WILL WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE EMERGE AS ANOTHER HIT FOR AKSHAY KUMAR AFTER BHOOTH BANGLA?

From today, 7:30 pm onwards, the paid previews of Welcome To The Jungle will begin across the country. The film has been in the news ever since it got launched, thanks to the popularity of the series, mainly the first part. Moreover, the film is arguably the biggest multi-starrer of all time.

Welcome To The Jungle stars Akshay Kumar, Suniel Shetty, Disha Patani, Jacqueline Fernandez, Arshad Warsi, Jackie Shroff, Paresh Rawal, Raveena Tandon, Lara Dutta, Farida Jalal, Johny Lever, Shreyas Talpade, Tusshar Kapoor, Rajpal Yadav, Krushna Abhishek, Kiku Sharda, Daler Mehndi, Aftab Shivdasani, Mukesh Tiwari, Yashpal Sharma, Kiran Kumar, Zakir Hussain, Vindu Dara Singh, Urvashi Rautela, Hemant Pandey, Brijendra Kala, Feroze Khan, Late Pankaj Dheer, Puneet Issar, Sudesh Berry and many more. It is directed by Ahmed Khan, while the first two parts – Welcome and Welcome Back – were directed by Anees Bazmee.

The teaser and trailer of Welcome To The Jungle have been entertaining and it looks like a grand, fun-filled entertainer. However, the challenges remain. The trailer hasn’t wowed the audience. The songs, though quirky, have not worked as intended.

As a result, as it usually happens, people have decided to wait for the response and then book tickets. This is also reflected in the advance sales, though the bookings until now are decent. There was hope that Welcome To The Jungle would emerge as Akshay Kumar’s highest opener by crossing the earnings of Mission Mangal (Rs. 28.45 crores). However, it seems like it's not going to happen. At best, the hope is that the film will open in the range of Rs. 17 crores and Rs. 20 crores on Friday. As for paid previews, Bhooth Bangla collected Rs. 3.50 crores and Welcome To The Jungle should aim at crossing this figure.

Meanwhile, Main Vaapas Aaunga collected more than the first week’s collections in the second weekend. While Week 1 earnings were Rs. 11.23 crores, its second week collections were Rs. 11.50 crores. It is rock-steady on weekdays as well. The film is expected to cross the Rs. 30 crore mark by the end of its second week.

As for Cocktail 2, it opened at Rs. 12.25 crores and went on to earn Rs. 15.50 crores and Rs. 16.50 crores on Saturday and Sunday, respectively. But it dropped to Rs. 5.25 crores on Monday, while Tuesday's jump was limited, when it earned Rs. 5.50 crores. The film has earned Rs. 55 crores in 5 days. As of now, a lifetime of Rs. 100 crore seems like a remote possibility.

Cocktail 2’s trailer doesn’t reveal the exact story and that works in the film’s favour. There are moments that border on bizarre, but director Homi Adajania treats them convincingly and hence, one goes along with the developments. Along with writers Luv Ranjan and Tarun Jain, he avoids taking the conventional route during confrontational scenes and instead adds quirk to such moments, which comes across as a breath of fresh air. Yet, the film is not shallow and the climax proves it. On the flipside, despite the best efforts, the film does get silly at places. The pre-climax is weak and leaves viewers wondering where the film is headed. Also, Kunal’s character is not fleshed out adequately and we don’t fully understand what makes him the way he is. Speaking of performances, Kriti Sanon steals the show. This is her best performance after Mimi and hopefully, the film gives her career the kind of boost that Cocktail did for Deepika Padukone. Shahid Kapoor is presented in a dashing avatar and, as expected, delivers a smashing performance. Rashmika Mandanna gets somewhat overshadowed but there’s no doubt that she puts her best foot forward. Tiku Talsania has limited screen time initially but leaves a mark later on. The songs are well-wovem into the narrative and ‘Tumhi Ho Bandhu’ in particular arrives at a crucial juncture. All in all, Cocktail 2 is a breezy, fun-filled entertainer.

My rating - *** ½ out of 5!

WILL COCKTAIL 2 MANAGE TO OPEN BETTER THAN COCKTAIL?

After two weeks of multiple releases, the next two weeks will see just one major Hindi film trying its luck at the box office – Cocktail 2. Like any other Maddock production, the romcom has been extensively marketed and is constantly in the news.

Cocktail 2 stars Shahid Kapoor, Kriti Sanon and Rashmika Mandanna and is directed by Homi Adajania. The songs are peppy while the film’s promos promise a vibrant, youthful entertainer. For many months, there were murmurs that Kriti and Rashmika play lesbian lovers. However, they recently clarified at an event that it's not true. One song from the film, ‘Mashooka’, has especially worked well and is big on Instagram Reels.

However, the film faces some roadblocks. While there’s excitement for the film, a section of the audience will prefer to wait-and-watch, that is, go through the response and then book tickets. The film’s ‘A’ certification has raised eyebrows. It won’t affect business, as proven by Dhurandhar and Dhurandhar The Revenge that adult rating is no more a roadblock. However, viewers are curious why such a rating has been given to a film that doesn't seem really adult.

Cocktail 2’s advance booking is decent and is expected to have a double digit opening if collections jump as intended in the evening and night shows. The first part, Cocktail (2012), starring Saif Ali Khan, Deepika Padukone and Diana Penty, opened at Rs. 10.47 crores. The aim of Cocktail 2 would be to go past this figure. With limited competition from holdover releases, the film should then aim for a Rs. 45-50 crore weekend.

Meanwhile, Haunted – Echoes Of The Past emerged as a surprise last week. An opening of Rs. 1.50 crores was considered the best-case scenario pre-release. But it went on to collect Rs. 2.25 crores and is the best-performing film of the week. The weekday trend is weak. But the job is done and it’ll the end Week 1 with earnings totaling Rs. 14 crores.

On the other hand, Main Vaapas Aaunga was expected to take a Rs. 2-3 crore start. Sadly, it opened at just Rs. 1.10 crores. One expected the collections to double on Saturday and Sunday. That didn’t happen and the film collected Rs. 1.85 crores and Rs. 2.50 crores respectively.

Thankfully, the Monday hold was strong, when the film collected as much as on Friday. On Tuesday, due to the discounted rates, collections jumped to Rs. 1.50 crores. On Wednesday, the earnings should have come down. Instead, the film collected Rs. 1.75 crores. The film is expected to collect around Rs. 11.50 crores in Week 1. It needs to earn as much or more than Week 1 to come out with some sort of respectable collections.

I wouldn’t place him in the same space as Haider and Kabir. Ustraa is a very entertaining character. What’s unique about him is that he is dark yet soft, and can also be very funny. He is a complete laundiyabaaz, yet falls in love to a degree that he loses himself. He’s a gangster but scared of his grandmother, played by Farida Jalal ji.

You want to be thrown into something that challenges you. My scenes with Nana Patekar sir are also special.

The toughest real estate in this film was actually my body! It was covered in tattoos; it would take two and a half hours to put them on before I got on set. Triptii Dimri, my co-star, had a no-makeup look. I told her, “In this film, I am the heroine. Tu toh do minute mein ready ho kar aa jaati hai set pe!”

O'Romeo isn’t like a superhero film where 75% of the work is done by costume and VFX. Then we had action sequences at night. I had undergone major hip surgery during one such sequence. That was very challenging.

First, I need to be happy with what I have done, which is always a challenge. Even above me, it’s the filmmaker. If they are not satisfied, there’s no point to the entire experience. I should be able to add more value than they expected. For me, the filmmaker comes first.

Beyond that, I have a very talented family, whether it’s my mother Neliima Azim, father Pankaj Kapur, brother Ishaan Khatter, or wife Mira Kapoor. They support me unconditionally, and I am always curious to know their views. They’re all very different from each other.

Anybody who says they’re not affected, I don’t know... I wonder if they’re living under a rock. But anybody who says it deeply affects them is putting themselves in a dangerous place.

When you go on social media, you don’t know who is writing, under what name, or under what circumstances. It’s important not to live in a bubble. People around you will praise you. You live a privileged life. But you don’t know what the wider audience feels. It’s a difficult journey. Open up, but be mindful of how much you allow to sit in your system.

Main hamesha yeh kehta hoon – aapke bolne ki aukaat honi chahiye, tabhi mooh kholna chahiye. Yeh maine bachpan mein seekha tha.

In this profession, people can be very dual-faced with stars. Saamne kuchh, peeche kuchh. I don’t like that. I respect people who disagree and have a reason for it. There are rebels without a cause. Then there are those who stand by what they believe. Honesty and authenticity are very important.

The minute their dad stops doing adult films, I guess! When he decides to do frothy stuff. The next one is Cocktail 2. I did Teri Baaton Mein Aisa Uljha Jiya (2024). What ignites me as an actor are shades that aren’t just white.