The marketplace plummeted considerably in the absence of any major release. Even Hollywood films and the dubbed versions performed way below the mark, while revenues of holdover titles like 7 KHOON MAAF and PATIALA HOUSE plummeted considerably, since their run is almost over. However, the lack of significant Hindi releases is preventing the exhibitors from taking these films off from cineplexes. TANU WEDS MANU remained the first choice for the third weekend, although its revenue also fell sharply this weekend. Yet, the film has crossed Rs 30 cr [nett] mark, which is incredible given the costs of the film.
Will IPL make a dent in film business in April and May? A section of the industry feels that it will, since there's more glamour attached to the game. The World Cup has already made a dent in business, especially on days when India is on field. But the question is, will IPL affect the fortunes of the number of films slated for release in April and May? Or will it affect the small ones, while the biggies would weather the storm? Only time will tell!
The corporates are back with a bang. A section of the industry had opined that the corporates would slow down in 2011, given the storm they faced in 2010. UTV has several biggies up its sleeve, prominent among them being THANK YOU, MY FRIEND PINTO, DELHI BELLY and SHORT TERM SHAADI. Reliance Pictures has SHAGIRD, DOUBLE DHAMAAL, SINGAM, BODYGUARD and DON 2, while Eros has its hands full with GAME, CHALO DILLI, ALWAYS KABHI KABHI, ZINDAGI NA MILEGI DOBARA, ROCKSTAR, MAUSAM, DESI BOYZ, RA.ONE and AGENT VINOD. Viacom18 had just announced its slate for 2011 and the most prominent ones are GANGS OF WASSEYPUR, BBUDDAH - HOGA TERA BAAP and PLAYERS. The Abhinav Kashyap-directed film is expected to arrive next year. Fox Star Studios has DUM MAARO DUM and FORCE, while Balaji [SHOR - IN THE CITY, RAGINI MMS and THE DIRTY PICTURE] and PVR [TEEN THAY BHAI, I AM and MUMBAI CUTTING] have interesting films lined up as well.
