‘Akshay understands the business of movie-making’
Last year, actor Akshay Kumar had three film releases — Airlift, Housefull 3 and Rustom — all of which did business of over R 100 crore. Now, Akshay’s first film of 2017,
Jolly LLB 2, is said to have been so meticulously planned that its makers claim the film has made profits even before its release on February 10.
A source explains, “When Akshay got on board for Jolly LLB 2, he had told the producers that the film will be finished within 100 days. Guess what? Akshay wrapped up the shooting in 30 days, thanks to strict schedules and smart setup.” The source adds that the film was also shot at actual locations. “So there were no sets to wait for or light bills to worry about. The songs were shot back-to-back. The crew was to follow a strict six-day schedule, and everyone had Sundays off. The cost of production was R 30 crore, and another R 15 crore was spent for print and advertising. Almost
R 45 crore has already been recovered through sales of satellite rights, music and digital ventures.”
All praise for Akshay, producer Vijay Singh says, “He’s one of the few stars who understands the business of movie-making. He understands the need to make films on a tight budget, and importance of actors charging a flat fee, which has resulted in our film being profitable. This is how the business model of films should be structured. It’s a win-win for everyone, and will make the film industry sustainable.”