I've often heard film-makers tell their publicists, let's generate publicity/create controversy to hype the film. I am sure, Prakash Jha would never utter this sentence, but the fact remains that the publicity/controversy his film AARAKSHAN generated prior to its release only harmed the business prospects of his film. For, the producers/distributors of AARAKSHAN would stand to lose at least Rs 5 crores because of the ban imposed on the screening of the film in some states and also due to the harm caused by the controversies surrounding the film. Let's face it, moviegoers -- especially the family audiences -- are skeptical to watch a film when political parties shout slogans and cops are stationed outside theatres.
Come to think of it, this was a 4-day weekend and what a weekend it would've been had AARAKSHAN got the benefit of a 'smooth', non-controversial release. Saturday, 13 August was Raksha Bandhan and Monday, 15 August was Independence Day… a long weekend indeed. Had it not been for the noise created by the politicians, AARAKSHAN would've easily collected Rs 35 cr + nett in its 4-day weekend.
This isn't the first time! Prior to AARAKSHAN, several films were not allowed to release/were banned in various states. The question that crosses my mind is, won't the audience watch those films on pirated DVDs in the process? Forget pirated DVDs, you can download a movie on your PC/laptop from various sites, sitting anywhere across the globe. The loss a film-maker/distributor undergoes in such a scenario is incalculable.
Talking of AARAKSHAN, the fate of the film now depends on how it fares on weekdays. Also, the film needs to perform in its second weekend as well, if it has to sail smoothly at the box-office.
