The entire film industry is in a state of shock. Believe me, I was inundated with calls from reputed film-makers and distributors, all wanting to know one thing: Why didn't KURBAAN fetch an initial?
KURBAAN had everything going in its favour...
- Karan Johar has an impeccable track record as a film-maker. Every film produced by Karan has had a potent start at the ticket window.
- Saif Ali Khan's status, after LOVE AAJ KAL, has been at an all-time high.
- The Saif - Kareena combo had hit headlines since the time they made their relationship public. The combo looked great.
- UTV, the global distributors of KURBAAN, had promoted the film extensively.
- Solo release status. KURBAAN had no major opposition to contend with. Naturally, everyone expected KURBAAN to start with a bang for the above-mentioned five reasons.
But the opening weekend numbers were shockingly low. Despite glowing reviews from critics who matter, KURBAAN showed no signs of pick up after a weak Friday. So what went wrong?
A section of the industry feels that moviegoers aren't interested in watching serious/intense stories. Another viewpoint is that a big chunk of movie-going audience stayed away from the film. Yet another opinion is that the common man had already exhausted his budget after watching AJAB PREM KI GHAZAB KAHANI and 2012.
A section of the industry also feels that UTV shouldn't have released KURBAAN extensively [approx. 1700 screens globally]. KURBAAN is not a mass appealing film like GHAJINI or WANTED, so why such a wide release?
I disagree. UTV had paid a fabulous amount for its global rights and with DE DANA DAN slated for release next Friday, UTV knew KURBAAN had just one week to score and the only way to do so was to have a wide release. Had KURBAAN fetched a thunderous start, the same decision would've been hailed by the industryfolk.
As things stand today, UTV will lose a substantial chunk of their investment, for sure. Truly, box-office can be most unpredictable!
