Showing posts with label Thai Massage. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Thai Massage. Show all posts
As an actor, the box office collection does not interest me-Divyenndu
8:05 AM
Syeda Eba Fatima (HINDUSTAN TIMES; December 20, 2022)
Actor Divyenndu’s film Thai Massage, which hit the theatres in November, saw a short theatre runtime and is already eyeing an OTT release. The film, about a 70-year-old man who suffers from erectile dysfunction, failed to work magic at the box office. Divyenndu feels the film’s success will be marked after its OTT release, and that will depend on the number of people who will watch it.
“From what I know, the film was a limited release. It will eventually come out on OTT and more people will be able to watch it in the comfort of their homes. So, for me, the actual success would be decided after it comes out online and then how many people watch it. The film’s views on OTT will give accurate data as to whether the audience have liked it or not,” he reasons.
Divyenndu wants his work to reach a wider audience, and he has no qualms admitting that OTT is the best way out to achieve this. “I do not want my producers to suffer loses, but as an actor, the box office collection does not interest me. I am concerned about more and more people watching my movie — be it in theatres or on OTT platforms. And that’s why I am glad that most [projects] have started choosing this method of limited release, followed by OTT release,” elaborates the actor.
Films releasing on streamers has resulted in another positive change, Divyenndu points out. “The success of your film or show is now decided by its shelf life, and OTT has increased that,” he says and goes on to cite example of his debut film, Pyaar Ka Punchnama (2011). “[It] wasn’t one of those films with a big first-day opening. Our Monday was better than our Friday... our Tuesday was better than our Sunday. The film eventually grew, and more and more people started watching it. With OTT, this has become a very common phenomenon now,” he says.
The actor is glad that web releases gives viewers a wider window of time to watch a show or film as per their convenience. “Hence, it’s no more the game of first day or first weekend. In fact, these were all marketing tools — as in, ‘Arrey hamaari film ne itna paisa kamaaya hai first day par.’ But right now, it’s more based on merit,” concludes the actor, who strongly believes in the coexistence of theatres and streaming platforms.
Fenil's Bollywood Talk # 751
10:47 AM
MARVEL FILM AND AMITABH BACHCHAN-STARRER TO DOMINATE BOX OFFICE THIS WEEK
As expected, the three releases of last week – Phone Bhoot, Mili and Double XL – failed at the box office. Now, all eyes are on the next three weeks of November as it is expected that the collections will improve since some very promising films are up for release. Here’s an analysis of the films releasing tomorrow, that is, November 11.
BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER: It is a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which has a huge following all over the world, including in India. There’s a curiosity to see the film as the one who played Black Panther till now, Chadwick Boseman, is no more and the film is going to play on this factor. This is the second Black Panther film; the first part was released in 2018 and opened at just Rs. 5.25 crores. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, however, can open in the range of Rs. 10-14 crores. If the word of mouth is positive, it can grow over the weekend and then sustain on the weekdays. However, if India reaches the T20 World Cup final, the Sunday collections will be affected though it might also mean that on Saturday, the collections will be better as viewers will watch the film on the second day instead of the third.
A double digit opening will be good news for the industry since films nowadays are struggling to open well. For the Marvel brand, however, this can be a little worrying since the first-day collections are dropping with each film. Spider-Man: No Way Home opened at a huge Rs. 32.75 crores. The next film, Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness, also had a great opening at Rs. 28 crores. The last Marvel film, Thor: Love And Thunder, opened at Rs. 18.25 crores. And now Black Panther will open at less than Rs. 15 crores, as per the estimates. One might reason that Black Panther is not that popular among moviegoers and hence, it’ll take such an opening. But then, even Doctor Strange wasn’t that popular ever but it got the goodwill of Spider-Man’s super-success. Nevertheless, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever makers don’t have much to worry about, especially since the reports from the West are very positive.
UUNCHAI: It is directed by blockbuster director Sooraj Barjatya, who’s known for making films about families. This time, however, he has made a film which celebrates friendship. It stars Amitabh Bachchan, Parineeti Chopra, Anupam Kher, Boman Irani and Danny Denzongpa along with Neena Gupta and Sarika. The trailers and songs have generated minimal hype. The makers have gone for a very tight release, in less than 500 screens, and are hoping to increase prints once the demand rises. It’ll open in the range of Rs. 1-2 crores.
ROCKET GANG: It marks the directorial debut of choreographer Bosco Martis. It stars Aditya Seal and Nikita Dutta and is a unique horror-comedy-dance film. However, the hype is negligible and it’ll have a poor opening.
THAI MASSAGE: It stars Gajraj Rao and Divyenndu and is produced by Imtiaz Ali. Again, the awareness is low and it seems that the makers have shown too much in the trailers. Just like Rocket Gang, Thai Massage will also have an opening of less than Rs. 30 lakhs.
YASHODA: It stars Samantha and is originally a Tamil film. The dubbed Hindi version will get a limited release. Many are not even aware of this film. But the trailer is promising and if the word of mouth is positive, it can surprise like many South films have this year.
As expected, the three releases of last week – Phone Bhoot, Mili and Double XL – failed at the box office. Now, all eyes are on the next three weeks of November as it is expected that the collections will improve since some very promising films are up for release. Here’s an analysis of the films releasing tomorrow, that is, November 11.
BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER: It is a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which has a huge following all over the world, including in India. There’s a curiosity to see the film as the one who played Black Panther till now, Chadwick Boseman, is no more and the film is going to play on this factor. This is the second Black Panther film; the first part was released in 2018 and opened at just Rs. 5.25 crores. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, however, can open in the range of Rs. 10-14 crores. If the word of mouth is positive, it can grow over the weekend and then sustain on the weekdays. However, if India reaches the T20 World Cup final, the Sunday collections will be affected though it might also mean that on Saturday, the collections will be better as viewers will watch the film on the second day instead of the third.
A double digit opening will be good news for the industry since films nowadays are struggling to open well. For the Marvel brand, however, this can be a little worrying since the first-day collections are dropping with each film. Spider-Man: No Way Home opened at a huge Rs. 32.75 crores. The next film, Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness, also had a great opening at Rs. 28 crores. The last Marvel film, Thor: Love And Thunder, opened at Rs. 18.25 crores. And now Black Panther will open at less than Rs. 15 crores, as per the estimates. One might reason that Black Panther is not that popular among moviegoers and hence, it’ll take such an opening. But then, even Doctor Strange wasn’t that popular ever but it got the goodwill of Spider-Man’s super-success. Nevertheless, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever makers don’t have much to worry about, especially since the reports from the West are very positive.
UUNCHAI: It is directed by blockbuster director Sooraj Barjatya, who’s known for making films about families. This time, however, he has made a film which celebrates friendship. It stars Amitabh Bachchan, Parineeti Chopra, Anupam Kher, Boman Irani and Danny Denzongpa along with Neena Gupta and Sarika. The trailers and songs have generated minimal hype. The makers have gone for a very tight release, in less than 500 screens, and are hoping to increase prints once the demand rises. It’ll open in the range of Rs. 1-2 crores.
ROCKET GANG: It marks the directorial debut of choreographer Bosco Martis. It stars Aditya Seal and Nikita Dutta and is a unique horror-comedy-dance film. However, the hype is negligible and it’ll have a poor opening.
THAI MASSAGE: It stars Gajraj Rao and Divyenndu and is produced by Imtiaz Ali. Again, the awareness is low and it seems that the makers have shown too much in the trailers. Just like Rocket Gang, Thai Massage will also have an opening of less than Rs. 30 lakhs.
YASHODA: It stars Samantha and is originally a Tamil film. The dubbed Hindi version will get a limited release. Many are not even aware of this film. But the trailer is promising and if the word of mouth is positive, it can surprise like many South films have this year.
Even though Ayushmann Khurrana is younger than me, his choices inspire me-Gajraj Rao
8:14 AM
Even as he refutes talk that erectile dysfunction drama Thai Massage is similar to Khurrana’s Shubh Mangal Saavdhan, Gajraj applauds actor’s selection of scripts
Hiren Kotwani (MID-DAY; November 9, 2022)
The past few years have marked a turnaround for Gajraj Rao, as he was a part of fascinating offerings, including Badhaai Ho (2018) and Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan (2020). In his upcoming movie Thai Massage, the senior actor plays 70-year-old Atmaram Dubey, who suffers from erectile dysfunction. The theme might be strikingly similar to that of Ayushmann Khurrana-led Shubh Mangal Saavdhan (2017), but Rao insists the commonalities end there.
“Atmaram has led most of his life for others. There comes a time when he feels lonely and [wants to explore his] desires,” he says. The story follows the protagonist as he shares his dilemma with Santulan Kumar, essayed by Divyenndu.
Handling the delicate subject is no cakewalk. The senior actor says director Mangesh Hadawale’s sensitivity shines through in the film’s treatment. “If you’ve seen Mangesh’s Marathi film, Tingya (2008), you will know his sensibilities are right. There is nothing cheap in our narrative.”
The Imtiaz Ali-produced film will lock horns with Amitabh Bachchan, Anupam Kher, Boman Irani and Neena Gupta-starrer Uunchai. Interestingly, both films focus on the joys and sorrows of old age. “I hope the audiences appreciate both films,” smiles Rao.
It’s evident that he is enjoying the current phase, picking and choosing from the novel stories that are being told. In some ways, he says that Badhaai Ho co-star Khurrana’s choices influence him.
“Ayushmann could have it easy, opting for the routine commercial fare. But he takes risks with newer subjects, knowing that perhaps four or five out of the 10 films may not achieve commercial success. Even though he is younger than me, his choices inspire me.”
Gajraj Rao says Thai Massage addresses a serious issue faced by 20-30% of world population
8:27 AM
Syeda Eba Fatima (HINDUSTAN TIMES; November 8, 2022)
Through his films, actor Gajraj Rao has been addressing some delicate, but significant topics. And this time, it is erectile dysfunction in filmmaker Imtiaz Ali’s upcoming film, Thai Massage. While many appreciate the actor’s script choices, Rao reveals that he’s often been asked to rethink. “Some people said, ‘Kyun bana rahe ho yeh sab [films], kahan hota hai aisa?’ But I feel happy to see how there’s acceptance from the larger section of the audience,” he says.
He adds that audiences now accept offbeat subjects. “They may not always relate to what’s shown in a film, or approve of a subject, but are still giving us the space to experiment. They are treating it like a story that needs to be told,” Rao says.
The 51-year-old highlights how this Mangesh Hadawale directorial is neither preachy, nor slapstick while addressing the serious issue that “nearly 20% to 30% of the world population is facing”.
The actor says, “I found out that at least 20 to 30-crore Indians are dealing with it, which is a huge number. Making the situation worse are the misconceptions around it, which have never been cleared due to the lack of discourse around the subject. That’s why it was important to address this issue. And we have done it in a light-hearted way,” says the Badhaai Ho (2018) actor.
Rao points out that erectile dysfunction is just one aspect of the film. It also deals with old age loneliness. “When I read the script, the most interesting part was that it’s the story of a lonely 70-year-old who has made sacrifices all his life and is now looking for companionship,” he ends.
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