Gangster movies have reached their saturation. There's nothing more to explore. Ramgopal Varma and Mahesh Manjrekar have explored the genre time and again... Gangster movies have a few more factors going against them: They are considered dark and dry, lack entertainment value, abound in cliched situations, have abundance of blood/gore and have absolutely no scope for songs. Prior to its release, the naysayers were of the opinion that ONCE UPON A TIME IN MUMBAAI stood on a sticky wicket. But the fact is, ONCE UPON A TIME IN MUMBAAI has given a fresh lease to this genre.
The theatrical business of ONCE UPON A TIME IN MUMBAAI got stabilized on Saturday [Midweek Boxoffice]. Monday, the crucial day, witnessed a 30% fall over Friday figures [it collected approx. Rs. 3.77 cr. nett], which indicates that the film has found acceptance. As things stand today, the business is outstanding in Mumbai/Maharashtra, South and prime multiplexes of metros.
From the business point of view, the film should touch approx. Rs. 35 cr. nett in Week 1, which means a share of approx. Rs. 19 cr./Rs. 20 cr. If the film sustains in its second weekend [I am sure, it will] and the drop is in the 50% range with lesser shows, the film should add another Rs. 10 cr. + nett to its kitty.
The music rights have fetched Rs. 2 cr. and Satellite Rights have fetched Rs. 10.5 cr., which places the producers in comfort zone [the Home Video deal should be clinched in a few days]. However, the recoveries from Overseas won't be substantial [approx. Rs. 2.5 cr.] since gangster films made in Bollywood aren't popular in the international circuit. Romance and musicals still hold the key there.
It's more than evident that ONCE UPON A TIME IN MUMBAAI is a success story for its producers, but on a broader level, first LOVE SEX AUR DHOKHA and now ONCE UPON A TIME IN MUMBAAI have firmly established brand Balaji in moviedom. And that is a far bigger achievement than anything else today!
