Only one big release for Independence Day this year

The Independence Day weekend has given Bollywood some thundering box office successes like Singham Returns and Ek Tha Tiger. This year, it is Brothers, starring Akshay Kumar and Siddharth Malhotra, that hopes to capitalise on the holiday weekend.

Initial reports indicate the film may have succeeded, though word of mouth advertising will play a crucial role in the movie’s performance over the weekend.

Suniel Wadhwa, independent distributor and box office analyst, said, “Brothers opened to a good response on day one with occupancies on average 35-40 per cent. The film opened similar to Akshay Kumar’s last film, Gabbar is Back. Evening shows are expected to strengthen collections.”

“Since August 15 is one of the biggest holidays of the year, it may help the film with the second biggest opening of the year after Bajrangi Bhaijaan. The film’s opening weekend is expected to be around Rs 55-60 crore,” Wadhwa added.

The Independence Day weekend was expected to see stiff competition because Yash Raj Films was  supposed to release Fan, starring Shah Rukh Khan, on Friday. Post-production delays have, however, pushed the film’s release to April 15 next year. “Brothers is the only big release this weekend and we have high hopes. We are expecting the majority of the business to come from it,” said Devang Sampat, head of strategy for Cinepolis India. The Mexican multiplex chain that entered India in 2009 opened its second property— five screens, all with Dolby surround sound and three with 3D—in Hyderabad on Friday.

Exhibitors are not spoilt for choice in programming their screens this weekend. The past few weeks have been eventful for movies in India. Whether it was the thunderous success of SS Rajamouli’s magnum opus Baahubali— Rs 250 crore net after tax—or Salman Khan’s Bajrangi Bhaijaan, which broke records and struck a chord with audiences in a way Khan’s films do not usually do, moviegoers have been entertained. Drishyam, starring Ajay Devgn and Tabu, will also receive an extended run.

“By the end of two weeks Drishyam has managed to make around Rs 60 crore. It should comfortably cross the Rs 65-70 crore mark despite the release of Brothers. The film has underperformed in the North because it is a remake. Since it has been remade into all four south Indian languages, it has seen a dent in the South market,” Wadhwa said.

He added Bajrangi Bhaijaan and Baahubali (Hindi) would add to their collections and finish the weekend at Rs 320 crore and Rs 115 crore, respectively.

A slew of Hollywood films have also made their presence felt recently. Leading the way is Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation, starring Tom Cruise and Jeremy Renner. The fifth instalment in the two-decade old franchise, Rogue Nation collected Rs 43 crore in its opening weekend and continues to do well, thanks to good reviews all around.

Other Hollywood films that may see footfalls on the weekend include Minions 3D, Inside Out 3D, Mr Holmes, Vacation, and Shaun the Sheep. While not all these movies are playing across the country, exhibitors have made sure to have at least one show of Minions 3D, Inside Out 3D, and Shaun the Sheep because they appeal to children.

There are quite a few regional films, too, that have done well in the past few weeks, apart from Baahubali. The Tamil remake of the Malayalam original Drishyam, starring Kamal Hassan, has been received exceptionally well.