Double Dhamaka

Says trade analyst Amod Mehra,Traditionally Diwali is the best time for releases. People are in a festive mood and spend generously,which is why any film that releases now gets a good opening. In the past,films like Garam Masala have benefitted and done well despite mediocre content. Even All The Best was not a good film but it did well in Mumbai,thanks to the festive mood. He,however,points out that the movies released during this season have to be light-hearted entertainers. Emotional and depressing films like Kyun Ki,Shool and Naach all Diwali releases dont do well.

r fun flicks or feel-good films during the festival of lights. The other option is actioners like Ghajini or Dabangg. However,producer Ramesh Taurani of Tips is of the view that the genre is immaterial. The film has to be good. Earlier,movies like Baazigar and Raja Hindustani that released in Diwali were blockbusters, he points out. He also concedes that comedies are safe bets during the festive period.

Between brand Golmaal and the retro Action Replayy,Mehra feels that though Akshay Kumar has an edge over Ajay Devgn in terms of stardom,Golmaal has a brand value and both will get a good opening. Mirani,on the other hand,goes with Golmaal 3 because of its brand equity. Multiplexes,which opened advance bookings from last Sunday,have found that theres a demand for both films. The numbers are not very large and will be clear as the week progresses,but we are expecting a good opening for both the movies, says Sunil Punjabi,CEO,Cinemax. This year is special for the industry because it is not about which movie will do well,but which film will be watched first, points out Ashish Saksena,CEO,Big Cinemas. Though two films or more releasing in the Diwali weekend is not new,its the first time that two comedies are hitting the theatres simultaneously. Whats heartening for the industry is that both are eliciting a good response. In the past we have seen only one film taking off,like it happened when Don raced ahead of Jaan-E-Mann and Kyun Ki8230; despite a good starcast with Salman Khan and Kareena Kapoor,lost to Garam Masala. Blue took a good opening because of Akshay Kumar and the buzz around it but eventually it was All The Best that sustained, informs Saksena.

Rohit Shetty,who has made Diwali his own with Golmaal Returns and All The Best,that released in consecutive years,is confident that Golmaal 3 will be the biggest among the three. We are getting a good response in advance bookings, he informs. As for competition from Action Replayy,Rohit likes the song Zor ka jhatka and is hopeful of both the films doing well. But the Golmaal brand definitely has an edge, he contends. Vipul Shah,who is having a Diwali release for the first time in Action Replayy,had planned it as one. I had made this film specially for Diwali. It had to be light-hearted and different. In fact,composer Pritam who scores both films was specifically told that since its a Diwali release it should have chartbursting music. The strategy has paid off at least as far as the opening is concerned. Now,whether this blast to the past will sustain or brand Golmaal will race ahead remains to be seen.

chaya.unnikrishnanexpressindia.com