Courtesy:
Glamsham
Wednesday,
February
28,
2007
Studio
18,
the
motion
picture
division
of
Television
Eighteen,
India's
leading
media
conglomerate,
has
created
history
of
sorts
overseas,
with
its
maiden
outing,
Honeymoon
Travels
Pvt.
Ltd.
(Directed
by
Reema
Kagti).
In
a
market
known
to
accept
predominantly
star-studded
routine
Bollywood
titles,
the
International
Distribution
Division
of
the
Studio
has
been
able
to
make
a
mid-range
romantic
comedy
with
an
unconventional
narrative,
garner
an
enormous
opening.
Produced
by
the
makers
of
blockbusters
like
Dil
Chahta
Hai,
Lakshya
and
Don,
Honeymoon
Travels
Pvt.
Ltd.
has
pulled
a
successful
opening
weekend,
particularly
in
the
UK&
UAE.
The
innovative
marketing
efforts
of
Studio
18
have
ensured
that
enough
buzz
was
created
around
the
film,
the
success
of
which
should
augur
well
for
the
industry.
Released
in
the
UAE
on
22nd
February,
the
four-day
gross
on
8
prints
was
AED
287,082
(USD
78,183).
Released
in
the
UK
on
23rd
February,
the
three-day
gross
on
14
screens
was
£45,945
(USD
90,287),
with
an
impressive
screen
average
of
£3,282.
This
has
been
the
highest
opening
in
the
UK
for
a
film
in
this
bracket
released
on
a
similar
number
of
prints.
Fuelled
by
positive
reviews
from
mainstream
media
such
as
The
Times
UK,
Time
Out
London
and
BBC
Online
to
name
a
few
and
most
Indian
entertainment
websites,
Honeymoon
Travels
Pvt.
Ltd.
is
poised
to
replicate
its
strong
multiplex
run
in
India
in
the
international
market
as
well.
"This
was
the
first
mid-range
film
done
by
Excel
Entertainment," say
producers
Ritesh
Sidhwani
and
Farhan
Akhtar.
"We're
glad
the
film
has
succeeded
in
all
quarters,
including
the
overseas.
This
is
a
big
achievement.
Our
international
distributor,
Studio
18,
took
a
chance
and
did
a
splendid
job
of
giving
the
film
a
credible
theatrical
release
and
left
no
stone
unturned
in
marketing
and
promoting
it
to
the
target
audience.
The
strong
figures
it
has
delivered
overseas
will
give
an
impetus
to
films
with
alternative
genres
and
concepts.
We
look
forward
to
working
with
Studio
18
on
our
forthcoming
film
projects."