Akshay Kumar, Ajay Devgn, and Varun Dhawan come first, supported ably by Irrfan Khan, Rajkummar Rao, and Ayushmann Khurrana
The first 10 months of 2017 have been truly disappointing at the box office. If you check the track record of Bollywood films in this period, you will clearly see most have fallen by the wayside. Many reasons are attributed to this. Poor content, poorer execution and in some cases just pure bad luck.
“Poor content... that’s the only reason why the first 10 months of 2017 have proven to be bad for the film industry,” says trade analyst and TV host, Komal Nahta. “Only nine or 10 of the 90 odd movies that released in the first nine months ran,” says producer-distributor NR Pachisia. He adds, “Till the Diwali releases, Golmaal Again and Secret Superstar came along to end the drought, Bollywood was really thirsting for success.” Another trade observer says, “The collection of Bahubali 2: The Conclusion (Hindi version), also gave respite to Bollywood’s relatively empty kitty.”
Diwali cheer
Of course, the Diwali releases added cheer. Rohit Shetty and Ajay Devgn’s Golmaal Again has already notched up around Rs 180 crore mark in 18 days, and the film continues its golden run. The Aamir Khan production Secret Superstar is also holding up against the Goliath Golmaal. For a film that was reportedly made at a modest budget of around Rs 10 crore, the film has already netted Rs 56 odd crore so far. That means it has multiplied its investment by almost five times.
B-Town’s dependables
The most dependable superstars in Bollywood at this moment are Akshay Kumar and Varun Dhawan. Akshay hit the bull’s eye with Jolly LLB 2 that earned Rs 107.40 crore and his Toilet: Ek Prem Katha did a business of Rs 132.10 crore, clearly indicating that he is unassailable.
Number game
Varun’s Badrinath Ki Dulhania earned Rs 114.12 crore and his Judwaa 2 earned something to the tune of Rs 132 crore. Salman Khan’s Tubelight was a disappointment for investors, but it still crossed the Rs 100 crore mark and took the final tally to Rs 117.02 crore. Shah Rukh Khan also managed to bring in Rs 131.65 crore for his bootlegger run in Raees. But his turn as a tourist guide in Jab Harry Met Sejal was rejected outright. Komal further adds, “Writers, filmmakers, and actors had taken the audience for granted. They hoped that the public would lap up whatever they offered in the name of entertainment. But such films had to bite the dust. The sad part is that costly films like Jab Harry Met Sejal and Tubelight faced rejection. It’s sad because big and costly films entail huge losses when they are rejected.”
Content rules
On the other hand, meaningful cinema got its rightful due; Hindi Medium, Shubh Mangal Saavdhan, and Bareilly Ki Barfi brought in ample cheer for the investors and public alike. Irrfan Khan, Ayushmann Khurrana and Rajkummar Rao proved their mettle with these outings. In fact, Rajkummar’s Newton got accolades and box office numbers.
In the end...
But in the sublime versus ridiculous scenario of Bollywood, the sublime was clearly outnumbered by the ridiculous because it is Golmaal Again which is now inching towards the Rs 200 crore mark. And as per the final tally, it is the collection of this blockbuster that will help offset some of the colossal losses incurred by the trade in the last few months.
(Collections mentioned are approximate India box-office nett figures compiled from reliable trade sources)
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