How do you analyze if a film is 'hot' or 'cold' prior to its release. Simple, if people talk about a film incessantly, if most calls and SMSes centre around the film or its protagonist, if people stare at a film's posters/hoardings outside a multiplex, samajh lo, the film has caught the attention of the aam junta.
Whether you like him or not, Himesh Reshammiya is in the hot seat. The topic of conversation veers around Himesh. It's KARZZZZ, KARZZZZ, KARZZZZ everywhere. Bhushan Kumar and Krishan Kumar, the men behind KARZZZZ, as also Himesh himself deserve distinction marks for taking their film to every platform of promotion, creating tremendous interest for the film in the process.
If KARZZZZ opens well -- I am confident, it should fetch a thunderous start -- it would be an eye-opener of sorts for the industry. It would also serve as a wake up call for every actor. Himesh may not have the charisma of SRK, he may not be talented like Aamir, he may not be as dashing and debonair as Salman and Akshay, but he has the power to attract moviegoers in hordes. And anyone who does so consistently is The King.
It's all about the first three days. If you have the power to lure the audiences in hordes, you're in safe zone. That brings me to HELLO, the sole Hindi movie release last Friday. The film fetched a decent start at several plexes and I would attribute it to four factors --
* One, unlike GOD TUSSI GREAT HO, the promos of HELLO were appealing and attention grabbing. Most importantly, they looked fresh.
* Two, the pairing of Salman and Katrina, after a hiatus. Notwithstanding Salman's spate of turkeys, he's still popular with viewers. And Katrina is the Queen today, sharing the throne with Kareena.
* Three, HELLO had generated considerable curiosity prior to its release because it's based on a bestseller.
* Four, HELLO was a solo release. The audiences were completely put off by KIDNAP and DRONA last week and were looking for a new film to quench their thirst. HELLO faced no competition from any release, past or present. It was the only choice this weekend actually.
But HELLO skid on Day 2 [Saturday] at places, although it regained lost ground on Sunday. The first weekend, as per the statement issued to the media, is approx. Rs. 6.21 cr. nett, which means the distributor's share would be anywhere between Rs. 2.75 cr. and Rs. 3 cr. nett. However, Monday onwards, the business has gone down considerably. Also, it remains to be seen how it fares in the wake of a powerful opposition called KARZZZZ.
