In the 1970s and 1980s, the action era had taken over completely. But post QAYAMAT SE QAYAMAT TAK, MAINE PYAAR KIYA and DILWALE DULHANIYA LE JAAYENGE, love stories took precedence all over again. Romance was back and the emergence of multiplexes in the coming years only strengthened this genre.
If you notice carefully, post 2000, well-made action films have always found an audience. Yet, the general perception is that action films work better at single screens, not as much at plexes. GHAJINI, of course, was a strong exception, but WANTED was huge at single screens, but wasn't that hot at plexes. Yet, the overall business of WANTED was humungous thanks to the superb shares from single screens.
Something similar happened last Friday, when PRINCE fetched a very potent start at single screens. The terrific promotional campaign coupled with the chartbuster musical score and the eye-catching action promos created a strong buzz for the film, which resulted in a princely start at single screens, although the plexes were far from encouraging.
But what came as a surprise [and a shock to many!] was the heartening start of the film. People used to snigger at Kumar Taurani for investing a massive sum on an actor who wasn't considered bankable enough. It's a grave mistake, people said. But Taurani was confident that he'd pull it off. Today, Taurani has proved the naysayers wrong!
Talking of its business, PRINCE ought to have strong legs to gallop at a good speed for two consecutive weeks. That's because PRINCE carries the burden of a heavy price on its shoulders and with plexes not contributing much to the booty, the onus now falls upon single screens to recover a chunk of the investment. The advantage here is, the rentals at single screens are very low and if the film pulls up great numbers, the shares would be fantastic.
The second release, JAANE KAHAN SE AAYI HAI, failed to take off on Friday, but picked up dramatically on Saturday and Sunday. Again, given its slow start and the decline from Monday onwards, JAANE KAHAN SE AAYI HAI stands on a shaky stool. The word of mouth is positive, but it hasn't translated into healthy numbers.
The forthcoming days hold the key for both PRINCE and JAANE KAHAN SE AAYI HAI.
