Damp business in domestic B.O

By: Taran Adarsh, IndiaFM
Friday, April 27, 2007
Picture this...

You're watching a movie in a movieplex, your eyes are focused on screen, you're trying to absorb every word that the on-screen characters are mouthing... suddenly, out of nowhere, someone from the audience passes a snide remark and the whole auditorium bursts out laughing. Have you encountered such occurrences in your movie-going career? Actually, incidents like these are a commonality at single screens in India.

Snide remarks and comments erupt only when the movie you're watching gets derailed. If the content lacks the power to keep you glued to the screen, you get restless and start fidgeting with the ticket you're holding or break into a yawn or look all around except the screen. Knowing that there's no escape, you might even pass a rude comment loudly.

Cut to the present...

Even though I slept well on Thursday night, I couldn't stop yawning during the early morning screening of Kya Love Story Hai on Friday. I actually rubbed my eyes in disbelief when I watched the story unfold on screen. I am not against cinema that borrows from 1970s and 1980s. In fact, Bollywood was braver and smarter and churned out better stories in 1960s and 1970s. Sadly, Kya Love Story Hai didn't even do justice to the oft-repeated material.

Even before the screening could conclude, I knew the movie had missed the bus. The crowd that had come to watch the film was getting restless by the minute and the unkind and ruthless remarks from the junta were flying left, right and centre throughout those two odd hours.

The business prospects of Kya Love Story Hai seemed bright prior to its release. The summer vacations have begun, plus it faced no major opposition from any new release this week [Panga Naa Lo, Aur Pappu Pass Ho Gaya and My Bollywood Bride]. What also went in its favor was its chartbusting musical score [especially the Kareena Kapoor track 'It's Rocking'], besides the qualitative promos [the talkie ones].

But Kya Love Story Hai didn't have enough meat to sustain audience interest. Starting on a dull note [20%], the collections fell on the opening day itself due to the negative word of mouth. There was no respite on Saturday or Sunday. In fact, an English film, Mr. Bean's Holiday, opened way ahead of Kya Love Story Hai at several screens. That's not all, last week's Bheja Fry [in its second week] also fetched better collections than the Tusshar-Ayesha starrer.