It’s the middle of the year and Bollywood isn’t doing as great a business as last year. The first half hasn’t been that great, but yes there have been a few films that have done well at the box office. One reason for the downturn ofcourse was the 60-day strike between the producers and the multiplex owners.
Here they are…
1. 99 – Yes, this comedy did come in as a breath of fresh cinematic air. Not only was this well received at the multiplexes, even the critics weren’t complaining. However, it didn’t do just as well in the many single screens. Largely a metro film, it was a moderate success.
2. Dev D – This modern take on Devdas with Abhay Deol in the title role did bring in the moolah and the audiences. However, being a dark film, it wasn’t an all-out family film (there were many adult unmentionables, too) which didn’t make it a hit. However, the collections were ‘above average’ and went on to run for 20 weeks at Delhi multiplexes, a rarity achieved due to the strike.
3. Slumdog Crorepati – Though initially the English version was seen to be doing better than the Hindi version, eventually the Hindi version took over. Consider it the Oscar touch or the fantastic way it exposed Mumbai’s underbelly, the film went on to do some good business. The verdict of ‘semi hit’ came as a surprise to its makers and brought the much needed relief to a beleaguered Hindi film industry.
4. Raaz The Mystery Continues – This sequel to Raaz did phenomenal business on the first weekend (there were four days this time because of an extra Republic Day). However, the business fell subsequently and robbed it of its initial sheen. And still, the film was declared a ‘semi hit’ by the industry because the makers had not only recovered their monies but also made a neat profit.
5. New York – This Aditya Chopra produced film did good business and became the first ‘hit’ film of 2009. With the backdrop of 9/11, not only was the film relevant, but the actors made it even more so with their superlative performance, be it Katrina, John Abraham or Neil Nitin Mukesh.
6. This slot could be filled by Kambakhht Ishq if the film sustains through the week and fares well on its second weekend. Lets wait and watch.