Whether one likes it or not, the fact remains that no genre can guarantee success. Family dramas, love stories, laughathons, horror fares, thrillers, action flicks… no genre has been able to lure audiences to cinema halls, consistently. One keeps trying and should keep trying. Sometimes you hit the bull's eye, sometimes you don't.
TOH BAAT PAKKI producer Ramesh S. Taurani went out of his way to promote the film. In fact, the efforts he undertook to ensure that the film was visible on all advertising platforms were incredible. One definitely expected the terrific promotion to attract a sizable number of footfalls at cineplexes, but the lacklustre opening of the film came as a shock. Similarly, horror films enjoy good patronage from the youth mainly. But CLICK was ignored royally.
No film-maker has ever been able to read the mind of a moviegoer. And this business is only getting unpredictable by the day. If one knew what the audience likes, there wouldn't be flops. As simple as that!
Now let's analyse the business of TOH BAAT PAKKI. Coming after the super-success of AJAB PREM KI GHAZAB KAHANI, the film has been produced by a reputed production house with solid hits behind them, but I'd like to believe that when the viewer decides to watch a film in a dark auditorium, he leaves the baggage - the track record of actors and film-makers - way behind. The film ought to appeal, that's the simple mantra. In this case, it didn't.
As for CLICK, it didn't cut ice with the youth - its target audience - and one of the reasons, in my opinion, is its promotion lacked punch. It would've helped initially, if the makers would've gone that extra mile to promote the film. But the game is over!
