BLEAK DIWALI AS RAM SETU AND THANK GOD UNDERPERFORM

The grand Diwali releases – Ram Setu and Thank God – were released on Tuesday, October 25. A lot of expectations were riding on them but sadly, looking at the collections on the first two days, Ram Setu as well as Thank God seem to have underperformed.

Ram Setu, starring Akshay Kumar, Jacqueline Fernandez and Nushrratt Bharuccha, was the bigger film. The hype was limited but due to Akshay’s presence and festival period, it was able to open at Rs. 15 crores. Incidentally, we had predicted last week that Ram Setu will open in the range of Rs. 15 crores. The word of mouth was mixed. While the film’s concept and climax were appreciated, the film was slammed for its script and lack of logic. As a result, the film dropped to Rs. 11 crores on day 2, though it was a holiday. The collections for Thursday are expected to be around Rs. 8 crores. In other words, the three-day collections are around Rs. 34 crores. The drop on day 4, Friday, will indicate if Ram Setu will be able to cross the Rs. 100 crores mark.

Thank God stars Sidharth Malhotra and Rakul Preet Singh, with Ajay Devgn in a supporting role. Its response was also mixed. The film’s first half seemed slow to many viewers and there were reports that some even walked out in the interval. The second half has got a fairly positive response due to the climax and the sizzling song ‘Manike’. Yet, the overall feedback is that the film is not bad but not too good either. Such kind of word of mouth has kept viewers away from theatres.

We had stated in last week’s edition that Thank God will open between Rs. 7 and 10 crores. And as expected, the film opened at Rs. 7.50 crores on its release day. On the second day, it dropped to Rs. 5.75 crores. If it has collected Rs. 4 crores on Thursday, it means it’ll collect Rs. 17.25 crores in 3 days. At this rate, it seems nearly impossible to even cross the Rs. 50 crores mark.

What’s unfortunate is that Thank God and Ram Setu are collecting such numbers during festival time. It was released at a great time and had the advantage of a six-day weekend. The trade and industry are wondering if the collections are poor in the holiday time, how will the film fare on the weekdays.

 

Ram Setu rests on a very interesting idea. The expedition carried out by the lead character underwater makes for a great watch and is quite novel. The finale is arresting (more on that later). Sadly, the film is too silly and logic takes a backseat at several places. The VFX is of poor quality. The action is not exciting at all. Thankfully, the film ends on a super-rocking note. I literally had goosebumps and the last scene saves the film. Its rare that how just one minute scene can save a film. Talking of performances, Akshay Kumar is dependable as always. Jacqueline Fernandez is decent. Nushrratt Bharuccha does fine but is wasted. Satya Dev is the surprise of the film. Pravessh Rana and Jennifer Piccinato leave a mark. All in all, Ram Setu is a timepass film and worth watching once due to the concept, climax and Akshay Kumar's presence.

My rating - *** ½ out of 5!

WILL THE HOLLYWOOD RELEASE AND THE TWO BIG BOLLYWOOD RELEASES MANAGE TO LIGHTEN UP THE BOX OFFICE THIS DIWALI?

This year, the Diwali period will be unusual, from the box office point of view. The festival falls on Monday, October 24. And as per the trend noticed for 9 years, filmmakers shy away from releasing their films on the day of Diwali since people are busy with the Pooja and don’t venture to cinemas. The post-Diwali day usually is when a section of people celebrate the New Year followed by Bhaidooj day. However, this year, the New Year falls on Wednesday, October 26 and Bhaidooj on Thursday, October 27. There’s no holiday on Tuesday, October 25 but many will be taking offs. And this is the day when the Bollywood Diwali releases – Ram Setu and Thank God – will be released on the big screen. The timing is right since October 25, October 26 and October 27 can be counted as holidays. October 28 is a Friday which is a weekend. Hence, from Tuesday, October 25 to Sunday, October 30, it’s like a six-day weekend and possibly the best period for a Hindi film this year.

Ram Setu is the biggest film this week and it stars Akshay Kumar, Nushrratt Bharuccha and Jacqueline Fernandez. It is directed by Abhishek Sharma of Parmanu and Tere Bin Laden fame and as the name suggests, it deals with the iconic bridge that was built by Lord Ram to cross into Lanka. Ram Setu is an action thriller. The genre coupled with the mythology angle can make for a fine watch. Also, it has been mounted on a huge scale and we haven’t had a film of this sort in a long time.

However, the hype is limited. The makers have also not gone all-out. The trailer was released just two weeks before the release. The first day collections might be in the range of Rs. 15 crores. But knowing how the box office is nowadays and how Akshay’s recent films opened, an opening of Rs. 10 crores should be expected. If the word of mouth is positive, it can jump big time on Wednesday, after which, the sky is the limit for the film.
 
Thank God stars Sidharth Malhotra and Rakul Preet Singh, with Ajay Devgn in a supporting role. Directed by Indra Kumar, it is about a man struggling between life and death and how he gets some invaluable lessons. The film promises to impart important teachings in life but at the same time, it promises to be a complete family entertainer. Unlike Ram Setu, the promotions started very early, in the first week of September. The Hindi version of the song 'Manike Mage Hithe' features in the film and like the original, it is sung by Yohani. Sidharth Malhotra appears in the track along with Nora Fatehi, and it has grabbed eyeballs.

However, the trailer and concept of the film have received a mixed response. Some found the jokes and VFX tacky. It is believed that the elite, urban crowd have not taken too well to what the film has to offer. As a result, it will have to rely on the single-screens and B and C centres to score. What goes in favour of Thank God is that it looks like a clean film and such movies work big time in Gujarat, especially during Diwali. It can take an opening between Rs. 7 and 10 crores. Some industry insiders are predicting that it can even open better than Ram Setu. Although it looks like a long shot, it’s not impossible either.

Lastly, Warner Bros released its Hollywood Diwali dhamaka today, October 20. Titled Black Adam, it belongs to the DC Universe and stars Dwayne Johnson. The excitement was there for the film and as a result, it has taken a fine opening. Most shows in IMAX and 4DX versions have been sold out or are 60-80% full, which is a great result. The day 1 figure is expected to be in the range of Rs. 5-7 crores. It’s a good first day number but from hereon, the film faces a struggle as, during the weekend, viewers will stay away due to Diwali preparations and also because there’s the India vs Pakistan match on Sunday, October 23. If the word of mouth was positive, it would have had a chance to excel from Tuesday onwards.

Unfortunately, the word of mouth is quite mixed. Nevertheless, the wide release, a good first day opening and zero competition till Tuesday will mean that the film will put up a respectable number and despite the release of Thank God and Ram Setu, it’ll get shows in the multiplexes. A lifetime collection of Rs. 40-45 crores will be apt, considering the reports.

Cape of Good Films, a logo sitting quietly on the poster of many successful films, actually has a lot to boast about with the success that the production house has seen over the last few years. Founded in 2009, this boutique content house started working its way up to making films that are meaningful, yet commercial in nature.

The company’s partner, Rana Rakesh Bali, says, “Every story can be told through the medium of cinema, provided it is treated sensitively, keeping in mind the audiences you are making the film for. No one comes to the theatre, paying their hard-earned money to be taught a lesson. If you want to say something serious, say it in a way that educates them while still making them smile. That is the mantra Cape is run by.”

In the last six years, through its associations with massive hits — from Airlift (2016), Toilet: Ek Prem Katha (2017) and Mission Mangal (2019) to National Award-winning and critically acclaimed films such as Rustom (2016), Pad Man (2018), Chumbak (2017), and commercial grossers such as Kesari, Good Newwz (both 2019), and 2021’s biggest hit Sooryavanshi — Cape of Good Films has had it all.

Path-breaking films by Cape also include Naam Shabana (2017) and Durgamati: The Myth (2020), which were headlined by strong female protagonists. Its films, such as Laxmii (2020) and the recently released Atrangi Re (2021), are breaking new records for the highest viewership on OTT platforms too. The content of these diverse films by the content house spans genres like no other. Their foray into producing music videos also struck a chord with Filhall and Filhall 2 shattering records.

What stands out about Cape is that there is no face to it. “It is just a team trying to make what they believe in and want to keep it such. The feeling emanates from the fact that the films that we make are larger than an individual and an entity, and should be preserved that way,” Bali shares.

The content house now looks forward to dishing out sought after films such as Raksha Bandhan, Ram Setu and OMG 2. It enters 2022 with a firm belief in backing and making content that breaks stereotypes, challenges notions, and makes the audience fall more in love with what they have always loved — movies!

Nushrratt Bharuccha is thrilled with the appreciation that’s come her way for her portrayal of a pregnant woman in the recently released horror film Chhorii. The actress has previously essayed glamourous roles in the Pyaar Ka Punchnama franchise and Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety, and entertained the audience in movies like Dream Girl and Chhalaang. With Chorrii, she proved her mettle as a performer. In a conversation with BT, Nushrratt talks about her growth as an actor, pushing her boundaries with Chhorii and making brave career choices. Excerpts:

I can’t tell you if I expected anything in particular from Chhorii because it is such a layered film. People didn’t know that it’s not just a horror flick, as eventually, it turns into an emotional subject (with a social message).

I could not predict what the audience would feel. I could only hope that they are able to understand the message beyond the supernatural things they see in the film. The reality that we show in the film about what human beings are capable of doing to other human beings is scarier than a supernatural or a paranormal presence. People have come back with responses that indicate that they were deeply moved and impacted by its message apart from being scared. I am happy that it has hit the right chord.

It was an extremely challenging role because I didn’t know what it was like to be pregnant. I didn’t know what it is to have maternal instincts. I did a lot of research and homework to play a heavily pregnant woman because if people could not connect to the character and believe that she is eight months pregnant, the film would fall flat. I live off this nervous energy. If I am not constantly nervous and questioning myself, then I will never actually find out whether I am going wrong. The biggest takeaway has been that I have learnt to surrender myself completely to a director, a story and a character. After 28 days of the uninterrupted shoot in the sugarcane fields, I had forgotten that I was Nushrratt. It took me two months to get back to my routine life once I was home. The scenes in the film where you see me cry on screen were too heavy for me, and I was actually crying while filming them. As Sakshi, I had grasped all the emotions and let it take over me. Also, it takes me a while to get these characters out of my system after the film’s shoot. It took me two months to let go of Sakshi. When you take on such characters, you have these emotional triggers, and if you don’t start cutting them out of your system, then they can crop up anytime, which is not good for an actor’s mental health.

The fact that I have had people calling me and telling me that with Chhorii, I made them cry touched me. So far, through my films, I have only made my audience laugh or made them hate me or entertained them. But this time around, people told me that as Sakshi, I took them on an emotional journey that made me feel proud. People have told me that we did not expect to cry while watching this film, but you made us cry. This has been the biggest compliment for me.

I have always been somebody who wants to take up challenging roles. Not that I have always been confident. I have pretty much second guessed myself on an everyday basis. I haven’t been to an acting school or learnt to act formally. The only thing I have fallen back upon is my learning-on-the-job mantra. It is through workshops and narrations I learn about my character. There is a certain joy in discovering your character on the go. Just like Chhorii, every film and character of mine has given me a certain confidence to take up something interesting in the future. The next film that I am going to announce will leave everyone surprised. Today, I am in such a phase of my career that it is not about me choosing something, but things are just happening to me. I feel the universe is coming together and is turning my thoughts into reality. Among my forthcoming projects, I am a part of a film that has a social message attached to it, while another film is completely out-of-the-box. I am doing a massy entertainer like Janhit Mein Jaari and then there is Ram Setu, which I am proud to be a part of.