The first six months have seen some of the biggest hits and some disappointments
The first half of 2019 has been quite productive as far as Bollywood BO numbers go. While films like URI: The Surgical Strike, Gully Boy, Bharat and Kabir Singh have done exceedingly well, many big-budget projects didn’t click with the audiences. Trade analyst Taran Adarsh observes, “The first half of 2019 has been quite good. We’ve had many successes and if we compare it with the previous years, the ratio of hits have gone up.” And content has been king in masala as well as off-beat outings. Taran corroborates, “The films that have clicked are all content-driven, entertaining and within commercial parameters. Films like Luka Chuppi, PM Narendra Modi, Bharat and Kabir Singh, for instance.”
Here’s a low-down on what was hot and what was not.
1. TOP GROSSERS
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Vicky Kaushal’s Uri: The Surgical Strike became one of the biggest hits of 2019 and marked a positive beginning of the year. The Aditya Dhar-directorial was based on India’s surgical strikes on Pakistan in 2016. Vicky also proved that he can carry the film on his shoulders and he is in it for the long haul. The patriotic project raked in a mind-boggling Rs 244.50 crore.
Ranveer Singh’s successful streak continues. If it was Padmaavat last year, this year the 34-year-old actor won hearts as rapper Murad in Zoya Akhtar’s Gully Boy, which also featured Alia Bhatt in a leading role and set the ticket windows on fire with a collection of Rs 134.21 crore.
That Akshay Kumar is one of the most consistent actors when it comes to delivering hits goes without saying. Khiladi Kumar’s war drama Kesari wowed the audiences and proved why he is one of the most bankable names in the industry. The movie made Rs 151 crore.
Salman Khan’s annual Eid release, Bharat, was one of the most-anticipated projects and it did not disappoint fans one bit. Dabangg Khan’s portrayal as Bharat was the soul of the film and yet again showed his prowess. The larger-than-life extravaganza earned Rs 197.26 crore.
Ajay Devgn and Madhuri Dixit’s ensemble comedy Total Dhamaal once again proved that comedy always works. The third part in the Dhamaal franchise did superbly at the box-office and collected a whopping approx Rs 150 crore.
However, the biggest surprise yet this year has been Shahid Kapoor-starrer, Kabir Singh. The official remake of Telugu blockbuster Arjun Reddy has had polarised reviews but it is emerging as one of the highest-grossing films of 2019. It has already minted Rs 240 crore and shows no signs of slowing down.
2. BIG ONES
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Kartik Aaryan and Kriti Sanon’s Luka Chuppi, which revolved around live-in relationships, collected Rs 94.15 crore at the BO.
Ajay Devgn has got a unique connection with comedies and even those outside of the Golmaal franchise work for him. De De Pyaar De was one such film this year with Rs 94 crore collections.
Amitabh Bachchan and Taapsee Pannu’s Badla turned out to be a hit as well as the actors recreated the magic of Pink (2016). The mystery thriller generated a big buzz and filled the coffers with Rs 87.56 crore.
If it was AndhaDhun for Ayushmann Khurrana last year, this time Article 15 became the talk of the town as it focussed on caste conflict. It was off to a good start and has collected nearly Rs 50 crore.
Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi almost touched the Rs 100-crore mark.
3. THE BUMMERS
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Sonam K Ahuja’s same-sex relationship drama Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga (ELKDTAL) was appreciated for its bold and progressive content. She shared the screen space with her dad Anil Kapoor for the first time, too. Despite this, ELKDTAL tanked and could only collect Rs 19.31 crore.
Arjun Kapoor’s latest release, India’s Most Wanted, was panned by critics and viewers alike. The drama barely reached double figures with Rs 10.62 crore.
Karan Johar’s magnum opus Kalank featured a heavyweight line-up of Varun Dhawan, Alia Bhatt, Sonakshi Sinha, Madhuri Dixit, Sanjay Dutt and Aditya Roy Kapur. Despite a good opening, it soon fizzled out and earned Rs 80 crore at the cash registers.
Ananya Panday and Tara Sutaria’s Bollywood launchpad, Student Of The Year 2, also starring Tiger Shroff, was criticised for its content. It could not capitalise on the buzz and did a business of Rs 65 crore.
Sushant Singh Rajput is searching for that elusive hit as his dacoit drama Sonchiriya was a shocker at the box-office and didn’t even cross Rs 6 crore.
John Abraham is trying to create a niche for himself by doing content-driven cinema. The handsome hunk’s Romeo Akbar Walter did an average business of close to Rs 39 crore. Taran points out, “Films like Kalank and Student Of The Year 2 did badly at the box-office. Only big names won’t succeed and it boils down to powerful content. Total Dhamaal, Kesari and Gully Boy had big stars as well as content, that’s why they worked well.”
The year also had Hollywood biggies such as Avengers: Endgame and Spider-Man: Far From Home that bolstered the footfalls. Taran states, “Both these movies have done really well, too. So, it has been a landmark year for the industry. If we compare it to 2018, the number of hits has been higher.”
DISCLAIMER: Approximate India Nett Box Office figures from Box Office India, till the time of going to press.
