Business escalates slightly at multiplexes

However,the business witnessed a spurt this weekend as compared to the previous weekend [RIGHT YAAA WRONG,HIDE & SEEK,NA GHAR KE NA GHAAT KE. LOVE SEX AUR DHOKHA managed to attract footfalls at big city plexes,while SHAAPIT managed brisk sales at single screens of some circuits. Of course,the business wasn’t optimum,but not as bad as one expected it to be. LAHORE hasn’t worked,despite tremendous critical acclaim and a superb promotional campaign.

If one compares the hits-n-flop ratio of this quarter with the first quarter of 2009,the ratio of flops has only escalated this quarter. Of course,there’s one more week to go and the new releases [again,multiple films this Friday could salvage the situation to an extent,but you can’t turn a blind eye to the fact that the losses have been enormous this quarter.

Ironically,that hasn’t deterred film-makers from trying out newer stories. More and more projects are being planned,most of them by independent production houses,without the support of the studios. The studios too should bounce back with renewed vigour in the coming months. But,of course,the phase of unrealistic prices is over and done with. People are talking realistically these days [at least most of them and I foresee,the finances getting controlled in the coming months.

Back to the new releases. LOVE SEX AUR DHOKHA might end at Rs. 6 cr. nett in its Week 1,while SHAAPIT will have to rely on single screens to recover its costs. Multiplexes are ruled out,since its business at plexes has been extremely poor. Here’s hoping that the forthcoming week turns out better,in terms of box-office earnings.