LATEST POSITION

The lovely opening of KAHO NAA…PYAAR HAI this week has brought a new excitement in the industry. …Collections improved last week due to Idd festival. The advantage was most pronounced in the cases of MELA, JAANWAR and HS-SH.

Mela has not found appreciation in major cities except, to an extent in U.P., Bihar, C.P.CI. Rajasthan. 1st week Bombay 75,25,192 (79.77%) from 16 cinemas (9 on F.H.); Ahmedabad 7,08,085 from 3 cinemas, Padra 1,96,180, Rajkot 1,64,306, Jamnagar 1,58,740, Bhuj 1,15,900, Adipur 1,44,601; Sangli 1,85,000; Bijapur 1,91,100; Delhi 58,05,328 (75.03%) from 12 cinemas (3 on F.H.); Lucknow 6,56,258 from 2 cinemas, Agra 3,75,000, Varanasi 4,80,395 from 2 cinemas, Allahabad 2,37,411, Bareilly (6 days) 1,98,977, Hardwar 80,000; Calcutta 22,14,570 from 11 cinemas; Nagpur 10,68,778 from 5 cinemas, Amravati 2,80,274, Akola 2,07,810, Raipur (gross, 6 days) 3,07,312, Bhilai 1,40,860, Jalgaon 2,88,710, Wardha 1,56,336; Indore 1,73,250 (4 on F.H.), Bhopal 1,35,658; Jaipur 8,87,981 from 3 cinemas, Jodhpur (15 shows, gross) 1,47,616 (1 unrecd.), Ajmer (gross, 29 shows) 3,23,426, Bikaner 3,21,864; Hyderabad (gross) 43,36,647 from 16 cinemas (1 in noon).

Bulandi proves a horrifying disaster. 1st week Bombay 36,04,831 (61.09%) from 10 cinemas (9 on F.H.); Ahmedabad 3,71,535 from 5 cinemas (1 unrecd.), Rajkot 1,46,843 from 3 cinemas (1 in matinee), Jamnagar 85,880; Bijapur 1,10,000; Delhi 18,37,320 (25.13%) from 13 cinemas (2 on F.H.); Lucknow 1,99,776, Agra 1,85,000, Varanasi 1,51,297, Allahabad 1,64,000; did extremely poor in Calcutta (figures not disclosed); Nagpur 3,09,559 from 3 cinemas, Akola 1,16,197, Raipur (gross, 6 days) 1,22,092, Bhilai (gross) 1,38,315, Yavatmal 67,616; Indore (5 days) 1,28,232 from 2 cinemas (2 on F.H.), Bhopal (5 days) 1,01,429 from 2 cinemas; Jaipur 4,25,690 from 3 cinemas, Jodhpur (14 shows, gross) 97,151; Hyderabad (gross) 10,05,173 from 8 cinemas (1 in noon).

………..

Jaanwar is doing very well in U.P., West Bengal, Bihar and C.P. Berar. 3rd week Bombay 15,08,727 (41.60%) from 8 cinemas (5 on F.H.); Ahmedabad 54,823 (2 unrecd.), 1st week Bhuj 59,831; Miraj 87,657; 3rd week Delhi (4 days) 2,16,190; Agra 2,37,348, Varanasi 2,14,178, Allahabad 1,72,700, Bareilly (6 days) 1,37,897, 1st week Hardwar 1,15,000; 3rd Calcutta 7,71,257 from 6 cinemas; Nagpur 69,646 from 2 cinemas, Akola 95,881, total 3,59,909, Raipur (6 days) 75,804, Bhilai 35,165, Jalgaon 1,25,525 (2nd 1,57,423), Chandrapur 66,475, total 3,84,362, Yavatmal (gross) 1,13,212, total 4,28,852, share 2,78,852, very good; Indore 77,652, Bhopal 1,02,485; Jaipur 2,76,486 from 2 cinemas, Ajmer (gross) 1,40,244, Bikaner 1,31,380; Hyderabad (gross) 2,96,454.

Titanic (dubbed) 1st week Bombay 3,53,718 (63.39%) (1 on F.H.); 2nd week Allahabad 86,300, 1st week Agra 71,000.

Hum Saath-Saath Hain made a killing in Bombay-Karnataka, U.P., C.P. Berar and Nizam due to the Idd festival. 10th week Bombay 7,34,540 (45.82%) from 3 cinemas (6 on F.H.); Ahmedabad 1,46,913, Rajkot (14 shows) 51,199, Jamnagar 46,877 (9th 30,123), Bhavnagar 60,670 (9th 50,487); Hubli 1,30,178 (9th 78,207), Belgaum 96,596 (9th 84,557), 3rd week Gadag 56,057 (2nd 38,336), 1st Karwar 45,753, 6th week Bijapur 91,385 (5th 51,890), Nippani 36,874, 1st week Sankeshwar 37,419; 10th week Delhi 4,06,613 from 3 cinemas; Kanpur 1,72,235 (9th 1,24,645), Lucknow 3,97,848 (9th 2,48,526), Agra 1,78,993 (9th 1,19,397), Varanasi 1,65,489 (9th week 1,21,695), Allahabad 93,158 (9th 87,326), 3rd week Mirzapur 54,365, 1st Badaun 54,745, 10th week Meerut 1,19,237 (9th 54,774), 1st week Bahraich 58,097, Bulandshahr 99,338, Dadri 47,538, 10th week Bareilly 80,869 (9th 40,563), Jhansi 54,233, 1st Farrukhabad 69,441, 10th Dehradun 60,123, Saharanpur 62,746 (9th 22,847), 1st week Firozabad 1,21,418, Hapur 74,601, 10th week Gorakhpur 98,045 (9th 66,090), 1st week Raibareilly 62,231, 6th Hardwar 22,835, 10th week Moradabad 1,15,681 (9th 37,334), Aligarh 1,12,758 (9th 39,448), 1st week Shahjahanpur 69,623, Sitapur 98,582; 10th Calcutta 4,01,854 from 5 cinemas; Nagpur 1,75,832, 7th week Balaghat 39,023, 1st week Kamptee 67,435, 10th Jabalpur 2,05,231, Amravati 1,30,885, total 22,00,011, Akola 1,07,165, total 15,86,909, share 12,60,136, Dhule 76,516 (9th 45,082), Raipur 1,30,039, Bhilai 22,349, 8th week Durg 32,123, 10th week Jalgaon 97,601, Bhusawal 48,075, Gondia (14 shows, gross) 31,502, total 10,19,586, Chandrapur 73,181, total 19,26,289, Yavatmal (gross) 48,685, total 13,45,853, share 6,25,853, Khandwa 74,541; Indore 1,15,287 (3 on F.H.); Jaipur 5,28,400, Ajmer 66,529, Bikaner 46,350; Hyderabad (gross) 5,10,906 (9th 4,09,291), Aurangabad about 1,48,000; Bangalore 2,10,043 (9th 1,71,479); Madras (18 shows) 93,160.

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Maa Baap Ne Bhulsho Nahin (Gujarati; TF) is doing great business. 4th week Ahmedabad 6,44,343 from 5 cinemas.

YESUDAS TO BE FELICITATED

Playback singer K.J. Yesudas will be felicitated by People’s Arts Centre on 26th January at Shanmukhananda Hall in Bombay on the occasion of his 60th birthday. Usha Mangeshkar will sing songs along with him on the stage. Music maestros Naushad and Khayyam will also attend.

Yesudas has rendered over 35,000 songs in several Indian and foreign languages.

SURINDER KAPOOR HOSPITALISED

Producer Surinder Kapoor, who was in Delhi to attend the International Film Festival of India, was hospitalised on 11th January after he complained of giddiness. He was discharged from hospital on 13th and returned to Bombay the same day. His son, Anil Kapoor, was also in Delhi when he was hospitalised.

NAGPUR EXHIBITORS FELICITATE DHARMENDRA

The Cine Exhibitors Association, Nagpur, felicitated actor Dharmendra on 6th January in Nagpur. Dharmendra was there on a brief visit. The actor recalled his visit to Janki Cinema, Nagpur thirty years ago when his Phool Aur Patthar was being screened there.

Anil Deshmukh, minister for education and sports, Maharashtra, was also present on the occasion. S.B. Patil and K.K. Sawhney, hon. secretary and hon. treasurer respectively of the CEA, welcomed both the distinguished guests.

PADAMCHAND AGARWAL NO MORE

Padamchand Agarwal, well-known Hyderabad exhibitor (proprietor of Asha Talkies, Hyderabad) and Nizam distributor, passed away on 9th January in Hyderabad.

FARIDA JALA BEREAVED

Najma H. Kazam, mother of actress Farida Jalal and director Khalid, passed away on the night of 7th January at Belle Vue Nursing Home, Bombay. She was being treated there for cancer of the throat.

ASHOK THAKERIA RECOVERING

Producer Ashok Thakeria, who had met with a road accident a fortnight back near Nasik, is recuperating at his home. He had been admitted to Bombay Hospital.

‘PHIR BHI DIL HAI HINDUSTANI’ PRESS MEET

Dreamz Unlimited held a press briefing for Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani on January 13 at The Orchid Hotel, Bombay. The press briefing was addressed by the film’s producers-cum-lead pair Shah Rukh Khan and Juhi Chawla, producer-director Aziz Mirza and music directors Jatin Lalit. The press meet was followed by dinner.

VINOD MALHOTRA’S SON TO WED

Marriage of Amit, son of C.I. distributor Vinod Malhotra and grandson of D.R. Malhotra, with Gunjan, will be solemnised on 10th February at Hotel Taj, Indore. The marriage will be preceded by shagan ceremony on 9th February.

FESTIVAL OF RAJ KAPOOR’S FILMS

The Cultural Centre of Russia, Bombay, will organise a six-day festival of late showman Raj Kapoor’s films beginning 17th January, at the House of Soviet Culture, Bombay. Randhir Kapoor will inaugurate the festival. The inaugural function will be followed by the screening of Barsaat. The other films to be screened are Shri 420, Sangam, Bobby, Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hai and Mera Naam Joker.

The festival is being organised to commemorate the 75th birth anniversary of the great filmmaker. Entry to the festival is free.

Tax ‘Cutting’ Is Normal In Baroda!

Tax ‘cutting’ is not uncommon in some ‘A’ class centres of Gujarat. Baroda is one such centre where entertainment tax is not paid in full. It is not as if only small or unpopular cinemas resort to tax ‘cutting’ in Baroda. Even big and well-known cinemas, which screen new films, indulge in the illegal practice of concealing ticket sales to save on entertainment tax.

While the above is shocking, what is even more shocking is that the authorities are turning a blind eye to this illegal act by certain cinemas. In spite of the practice of duplicate tickets issued by such cinemas being brought to the notice of the powers that be, they refuse to take corrective steps or action against the erring exhibitors. This is also causing a lot of heartburn among the genuine exhibitors who do not indulge in such unfair practices.

ANNOUNCEMENT & LAUNCHING

David To Direct Govinda In Jeetendra’s Film

David Dhawan has been signed to direct Shri Siddhivinayak Films’ Prod. No. 1, being presented by Jeetendra, and starring Govinda and Sushmita Sen in the lead. The film will be produced by Shobha Kapoor and Ekta Kapoor and will be launched on Feb. 1 with a song recording. Story-screenplay: Yunus Sejawal and Imtiaz Patel. Dialogues: Rumi Jafri. Executive producer: Prakash Pange.

David To Direct Salman In MKD’s Next

Producer Ketan Manmohan Desai has signed David Dhawan to direct, and Salman Khan to lead the cast of M.K.D. Films Combine’s next. It will go on the floors shortly. Other cast and credits will be finalised soon. Executive producer: Prakash Pange.

PRODUCTION NEWS

‘Hey! Ram’ Background Score Recording In Hungary

The recording of background score of Raajkamal Films’ Hey! Ram is currently under way in Budapest (Hungary). A 90-piece Western classical orchestra recorded 12 minutes of music composed by Ilaiyaraja, on the first day of the recording itself. The recording unit is expected to return to India today (15th). The film, due for release on February 18, is produced and directed by Kamal Haasan who also stars in it. Also in the cast are Shah Rukh Khan, Rani Mukerji, Naseeruddin Shah, Hema Malini and Om Puri. Bharat Shah presents it.

YOU ASKED IT

I have a group of friends from various businesses, who are ready to raise a capital of Rs. 3 crore. Will you please suggest a viable proposal to make a film?

– I have a director, artistes and technicians who will agree to complete a film with a capital base of Rs. 2 crore, the balance being credit available. Will you please suggest a viable story to make my film?

On which day and in which year did the Father of Indian Cinema, Dadasaheb Phalke, pass away?

– 16th February, 1944, at the age of 74. He was born in 1870. His real name was Dhundiraj Govind Phalke.

Do you foresee a time when films will be made without songs?

– Songs and music are an integral part of our daily lives. We have songs for every occasion, every festival, every mood, every part of the day. Therefore, films without songs are unthinkable.

At every muhurt, producers get the coconut-breaking ceremony performed. The coconut is described as “auspicious”. But in most cases, the results are not auspicious. Does it then mean that a film flopped because the coconut was not auspicious?

– Why blame the poor coconut? If you are honest and fair in assessing the merits and demerits of a film, you will notice that the blame lies in too many other departments, least of all in the coconut and the coconut-breaking ceremonies.

3-E
Education-Entertainment-Enlightenment

Shah Rukh Sells And How!

Shah Rukh Khan’s Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani seems to have broken a record even before its release. Its sub-distribution rights have been sold for Gujarat at a record price of — hold your breath! — Rs. 1 crore. Yes, about half the price has been paid by way of signing amount. The buyers, S.M. Movies, have, in turn, extracted outstanding MGs from different stations of Gujarat in a bid to hedge their huge investment. In recent times, no film has commanded such a superb price. And this, without the buyer having seen a single frame of the film. Is it the magic of Shah Rukh the star or the magic of Shah Rukh the producer? Or both?!?

The Starting Non-Starters

It is indeed inexplicable as to why the releases in the first week of any year in the eighties and nineties have almost never proved successful. The following is the list of first releases. 4-1-’80: no new release. 2-1-’81: Waqt Ki Deewar, Guest House. 1-1-’82: Daulat, Dil-E-Nadaan, Josh. 7-1-’83: Zara Si Zindagi, Chatpatee. 6-1-’84: Wanted, Sardaar. 4-1-’85: no new release. 3-1-’86: Ram Tera Desh. 2-1-’87: Insaniyat Ke Dushman (did quite well), Sutradhar, Patthar Se Takkar. 1-1-’88: Jungle Ki Beti, Khel Mohabbat Kaa. 6-1-’89: Vardi (did quite well). 5-1-’90: Souten Ki Beti, Pyar Ke Naam Qurban, Vidrohi. 4-1-’91: Jigarwala, Laal Paree. 3-1-’92: Daulat Ki Jung. 1-1-’93: Dil Hi To Hai, Balmaa, Zakhmi Rooh. 7-1-’94: Zid, Gopalaa, Thanedaarni, Aag Aur Chingaari. 6-1-’95: Ab Insaf Hoga, Gunehgar, Kala Sach. 5-1-’96: Himmat, Jurmana, Smuggler. 3-1-’97: Aastha (did well only in Bombay and C.P. Berar). 2-1-’98: Haiwaan. 1-1-’99: Sikandar Sadak Ka. And on 7-1-2000: Mela and Bulandi.

With the exception of two films — Insaniyat Ke Dushman (1987) and Vardi (1989) — the rest proved non-starters.

Pyar Jhukta Nahin, which proved a super-hit, was the first release of 1985. It was, however, not released in the first week of ’85, but in the second week (11-1-’85). There was no release in the first week of 1985.

Curiously enough, none of the films released from 1990 to 1999 proved successful. Insaniyat Ke Dushman and Vardi were both releases of the eighties.

Among the first releases of 2000, Bulandi proved a loser while Mela might earn part commission in some territories only.

Twinkle And The Killing Coincidence!

Here’s an interesting contribution from a reader of ours, who chooses to remain anonymous.

Whoever has played Twinkle Khanna’s brother in her recent releases has had to die in the film. In International Khiladi, Vivek Shauq was cast in the role of Twinkle’s brother. He was killed in the early reels. Deepak Tijori played Twinkle’s brother in Baadshah and he, too, gets killed in the film. Now, in Mela, it is Ayub Khan falling prey to Tinu Verma’s bullets in the initial reels and leaving his sister, Twinkle Khanna, all alone to face the mad, bad world.

Minister Framed!

And now a joke to keep you smiling for the week. This one is about a minister in the Maharashtra government. Several years back, he had been invited for a film’s muhurt as the chief guest. He was asked to sound the clapper-board for the muhurt shot. After being properly briefed, the minister ventured to do what he had never before done in his life. He gave the clap, announced good luck to the project and… and… well, he stayed put right there. Perhaps, taken in by the still photographers’ cameras clicking, he was unable to appreciate the fact that there was a movie camera too, which was switched on to capture the muhurt shot and not just him. He refused to budge from the frame and, thus, the artistes just couldn’t perform the inaugural shot. It took a while before the minister was politely asked to come out of the frame!

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Satellite Rights

Dear Sir,

After reading the contents in the matter under the heading, ‘Satellite Rights & Wrong’ in Film Weather: 1999 in the issue of Film Information dated 1st January, 2000, I feel that to effectively deal with the issue of satellite rights, our associations should make their members add the following in their distribution agreements:

a) That, if the producers are selling the satellite rights of their films for telecasting before the stipulated time of five years from the date of the film’s premiere theatrical release, the MG royalty should then be treated as ‘advance’ and made refundable to its distributor within a month of the film’s telecast on the satellite channel.

b) That, for overflow films, further overflows be stopped immediately after the film is telecast on satellite.

The above would be in addition to the penalties levied by the respective associations.

– Tarachand B. Kanuga
Shiva Enterprises
Controller, Krishna Theatre,
Risali, Dist. Durg (M.P.).