Showing posts with label Barbie. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Barbie. Show all posts
Telugu cinema isn’t telling stories that matter to women, says Maa Inti Bangaaram director B V Nandini Reddy
3:07 PM
Neeshita Nyayapati (HINDUSTAN TIMES; July 9, 2026)
The representation of women in Telugu cinema has often been a topic of discourse, and last month it was highlighted again with actor Janhvi Kapoor’s portrayal in Peddi being called out for objectification. Amid this came a female-led action film, Samantha Ruth Prabhu-starrer Maa Inti Bangaaram, which became a box office success, and has collected Rs. 95 crore worldwide since release.
While Maa Inti Bangaaram isn’t the norm but an exception in Telugu cinema these days, director B V Nandini Reddy says change in the industry will come only when it first reaches the audience. She also says her film’s box-office performance is a reminder to Tollywood that women-led films work.
When asked Nandini where the change needs to come from to better represent women in Telugu cinema, her answer is quick. Her solution lies with the audience changing first. “I think it needs to come from the audience. From the films they choose to watch, the films they choose to make successful. That itself sends a message which is loud and clear. It’s the biggest harbinger of change,” she says.
“I keep telling women. If you don’t like what you’re seeing, then when you see something you like, ensure that other people go and watch it. The audience also has to make the effort to go watch the films they like only in theatres. It’s the only way to get better films,” explains Nandini, adding, “When it starts with the audience, then of course the filmmakers will listen. It’s a business at the end of the day, and you have to listen to the customer.”
Nandini says Maa Inti Bangaaram has brought women back to the theatres because it made them feel seen. “It has put out the question that there is a large section of the audience you’re not catering to. You’re not telling stories that matter to them,” explains the filmmaker, adding, “If you add this crowd to an already existing male audience for male-centric films, imagine the numbers now. The industry keeps saying we lost the audience there. But no, they’re there, waiting.”
The filmmaker also brings up Barbie as an example of how a woman-centric film can do wonders at the box office. “Samantha always said Barbie did so well because the women came out to watch it. And that’s the audience we targeted with Maa Inti Bangaaram. Numbers are numbers, but I think we did something right because women across age groups have turned up at the theatres to have fun,” she rounds off.
Maa Inti Bangaaram was released in theatres on June 19 and has since grossed over Rs. 95 crore worldwide, a record for a female-led Telugu film. Peddi, which was released on June 4, has grossed over Rs. 340 crore.
How airlines pick the movies on your flights
10:33 PM
Sure, everyone likes ‘Barbie’, but who knew that ‘Cats’ would be an in-flight standout?
THE ECONOMIC TIMES (December 26, 2024)
On your long-haul trip home for the holidays, you will scrunch yourself into a too-narrow seat, fasten your seat belt and probably turn on the screen in front of you.
At least half and sometimes as many as 8 in 10 customers use that entertainment system, executives from the major domestic airlines say. And the top option, said Dominic Green, director of in-flight entertainment at United, is movies.
"The people who aren't engaging are basically on redeye flights coming back from Las Vegas or they are children under 2," said Ekrem Dimbiloglu, a managing director for customer experience at Delta.
Delta has 165,000 screens on 840 jets. United has 500 planes equipped with seat-back screens and more are being added every day. That means that airlines, as Green likes to say, are some of the largest "cinemas in the sky."
But who determines what you get to see while stuck in a metal tube at 35,000 feet? And how do they choose? We talked to the people in charge to find out.
Who decides which movies are available?
Airlines mostly have teams that help curate the entertainment. At Southwest, Kennedy Wilson is, as she put it, "a team of one." Dimbiloglu leads a team of four at Delta, some of whom attend film festivals. Green's team has quadrupled in recent years from two to eight.
The airlines also partner with content service providers -- akin to middlemen -- that offer recommendations and they sometimes seek additional help when putting together a collection for, say, Hispanic Heritage Month, or trying to program for an international flight.
On a cross-country trip in October, Delta offered a Halloween collection that included "Beetlejuice" and "The Conjuring." There was also a category called Cozy Family Fall that featured "Coco" and "Remember The Titans."
Green said United worked with more than 100 content providers to fill out its roster of movies, TV series, music and podcasts. American Airlines carries more than 1,500 titles overall and an average of 500 movies, said Kim Cisek, vice president of customer experience.
How are the movies selected?
The airlines say they are data-driven. They can see which movies we are watching and how long we are watching them for.
Some airlines also track how shows are performing on external streaming platforms that viewers use at home and consider how titles are being received in different markets and among particular demographics. Cisek said American Airlines gathers insights from flight attendants, too.
And customers famously love giving feedback. Many fill out satisfaction surveys, and more than a few feel compelled to tweet or write in with a specific request -- or complaint.
But data cannot tell you everything. Only humans know that "Inside Out" and "Inside Out 2" are very different movies. Or that tennis feels kind of hot right now. (See "Challengers.")
Green said his team and their colleagues who run social media noted the buzz surrounding a forthcoming "The Devil Wears Prada" sequel. So they put the original "The Devil Wears Prada" on board, even though it is more than 20 years old, and it performed well.
"Art and science," Green said.
How often do the movies change?
Executives say they rotate and evaluate movies regularly to keep their offerings fresh. For example, American Airlines adds roughly 200 titles every month.
Is it just me, or are there more niche categories now?
As the number of offerings has ballooned into the hundreds, airlines have increasingly sought to categorize them. They sometimes lean on internal employee resource groups to help curate selections for Black History Month and International Women's Day. Or, as was the case at Southwest, they create a Ryan Reynolds category because they have a lot of Ryan Reynolds movies and "that's just fun," Wilson said.
Some airlines are getting even more personalized. United tracks usage and viewership (responsibly, it says) and considers the information and preferences customers share in their profiles. "If they tell us they're really into action movies," Green said, "we can take them straight into that kind of action movie collection."
Delta has recently begun rolling out a way to sync up its in-flight entrainment system with customers' airline membership accounts so they can interact with the system like they would with Netflix. Many customers can now restart a movie right where they left off on their last trip and get smarter recommendations based on what they have already watched. "We're trying to bring that living room experience to you in the air," Dimbiloglu said.
At least five generations are flying in this moment, Cisek said. "So it's really important that we have something for everyone."
Does 'Oppenheimer' cost the same as 'Sleepless In Seattle?'
Definitely not. (Though none of the airline representatives would say how much they spend on movies or specify how much different titles cost.)
Airlines work with studios and content service providers to procure the movies they want to show. But the budget is not unlimited, and curation teams must decide what will give them the best bang for their buck. For instance, Southwest passed on "Top Gun: Maverick," Wilson said, even though she believed it would be popular.
Airlines also must contend with licensing windows. It will be months before "Wicked," in theaters now, can be shown on planes. And once they get it, they may have it for only six months or a year at a time.
What types of movies do people like to watch?
"The golden rule is there is no kind of golden rule," Green said. But airline executives have learned a thing or two about what customers seem to like.
Nostalgic comfort and comedy: Dimbiloglu estimated that 40% of Delta's customers are millennials, and many of them seem interested in shows that took off when they were growing up. "Curb Your Enthusiasm," "The Office" and "Friends" are television series, not movies, but they perform really well on Delta, he said.
"The Office" is also popular on American Airlines, Cisek said, as is "Abbott Elementary." She highlighted comedy series as especially winning. "Customers are looking for ways to have an enjoyable flight and just kind of turn off," she said.
The 'airline movie': Multiple executives independently pointed to the same movie that they said had been popular among customers for years: "Crazy Rich Asians." Those that removed the title said they received complaints. "It's an airline movie," Dimbiloglu said. "A positive, uplifting movie that has a lot of travel associated with it, that has adventure associated with it and that puts you in a good mood."
Like the characters in a good airline movie, he said, most of the people on a plane are going somewhere and want to be happy when they get there.
The 'unicorn': "There's always a unicorn," Wilson said, "one movie that you're like, 'Oh, sure, we'll put it on board," and to everyone's surprise, "it just astronomically performs."
For her, the best example of a unicorn was "Cats." People know the musical, she said, and the movie was heavily advertised before it was released in 2019. But the film was skewered after audiences actually got to see it and it flopped at the box office.
Nonetheless, "Cats" turned out to be one of Southwest's top-performing movies. "House Of Gucci" stole that title soon after.
It all sort of makes sense to Wilson. Time in the air is burden-free, she said, and those "found hours" let you try something new or sneak in something you've secretly wanted to watch.
Delta executives were hardly surprised that "Barbie" found a wide audience. But when they looked closer, they saw something unexpected: Male business travelers were among its highest viewers.
"There's no laws. Watching a movie in-flight, you're already in a tube," Wilson said. "You're already going to be in there for a certain amount of time. So they see a movie that they wouldn't buy a ticket for."
When Titanic was released in 1997, there was only one print in entire Delhi-Sanjeev Kumar Bijli
8:33 AM
By Sanjeev Kumar Bijli, Executive Director, PVR Inox Ltd (BOMBAY TIMES; April 20, 2024)
There was a time, not so long ago, when only Hindi movies used to play at the single screen cinemas in India. The ’80s and early ’90s were decades dominated by films with Amitabh Bachchan, Rishi Kapoor and Jeetendra to name a few. If we wanted to watch a Hollywood film, we either had to wait for months for it to release at the cinemas, or drive to obscure places to rent it on VHS. Hollywood studios usually gave India a miss in their overall release plan, as there just weren’t enough cinemas and business to justify the cost of releasing it here.
With the advent of multiplexes though in the late ’90s and early 2000, things began to change. The proliferation of new and premium screens gave rise to both demand and supply for English films. And from a gap of months from US release, films were released within a couple of weeks. Sometimes even on the same day as the US release.
Liberalization, rising middle class and incomes, proliferation of satellite channels and the internet, all contributed to the discovery and consumption of English films. I remember, in 1997, when Titanic was released, it was nothing short of a momentous event in India. We were operating only two properties in Delhi at the time, a four screen multiplex and a single screen. The studio, 20th Century Fox, wanted to release only one print in the entire city, and we had to choose where to play the film. We decided to play it at a single-screen cinema. Such was the euphoria and anticipation around the film, that we had the entire cinema decked up by an eminent designer.
The landscape of cinema, consumer taste and preference has evolved over the years. A day and date in sync the US release of a Hollywood film is now standard, and so is a wide release with over 500 prints or more of commercial films. The list of blockbusters that have surpassed the 50 crore to 100 crore box-office collections is long and impressive with recent hits like Oppenheimer, Barbie, Avatar proving that English films can be as big as Indian films.
But what has also emerged in the last few years is the penchant for foreign language films. The Indian audience has become extremely discerning and receptive to consuming content in foreign languages. We are travelling more, getting exposed to different cultures and watching foreign language content on streaming platforms.
A couple of years ago, through social listening, we inferred there was a huge demand for Japanese anime films. We started to distribute and screen them, and the response was phenomenal. Films like Suzume and Demon Slayer did a box office of 10 crores and 6 crores respectively. Not just anime films, other foreign language films have also done exceedingly well at the box office. Buoyed by the Oscar recognition, films like Parasite and most recently Anatomy Of A Fall did a business of 7 crores and 1.5 crores respectively.
With globalization and increased awareness, I am certain this is just the tip of the iceberg, and foreign language films have found an audience in one of the largest cinema markets in the world!
PVR Inox logs over Rs. 200 crore profit in Q2
8:28 AM
Revenue nearly doubles; highest BO collections come on back of Hindi film hits
Javed Farooqui (THE ECONOMIC TIMES; October 20, 2023)
Mumbai: Multiplex operator PVR Inox on Thursday delivered its best quarterly results ever, with a net profit of Rs. 207 crores for the three months ended September 30, compared with a net loss of Rs. 78 crore a year earlier. Revenue nearly doubled to Rs. 2,020 crores from Rs. 1,082 crores, boosted by several blockbuster movies. The results are on a pro-forma basis, as the merger between PVR and Inox became effective on February 6 this year.
The company, which operates more than 1,700 screens, recorded earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization of Rs. 447 crore, compared with Rs. 16 crore a year earlier. Ebitda margin expanded to 22% from 1.5%.
PVR Inox recorded its highest ever gross box-office collections of Rs. 1,336 crore in the past quarter, with 48.4 million admissions, driven primarily by Hindi blockbuster films like Shah Rukh Khan starrer Jawan and Sunny Deol’s Gadar 2. Mid-scale movies like Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani, OMG 2, and Dream Girl 2 also lifted the Hindi box-office numbers to Rs. 727 crore during the quarter.
Gross Hollywood box-office collection for the company was Rs. 293 crore, on the back of robust performances by Oppenheimer, Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning - Part One and Barbie, among others.
Rajinikanth's Jailer set the regional box office collection at Rs. 316 crore. “It's the best quarter of all time for PVR Inox. We were reasonably confident that business would come back. The debate over whether people want to watch movies in theatres is over. Films across the board have been done across multiple languages,” PVR Inox chief financial officer Nitin Sood said.
I’m intending to make a movie that should be seen on the big screen-Martin Scorsese
8:27 AM
Devansh Sharma (HINDUSTAN TIMES; October 11, 2023)
For his second film in a row, filmmaker Martin Scorsese has turned to a streaming giant. But like his previous outing The Irishman (2019), Killers Of The Flower Moon, too, would release in cinemas first.
“It should be seen on the big screen. Are we intending to make a blockbuster? No, we’re making a movie, which should watched on the big screen,” says the 80-year-old, adding, “People say it’s three hours, but come on, you can sit in front of the TV and watch something for five hours. Also, there are many people who watch theatre for three-and-a-half hours. You give it that respect, give cinema some respect, [too].”
The film marks Scorsese’s 10th collaboration with actor Robert De Niro. “He’s the only one alive now who knows where I come from. It’s a formative relationship that goes back to when we were 16 years old. We’re drawn to the same subject matter and psychological and emotional conflicts in ourselves, people and characters,” he says.
He has been vocal about the need to “save cinema” from “comic-book movies” by backing individual voices. But doesn’t the success of Barbenheimer show that we’re getting there?
“I do think that the combination of Oppenheimer and Barbie was the perfect storm. The way it fit perfectly — a film with such entertainment value and bright colours and a film with such severity and strength — does offer hope for a different cinema. And the most important thing is that people went to watch these in a theatre.”
Martin Scorsese, who made his first film, Who’s That Knocking At My Door, 56 years ago, says most of his projects have taught him something. He explains, “I learnt after Raging Bull (1980) that I’d have to start all over again every time. And that led to The King Of Comedy (1982). I learnt, in a very good way, ignorance,” he tells us, adding, “By the time I did Silence (2016) and The Irishman (2019), I dealt with only the essentials — where you make it look simple, but it’s not actually that.”
While Killers of the Flower Moon is a story about America, Scorsese agrees that it will speak to all those around the world whose culture has been misappropriated. “Oh yes! For instance, when I saw Satyajit Ray’s Pather Panchali (1955), I said, ‘Wait a minute! Those are the people I usually see in the background of other films. What’s the difference here?’ The difference is that the film is being made by them,” he points out.
It’s a lesser-known fact that it was Robert De Niro who introduced Scorsese to Leonardo DiCaprio, another frequent collaborator of the latter. Does Killers of the Flower Moon, which also stars DiCaprio, feel like a reunion?
“I worked with Leo on Gangs Of New York (2002), then we pushed it further in The Aviator (2004), during the making of which we learnt that there’s a 30-year age difference! But I found that we had a similar kind of sensibility. We had a similar fearlessness, the will to try things and a very, very strong trust,” he says, adding that both actors are “quite different” in terms of their approach to their work and craft. “Bob (De Niro) is quieter. It’s all action. Leo and I talk a great deal. It’s our process of working through rehearsals. But I’ve been very fortunate with the two of them over the years,” he wraps up.
Hi, ‘Barbie’: Russian theatres find ways to screen blockbusters amid sanctions
8:17 AM
THE TIMES OF INDIA (October 5, 2023)
As people in much of the world flocked to see Greta Gerwig’s blockbuster film “Barbie” this summer, viewers in Russia were left out. At least officially. Along with other studios, Warner Brothers, the producer of Barbie, stopped releasing movies in Russia shortly after Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. But that has not stopped Russian viewers from watching Western films. Last year, Russian theaters were openly screening illegal copies of “The Batman” and “Turning Red.”
“Barbie” has been no different, with movie theaters employing a workaround to give audiences access to the Western films they want to watch. Russian cinemas in cities large and small are offering viewers tickets for short films or documentaries, but these come with screenings of the full effervescent, bubblegum-pink “Barbie” film that technically plays during the previews slot. At least 14 theaters in Moscow were openly offering such screenings on their websites on Wed nesday, with tickets about 400 to 500 rubles, or $4 to$5.
The screenings are just one example of how Russians have been forced to improvise after Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. In the wake of the war, the West imposed a host of sanctions on Russia and companies fled the market. The Kremlin has also discouraged these screenings as Moscow seeks to paint an all-encompassing picture of an existential battle with the West.
Movies produced in the US made up around 70% of the Russian film market before the war, according to state media. Their exit has caused a crisis among Russian movie theaters, whose revenues dropped by 44% from 2021 to 2022, according to Russia’s Association of Theater Owners.
The association wrote on its website that it has made repeated pleas to government agencies to issue theaters distribution certificates that allow them to screen films like “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” from “unfriendly countries” without the consent of the copyright owners. But the ministry of culture turned down the request, saying that the two films “do not meet the goals and objectives set by the head of state to pre serve and strengthen traditional Russian spiritual and moral values,” and that the Russian box office is “saturated” with domestic films anyway.
This year, the ministry of culture announced that it would provide financial support only to films focused on one or more of 17 approved themes, including “traditional values”; “heroism” of Russian soldiers in the war with Ukraine; and “the degradation of Europe.”
Some domestic films have successfully attracted large audiences.
Thanks to Gadar 2, OMG 2, mall sales perk up amid rise in footfalls in theatres
8:11 AM
Faizan Haidar & Navneeta Nandan (THE ECONOMIC TIMES; August 28, 2023)
New Delhi: The success of movies Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani, Gadar 2 and OMG 2 has lifted sales in malls in August with retailers reporting a 10-15% increase in footfalls and sales in comparison with last month.
“Around six-seven releases have actually worked well for cinema’s occupancy and people have come back to the screen. There is an increase of footfall by a good 10-11% and that helped F&B and apparel. Typically, people come in to have food and also shop before or after the movie,” said Pushpa Bector, senior executive director at DLF Retail that operates premium malls in the Delhi-National Capital Region.
Other movies that have brought back people to cinemas include Barbie and Oppenheimer.
After Pathaan in January, box-office collections have been tepid although the release of The Kerala Story in May and Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning - Part One in July managed to revive revenue of malls to an extent. An ET reporter visited three premium malls in the NCR and about two dozen retailers across different categories said they witnessed a similar jump.
“We have seen some changes week to week, especially last week when we saw movie releases. Even the Independence Day weekend was a strong weekend and there was good, healthy growth,” said Shailesh Chaturvedi, managing director and CEO of Arvind Fashions that sells brands like US Polo Assn, Arrow, Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein, Flying Machine and Sephora in India. According to the Retailers Association of India, sales in July 2023 showed growth of 9% compared with a year earlier. The growth rate has slowed from March onwards.
“There has been at least 10% growth in the footfalls due to the people coming back to theatres and a part of that crowd has contributed to the growth of F&B and shopping as well. Average time spent by a person in the mall has gone up considerably,” said Jayakumar Gangadharan, regional director, Lulu Mall, Lucknow.
“Cinemas are the largest crowd puller for a mall. While only serious shoppers come when there is no good movie running, the footfall from a theatre is a bonus for retailers,” said Harsh V Bansal, cofounder of Unity group that operates over half a dozen malls in Delhi and Punjab.
Fenil's Bollywood Talk # 791
10:40 AM
GADAR 2 IS A BLOCKBUSTER; OMG 2 IS A SURPRISE SUPER-HIT; WILL GHOOMER GET AFFECTED?
A lot was said post-pandemic that the business in cinemas would get affected and that the pre-pandemic phase will never be back again. All the cynics had to eat their words this week. Not just Gadar 2 and OMG 2 but even the old films did exceptional business over the weekend.
Gadar 2 took a smashing opening, as expected. In our last week’s edition, we had predicted that it has an outside chance of collecting Rs. 40 crores on day 1. The Sunny Deol-starrer opened at Rs. 39 crores. Usually, when films open beyond expectations, they tend to drop on Saturday. In the case of Gadar 2, it jumped to Rs. 41.50 crores. Sunday was extraordinary at Rs. 52 crores.
Monday, August 14, was like a part-holiday of sorts as Tuesday, August 15 was a National Holiday. Hence, collections were expected to be huge after 5:00 pm. But the occupancy was encouraging even for the morning and noon shows. It ended up collecting Rs. 38.50 crores, which was just Rs. 50 lakhs less than Friday! And on Independence Day, the film went on an overdrive, collecting Rs. 55.50 crores. The film faced capacity issues as almost every show in the country was sold out. It had to share shows with OMG 2 and holdover movies. Or else, it could have collected Rs. 70 crores in a day. The demand was so huge that some exhibitors were forced to run shows 24 hours a day. This happened for the first time in many theatres in small towns.
And that’s not all. Wednesday was a Holiday only in Mumbai and a select few centres. Yet, it held strongly, collecting Rs. 35 crores. As a result, its first-week collections are expected to be around Rs. 280-285 crores. If it jumps yet again in the second weekend, it has chance of breaking Pathaan’s record of Rs. 512.76 crores.
OMG 2, meanwhile, faced several challenges. It got an ‘A’ certificate and came in front of the monstrous blockbuster, Gadar 2. It also seemed a bit of an urban film. The expectation was that it’ll open at Rs. 7-8 crores. However, the film’s first-day earnings were Rs. 9.25 crores. The collections jumped to Rs. 13.25 crores and Rs. 16 crores on Saturday and Sunday respectively. On Monday, it collected Rs. 11 crores, which was more than Friday's earnings. And on Independence Day, the film earned as much as Rs. 16.75 crores. On Wednesday, the collections were around Rs. 7 crores. Its first week collections will be around Rs. 78 crores. If all goes well, it’ll enter the Rs. 100 crore club by the second weekend or by Monday.
And that’s not all. Jailer’s Hindi version was released in very limited prints. The film’s response was mixed. Yet, it managed to hold very well. There was no space to screen additional shows and some theatres had to play post-midnight and early morning shows of the Rajinikanth starrer as well. It’s also a rare South dubbed film to work in Hindi in 2023, after Kantara. The Tamil version has done more than Rs. 200 crores of business (gross) and brings back Rajinikanth to the top league.
On the other hand, Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani continued to get audiences. It collected Rs. 9.50 crores in its third weekend. Its lifetime earnings will be in the range of Rs. 140-150 crores. Also, audiences continued to come for holdover films like Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning - Part One, Oppenheimer, Barbie and Meg 2: The Trench. After a long time, almost all films were running house full in theatres. Many patrons had to return disappointed when they failed to get a ticket for any film on Sunday.
This week will see the release of Ghoomer, starring Abhishek Bachchan and Saiyami Kher. Directed by R Balki, it looks like a nice, inspirational sports film. But the buzz is limited and it has gotten fewer screens than expected since Gadar 2, OMG 2 and other films are doing exceptional business. It can open around Rs. 1 crore and has an outside chance of earning Rs. 2 crores as well. If word of mouth is positive, it can see a huge jump on Saturday.
A lot was said post-pandemic that the business in cinemas would get affected and that the pre-pandemic phase will never be back again. All the cynics had to eat their words this week. Not just Gadar 2 and OMG 2 but even the old films did exceptional business over the weekend.
Gadar 2 took a smashing opening, as expected. In our last week’s edition, we had predicted that it has an outside chance of collecting Rs. 40 crores on day 1. The Sunny Deol-starrer opened at Rs. 39 crores. Usually, when films open beyond expectations, they tend to drop on Saturday. In the case of Gadar 2, it jumped to Rs. 41.50 crores. Sunday was extraordinary at Rs. 52 crores.
Monday, August 14, was like a part-holiday of sorts as Tuesday, August 15 was a National Holiday. Hence, collections were expected to be huge after 5:00 pm. But the occupancy was encouraging even for the morning and noon shows. It ended up collecting Rs. 38.50 crores, which was just Rs. 50 lakhs less than Friday! And on Independence Day, the film went on an overdrive, collecting Rs. 55.50 crores. The film faced capacity issues as almost every show in the country was sold out. It had to share shows with OMG 2 and holdover movies. Or else, it could have collected Rs. 70 crores in a day. The demand was so huge that some exhibitors were forced to run shows 24 hours a day. This happened for the first time in many theatres in small towns.
And that’s not all. Wednesday was a Holiday only in Mumbai and a select few centres. Yet, it held strongly, collecting Rs. 35 crores. As a result, its first-week collections are expected to be around Rs. 280-285 crores. If it jumps yet again in the second weekend, it has chance of breaking Pathaan’s record of Rs. 512.76 crores.
OMG 2, meanwhile, faced several challenges. It got an ‘A’ certificate and came in front of the monstrous blockbuster, Gadar 2. It also seemed a bit of an urban film. The expectation was that it’ll open at Rs. 7-8 crores. However, the film’s first-day earnings were Rs. 9.25 crores. The collections jumped to Rs. 13.25 crores and Rs. 16 crores on Saturday and Sunday respectively. On Monday, it collected Rs. 11 crores, which was more than Friday's earnings. And on Independence Day, the film earned as much as Rs. 16.75 crores. On Wednesday, the collections were around Rs. 7 crores. Its first week collections will be around Rs. 78 crores. If all goes well, it’ll enter the Rs. 100 crore club by the second weekend or by Monday.
And that’s not all. Jailer’s Hindi version was released in very limited prints. The film’s response was mixed. Yet, it managed to hold very well. There was no space to screen additional shows and some theatres had to play post-midnight and early morning shows of the Rajinikanth starrer as well. It’s also a rare South dubbed film to work in Hindi in 2023, after Kantara. The Tamil version has done more than Rs. 200 crores of business (gross) and brings back Rajinikanth to the top league.
On the other hand, Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani continued to get audiences. It collected Rs. 9.50 crores in its third weekend. Its lifetime earnings will be in the range of Rs. 140-150 crores. Also, audiences continued to come for holdover films like Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning - Part One, Oppenheimer, Barbie and Meg 2: The Trench. After a long time, almost all films were running house full in theatres. Many patrons had to return disappointed when they failed to get a ticket for any film on Sunday.
This week will see the release of Ghoomer, starring Abhishek Bachchan and Saiyami Kher. Directed by R Balki, it looks like a nice, inspirational sports film. But the buzz is limited and it has gotten fewer screens than expected since Gadar 2, OMG 2 and other films are doing exceptional business. It can open around Rs. 1 crore and has an outside chance of earning Rs. 2 crores as well. If word of mouth is positive, it can see a huge jump on Saturday.
There’s a persistent fear that I may make a Bombay Velvet again-Anurag Kashyap
8:26 AM
Even as his wish to work with Vikram on Kennedy remains unfulfilled, Kashyap says absence of stars in projects gives him a free hand with the story
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; August 15, 2023)
If something comes a close second to his love for filmmaking, it’s his love for film festivals. Since May, Anurag Kashyap has been doing the festival rounds with Kennedy, the latest being at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne. For someone whose latest movie got a standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival, does he harbour fears as a filmmaker?
“My producers feel the pressure because my movies don’t make enough money for them. I do what I want to do. I work with people who are available. I don’t have access to stars. Also, there’s a persistent fear that I may make a Bombay Velvet [2015] again. When you don’t have stars, the resources are limited and you get a free hand with the story,” smiles Kashyap.
It’s true for Kennedy. The noir thriller was originally written for Tamil superstar Vikram, even borrowing the title from his nickname. But things didn’t work out, and Kashyap went on to cast his Ugly (2014) actor Rahul Bhat.
“I can’t chase stars. I don’t want to pressure anyone to do a film, I want them to joyfully submit to it. I reach out to stars, but if they say, ‘Pata nahin,’ I don’t pester them. Rahul did Kennedy because he trusts me. Vikram keeps changing his number. When he was shooting for Ponniyin Selvan 1, Sobhita [Dhulipala] told him that I reached out to him. [That’s when] we figured out that I texted him on a number that was three years old. My cast was locked by the time Vikram reached out to us, but he gave his blessings.”
Another quality that is common to most Kashyap films is their political undertones, his last offering Almost Pyaar With DJ Mohabbat being a prime example. “All my films factor in the social context of its milieu. Almost Pyaar has strong social undertones. But I am not deliberately trying to make a political film. Politics will seep in naturally, given the setting. Kennedy is set during COVID-19, so it reflects its times.”
It has been a rich 25-year run at the movies for Kashyap. As an artiste, how does he view the current stage of his career? “I’m at a stage where I don’t feel the need to compete with anyone. People want to box me, but I like every genre. I loved Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani. I loved Barbie more than Oppenheimer. Christopher Nolan delivered what’s expected out of a film, but Greta Gerwig delivered something novel with a doll! I fight to keep creativity soaring in filmmaking.”
Though Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani does well, trade says post-pandemic losses yet to be recovered as tier-2 centres are running dry
8:41 AM
Despite Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani and Oppenheimer enjoying a strong run, trade says post-pandemic losses yet to be recovered as tier-2 centres are running dry
Priyanka Sharma (MID-DAY; August 1, 2023)
The weekend gone by was nothing less than a carnival at the cinemas, as audiences had four distinct movies to choose from—romantic drama Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani, Christopher Nolan’s biopic Oppenheimer, Greta Gerwig’s satire Barbie, and Tom Cruise’s actioner Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning - Part One. While the Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt-led dramedy earned Rs 45.90 crore over its opening weekend, Oppenheimer and Barbie have amassed Rs 91 crore and Rs 32 crore respectively, in its 10-day run. So, are we finally witnessing a turnaround after the dry spell of the past many months?
Not exactly. Trade analysts say the movie business is far from recovering the losses incurred in the post-pandemic era. “Thanks to Oppenheimer, Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning - Part One and Rocky Aur Rani, many theatres had housefull boards this weekend. So, we are enthusiastic, but not elated. The industry has a long way to go before we can recover the losses incurred during the pandemic. We need four to five blockbusters to get there,” says exhibitor Akshaye Rathi, who runs a chain of cinemas across Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.
Bihar-based exhibitor Vishek Chauhan is less optimistic. He points out that while theatres in metros have witnessed strong footfall, things haven’t changed in tier-2 and 3 centres. “These are primarily multiplex films. The single screens are dead. Audiences didn’t throng my theatre yesterday for Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani, which they did in the case of Satyaprem Ki Katha and Zara Hatke Zara Bachke. We can’t [only] consider the robust collections in metros, and say that theatres are doing well,” he explains.
Distributor Raj Bansal highlights another important factor—that the current business is largely being driven by three Hollywood films, with Karan Johar’s dramedy being the only exception. “When we look at the commercial business of Hindi films in 2023, we don’t have many [successes] so far except Pathaan, Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar, Zara Hatke Zara Bachke and Satyaprem Ki Katha.”
On that count, Chauhan emphasizes that Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani, being a Johar venture, should have performed much better. “Even in the multiplexes, the film hasn’t gained the momentum that one expected from it. A Karan Johar film should have had an opening weekend of Rs. 75-80 crore,” he says. Fortunately, the movie is enjoying good word-of-mouth and should hold well in the coming days.
Bansal adds that the upcoming movies may give us those elusive blockbusters. “The limited advance booking of Gadar 2 is positive. Then, there is Jawan, and towards the year-end, our hope is pinned on Tiger 3, Animal and Dunki.”
(Crisp) Movie Review: BARBIE by FENIL SETA
10:58 AM
Barbie is much more than just being a colourful and vibrant entertainer. It makes an important comment on patriarchy and women empowerment. While doing so, writers Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach and director Greta Gerwig don't compromise on the entertainment quotient. On the flipside, an important musical sequence in the second half is quite random. The climax is underwhelming and hence, one doesn't come out of the theatre feeling wowed. Margot Robbie, however, is superb and gets into the skin of her character. Ryan Gosling is outstanding and effortlessly essays the part with conviction. America Ferrera (Gloria) is the surprise of the film. Her monologue is clapworthy. Others who do well are Kate McKinnon (Weird Barbie), Will Ferrell (CEO of Mattel), Rhea Perlman (Ruth) and Ariana Greenblatt (Sasha). All in all, Barbie is a clean family entertainer with a great message.
My rating - *** out of 5!
My rating - *** out of 5!
Fenil's Bollywood Talk # 787
3:49 PM
TWO BIG HOLLYWOOD FILMS TO CLASH IN CINEMAS; BOLLYWOOD BIGGIE TO ARRIVE STRAIGHT ON DIGITAL
We often hear of two big Bollywood films clashing but rarely does this happen for Hollywood flicks. But tomorrow will be an exception as Oppenheimer and Barbie are all set to arrive in cinemas across the world. In India, such clashes result in fights over screen sharing. That won’t happen with these two films as both are distributed by Warner Bros in India. Also, it’s fascinating to see social media going crazy over this clash and coming up with funny posts, all in good humour.
Oppenheimer is directed by master filmmaker Christopher Nolan. It is the story of the man who designed the first atomic bomb. The trailer is intriguing and there’s a lot of hype over seeing this film in cinemas, especially in IMAX screens. In India, which has limited IMAX theatres, the ticket rates have been hiked considerably. PVR Lower Parel, for instance, is selling its recliner seats for a record Rs. 2450! Despite such rates, the shows are sold out. But the bookings in non-IMAX screens are decent at best. Yet, an opening of Rs. 10 crores plus is expected which is tremendous for a film of this kind, which is not the typical commercial fare. In fact, the opening can be as high as Rs. 14-15 crores. Whether it sustains and whether it manages to cross the Rs. 100 crore mark remains to be seen.
Barbie, meanwhile, is based on the iconic doll of the same name. The trailer is colourful and it looks like a complete family entertainer. Despite the feminine feel, even the male moviegoers are looking forward to seeing the film. Not much was expected from it in India but its advances have surprised everyone. The film can open in the range of Rs. 5 crores or higher.
Lastly, Bawaal will release directly on Amazon Prime Video. It stars Varun Dhawan and Janhvi Kapoor in the lead and is directed by Nitesh Tiwari of Dangal and Chhichhore fame. It is a story of a dysfunctional couple in modern times and there’s a World War II backdrop. The film was supposed to release in cinemas and there was a lot of hype around it. But once it decided to skip a theatrical release, a lot of eyebrows were raised. Meanwhile, the trailer has met with mixed reactions, making many wonder if there’s anything wrong with the film due to which it didn’t make it on the big screen. Nevertheless, the curiosity to see Bawaal is very much there and it will get huge viewership.
We often hear of two big Bollywood films clashing but rarely does this happen for Hollywood flicks. But tomorrow will be an exception as Oppenheimer and Barbie are all set to arrive in cinemas across the world. In India, such clashes result in fights over screen sharing. That won’t happen with these two films as both are distributed by Warner Bros in India. Also, it’s fascinating to see social media going crazy over this clash and coming up with funny posts, all in good humour.
Oppenheimer is directed by master filmmaker Christopher Nolan. It is the story of the man who designed the first atomic bomb. The trailer is intriguing and there’s a lot of hype over seeing this film in cinemas, especially in IMAX screens. In India, which has limited IMAX theatres, the ticket rates have been hiked considerably. PVR Lower Parel, for instance, is selling its recliner seats for a record Rs. 2450! Despite such rates, the shows are sold out. But the bookings in non-IMAX screens are decent at best. Yet, an opening of Rs. 10 crores plus is expected which is tremendous for a film of this kind, which is not the typical commercial fare. In fact, the opening can be as high as Rs. 14-15 crores. Whether it sustains and whether it manages to cross the Rs. 100 crore mark remains to be seen.
Barbie, meanwhile, is based on the iconic doll of the same name. The trailer is colourful and it looks like a complete family entertainer. Despite the feminine feel, even the male moviegoers are looking forward to seeing the film. Not much was expected from it in India but its advances have surprised everyone. The film can open in the range of Rs. 5 crores or higher.
Lastly, Bawaal will release directly on Amazon Prime Video. It stars Varun Dhawan and Janhvi Kapoor in the lead and is directed by Nitesh Tiwari of Dangal and Chhichhore fame. It is a story of a dysfunctional couple in modern times and there’s a World War II backdrop. The film was supposed to release in cinemas and there was a lot of hype around it. But once it decided to skip a theatrical release, a lot of eyebrows were raised. Meanwhile, the trailer has met with mixed reactions, making many wonder if there’s anything wrong with the film due to which it didn’t make it on the big screen. Nevertheless, the curiosity to see Bawaal is very much there and it will get huge viewership.
It’s such a lovely coincidence, says Nitesh Tiwari as Bawaal, with World War II backdrop, releases along side Oppenheimer
8:43 AM
Renuka Vyavahare (BOMBAY TIMES; July 20, 2023)
Nitesh Tiwari’s film Bawaal, starring Varun Dhawan and Janhvi Kapoor, which is all set to drop on Prime Video, pits apathy against empathy with a relationship at its core. In a conversation with Bombay Times, the director tells us that his layered drama is contemporary and relevant.
What does Bawaal stand for?
It’s a layered piece and a contemporary relationship film. In the world that we live in, negativity spreads faster today. I wanted positivity to stand a chance. Bawaal is about love versus hatred, empathy against indifference and fake versus real. There are characters in the film fighting an internal war. How does that get juxtaposed to World War 2, is what the film is all about. WW2 plays a very important role in the movie and you cannot keep the holocaust away from WW2. It does play a very important role in the film. ‘Bawaal’ here is external and internal. We have become too indifferent in life. There’s a lot we can learn from this movie, most importantly to have empathy. That is what makes us human and keeps us alive, to be able to feel the pain of strangers. Those who don’t have it are self-driven and won’t feel much for their loved ones either.
Take us through the casting and journey of Varun and Janhvi’s characters.
Varun plays a history teacher called Ajay Dixit. He is somebody who isn’t very serious about his job, the kind of relationship he shares with his parents and wife. What impact that one piece of history (WW2) has on all these aspects is what you see unravelling. As far as casting is concerned, when my writers and I sit to write, we don’t keep any actors in mind. I don’t want to be guided by my perception of what a certain actor or actress is capable of doing when I write, as you tend to write to their strengths. I prefer to write first and then think of actors who can be moulded into these characters. There are more chances of surprising the audience with the freshness these actors can bring to the story. That is exactly what happened with Bawaal also. I go for people who I believe are strong performers. We wrote Ajju and Nisha, the characters needed a certain physicality as well and the names that popped in our heads were Varun and Janhvi. I wanted Ajju to be flashy and bombastic. Someone who wants to show off their body in tight shirts, he is dominating. Nisha is strong but slightly more vulnerable, who speaks through her eyes.
Varun said that he was under a lot of pressure to get his look and role right as he was working with the Dangal director. How did you and the cast warm up to each other? What calmed his nerves?
Intense preparation and one on one interactions between the artistes and me helped. A lot of comfort was established when we got talking. I believe in doing a lot of prep so on the day of the shoot everyone knows what exactly they are supposed to do. There is no pressure then. We just need to give our best shot. I told Varun what movies he can watch or the actors he can refer to or learn from. We then spoke about his character. He is not what he is in the film and that's the hallmark of a good actor. You need to look convincing in characters that are nothing like you.
Same goes for Janhvi. She is nothing like Nisha in real life and yet she transformed on screen. Both didn't want to stop at just being good, they wanted to be better. At times even when I was okay with a take, they would say can we do it again? I am very happy when my actors are this passionate and want to add that extra value to their characters. I love to have these democratic discussions on set and hear different opinions and points of view. I am happy to embrace suggestions that I feel can help my characters. This process brings out the ease you see on screen. Both Ajju and Nisha are not linear characters. They are complex people who go through a fascinating journey that changes their lives. They understand each other as people better eventually and both actors have given their best.
Speaking of WW2, Oppenheimer also releases this week.
It’s such a lovely coincidence. I am so looking forward to watching Oppenheimer, I have been waiting for it for a very long time. I hope people are looking forward to Bawaal as well. I think we are in for a feast this week as movie lovers. There's Oppenheimer, Barbie and Bawaal. We started Bawaal with the aim that it would be a theatrical release, but things changed over a period of time. Once we showed the film to people, everyone thought it would be better if we could show it to a wider audience across the world which was possible through OTT.
Advance booking of Oppenheimer has exceeded that of many Hindi biggies this year
8:43 AM
Priyanka Sharma (MID-DAY; July 20, 2023)
Who would’ve thought the advance booking of a film about a theoretical physicist could topple that of Salman Khan’s Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan (KKBKKJ) or Ranbir Kapoor’s Tu Jhoothi Main Makkaar (TJMM)? But Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer is doing just that, in the unpredictable times that Bollywood finds itself in.
The Cillian Murphy-led drama has so far sold more than 1.5 lakh tickets for the opening day alone in the three national chains—PVR, Inox and Cinepolis. In comparison, KKBKKJ had reportedly sold 57,000 tickets in advance booking in the three multiplex chains, while TJMM stood relatively higher at 73,000.
Oppenheimer has surpassed the advance ticket sales of all Bollywood films released in the past six months, except Shah Rukh Khan’s Pathaan, which reportedly sold 5.15 lakh tickets.
Exhibitor Vishek Chauhan says the huge advance sales of Oppenheimer is a testament to Nolan’s popularity in India. “Christopher Nolan has built a loyal audience; he is the only selling point of his films in India. He has made blockbusters for an intelligent audience, he doesn’t dumb down his films. That’s how a true brand gets created,” he says.
Trade analyst Taran Adarsh says these numbers not only reiterate the director’s fan following, but also the audience’s keenness to head to theatres. “Nolan has a strong fan base among the metro audience. That’s the reason for the phenomenal advances. Also, there is a scarcity of big films. This shows that people are ready to go to theatres, if you give them larger-than-life entertainment.”
Despite a limited release of 800 screens across the country, Greta Gerwig’s Barbie, starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, has so far sold more than 50,000 tickets for the opening day. A trade source notes, “It’s important to note that Barbie is limited to only national chains, with fewer screens. That’s what makes this number so big. By Friday, it should close at over 65,000 tickets.”
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)