AskIndicine: 6 November 2016

Q. What’s Padmavati’s budget and what are your (very early) box office predictions for it?

A. It’s too early to talk about the final budget of ‘Padmavati’. Industry insiders say the budget will be 150 crore plus, but such films can easily go over-budget. No predictions for now. We will never go with a very high early prediction for Padmavati, because the budget of Bhansali films are always high and his films always need good word-of-mouth to recover costs.

Q. Which movie will have a bigger opening day and weekend – Kaabil or Raees?

A. Raees will lead on Day 1, weekend will go to the better film.

Q. Do you think its the right time for Krrish 4?

A. There is no right or wrong time for a film like ‘Krrish 4’, as long as they keep a gap of around 3 years between two films. It’s a huge franchise, probably the second biggest in the industry after Dhoom. So anytime they release it, it’ll shatter records.

Q. Please clarify regarding the buzz about ‘Befikre’?

A. The campaign of Befikre is gaining momentum. The trailer got a mixed response, but it worked with the target audience of the film (urban youth). The music is doing quite well too. Our tweet yesterday:

#Befikre songs are gaining popularity, 'Nashe Si Chadh Gayi' is quickly rising up the charts, good response to 'Ude Dil Befikre' too.

— Indicine.com (@indicine) November 5, 2016

Q. Is there any upcoming movie of Hrithik with YRF? As there already a YRF movie rejected by Hrithik! And What about Hrithik-Kabir-Nadiawala movie Happening?

A. Hrithik opted out of ‘Thugs of Hindoostan’ and the Kabir Khan film is on hold too. It looks like a case of an actor taking too long to sign a film. A script that Hrithik rejected was accepted by Aamir – difficult to understand what went wrong there, we’ll only know once the film releases.

Q. When is the trailer of RAEES Coming? What are the internal reports of how the film has shaped up? Please answer.

A. The Raees Trailer will be out with ‘Dear Zindagi’. Should be out a little earlier on the internet. The trailer is good.

Q. Can Kaabil do 100 crore plus in clash if it’s accepted and where is your trailer review for Kaabil?

A. It’s going to be difficult for both films to cross 100 crore if both are accepted, because the target audience of both films are the same and they’ll eat into each others business. Even a big weekend like Diwali is only giving about 200 crore combined. Mohenjo Daro and Rustom did 190 crore. Both Kaabil and Raees run the risk of under-performing if they release together.

Q. In Hollywood the top superstars like Leonardo, Brad Print, Robert Downey Jr.mix their line up with both Critically acclaimed as well as commercial movies and they are successful as well. Don’t you think it’s time stars like SRK, Hrithik and others should consider doing critically acclaimed movies as well because they have the talent as well as the stroller to bring in the audience and the parallel cinema in India will breath a life?

A. Hollywood and Bollywood cannot be compared. The potential of acclaimed niche films is restricted to 5-10 cities here, whereas the market both inside and outside US is much bigger for less commercial films. In our industry, Aamir has been doing it quite successfully for a long period of time. He had 3 Idiots, followed by Talaash, then Dhoom and PK. Now Dangal followed by Thugs of Hindoostan. Someone like a Salman can’t do this because his audience may not accept him in a film like Talaash. The trick is to balance both in the same film.

Q. Will it affect Dangal collection as this year 25th Dec and 1st Jan is falling on Sunday?

A. Yes, it’s obviously isn’t it? The advantage of a national holiday is 35-40%, so the film would’ve definitely benefited due to extra holidays. However, the Christmas – New Year period is a holiday for several schools, colleges and offices. So that extra advantage will be there for Dangal throughout the week.

Q. Which is more loved Bajrangi Bhaijaan or 3 Idiots? And if 3 idiots is more loved then why the footfalls for 3 idiots were lower than that of Bajrangi Bhaijaan?

A. Bajrangi Bhaijaan appealed to a wider section of the audience and was easier to relate to for those at smaller towns and villages. In a country like India, it’s difficult to call one film as the more ‘loved’ one over the other. For example, for a section of the audience, a movie like ‘Ready’ (which was rejected as rubbish by the so-called intellectuals or critics) is liked more than a film like ‘PK’. A movie like ‘Rowdy Rathore’ will always be the better film for the masses over films like ‘Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara’.

Q. After seeing the opening of ADHM can we say that Ranbir’s stardom hasn’t fallen as much as people expected ? Yes the songs, cast and the name Karan Johar added much to it but still the opening collection was pretty much above expectation.

A. Ranbir definitely has a following and is loved. Judging him by the opening that Bombay Velvet got isn’t fair to him, because even bigger stars like Hrithik (Mohenjo Daro) and Akshay (Joker) have failed when the promos haven’t been exciting enough for the audience. Yet, Ranbir isn’t at the level that he was after ‘Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani’. The success of ADHM has definitely got his career back on track, let’s wait and see what sort of a opening he can get for the much-delayed ‘Jagga Jasoos’.

Q. This is my 1st question on indicine. Love your site, addicted. I know it is already confirmed Raees release date i.e 26th January. But isn’t 13th January a good date as well, gets open 2 weeks and if the content clicks it will get enough screens when Kaabil releases. Your take?

A. Thank you. It’s definitely a better date. Absolutely any date is better than releasing both films on the same day. It’s been difficult to understand what both are trying to gain from just one holiday. A lot to lose, very little to gain.

Q. Is the trend of paid reviews hurting the industry? I mean production houses will start paying critics 25 lakhs and get the initial boost even if the film is bad which just happened during ADHM..

A. Accusing everyone to be a ‘paid critic’ is pointless now, it’s nothing but an excuse for a flop film. Critics have made a living out of trashing Salman Khan films, but it hasn’t affected his films one bit, has it? Ready and Bodyguard were thrashed, but both were box office blockbuster.

The responsibility of ensuring a good opening for a film is on the actor and absolutely noone else. The rest depends on content, if the film is good the audience will come. They trust what their friends say more than critics. And please understand this – Shivaay press screening was organised a day before release (Thursday 6PM), ADHM screening was at 10AM on the day of release and most reviews were only out after noon. If reviewers were to be paid for, it’s better to put it out a day before, isn’t it?

Q. Filmfare award for best actor male… Both critics and popular.. who will be your pick for this year?

A. We still think Shah Rukh Khan in FAN was the best performance so far this year. It was a very difficult role to play. Now, Filmfare hasn’t been very clear over the years about what goes into the popular and critics category. They once gave the popular award to SRK in Swades.

Q. In order to increase revenue of films is it possible to post critics review after first weekend and let words of mouth play their game !! Shivaay has seen damage because of critics.

A. Couple of things. One, it was Ajay who organised the press screening a day before release. Since it was his decision, he could have shown it on Friday morning too. Secondly, most commercial films that are successful at the box office, are thrashed by the critics. Their reviews can make a difference to smaller films like Pink, but for such big films – the audience decide for themselves.

Q. Who has a more meaty and more important role in Padmavati? Shahid or Ranveer?

A. We know very little about the screen-time or length of their roles. The film revolves around Deepika Padukone.

Q. What was the response to Wajah Tum Ho trailer.Your LBO and FBO prediction?

A. Such films sell at mass centres, so it should take a good opening. It’s currently trending at 4.8 crore on FBO.

Q. What is the response to the trailer of Kaabil..and what is its projection for the first day collection?

A. The response to the trailer is good, more detailed article out later today. As for first day collections, if it releases with Raees, then we think it could be one of the biggest non-festive days ever (combined). The two films together could do around 35 crore on Day 1.

Q. Amitabh Bachchan in Pink, Salman Khan in Sultan, Shah Rukh Khan in Fan, Hrithik Roshan in MD, Akshay Kumar in Airlift, HF3 and Rustom, Ranbir Kapoor in ADHM, Ajay Devgn in Shivay, Shahid Kapoor in Udta Punjab, Sushant Singh Rajput in MSD .

A. Shah Rukh Khan in FAN, Shahid Kapoor in Udta Punjab, Sushant Singh Rajput in ’MS Dhoni: The Untold Story’, Ranbir Kapoor in ADHM, Amitabh Bachchan in Pink, Salman Khan in Sultan, Akshay Kumar in Airlift, Ajay Devgn in Shivaay, Hrithik Roshan in Mohenjo Daro, Akshay in Housefull 3.

Q. Please atleast this time answer my question..What do you think is the problem with John abraham,he is active from 12 years in bollywood & only Have a 1-2 hit?? What’s the main reason ?

A. His solo films i.e where he plays the lead and doesn’t have any other star to support, do not generate any interest. His acting skills or the lack of it, could be the reason.

Q. Which movies of Akshay kumar & Ranbir kapoor are confirmed to release in 2017 ?

A. Akshay has four releases – Jolly LLB 2, Toilet Ek Prem Katha, Crack and Robot 2.0. Ranbir has only one release Jagga Jasoos.

Q. Do you guys think that our industry gives enough value/freedom/money to our writers? I have seen many interviews of directors and actors who complain about the same when They are asked about the lack of new and fresh scripts, your thoughts please?

A. The need of the day is fresh scripts, because apart from a select few films featuring superstars, almost all others are working only if the film has a good story to tell. The pay isn’t great, but we do not have any big-name writers who can generate interest just because of their writing credentials. The best writers in the industry – Raju Hirani, Shoojit Sircar, Neeraj Pandey to name a few – are also directors themselves.

Q. Don’t you think films have become all about business and not art? As an aspiring actor I can tell you that for me films and filmmaking are one of the most powerful art forms there is and art is supposed to touch you, inspire you, make you feel and think something. Today it’s all about making money.

A. The Hindi film industry is a business, investors invest because they want to make money out of films. The audience pay to get entertained. Now if a director aims to inspire or touch the way Rajkumar Hirani or Shoojit Sircar do, those films, apart from entertaining the audience, also earn money – which is important for the industry to survive and the theatres to run. But if you make films that Anurag Kashyap or Vishal Bhardwaj do, it might inspire a section of audience, but investors almost always end up in the red and the majority of audience don’t care. Arty films are not even a theatre watch for most, they’ll either wait for the DVD or watch it on TV.

Q. Between Raees and Kaabil which movie could be the first choice of multiplex audiences looking at teasers of both the film?

A. Cannot answer this question with certainty at the moment. We need to wait and see how the campaign goes for both films. Raees may not be the first choice for the family audience, because it’s dark, about alcohol trade and it also has Sunny Leone. We’ll have to wait for the trailer of Raees and a few more promos to see what’s working better with the multiplex audience.

Q. Are there any chances for Shivaay to become at least an average grosser?

A. Shivaay has to collect about 50 crore more before it can break-even. Long way to go, still.

Q. What is more important recovering the cost or winning a clash.

A. Recovering costs and acceptance amongst audience is most important. As long a film recovers costs and is a profitable venture for all involved, it doesn’t matter who wins the clash. But this particular Diwali clash was made into a very personal and ugly one, so it was also about who comes out on top.

Q. Is Aditya Chopra is as popular as Karan Johar, will his name will add value to the opening of Befikre?

A. Undoubtedly. Aditya Chopra films have a following too. Befikre also has the added advantage of Ranveer Singh returning after Bajirao Mastani.

Q. How do you think will Padmavati impact Shahid’s career, as you at Indicine have always criticized his choices rather than his acting ability as a deterrent to his attaining superstardom? Assuming it is good movie like Bajirao Mastani, will he be able to hold his own against Ranveer who seems to be having a more iconic role? Also Rangoon seems commercial, lavish and period love story, so thoughts on that as well please….

A. If Padmavati does well, it will help all involved. But for Shahid to rise in the ranking or standing in the industry, his solo films will have to perform. For the acting talent and charisma that he has, it’s hard to believe that he isn’t even considered equal to actors who made their debut many years after him. It’s his choice of films that seems to be the problem, luck plays a big role in the industry too.

Q. If you were to watch just three Hindi movies in 2017, which three would you choose?

A. Tubelight, Baahubali 2, Robot 2.0.

Q. Doctor Strange had no promotion in India, still it is going houseful. Why so?

A. Film Promotion is over rated. These city tours and television appearances that stars do, do not add any value to the opening day. Katrina and Aditya went all out to promote Fitoor, but most theatres were empty on Friday. It’s more important to get the cast right, make a good film and cut good promos. Promotion should only be about creating awareness that a film is releasing in theatres and this can be achieved by airing the promos on television and internet. Everything else is a waste of time and increases marketing expenses as well.

Q. Shouldn’t the budget of ADHM be added by 5 crores as it was used to release the movie and the movie got a lot of publicity because of that controversy? Very weird question I know but just want to know your opinion.

A. 5 crore was not paid.

Q. Will Aamir’s DANGAL able to break all box office records? Bcoz there is no holiday of Christmas, New Year.What you think?

A. 300 crore is not going to be a walkover total for Dangal. It’s got to be an exceptionally good film to achieve that total.

Q. Why big names in the industry like Rajkumar Hirani, Aditya Chopra, Karan Johar not directing Hrithik roshan? He is 10 years junior to khans and has broken opening day , opening weekend , highest single day and life time records with several of his films?? Please respond

A. Other big name directors have worked with him – like Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Sooraj Barjatya, Ashutosh Gowarikar.. just to name a few. Karan Johar also directing him in K3G. It’s not that Khans have worked with all of them too.

Q. What are the total collections and verdicts of Baar Baar Dekho, Freaky Ali, Pink, Raaz Reboot, Banjo, MS Dhoni, Mirzya and Saat Uchakkey ?

A. Baar Baar Dekho 31 crore – Flop, Freaky Ali 14 crore – Flop, Pink 64 crore – Hit, Raaz Reboot  30 crore – Flop, Banjo 8 crore – Flop, MS Dhoni 132 crore – Hit, Mirzya 10 crore – Disaster, Saat Uchakkey 2 crore – Flop.

Q. What is your opinion on Half Girlfriend? What could be opening day, weekend and lifetime?

A. It’s going to be a big film. While it’s difficult to talk about a number before the release of the trailer, it should open at 13-14 crore on Day 1 and lifetime (if good) should cross 100.

Q. Is Ranbir Kapoor ahead of Ranveer & Varun after ADHM success? Or Befikre will decide between Ranbir Kapoor and Ranveer Singh?

A. The opening of one film doesn’t decide which star is bigger than the other. Consistency is what makes a star bankable. Varun has been consistent and growing right from his second film. Ranbir is up and down, Jagga Jasoos will decide because ADHM had a popular director and top heroine. Ranveer is very popular and promising, Befikre is his test. But it’s these three at the top among the younger generation of actors.

Q. You pick for the highest grosser in the month of this November? Dear Zindagi or Kahaani 2?

A. If both films are liked equally then Dear Zindagi should come out on top, because it has plenty of face value. But if your question is November specific, then Kahaani 2 isn’t even releasing this month. It’s coming on December 2.

Q. If you had to rate the best movie , best actor , best actress , best director from the past one decade . Which one will you choose ? Name only one from each category .

A. If by decade you mean last 10 years, then Best Actor – Aamir Khan (that performance in PK was just flawless), Best Actress Kareena Kapoor Jab We Met / Rani Mukherji Black, Best Director Rajkumar Hirani. Might have missed some better performances, but difficult to think of everything during Live QnA.

Q. Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania shooting is over or work is still left. When will Varun start shooting for Judwaa 2?

A. Humpty Sharma… shoot wrapped up long ago and the film has already released and become a super hit. If you mean, Badrinath Ki Dulhania, the shoot is currently in progress. Releases March 10 2017. Judwaa 2 will begin after the completion of Badrinath.

Q. Which film do think will earn more between Badrinath Ki Dulhania and Judwaa 2?

A. Difficult to pick, but Judwaa 2 has a fantastic release date. Plus it’s a sequel to a much-loved film, it has a big cameo.. so it should all add to the interest. Badrinath will also be a massy film, both are potential 100 crore plus films.

That’s it for today. 40 questions answered. Thank you for joining us and we apologise if your question was not answered.