Cricket fever hits films

Already there is a scramble for Fridays,as leftover films from last year have spilled into this year. While big movies tend to play it safe and stay away during the cricket season,the smaller ones use the window to make it to the theatres.

A day before the Cricket World Cup on February 19 when India battles Bangladesh,Vishal Bhardwajs 7 Khoon Maaf releases starring Priyanka Chopra as the protagonist.

Siddharth Roy Kapoor,CEO,UTV Motion Pictures,which is co-producing the film says,We are confident of the content. Also,no big films will be coming during the World Cup and since 7 Khoon Maaf is releasing at the start of the World Cup,we are sure that even if it doesn’t do well in the opening weekend it will pick up during the week.

The highly unusual romance will be quickly followed by Aanand L Rai’s romcom Tanu Weds Manu,on February 25. Says Anand,the director of the film. These weeks are just the beginning of the World Cup. I am a die hard cricket fan myself,but after IPL,I don’t have the patience for 50 overs. A good film will tide over the cricket fever.

March is looking bleak as the World Cup warms up,and Onirs I AM that was scheduled to release on March 4 has been pushed to April 15. Its also likely that Jagmohan Mundhras Govinda starrer Naughty 40 will also be pushed to April 8. I felt it is not a great time to release a film. After all,the World Cup comes every four years, said Onir,while Mundhra says that though his producer feels that March 18 is good as it is a Holi weekend,he thinks that the World Cup is too strong and the film should not release in March.

Theatre owners too are strategising and thinking of the best possible ways to keep the tickets selling. Says Suneil Punjabi CEO,Cinemax India. March onwards we are thinking of having regional film festivals in our theatres,in some states like Maharashtra and Bengal. Negotiations to screen the matches are also underway, added Punjabi.

Ashish Saxena,COO,Big Cinemas is also hopeful of finalising the negotiations of screening the matches in his theatres. We are waiting to telecast the matches. Meanwhile we are looking at small films and Hollywood releases.

The gap between the two big cricketing events April 2 to April 15 is being eyed by several filmmakers. Excel Entertainment’s Game,Vashu Bhagnani’s Faltu and Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra’s Teen Thay Bhai are all slated to release on April 1,while Anees Bazmi’s Thank You could be releasing on April 8. Says Ritesh Sidhwani. Since there will be no big films in theatres during World Cup and then during IPL for six weeks,people will be looking forward to watch a film in that gap.

Vikram Bhatt,who is releasing Haunted,India’s first 3-D horror film on April 15,says. A good film will always get an audience. Having said that,it is an extremely competitive market. So once the cricket fever gets over there will be a deluge of big films.’

Hema Malini is in two minds whether she wants to release her home production Tell Me O Khuda starring Esha Deol on April 15 as she wants to wait and watch. Most probably I will release it after the IPL,but I have not decided as yet, she said.

Says Rohan Sippy whose Dum Maro Dum releases April 22. A huge chunk has been blocked by cricket,but April 22 comes after the examinations get over. And anyway we are very far from the knockout rounds. We should have a good run, says Sippy. As they say in cricketing parlance,the ball is in their court.

geety.sahgalexpressindia.com