL 2 has been written by Luv Ranjan with Tarun Jain. Since Luv does not write scripts for films other than those produced by him, he agreed to part with the script only if he were given the producer’s credit too.  

Which was the first choice for exhibitors this week?

– It was KATTALAN (dubbed) because that seemed to be the only film for the masses.   

Is it true that stars have reduced their prices because films aren’t doing well at the box-office?

– Yes, it’s true that several big stars are now charging less than what they used to charge earlier. The reason for their fee reduction is that the run of films at the box-office has reduced, and satellite and digital rights are not fetching the kind of prices which they used to fetch when times were better.   

Which are the films exhibitors are pinning their hopes on, in the coming weeks?

– PEDDI on 4th June, HAI JAWANI TOH ISHQ HONA HAI and BANDAR on 5th June, MAIN VAAPAS AAUNGA on 12th June, COCKTAIL 2 on 19th June. 

Will Main Vaapas Aaunga take a good start on 12th June?

– Since the film stars relative newcomers (Vedang Raina and Sharwari Wagh) in the lead roles, a good start may not be possible. But if the songs become popular by the time the film hits the screens, a fair start may be possible. Otherwise, the film will have to depend upon positive word of mouth for the collections to pick up.   

Why did this week’s Chand Mera Dil and last week’s Pati Patni Aur Woh Do not open well?

– That’s the tragedy of films nowadays. Many of them don’t even take decent initials and hence lose the box-office battle in the first weekend itself. Many people have stopped frequenting cinemas except for very big star cast films or those carrying extraordinary reports. They see the other films on OTT platforms when they stream after eight weeks. That’s the reason why many films open to dull houses.  

Why are three big films — Hai Jawani Toh Ishq Hona Hai, Bandar and Peddi Pehelwan (dubbed) — releasing on the same day (5th June) while no big film is slated for release in the previous week (29th May)?

– Yes, it’s strange but that’s the way it is. 

Why didn’t this week’s Pati Patni Aur Woh Do take a great start? After all, it carries the brand of two well-known and popular films viz. Pati Patni Aur Woh (old and new).

– The brand value in this case is not twofold because the first PATI PATNI AUR WOH was released in 1978. That’s 48 years ago! It is too far back in time to really help today, more so because it was not a landmark blockbuster in 1978. The second (2019) PATI PATNI AUR WOH was a successful film alright but that has somehow not aided the third film in the PATI PATNI AUR WOH series.   

Will producers ever return to the old style of having music by just one music director in a film or will we continue to have music by multiple music directors in a film?

– Both the styles will continue to co-exist. Although many producers today sign different music directors for a film, there are filmmakers who, even today, prefer working with just one music composer for a film.  

Will films made with AI-generated characters instead of real actors run successfully in cinemas?

– It is to be seen whether such films will strike a chord with the public. Given the way things are evolving, such AI films might work at the box-office though they cannot displace films starring real actors.