By:
Taran
Adarsh,
IndiaFM
Thursday,
July
13,
2006
Film
business
can
be
most
unpredictable.
And
that's
the
beauty
of
this
business.
Just
when
you
thought
that
the
moviegoers
were
in
a
mood
to
watch
films
that
starred
big
names
only
[Fanaa,
Phir
Hera
Pheri,
Krrish],
the
slow-n-steady
rise
of
Corporate,
a
'small'
film
by
industry
standards,
reaffirms
your
faith
in
content.
Flashback:
Friday,
July
7,
2006:
Madhur
Bhandarkar's
latest
offering
Corporate
has
a
shaky
start
all
over.
While
the
opening
is
best
in
Mumbai
[in
the
range
of
approx.
45%
+],
the
opening
shows
at
metros
such
as
Delhi
and
Kolkata
are
below
the
mark.
Expecting
Corporate
to
fetch
a
thunderous
start
as
a
Fanaa
or
a
Krrish
is
foolhardy.
In
fact,
let's
accept
a
simple
fact:
Corporate
is
not
one
of
those
hyped
Rs.
30
crore
films
starring
a
Khan
or
a
Roshan
that
would
woo
the
classes
and
masses,
the
elite
and
the
hoi
polloi
in
large
numbers
on
Day
1
itself.
In
fact,
the
entire
budget,
including
promotion,
of
Corporate
would
still
be
less
than
what
a
Khan
or
a
Kumar
usually
charge
for
a
movie
these
days.
The
first
show
outcome:
The
collections
are
poor,
but
the
reports
are
extremely
positive.
And
that
works
in
its
favor.
Business
picks
up
during
the
noon
shows,
albeit
marginally.
The
evening
shows
are
better,
in
Mumbai,
Delhi,
Kolkata,
Hyderabad,
Kanpur,
Lucknow.
The
night
shows
at
practically
all
multiplexes
throughout
the
country
are
packed
to
capacity
[100%].
Saturday,
July
8,
2006:
Will
Corporate
sustain
on
Saturday?
Day
2
is
always
crucial.
But
Corporate
is
strong
at
multiplexes,
but
below-the-mark
at
some
single
screens.
Yet,
with
the
film
running
to
over
85%
+
occupancy
in
5/6
shows
daily
at
multiplexes,
it
looks
like
a
plus
proposition.
Sunday,
July
9,
2006:
The
multiplexes
continue
to
display
'House
Full'
status.
The
film
has
caught
on
with
the
multiplex
crowd,
its
target
audience.
Not
just
Mumbai
or
Delhi
or
Kolkata,
even
multiplexes
of
Uttar
Pradesh
and
Madhya
Pradesh
[Indore]
have
gradually
embraced
the
film.
Mumbai,
of
course,
continues
to
lead.
But
the
film
isn't
enjoying
a
similar
status
at
single
screens.
The
collections
range
from
below
average
to
dull.
Monday
onwards,
the
film
continues
to
hold
at
multiplexes
[50%
+],
while
certain
areas
aren't
too
welcoming.
But
the
silver
lining
is
its
low
costing
and
keeping
in
mind
its
[strong]
business
at
multiplexes,
Corporate
should
sail
safe.
THIS
WEEK,
LAST
YEAR
[Weekend:
July
8-10,
2005]
Dus
opens
to
an
earth-shattering
initial
all
over
India,
fetching
the
best
opening
the
year
has
witnessed
so
far.
What
actually
contributed
to
the
mind-boggling
start
of
Dus
at
the
turnstiles?
Four
factors:
-
The
striking
face-value/star
cast.
The
project
looks
real
big.
-
The
popularity
of
'Dus
Bahane'
and
'Deedaar
De'
had
soared
in
recent
times.
-
The
stylish
stunts.
The
action
promos
attracted
lovers
of
action
flicks
in
hordes.
-
The
chic
promos
and
the
aggressive
marketing
prior
to
its
release.
On
the
other
hand,
Fareb,
starring
the
two
Shetty
sisters
with
Manoj
Bajpai,
got
'swallowed'
by
a
super-strong
opposition
[Dus].
Fareb
isn't
a
bad
film,
it's
not
great
cinema
either,
but
the
Dus
wave
was
so
strong,
so
omnipotent
that
Fareb
couldn't
survive
the
storm.
The
much-talked-about
Matrubhoomi
also
went
completely
unnoticed,
getting
knocked
down
by
the
opposition.