Seven Films Next Friday!

By Anant Mathur (September 23, 2011)

Seven films (Chargesheet, Force, Hum Tum Shabana, Na Jaane Kabse..., Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster, Soundtrack and Tere Mere Phere) are releasing next friday (Sept. 30, 2011). I know we live in the world of multiplexes but which genius scheduled these films. Releasing 7 films on the same weekend is suicide. All seven films will be fighting with each others business not to mention competing with the previous big releases (Mausam, Mere Brother Ki Dulhan and Bodyguard). 

People in the Indian film industry have been suggesting for the last few years that it's not the stars but the script that works at the box office, well if that's the case, how do you explain that of the 8 hits this year 7 films had budgets over 10 crores. Two of these starred Salman Khan, one was with Ajay Devgn, one had the Deol Men and the others were made by prominent directors and/or production houses. 

The truth is no matter how good a script is Indian films still require star power to draw the audience into the theaters. There have been some cases in the past and recent present when some small budget films have been successful, but these films are exceptions not the rule. It's easy to see that all 7 film that are releasing on September 30 will flop at the box office - anyone with an ounce of intelligence could tell you that. Chargesheet is Dev Anand's next venture - I think it's great that at 87 Dev Anand is still making films - but let's get real... do people really want to watch a film starring Dev Anand, Jackie Shroff and Riya Sen in the lead roles. 

Would anyone in their right mind really want to spend 200 buck on a ticket for Chargesheet or would the audience rather save it for a film like Bodyguard, Ready, Singham, Don 2 or Ra.One, starring their favourite actor(s), especially when they can watch Chargesheet for free in a few weeks on Television. The same is true for the other six films releasing on Sept. 30th - none of them have any A-list actors - and John Abraham is not so popular that a 20 crore film (Force) riding solely on his shoulders will recover it's cost. 

If Force was made for a 5 crore budget it might have had a chance but at 20 crores it was going to be a flop before shooting ever began - the producer should've known this. When the star cast doesn't seem profitable on paper then how can you even think of filming it. If you have 20 crores to spend on a film, it's not difficult to generate another 5 crores and get A-list actors, unless of course the story is so bad no A-Lister wants to do it - in that case the money should be given to a charity or research organizations to help mankind - what's the point of wasting 20 crores on a film no one is going to come to watch.

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