Why Oppenheimer and Barbie won’t overshadow Alia Bhatt-Ranveer Singh’s Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani

Film exhibitor Akshaye Rathi believes that the demand for Oppenheimer and Barbie exists only in the top eight cities of the country. So, the family drama won’t struggle for screens or shows. He explained, “Barbie and Oppenheimer are doing phenomenally well, but they are predominantly urban phenomena. They are doing well in the top eight cities of India primarily. These top 8 cities have an abundant number of screens and shows, so they can carry as many shows as you want. When you go beyond these top eight cities, the tier 2 towns like Lucknow, Jaipur, Nagpur, and a whole lot of others, it is a Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani show all the way. They will have no issues around screens and shows.”

Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani is a romantic drama where the lovers, Rocky and Rani, decide to ‘switch’ their houses and live with each other’s families to understand if they are compatible with them or not. Shabana Azmi, Dharmendra and Jaya Bachchan star in pivotal roles.

It is after seven years that Karan Johar has taken the director’s chair. His last directed film was Ae Dil Hai Mushkil (2016), which couldn’t do the desired business at the ticket counters. However, the filmmaker has delivered with his other films including, Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, Student of the Year, and Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, and has won the confidence of the distribution and exhibition sector.

Rathi said, “We have a certain kind of filmmakers that we bank on to deliver the big movies, and Karan Johar is undoubtedly one of them. He is a domestic filmmaker and a super successful one at that, so I have no doubt that the entire exhibition sector will carry this film on its shoulders and do what it takes to celebrate it and take it for a victory lap. In Karan Johar — the director, we trust.”

Girish Johar has predicted a double-digit opening for Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani. “I would peg the film in the range of Rs 10 crore plus, which would amplify over the weekend.” Rathi opined that the film will work because it is “pure simple escapism” and “escapism is palatable to the widest spectrum of the social strata in India.”

Beyond Karan, the success of the movie is of prime importance to Ranveer Singh. He hasn’t been able to deliver a hit after Gully Boy (2019) and has left his fans underwhelmed with his last three films (83, Jayeshbhai Jordaar, and Cirkus). Taran Adarsh agrees that this Friday is “crucial” for Ranveer but he also feels, “One Friday changes everything.”

Ranveer Singh has delivered three flops in a row. (Photo: Dharma Productions/YouTube)

Reflecting upon where the actor went wrong in the past, Adarsh said, “I was very critical about Ranveer Singh showing up every now and then during Cirkus. He even did that photoshoot (the nude photoshoot for a magazine that went viral) at the time when the producer was promoting Cirkus. It was not even highlighting the film, it was something he had done for a magazine.

“Overexposure of any kind, being seen here and there every second day, is not good. Stars are meant to be seen on the big screen. Roz roz toh biryani bhi achi nahi lagti. (Even biryani doesn’t taste great everyday).”

However, he believes Ranveer too realised where he went wrong and has improved. As a performer, Adarsh has no second thoughts about the actor’s capabilities as he added, “Ranveer has delivered in the past, be it Gully Boy, Simmba or Sanjay Leela Bhansali films, he has delivered both in terms of performance and numbers. So, it’s a phase which comes in every actor’s life.”

The advance booking of Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani opened on Monday and by Tuesday it sold 16,740 tickets in national chains, reported Box Office Worldwide. The report stated that the film will sell around 80,000-90,000 tickets by Thursday in the national chains. Another major factor that needs to be taken into consideration is the ticket prices, which went through the roof for Oppenheimer and Barbie. Film exhibitor Akshaye Rathi stated, “It (tickets of Rocky Aur Rani) has been priced moderately, in a manner, where it is not prohibitive to the widest possible audience to come and watch the film. So, there are no inflated prices that you will see. The idea is to make it accessible financially.”

Explaining how the price of a movie ticket is decided, Rathi added, “Ticket prices are based purely on the law of demand and supply. If there is solid traction among the moviegoers for a film, the ticket process will be slightly higher, if that’s not the case, ticket prices should be lower. It is not about which film is coming before you or with you, what part of the year it is. Nothing. It’s always the law of demand and supply. You gauge the traction among moviegoers and basis that you price it in a manner where the maximum number of interested people would be able to watch it.”

Now, if Karan Johar, along with Alia and Ranveer, will give cinephiles a ‘paisa-vasool’ entertainer with Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani will be known soon.