Last week saw the release of two biggies, KUCH NAA KAHO and CALCUTTA MAIL.
Flashback: Barely two weeks ago witnessed the release of an Abhishek Bachchan starrer, MUMBAI SE AAYA MERA DOST.
A section of the film industry was confident that its failure would affect the opening of KUCH NAA KAHO.
On the other hand, CALCUTTA MAIL had other factors going against it, one of them being the poor pre-release publicity and the impression that it was a stale film.
The not-too-happening box-office status of the heroes of the two films [Abhishek Bachchan and Anil Kapoor, respectively] was also a deterrent.
Although KUCH NAA KAHO opened to a better response in Mumbai, the response in other territories varied from ordinary to dull. In fact, the business has been on the downslide after a decent start at a few places.
On the other hand, CALCUTTA MAIL was a non-starter from the word 'go'.
We spoke to a cross-section of people to trace the reasons behind the non-happening b.o. status of both the films.
MUKESH GUPTA
Manager - Fame Adlabs, Andheri, Mumbai
"KUCH NA KAHO has had a fairly good opening at multiplexes especially, but CALCUTTA MAIL did not manage even a favourable opening. One of the factors why the business is affected is because of Ganeshotsav, since a section of the cinema-going audience is busy with rituals.
"The fact that there were too many releases last Friday [KUCH NAA KAHO, CALCUTTA MAIL, RULES, 2 OCTOBER] also made a difference. The business got divided in the process.
"In the case of CALCUTTA MAIL, the pre-release hype was missing. There were no promotional interviews by either Anil or Rani Mukherji. Even the promos were not promoted sufficiently prior to its release. Even the content of the film left a lot to be desired."
SUDHIR MISHRA
Director, 'Calcutta Mail'
"Honestly speaking, I don't think it was a wise decision to release CALCUTTA MAIL with so many prints. It should have been released at select theatres only. Unfortunately, the release strategy was one of the many factors that were beyond my control. The delay in its release and the fact that it was released against other films are secondary issues.
"The audience reactions to the film indicate that a majority of people liked the first half. I am glad they did because that was the director's cut, where I could play with the craft and mood of the film. The second half drifted to the popular genre and it was something that I could not control due to interference from several quarters."
RAJESH THADANI
Mumbai Distributor, 'Kuch Naa Kaho'
"I am quite satisfied with the response to KUCH NAA KAHO. It has definitely fared better than expected at some places. The post-release reports have been encouraging, so is the word-of-mouth publicity that has been working effectively for the film.
"KUCH NAA KAHO is a feel-good family entertainer and the fact that not many films of this genre are scheduled for release in the next few weeks should boost its prospects in the coming days."
