The cold wave coupled with the ongoing cricket matches is taking a toll on film business. The occupancy at single screens/movieplexes has fallen to a new low, with films running to almost empty halls during evening and night shows. But you can't blame the weather conditions or any sport only for making a dent in business. Most movies don't have the stamina to stand on their feet beyond the opening weekend.
Last week's SUPER STAR was a good idea gone wrong. Despite its actor [Kunal Khemu] and director [Rohit Jugraj] putting their best efforts and the producers [Shree Ashtavinayak Cinevision] going out of their way to promote the film, SUPER STAR lacked the meat to sustain audience interest. Clearly, the writing was the culprit here.
There have been instances of films starting slow, but gathering speed gradually, but the public response to SUPER STAR sent out negative signals on Day 1 itself. No wonder, the film fell on Day 2 [ideally, it should've been on an upswing], while Day 3 was at par with Day 1.
The one person who'd be badly hit by its non-performance is Kunal Khemu. Carrying a heavy title like SUPER STAR on your shoulders is no joke. To top it all, it's a solo hero film. But it's not the end of the world for Kunal or Jugraj. These are minor aberrations!
The one question I raised in separate interviews with Rajat Kapoor and Ranvir Shorey is, will the common man decipher the meaning of MITHYA? Also, prior to its release, I was under the impression that it's a comic fare, partly because of its [misleading] promos and also because it came from the team of BHEJA FRY. And generally speaking, people do tend to carry on with similar genres if they hit gold once.
But the moment I saw the film, I made it a point to tell the producers that they had faltered in its promotion and they should change the promos pronto. It is not a comic fare. Plus, there's so much more in MITHYA which the promotion strategists have not highlighted in its campaign. Looking back, the simple, but eye-catching promos of BHEJA FRY created quite an impact, but that wasn't the case with MITHYA.
Expectedly, MITHYA started on a slow note, but the word of mouth and the glowing reviews helped the film gather steam on Day 1 itself. It picked up at multiplexes of big centres, zoomed further on Saturday and fared much better on Sunday. The upward trend continued at several centres during the weekend, although the business came down on Monday and Tuesday.
Of course, MITHYA is a big city film and I feel it should remain afloat in coming days, provided the makers/distributors pump up the promotion further. MITHYA is a deserving case for sure!
