How is the craze for Tiger 3 building up?

– The craze for TIGER 3 is building up wonderfully well. The excitement level for the film is very high — not just in the exhibition trade but also among the public.

What kind of net collections can one expect in the last two months of this year?

– Since there are four major releases — TIGER 3, ANIMAL, DUNKI and SALAAR (dubbed) — scheduled for release in November and December this year, besides several others, the net collections for the two months for all-India could easily cross Rs. 1,500 crore or even touch Rs. 2,000 crore.

Why are so many films released without the optimal level of publicity and marketing?

– At the time of release, producers are invariably short of funds, having spent their money on the making of their films. They then hope that mouth publicity would do the trick. But for mouth publicity to work, there has first to be some awareness about the film and its release, and some amount of interest generated among the public for the film. That can happen only with promotion.

Even educational institutes like the IIT and the IIM invite film industry celebrities for talk shows nowadays. What is the idea behind such shows?

– Educational institutes nowadays believe in giving their students a 360-degree view of the world. Since the entertainment industry is a very significant part of the world, talk shows with celebrities from that world are in vogue.

I am an exhibitor and I’m wondering what I should screen till Diwali. Can you help?

– It’s going to be tough because many of the running films are flops while those which are good and running in cinemas, have more or less exhausted their run. And the next film, which seems to have the potential to draw huge crowds, is only TIGER 3, but that will release on Diwali. Till then, it may be difficult for the cinemas to attract the audience in large numbers.

When big films were flopping in more than usual numbers, it was being said that the era of stars is over. Now that star-studded films like Pathaan, Gadar 2 and Jawan have worked wonders at the box-office, what happens to that theory of ‘era of stars is over’?

– The problem with the trade people is that they are unwilling to accept that big stars can sometimes go wrong with their choice of films. Since time immemorial, top stars have delivered hits, blockbusters and duds. There’s nothing new about star-studded fares flopping. Just because a few more films than expected flopped at the turnstiles in no way means that the era of stars is over.

In the good old days, there was never a hue and cry raised over the release of a film’s trailer, as today. Then why so much brouhaha today?

– In those days, there was no social media. Today, with platforms like YouTube and social media, a trailer can reach millions of people in a minute. Hence the importance given to the release of trailers.

Some things about the functioning of the film trade are weird. For instance, small films require more promotion than big-budgeted and star-cast films because awareness about them is low, but such small films are rarely well promoted. Can’t this change?

– Yes, it is weird. But producers of small films rarely think of promotional budgets when they make those films. Initially, the aim is to get the film started any which way. By the time the film is completed, budgets are exhausted and, therefore, hardly anything remains to promote the film. But since it has to be released quickly, promotion goes out of the window. So the fault lies with the individual producers who don’t think in totality. Meri film kisi bhi tarha shuru ho jaaye, chalna-chalaana toh Bhagwan ke haath mein hai — this is their thought process which is not cent per cent true. Nobody thinks that agar chalna-chalaana Bhagwan ke haath mein ho sakta hai toh film banaana bhi Bhagwan ke haath mein hona chahiye.

Your thoughts on the teaser of Vicky Kaushal starrer Sam Bahadur?

– It’s good but not extraordinary. It did not have the goosebumps effect which one expects in a film of this kind.

Why did this week’s Mission Raniganj not open to at least decent houses?

– Its promotion was so low-key that awareness about its release was low. Hence it couldn’t have taken a good start. Besides, Akshay Kumar has been going through a rough patch as far as his career is concerned. The success of the recent OMG 2 is, in the public minds, not exactly the success of an Akshay starrer because he didn’t play the main lead in it.

There was a time when love stories made by established banners and introducing newcomers were eagerly awaited by the public and hence took good openings when they were released. But Rajshri’s love story, Dono, with two newcomers in the lead roles, has not opened well this week. Any reason?

– Generally speaking, only those films open well which become ‘hot’ in people’s minds after their trailers are released and/or if their songs become hits. Nothing of the sort happened with DONO. So there seemed to be no reason for the public to rush to the cinemas to watch DONO on the opening day.

What did you think of the Animal trailer?

– Very interesting, engaging and entertaining!

How is Salaar releasing on 22nd December, the same day as Dunki?

– Obviously, to take advantage of the four-day Christmas weekend! Also, one hears that the religious advisers to the producers of SALAAR are said to have told them that 22nd December would be an auspicious day to release their film. That’s the reason they chose to come in direct opposition of DUNKI, the release of which had been finalised and announced many months earlier.

With Dunki and Salaar (dubbed) clashing at the box-office, what will the position of the exhibitors be?

– Exhibitors of single-screen cinemas will have a very tough time trying to balance the two films. Luckily for DUNKI, the distributors had signed their agreements with many single-screen cinemas of Delhi-U.P. just a day or two before the date of SALAAR (dubbed) was finalised. But in circuits where contracts of DUNKI have not been signed, exhibitors will be in a spot as distributors of both the films will try to arm-twist them into signing their film in preference to the other.

What did you think of the video of Tiger 3, released this week to market the film?

– Absolutely mind-boggling video! Going by the video, it can safely be predicted that the film — slated for release on Diwali — will take an outstanding initial.

How far is Gadar 2 from becoming the biggest Hindi blockbuster?

– Just Rs. 2 crore! PATHAAN, the biggest so far, had netted Rs. 524 crore (Hindi version only). GADAR 2 closed its 6th week (which got over on 21st September) at Rs. 522 crore. Interestingly, even as GADAR 2 is inching its way to becoming the biggest Hindi blockbuster, Shah Rukh Khan’s JAWAN is also all set to overtake PATHAAN… and also GADAR 2. That means, GADAR 2 will enjoy the status of being the biggest Hindi film for a few days, after which it will have to make way for JAWAN to occupy the top position. Interestingly, it took six years for the record of BAHUBALI 2: THE CONCLUSION (Hindi dubbed) to be broken (by PATHAAN). It took six months for the record of PATHAAN to be broken (by GADAR 2). And it will take a couple of weeks for the record of GADAR 2 to be broken (by JAWAN (Hindi)).

Will Animal release on 1st December? And will Dunki release on 22nd December? Or are they likely to be postponed?

– Both, ANIMAL and DUNKI, will definitely release on their scheduled dates.

After the stupendous initial of Jawan, which will be the next film to take a flying start?

– Of course, TIGER 3!

Why is there no new film release this week?

– Producers of big films wanted to steer clear of JAWAN in its week of release as well as the following week because it was expected to do great business. As for the producers of small films, who are actually on the lookout for a week when no big film is scheduled for release, many among them must have been wary of releasing their film in the Ganpati festival week.

Will Gadar 2 overtake the collections of Pathaan in India?

– Yes, it will, in all likelihood. PATHAAN had netted Rs. 524 crore in Hindi while the total of GADAR 2 so far is Rs. 517 crore. The latter film needs Rs. 7 crore more to equal the former.

Was it fair for exhibitors to discontinue Gadar 2 to accommodate Jawan last week in spite of Gadar 2 still yielding shares?

– But such things happen all the time, so why make an issue in the case of GADAR 2 and JAWAN only. In Gujarat, several exhibitors discontinued Gujarati film 3 EKKA to make way for JAWAN despite the fact that 3 EKKA was still going great guns at the ticket windows. As they say, everything’s fair in love, war and business!

With films performing well at the turnstiles, does it mean that the crowds are back to the cinemas?

– Yes, the crowds are back to the cinemas and how! All those negative motormouths, who hoped that Bollywood would never revive, are in such a state of shock that the question now is: how will they revive themselves?

The record of Bahubali 2: The Conclusion took almost six years to be broken by Pathaan. The record of Pathaan may be broken by Gadar 2 in a couple of weeks, and if that happens, it will mean that the record of Pathaan will have been broken in a matter of six months. What does this mean?

– It means, happy times for the film trade. Whenever a formidable record is smashed within months, it can only imply that business is booming! The record of GADAR 2 (if it breaks the record of PATHAAN) may well be broken by JAWAN in six weeks!

With the kind of phenomenal initial which Jawan took yesterday (Thursday, September 7), Tiger 3 now has big shoes to fill in. Am I right?

– You are absolutely right! The start of JAWAN yesterday (September 7) was so outstanding that any film will find it difficult to break that record anytime soon.

Now that the trailer of Jawan is out, any guesses on the first day’s all-India net collections?

– It could be the highest ever opening for a Hindi film. Highest ever!

How many different characters does Shah Rukh Khan play in Jawan?

– Why do you want to spoil your fun and that of others by asking me to reveal the number? Wait for five more days, and you shall see for yourself on the sixth day.

Why is a big star-cast film, like this week’s Kushi, released in its Hindi dubbed avatar without any promotion?

– It’s indeed strange! The producers expect Hindi film audience to throng the cinemas without any awareness about the film or its release, which is like waiting for a miracle to happen, perhaps.

What kind of an initial will Shah Rukh Khan’s Jawan take?

– A bumper initial is what Shah Rukh Khan’s JAWAN will take.

Will Utkarsh Sharma benefit due to the runaway success of Gadar 2?

– You bet, he will. Not just because the film is doing extraordinary business but also because he has performed well in the film and is being liked by people. There are already producers contemplating signing him. And they will sign him. Utkarsh’s leading lady, Simrat Kaur, is also similarly popular because she is beautiful and a good actress.

What has struck such a chord in people’s hearts that Gadar 2 is unstoppable?

– The sentiments — both, about the country as well as the family sentiments!