Spell bound?

“Actual publicity of the film will happen after the film releases. The Potter fans will be back in the theatre,” says Devang Sampat,Vice-president of Cinemax India. The Warner Bros officials in India,maker of The Half-Blood Prince,however,refused to comment on the lack of pre-release hype.

The missing buzz obviously won’t deter the hardcore Potter fans from watching the film. “I’m waiting to watch Daniel Radcliffe as Harry date Ginny Weasley (Bonnie Wright) while Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley) kiss Emma Watson (Hermione Granger),” says Prerna Mehra,a media professional. Despite the budding romance,the sixth film in the Potter series,directed by David Yates,promises to be darker than previous ones. The Death Eaters threaten Hogwarts,Lord Voldemort’s past is revealed and Albus Dumbledore dies to protect Harry,who gets ready for the final showdown.

Stylist Niharika Khan says,“I will definitely watch the film because it is entertainment even for my kids. But I am disappointed because the series will be ending after two more movies. All of us need to believe in some kind of magic. But the magic will fade after this movie. Harry Potter will no longer be the innocent kid he used to be. He is all grown up. All these elements make you feel sad.”

Avinash Pereira,who has religiously read all the books in the series as well as seen the films,has a possible explanation for the missing publicity blitzkrieg. “So far,the Potter fans have been disappointed in the movies. Since the book series has ended,the followers probably feel there isn’t much to look forward to in the world of Harry Potter anyway.”

The theatre outings of earlier Potter films were usually planned during the Christmas and New Year’s Eve season to cash in on the festive mood. But the earlier release date of the 153-minute-long The Half-Blood Prince was postponed by nearly seven months from November 21,2008.

For the Potter followers,however,the magical experience is better late than never.