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She came, she danced and she returned.
That’s right. Madhuri Dixit has gone back to her family in Denver, the United States, after her comeback vehicle Aaja Nachle released over the weekend.
Though Madhuri’s acting was brilliant, there were not many takers for the movie.
Some multiplexes recorded 30 percent ticket sales while the scene in single-screen theatres was even more discouraging.
And this despite no other major competition. The only other release last week was the low budget film Gauri.
“Madhuri danced and acted well but she chose a wrong script,” said trade analyst Komal Nahta. “The film was anti-modernisation and therefore did not click.”
Comparing the film to John Mathan Matthew’s movie starring Ajay Devgan and Shahid Kapoor , Nahta said, “Aaja Nachle was on the lines of Shikhar and therefore it did not appeal to masses. The content was poor.”
Adding to Aaja Nachle’s woes was the controversy over the lyrics of a song. UP Chief Minister Mayawati, while banning the film, termed the lyrics of the title track as casteist. Punjab and Haryana followed suit, but soon revoked the ban following producers Yash Raj Films’ apology and the deleting of the objectionable words.
Though the ban did not amount to huge losses, the damage is already done.
“The theme of saving a dancing school was not good enough. Except for Madhuri, the film had nothing to woo the audience,” said trade analyst Vinod Mirani.
“Moreover, to the new generation of cinegoers, Madhuri’s name does not mean anything so all the talk of a comeback did not make much sense. There was curiosity among the people for Madhuri but when they saw the promos and got to hear about the script, the curiosity was killed,” Mirani added.
Aaja Nachle was not produced at a very high cost, and the only star attraction was Madhuri. The producers, hence, are not likely to suffer heavy losses. One analyst, on condition of anonymity, pegged the “maximum loss” at “Rs 5 crores (Rs 50 million) and not more than that.”
But it is a big setback for the country’s biggest banner, as Aaja Nachle is its fourth flop of the year, after Ta Ra Rum Pum, Jhoom Bara Bar Jhoom and Laaga Chunari Mein Daag.
The only film that did well for Yash Raj this year was the Shah Rukh Khan starrer Chak De! India.
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Housefull ATTBB,
BOI claimed 43 cr for SIK and 45 cr for RNBDJ..Then they cgnaged it to 39 cr for SIK ...
Agreed that Akki movies have been below par stuff since some time but Karan should also first make better movies.
As ...
stop joking ihab.BOI said 43.77 crores for sik and 42 crores for rnbdj.Then they changed all the numbers.This was discussed ...
This year Akshay will give a reply to his distractors. While Karan's friends have started deserting his camp (Read Farha ...
Ihab
its ok.i did not find lakshya engaging enough.i liked it in parts.It was too slow and boring in second half. 
" Ihab,since you like Hrithik, would you like to elaborate on you watching Krrish 16 times in Theatres . "
Lol, ...
From being most common bird to their total disappearance from cities within a very short span of time (last 10-15 ...
what i comment about is my prerogative manoj - whether it disturbs you or not isnt my concern :-) 
Tango 3 December 2007
10:45:42 am
Why was the poor lady expected to carry the movie on her shoulders in the first place?
sandy 3 December 2007
10:51:35 am
Komal Nahata is a moron! Give this film some time yaar.
jayshah 3 December 2007
10:53:43 am
Don’t trust a piece that INSISTS on TRRP being a flop.
beldevere 3 December 2007
10:55:08 am
time- thats the last thing this film has sandy. good wom doesnt work if there is no top actor in a movie unfortunately. for whatever reasons, an actress doesnt cut it in terms of WOM
Elvis 3 December 2007
10:55:47 am
RE:Komal Nahata is a moron
100%.Biggest one,next to Taran.
rks 3 December 2007
10:56:05 am
I liked Shikhar. It could have been better.
ps: I like Jagjit Singh’s rendition of title track.
beldevere 3 December 2007
10:56:59 am
jay – other than ur report – none of the media outlets have trrp as a hit. despite the bias and the integrity/stupidity of media – thats still a little difficult to believe that everyone claims TRRP is a flop
sandy 3 December 2007
10:58:13 am
Exactly, and moreover it’s just Monday, how can one write it off so quickly? It’s got a poor opening, that I accept. Yet I have a strong feeling this film has done good business over the week-end. The show I went for was of course houseful. And this will pick up with word-of-mouth.
I think Jab We Met also picked up only gradually. It’s just that Aaja Nachle is a far bigger film, so the stakes are higher.
jayshah 3 December 2007
11:00:20 am
‘none of the media outlets have trrp as a hit.’
What does BOI/Joginder have here ? I’m pretty sure others have at least called this semi-hits (as in the trade)
beldevere 3 December 2007
11:01:19 am
>>It’s just that Aaja Nachle is a far bigger film,
you think so? bcoz its madhuri and yashraj
i dont think so – i think its similar to jwm or smaller. i cant think of any big hindi film in india without a male lead. even lcmd had ab jr albeit in a small role – similar issues i thought
jayshah 3 December 2007
11:01:58 am
Sandy be rest assured even if the film picks up they’ve made their minds up !
rks 3 December 2007
11:03:10 am
Beld: TRRP occupancy on opening day was bad and people lapped on to it. Since then it has been labeled flopped. But the #s (BOI,IBOS,Jays) suggest; it started slow but remained very stable in its run.
jayshah 3 December 2007
11:06:40 am
I don’t think any film that has grossed 40Cr has been labelled a flop by trade. Its impossible. Heck KANK was a HIT at 46Cr, how can TRRP be a flop at 38-40cr.
The media just go on initial thoughts, and unless something major happens in turn around, they go with this.
And thats a good question. What is the highest grossing film that is actually labelled a flop by BOI/IBOS/Joginder ? I bet it won’t be anything higher than 30Cr !
jayshah 3 December 2007
11:09:39 am
No wonder Saif likes NG. It’s the only site that gives TRRP proper credit all the time. Akshay says each time, so do I, so many others ! I just checked BOI they have TRRP at 37Cr and semi hit. Its just bad reporting this, completely unfair.
Elvis 3 December 2007
11:11:51 am
Re:Its just bad reporting this, completely unfair.
Jay,
You are being too kind to BOI.
Tango 3 December 2007
11:12:40 am
Unfortunately even if Komal says its going to be a hit it won’t bring the audience in.
There should have a been a mainline male actor like say Saif or Abhishek.
Even in her prime barring the Sanjay Kapoor project ( but Indra Kumar was God then) she has never pulled a movie on her own.
beldevere 3 December 2007
11:14:52 am
>>Even in her prime barring the Sanjay Kapoor project ( but Indra Kumar was God then)
lol Tango. that wasnt Sanjay kapoor nor Indra kumar. that was plain dhak dhak pulling people in. damn – if that movie released today – i would still go and see it for mads.
sandy 3 December 2007
11:15:36 am
I’m going to make Jay play dirty here and declare Nach Le a hit!
Beld: that point on heroine-oriented films not really cutting ice at the BO is a valid one. Most top actress add value to a project only when they have a fairly strong male lead opposite them. Sad truth of life!
jayshah 3 December 2007
11:15:45 am
Elvis wasn’t referring to BOI with that comment. In fact I agree with BOI’s classification (throw a party !) on TRRP. Maybe it didn’t do aswell in multiplexes but it scored heavily in smaller centres !
Anyway would say these trade analysts are very quick to jump the gun.
Tango 3 December 2007
11:16:03 am
No Komal or Taran can make or break a movie, it beats me why you all cannot get it.
If that was the case Don and CDI should have been flops ( due to Taran) and Jab We Met ( due to Komal).
Its the audience who decide.
If you sak a casual India movie goer ( even in a metro) 75 % would not even know who Komal or Taran are
Tango 3 December 2007
11:18:20 am
Honestrly Beld I like Madhuri more that Sridevi ( but she was bigger star) and refer to her as the last superstarni but unfortunately its a male dominated Bollywood.
jayshah 3 December 2007
11:18:25 am
‘I’m going to make Jay play dirty here and declare Nach Le a hit!’
You can’t buy me !
beldevere 3 December 2007
11:18:47 am
sandy – dont give up. you got to act in a movie. we will ensure you a good opening and a good BO report. after all jay, jog(boi), satyam(ibos), tango(F1) are all here
and we will all write favourable reviews …. scouts honor
rks 3 December 2007
11:20:12 am
“You can’t buy me !”
$50,000 in my daughter’s money
jayshah 3 December 2007
11:20:54 am
‘dont give up. you got to act in a movie.’
She already has a blockbuster in her name, OSO !
rks…ignore that email I sent LOL…was a joke LOL !!!
sandy 3 December 2007
11:21:53 am
Tango: That’s right. Mads hasn’t been successful in too many heroine oriented films. As for Raja, yes, Mads did have a role to play in its success but as Beld says Indra Kumar was a huge brand then.
Also, when Madhuri acts next to Beta with Anil Kapoor, it becomes an A grader but with Sanjay Kapoor, the film goes several notches lower in appeal.
Again to reiterate my point on how most top actresses can do precious little when they are made to carry a film on their shoulders is the example of Karisma Kapoor. Now, she was a major draw with a top hero but when she does a Baaz with a Dino Morea, there’s zero market value.
But again, I do believe that Madhuri is one of those rare actresses who can at least bring in the audiences for a good film and I think Aaja Nachle is one.
Tango 3 December 2007
11:22:23 am
Very true ‘aaj main NG ki qasam khata hoon’ aap khidmat ka mauqa dijiye
Waise bhi Rohit ki movie ko hype karna hai ( as and when he decides to break the info).
Don’t want to be “Begani shaadi mein Abdullah deewana”
beldevere 3 December 2007
11:22:26 am
lol true jay – forgot abt that
rks – i publish the boi reports. so i need 10% more than what you quoted for jay. my numbers are always 10% higher than jay’s except for abhishek movies
sandy 3 December 2007
11:25:26 am
Honestly, I don’t think AN would need me bribing Jay. This will do well eventually, if not in the theatres…it will enjoy a great satellite life or do well with DVDs. This won’t fizzle out.
rks 3 December 2007
11:26:48 am
Beld:”my numbers are always 10% higher than jay’s except for abhishek movies ”
LOL
jayshah 3 December 2007
11:27:51 am
‘Honestly, I don’t think AN would need me bribing Jay. This will do well eventually, if not in the theatres…it will enjoy a great satellite life or do well with DVDs. This won’t fizzle out.’
LOL. Me saying hit will make absolutely zero impact anyway ! Even I know that ! So bribe away ! Maybe I can be bought, but this is more of a con !
Sandy the news on AN doesn’t sound too good so far. I’m preparing myself for the worse, think you should aswell !
sandy 3 December 2007
11:28:28 am
“Don’t want to be “Begani shaadi mein Abdullah deewana””
Oh you mean you will be Abdullah and dance only when it’s a SRK movie, baaki sab Begane?
sandy 3 December 2007
11:33:05 am
“Sandy the news on AN doesn’t sound too good so far. I’m preparing myself for the worse, think you should aswell !”
I would have, if I’d seen the audiences not enjoying the film as much. But then again, there was Chup Chup Ke which deserved to be an outright hit but suffered on account of mixed reviews and Phit Hera Pheri releasing on the same day.
jayshah 3 December 2007
11:36:30 am
Also problem AN faces is heavy flow of releases. It might recover, but next week you have Dus Kahaniyaa/KKC, 2 weeks later Welcome & TZP…there might not be a proper run to get the necessary catch up. I’m surprised though. Most reports say 25-35% opening. Expected much more. Yes its female centric. But its Mads after 5 years – would have expected a better opening at least. By most accounts is a very poor opening, which is quite a shock.
sandy 3 December 2007
11:39:36 am
Jay: Yes, there is not enough time for the film to recover, which is the major problem here. I have been in touch with Jaideep for the collections but he says the picture would be clear only in a few more days.
jayshah 3 December 2007
11:41:01 am
‘I have been in touch with Jaideep for the collections but he says the picture would be clear only in a few more days.’
Well that’s good to know. Think a week is a good time to gauge how a film is doing.
Tango 3 December 2007
11:41:17 am
sandy ji -”Oh you mean you will be Abdullah and dance only when it’s a SRK movie, baaki sab Begane?”
No Sandy ji SRK is a real star he does not need a couple of my dances.
But yeah I just wonder what will happen to TZP as the media star is against a real audiences star Akshay kumar
Even 5/5 star ratings won’t help TZP and 1/5 ratings for Welcome won’t stop it from becoming ahit and embarking on a bumper opening.
Tango 3 December 2007
11:42:11 am
Aur aisa hi hoga come what may
rks 3 December 2007
11:45:26 am
Madhuri deserves better but thinking practically I agree with Tango/Beld. I guess a extended guest appearance by a leading actor would have been sufficient.
A film is killed on first day itself with BO opening comments, reviews.
sandy 3 December 2007
11:47:36 am
“But yeah I just wonder what will happen to TZP as the media star is against a real audiences star Akshay kumar
Even 5/5 star ratings won’t help TZP and 1/5 ratings for Welcome won’t stop it from becoming ahit and embarking on a bumper opening.”
Tango: I thought you had a little more sense than to compare two films of such diverse natures. If you pit them against each other, you are just displaying your intellectual (?) dishonesty.
Try pitting Ghajini against Welcome…tab dekhein kaunsa mai ka laal Aamir Khan ko takkar de sakta hai!
sandy 3 December 2007
11:50:54 am
“Aur aisa hi hoga come what may”
Welcome is a multistarrer comedy while TZP is a simple, smaller film and it’s obvious that the former will get a better opening. You’re hardly impressing anyone here by trying to be Nostradamus.
Tango 3 December 2007
11:54:48 am
It needs no Nostradamus Sandy ji and no need to get cross. I have always been saying that TZP should not release against Welcome.
Blog Publicity and targetting Bachchan and Black ( and why now ?) won’t help its cause.
I think we may just see Ghajini against an Akki starrer ( next ‘diwali’)
Ravi 3 December 2007
11:57:04 am
Ghajini against an Akki starrer, I am 100% sure that Aamir will kick Akshay’s butt in this case for sure.
Ghajini will be Aamir’s biggest hit IMO.
Tango 3 December 2007
11:58:27 am
They should go all out to publicise the music. They have just left it to fend for itself.
I even mailed Prasun ( abt the lack of audio publicity)but he did not respond back. To mujhe kya karna.
rks 3 December 2007
11:59:13 am
TZP and welcome are different movies tragetted at different people.
welcome: Anyone who wants entertainment (Most of the people).
TZP: Aamir’s fan, different cinema people,kids with their parents.
Yes, a solo released would have helped.
sandy 3 December 2007
11:59:30 am
You mustn’t get so insecure about TZP, esp when I don’t take away anything from CDI and OSO. In any case, I believe in promoting quality cinema, you can sit there doing calculations. Not my scene.
Tango 3 December 2007
12:00:40 pm
Ravi bhai -”Ghajini against an Akki starrer, I am 100% sure that Aamir will kick Akshay’s butt in this case for sure.”
It will be a good competetion but I pray to the one up there to let one of Akki starrers release against it so that truth is out.
Tango 3 December 2007
12:02:27 pm
Goodnight Sandy ji I have never been insecure about my favourite heroes. I have full confidence in them.
The best that Amir could achieve ( with Kajol) and Yash Raj was 53-54 crores, that should speak by itself.
rks 3 December 2007
12:02:41 pm
Lets be cordial.
sandy 3 December 2007
12:05:00 pm
But yes, in all fairness, TZP music has not caught on. The ‘buzz’ is clearly missing and I can only hope that the film is extraordinary enough to sustain against so much comptetition.
Ravi 3 December 2007
12:06:01 pm
Tango bhai, I am not a fan of either Aamir or Akshay , I just happen to like both of them and almost equally. Aamir for believing in his convictions and not going into the rat race and picking and choosing his movies and Akshay for being a self made star(there is nothing there to dislike Akshay at all).
But, having seen Ghajini and knowing that Aamir involves himself in all his movies and making the necessary changes(particularly ending) to make the movie better , I am sure that this will be a big hit because this movie will have everything for everyone maybe a little to violent but with Aamir post 2000 , I am sure this will be his biggest hit.
sandy 3 December 2007
12:08:49 pm
As I said, you can be like SRK in Paheli doing hisab-kitab (see I’m even comparing you to your favourite hero!). I’ve no patience for these things. I look out for quality in cinema and in that respect Aamir Khan leads head and shoulders above the rest I think.
Tango 3 December 2007
12:11:01 pm
Sandy ji I have rated TZP as 8/10 and Welcome as 7/10 and have always given 8 and above to the music of Amir movies. You can check it on Bollyvista.
I have apersonal thank you note from Prasoon. But as i said our reviews hardly matters. The makers have to go and sell it to the audiences.
I apologise to you if I have offended you.
But basically i do get irrittaed by things like ( in general) ‘paid reviews’ so its a hit, or ‘trade ppl sabotaged it’ . Its not that.
jayshah 3 December 2007
12:58:17 pm
‘you can sit there doing calculations. Not my scene.’
Sandy what happened to brushing up on your number skills
satyam 3 December 2007
01:23:06 pm
Sandy: the problem with the AN opening is that it’s so unbelievably low it’s hard to imagine a JWM deal here. Unless of course the media has totally exaggerated the opening and it’s much better than that. On your Yashraj point this is the kind of year they will not be looking to repeat in the future given that everything except CDI failed. Of course they’re in a bit of a bind. If TRP or JBJ had worked in a bigger way (of course TRP still did about 40 crores and was a success but I am led to believe Aditya Chopra isn’t exactly swayed by small center numbers) and CDI, LCMD, AN had all failed they would know what to do. If it had been the exact reverse they would again be sure of the alternate path. But the problem is that this year they didn’t really find great success in the usual stuff nor in the different stuff. CDI was the only exception. Next year they have Tashan and I must this looks like an instant winner. Should be a huge grosser.
Of course the real lesson Yashraj should be drawing from this year is that the commercial format is fine (JBJ was rejected so roundly that it cannot be a part of any trending. TRP did quite well given that it was a relatively stale film in many parts). For the different stuff you unfortunately still need male actors in lead roles. Not surprisingly CDI was the only film that had this. LCMD and AN were women oriented films. Good or bad, these films just don’t draw the audiences. This is a regrettable reality.
Either way UTV have really stolen a march on Yashraj. First off their different stuff appears authentically edgy to the audiences and now they have their big films every year as well.
But also Yashraj are now keeping up with prevailing trends as opposed to defining them. When love stories/family films were ruling the roost they were setting the pace. Now many kinds of subjects attract buzz and so far Yashraj haven’t been willing to invest a whole lot in the truly different, say a JA. And the different films they do are low budget affairs designed to somehow make a recovery and so on. They don’t have the right attitude in this sense.
The other thing is that UTV are less star centric. Sure, they have big stars in big projects but then those projects are also inherently interesting. Therefore there’s a level of buzz even leaving aside the star. Of course they’re now diversifying into more regular masala as well.
satyam 3 December 2007
01:26:30 pm
On another note I thought this would be Akshay’s year after BB. But with the CDI/OSO double deal SRK certainly gets the prestige edge and the right to call it his year. But then again I wonder whose year it really is if Welcome is also minimally a 40 crore hit. I mean Akshay is just red hot. He’s had BB, NL, Heyy Babyy, BB in a row. Welcome would make it his 5th in a row and a supergrosser in Tashan really gives him a very fair shot of being called the top star! This guy has more solid hits in a row than anyone has had in years and years. Surely this overrides any prestige issue?! Ultimately the box office speaks the loudest.
satyam 3 December 2007
01:41:01 pm
Ravi: Gajni certainly looks to be a monster. I don’t think an Akshay and Aamir film would clash as Tango is suggesting. Aamir is too smart to do that sort of thing with a major commercial project and I don’t believe Akshay would either.
I find Akshay infectious on screen even if this comedy stuff is becoming too much, principally because it’s really bargain basement stuff.
Aamir though is I think the actor I find most interesting these days along with Abhishek and on a good day Saif. And Bachchan of course goes without saying.
I am actually never fond of predictable actors irrespective of talent level. I like actors who surprise me. Or who can do something different even with run of the mill stuff. TRP wasn’t the greatest movie around but it would have been unwatchable without Saif. Also I don’t like ‘earnest’ actors. Aamir himself had this problem in the 90s to some extent but has overcome it in last half decade or so.
satyam 3 December 2007
01:42:15 pm
And it probably won’t happen but an Akshay/Aamir combo would be great. I’d also love to see Abhishek/Aamir and Abhishek/Saif. Of course even Aamir/Bachchan has so far not happened.
beldevere 3 December 2007
07:08:41 pm
>>I look out for quality in cinema and in that respect Aamir Khan leads head and shoulders above the rest I think
that’s fair as your opinion sandy but i do believe its far from the truth. aamir gets as much hype from media for his so-called quality movies as much as SRK gets for all his movies
i think amitabh, srk, ajay devgan have done as good if not better quality movies than aamir. just that he gets the hype for that
som 3 December 2007
07:18:44 pm
i guess the trade guys are jumping on to the conclusion bit too early.should have waited for some days before a paasing a judgement.
AN is a decent film IMO and probably the 2nd best after CDI from Yash Raj.atleast for Madhuri’s sake and for Yash Raj to keep on experimenting with new stories, this movie should click.
Tango 3 December 2007
07:41:50 pm
Som I guess AN needed a star , maybe a Saif or Abhishek could have tilted the balance.
It is unfair for Yash Raj to expect Madhuri on her to pull AN and taht too 5 -years after being away.
But let collections come, obviously if the trade is wrong and thenumbers say another thing it’ll be corrected.
som 3 December 2007
07:44:47 pm
Tango: wass ur take? howz the weekend?has it picked up dramatically like what we saw with a CDI or JWM?how did things stand on Monday?
som 3 December 2007
08:17:43 pm
“Even 5/5 star ratings won’t help TZP and 1/5 ratings for Welcome won’t stop it from becoming ahit and embarking on a bumper opening.”
Tango: dont you think we are comparing wrong films here? TZP is a small movie about the
children suffering from dyslexia where as Welcome is a typical masala entertainer , that to again a multistarer.ofcourse,there will be a larger audience for films like Welcome, but that does not mean a movie like TZP wont work atall.yes the reviews and the WOM have to be really really good, ifatall there is any chance for TZP to be a success at the BO, unlike Welcome where the reviews wont matter much i suppose.
satyam 4 December 2007
02:23:19 pm
Also, JWM is the wrong model here. People are always interested in love stories. But with these other films if there isn’t the attraction of a male star people switch off. Now if the film in question gets good WOM that still isn’t enough to convince most people. This is partly so because we live in the DVD/satellite/illegal cable TV age. So unless it’s a big film, or is lavishly shot, or has big stars, people prefer catching films ‘at home’. There are many times when friends even after watching films in the theater will go “it was nice but good enough for DVD” or “not really worth a trip to the theater.”
Audiences now feel that certain kinds of films cannot be missed in the theater even if these are mediocre while others can even when they’re good. To overcome this barrier a film would really need astonishing WOM.
The other crucial factor here is the demographic. It is hard for any film that doesn’t appeal to younger audiences (who form the majority) to make a mark. Again a JWM can always pull in this group with good WOM. The other films can’t.
Finally male audiences are by and large not interested in subjects that they define as ‘female-centric’, irrespective of how good the film is.
Some years ago Baghban was success. The film had amazing trending. For many weeks in a row it kept adding 2 crores every week! But the film still stopped around 25 crores. On the other hand a MHN did 34 crores or so. The difference was partly the initial (younger audiences not interested in the Baghban theme) but even with great WOM the younger demographic wasn’t drawn in.
This is even more true today. Because the expansion in multiplexes favors this demographic even more.
So much as we look at trending and so on sometimes these other factors are also critical. A Baghban is loved at least as much as a KHNH (also around 34 crores), even sells more tickets. But the base audience in each case is not the same. great trending in the first instance will in real gross terms amount to only as much as decent trending in the latter instance.
The other problem even leaving aside all of this is the question of genre. Unlike Hollywood there still isn’t a film culture (media, audiences et al) that can differentiate success achieved in one genre as opposed to another. So whether it’s Guru or RDB or CDI or OSO or BnB or LRM or Krrish, it all becomes the same deal. The grosses are quite literally compared. But in Hollywood no one would dream of comparing the Departed with Spiderman!
On this very forum I have routinely seen claims like “a SRK disappointment in Don made as much as RDB”! Leaving aside the fact that this claim is in fact untrue, one is still comparing apples and oranges. Don might be a new deal for SRK but it’s still a masala enterprise (incidentally he also did Duplicate and Baadshah earlier on). Whereas RDB is new for any star. Much as Lagaan would be new for anyone.
And specifically with Aamir when he’s done the different, those films have been a lot more risky at the time of release than they might appear to be after the event. Against the tide he did films like Sarfarosh or Lagaan or RDB. Even DCH was ‘new’ for its time though since then it’s become an oft repeated deal. Even in the 90s RH or HHRPK wasn’t exactly what the female fans of Aamir were looking for! Today he’s doing a TZP. Even a Gajini though full blown masala will probably have more serious violence than multiplexes have seen in a long time. Again Fanaa was the most different Yashraj deal imaginable given that sort of format. An ‘unhappy’ ending (the only such ending Yashraj have had in decades!) and also one with an unrepentant terrorist! Not just this. In an age obsessed with guest stars and item songs this film did not have either one! The soundtrack basically had one good song and that was it!
Is it then fair to compare this sort of venture with an OSO? Still, without Gujarat, Aamir drew quite an initial for this one at the time.
The frustrating thing about many of the Bollywood discussions is really the lack of precision in most matters.
jayshah 4 December 2007
02:36:49 pm
‘Unlike Hollywood there still isn’t a film culture (media, audiences et al) that can differentiate success achieved in one genre as opposed to another.’
Thats very true. I guess in Bollywood…its either commercial or offbeat and even that they get wrong sometimes !
In comparing Don and RDB…well less said the better. For one, comparing flat out grosses is ridiculous. Two put into perspective RDB had a clear run, Don had opposition. Three, Don is a remake. Four, Don released with competition but also had advantage of Diwali week + inflation of releasing 8months later. There are lots of simple ‘logistical’ things to take into consideration. Then there is genre, plus no doubt Don is simply a ‘bigger’ film – the expectancy is for a bigger box office gross.
Instead we get, an underperformer for SRK = Aamir’s best in RDB, hence SRK is much bigger star lol. Well same can be said that Akshay Kumar’s best ‘this year’ with all the inflation and prints isn’t better than Aamir’s best last year minus Gujarat even ! Thats grossly unfair too but thats the kind of debate it stoops down to in the end !
What about SRK’s absolute best in OSO….will it beat ‘a full year on’ D2 record
Now that will get em going (kidding btw)
satyam 4 December 2007
02:40:20 pm
LOL Jay! A 100 comments will now follow!
satyam 4 December 2007
02:42:06 pm
The one case that could be made for Akshay’s comedies is that they’ve hit a ceiling. He’s generally not able to cross the 50 crore mark or indeed touch it. He’s not had a Partner so far, much less a LRM. Not sure what your final numbers on BB and HB were..
satyam 4 December 2007
02:45:22 pm
In fact I think that if one looked at his PHP and Bhagam Bhaag grosses and compared these with HB and Bhool Bhulaiya one is more or less looking at the same gross in each case after making adjustments for all the obvious factors. Now this is nothing to be sneezed at. His run is still incredible but this is all the same an interesting stat. Much as in the JeM/NL deal his initial is markedly lower than in the comedies.
Tashan looks to be a very big one though. I think it could do the D2/OSO deal..
For that matter Bazmee’s last No Entry did 40 crores in ‘05. So by that analogy Welcome should be doing a lot more!
jayshah 4 December 2007
02:53:14 pm
‘In fact I think that if one looked at his PHP and Bhagam Bhaag grosses and compared these with HB and Bhool Bhulaiya one is more or less looking at the same gross in each case after making adjustments for all the obvious factors.’
Exactly. By me both HB and BB are shy of 50Cr. But for argument sake he is now a 50Cr bracket star. And its consistency of good grossers thats got him there. But he still misses the eye catching blockbuster gross ala OSO or D2. Tashan will seal the deal.
beldevere 4 December 2007
06:23:43 pm
sandy – yeh kya ho raha hai?
toi has it on first page in the entertainement section that AN is a flop. aap kuch dalo na – WOM ke baare mein
beldevere 4 December 2007
06:41:20 pm
jay – i dont know abt satyam’s 100 comment prediction – but not really sure what you are trying to debate. how did a aaja nachle thread get into comparison of akshay vs Srk vs aamir?
and satyam – naughty naughty boy. you brought Don in again into a discussion. yeh kya fascination hai Don se?
Sunny 4 December 2007
10:27:39 pm
LOL..Aaja Nachle se phir SRK Vs. Others bana diya is thread ko bhai logo ne
For Akki, I agree with what Satyam and Jay are saying. All his hits since PHP have been in the same range. He’s in the Top 5 for sure, but at the very last position IMO. And Welcome with Nana,Anil,Paresh isn’t really going to prove much! for Akki’s solo star power. Let’s see what Tashan can do. As for the debate on Aamir Vs. Akshay, oh! Aamir is twice! the star Akki is. If Tashan indeed releases with Ghajini, watch out for a DON Vs. JeM deal(Tashan being the JeM).
As for the other rants on SRK Vs. Others– to borrow Komal’s words..yeah there are 4-5 other big stars, who command a following and also ensure openings… but for SRK, the response is doubled! and that’s the truth which one can accept in good spirit, or chose not to and play a spoilsport