Would the initial of Bholaa have been better had many people not seen Kaithi, the Tamil film of which Bholaa is a remake?

– Yes, the fact that many people had already seen KAITHI definitely affected the opening of BHOLAA adversely to an extent. But there are other factors too, responsible for the below-the-mark initial: its trailer was not liked by the public as much as its teaser; its release on an odd day (Thursday) even though it was Ram Navmi (point to be noted is that Ram Navmi is a partial holiday, not a complete holiday); and the ongoing Ramzan period.

Is delaying the OTT release of films an answer to the dwindling box-office collections?

– Yes, producers should pass a resolution to not release films on OTT till at least six months from the date of their theatrical release. This might help to boost the box-office. Also, admission rates and prices of concessionaires need to be reduced, to bring the audience back to the cinemas. There are lakhs of people who have stopped going to the cinemas (except for a film that is carrying extraordinary reports) because of the huge expenditure involved in watching films in cinemas and also because OTT content now occupies the place (in people’s minds) which cinemas once occupied. Drastic measures need to be taken to return to the good old days when cinema was king.

Is there a golden rule to ensure a good opening to a star-cast film?

– I don’t know whether it’s a golden rule or not but it is tried and tested and has been working since years. A fantastic trailer and hit/superhit music can ensure a good opening to a star-cast film.

Is it true that OMG 2 will be premiered on OTT instead of in cinemas?

– It’s not true as no final decision has still been taken.

On the one hand, hardly any films are working at the box-office, and on the other, multiplex chains like PVR and several others are opening new multiplexes left, right and centre. Isn’t this an anomaly?

– It may appear to be an anomaly, but the multiplex chains are expecting things to improve and business to not only revive and reach the pre-COVID levels but to also increase much more. That’s why they are investing crores of rupees in new multiplexes all over the country.

Can we expect Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan to take a healthy opening?

– Yes, KISI KA BHAI KISI KI JAAN should take a healthy initial because of Salman Khan and its songs which are gaining in popularity. 

Which is the next film which the trade is looking forward to?

– Undoubtedly, BHOLAA. The film’s teaser and trailer have inspired the confidence of the trade people.

Is it a fact that the cinema-going habit of people has taken a back seat?

– Yes, with so much content available on OTT, the cinema-going habit of people has indeed taken a back seat. Entertainment discussions in a number of households now revolve around what they’ve seen on digital platforms rather than in the cinemas. Whether the trend will reverse or not in the course of time is to be seen. Television was not as big an opposition to cinema as OTT is.  

What is the truth in the news that Pippa will be premiered on OTT?

– There is no truth in the news that PIPPA will release on a digital platform rather than in the cinemas. 

Why did the collections of Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar drop markedly on the second day?

– The fall in collections of TU JHOOTHI MAIN MAKKAAR on the second day was not unexpected. Since the film was released on Wednesday (8th March), the second day (Thursday) was an odd day without being a holiday. An odd day, that too, a non-holiday invariably sees box-office collections decline. Even otherwise, collections drop after a major holiday (like Holi was). And please don’t overlook the fact that it is a romcom-cum-family drama, not an action film. Just to put things in perspective, let me tell you about the collections of two films, both action fares and both of which were released on Wednesdays: EK THA TIGER: day 1 – Rs. 32.93 crore, day 2 – Rs. 14.92 crore (drop of more than 50%), day 3 – Rs. 12.90 crore (less than 2nd day). WAR: day 1 – Rs. 53.35 crore, day 2 – Rs. 24.35 crore (drop of more than 50%), day 3 – Rs. 22.45 crore (less than 2nd day).

How true is it that only spectacular and big-budget extravaganzas will now work in cinemas while others will have to depend upon OTT platforms to do the magic?

– Not true at all! Films work depending upon whether they touch the heart or not, not on the basis of the platform (cinema or OTT). If a small film is appreciated a lot but it has had a theatrical release, it will work in the cinemas. People tend to postpone viewing to when the film will stream on an OTT platform, if and only if reports are not great. But when the reports are positive, they often do not wait for it to come on OTT. Instead, they make a beeline for the cinemas to catch the film there, even if that film is not too spectacular.  

What kind of an opening do you expect Bholaa to take on 30th March?

– Given the abundance of action, as evidenced in the film’s trailer, BHOLAA should take a very good initial. 

Will Luv Ranjan’s Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar be released on 7th March instead of 8th as Holi festival will be celebrated on 7th, instead of 8th, in some parts of India?

– The producers are still contemplating on the right date to release the Ranbir Kapoor and Shraddha Kapoor starrer. Their problem is not simple because the festival of colours will be celebrated on 7th in some states and on 8th in other states. If some of the big states in North, Central and Western India celebrate on 7th, there may not be much of a point in releasing the film on 8th (as scheduled) because the benefit of the holiday on 7th will not be reaped by the film. Secondly, no benefit would accrue on 8th as the festival would’ve been celebrated on 7th in such states. In fact, the odd-day release (8th, Wednesday) could backfire in such states.

What did you think of the Billi Billi song from Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan?

– The song seems to be a potential hit. Not only is the song a musical delight but its picturisation is also eye-filling. The dance steps will soon become very popular.

What does the proposed performance on the Naatu Naatu song from RRR at the Oscar ceremony mean for India?

– It’s a major feather in the cap of Indian cinema in general and South Indian cinema in particular. The Naatu Naatu song will be performed by singers Rahul Sipligunj and Kaala Bhairava in their Oscar debut. The song is competing for the Best Song Oscar against This is a life (which will be performed by David Byrne, Stephanie Hsu and Son Lux) from EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE, Applause (to be performed by Sofia Carson and Diane Warren) from TELL IT LIKE A WOMAN, Hold my hand from TOP GUN: MAVERICK and Lift me up (to be performed by Rihanna) from BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER. 

You seemed to be quite angry while reviewing last week’s Shehzada. Why so?

– Not angry, but I was definitely agitated because of the glaring flaws and gaping holes in the screenplay and the presentation of the film. Nobody should make such mistakes after having all the resources at his command. The film’s writers and director had a Telugu blockbuster to remake, top actors, a fantastic budget. In other words, they had everything anyone could want. The only thing they had to work on was on the creative side — that too, they had a proven film for reference. If they made such an apology of a film after all this, there is reason to feel agitated, right?

What kind of a start will Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar take on Holi day? Is it advisable to release a film on the day of Holi, that too, if it is not a Friday?

– The buzz around TU JHOOTHI MAIN MAKKAAR is very good. It will take a fantastic start because the youth have taken a liking for its trailers and songs. It makes sense to release a film like this on Holi day in spite of it not being a Friday because of the festive holiday. Yes, the shows till 1 p.m. may not report great collections because many people would be playing the festival of colours and many might want to wait for the excitement of the festival to abate before they venture out of their homes, but collections thereafter would be excellent.

How is it that so many struggling actors can’t get a single role to play when so many films, TV serials and web series are being made?

– Simply because there are more strugglers than roles available in the films, TV serials and web series being made. There are several new actors who don’t accept roles which are offered to them as they dream of bigger breaks than those that are offered to them.

Will Selfiee take a decent initial next week?

– The opening of SELFIEE might surprise the trade. In spite of his string of flops in the last two-and-a-half years, Akshay Kumar’s new film just might take a fairly nice start because the trailer has been well-received by the public. Also, the social media promotion of the remixed version of the Main khiladi tu anari song, with Akshay Kumar dancing to the song’s beats with stars like Salman Khan and Tiger Shroff, has had a terrific impact on the public.

Why are Ranbir Kapoor and Shraddha Kapoor not promoting their Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar together? Is there some problem between the two?

– There’s no problem between Ranbir Kapoor and Shraddha Kapoor. It’s a well-planned strategy to not let the two be seen together for any promotion of the film, given the shades of their characters in the film. The two characters are at loggerheads in the romantic comedy.

Why is the logo of Goldmines seen in the opening titles of this week’s Shehzada? I believe, the producers of Shehzada paid Goldmines many crores of rupees to refrain it from releasing the dubbed Hindi version of Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo on satellite television because Shehzada is its remake.

– Yes, you are right about the settlement between the producers of SHEHZADA and Goldmines as far as the satellite rights of the Hindi dubbed version of ALA VAIKUNTHAPURRAMULOO are concerned. But the logo of Goldmines in the opening titles of SHEHZADA is included because Goldmines holds the satellite rights of the remake, SHEHZADA.

Will Selfiee take a decent initial on 24th February?

– The negative is that the last few films of Akshay Kumar have been such major debacles that people have lost faith in the actor — for the time being, at least. The good point is that the promotion of SELFIEE is very good.

How does a new radio station acquire the right to play songs? Does it have to negotiate individually with every producer?

– There is no need to deal with individual producers. The radio station has to acquire the rights from the PPL and the IPRS. Most of the music companies are affiliated to the two bodies which negotiate on behalf of them in a composite deal. However, rights to play the songs of T-Series, Yash Raj Music and Zee Music have to be acquired separately from the three companies.

Is it more sensible to make small star cast films or star-studded fares?

– There’s no general rule for producing films. Both, small star cast and big star cast films, have their advantages and disadvantages. In producing small star cast films, budgets are limited and, therefore, the risk is limited. However, the entire investment in small star cast films could be wiped out if the film faces rejection. Also, small star cast films could go completely unnoticed if they are not intelligently promoted. A lot of producers of small star cast films lose steam at the time of completion of shooting and post-production, and don’t spend even the bare minimum on marketing and promotion!

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.

What’s your assessment of the lifetime business of Pathaan?

– It could well become the biggest Hindi blockbuster of all time. The current record holder is Aamir Khan’s DANGAL (which netted Rs. 385 crore). The first five-day weekend of PATHAAN will close at around Rs. 225-plus crore!! The first nine-day week will cross Rs. 300 crore by a big margin. It is likely to outdo the business of K.G.F. CHAPTER 2 (Hindi dubbed).

Will the stupendous success of Pathaan help the forthcoming films?

– There’s something called psychology. Every success helps the forthcoming films because people are in the mood to frequent cinemas when movies do well. So, yes, the runaway success of PATHAAN should help the forthcoming films. Besides, PATHAAN has restored the confidence of the public in Bollywood films by its sheer opening which was phenomenal.

On which forthcoming film would you lay your bets?

– On SHEHZADA, SELFIEE and TU JHOOTHI MAIN MAKKAAR in the next few weeks.