No Clash Of The Titans
It had to happen. And it has happened. Salman Khan’s Inshallah and Akshay Kumar’s Sooryavanshi will not clash with one another. Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Inshallah, starring Khan and Alia Bhatt, was recently announced for release on Eid next year, the same day as Rohit Shetty’s Sooryavanshi, starring Akshay and Katrina Kaif, was slated for release. It was anybody’s guess that two such big films wouldn’t come in direct opposition of each other. What fortified one’s belief was that there is still a year before both the films would clash, if at all. But all speculation has been laid to rest. It has now been decided that Sooryavanshi would hit the screens on 27th March, 2020 whereas the Eid release date would be utilised by Inshallah. It may be recalled that Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Padmaavat was to similarly clash with Akshay Kumar’s Pad Man in the Republic Day weekend of 2018 but Akshay graciously postponed his film’s release by two weeks so that there was no opposition for Bhansali’s Padmaavat.
Elevated Tension
The issue of the elevator in Bombay’s Naaz cinema building is once again the talk of the trade. Believe it or not but the lift has not been operational for two months now. Since the building has distribution and exhibition offices since many years, there are many 60- and 70-plus people who have to climb two and three storeys. Consequently, offices are shutting down as the older generation is shifting to alternative locations.
Tell-Tale Signs
Two things are sure signs of a big film not doing well. And both the things happened in the case of Ali Abbas Zafar’s Bharat. For one, the admission rates were brought down in a hurry soon after the five-day weekend came to a close. Had the film been appreciated, many of the exhibitors would not have reverted to the original (lower) rates. Secondly, shows of Bharat were reduced in multiplexes from Monday onwards and, instead, those of De De Pyaar De and a couple of other films, increased.
‘Article 15’: Trailer Catches People’s Fancy
A film that’s slowly but surely being noticed is Anubhav Sinha’s Article 15. The Ayushmann Khurrana starrer has already raised the hackles of the Brahmins in Madhya Pradesh, who feel, after watching the trailer, that their community has been shown in bad light in the film. Be that as it may, the fact is that the film’s trailer is rather hard-hitting and gives hope to the public to expect a riveting drama about the caste system which still exists in the interiors of India. The film is slated for release on 28th June – that is, if no further controversy arises like the one already raging in M.P.
New Kids On The Block
Meezaan, son of Jaaved Jaaferi, is all set to be up in cinemas on 5th July when his maiden film, Malaal, hits the screens that day. None other than Sanjay Leela Bhansali has introduced the actor although Bhansali is only producing the film while not directing it. The launch pad of actor Jagdeep’s grandson is directed by Mangesh Hadawale. Making her debut opposite Meezaan is Sharmin Segal. The film’s music (Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Shreyas Puranik and Shail Hada) is gaining in popularity with each passing day.
Lucky Vijan
Dinesh Vijan had, many months back, postponed his Arjun Patiala and changed its release date to 19th July. At that time, Sunny Deol had already announced that his son’s launch pad, Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas, would be releasing on 19th July. Trade people wondered what the logic behind getting Arjun Patiala in direct opposition of the debut film of a star-son was. It is well-known in trade circles that a star-son’s film is released with a lot of fanfare. Besides, in this case, Sunny Deol has also produced and directed the film himself. That would mean that since the promotion was going to be Sunny’s domain, he would, obviously, not spare money or efforts to get Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas with a lot of pomp and show. On the other hand, Vijan’s Arjun Patiala does not boast of a very big star cast. It stars Diljit Dosanjh, Kriti Sanon and Varun Sharma. But luck has favoured Dinesh Vijan as the latest news is that Sunny has postponed his film as it is still not complete. This means, Arjun Patiala will not have to face the opposition of Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas. Whether another film will come on the same day because Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas has been shifted ahead is still not known.
Release Plans Go Haywire The entire process of announcing release dates of films months, and sometimes even a year, in advance means little if one were to see the latest release schedules of some eagerly awaited films, which have changed ever so often. One Day was slated for release this week but has been pushed to 28th June. Malaal was announced for release on 28th June but it was postponed by a week and will now come on 5th July. Hrithik Roshan starrer Super 30 was preponed from 26th July to 12th July when Ekta Kapoor postponed the release of her Mental Hai Kya from June to 26th July. If Ekta, in a way, prompted Hrithik to advance the release of his film, she herself had to postpone her other film, Jabariya Jodi, as she didn’t fancy letting it release on 12th July alongside Super 30. And so, Jabariya Jodi has now moved to August 2. The Zoya Factor has been postponed by months and is now scheduled for release on 20th September – that is, if there’s no further postponement. And one can’t forget that the release of Sooryavanshi has been advanced so that Inshallah comes solo on Eid next year.