The two biggies have had a tepid reception despite all the hype and hoopla of controversy and a titanic clash. Are festival releases not relevant anymoreIJ
The Diwali festivities seem to have come in the way of sparkling box office numbers for Karan Johar’s Ae Dil Hai Mushkil and actor-filmmaker Ajay Devgn’s Shivaay. The movies did not register a hike in their collections, but trade experts believe the coming days look bright.
Talking about Ae Dil Hai Mushkil which is the latest in the brand of cinema that isn’t so much as plot-driven as it is focussed on characters, relationships and interactions. But all this is executed in a squarely Bollywood way. It’s all about two individuals — Ayan (Ranbir Kapoor) and Alizeh (Anushka Sharma) — thrown unexpectedly together and their journey through friendship/love.
On the other hand, there is a consistency of craft in Shivaay that is rarely seen in Hindi cinema. like its relentless commitment towards slow motion. From the first shot to the last, everything moves slow — the bullet that leaves the pistol to the teardrop that falls from the eye. No wonder the film turns out almost three hours long despite just a wisp of a story to tell.
Both the films released on October 28, two days before Diwali. After collecting Rs 13.30 crore and Rs 13.10 crore on Friday and Saturday, Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, which released in around 3000 screens in India, only managed to mint Rs 9.20 crore on Sunday, thus taking its cumulative total to Rs 35.60 crore, read a statement from the makers. However, the film — which features Ranbir Kapoor, Anushka Sharma, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Fawad Khan — performed well overseas by collecting $6.15 million (Rs 41.05 crore). According to its makers, the film has amassed the second highest international opening weekend for a Bollywood film in 2016 and is the highest opening weekend for a Karan Johar project. In the US, ADHM collected $2.1 million, while in Britain and Australia, the film raked in $752,000 and $307,045 respectively.
Shivaay, on the other hand, collected Rs 8.26 crore on Sunday. With collections of Rs 10.24 crore and Rs 10.06 crore on Friday and Saturday, the film has now made a total of Rs 28.56 crore, says trade analyst Taran Adarsh. Through a microblogging site, he said, “Diwali puja and festivities made a dent in the business of
Ae Dil Hai Mushkil and Shivaay on Sunday. Business should witness an upward trend on Monday and Tuesday.”
Delhi-based distributor Joginder Mahajan told a source, “People are more inclined towards festivities during Diwali. So this much collection is enough for both the films. The crucial days for Ae Dil Hai Mushkil and Shivaay are Monday and Tuesday.”
Keeping the box office collection in mind, Anushka Sharma believes Ranbir Kapoor is here to stay despite going through a phase where his films did not work at the box office. The actress teamed up with the actor for the second time in Ae Dil Hai Mushkil after Bombay Velvet, which did not do well. “Ranbir is a very good actor. He has given us some amazing films. I admire him for the choices he made at the beginning of his career. He did films like Rocket Singh: Salesman of the Year, Rajneeti, Barfi. It’s refreshing to see a young actor making such kind of choices,” Anushka told a source.
The actress, who also shares a great camaraderie off screen with Ranbir, said hits and flops are a part of every actor’s life. “Sometimes you will have films that will not work and that has happened to everyone. He just went through a phase in which his films did not do well and it’s fine. He is an actor, he is a performer. Ranbir is here to stay because of the actor that he is,” she added.
Their on-screen chemistry has been appreciated by the audience in the Karan Johar-directed movie and Anushka agrees that it is easier if you know your co-star well. Also starring Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, besides Shah Rukh Khan, Fawad Khan and Alia Bhatt in cameo, the film, according to producers, has made Rs 35.60 crore in India in three days.
(with IANS)