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Last Updated 28.03.2024 | 8:35 PM IST
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‘Ek Villain’ ends 2014 first half on a high!

By Bollywood Hungama

The year 2014 did not start on a euphoric note, but the first half of 2014 concludes on a high today [30 June] as EK VILLAIN and Punjabi film PUNJAB 1984 are on a record-smashing spree, generating remarkable figures in the domestic market.

Let's talk about EK VILLAIN first. The very first promo of the film had created enormous curiosity for the film. Mohit Suri, who had just delivered a Blockbuster in AASHIQUI-2, had enormous responsibility on his shoulders. EK VILLAIN was his first film outside of Vishesh Films and he had to prove he could deliver numbers without the backing of Bhatts. What's more, while AASHIQUI was a brand, EK VILLAIN wasn't. In addition, his decision to cast two relative newcomers [Sidharth and Shraddha] and an actor synonymous with comedies [Riteish] in the role of a cold-blooded murderer raised eyebrows. But fortune favors the brave…

I genuinely believe that the spectator's *initial decision* to watch/skip a film is correlated to how he/she finds the first promo. In this case, the very first promo of EK VILLAIN helped create ripples within and outside the industry. However, Mohit had to overcome another major hurdle. He had to deliver a soundtrack that was -- if not at par -- at least close to the melodious tunes of AASHIQUI-2. Mohit has an eye for visuals and a ear for music and the soundtrack of EK VILLAIN proved this fact yet again.

What also added to the curiosity was the clever and sharp marketing strategy adopted by Ekta Kapoor and her enterprising team, which helped create a strong buzz for the film. Therefore, it didn't come as a surprise that EK VILLAIN opened to a fantabulous response from the commencement of the morning shows itself. From East to West and from North to South, EK VILLAIN was greeted with serpentine queues and Housefull boards outside cinema halls, despite being pitted against two mighty oppositions -- the Hollywood giant TRANSFORMERS: AGE OF EXTINCTION and the much-awaited Punjabi film PUNJAB 1984.

The weekend business of EK VILLAIN has been incredible, which has come as a shocker for many within the industry. Keeping in mind its star cast, the budget and the screen count [2539 screens in the domestic market], the weekend numbers of EK VILLAIN are at par with any big-budget film starring an A-lister that gets an extensive release [3500+ screens in the domestic market].

A successful film benefits everyone associated with it... The stupendous response to EK VILLAIN places Mohit Suri in the top league of directors, while Ekta Kapoor's Balaji is having a dream run, this being her third major success after RAGINI MMS-2 and MAIN TERA HERO. EK VILLAIN catapults Sidharth as a bankable star with a huge fan-base, while Shraddha takes another step forward after AASHIQUI-2. As for Riteish, he has slowly and steadily proved his credentials as a versatile actor, an actor of repute. The writers -- Tushar Hiranandani [screenplay] and Milap Milan Zaveri [dialogue] -- have been delivering Hit after Hit, with EK VILLAIN only cementing their status further.

There's more good news! The keenly awaited Punjabi film PUNJAB 1984 has recorded mind-boggling figures in the North circuits, thereby cementing Diljit Dosanjh's superstardom. The film, which enjoys tremendous word of mouth, is shattering records left, right and centre and is expected to be a huge grosser.

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