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Much-delayed
films like "Zamaanat" and "Big Brother" and the not-so-robust domestic
box-office cash registers are set to get a fillip with the waning of
the cricket World Cup fever in the country. The
beneficiaries will be Vipul Shah's "Namastey London " and Mira Nair's
internationally-acclaimed English film "The Namesake" that were
released in the country Friday. The long-in-the-making "Zamaanat", "Big
Brother" and "Gumnaan - The Unknown" are also hoping to finally have a
release coming Friday.
Apart from them, films like "Delhii
Heights", "Say Salaam India", "The Challenge", "Khanna & Iyer",
"Life Mein Kabhi Kabhie", and "50 Lakh" are also clamouring for screen
space next week.
Unlike the World Cup in 2003, when filmmakers
and distributors made concerted efforts to avoid a release during the
games, this time they are ensuring that at least two films release each
week.
"Zamaanat", starring Amitabh Bachchan, Anupam Kher,
Karisma Kapoor and Arshad Warsi, has been awaiting release for a
considerable time now. Ditto for Sunny Deol-Priyanka Chopra starrer
"Big Brother" and "Gumnaam" that features Mahima Chaudhry and Dino
Morea.
All of March it has been raining films, though most
have bitten the dust. The first week witnessed release of "Nehlle Pe
Dehla", "Nishabd" and "The King of Scotland". March 9 was more
action-packed with "Sarhad Paar", "Red - The Dark Side", "Water",
"1971", and Mel Gibson's "Apocalypto" going on the marquees.
"Honeymoon
Travels Pvt Ltd", "Just Married" and "Hattrick" that released recently
are still competing with one another in multiplexes for attracting more
or less the same audiences.
Trade observers say that given the
crowded line-up after March, filmmakers and distributors could not
delay films, which is just as well as things turned sour for India at
the Caribbean Islands, as the Indian team has been virtually knocked
out of the tournament.
"In addition, some big Hollywood films
will release simultaneously in India after their US release, so there's
going to be lots of action in cinema halls," quips Ashish Saksena,
chief operating officer of PVR Cinemas.
Quantity, however, has
not translated into big moolah. With the exception of Mani Ratnam's
"Guru" and last year's "Vivah" that is still playing in some circuits,
most films have turned into box-office duds.
Multi-starrer
"Salaam-e-Ishq", Vidhu Vinod Chopra's "Eklavya" and much-talked about
"Nishabd" by Ram Gopal Varma have disappointed, business-wise.
Trade
analyst Taran Adarsh felt that over enthusiastic filmmakers are making
small-budget films without keeping the audience in mind.
"Today,
everyone wants to make small-budget films. They should stay within the
commercial parameters of the film as pushing the envelope doesn't
really work here. People will only watch those movies that they can
identify with," he adds.
The sheer number of movies releasing
almost simultaneously could be another reason for the chain of flops.
But the biggest culprit, according to most, is the weak content.
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The
fate of a series of cricket-based films is hanging in the balance with
the Indian cricket team's poor performance at the World Cup.
Bollywood
can boast of three cricket films in March - Subhash Kapoor's "Say
Salaam India", Chandrakant Kulkarni's "Meerabai Not Out" and the
already released "Hattrick" - that were hoping to cash in on the
cricket frenzy.
The fact that even before the Indian cricket
team's drubbing began, people had rejected "Hattrick", a film based on
marriage and cricket, gives an indication that the films will work only
if the content is strong.
The film by Milan Luthria pales in
comparison with his previous film "Taxi No. 9211" - it was a far better
piece of cinematic work. Also, Nana Patekar, the key attraction of the
film, seems to be losing mass appeal, which he enjoyed till some years
ago.
The other lead actor in the film, Kunal Kapoor of "Rang
De Basanti" fame, may be bright but is not yet a crowd puller. All the
more reason for the content to be better.
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The
success of Hollywood films in India is beginning to prick Indian
filmmakers. Box-office returns indicate Hollywood is gradually carving
out a niche for itself among Indian moviegoers.
The latest
Bond thriller "Casino Royale" grossed a handsome $9 million and
"Superman Returns" opened in India with as many as 290 prints.
Though
international movies account for a minuscule three to four percent
share of revenues from film business in India, it is growing at the
same pace as the rest of the industry. Well-planned promotions and
improved dubbing are two key strategies that are paying off.
Hindi
film distributors claim the number of English films releasing in India
has nearly doubled. Also, Hollywood films are releasing here even
before their release in China and Japan.
It shows that Bollywood should pitch for quality and not just quantity. By Priyanka Khanna, Indo-Asian News Service
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