BackBollywood and Hollywood to co-exist in an action-packed weekend
Industry experts say there is little reason to worry as John Abraham's crime thriller Rocky Handsome releases with Batman v Superman
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New Delhi: In an anticipated face-off, the coming weekend will see two big-ticket action releases clashing at the box office—John Abraham’s crime thriller Rocky Handsome and Warner Bros’ superhero film Batman v Superman: Dawn Of Justice. But industry experts say there is little reason to worry for either movie.
“Films releasing simultaneously have done well in the past and I see no reason for these two to not co-exist either," confirmed trade analyst Taran Adarsh.
To be sure, Hollywood box office collection has been on the rise in India lately. On 8 January 2016, Mint had reported that Hollywood’s revenue in the country had jumped over 92% in 2015 compared to 2014. While films like Fast and Furious 7, Jurassic World and Avengers: Age of Ultron all contributed to the increase by crossing the ₹ 100 crore mark last year, Man of Steel, the precursor to Dawn of Justice made ₹ 21 crore in its opening weekend in 2013.
“Plus, it’s the first time that the two superheroes we’ve grown up reading are coming together," said trade analyst Atul Mohan. “There is great hype both in India and internationally."
The John Abraham-starrer, on the other hand, has created its own share of buzz, thanks to uniquely styled action sequences thrown generously into the trailer and an emotional hook to supplement it. The film tells the story of the unspoken bond and friendship a sombre assassin (played by Abraham) shares with a seven-year-old little girl. However, as many would admit, most of Abraham’s big hits have been multi-starrers, be it Dostana or Welcome Back and he is yet to deliver a real solo blockbuster. But the Hindi film has notched up a higher screen count—nearly 2,300 screens compared to 1,100-1,200 for the Hollywood flick.
“We’re planning a pan-India release and we think the film has what it takes to travel across the country," said Sunir Kheterpal, founder and chief executive officer at Azure Entertainment, co-producers of Rocky Handsome, adding that this is nothing like the scenario last December, referring to the clash between Shah Rukh Khan’s Dilwale and Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Bajirao Mastani.
“We announced the release date knowing well that Batman v Superman was coming. There are enough audiences for all of us and both films should do well. Plus, we’re the solo Hindi release," Kheterpal said.
A Warner Bros. India spokesperson declined to comment.
The two films, analyst Mohan emphasized, will benefit from the extended weekend beginning Thursday evening after Holi celebrations end. And while both are essentially action flicks, Rocky Handsome is likely to penetrate into tier-two and tier-three towns, while the superhero movie is meant more for urban, multiplex audiences.
But there is the Twenty20 World Cup as a possible deterrent and in case of Rocky Handsome, an adult censor rating that will limit young audiences about which, though, the producers are not really anxious.
“We applied for a ‘UA’ certificate and are quite happy with an ‘A’ without cuts. We don’t expect eight-year-olds to walk into the film, though from the feedback we’ve received, they’re quite kicked by the trailer," Kheterpal said. “They can always watch it on television when we get separate certification. But the film has no gore or nudity, the rating comes because of the basic theme."
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