He may not be working with the best of directors, like the Chopras, Johars and Akhtars. He may not be as market savvy as some of his contemporaries. But that hasn't stopped Salman Khan starrers from fetching a grand opening.
If TERE NAAM opened to a fantabulous response last year, GARV, his latest release, opened to a cent percent response at a majority of centres. So, what is it about Salman that has resulted in his films opening to a great response?
If SRK enjoys tremendous following amongst the classes/gentry/multiplex crowd and Hrithik is popular with kids, Salman's strength clearly lies with the hardcore masses that constitute a sizeable chunk of the audience.
Talking of his latest release GARV, the terrific start of the film must've come as a surprise to many within the industry. The film has been directed by a first-timer, it was based on a theme that has been beaten to death of late [AB TAK 56, KHAKEE, BARDAASHT, POLICE FORCE, AAN, DEV], the release period wasn't really the best one [schools and colleges are preparing for their first tests]…
Yet, GARV took a superb start, even at stations where 'House full' boards are a rarity.
The credit for the superb opening also goes to the producers of the film, Cinevistaas, who promoted the film aggressively prior to its release. The producers may have been down by a couple of crores prior to its release [the film did go over-budget], but that didn't stop them from giving their best shot to the film.
After a flying start, the collections of GARV have started sliding downwards. But the drop isn't alarming. The film is faring well at single screens, but is not too strong at multiplexes [the business is clearly divided nowadays!]. Yet, on the strength of its superb start, the distributors of the film should be able to recover the investment in weeks to come.
Now, the focus has shifted to the next Salman starrer MUJHSE SHAADI KAROGI, directed by the badshaah of non-stop entertainers David Dhawan. The buzz on the film is extremely positive, thanks to its fresh casting, popular music and catchy promotion.
So, if you find a serpentine queue of baraatis [viewers] outside the mandap [cinema halls], just don't be surprised!
