Will Boney Kapoor’s Maidaan release on June 23, as scheduled?

– Considering that the film’s promotion has hardly begun, and it’s already 26th May today, it doesn’t seem likely that MAIDAAN will hit the screens on the scheduled date. Of course, the producers haven’t officially announced the postponement.   What did you think of the first few posters of Karan Johar’s Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani?

– They are colourful and give the impression of the film being a star-studded extravaganza.

Should Sirf Ek Bandaa Kaafi Hai have been released theatrically?

– It could have been released theatrically but the risk would have been huge because its opening would’ve been a big problem.

Why did Satyaprem Ki Katha not take a very good start yesterday?

– It’s because the film is a love story and a family drama, the feel of which was evident from its trailer (which, incidentally, was loved by the public). It is common knowledge that family dramas and love stories usually don’t open big. Having said that, it must be added that the opening was a bit disappointing considering the fact that yesterday was a holiday for Eid. 

I am a wealthy businessman who now wants to turn a producer too. I’ve signed a National Award-winning director for my first film. Whom should I cast in my film?

– Firstly, your cast will depend upon the script. Secondly, the National Award-winning director may be more interested in making a film for critical acclaim than a box-office winner. That may not go well with your intent to make a commercially viable film. I am assuming that your intention is to make money in film production too, like you’ve made money in your other business/businesses.  

Why are stars paid such hefty fees whereas writers are paid pittance in comparison?

– Because stars are in short supply. Also, because films are sold on the strength of star names, not writers’ names. The public goes to watch films basis the stars in it, not because a particular writer has scripted it.  

Why hasn’t Sky Force taken a good start today?

– It was clear that SKY FORCE would not open too well because the heat expected to be generated after its teaser and trailer — which is so necessary for a film to open well — was simply missing.

Do you think, the delay in the release of Emergency came in the way of its performance at the box-office?

– The delay could’ve affected the initial to an extent. Besides, the biggest plus point of the film was the extraordinary performance of Kangana Ranaut as Indira Gandhi, not its content. However, for a film to perform well at the ticket windows, it needs to impress the audience in totality, which can happen only if its has an arresting or entertaining script. That was missing.

After the debacle of Azaad, what do you think is the future of Rasha Thadani?

– Since she is beautiful and a good dancer, she will get more offers for sure.  

Why did Sajid Nadiadwala not release his Bachchhan Paandey on 4th March instead of 18th March? The film would’ve got a longer playing field. By releasing on 18th March, he will get only one week’s clear playing field as RRR is slated for release on 25th March.

– Your suggestion is right but Nadiadwala may have had his reasons to not get BACHCHHAN PAANDEY on 4th March. As you said, 4th March would’ve worked well for him as JHUND, even before release, was not looked at as a tough opposition for BACHCHHAN PANDEY. This week’s RADHE SHYAM and THE KASHMIR FILES would also not have posed tough competition to BP in its second week. In other words, that release strategy would’ve proved bountiful for the film and, to borrow from the title of Sajid Nadiadwala’s own forthcoming film, it would’ve been like both, Eid and Diwali for Nadiadwala or, in other words, KABHI EID KABHI DIWALI. And also, Holi (as it falls on 18th March, he would have got its benefit in the third week).

Why are producers always wary of promoting small films even if they have strong content?

– It will take some years for the mindset of producers to change. Actually, the public likes to make a beeline for star cast films and hence the initial which small films take is generally slow. Since business is mostly about the first two-three weeks, producers fear that if the film’s collections don’t pick up from the second or third day, the huge promotion cost will further increase their losses. Let’s put it this way: in the case of big films, they try to maximise their profits, but for small films, producers tend to minimise their losses right from the word ‘go’.

With the dubbed Hindi version of Valimai having had to bite the dust two weeks back, would it be right to say that the excitement around South films, born out of the stupendous success of Pushpa: The Rise Part 1, has reduced?

– Why just VALIMAI (dubbed)? This week’s RADHE SHYAM is also a South production which has opened to average houses and is carrying dull reports. Although it is not dubbed (it was shot in two languages — Tamil and Hindi), the fact remains that it is a South film.

What did you think of the trailer of Aamir Khan’s forthcoming film, Happy Patel Khatarnak Jasoos?

– Very different and entertaining. Before the trailer, the curtain-raiser to the film was simply kick-ass. It got the audience prepared for something different. And the trailer thereafter kept that ‘different’ angle intact. But sadly, the film was nothing close to what the trailer and curtain-raiser suggested.

If I were to ask you what the one main reason for the failure of The Rajasaab (dubbed) is, what would your answer be? What was its budget?

– Its weak script! The producers spent a huge amount of money on visual effects and computer graphics but neither that nor the presence of popular star Prabhas could camouflage the absence of a solid script. The film’s non-success once again underlines the fact that script is a film’s backbone. If the very backbone is not strong, even the biggest hero cannot make the film stand erect (at the box-office) for too long. The budget of THE RAJASAAB was more than Rs. 400 crore!  

Any predictions for this year’s box-office?

– Let’s hope that year 2026 turns out to be bigger and better for the film trade in every which way! 

When will Maidaan release?

– All we know is that MAIDAAN will not release on 23rd June, as was originally scheduled. The new release date has not been announced for the simple reason that it has not been finalised.     

What kind of an opening do you expect Adipurush to take next week?

– Looking to the Hindutva wave sweeping the country, it can safely be assumed that the initial of ADIPURUSH will be bumper. 

Why was Bloody Daddy released on JioCinema this week, and not in cinemas? Is it because most films are falling like nine pins at the turnstiles?

– BLOODY DADDY was made for OTT, not for cinemas. So, it is not as if the release plans were changed after the film was made.  

Was it a wise decision on the part of the producers of Shehzada to postpone the release by a week?

– Yes, it was a sensible move to postpone SHEHZADA by a week. PATHAAN will be in its fourth week on 17th February, the day SHEHZADA hits the screens. Its third weekend is going to be impressive, going by the first week’s (9-day) collections and also going by the box-office collections of the second weekend’s Friday (today). Therefore, had SHEHZADA come on its original date of 10th February, it may have had to face tough competition in the entire first week from PATHAAN in its third week. Besides, SHEHZADA may not have got several single-screen cinemas and the biggest auditoria in several multiplexes had it come on 10th. But it can hope to get many of them on 17th because it may be time for PATHAAN to shift to the smaller-capacity screens in its fourth week.

Will Kartik Aaryan’s Shehzada open as big as his Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2?

– It is very unlikely that we might get to see the figures of the first day of BHOOL BHULAIYAA 2 on the opening day of SHEHZADA. It may open slower because the trailer and songs of BB2 had become a craze prior to its release last year.

Has the stupendous success of Pathaan restored the public’s faith in Bollywood?

– You bet, it has! For one, the film opened to historic houses. Secondly, collections sustained all through the nine-day week.

They say, pre-release promotion of a film is very important. And yet, Munjya, with not much promotion, is doing well at the box-office. Can you explain?

– MUNJYA is an exception rather than the rule. The producers of the film did not have any star face to promote their film and hence decided to release it with less promotion, hoping that it would open well and they would then pump up the publicity if the audience gave the film their thumbs up. That’s exactly what happened. The content was so compelling that the film not only opened well but also picked up in the weekend. Incidentally, the ticket prices were brought down on the first day itself. That itself can be counted as great promotion for the film. By the way, horror films have inherent power to attract the public even with minimum promotion.

Since Munjya has a very regional flavour as the belief that an unmarried adolescent boy can become a munjya (spirit) if he dies within ten days of his mundan ceremony exists in parts of Maharashtra only, how did the makers not make it in Marathi?

– Credit to the producer for making the film in Hindi in spite of having a subject with a regional flavour and thereby expanding the reach of the subject. It was, perhaps, for this reason that Dinesh Vijan gave the reins of direction in the hands of a Marathi film director, Aditya Sarpotdar. And must say, Sarpotdar has made a film with universal appeal while retaining the local flavour of the subject.

Why did it take so many years for South film producers to realise that they should dub their films in Hindi too and release the dubbed Hindi version simultaneously with the original version?

– The South producers realised that dubbing the films simultaneously in Hindi was a good business proposition after the South heroes became household names in the rest of India, thanks to the Hindi dubbed versions of South films doing well on satellite television channels. The old South films were released (in Hindi) on satellite channels after several months of the release of their original versions.