JTHJ and SOS Second Week Collections!

By Anant Mathur (November 27, 2012)

It's official! Jab Tak Hai Jaan and Son of Sardaar are both box office flops despite releasing on an extended 6 day Diwali weekend. As usual, it was the big budgets which did both these films in. Jab Tak Hai Jaan had a budget of 50 Crores and managed 92 Crores nett after 2 weeks - giving its distributors approx. 45 crores. Meanwhile, Son of Sardaar with a budget of 80 crores has earned approx. 80 Crores nett and managed a share of 39 Crores for its distributors and will likely generate huge losses for them. It is unlikely that either of these films will cross the 100 crores mark or earn enough revenue to be profitable in the coming weeks. JTHJ may recover some of its losses from satellite and music rights, but there's no hope of recovery for Son of Sardaar... it'll be sending out an SOS.

I have said it many times in previous posts, but I must repeat again... Bollywood cannot release two big budget films in the same week, they cut in on each other's business and if the reviews and word of mouth are not favourable both films suffer. If only JTHJ had released on the Diwali weekend it would have released on many of the screen which were taken by SOS, and with only one choice on Diwali weekend JTHJ would have taken a larger audience and earned more than what it did and perhaps even shattered records. But the coveted Diwali weekend - which is rarely ever profitable to distributors - does not deserve the attention it receives at least not 'till they stop releasing multiple films. For Diwali weekend to be profitable, Bollywood filmmakers need to be smarter (a long stretch I know) and release one film that day. But, as Forrest Gump says "stupid is as stupid does" and you have to be really stupid not to look at historical data which shows whenever 2 or more big budget films are released on Diwali weekend, they both suffer.

© Anant Mathur. All Rights Reserved. 

Six Day Diwali Weekend...

By Anant Mathur (November 19, 2012) 

After a long time a Yash Raj Film was released on the DIWALI WEEKEND. The one time of the year where records are expected to shatter more than any other, but it seems that expectations fall short when it's a Shahrukh Khan film releasing on the Diwali Weekend. The biggest weekend these days turns out to be anytime a Salman Khan or Aamir Khan film is releasing. Considering that Jab Tak Hai Jaan had a budget of 50 crores, it's disappointing that it has only managed to collect 73.68 crores in it's extended 6 day weekend, especially since it's Yash Copra's last film and last years Diwali release Ra.One (also a SRK film) managed to collect 80.97 crores in just 5 days.

The other Diwali release of 2012, Son of Sardaar managed to collect 57.94 crores in it's first 6 days. With a budget of 80 crores it's highly doubtful that the makers will earn any profit from its theatrical run. 

After the first weekend, a big release usually runs out of steam, although by some miracle JTHJ might cross the 100 crores in nett collections mark, it's looking very doubtful that either of these films will reach that goal. 

© Anant Mathur. All Rights Reserved.

This Diwali...Mixed Reviews!

By Anant Mathur (November 15, 2012)



Hello movie fans... As you know, this Diwali week, 2 Bollywood movies were released and will enjoy an extended 6 day weekend as both were released on November 13th. Of course the films I'm talking about are the much awaited Yash Chopra swan song Jab Tak Hai Jaan and the Ajay Devgn produced comedy Son of Sardaar. The starcast for Jab Tak Hai Jaan includes Shahrukh Khan, Katrina Kaif and Anushka Sharma while Son of Sardaar stars Ajay Devgn, Sonakshi Sinha, Sanjay Dutt and Juhi Chawala.

The house was not full for either film on opening day due largely to the fact that people were too busy with Diwali puja and festivities. Overall, in most places occupancy was only 70-80% for JTHJ and about 60-65% for SOS. Although SOS received bad reviews and negative feedback from critics and cinemagoers, JTHJ is another story, literally (LOL), it's garnering mixed reviews and mixed feedback - people either love it or hate it. 

As expected, collections did pickup on day 2 - approximately 50% for JTHJ and an incredible 70% for SOS. The two days collection for both films are 32 Crores [12.5 Cr. (day 1) + 19.5 Cr. (day 2)] for JTHJ and 23 Crores [8.5 Cr. (day 1) + 14.5 Cr. (day 2)] for SOS.

It's difficult to predict where the films will end up on the highest grossing list, but it does look like JTHJ has the possibility of joining the 100 crores club and SOS will certainly come close to it. The extended weekend will help both films and by the end of the first weekend we should get a clearer picture of where the films stand.

© Anant Mathur. All Rights Reserved. 

Top 10 of Bond...

By Anant Mathur (November 7, 2012)



No doubt by now you've heard that Skyfall - the 23rd Bond film - is releasing this week. To celebrate this milestone, here are a few of my favourite Bond things...

TOP 10 BOND FILMS:
10. The Living Daylights
09. Moonraker
08. Goldfinger
07. From Russia With Love
06. Tomorrow Never Dies
05. Licence To Kill
04. Casino Royale
03. You Only Live Twice
02. On Her Majesty's Secret Service
01. Dr. No

TOP 10 VILLAINS:
10. Elliot Carver (Tomorrow Never Dies)
09. Renard/Viktor Zokas (The World Is Not Enough)
08. Dominic Greene (Quantum of Solace)
07. Franz Sanchez (Licence To Kill)
06. Francisco Scaramanga (Man with the Golden Gun)
05. Hugo Drax (Moonraker)
04. Dr. Julius No (Dr. No)
03. Emilio Largo (Thunderball)
02. Auric Goldfinger (Goldfinger)
01. Ernst Stavro Blofeld (From Russia with Love, Thunderball, You Only Live Twice, On Her Majesty's Secret Service, Diamonds Are Forever and For Your Eyes Only)

TOP 10 CARS:
10. Sunbeam Alpine (Dr. No)
09. Aston Martin DB5 (Goldeneye)
08. Aston Martin V8 Volante (Licence To Kill)
07. Lotus Esprit Turbo (For Your Eyes Only)
06. Aston Martin Vanquish (Die Another Day)
05. Aston Martin DBS (Casino Royale)
04. BMW Z3 (Goldeneye)
03. Aston Martin DB5 (Goldfinger, Thunderball)
02. BMW Z8 (The World Is Not Enough)
01. Lotus Esprit (The Spy Who Loved Me) 

TOP 10 GADGETS:
10. Fake Fingerprint (Diamonds Are Forever)
09. The 'Felix Lighter' (Live and Let Die)
08. Seiko Quartz watch (The Spy Who Loved Me)
07. TV Watch (Octopussy)
06. Ballpoint Pen (Goldeneye)
05. Microchip implant (Casino Royale)
04. MI6 Profile Touchscreen (Quantum of Solace)
03. Walther PPK/S 9mm short (Skyfall)
02. Signature Camera Gun (Licence To Kill)
01. Walther PPK 7.65mm (Dr. No) 

TOP 10 HENCHMEN:
10. Mr. Osato (You Only Live Twice)
09. Miranda Frost (Die Another Day)
08. May Day (A View To A Kill)
07. Vargas (Thunderball)
06. Irma Bunt (On Her Majesty's Secret Service)
05. Oddjob (Goldfinger)
04. Helga Brandt (You Only Live Twice)
03. Rosa Klebb (From Russia with Love)
02. Nick Nack (Man with the Golden Gun)
01. Jaws (The Spy Who Loved Me, Moonraker)

TOP 10 BOND GIRLS:
10. Xenia Onatopp
09. Holly Goodhead
08. Anya Amasova
07. Plenty O'Toole
06. Pam Bouvier
05. Pussy Galore
04. Sylvia Trench
03. Contessa Teresa di Vicenzo
02. Honey Rider
01. Vesper Lynd


IF YOU ENJOYED THIS, PLEASE VISIT MY POSTS ON: 
50 Years of Bond, James Bond...

© Anant Mathur. All Rights Reserved. 

50 Years of Bond, James Bond...

By Anant Mathur (November 4, 2012)

This year marks the 50th year of the James Bond-007 film series. The 23rd film in the series, Skyfall, releases this Friday. To better prepare you for Skyfall here are a few secrets and facts you need to know:

-Ian Fleming's first James Bond novel Casino Royale was published in 1953.

-The film that kicked of the James Bond-007 series of films was the Sean Connery starer Dr. No, it was directed by Terence Young who also directed two other Bond films - From Russia With Love and Thunderball.

-Sean Connery left the series after You Only Live Twice (Bond #5). 

-In 1969, George Lazenby took over with Bond #6 - but he decided to leave the series after just 1 film - On Her Majesty's Secret Service. Connery was asked to come back for Diamonds Are Forever because Roger Moore was not available due to his commitment to his TV series The Saint. 

-Roger Moore finally took over from Live and Let Die (Bond #8) and did seven Bond films in total before Timothy Dalton took over for 2 films, followed by Pierce Brosnan (4 films) and Daniel Craig who has done 3 films and signed on to do at least 2 more (at the time of this post).

-Sean Connery was 32 when the first James Bond film Dr. No was Released. Roger Moore is 3 years older than Sean Connery. Moore was 45 when he took over from Connery who was 42 at the time. 

-Roger Moore Played Bond for 12 years - the longest of any actor. He was also the oldest actor to play Bond when he retired from the series at the age of 58.

-George Lazenby was the youngest actor to play James Bond. He was 30 years old when On Her Majesty's Secret Service was released in 1969. Lazenby was also the only actor still in his 20s when shooting of the film began.

-Several editors of the Bond film series also directed a few of the later films. Peter R. Hunt who was the editor for the first 5 Bond films got to direct Bond #6 (On Her Majesty's Secret Service) before he left the series. John Glen was editor of OHMSS and also edited 2 Others before directing Roger Moore in 3 films and Timothy Dalton in both his appearances as Bond. 

-John Glen has directed the most number of Bond films with 5 credits as director.

-James Bond's weapon of choice is the Walther PPK.

-'M' is the head of the Foreign Intelligence wing of Her Majesty's Secret Service.

-Q Branch, The Armorer Division of HMSS, has long been a position of pride for its head, who goes by the codename of Q.

-James Bond was once married to Contessa Teresa di Vicenzo.

-SPECTRE (SPecial Executive for Counter-intelligence, Terrorism, Revenge and Extortion) is a fictional global terrorist organization featured in the James Bond series.

-Quantum is a fictional criminal organization, featured as the antagonists in the James Bond films Casino Royale, and its sequel, Quantum of Solace. Quantum filled in for SMERSH from the Casino Royale novel, and subsequently became a sort of successor or revision to both SMERSH from the early novels and SPECTRE from the early years of the film series.

-Ernst Stavro Blofeld is a supervillain from the James Bond series. Blofeld is head of the global criminal organisation SPECTRE and is commonly referred to as Number 1, an official numerical position given to members of SPECTRE. Blofeld appears or is heard in 6 films.

-Miss Moneypenny, is secretary to M. Although she has a small part in the films, it is always highlighted by the underscored romantic tension between her and James Bond.

-Felix Leiter is an operative for the CIA and Bond's friend. After losing a leg and his hand to a shark attack, Leiter joined the Pinkerton Detective Agency.

-Sylvia Trench was the first "Bond Girl", she was played by Eunice Gayson and appeared in the first two Bond films. 

-Maud Adams is the only actress to appear three times in the Bond film series. She played Andrea Anders in The Man with the Golden Gun, then she was Octavia Charlotte Smythe in the film Octopussy and had a cameo as an extra in Roger Moore's last Bond film, A View to a Kill.

LIST OF BOND GIRLS: 
Sylvia Trench, Honey Rider, Tatiana Romanova, Pussy Galore, Jill Masterton, Domino Vitali, Kissy Suzuki, Contessa Teresa di Vicenzo, Tiffany Case, Plenty O'Toole, Solitaire, Mary Goodnight, Andrea Anders, Anya Amasova, Holly Goodhead, Melina Havelock, Octopussy, Stacey Sutton, Kara Milovy, Pam Bouvier, Lupe Lamora, Natalya Simonova, Xenia Onatopp, Paris Carver, Wai Lin, Christmas Jones, Elektra King, Jinx, Solange Dimitrios, Vesper Lynd, Camille Montes, Strawberry Fields and Sévérine.

To truly understand the character of James Bond in film, On Her Majesty's Secret Service is a crucial film in the series, and thus, should not be watched until the first 5 films have been seen and no other Bond film in the series should be watched until OHMSS has been seen. It has many secrets and revelations that help you understand the transformation of Bond from Connery to Lazeby to Moore and the rest.


IF YOU ENJOYED THIS, PLEASE VISIT MY POSTS ON: 
Top 10 of Bond...

© Anant Mathur. All Rights Reserved.