Film release postponed by a week due to unavailability of screens
Subhash K Jha (DNA; July 10, 2016)

The immediate casualty of Salman Khan’s Eid release Sultan is Irrfan Khan-starrer Madaari, which was to open on July 15. Given Sultan’s strong, continued run, Madaari has been delayed by a week.

Madaari director Nishikant Kamat expresses helplessness and resignation. “It is unfortunate, but what to do? We are caught in a kind of chain reaction. Great Grand Masti getting leaked online forced them to prepone their release by a week from July 22 to July 15, which was our release date. Between GGM and Sultan, we could hardly get any theatres on the 15th. The best option for us suddenly becomes the 22nd with no other major release on that day.”

The overpowering success of Sultan comes as no surprise to trade pundit Taran Adarsh. “The fact that most top actors including Salman are limiting themselves to just one or two films per year means the curiosity to watch their films multiplies manifold as the release date of the film draws nearer,” he explains.

But, he adds, superstardom and a huge fan base aren’t the only reasons Sultan might become the year’s biggest blockbuster. He says, “No movie can survive only due to star power or marketing skills or release period. The fact that Sultan has solid content and the word-of-mouth is super strong, are factors likely to ensure the film enjoys a good, long run in days to come.”

Trade analyst Atul Mohan feels, “This was expected. And it couldn’t have got bigger and better than this. But the credit must also be given to director Ali Abbas Zafar. He did his homework properly and delivered a fine story. Had the writing department gone haywire, the reports and reviews could have another story to tell. He held his nerve and delivered as expected. See what happened to the same responsibility given to Maneesh Sharma by Yash Raj for Shah Rukh Khan’s Fan?”

With Madaari bowing out of the race on July 15, it’s up to Indra Kumar’s sex comedy Great Grand Masti and Hollywood animation franchise Ice Age: Collision Course in 3D to try to wean audiences away from the Salman-mania that has gripped the box-office.