Yesterday Shah Rukh Khan’s Eid release Chennai Express was in the news for the satellite rights of the film, which have been acquired by upcoming channel End Films, owned by Zee group for Rs40 crore. The record for the highest satellite rights of a film belongs to Salman Khan’s Dabangg2 (Rs44 crore). It is learned that the channel will cough up more than the said amount if this Rohit Shetty directed film if/when it crosses the Rs100-crore mark. Barely 24 hours after the news of CE being sold at Rs40 crore on satellite, comes a bigger shocker. Two channels – Colours and Sony – are vying for the satellite rights of Aamir Khan-starrer Dhoom 3. The price that the two channels are offering is a whopping Rs75 crore.
Why the big bucks?
Dhoom 3, from Yash Raj Films is a huge and a hit franchise. The film is carrying great reports. Aamir Khan holds the distinction of having India’s biggest hit (3 Idiots) to his credit, so it is logical that a film that he is so confident about is most sought after. And in this one he is – for the first time in his career – playing a baddie. He has gone all out for this film. He has learnt swimming for months because he needed to shoot some underwater scenes. He has also done the kind of action he has never attempted before.
Adds an industry insider, “Aamir has surpassed himself with this film. He is an perfectionist and always pushes himself to the limits but this time it looks like he is out to prove a point. He has paid equal attention to the romance part in the film as well. he rehearsed for two months for one song in the film! Now that’s dedication.”
Added attraction
Dhoom 3 is also the first time that Aamir Khan and Katrina Kaif will be seen together on the screen. The actress who comes with the ‘lucky’ label has seriously upped the glamour quotient. There have been reports that she will be sporting a bikini for the first time.
Similarly, Dhoom and Dhoom 2 had John Abraham and Hrithik Roshan, respectively as con men. With Dhoom 3 Aamir Khan wants to be the ultimate bad man and break the record he created on Christmas (2009) for the biggest hit with 3 Idiots. A source said, “Aamir is supremely confident about Dhoom 3. He has been heard telling people that if there’s one film that can touch Rs300 crore it is Dhoom 3 and everyone knows Aamir never talks loose.”
Brand Dhoom
The studio has spent Rs150 crore in the making of this film. Rafique Gangjee from YRF says, “The Dhoom franchise, like all our films, is very dear to us. Dhoom 3, which releases this Christmas, is the most anticipated film of the year. In the years to come, we certainly look forward to more Dhoom sequels.” Trade analyst Komal Nahata says, “Prior to Chennai Express, the film which fetched the highest price for telecast rights on the tube was Dabangg 2 which fetched Rs44-45 crore. However, Komal says he hasn’t heard about what price that Dhoom 3 is fetching, “I do know that Colours and Sony are vying for it but the market forces wouldn’t justify that. A more real estimate would be Rs55-58 crore.
Dhoom 3 is a very exciting film and it will get the highest price till date. It will get a better price than Chennai Express as every new film breaks the records of its predecessor.”
Jayantilal Gada, CMD of Pen India, the agency that acquires satellite rights for End Films confirms, “The price for satellite rights of Chennai Express is Rs40 crore plus and not Rs48 crore as reported. The price is Rs40 crore plus for seven years, with a link to box office performance. I am not in competition to buy the satellite rights of Dhoom 3, so I don’t know how much the satellite rights are being negotiated for.
YRF always sells their satellite rights to Sony. It can’t be true that Colours is competing for it. If YRF is getting Rs75 crore for the satellite rights, it is a huge price. Both the prices of Chennai Express and Dhoom 3 are not justified as because of different channels vying to buy the rights, the price gets inflated.”
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