A majority of films starring newcomers rarely start with a bang at the box-office. The hugely successful VICKY DONOR and even Yash Raj's BAND BAAJA BAARAAT, which ranks amongst the best films produced by the premier production house, never embarked on a great start at the ticket window, but consolidated the status over the weekend.
Last Friday's ISHAQZAADE, starring newcomers, stands shoulder to shoulder with some of the biggies that opened remarkably well at the ticket window. What does one attribute the robust start to? Various factors: The attention-grabbing promos, the rustic look, the foot-tapping and appealing music, the sharp marketing strategy and of course, the winsome pair that caught your eye the moment the promos went on air. Oh yes, a section of the industry also feels that the strategy of launching the teaser trailer of the Salman Khan starrer EK THA TIGER with ISHAQZAADE also went in its favor, attracting a sizeable number of footfalls at the plexes.
From the business point of view, Yash Raj had already recovered a major chunk of its investment by selling the Satellite Rights of this film, prior to its release. The theatrical business will not only help recoup the balance investment, but also yield good profits for Yash Raj. The film is expected to perform well in Weekend 2 as well, since the youth is patronizing the film.
While the promos of ISHAQZAADE created a strong buzz for the film, the promos of DANGEROUS ISHHQ didn't generate any excitement whatsoever. Vikram Bhatt's track record, Karisma Kapoor's comeback movie after a hiatus, the 3D experience, Himesh Reshammiya's tunes… nothing seemed to lure the audience to theatres. In fact, the response to the film has come as a complete shocker.
I've often said that the audience decides to watch a film, or skip it, depending on how strongly they get swayed by the promos of the film in question. In this case, the promos failed to elicit the required response and even the word of mouth, when the film opened at cineplexes, was way below the mark. That explains its slow start and no growth in business over the weekend. Vikram Bhatt has missed the bus this time!
