The disappointing performance of big-budget and multilingual films War 2 and Coolie on their opening weekend, especially after the unexpected and extraordinary success of the low-budget Saiyaara, has reignited concerns about the box office revival, said producers, exhibitors and distributors.
War 2, the sixth offering of the Yash Raj Spy Universe, released across more than half of India’s total screens (including IMAX), recorded the lowest opening of Rs 29 crore for the Hindi version in the Spy Universe, according to data from Sacnilk. Similarly, Coolie recorded a 45.8% drop in its collection across languages on Monday, compared to that on Sunday, the data showed.
Overall, in the first four days, War 2 and Coolie collected Rs 165 crore and Rs 195 crore respectively in India. Both films were made with a budget of Rs 350-450 crore each.
“The disappointing performance of War 2 and Coolie is a reminder that hype and stars cannot guarantee longevity to films,” said Suniel Wadhwa, co-founder and director, Karmic Films. “This tendency to create pan-India offerings through stars merely provides a high opening day collection. But sustained success is dictated only by content.”
Industry executives said one of the factors responsible for the progressive decline in collection on the opening weekend was the lack of freshness and entertaining elements in the scripts of both films.
“I cannot differentiate one film from the other in the six films of the Yash Raj Spy Universe. It is the same story which is repeated with different stars. Dialogues are dull. There is no thrill or engaging quality to the confrontation between the two central characters in War 2,” said Ameya Naik, founder, Fantasy Films, an event management company. “Coolie has benefited considerably from Rajnikanth’s stardom. Though Coolie may be better than War 2, its screenplay falters and it does not entertain you.”
ADVERTISEMENT
Audiences and distributors also mentioned the glaring lack of visual richness, especially in War 2, as another disappointing factor.
“A large portion of War 2’s budget is invested in actors’ fees. The film’s visual effects do not justify its budget at all. This makes the viewing experience even more dull as the story lacks freshness and conviction. The film has benefited more from the holiday period,” said Shaaminder Malik, a film distributor and trade analyst.
Exhibitors, on the other hand, said they were concerned about the increasing tendency among producers to treat films as “projects”.
ADVERTISEMENT
“These films would recover investments. In recent years, things have become so formulaic. Makers are making ‘projects’. We have lost our model of success. Today, big producers with large distribution networks are interested in recovering money through sale of rights and other assets,” said Yusuf Shaikh, CEO and founder, Janta Cinema, an exhibitor which showcases films at affordable prices. “Producers will recover their money as the formula is working. But the audience is disappointed.”
Trade analysts said exhibitors plan to increase the shows of Saiyaara and Mahavatar Narsimha to utilise the period before the next big release. Saiyaara, made with a budget of Rs 35 crore, has recorded a box-office collection of Rs 324.75 crore (India net) since its release on July 18. Now, analysts are pinning hopes on Jolly LLB 3, Thama, Dhurandhar and Hollywood films such as Avatar: Fire and Ash and Zootopia 2.
