SECOND BIG CLASH OF THE YEAR IS HERE!
The Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior vs Chhapaak clash
is done and the verdict is clear. The former has emerged as a
blockbuster while the latter is a flop. The fight was never about which
film will collect more. Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior had more appeal and
would have anyways been ahead in terms of earnings. But if Chhapaak had
done well in the range of Rs. 50-60 crore, it would have still emerged as a winner.
Now, a similar clash will be seen tomorrow with Street Dancer and Panga. Again, the former is a biggie and a commercial entertainer. Panga meanwhile is niche but with solid potential. My analysis:
STREET DANCER: It is the same zone as ABCD – Any Body Can Dance and ABCD – Any Body Can Dance – 2. Both films were directed by Remo Dsouza, with the second part starring Varun Dhawan and Shraddha Kapoor. Street Dancer marks the comeback of all 3 together and is in the same zone. And what’s more, it’s in 3D just
like the first two films. The trailer indicates that the makers have
tried their best to ensure that the dance and madness goes one level up.
There’s also a patriotism and India-Pakistan friendship element and can work, if it’s handled well. And of course, there’s also Nora Fatehi, whose presence also adds to the film. Songs have
worked very well and have got huge number of views. It’s a small
indication that audiences, especially youth, are really interested to
see it.
Street Dancer, however, has some challenges to face. The buzz is
there but not that high. Also, a section of viewers feel that it might
be too similar to ABCD films. The use of so many remixes is also slammed
especially songs like ‘Lahore’ whose original had come out just a couple of years back. Moreover, the super success of Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior means that some shows will be reserved for it. In fact, it’ll be strong in Week 3 as well and might eat into business of Street Dancer, especially if it’s response is not positive.
But thanks to massy and youth factor, Street Dancer will have a great opening, of more than Rs. 10 crore. It should go to Rs. 15 crore, and that’s crucial because ABCD – Any Body Can Dance – 2, 4 ½ years ago, opened at Rs. 14.28 crore.
If Street Dancer opens below than this film, then it’ll be a slight
loss of reputation. Yet, the makers shouldn’t worry if content clicks as
it can cover lost ground from Saturday. Republic Day sadly falls on Sunday this year but that can also give a slight boost to the collections.
PANGA: It is directed by acclaimed director Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari, of Bareilly Ki Barfi and Nil Battey Sannata fame. The film stars Kangana Ranaut, Jassie Gill and Neena Gupta with Richa Chadha in a cameo, and tells the story of a mother returning back to the sport she once exceled in – Kabaddi.
The trailer is great and it seemed the marketing and launching of songs
will keep the hype going. Sadly, that didn’t happen. The music hasn’t
worked at all. The makers now solely hope that Kangana Ranaut’s
popularity and their content will get people to theatres in hordes, and
that too in urban areas only as it has no chances in B and C centres. Moreover, it has competition from Street Dancer and Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior.
Kangana Ranaut’s last films like Judgementall Hai Kya and Simran opened at Rs. 4.54 crore and Rs. 2.43 crore respectively (We are not counting Manikarnina – The Queen Of Jhansi as
that film was more mainstream, unlike Panga). Panga will have an
opening which will be somewhere in between the day 1 of these films. It
should be around Rs. 2.50-3.50 crore range with a slight chance of reaching the Rs. 4 crore
mark. If reports are positive, then the film can score big time and
collections can even be double of Friday. And then once Monday
collections are more than Friday, then the film is a winner and is
accepted. This of course will happen if people love it. If reports are
negative or if the film, like Chhapaak, is too dry, then it’ll have a very tough time.
WHICH FILM WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE AND WHY? DO LET ME KNOW!
Fenil’s Bollywood Talk # 605
