Avariciously, with drool trickling along the mouth, Bollywood is collecting money with both hands this week. Like the song from Welcome to the Jungle, everyone is singing— iska paisa, mera paisa. And, like Dhamaal-4, everyone’s perpetually on a money hunt.
Akshay and Ajay are having a blast
Akshay Kumar’s adventure-comedy, Welcome to the Jungle (WTTJ) is on its last leg. However, it refuses to die. Ajay Devgn’s crackpot-comedy, Dhamaal 4 (D4), the new mass-entertainer, has eaten into WTTJ’s share. The comic-adventure has managed a domestic collection of around 127 cr in 17 days and an overseas number of approximately 33 cr in the same period; D4, has literally toppled WTTJ in the domestic market by collecting around 65 cr just in its opening weekend in India and 14 cr overseas in the same period (3 days).
Is this the right time to rejoice?
Yes and no. Yes, because the Welcome and Dhamaal franchises have given Akshay and Ajay, the much-needed box office respite, by getting them footfalls for their third and fourth instalments respectively. And, no because many other Hindi films have not managed the similar levels of patronage.
The girls—Alpha, Baby couldn’t seduce…
Alpha (read Alia Bhatt) despite all the negative criticism, held its head high at the box office for a few days. It has collected something to the tune of 53 cr in the ghar ka market in 10 days. In the corresponding period it also collected around 26 cr overseas. But this is a poor show only because the landing cost of the film is high. Alia reportedly took a handsome fee of around 25 cr for Alpha and YRF also spent lavishly. The budget is rumoured to stand at around 125 cr plus. And, American action choreographer Craig MacRae, who is a diva, took home an envious fee, something even more than Alia.
Huma Qureshi’s Baby Do Die Do collected a shameful 4.72 cr in 10 days, making it a disaster of an epic proportion.
After all the skin-show, Cocktail 2 settled at average
After starting well, Dinesh Vijan’s Cocktail 2 with Kriti Sanon, Shahid Kapoor and Rashmika Mandanna stopped charming the desi-box-office. It couldn’t go beyond 91.52 cr in its entire run from June 19 till July 12. The film that was shallow, stopped delivering numbers despite the “much-needed” hand-holding from the concerned parties.
Even the soul couldn’t save this one
Imtiaz Ali’s Main Vaapas Aaunga, a poignant but never-ending tale of love and longing between those separated in the Indo-Pak partition, resonated with a few. Some of the audience was drawn to Diljit Dosanjh’s charisma but despite best efforts from the makers to label it a sleeper hit, it sadly “breathed” its last way too soon. When comic capers like WTTJ and D4 marched ahead, MVA was quietly shown the door. Audiences in Maharashtra and Gujarat especially gave the comedies a better chance, than they gave the emotional MVA. As of July 12, the film had collected 62.16 cr and has been labelled average.
Ab intezaar hai firangi ka
It is almost as if all royalty and commoners are standing to attention. Celebrated filmmaker, Christopher Nolan (Interstellar (2014), Oppenheimer (2023), who was in India to promote his upcoming film The Odyssey releasing on July 17, has cast a spell on the local audience. A trade source says, “The Indian box office for the next few weeks will be dominated by The Odyssey. So, desi films will get limited engagement. Exhibitors like PVR-Inox, etc have thrown open their booking charts for Nolan. His film is likely to get a lion’s share of the shows in comparison to the local fare.” In other words, firang mewa khayega, locals will gape open-mouthed.
After all, Nolan’s cinema is in a league of its own.
