"Heroine-oriented films are an absolute no-no!" Statements such as these are often heard in film mandi. Producers, distributors and exhibitors are vociferous when it comes to starting a project with heroines in the lead. Asks a leading film-maker, "Is there a market for such films?"
Unfortunately, a majority of people within the film industry are of the opinion that the audience prefers hero-dominated films to heroine-oriented fares. The debacle of ZUBEIDAA and DAMAN is sufficient proof that the cinegoers shy away from such films, they echo.
Sorry, but I don't subscribe to this view!
Haven't ANARKALI, MOTHER INDIA, GUIDE, ANPADH, SUJATA, BANDINI, SANGAM, SARASWATICHANDRA, BOBBY, AASHA, KHOON BHARI MAANG or the very recent KYA KEHNA left an indelible impression on the audience over the years? Weren't the scripts of these films heroine-centric? If they can succeed then, they surely can succeed today.
Even otherwise, films that have done record-breaking business and qualify in the all-time hits of Hindi cinema have women essaying pivotal roles.
Films like MUGHAL-E-AZAM, RAM TERI GANGA MAILI, MAINE PYAR KIYA, HUM AAPKE HAIN KOUN, DILWALE DULHANIA LE JAYENGE, RAJA HINDUSTANI, KUCH KUCH HOTA HAI and GADAR would've been rejected had the focus been only on the heroes.
Even if one were to go by the theory that male-dominated films are safer in today's times, the box-office performance does not support this statement. More than 90% of films released this year focussed more on the male characters, but that hasn't stopped the audience from rejecting them.
The bottomline is, any film can succeed if the audience identifies with it. Whether it revolves around a hero or heroine is immaterial. It's time our makers woke up and smelt the coffee!
'LAJJA': MIXED RESPONSE
The not-too-powerful opening of LAJJA has surprised many.
The film stars some of the best names in the business, yet the opening of the film was far from encouraging at several centres. As envisaged, the film is faring well in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. At other places, the response has been mixed.
MUMBAI CITY & SUBURBS:
A drop in the collections was noticed from Tuesday. At theatres that are patronised by families, the collections are rock-steady, but at other cinema halls, the drop is noticeable.
GUJARAT & SAURASHTRA:
The reports are average and the collections aren't great either. The film is not too strong at the multiplexes in Ahmedabad, which is a disturbing sign.
DELHI CITY & UTTAR PRADESH:
The film is doing well at some theatres in Delhi city, but in the suburbs, the collections are in the range of 65% to 70%. Not an encouraging sign. In Uttar Pradesh, the film is doing very well.
KOLKATA & BIHAR:
The reports in Kolkata are weak. A drop in the collections was noticed on Saturday itself. But the film is strong in Bihar.
C.P. BERAR (parts of Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh):
The film is not too strong in Nagpur and other centres of the circuit.
C.I. (Madhya Pradesh):
The reports are not too strong. The collections in Indore are far from encouraging.
RAJASTHAN:
At Jaipur, the collections are good at Rajmandir theatre, but at other cinema halls, a substantial drop has been noticed.
SOUTH INDIA:
In Hyderabad, the film is doing quite well at several theatres. Should prove an earning proposition here.
