 | « Back to article | Print this article |
'We didn't realise what a tsunami The Kashmir Files was going to be.'
Akshay Kumar's new film Bachchhan Paandey has been received with a shocking lack of enthusiasm by audiences.
And the film's team has only itself to blame for it.
Apparently, after Vivek Agnihotri's The Kashmir Files continued to grow at the box office, the producers of Bachchhan Paandey had been advised to postpone the film, which was to release a week later.
But they did not relent.
They felt an Akshay Kumar starrer could take on the non-star Kashmir Files.
Now, it remains to be seen how much damage The Kashmir Files inflicts on S S Rajamouli's RRR, which opens on Friday.
Personnel from three different multiplex chains inform Subhash K Jha that the advance booking for The Kashmir Files in the second week is at least 150 percent stronger than Bachchhan Paandey's opening day collections.
Suman Sinha, a single theatre exhibitor in Patna, says he has never seen anything like The Kashmir Files in his entire experience of 40 years.
"We did not release The Kashmir Files on March 11 in my theatre. It was a mistake that a lot of us exhibitors made," he says.
"We didn't realise what a tsunami The Kashmir Files was going to be. Instead, we released Radhe Shyam, which was a disaster. We have now released The Kashmir Files from the week beginning March 28," says Sinha.
He feels the "tsunami" will affect not only Bachchhan Paandey, but RRR as well.
"The Kashmir Files has found immense love and appreciation from the paying public," says trade analyst Taran Adarsh.
"The houseful boards across the country are proof that the film has worked big time at the box office. From East to West, North to South, the film has gone from strength to strength with each passing show and day. The film had a very limited release on Friday (March 11, when it released), but gradually, the word of mouth caught up and the screen count as well as the box office collections started zooming upwards," says Adarsh.
"The super success of The Kashmir Files indicates that the audience wants to watch a good film in the cinemas. Mind you, this film had to face a mighty opponent in Radhe Shyam, yet it overtook Radhe Shyam on Day 2 itself. That says it all," Adarsh adds.
Trade analyst and producer Girish Johar adds: "From its very first day, The Kashmir Files has had a very strong undercurrent. The film is very hard-hitting and gut-wrenching, and was bound to hit the audiences hard. And it did precisely that. Happy that the audiences took it very positively and has accepted the film with open arms."
"Also," adds Johar, "from the trade perspective it destroys all the present talks of star power, that OTT only giving good content and niche films won't work at BO. It's honestly a very heartening development and will give huge confidence to small and medium content-driven cinema."
Trade analyst Atul Mohan feels The Kashmir Files has gone much beyond a film.
"It has become a movement now! After a long time, we have a film that projects nothing but the truth. I won't call The Kashmir Files a film but an important chapter from history which we all should watch. It makes you think about Kashmiri Pandits and their pain. Now that our PM has also endorsed it, there will be no stopping it."
"What's happening with The Kashmir Files is the best thing that could happen to our pandemic-paralysed entertainment industry," says Maharashtra film exhibitor Akshay Rathi. "Everyone had started thinking that smaller films with no star-value are only apt for the OTT platform. That myth has been busted by The Kashmir Files."
"Vivek Agnihotri understands the pulse and politics of the nation. This is a huge victory for content-driven cinema and I hope more films up the ante when it comes to respecting the audiences's time money and intelligence," adds Rathi. "I am extremely happy to see The Kashmir Files marching ahead so confidently."
