Box office 2007: Comedies steal the show

Khallas ! It's closing time and the booking window at Bollywood is still grinning, despite the series of flops in the last two weeks.

If Yash Chopra's much-awaited Madhuri magic failed to work its jaadu with Aaja Nachle clicking a mere Rs 11 crore in its first week, then Sudhir Mishra's film noir, Khoya Khoya Chand managed a mere 15% opening this Friday, along with an equally dismal show for Sanjay Gupta's star-heavy Dus Kahaniyan , which opened to just 30% occupancy. Last week, John Abraham's histrinoics in the football field too offered no cause for celebration. Dhan Dhan Dhana Goal has garnered a two-weeks gross of only Rs 15 crore.

So why's Bollywood grinning? Year 2006 has gone down in Bollywood history as the turnaround year, when the top 25 films grossed a total of Rs 620 crore, which was a 26% increase over the grosses of 2005. This was the year that witnessed a renewed Dhoom ( Dhoom 2 ) in film-making and set the tone for a braver, bouncier 2007.

Officially, 2007 too has just ten certified hits, which almost measures up to last year's list that boasts of biggies like Rang De Basanti, Fanaa, Omkara ... But it's the money that makes the real difference. Year 2007 boasts of one the biggest hits of the decade.

Om Shanti Om has already outgrossed the 21st century's biggest hit, Gadar (with a net adjusted gross of Rs 94 crore) with a staggering BO bounty of Rs 76 crore and is still going strong. Blame it on Shah Rukh Khan's charisma or Deepika Padukone's dusky sensuality, but the film has managed to make its millions despite being nothing more than a comedy circus that has no after-hours impact, whatsoever.

Seeing the staggering response, the industry has anointed Farah Khan as 'The Entertainer', replacing Karan Johar and his brand of Mumbai-meets-Manhattan masala .

But that's just the tip of the cherry shake. Yesterday's Badshah of Blah, David Dhawan too made a comeback in a blockbuster way with his desi Hitch, Partner , grossing Rs 62 crore. Again, the film hardly matched the rib tickling humour of Dhawan's earlier teasers like Coolie No. 1 and Hero No. 1 , but the Salman and Govinda chemistry clicked in a big way. The year definitely belonged to comedies and comedies alone, with Partner leading the laugh riot which includes Dhamaal, Heyy Babyy, Dhol and Bhool Bhulaiyya . Add OSO to this, and you’ll find the top 10 list already has six comedies in it.

At the number two position, there is more serious stuff: Chak De India with Rs 65 crore in its coffers. Surely, this can easily be crowned the film of the year with its gentle, subtle and straight-from-the-heart message of desh-prem which must necessarily sift out regional chauvinism and minority bashing from its ambit. More importantly, Chak De India can easily go down in SRK’s filmography as his best performance, till date.

The rest of the winners include Mani Ratnam's Guru, Imtiaz Ali's Jab We Met and Vipul Shah's Namastey London . All these films have grossed more than Rs 30 crore. And if the top 10 haven't created a storm at the box office, there are a number of semi-hits which have kept the industry afloat. Films like Apne, Aap Ka suroor, Shootout at Lokhandwala , Bheja Fry, Khosla ka Ghosla, Metro, Black Friday, Parzania , The Namesake and Honeymoon Travels have shown that the industry is eager to tread the untrodden path and definitely wants to break new ground.

Surely, it will take more than a Salaam-e-Ishq, Jhoom Barabar Jhoom , or a Ram Gopal Ki Aag to script its doom story. Perhaps nobody reflects the current mood better than the house of Yash Chopra Inc, which shows a dismal record of four flops ( Tara Rum Pum, Jhoom Barabar Jhoom, Laga Chunari Mein Daag, Aaj Nachle ) on one side of the coin and Chak De India glittering on the other side of it. Hits or flops, the show just keeps going on and on.

Nikhat Kazmi,TNN

John organizes special screening for sportsperson

John Abraham is in the seventh heaven these days and he has all the reasons to be so, coz’ the response to his latest release Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal is positive, especially, from sportspersons in India. Topping the list are the aces like footballer Bhaichung Bhutia and Indian Cricket’s latest pin up boy Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

John said that whilst he was in Goa last Saturday to launch the Indian Football League, he had met up with Bhaichung and with Mahendra Singh Dhoni in New Delhi last week, and both of them had expressed their interest in watching the film. Hence, on their request, John has organized a special screening of Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal for them and also the Mohun Bagan football team in Kolkata on November 28.

John, who is presently basking in the glory of his long deserved hit film, has been travelling all over to promote his film.

IndiaFM

John Abraham opens up to Asian network

John Abraham spoke candidly about his relationship with Bollywood's Bipasha Basu, his latest film GOAL and what makes him so difficult to live with. Speaking on BBC Asian Network's Love Bollywood show about his latest film DHAN DHANA DHAN GOAL, a story about a Punjabi footballer based in Southall John said, "[It is] probably that representation of a UK Asian who probably has gone through trouble in his life to be accepted in what he's done, be it playing for an all white football team or just being accepted by his parents ...and I believe that if anyone has to see this film it has to be a the UK Asian, and more so."

However the filming of GOAL was marred by some racist experiences for John's girlfriend Bipasha and his GOAL co-star Arshad Warsi.

"When you're coming to London and you're shooting that's the last thing you expect... You can't generalize and you can't say everyone is racist, definitely, because we met some wonderful people in UK. We were shooting a scene outside and a car stopped by these two guys started rapping expletives. Taking about brown skin and black skin and they just zoomed off. Bipasha and Arshad were stunned. Bipasha said, "John it's 2007 and these things shouldn't be happening."

However his advice to young Asians in the UK remained calm, "The only way to excel is not through rebellion, it's not through extremism. It is through education...And it's a long process, it's a painful process, there's a bleeding process... well... but someone has to do it."

Whilst John has been likened to Antonio Banderas, he and Bipasha Basu have been described as The Golden Couple of Bollywood'. But the relationship has had its very public ups and downs, most notably when Bipasha was photographed kissing' football star Cristiano Ronaldo. He said of that episode, "I'm not going to stand up and justify for her because we're in a relationship and it's about trust. We trust each other and that's why we are still together and we're pretty happy together. We have our fights we're both strong minded people if she says the sky is grey and I say its blue it's always going to remain blue for me and grey for her. It's NEVER going to change in our lifetimes... sometimes probably that rebellion that we
share, or that strong head that we have could work against us at times."

"Obviously I support Bipasha... I'll be honest and tell you Cristiano Ronaldo is a great guy, Bipasha speaks very highly of him."

John said that the distress that was caused at the time along with both his parents being critically ill only added to his method acting and helped him to feel depressed and recluse. John admits that his extremist' approach to method acting adds extra pressure to the relationship. He recently lost 27 lbs
for a film role.

"That's what Bipasha's told me, even my parents tell me, especially my mom - "do you really need to get into the role so much? Because we're afraid that you'll kill yourself."

Acclaimed film director Mahesh Bhatt also said of him, "John you're clinically on the edge because if you're really pushing yourself to get into these roles you'll probably get hurt."

"I am a very difficult co-star to work with because I'm an extremist at work and if I get into a role I take it back home with me and she (Bipasha) can't handle it so I don't know how sometimes our relationship lasted so long."

In reference to his last film NO SMOKING which received a
standing ovation at the Rome film festival but was slated by critics in India, "Critics panned the movie. I don't blame them... the producer positioned the film wrongly it was always meant to be an art film, a festival film - it was the item number which should not have been there in the first place...it was the commercial outlook to the film which the producer should not have positioned it as."

"For NO SMOKING - I said "if I was the audience would I watch this?" and I said, "no, I wouldn't watch this' ...I made it very clear to my producers that this has to be a festival film. But what happens that after a point commercial sets in...And they go and sell it for a huge commercial sum under the name of John Abraham and it fails ...But I stand by the film I think it's a great film."

John is currently working on two films, an English language film LUNA starring Rachel Weisz and Dustin Hoffman where Abraham plays an environmental activist, and EXCLUSION the largest Hindi film to come out of India - also starring Amitabh Bachchan.

The story is set during East India Company rule where a group of Sikhs sailed to the shores on British Columbia, only to face fatal attack. John says of the film, "It's the most inspiring story and it's probably the darkest day in Canadian history a day that the Canadians are very embarrassed about . In fact there was an official apology from the Canadiangovernment at the time".

Bollywood Trade News Network

John is hoping to do a SRK

John says there are two things in life that he is very confident about.

"One is biking and the other football, or shall we call it soccer, as people love to identify with American football these days. I've done my bikers' movie Dhoom. Enough has been said and seen about my love for bikes.

We now have enough young guys zooming around on bikes.But what about football? I want it to acquire the same popularity and legitimacy as bikes….and cricket."

John feels the only game in this country that has a life outside the celeb-field is cricket. "Shah Rukh Khan was the best thing to happen to hockey (after Chak De India). Otherwise I feel every game including football needs a star to promote it.

And I'm ready to do everything within my means to make sure the game gets the same fame as cricket. Unfortunately the bureaucracy and the politics of this country is not conducive to a healthy atmosphere for any kind of discussion on the health of the nation."

John has met the Information & Broadcasting Minister and president of All India Football Federation Priya Das Musnshi several times.

"Yes I've met him repeatedly about the future of football and how to push the game. He's a lovely man and he feels for the game. We'd like to take the game to another level.

Along with the producers of my new football film UTV, we've designed a ground-contact programme. I can play the game, I'm not faking it. If I can be convincing in promoting biking why not football?

I want the ball to become an epicenter of glamour. When youngsters see the football in my hand they should think it's cool."

John feels cricket is too formidable a competition for football. "But if you want to know, I want to make football instead of cricket the new favourite game of the country.

I had hoped to get every smoker and his wife to watch No Smoking and to convert some into non-smokers. What's the point of being a celebrity if you can't influence minds in a positive way?"

Subash K Jha, Santabanta

Meet John and Bipasha in London

Guess who's coming to London? The handsome hunk with none other than the Bengali beauty, and there are no prizes for guessing, since you must have already figured out who they are. Yes! It's indeed John Abraham and Bipasha Basu.

The awesome twosomes are flying all the way from Mumbai to London to promote their forthcoming film Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal, which was shot in the U.K. So, if you want to get up, close and personal with John and Bipasha make sure you reach the Cineworld Feltham on Monday, November 19 from 1500 hrs U.K. time onwards. And on Tuesday November 20 at Cineworld Ilford from 1600 hrs U.K. time onwards where both John and Bipasha will be giving away signed merchandise like football, Audio CD's etc. to the lucky ones and also interact with all their fans. The two days will be quite a task for both the actors, as they will also be doing some print, radio, and TV interviews by visiting the B.B.C Television centre in London. Now that is what I call teamwork!

This could be your last chance to meet and greet John Abraham and Bipasha Basu in London this year. Now what are you waiting for? Grab your pen, circle the dates on your calendar, and make sure your watch is set properly coz they will surely be there on time!

Devansh Patel, IndiaFM

Bipasha invites Ronaldo for Goal screening

News about Bipasha Basu’s desire of wanting Manchester United footballer Christiano Ronaldo to promote her forthcoming film Goal is history. Whether he will promote Goal or not is up to him and Miss Basu, however there is more to the story.

When we spoke to the Goal director Vivek Agnihotri, he revealed, “ Goal is the first ever Bollywood film to be shot at the Manchester United football stadium and we are extremely thrilled about it. ‘Man U’ being the Mecca of football, we’ve arranged for a special screening of the film there, where we will be inviting the Indian Soccer team along with few Manchester United players to come see the film. It won’t be a premiere, just a special screening.”

So will Bipasha’s special friend ‘Cristiano Ronaldo’ be attending the screening we probe? “We will definitely invite him but Bipasha will know better whether he will attend the event or not as she is friends with him. Also whether he will promote our film or not is up to UTV as they have cracked these business deals”, clears the director.

We will have to wait and watch whether Ronaldo obliges to good friend Bipasha’s request and promote the film...

Renuka Vyavahare, Indiatimes Movies

John got Mike in!

While filming for Goal , a perfectionist John Abraham felt the need to get into shape and boost his stamina.

He was also equally concerned about his ‘weighty’ co-stars including Arshad Warsi. That’s when he suggested that Hollywood’s strength coach and personal trainer Mike Ryan, who has trained Russel Crowe during the making of Gladiator , be roped in.

John says, “Mike was instrumental in getting us into shape as football players and training us extensively in building our core strength and stamina to play the game. He was with us in London for the entire schedule.”

When the cast and crew landed in England to film subsequent portions, Mike Ryan was flown down. He would train all the actors every morning before they started shooting for the day.

The buzz doing the rounds is that John was down and out after having fielded Sallu’s unceremonious comments about his not-so-fab abs last year. He had hit the gym with a vengeance to prove his ‘senior’ wrong.

Sanidapan Dalal, TNN