A GREAT KICKOFF!
As Baaghi 2 starts its journey on a high note, we take a look at how the first quarter of 2018 has seen unprecedented success
Historically, the first three months of the year have never been considered very beneficial for Hindi films. The film trade as well as filmmakers have always banked heavily on the second half of the year to mint money at the box office. But this year, the first three months have witnessed an unprecedented success rate for Bollywood. THE LINEUP Here’s the latest example: within four days of its release, Baaghi 2 has made over ₹85 crore in India. This film was preceded by other huge hits such as Padmaavat (over ₹300 crore), Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety (SKTKS; about ₹108 crore), Raid (over ₹97 crore), Pad Man (almost ₹80 crore), Hichki (over ₹35 crore) and Pari (about ₹25 crore). As if that wasn’t enough, Tiger Zinda January, and most of the films mentioned above are still showing in theatres. To put this into perspective, sources in the trade say the box office saw only three bona fide hits — Kaabil, Jolly LLB 2 and Badrinath Ki Dulhania — in the same period last year.
Trade analyst Taran Adarsh says, “The first quarter has come as a really refreshing change after several setbacks [last year], negativity and gloomy faces. Usually, we don’t see such consecutive box office hits in the first three months, so it has come as a ray of hope. Audiences want to be entertained, and if they spen nd their hard-earned money on na film, they should get that kin nd of experience too.” CREATING HITS Film-makers are, of course, kicked about the good reception at the box office. Nadiadwala feels cinema is “huge unifying factor in our country”. “Our true success lies in the universality of the response we’ve got. These are nprecedented n numbers and it hows that if we get our ontent right, the audiences ill i make our industry grow y leaps and bounds,” says adiadwala, a whose last elease, Judwaa 2, was also a 100 crore hit. Raid and SKTKS producer hushan h Kumar concurs. After a not-so great 2017 for he industry, 2018 couldn’t ave started on a blockbuster ote. In recent times, I don’t emember the first quarter of a ear being so fantastic. It feels reat when your hard work ays off. We have always endeavoured to come up with content-driven films that are relatable and have a real element,” he says.
What about the actors? Well, they feel a film should “connect” with the audiences. Hichki star Rani Mukerji says, “I have been in the industry for 22 years now, but you never know what the audience will like or won’t. Sometimes, films connect [with people] and sometimes they don’t. All we have to hope for is that the audiences connect [with a film]. With Hichki, they have connected in a very big way.”