'Ready' wave continues

 

As I sit to analyze the business of READY [second weekend] and SHAITAN, LOVE EXPRESS [the new openers], besides the English titles, several thoughts keep crossing my mind again and again. Will the business show an upward trend in the subsequent weeks? Will the industry get a series of films that are able to cross the 100 cr barrier? That [Rs 100 cr] is the new yardstick for mega-success. And READY is set to achieve it by the end of Week 2, hopefully.

'Ready' wave continues

 

The super-success of READY has proved all calculations wrong. Those estimating that the biz might get exhausted at Rs 85 cr/Rs. 90 cr have got it all wrong. Actually, it's a bit difficult to assess the lifetime business of the film, as of now. I am sure even its producers or distributors don't have an answer to it and are as clueless as you and I.

 

The READY wave is so omnipotent that all other films in the orbit have got eclipsed in the process. SHAITAN carries tremendous word of mouth and though the business of the film showed escalation over the weekend, it's yet below the mark. I was hoping that it might touch Rs 5 cr in its opening weekend. But it didn't. It has performed well at a handful of plexes of select metros only. SHAITAN will have to perform very well on weekdays [not encouraging while writing this piece] as also in its second week to be able to recover its costs [cost to Viacom18 - Rs 5 cr + P & A expenses - Rs 6 cr. Total cost: approx Rs 11 cr]. But it seems unlikely.

 

While on SHAITAN, I'd like to give full marks to Viacom18 for giving it the best possible release. The promotions were superb and the show timings [despite READY], excellent. It wasn't relegated to the background, like it happens with most films that arrive minus the backing of stars or star names. It's now for the film to perform. As for LOVE EXPRESS, well, no prizes for guessing how it fared at the ticket window.

 

After READY, it was the Hollywood biggie X-MEN that attracted maximum footfalls at cineplexes. Only indicates that popular Hollywood brands are going to make deep inroads in times to come. WEST IS WEST, another English title, didn't make an impact, surprisingly. Brings me back to READY. Will it dominate in Weekend 3 as well? I am sure, it will!

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