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Audiences showed up for Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor’s Brahmastra, giving a besieged Bollywood some hope. The question now is whether they will vote again with their feet for Hrithik Roshan and Saif Ali Khan’s Vikram Vedha and Mani Ratnam’s Ponniyin Selvan 1 this Friday. Film business experts are confident that this week’s releases will draw good money at the ticket counters, but in their respective markets, Vikram Vedha in the North and Ponniyin Selvan 1 in the South.
What puts Vikram Vedha over Ponniyin Selvan 1 in the northern circuit is its lead actors, Hrithik and Saif, who have a larger mass appeal among the Hindi-speaking audience. Film exhibitor Akshaye Rathi noted, “Hrithik is the last true-blue superstar that we have had in the Hindi film fraternity. There is a feasible audience that comes to the cinemas only because Hrithik’s face is on the poster. That doesn’t happen to the younger actors who came after him. His presence in the film and his coming to the silver screen straight after War, which was almost four years ago, is certainly something most people are excited by.”
If things pan out the way the film trade experts are expecting them to, we’re looking at a Rs 15 crore opening for Vikram Vedha. But film producer and trade expert Girish Johar believes this number could have very easily been Rs 20 crore had the makers chalked out a better marketing strategy. He said, “I thought the promotions of Vikram Vedha will be firing on all cylinders but the marketing push is a tad below expectation. Advance bookings are a little on the above-average side, but nothing extraordinary.” However, he is ‘optimistic’ about a good opening day collection for the film.
In comparison to Vikram Vedha, Ponniyin Selvan 1 doesn’t have as much buzz in the North though it is looking at a ‘historic’ opening down South. Akshaye Rathi reasoned that the film doesn’t interest people in the North because “It is a historic piece of Tamil literature. It’s a story that every kid in Tamil Nadu knows.”
He said that Ponniyin Selvan is one of the iconic works of Tamil literature. But, in his opinion, “both the films should really work well to bring a cheer to the movie industry”. As per Girish Johar, Ponniyin Selvan 1 might open at around Rs 2 crore in the Hindi-speaking states.
One factor that will contribute towards both, Vikram Vedha and Ponniyin Selvan 1 minting money is the slashed ticket prices, courtesy houseful shows during the National Cinema Day celebration. Movie tickets were priced at Rs 75 across the cinema chains to celebrate National Cinema Day. Rathi said, “The pricing at cinema halls is not what it was for National Cinema Day, but it has been kept very reasonable to make it accessible to the widest possible audience. These are the factors that will allow Vikram Vedha and Ponniyin Selvan 1 to do extremely well.”
Girish Johar added, “After the National Cinema Day celebration, ticket prices have been lowered by 10-15%. I believe that has given exhibitors a certain sense that you can’t charge higher, and you need to be realistic on the ground.” Now, after Brahmastra’s success, this weekend’s box office result will give a clearer picture of the mood of the country’s movie-goers.
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