One super-duper hit (Carried over from the last quarter), one superhit this quarter and a whole lot of predictable flops — a look at the BOX-OFFICE results
3 idiots
Release date: 25.12.2009
What: From slamming the education system to championing human values, 3 Idiots packaged message with masala and mirth.
Why: 3 Idiots created a frenzy like no other modern Bollywood film has. Some watched it for the fifth time to laugh out loud with the “balaatkaar” scene, others trooped in for the nth time to roar for Rancho and wipe a tear for Raju. Aal izz well became the national phrase as Aamir Khan powered his way to a record box office of Rs 350 crore-plus. Four months on, it’s still running.
t2 review: You have the two different halves — the first one designed to make you laugh and the second one to make you cry.
Verdict: RECORD HIT
Raat Gayi Baat Gayi
Release date: 01.01.2010
What: A drunk man fails to recall the events of the previous night leading to a comedy of errors.
Why: Lack of big names and no pre-release publicity meant that very few turned up to watch this desi Hangover.
t2 review: Unless you are watching 3 Idiots one more time, you can give this one a try. But just like the title suggests, it will be a case of raat gayi, movie gayi.…
Verdict: FLOP
Accident on Hill Road
Release date: 01.01.2010
What: High on drink and drugs, a young woman rams her car into an elderly man and leaves him bleeding on her car windshield. With disastrous results.
Why: A frame-by-frame copy of the Holly flick Stuck, the audience came back with only one ‘disturbing’ image —- Farooque Shaikh’s rear-end sticking out of the windshield for the entire film!
t2 review: Far from being edge-of the seat, Accident on Hill Road makes you settle comfortably into your seat and go zzzzzzzzzzzzz.
Verdict: FLOP
Pyaar Impossible
Release date: 08.01.2010
What: A goddess-and-the-geek love story of a nerd with a secret crush on the college beauty, only to woo her in style years later.
Why: Too long and too pretentious, Pyaar Impossible was worth a watch for the Chopra (Priyanka), but unwatchable because of the other Chopra (Uday).
t2 review: The only reason you should dream of a date with Pyaar Impossible! is the eminently edible Priyanka Chopra. She not only looks stunning throughout the film but Piggychops’s acting chops keep getting better with every outing.
Verdict: AVERAGE
Dulha Mil Gaya
Release date: 08.01.2010
What: The done-to-death Bollywood formula of a village belle metamorphosing into a modern diva to get back at the man who had spurned her.
Why: In the making for close to half a decade, Dulha Mil Gaya was a huge yawn with Sushmita Sen’s OTT act making it worse. Even SRK’s special appearance could not save this one.
t2 review: Languishing in the cans for over two years, Dulha Mil Gaya is caught in a time warp.
Verdict: FLOP
Chance Pe Dance
Release date: 15.01.2010
What: A struggling actor guides a bunch of kids to victory in a dance duel.
Why: Too many years in the making and half-hearted performances dragged down this desi School of Rock. Shahid rocked, though.
t2 review: Chance Pe Dance is yet another telling audio-visual evidence that Bollywood writers and directors are struggling to keep up with the new kids on the block.
Verdict: FLOP
Veer
Release date: 23.01.2010
What: Salman the actor turned Salman the scriptwiter in this mangled mess of history.
Why: A ludicrous plot and scant regard for detail meant that Anil Gadar Sharma’s attempt at a massy and melodramatic film fell flat, despite an earnest Salman.
t2 review: Taking a cue from the famous Fly trailer, our advice: Be brave, be very brave to watch Veer.
Verdict: FLOP
Ishqiya
Release date: 29.01.2010
What: A scheming widow seduces both uncle and nephew, one with ishq another with sex, in this scintillating drama about love/lust aaj kal.
Why: Raw, earthy appeal, Vidya Balan’s irresistible femme fatale, great supporting acts by Naseeruddin Shah and Arshad Warsi made Ishqiya a must-watch. Sadly, not for enough numbers to make it a hit.
t2 review: Allow for a little nonchalance here, a little self-indulgence there and Ishqiya is definitely one of the most assured debuts in recent Hindi cinema.
Verdict: average
Rann
Release date: 29.01.2010
What: An expose on the murky business of 24x7 news and the sordid politician-media-corporate nexus.
Why: Attempting a Madhur Bhandarkar, Ram Gopal Varma was let down by a linear narrative and uni dimensional characters. Even AB Sr’s powerful presence failed to resurrect Rann.
t2 review: Overly dramatic and with a predilection for the hyperbolic, Rann is a film that promises too much and delivers too little.
Verdict: FLOP
Striker
Release date: 05.02.2010
What: A talented carrom player in a Mumbai ghetto of the 80s is forced by circumstances to give up the game, only to rediscover his passion years later.
Why: Rang De Basanti man Siddharth’s Bolly comeback generated a lot of hype for this medium-budget Chandan Arora (Main, Meri Patni Aur Woh) flick, but too many dull moments meant that Striker was way off the mark.
t2 review: Striker is not the first film where you sit and wonder what the film is about.
Verdict: FLOP
My Name Is Khan
Release date: 12.02.2010
What: A Muslim man with Asperger Syndrome struggles to prove his innocence in post-9/11 America. SRK all the way.
Why: Karan Johar moved away from his usual formulaic filmmaking to give us a tale of love and longing. Kajol excelled (as usual) and Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy’s music helped power SRK’s best act to the highest overseas collection by any Bollywood film. Overall, MNIK has brought in Rs 200 crore and counting — second only to 3 Idiots.
t2 review: My Name Is Khan has conscience and courage and two heartfelt performances. It can try your patience a bit but it will not leave you untouched.
Verdict: SUPERHIT
Toh Baat Pakki
Release date: 19.02.2010
What: An overbearing older sister (Tabu) desperately match-makes for her younger sibling — two men at the same time. We couldn’t figure out the rest of this yawnathon.
Why: Non-starry (Tabu doesn’t count) and non-glam, Toh Baat Pakki was bad with a capital B.
t2 review: Toh Baat Pakki is yet another twisted rip-off DDLJ added with the super-sweetened feel of a Barjatya film.
Verdict: FLOP
Click
Release date: 19.02.2010
What: A young photographer’s present is haunted by the sins of his past in this remake of Holly horror Shutter.
Why: Shreyas Talpade was the only known face in this zero-publicity film. Click barely survived in cinemas for a week.
Verdict: flop
Teen Patti
Release date: 26.02.2010
What: Desperate to test a pathbreaking probability theory, a maths genius is unwillingly hurled into the murky world of gambling.
Why: A painful watch from start to finish, the much-hyped Teen Patti sacrificed an interesting premise at the altar of an incoherent screenplay and lacklustre performances. Even Amitabh Bachchan and Ben Kingsley failed to lure the audience to the theatres.
t2 review: Flimsy and fantastical, incoherent and pretentious, Teen Patti comes crashing down like a pack of cards.
Verdict: flop
Karthik Calling Karthik
Release date: 26.02.2010
What: A loser’s life takes a turn for the better when he starts receiving phone calls every morning — from himself!
Why: A never-tried-in-Bolly-before premise, an earnest performance from Farhan Akhtar and Deepika’s looks made up for the predictable twists and turns. The hatke Bolly film, with a disappointing second half, didn’t grow enough.
t2 review: Don’t go in sniffing a terrific twist and you might well enjoy Karthik Calling Karthik.
Verdict: AVERAGE
Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge?
Release date: 05.03.2010
What: A family is in a real fix when an unwanted guest comes calling and shows no signs of leaving the house.
Why: Cheap gags and ho-hum moments meant that even three National Award winners (Paresh, Konkona and Ajay) couldn’t prevent Atithi’s fortunes from plummeting at the box-office.
t2 review: It is only the obnoxious toilet humour and the unnecessarily prolonged farting gag that stays with you at the end of Atithi Tum Kab Jaoge?.
Verdict: AVERAGE
Road, Movie
Release date: 05.03.2010
What: Four strangers meet on the desert roads of Rajasthan and carve their own destinies, powered by the magic of cinema.
Why: A unique theme enhanced by superlative performances made this Dev Benegal film a brave attempt. Sadly, that wasn’t enough to prevent the festival hit from playing to near-empty theatres.
t2 review: Dev Benegal’s Road, Movie is a bittersweet — less bitter, more sweet — fable about the timeless — and boundary-less — magic of cinema.
Verdict: FLOP
Right Yaaa Wrong
Release date: 12.03.2010
What: An emotional drama about cops and criminals with a thriller twist.
Why: The presence of A-listers like Irrfan and Konkona and a rare appearance by Sunny Deol notwithstanding, there were few takers for this long-stuck-in-the cans film.
t2 review: Right Yaaa Wrong has such a shoddy first half that you won’t be blamed if you don’t return for the riveting half after the break.
Verdict: FLOP
Hide N Seek
Release date: 12.03.2010
What: A group of friends get stranded in a closed mall with a killer on the loose.
Why: Modelled on the lines of Holly slasher thrillers, not many knew when this small-budget film came and went, given the lack of stars and zero publicity.
Verdict: FLOP
Lahore
Release date:19.03.2010
What: A simple story of a boxer made complicated by petty politics and India-Pakistan dynamics.
Why: It may have won a few awards at the C-festival circuit, but IPL and the lack of big names kept audiences away.
t2 review: You may watch it for the boxing, but do not expect much of a kick.
Verdict: FLOP
Love Sex Aur Dhokha
Release date: 19.03.2010
What: The loves and lives, problems and prejudices of modern urban India seen through spycam and handheld footage.
Why: Breaking new ground in formulaic Bollywood, LSD piqued audience interest. Unaffected and honest. Friends watched it, families didn’t.
t2 review: The industry’s first full-blown experimental film pushes the envelope when it comes to style and content, marrying the two in a manner that is original and innovative.
Verdict: BETWEEN FLOP AND AVERAGE
Shaapit
Release date: 19.03.2010
What: A young couple dare to take on a 300-year-old evil spirit to rid themselves of a generational curse.
Why: Lack of genuine chills and thrills and new faces (singer Udit Narayan’s son Aditya was one) were enough for Shaapit to be cursed at the box-office.
t2 review: The viewer is taken on an agonisingly long journey that is interesting to begin with, but ends up being a huge bore.
Verdict: FLOP
Hum Tum Aur Ghost
Release date: 26.03.2010
What:A fashion photographer develops the ability to see and hear the dead. A desi Sixth Sense? Not by a mile!
Why: Is it a thriller? Is it a comedy? Is it a romance? None of the above.
t2 review: Hum Tum Aur Ghost is me, you aur some laughs — and a whole lot of yawns!
Verdict: FLOP
Well Done Abba
Release date: 26.03.2010
What: A beautiful father-daughter relationship in the background of rural corruption and political powerplay form the core of this Shyam Benegal film.
Why: Commendable performances — led by Boman Irani — and the trademark Benegal finesse weren’t enough to overrule the lethargic pace of WDA. The audience stayed away.
t2 review: At 150 minutes, Well Done Abba is bound to try even the most patient of souls.
Verdict: FLOP
Mittal vs Mittal
Release date: 26.03.2010
What: Tormented by marital rape, a woman takes up cudgels against her abusive husband.
Why: Though it addressed a pertinent issue and starred Calcutta’s own Rituparna Sengupta, Mittal vs Mittal suffered on account of average performances (only Ritu was good) and tacky production values.
t2 review: The romance is half-baked and the characters are so over-the-top that they start grating on one’s nerves after a while.
Verdict: FLOP
Tum Milo Toh Sahi
Release date: 02.04.2010
What: A cafe assumes the role of a centrepoint for a group of urbane couples to discuss and sort out their lives. We couldn’t figure out the rest.
Why: The usually dependable Nana Patekar was a riot but that wasn’t enough to prevent Tum Milo Toh Sahi from being a non-starter at the box-office.
t2 review: The dialogues are loud, the songs are noisy and each actor tries, and successfully so, to be worse than the other.
Verdict: FLOP
Sadiyaan
Release date: 02.04.2010
What: A modern reprisal of the Devki-Yashodha tale, this one had a Hindu mother raising a Muslim child.
Why: Bland and boring, Sadiyaan had very little going for it. Able performances from Rekha, Rishi Kapoor and Hema Malini went waste in this Luv Sinha debut.
t2 review: Sadiyaan is so old school that you feel a couple of sadiyaans have drifted by in those 160 minutes in the movie hall!
Verdict: FLOP
PLUS...
Vivek Oberoi’s action thriller Prince and Riteish Deshmukh’s rom-com Jaane Kahan Se Aayi Hai released last Friday. Given the average reviews and lukewarm audience response, one needs no crystal ball to predict that both films will fare poorly at the box-office
FAST FORWARD TO SECOND QUARTER
HOUSEFULL
Why: The Heyy Babyy hit team returns with an entertainer. Akshay with bikini bods Deepika-Lara-Jiya is sure to keep the house full for the first weekend.
Why: The Heyy Babyy hit team returns with an entertainer. Akshay with bikini bods Deepika-Lara-Jiya is sure to keep the house full for the first weekend.
BADMAASH COMPANY
Why: Actor Parmeet Sethi makes his directorial debut in this Rocket Singh-cum-Bunty Aur Babli con movie. Watch out for the Shahid-Anushka pairing.
Why: Actor Parmeet Sethi makes his directorial debut in this Rocket Singh-cum-Bunty Aur Babli con movie. Watch out for the Shahid-Anushka pairing.
KITES
Why: Hrithik Roshan and Barbara Mori are set to scorch the screen in this Anurag Basu film. The biggie of the quarter
Why: Hrithik Roshan and Barbara Mori are set to scorch the screen in this Anurag Basu film. The biggie of the quarter
RAAJNEETI
Why: Katrina Kaif plays a Sonia Gandhi-like character in this Prakash Jha political thriller. Big names like Ajay Devgn, Arjun Rampal and Ranbir Kapoor make Raajneeti a must watch.
Why: Katrina Kaif plays a Sonia Gandhi-like character in this Prakash Jha political thriller. Big names like Ajay Devgn, Arjun Rampal and Ranbir Kapoor make Raajneeti a must watch.
RAAVAN
Why: After shoots (a lot of it in Calcutta) and reshoots, Mani Ratnam’s modern-day
Ramayan with Ash and Abhishek is set for release in June. Will it work?
Why: After shoots (a lot of it in Calcutta) and reshoots, Mani Ratnam’s modern-day
Ramayan with Ash and Abhishek is set for release in June. Will it work?
ACTION REPLAYY
Why: Aishwarya and Akshay time-travel to the 70s in this Vipul Shah rom-com.
Why: Aishwarya and Akshay time-travel to the 70s in this Vipul Shah rom-com.
1 comments:
One should point out that MNIK has beaten the 3 Idiots overseas record. Much is being made of the fact that it did not beat it by a lot, BUT the film is still running with another phase of release coming up. I think there might be one or two individual pockets where the 3 I record stands - North America being one. It might be worth looking at the history of what kind of films do super-duper business in North America before further debate is indulged in.
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