Hit-starved Bollywood will keep eye on debuting duo
Bharati Dubey | TIMES NEWS NETWORK (The Times Of India; July 1, 2008)
Mumbai: This fourth of July will see fireworks not just in American skies, but also at the Indian box-office. It is the day when two debutants, Harman Baweja and Imran Khan, will square off on the big screen. The two films—Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na and Love Story 2050—have raised anticipation indistribution circles. So much so that the release of Will Smith’s Hancock, which was to take place the same Friday, has now been postponed.
This Friday is a decisive one for the hit-starved film industry.”Approximately Rs 200 crore is riding on both newcomers,’’ says a trade source. A major tussle is on right now between the two films for the maximum number of theatres and shows. Both films are backed by large exhibiton chains. Jaane Tu is co-produced by PVR and Love Story 2050 is produced by Adlabs. The two chains own, between them, most of the multiplexes across India. This was one of the primary reasons why Will Smith’s Hancock was pushed to a later date.
“Jaane Tu is targeted at urban youth so we are focussing on multiplexes and trying to get good shows there,’’ says Aashish Saxena of PVR distribution. Although the general feeling is that Love Story 2050 will be more appealing to the single screen audience, exhibitors are making sure that both films have access to an equal number of screens. Cinemax’s programming has divided the number of shows equally between the two films. Dewang Sampat, Vice President, Marketing, at Cinemax said, “We have allotted two of our four single screens to each film. Even in our multiplexes, we have retained one screen for Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic while the other three will show these two films on a rotation basis.’’
However, Fun Cinemas places greater stock in Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na for its multiplexes. Vishal Anand, vicepresident, Marketing, says, “It is an urban film, while Love Story 2050 looks like a single screen product, so we have accorded more single screens to it.’’
Jaane Tu is releasing with 350 prints across the country. The film is a romantic comedy budgeted at Rs 10 crore. Love Story 2050 is aiming higher with 500 prints, and is budgeted at a mammoth Rs 60 crore, which will make recoveries difficult for the film. The relatively low budget of Jaane Tu, coupled with its chartbusting music has put Jaane Tu in a favourable position. “It’s much easier for Jaane Tu to recover its cost as it has been made at a modest budget,’’ says a trade observer. “Music sales have already returned a sizeable chunk of that money. Love Story 2050 also looks promising, but it has to be a huge hit and run longer to recover its investments.
Jodha Akbar, a film that cost Rs 40 crore, released with 1,500 prints, while Love Story will have to recover Rs 60 crore from 550-odd prints,’’ he adds. Another trade analyst Amod Mehra says “Jaane Tu is a youthful film, backed by Aamir Khan. So expectations are naturally high. Even the premiere is going to be grand.’’
Taran Adarsh calls it battle royal. “Both films are vying for the same audience—the youth.’’
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Comment by fenilseta on 1 July 2008:
Jaane Tu is at an advantage since it’s budget is just 10 crores. It wud recover the amount by in 3 days!
FENIL
Comment by Sunder SRK on 1 July 2008:
That sounds to me horribly true, because the way Amir Khan is following the footsteps of SRK, and cheated for the show 10 KA DUM, that was not fair, with HARMAN at all. Let see what happens but my & my friends best wishes are only for LOVE STORY 2050 & HARMAN too.
Comment by jenna on 2 July 2008:
How did Aamir cheat Harman? Salman invited Aamir after Aamir tried to clear the controversy with Salman about the “Pappu” song (if you are saying that Aamir cheated Harman becoz you read the article titled “Aamir Ka Dum”, well that’s a fake article becoz below Aamir Khan’s picture, it’s written ASHA PATEL- it was meant to be a joke)
Comment by Sunder SRK on 2 July 2008:
Jenna
Amir Khan did the cheating, I said this in a way that first HARMAN was invited by Salman Khan, but then Amir Khan, all of a sudden started to mingle with Salman Khan, and eventually he landed on the show, and poor Harry Baweja & Harman were sent the cancellation message of the the show. My dear friend, this is what I watched on ZEE TV program, ZEE MULTIPLEX. And that made me say so. And forget about the name mistake, that could be just the misprint too. And Jenna, I will request you not to take every word as its written of any fan’s. Because sometimes we mean to say something else, but in written sense it creates the different meaning.
Comment by Rajeev on 2 July 2008:
Guys who was the real director of TZP
Aamir Khan ore Amol Gupte??
The answer will settle who is a cheater????
Comment by AksFilmi on 3 July 2008:
Well for me Jaane Tu is product of Abbas Tyrewala & Mansoor Khan , Aamir involement helped in promoting the movie