Now for the countdown. Bear in mind that this countdown is based on pure fact and figures. This is a countdown based on what you the viewer have voted for with your feet, as you the viewer have taken the time out from your lives to see these films in your droves. You may agree with some of them you may not agree with some of them – but come what may, these are your top ten grossers for 2012.

10. Son of Sardaar

Starring – Ajay Devgan, Sonakshi Sinha, Sanjay Dutt, Juhi Chawla, Mukul Dev, Vindu Dara Singh

Director – Ashwini Dhir

Producer – Ajay Devgan, N.R Pachisia, Pravin Talreja

Music – Himesh Reshammiya

Release Date – November 13, 2012

This 2012 action comedy offering from Ashwni Dhir released to competition with the Yash Raj film Jab Tak Hai Jaan, and managed to hold its own by doing excellent business at the box office worldwide.

Based on a story of two families whose leaders killed themselves many years ago, this Ajay Devgan starrer is a loose remake of Telugu film Maryada Ramanna directed by S. S. Rajamouli that faced its fair share of controversy before release. Ajay Devgan sent an intimation notice to Yash Raj Films two weeks before Diwali, accusing Yash Raj Films of monopolistic business practices, stating that they used “their dominant position in the Bollywood film market” to secure many high quality single-screens for their release Jab Tak Hai Jaan. The Competition Commission dismissed the case against Yash Raj Films on 6 November 2012, which led to Ajay Devgn appealing to Competition Appellate Tribunal after rejection of petition against Yash Raj Films. The Competition Appellate tribunal bench headed by chairman Justice V. S. Sirpurkar refused Ajay’s stay against Jab Tak Hai Jaan but stated that the case against Yash Raj Films will be reviewed again.

Despite the issues Son of Sardaar managed to receive mixed reviews. Taran Adarsh gave the film four out of five stars saying ‘If you liked Wanted, Dabangg and Rowdy Rathore, chances are you will relish Son of Sardaar as well. The North Indian audiences in particular and those residing abroad will be simply delighted by this chatpata, masaledaar fare.’

Bollyspice reviewer, Anjum Shabbir, compared this Diwali offering to sweet or salty lassi, saying you will either love it or hate it and gave the film two and a half stars out of five stars.

Now down to the nitty gritty. Son Of Sardaar opened to a 70% average at multiplexes and single screens, in North India. The opening day earnings grossed 8.50 crore. The second day earnings shhowed growth with collections of around 14 crore

Son Of Sardar’s first-week total hit 62 crore and a total of 80 crore after its second weekend. Collections however dropped for Son of Sardar in week two where totals reached around 15.16 crore.

With a total of  88.50 crore in four weeks, Son of Sardaar is 2012’s 10^th Top Grossing Film.

9. Talaash

Starring – Aamir Khan, Rani Mukerji, Kareena Kapoor

Director – Reema Kagti

Producer – Ritesh Sidhwani, Aamir Khan, Farhan Akthar

Music – Ram Sampath

Release Date – November 30, 2012

Following her 2007 directorial debut with the widely acclaimed Honeymoon Travels Pvt. Ltd., Kagti was approached to helm many projects by several production houses. However, unable to find any films that interested her, Kagti began working again on a script with her friend Zoya Akhtar that they wrote in early 2010.

Written with him in mind, Aamir Khan was approached in November 2010 with a final story and Kagti found her male lead and film producer.

Talaash received positive to mixed reviews from critics. Anupama Chopra of Hindustan Times gave it 3 out of 5, stating “For once, I also feel the need to explain my rating: I wanted to give four stars to the first half and two stars to the second half, so it averages out to three. See Talaash and do post comments. I’m curious to see how many were as furious as me.

Anjum Shabbir reviewed for BollySpice and recommended readers to get themselves down to their nearest cinema – they would not be disappointed. . Anjum also wondered where Talaash would rank amoung the big releases of 2012 – so here it is.

With opening collections of an average of 65-70% in the multiplexes and 40% in the single screens, Talaash collected 12.50 crore in its opening day and 64.31 crore in its first week. Pundits have put Talaash’s four weeks figures at a total of 90.25 crore making it your Ninth Top Grossing Film Of The Year.

8. Bol Bachchan

Starring – Ajay Devgan, Abhishek Bachchan, Asin, Prachi Desai, Krushna Abhishek

Director – Rohit Shetty

Producer – Ajay Devgan, Dhillin Metha

Music – HImesh Reshammiya, Ajay-Atul

Release Date – July 6, 2012

Made on a massive budget of 70 crore, this year’s Rohit Shetty offering was an official remake of the popular 1979 film Gol Maal. With its trailer released on 24 May 2012 and the release of the film on 6 July 2012 in approximately 2575 screens worldwide with 2700 prints, almost half a year behind its original release date of Diwali 2011.

Critically the film received mixed reviews. Devesh Sharma gave this summer offering four out of five stars stating that the film was a ‘good leave- your-brains-behind product’ which the masses would be happy with, the same however could not be said for the soul of the late Hrishikesh Mukerjee.

Shalu Dhyani reviewed the film for BollySpice and gave this Shetty offering two and a half stars out of five stars, saying that the film didn’t have the laugh a minute quality of Shetty’s earlier comedies.

Now the figures. Bol Bachchan’s opening collections for single screens hovered around 70% while it’s opening collections at the multiplexes were slightly lower at around the 60% mark. It’s opening day collections were 11.25 crore with a jump on Sunday to reach a total of 38 crore. Bol Bachchan’s first week collections stood at 60 crore, but saw a 70% drop in business in it’s second Friday at the multiplexes due to the release of Saif Ali Khan and Deepika Padukone starrer Cocktail. Bol Bachchan managed to hold its own in the single screens which helped it land at this years number eight with a total gross of approximatly 100 crore.

7. Jab Tak Hai Jaan

Starring – Shah Rukh Khan, Katrina Kaif, Anushka Sharma

Director – Yash Chopra

Producer – Aditya Chopra

Music – A R Rehman

Release Date – November 12, 2012

Jab Tak Hai Jaan, Chopra’s fourth film to feature Shahrukh Khan in the lead role was his return to the silver screen following the eight year gap after the release of 2004 release Veer-Zaara. It was also to be his last film before his death of 21^st October 2012.

Chopra’s final Bollywood offering opened to positive to mixed reviews. The romantic drama was given four out of five stars by Taran Adarsh who mentioned in his review that the film was ‘attention grabbing from inception till conclusion’. Sukanya Verma on the other hand gave the film two and a half out of five for Chopra’s swan song, criticizing the screenplay and snappiness. Pooja Rao reviewed the film for BollySpice and suggested a three out of five rating, stating that it was sloppy and clichéd, but lead actor Shah Rukh Khan made it work.

Released on the same day as Son of Sardaar, Jab Tak Hai Jaan managed to out perform Son of Sardaar by a massive 20 crore despite the controversy and the competition.

Jab Tak Hai Jaan opened to 95% occupancy across the multiplexes and single screens across India and collected 12.50 crore on its opening day. A 50% growth on its second day saw the film collections rise by 19.54 crore. The end of the first week saw collections total 78 crore, second week collections fell considerably where totals reached were 15.9 crore. The film crossed its 100 crore mark 20days after its release on 2^nd December. A fitting tribute to one of the best directors of Indian Cinema, Yash Chopra’s final film is 2012’s seventh highest grossing film.

6. Barfi!

Starring – Ranbir Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra, IIeana D’cruz, Saurabh Shukla

Director – Anurag Basu

Producer – Ronnie Screwvala, Siddharth Roy Kapoor

Music – Pritam

Release Date – September 14, 2012

Barfi! Anurag Basu’s 2012 Indian romantic comedy film tells the story of “Barfi”, a mute and deaf boy in Darjeeling, West Bengal and his relationship with two girls. Official filming for Barfi! Began on 11^th March 2011 and completion by April 2012. The release of the film was postponed from its original date of July 13^th 2012 to August 31^st 2012 and then again to September 14^th at the request of the producers.

India’s official entry for the Best Foreign Language Film nomination for the 85th Academy Awards in February, Barfi! Was made on a budget of 30 crore and released across 1300 screens in India. As with every Basu film there is always some element of controversy. Producer Siddharth Roy received notice from British radio maker Murphy Radio saying that their trademark Murphy baby had been used without permission. Roy responded to the notice by saying that there was nothing wrong with the intention with which the trademark had been used and that the brand had been shown in a very positive light.

Barfi! Opened to largely positive reviews, Madhureeta Mukerjee reviewed the film for The Times of India rated the film with four out of five stars, expressing ‘Ranbir, in the most challenging performance of his career leaves us ‘dumbstruck.’ Pooja Rao reviewed for BollySpice and highlighted one of the messages of the film, which Barfi teaches us to value people by what they bring into our lives in an age when we are always judging people by what they cannot bring into our lives. Mentioning that the film leaves you with a warmth in the heart. Rao awarded the film three out of five stars.

Barfi! Had a strong opening at the multiplexes but experienced a weaker opening in the single screens largely due to the limited release. Grossing 8.56 crore on its first day, with 34 crore being its total takings on its first weekend. The first total week collections were 56.46 crore, second week total collections were 24.18 crores, third week collections stood at 15.75 crore and forth week collections were 6.15 crore. Final figures for this years number six are  106 crore. Not bad Mr Basu. Not bad at all.

5. Housefull 2

Starring – Akshay Kumar, Asin, John Abraham, Jacqueline Fernandez, Rishi Kapoor, Randhir Kapoor

Director – Sajid Khan

Producer – Sajid Nadiadwala

Music – Sajid – Wajid

Release Date – April 5th, 2012

The sequel to the 2010 Sajid Khan release Housefull, Housefull 2 was unleashed on us in early 2012. Said to be inspired by 2003 Tamil film Banda Paramasivam and 1998 Malayalam film Mattupetti Machan, filming for the first schedule started on June 9^th 2011 in London and Peterborough, the second schedule on 1^st October 2011 in Filmistan Studios, Mumbai and the final schedule in December in Thailand.

Though initial announcements indicated that the film would hit the silver screen on June 1^st, an announcement on September 30^th 2011 confirmed the release date as April 5^th 2012.

A 2700 screen release landed Housefull 2 in forth place behind Ra.One, Bodyguard, and Don 2.

Critically Housefull 2 received far more positive reviews than its predecessor, though the opinion was still largely mixed. Taran Adarsh gave the film three and a half stars saying ‘if your idea of watching a comedy is to have a good time at the movies, then Housefull 2 is especially designed for you.’

Rajeev Masand on gave the film one out of five stars and declared that Housefull 2 was for four year olds who didn’t know any better. Prateeksha Khot reviewed the film for BollySpice and awarded the film two stars out of five stating the reason behind it was the enjoyment levels experienced on two factors – where you see it and with whom.

Now the important part. Housefull 2 opened well and collected 13.25 crore on its first day, 12.75 crore on its second and 16 crore on its third day. Its 1^st week alone saw its collection total 63 crore, however first weekend collections dropped by 4 crore  due to IPL matches, however figures for the its second week totaled 30 crore and by its third week the films collections had crossed 100 crore.

Final figures for this Khan Easter offering are well over 113 crore. The figure alone explains why Khan has confirmed the ideas of a Housefull 3 in a couple of years.

4. Agneepath

Starring – Hrithik Roshan, Rishi Kapoor, Sanjay Dutt, Priyanka Chopra, Om Puri, Zarina Wahab

Director – Karan Malhotra

Producer – Karan Johar, Hiroo Johar

Music – Ajay – Atul

Release Date – January 26^th 2012

The retelling of the 1990 Amitabh Bachchan Agnipath starring Hrithik Roshan as Vijay Deenanath Chauhan was released in the early part of the year. Having harboured the intentions of remaking the film since the commercial failure of the first Agneepath, the discussions of the remake arose on the sets of My Name is Khan, where Karan Malhotra was assisting Johar. Johar maintained that the new film would belong to a different environment on comparison to the original. The film would be adapted to fit in with today’s generation and time. Noticeable changes were made to the storyline of the original film. Characters were omitted and new characters were introduced.

Initially scheduled to release on 13^th January 2012, the release was postponed by a week to 26^th January to coincide with the Republic Day Celebrations in India. The film was released on 2650 screens worldwide and received positive reviews. Taran Adarsh awarded the film four and a half out of five stating that the film was a fitting tribute to the masterwork. Prateeksha Khot reviewed for BollySpice gave the film three and half out of five saying ‘go watch this film for nostalgia and some really great performances to come out of the actors.’

Made on a budget of 60 crore, Agneepath broke the highest opening day collections record in India. On its opening day Agneepath grossed 21.76 crore surpassing the record held by Bodyguard. The first week total reached 85.88 crore. The second week collection 23.12 crore, the third week collections took totals to 116.59 crores and final collections stand at 121 crore.

Ladies and gents our forth top grossing film. Agneepath.

3. Rowdy Rathore

Starring – Akshay Kumar, Sonakshi Sinha

Director – Prabhu Deva

Producer – Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Ronnie Screwvala

Music – Sajid-Wajid

Release Date – June 1^st 2012

Rowdy Rathore revolves around a thief, Shiva, who falls in love with a young woman named Paro.  Taking on the responsibility to care of deceased lookalike ACP Vikram Rathore’s daughter, Shiva also seeks revenge from the main antagonist Baapji. Shot primarily in Mumbai at SLB Production House and made on a budget of 40 crore, Rowdy Rathore released on 1 June 2012 on 2700 screens worldwide.

Rowdy Rathore received a mixed response from critics, DNA India gave 3 stars out of 5 and said, “Rowdy is Akshay’s return to action. And how! The actor takes charge of the film from the first scene and holds it tight all through. To put it simply, the film is to Akshay what Wanted was for Salman!”

Rajeev Masand of CNN-IBN gave movie 1 star out of 5 and said “Rowdy Rathore is the kind of movie that’s made by people with a cash register in place of their brain. Because no legitimate reason, other than financial gain, can justify why this movie was made.”

Prateeksha Khot reviewed for BollySpice and mentioned that Prabhu Deva fans would be disappointed with the half baked dish that Rowdy Rathore turns out to be, and recommended only to watch it if you were in the mood for some mindless, time pass entertainment at the weekend.

Reviews aside Rowdy Rathore opened to strong box office collections the film took a bumper opening at single screens with occupancy of around 95%-100%. It collected 15.06 crore in the opening day. Rowdy Rathore had a good opening weekend with collection of 47.50 crore

Rowdy Rathore collected 77 crore in its first week, 33.50 crore in its second week, 15 crore in its third week despite having new release, Ferrari Ki Sawaari. With a total gross of 133 crore I give you Prabhu Deva’s Rowdy Rathore.

2. Dabangg 2

Starring – Salman Khan, Sonakshi Sinha, Prakash Raj, Arbaaz Khan, Vinod Khanna

Director – Arbaaz Khan

Producer – Arbaaz Khan, Malaika Arora Khan

Music –  Sajid – Wajid

Release Date – December 21st 2012

The sequel to the 2010 blockbuster hit was release in time for Christmas 2012.  Produced and directed by Arbaaz Khan the story saw Khan and Sinha reprise their roles from the 2010 release and continues in the Indian city of Kanpur with Prakash Raj playing the antagonist.

The development of Dabangg 2 commenced soon after the release of Dabangg, with filming commencing on March 9^th in Mumbai, and released on 4150 screens worldwide, the highest screen number for any film, of which 3500 of these screens were in India.

Made on a budget of 60 crore, Dabangg 2 opened to mixed to negative reviews. Taran Adarsh gave the film four out of five stars and said “Dabangg 2 has Salman Khan, Salman Khan and Salman Khan plus entertainment, entertainment and entertainment in large doses.”

Sanjukta Sharma from the Live Mint slated Dabangg 2 saying ‘It had nothing to keep me engaged’ and was largely disappointed.

Despite the mixed bag of reviews, Dabangg 2 had a strong opening across the multiplexes and the single screens grossing 19 crore on a non- holiday Friday, beating the previous record held by Don 2. Its first week totals stood at 99 crore with its two week total crossing 136 crore.

Reports are already abound for a Dabangg 3 to be made which would explore the beginnings of Chulbul Pandey, but Dabangg 2’s Chulbul Pandey is sitting pretty at number 2 in this years chart.

1. Ek Tha Tiger

Starring – Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif, Ranvir Shorey, Girish Karnad

Director – Kabir Khan

Producer – Aditya Chopra

Music – Sohail Sen, Sajid Wajid

Release Date – August 15 2012

Kabir Khan’s 2012 Indian action film began pre-production in the latter part of 2010, with principle photography beginning in September 2011 and completeing in June 2012, however, due to delays the film finally hit the silver screen on Independence weekend in 3300 screens across India, which, at the time was the largest domestic release for a Bollywood film.

60% of Ek Tha Tiger’s first weekend sales were received through advance bookings. Reports of certain multiplexes increasing the ticket prices were also an issue at the time.

Ek Tha Tiger opened to mostly positive reviews, Salman Khan in accordance to Taran Adarsh was the trump card in the film, saying that the film had ‘style and substance’, had ‘stunning international locales’ and had been stylishly executed and gave the film four and a half out of five stars. Rajeev Masand on the other hand suggested the film was far from unwatchable if you went into the cinema hall with low expectations while giving the film two and a half out of five. Shalu Dhyani for BollySpice was not quite impressed and stated ‘the lack of a good script brought a potentially good film down. This Tiger doesn’t quite manage to roar’ and gave the film two out of five stars.

Now the figures. It crossed the 100 crore mark, within 6 days, breaking Bodyguard‘s previous record of 7 days, and why wouldn’t it, Ek Tha Tiger reportedly opened with 100% occupancy at both multiplexes and single screens thus collecting a reported 31.93 crore on its first day. The extended five day weekend saw collections total 94.12 crore  with its first week collections standing in at 143.25 crore 29.50 crore in its second week running to make a total of 173 crore. By its fifth week totals had reached 186 crore. The film eventually made a total of 307 Crore worldwide making it the second highest-grossing Bollywood film of all time in India after 3 Idiots

It has been a bumper year for Salman Khan, and I have to admit that I am getting used to featuring his films in the top 10 countdown, but even this is a first for me where the first two slots are taken by the same person. But that is how this year has shaped up. Ladies and gents I give you this years number 1 film Ek Tha Tiger.

REFLECTIONS 2012: Top Grossers 2012 is a post from: BollySpice

The post REFLECTIONS 2012: Top Grossers 2012 appeared first on BollySpice.

2011 also saw four films cross the  100 crore mark for the first time in Indian cinematic history . Several films released this year experienced major commercial success worldwide, and if it’s possible to comprehend, the total net collections of the top ten films of 2011 is estimated at  840.31 crore (US$170.41 million), which is already 14% up from 2010′s  735.07 crore (US$149.07 million). 2011 has thus set the record for biggest cumulative top-ten-films collections of all time, and I thought we were experiencing a major worldwide financial crisis!

There has been some major movement from the mid – year review you saw in June so, without further delay, I give you (in reverse order) the top 10 films of 2011.

10. Delhi Belly

Starring – Imran Khan, Vir Das, Kunaal Roy Kapur, Poorna Jagannathan, Shenaz Treasurywala
Director – Abhinay Deo
Producer – Aamir Khan, Kiran Rao, Ronnie Screwvala, Jim Furgele
Music – Ram Sampath
Release Date – July 1, 2011
Figures – 57 Crore

‘Bhaag D.K. Bose Bhaag’. Who can forget the controversy surrounding the Delhi Belly soundtrack? The fact that when certain lyrics were put together and sung at a quick pace,  a popular expletive in North India was formed and it created more than just ripples in the media. The film also managed to land The Central Board of Film Certification into trouble when they apparently approved the song first time round without even batting their eyes, even though sections of the people were angry at the obscenity of the lyrics.

The issues didn’t end there. On 3 July 2011, the Government of Nepal banned screenings of the movie later agreeing to clear the film for viewing by theatre goers aged above 16. An offending scene showing one of the protagonists, played by Kunaal Roy Kapur, visiting a brothel was cut and some expletives in two scenes were muted.

The film is written by Akshat Verma, a Los Angeles based writer who first wrote the screenplay as a part of his studies at the screenwriting programme at UCLA, under the title Say Cheese. However after losing his job as a copywriter in 2005 he revived the script, compiling 15 drafts before the movie went to floor. The hard work obviously paid off. The film opened very well at the box office. It collected approximately 36 crore in first week of screening all around India and 7.25 crore overseas. The film collected 55 crore in India by the end of its third week, being declared a super hit. Delhi Belly grossed 92 crore worldwide

Reviews for the film included Taran Adarsh comment ,“The unblemished, racy screenplay coupled with super performances and a chartbusting musical score will make it a WINNER all the way”, giving the film a 4.5/5.

Pankaj Sabnani reviewed for Glam Sham commenting, “You do hope the narrative was a bit tauter as it seems a bit lacklustre in portions”, while giving the film 3/5.

I reviewed the film for BollySpice and gave it a 4/5 and still say that it is one of the must watch films of 2011. Either you will love it – or hate it, but it deserves a watch.

Delhi Belly – 2011’s tenth highest grossing film.

9. Mere Brother Ki Dulhan 

Starring-Imran Khan, Katrina Kaif, Ali Zafar
Directed by-Ali Abbas Zafar
Produced by-Yash Raj Films
Music by-Sohail Sen
Release Date – September 9, 2011
Figures –  59 Crore

Mere Brother Ki Dulhan – the romantic comedy film that marked  the writing and directing debut of Ali Abbas Zafar after his role as the assistant director for Jhoom Barabar Jhoom, Tashan, New York and Badmaash Company. Announced by Yas Raj Films in August 2010, Mere Brother Ki Dulhan was the second Yash Raj Films production in a row to be helmed by a first time director.

The film was in the news frequently throughout production, be it for the accidental bloody nose that female lead Katrina Kaif received from costar Imran Khan, the sixteen takes that Khan insisted on giving to find the perfect slap for the film or the quick thinking from parallel lead actor Ali Zafar whilst rescuing Kaif when her hair got caught in a fan.

The critic’s reports were mixed for this film. “There’s not much on offer in this film. Whatever is there is finished off in the first half hour” was the round up given by Martin D Souza for Glamsham giving the film 2 out of 5.  Taran Adarsh on the other hand believed that Yash Raj were “on to a winner” when he stated that Mere Brother Ki Dulhan was a “delectably wholesome, heartening, feel-good entertainer”, giving the film 4 out of 5. Githa Vanan reviewed the film for BollySpice and opined Mere Brother Ki Dulhan lacked in the originality department and gave this September release 2 out of 5.

Box office wise the release generally had good collections across the board. A good first weekend saw collections of 25.50 crore net, and by the end of its run, the worldwide collections averaged out to 59 crore. Not bad for 2011’s ninth highest grossing film.

8. Rockstar

Starring – Ranbir Kapoor, Nargis Fakhri, Shammi Kapoor
Director – Imtiaz Ali
Producer – Shree Ashtavinayak Cine, Vision Ltd, Eros International
Music – A. R. Rahman
Release Date – November 11, 2011
Figures – 70 Crore

Rockstar. A film that had a tailor made role for Ranbir Kapoor that is rumoured to be loosely based on director Ali’s Jat friend, was originally cast opposite female actor Kareena Kapoor.  But the script involved a few romantic scenes between the two leads leaving the production team with a decision to make – cut the scenes allowing the cousins to work together or let one of the two leads go. As the role had been tailor made for Ranbir Kapoor a joint decision was made to let Kareena Kapoor go.

Shot in reverse as the crew didn’t want to break the continuity of Ranbir’s hairstyle, the film saw Kapoor make many efforts to transform himself into a rockstar including practising the guitar at A. R. Rahman’s studio for many days, reading rocker Kurt Cobain’s biography and familiarising himself with Jats.

The film opened to mixed reviews from the critics. Shubra Gupta, film reviewer for IndianExpress gave the film 2 out of 5 and remarked, “And true to type, the actor is better than the film. Rockstar disappoints; Ranbir doesn’t.” However, Nikhat Kazmi was at the other end of the spectrum awarding the film 4 out of 5 stars and stating, “Savour a beautiful experience. Watch Rockstar and wait for Imtiaz Ali’s next from his compendium of love.” Rumnique Nannar (reviewer for BollySpice) said that the film was a “must watch” for 2011 and gave the film a 4 out of 5.

Now the nitty gritty. Despite the mixed reviews, this Ali offering opened well with multiplexes seeing collections averaging in the 60–70% range; however single screens witnessed a lower capacity at around 30–40%. The good opening was attributed to the multiplexes across cities, and to the star power of Ranbir Kapoor as well as the youthful theme of the film. The good collections were only sustained for the first week after which the film saw them drop. Declared a hit, this November offering lands itself as the eight highest grossing film.

7. Dirty Picture

Starring – Vidya Balan, Naseeruddin Shah, Emraan Hashmi, Tusshar Kapoor
Director – Milan Luthria
Producer – Ekta Kapoor Shobha Kapoor
Music – Vishal-Shekhar, Bappi Lahiri
Release Date – December 2, 2011
Figures – 73 crore

Directed by Milan Luthria and produced by Shobha Kapoor and Ekta Kapoor, with the screenplay written by Rajat Arora, The Dirty Picture saw the return of the team behind the 2010 hit film Once Upon A Time in Mumbai, in their second venture together.

Rumoured to be based on the life of Silk Smitha, an actress noted for her erotic roles, the team behind the film stated that the story was not an official biography for just Smitha. Covering the lives of Smitha’s Southern contemporaries Nylon Nalini and Disco Shanti, The Dirty Picture was an apparent amalgamation of all these artists as well as including aspects of Hollywood sex symbol Marilyn Monroe’s distressing personal life as well.

The Dirty Picture released worldwide on Silk Smitha’s birthday – December 2, 2011 and received a strong opening with an average of 65% collections around India with the strongest collections being in Maharastra (80%).

A good opening does not necessarily mean that the critics will be appeased. However Ekta Kapoor knew she was onto a winner before the film’s release when she declared that she would be surprised if the film and her female lead, Vidya Balan, did not garner critical acclaim. And right she was. The Dirty Picture received positive reviews from majority of the critics. Tarun Adarsh reviewed the film for Bollywood Hungama and gave the film 4 out of 5 stating that “it is one of the most comprehensive scripts to come out of the Hindi film industry in 2011”. On the other end of the scale was Shubra Gupta, reviewing for Indian Express ,who was less than complimentary – “The writing is confused as to point of view and weightage, and post-interval, like most Bollywood films, The Dirty Picture, dives”, giving the film a 2.5 out of 5. BollySpice Reviewer Prateeksha Khot gave the film a 4 out of 5 – “Once in a while comes a movie which dares to break the conventional decorum and bring something new to the audience especially something which the audience enjoys. In spite of some flaws The Dirty Picture manages to do just that. Take a bow Ms. Balan. You definitely are entertainment!”

It is therefore no surprise that a film that released 23 days ago to such reviews lands itself a position at number 7 in this year’s countdown.

6. Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara

Starring-Hrithik Roshan, Abhay Deol, Farhan Akhtar, Katrina Kaif, Kalki Koechlin
Directed by-Zoya Akhtar
Produced by-Farhan Akhtar & Ritesh Sidhwani
Music by-Shankar , Ehsaan, Loy
Release Date – September 9, 2011
Figures – 89 Crore

Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara. The story of three friends, who have been inseparable since their childhood, set off on a bachelor trip to Spain where they face their fears, deal with their issues and understand each other even more.

Rumoured to initially star Imran Khan and Ranbir Kapoor in two of the three lead roles, the pair are said to have declined because they wished to star together for the first time in their own production.

The principal shooting of Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara began in June 2010 and took place in Barcelona, Pamplona, Buñol, Andalucia in Spain, UK, Egypt and Mumbai with the trailer of the film releasing online on 15 May 2011 followed by the worldwide release in 1800 screens on 15 July 2011.

The film opened to mostly average reviews with most critics agreeing that the film was a slice of life. Taran Adarsh summed up the feeling of majority of the critics when he commented, “It’s definitely not for ardent fans of kitsch or those with an appetite for typical masala entertainers.” Raja Sen on the other hand discredited the film for its threadbare script and its fixation on trying to appear “cool” and “minty-fresh”.

Amrita Tanna reviewed the film for BollySpice and mentioned “Zindagi Milegi Dobara is full of fun, frolics and friendship. If you’re expecting a big romance, an item song with multiple changes of outfit or even a tear-jerking scene that gives you an excuse to take out those tissues, then you will be sadly disappointed.”

In India, the film was released along with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 and saw its opening occupancy range from 70-100%. With no significant competition other than Singham, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara remained at #2 for 4 weeks after its release, making this 2011 release the sixth highest grossing film.

5. Don 2: The Chase Continues

Starring – Shahrukh Khan, Priyanka Chopra, Lara Dutta, Om Puri, Kunal Kapoor
Director – Farhan Akhtar
Producer – Farhan Akhtar, Ritesh Sidhwani, Shahrukh Khan
Music – Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy
Release Date – 23 December 2011
Figures – 94 Crore

Yes I know that the film has been out for less than a month, but what can I do? As I write this countdown this Akhtar offering is sitting quite prettily at number 5. Now imagine if this review was done a month later and where this film will have rocketed too. Not bad huh?

Picking up the story from where Don: The Chase begins Again finishes, Don 2 was announced shortly after the release of the first film but was postponed for various reasons including Shah Rukh’s issues with his shoulder injury

With a different team of writers, Don 2 marked Akhtar’s return to the directing helm after a five year hiatus. Akhtar stated  that “the first film was my father’s vision, but Don 2 is being written by fans only. These are yours truly and two new enthusiastic boys, Ameet and Amreesh, who came to me with their ideas on how the story can be carried forward. I’ve thrown my ideas at them. Don 2 is basically being written by three Don fans who are having a ball carrying the story forward.”

Critically the film has opened to a mixed bag – with Raja Sen from Rediff.com giving the film 2.5 stars saying, “The film soon flattens out into inevitable boredom, the climax dragging on and on.”  Nikhat Kazmi of The Times of India gave the film 4 out of 5 stars and said, “The plot has been finely crafted, with every twist and turn falling into place like a complicated albeit neat little jigsaw.” Jay Mamtora reviewed for BollySpice and gave the film 4 out of 5 stars commenting, “Don 2 is a smashing finale to an already interesting line up of films released this year.”

Now time to talk figures. Don 2 benefitted greatly from pre release revenues with the German government providing a €3 million rebate to the producers of the film as it was shot in Berlin. Distributors, Reliance Entertainment, have bought the rights of the film from Excel Entertainment for 85 and Zee Network have acquired the satellite rights of the film for 37 crore – the highest satellite amount compared to other films released by Reliance Entertainment in 2011. The distribution rights for the film in Tamil, Nadu and Kerala were bought by the newly-formed Sudha Screen’s Sreeraj for a reportedly record but undisclosed price.

Box Office wise Don 2 took a good opening with an average of 80% occupancy levels all over India. On the first day, the film collected 13.50 crore  from the Hindi version and an estimated 60-70 lakh from the Tamil and Telugu versions, making it the fourth highest opening day grosser and the second highest non-holiday first day earner after Dabangg

Don 2 – this year’s fifth highest grossing film.

4. Singham

Starring-Ajay Devgan, Kajal Aggarwal, Prakash Raj, Ashok Saraf, Sachin Khedekar, Sonali Kulkarni
Directed by-Rohit Shetty
Produced by-Reliance Entertainment
Music by-Ajay-Atul,
Release Date –July 22, 2011
Figures – 100 Crore

A remake of the 2010 Tamil film Singam featuring Suriya, Singham went on floors in November 2010. The first schedule began in early March 2011 with Prakash Raj signed to reprise his original role as the antagonist, and fresh faces in the lead roles.

With Rohit Shetty and Ajay Devgn working together again, it was not possible to not include a few scenes with big numbers behind them. And Singham doesn’t disappoint. A scene with Prakash Raj and Ajay Devgn shot in Goregaon, Mumbai involved around 500 junior artists as villagers. The theatrical trailer of the film was released along with Ready on June 3, 2011 with Reliance Entertainment releasing the film on July 22, 2011 in 2000 screens.

Singham received average reviews with comparisons being made to the hit South version. Raja Sen commented, “Yes, there apparently is a new measure for tripe conveniently labelled larger-than-life”, whilst giving the film 1.5 out of 5 stars, where as Reviewer Komal Nahata gave the film a 4.5 out of 5 saying, “Singham is a sure fire hit, packed with power-packed performances, powerful dialogues and wonderful dialogues.” Githa Vanan reviewed for BollySpice and stated, “While Singham does roar his loudest, it doesn’t always frighten”, giving this Shetty–Devgan offering 2.5 out of 5 stars.

Now we know that reviews don’t always match a films performance at the box office. Singham started extremely well at single screens with occupancy reaching around 90% and saw average openings at multiplexes with 50-60% occupancy. The opening week gross collections were 44.2 crore in India giving it the second highest opening of the year. By the end of its fourth week its collections had reached 92.67 crore. Not bad for a film with average reviews.

Singham – our fourth highest grossing film.

3. Ra.One

Starring – Shahrukh Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Arjun Rampal
Directed by – Anubhav Sinha
Produced by  -Shahrukh Khan, Gauri Khan
Music by – Vishal-Shekar, Ilaiyarja
Release date(s) – October 24 2011 (Dubai), October 25 2011 (London), October 26 2011 (Toronto and Worldwide)
Figures – 116 Crore

One of the most awaited films of 2011 had its concept thought up by director Sinha when he saw an ad on TV six years ago. Originally starting life as a three page short story, Sinha approached Khan who agreed to produce and star in it. Pre-production saw both Sinha and Khan research the film genre by watching over 200 superhero films in a variety of languages.

Principal photography for the film beginning in March 2009, 1.5 years after the commencement of pre-production work.  The first phase of filming began in India in March 2010 after original plans to shoot in Miami were scrapped due to budget concerns. (Yes, I do realize the irony behind that statement). Production of the film’s second and third phase occurred with the entire cast in London, with the final phase commencing over seven days at Filmistan Studios in December 2010, and the remaining portions were shot in Mumbai allowing for completion in July 2011.

Originally slated for a July release, the post production work required for a 3D film saw the release date being pushed back to October, making it 2011’s Diwali release.

Generating a mixed response from the critics – Raja Sen was far from impressed by the film stating that the films narration was “disjointed and sluggish, with a mere handful of good scenes”. Whereas Taran Adarsh was incredibly impressed giving the film a 4.5 out of 5 and saying, “It’s not merely a great looking film, but also has soul, which is so essential to strike a chord with the avid moviegoer.” Anjum Shabbir reviewed for BollySpice and stated quite simply that it was “a massive opportunity gone to waste”,  giving the film a 2.5 out of 5.

Ra.One saw an opening of 70-100% occupancy levels all over India and full houses in many multiplexes with many analysts stating that the lower-than-expected occupancy level was mainly due to the effect of Diwali festivities, which took a toll on the evening shows. On the first day, Ra.One collected 14.63 crore, setting records for the biggest Diwali opening day ever by beating Golmaal 3 (8.72 crore). By the end of the first week Ra.One saw its best collections come from West Bengal, Tamil Nadu/Kerala and Mysore, and by the end of the third week Ra.One lost most of its screening space due to the release of Imtiaz Ali’s Rockstar.

The overseas market saw Ra.One collect $8.6 million in three weeks making it the fifth highest grossing film ever in the overseas market. Not bad for a concept that started life as a three page short story.

Ladies and gentlemen,  Ra.One the third highest grossing film of 2011.

2. Ready

Starring – Salman Khan, Asin Thottumkal, Paresh Rawal, Mahesh Manjrekar
Director – Anees Bazmee
Producer – Rajat Rawail, Bhushan Kumar, Nitin Manmohan, Kishan Kumar, Sohail Khan
Music – Pritam, Devi Sri Prasad
Release Date – June 3, 2011
Figures – 122 Crore

A remake of the 2008 Telugu film, Ready, shooting for the Bollywood version started on 20th June, 2010 in Sri Lanka at the request of Salman Khan. After the first schedule of shooting lasting over 27 days at locations in Colombo and the neighbouring Bentota, approximately 40% of the filming was completed. The second schedule of the film started November 3, 2010 in Mumbai with the final schedule of shooting starting in February 2011 in Bangkok.

The first of the film was revealed on 5th April 2011, with the theatrical trailer releasing on 15th April 2011.

While the film generated mixed opinions in terms of reviews with some loving it, ( Githa Vanan – “So while Ready isn’t rocket science, its Salman’s masala magic science”) and others hating it (“What really kills Ready is that its nonsense is neither inventive nor high energy”), box office wise the film rocked. Opening to an overwhelming response at the box office and packed cinema halls – single screens reported nearly 95-100% occupancy with multiplexes reporting 60% to 100% occupancy, depending on session times. The film collected 13 crore on its first day! So it is no surprise that this June release became the second highest opening day grosser, as well as the second highest weekend grossing Bollywood film, after Dabangg.

Ready is 2011’s second highest grossing film.

1. Bodyguard

Starring – Salman Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Raj Babbar, Hazel Keech, Mahesh Manjrekar
Director – Siddique
Producer – Atul Agnihotri, Alvira Agnihotri, reliance entertainment
Music – Pritam, Himesh Reshammiya
Release Date – August 31, 2011
Figures – 148 Crore

I have been doing these countdowns for a few years now. And after a while you begin to notice a pattern. It wouldn’t be a complete year without a Khan featuring in the top 3, but to have two Khans ruling the roost is a feat.  And to have the same Khan head the countdown two years in a row, breaking all records, is unbelievable.

The third remake of the director’s own 2010 Malayalam film of the same name,  Bodyguard, is an Indian romantic action film that began shooting on January 16, 2011 at the Symbiosis International University campus situated in Lavale, Pune and then went on to Patiala, Punjab and Mumbai with plans to shoot overseas being axed due to costs exceeding budget.

Co-producers Reliance Entertainment set a marketing and print budget of approximately

22 crore for Bodyguard, one of the highest ever in Bollywood. This was possibly to ensure that this Kareena-Salman film didn’t face the same fate as their previous releases (Main aur Mrs Khanna and Kyun Ki).

The film’s first look and theatrical trailer was unveiled on 21 July 2011. The film released on Eid across 2,250 screens in 70 Indian cities and 482 prints across the overseas territory in Dolby Surround 7.1 and opened to mixed reviews. Amrita Tanna of BollySpice said “Overall, Bodyguard is a film which, although fitting to the season and celebration of Eid, may find it hard to create and leave a mark with the audiences”, giving it an average 3 out of 5. Mayank Shekhar reviewed for the Hindustan Times and gave the film a 1.5 out of 5. Taran Adarsh gave the film 4.5 out of 5 stars and said Bodyguard was “a simple, but captivating story with a dramatic twist in the tale”.

Now a look at the figures. The domestic box office response saw Bodyguard grossing 21.25 crore at its opening, breaking the record set by the 2010 release Dabangg. Due to the holidays Bodyguard had an extended 9 day first week which saw collections hit 109.47 crore. By the end of the first four weeks the reports were already indicating that the film had made 148.86 crore. The overseas markets saw Bodyguard break records set by the 2010 release My Name is Khan grossing £840,000 in six days in the UK, $3.8 million in North America in the first four days and $250,000 in five days in Australia. It doesn’t stop there. The satellite rights of the film were sold to STAR network for 27 crore for seven years. Additionally, the film has already won 12 awards (Airtel Superstar Awards and BIG Star Entertainment Awards).

Ladies and gents, I give you 2011’s top grossing film – Bodyguard.

And with that I take your leave to prepare myself for 2012’s films to watch out for as I wish you all a happy and prosperous 2012.

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On his surgery

“I am sick of speaking about how I am feeling” was his first line for the evening. I can understand why. Only Salman Khan and God know how many times he has been asked that question by everyone who knows him and how many times he has answered it. He spoke candidly about the procedures he underwent for his surgery to ‘fix’ his nerve and spinal problems and mentioned that he would have to return for round two of the procedure later in the year. “I am not going to tell anyone I am going this time though” was his declaration.

On Bodyguard

“It was the script that attracted me to Bodyguard initially,” began Salman before talking about his pairing with Kareena Kapoor. A jodi that has given two flop films previously. He mentioned how people thought that the pairing was ‘manhoos’ and they were being called the ‘panothi couple’ and gave examples of their previous films their, Kyun Ki and Main aur Mrs Khanna.

When asked what it was like working with Kareena, he said he had a ‘blast working with Kareena’.

What was it like working with director Siddique? Salman answered it was good and that he is a “very nice guy and incredibly chilled out.” He went on to mention that Siddique had already made the film twice. “He started with the Malyalam film, then he got into the film with me and now Venkatesh is making a Telegu version. Siddique has made a hell of a lot of money from one film. I am very happy for him.”

Talking about the ‘Phalwan Dance’ that featured in Bodyguard, Khan mentioned that he had performed a similar dance when he was a child. “My chachas and father are all phalwans and wrestlers and they do that in Indore. It was in my mind but kahin pay dimaag say nikaal gaya tah (at one point I forgot it). We heard the song in Patiala for the first time and then during the making of the song there was a guy and he was standing really far away and I saw him performing it and told him tera yeh step toh gaya (this step of yours is gone).”

I asked Salman, if he wasn’t an actor and was a bodyguard in real life whose bodyguard would he be and why? A question that was not expected kept him quiet for a few seconds, but I was given a response that proved that this Khan is nothing short of charming, ‘Yours, I will be your bodyguard,’ making me blush quite furiously and the rest of the media cheer. ‘Aab Spicy answer doun? (Shall I give a spicy answer now?) he continued. ‘I would be Katrina’s bodyguard’ An interesting answer don’t you think?

Chitchatting about the success of Bodyguard, a film that has broken records set by Dabangg, Khan stated that he felt the exact opposite of the way he felt when he had disasters like Kyun Ki, God Tussi Great Ho or Main aur Mrs Khanna. He mentioned that he felt the film was successful because “you guys went to watch it!” He continued, “When some people see the movies on DVD or TV they say bahut aachi picture hai, kyun nahin chali (it’s a great film, why didn’t it do well)? The response is simple. Abhay nahin chali kyunki tum log nahin gaye dekhne kay liye, kyunki phookhat ki har cheez aachi lagthi hai. (It didn’t do well because you all didn’t go see it, and when it’s free everyone likes it.)”

He went on to talk about how films had changed and the audience had also changed. The films now had to be larger than life – he stated adding that the promo’s had to be interesting. “The strange thing is when you put up a promo, and the promo looks kick ass, the audience knows arre iss promo kay andaer jitney bhi best shots film main hain who daal diye (all the best shots from the film were put in this promo), they understand. How?!? I guess like we understand. It’s the same thing. The audience is intelligent now. You only do the kind of films that you want to watch or do.”

On up coming projects Ek tha Tiger, Sher Khan and Dabangg 2 and the National Award

“The shooting for for Ek Tha Tiger begins in Dublin in 3 and ½ weeks,” Salman said. When asked about the choice of location he mentioned that it was a Yash Raj decision and a leading lady had been confirmed.

Talking about Dabangg and Dabangg 2 Salman mentioned he found out about Dabangg winning the national award through BBM, “Yeah, I saw a picture of Arbaaz and he was all suited and booted, I was very happy for Arbaaz.”

Dabangg 2 is scheduled to go to floor after Ek Tha Tiger and an untitled project that was being produced by Sohail Khan. “It is penciled in for Diwali next year.”

When asked if we would ever see Salman Khan in a negative role, Khan shook his head and said no. “I don’t feel the need to do that. I do all my negative roles in films, but make them look positive.”

Conversing on Sher Khan, Salman confirmed that no leading lady had yet been confirmed for the film but said that it was a very difficult film to make which is why Dabangg 2 had been pushed back and Sher Khan bought forward. “Sher Khan is on a huge scale and lots of special effects and costumes so it needs time. That is why we have taken it ahead of Dabangg 2.”

When asked if he would be turning his hand to direction any time soon, Khan replied in the negative. “Arbaaz is directing, Sohail is directing as well. I will be producing more films though.” He went on to reveal that the production of films would have to be thought through very carefully and projects would be carefully selected as Salman Khan’s Being Human would be involved with the projects, so the projects would need to be child friendly. “Not that Dabangg or Wanted weren’t, I am just trying to work on an amalgamation of Chiller Party and the type of films I do.”

On Ash King

“He is superb, he is really good” was his instant reaction. However, on learning that Ash King was among the press, Khan immediately requested a chair for King and asked him to join him for the Q&A session putting Ash King on the spot. King commented he wasn’t sure why he was sitting beside Khan but revealed that he met Khan for the first time when he was a child and it was a dream comes true for King to provide the vocals for Khan. King went on to mention that he noticed that in the film industry a lot of songs get recorded and then an actor such as Salman Khan went and heard the song and decided what he thought, which was how King’s song ‘I Love You’ was selected. Recorded in January, Salman Khan gave it the final go ahead a few months later.

King said, “When Pritam said reege che (meaning yes in Bengali), the song is in the film, I said are you sure? Pritam responded that he (Salman Khan) has taken the song in the film, I initially said whatever. I went back home and the song got played and I didn’t realise until about a month later and I was talking to my friend and I said, I just sang for Salman Khan. It’s no joke, that’s one of my dreams.”

Asked to sing a song, Ash King obliged after some coaxing with an acapella of ‘I Love You’ from Bodyguard. Salman Khan on the other hand was unable to join in citing his surgery as a reason.

On Being Human

He said we had seen the T-Shirts, and we had seen the Rs 1000 T-Shirts, the fake ones – but stated he didn’t have an issue with the people who bought them or sold them. His problem was with the people who manufactured them “because they know it is a fake. They don’t care that they are making fakes especially when they know it is for the benefit of the country – e.g. providing education. He said that knowing that and continuing to manufacture them was crazy.

He went on to mention that Being Human was the achievement he was most proud of in his life to date. “Films are like – ah you know that guy, Salman, he’s done that film, let’s remake that film. That’s all it is. The trust is something that will continue to be there.”

On Andaz Apna Apna 2

A topic that has been much discussed in the press looks to be on the mind of the two leading actors and the director as well. Some positive revelations were made that may possibly give us all some hope.

“The strange this about this movie is that everyone has seen the movie on DVD but no one has seen it on screen.” Salman went on to explain, “When the film released it was just done Friday, Saturday, Sunday. Monday the film was down.”

He also mentioned that he had suggested releasing the same film again in the cinemas. However, Aamir Khan, Raj Kumar Santoshi and he had been wanting to do this film for the longest time but there had been a 20 year gap between the first release and what would now be the sequel. As there had been such a gap, he felt that the sequel had to be 21 times better than the first films.

Salman revealed that something was being worked on and Santoshi, who he regarded as one of the best directors in the industry, had something in the pipelines. He also went on to say that Santoshi would ensure that the sequel would be twice as funny as the original and that he was sure that both Aamir and he would be a part of it.

We can continue to live in hope!

On remakes of south films

South Indian Bollywood remakes have become synonymous with Salman Khan of late. With Wanted, Ready and Bodyguard all performing well at the box office, Salman explained why he didn’t have an issue with it.

Declaring that he never watched the original version of the film, Salman stated that for him a remake was a script that was written and that a story too had been “tried and tested”. “The people and audience are not the same. If a Telegu movie, a Tamil movie or a Malyalam movie script comes to me, our fans have not seen those films.”

He also explained why he felt there was no point in remaking a Bollywood film, saying that they were slightly different, that the treatment provided to each film was different and that everyone would already have seen a version of them, be it in English with subtitles or a dubbed version.

“So it doesn’t make any sense,” he stated matter of factly. “I use the remake basically as scripts. A lot of our movies, especially my dad’s films were re-made there, Dabangg is being re-made there, so I am doing the same.”

On Hollywood

When asked to talk about any future projects in Hollywood Salman cited he had done a Hollywood film already (Marigold) and it had been a (tongue in cheek) huge hit and for the time being that was it.

When told that there was a lot of interest in Hollywood and the actors from the American Film Fraternity who wanted to be a part of an Indian film, particularly actresses like Julia Roberts and Cameron Diaz who had mentioned they would want to work with him, hewas astonished “kya kahe rahe ho (what are you saying)!”

Asked if there was anyone he would like to work with in an Indian film, he laughed and said, “I have got Kareena Kapoor to work with, I have got Katrina to work with, let me finish that first.”

On Inspiration, Marriage and Rumours

“My father is my biggest inspiration,” Salman stated quite simply. “Because of his scripts – a good script can make a bad actor look good, for example, me. I was just a new comer and then Maine Pyaar Kiya happened. I am still benefitting from that film. Main abhi tak us ka kha raha houn. Bees saal say kah raha houn. Kareena toh 90 saalaon say kah rahi hai (I’m still benefiting from it. I have benefited for 20 years. Kareena has been benefiting for 90 years),” Salman stated much to the amusement of those present. Continuing about Kareena, he said, “Great grandfather say grandfather say father tak (from great grandfather to grandfather to father), you have Aamir Khan and Qyamat Say Qyamat Tak and Shah Rukh and Deewane.”

When asked “Aap ke haath kab peele ho rahe hain?” (When will your hands become yellow? In other words, when will you get married?), he candidly responded, “Ladkiyon kay haath peelain hote hain aur ladkhon kay gaal neelain hote hain (Girls’ hands become yellow and boys’ cheeks become blue).”

He also disregarded any rumours about him starring in a biopic about Rajnikanth though he mentioned he was a huge fan.

Asked who he enjoyed working with the most, he mentioned his Sajaan co–star, Sanjay Dutt. ‘”The process is enjoyable, the film I don’t know. We are working on a film titled Big Boss.”

In closing, what can I say about Salman Khan? An actor who has given 4 back to back hits and who has very recently had critical surgery performed, yet he sat for 45 minutes talking to us all very candidly about everything we asked him. He made us laugh, he made us think, and he revealed a little bit of himself. A complete gentleman. I don’t think the bad boy tag does him any justice. And if bad boys are like him, then I say the world needs more of them.

Photo Credit: Sokari-Sade Tomlinson: Sokari-Sade Imagery

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The exhibition conceptualized by Ms Cicelia Raj and promoted by Sterling Media displayed services available in bridal designs, fashion, home, interiors, tourism, food, astrology and beauty.

It was during this event that I spent some time talking to Ravish Kapoor, owner and creator of innovative invitation company named – Ravish Kapoor.

A prominent name in the card design industry who recently shot to fame after designing wedding cards for both husband and wife Raj Kundra and Shilpa Shetty. Based in Delhi Kapoor heads the workshop alongside design head John Connolly, with designs showcased in show rooms in Mumbai, Hyderabad and Los Angeles.

‘Each card is unique as inspiration is drawn from the individual’ informed design head Connolly. ‘Each card typically takes a month to design and develop.’

A man who typically avoids doing exhibitions spoke candidly about his six and a half year old company. A company that started with event management only recently started to concentrate on the card industry.

A designer who specializes in designing out-of-the-box invitations, Kapoor’s forte lies in personalized invitations that cover all occasions that are unique. When asked if his cards were now a status symbol in India, Kapoor gave a very honest answer.

“Yes. People feel that if it isn’t designed by Ravish Kapoor then there isn’t anything different about it.”

And the reason Shilpa Shetty selected him to design her wedding card – ‘She wanted a bespoke design that had a feeling of Royalty – and that is what we designed for her and her husband Raj’

The company benefited greatly from the attention generated by the wedding, and it was this wedding that gave him the confidence to design cards that were truly innovative. It was also this wedding that saw an increase in clientele from UK.

‘The clientele from London was always consistent; it is just that the customer base grew in size due to the press coverage surrounding Shilpa Shetty’s wedding.’

Surrounded by exquisite cards I picked a car (wheels and all). A card that I was told had been designed for a friend who was a car fanatic, I looked at him slightly perplexed when he split the car in two revealing the invite inscribed within the car.

‘Nothing is impossible – if you can dream it we can make it’ was his simple comment. I enquired about the design process of a card.

‘As I said, the inspiration for the card comes from the client so no two cards are the same.’

The cards are designed by his four hundred strong design team for him and not the client.

‘Once the card is designed the team ‘sell’ the card to me. If they can sell the card to me, then I can sell it to the client.’

The process was outlined as a continuous process. A fifty percent deposit was placed and then a prototype produced which was later used as a template. This was shown to the client and changes made accordingly.’

And what if the client was based overseas?

‘Images are scanned and sent via email,’ makes sense.

Having designed cards for actor Karisma Kapur, singer Narinder Chanchal and most recently choreographer Ganesh Hedge – I asked my final question, who would be his dream client – ‘Prince Harry. I would love to design a wedding card for him’.

Looking at the cards I was surrounded by – if Prince Harry was looking for the ‘Wow Factor’ then Ravish Kapoor is definitely the designer to ask for.

For further information please go to www.ravishkapoor.com

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Patiala House
Starring – Akshay Kumar, Anushka Sharma, Rishi Kapoor, Dimple Kapadia, Armaan Kirmani
Director – Nikhil Advani
Producer – Bhushan Kumar, Mukesh Talreja, Krishan Kumar, Twinkle Khanna, Zoeb Springwala
Music – Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy
Release Date – February 11, 2011

February saw director Advani and co scriptwriter Anvita Dutt retreading the all too familiar ‘family drama’ formula. After the disaster that was Chandni Chowk to China, Patiala House saw the Kumar-Advani team try to make amends. Shot across London with a release ahead of the World Cricket Tournament, Patiala House earned mixed reviews. Rajeev Masand gave the film 1.5 out of 5 saying the film catered for those who were missing on their old-fashioned melodramatic entertainers and it ‘bored’ him.

Taran Adarsh on the other hand gave the film 4 out 5 saying ‘Patiala House is not one of those atypical mass entertainers that focuses only on providing entertainment, while the story takes a complete backseat. This one, thankfully, has a story to tell. And an interesting one’.

BollySpice reviewer Roshni Mulchandani gave the film a somewhat lacklustre 2.5 out of 5, saying the film ‘loiters between a Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham and Housefull.’

Now let’s talk numbers. Patiala House grossed 4.14 crore on its opening day in India with collections rising to 15.64 crore in its opening weekend and 23.25 crore at the end of its first week. Several analysts wrote the film off as a flop but the overall business done by the film saw it averaging out. Just goes to show the law of averages does apply – which lands Patiala House at a very comfortable number 5 having made 33,18,00,000, US $650,000 UK £708,077. Not bad for a comeback by a director who was almost written off.

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So what happens when you bring together a cast that has never worked collectively before (excluding mama – bhanja duo Aamir and Imran)? Simply put – Delhi Belly happens. Without giving to much away Delhi Belly is about three best friends/room mates Tashi (Imran Khan), Nitin (Kunal Roy Kapoor) and Arup (Vir Das) and the situations they find themselves in.

On the verge of entering supposed martial bliss, Tashi is unsure whether his girlfriend is ‘the one’. Arup’s problem is he wants to murder his girlfriend who’s has just dumped him and his boss who idea of creativity centres around a smiling banana. He just doesn’t know in which order it should happen. Food lover Nitin on the other hand doesn’t know the nightmare situation he is going to enter by eating a tandoori chicken bought from a street vendor whose hygiene is shown in the most graphic detail. Throw in a bunch of criminals who start to chase our trio and you have Delhi Belly.

Inspired by Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Delhi Belly’s story has been written by Akshat Verma, who has managed to give the film a distinctive sense that is unique to the film without taking anything away from the original. This has largely been done through the strong characterisations in the film and the original and inspired situations that the three friends encounter.

The language of the youth in India today has been captured perfectly. Delhi Belly dares to show a side of the youth in India today that is not sugar coated as is shown in majority of the Bollywood films. This has not only added a sense of realism to the film but allowed the most gross and serious scenes in the film to be captured humorously making ways for smiles and laugh out loud moments.

The Delhi Belly script is the true hero of the film alongside the dialogues. The one liners in the film are not only ingenious but entertaining in every sense of the word. I can only say that the 19 drafts that were written by Verma were worth every page.

Abinay Deo’s second venture as the director is fast and the synchronisation with the screenplay is evident. The plot is not lost anywhere – which is a risk when making films that have an ensemble cast. Deo has managed to pull of a feat that many aspire to but few have achieved.

Delhi Belly was originally supposed to star Ranbir Kapoor and this is a well known fact however Ranbir opted out of the project and after four screen tests Imran managed to bag the role. So I was curious to see how Khan would do in the role. To say I was not disappointed would be an understatement. Imran as confused journalist Tashi is perfect. His attention to detail is clear from the onset and not at all forced. In all honesty you can see him following in Mama Aamir Khan’s pursuit of perfection and that is not necessarily a bad this.

Though the more established name out of the three lead male characters I can say that there is not a single point in the film where Khan overshadows Kapoor or Das. Khan managed to get under the skin of the character to ensure the audience watched Tashi and not Imran.

Vir Das’ portrayal as angst ridden Arup draws plenty of laughs from the audience. His comic timing is nothing short of impeccable and the helpless situations he manages to land himself in are carried out with so much ease that you cannot help but take notice of him whenever he is in any scene.

Kunal Roy Kapoor. The scene stealer of the film. Nitin is without a doubt my favourite character of the film. Kapoor somehow not only managed to land himself with the funniest scenes in the film, but also the funniest dialogues. He stands out in the film purely because of his faultless comic timing, witty expressions and truly unbelievable acting.

Shenaz Treasurywala as Tashi’s ditsy girlfriend Sonia is well cast and does full justice to her role as does Poorna Jagannathan who gives a confident performance as Tashi’s friend journalist Maneka. Returning to the silver screen after a break Vijay Raaz’s straight faced expressions manage to have you in stitches, though one can see why Deo wanted to cast Aamir Khan in the negative role. One can also see the reasoning behind the role being offered to Javed Jaffery had Raaz said no. Having said that – it was a pleasure to see Raaz performing on the silver screen again, and that to in such good form.

The chemistry between all the members of the cast is fantastic, but in all honesty it is the three male leads who steal the show. The entire film revolves around them and their antics and I would love to see them star again in another comedy.

The art direction of the film is good, camera work is perfect as it manages to transport the audience to the situations being shown with ease and the editing is second to none. Though only two of the songs are shown in the film (‘Jaa Chudail’ and ‘I hate you’), all the videos that have been released are well thought out with the choreography being well executed.

Composer Ram Sampath has experimented with the music and provided the audience with atypical lyrics. The fact that the songs play in the background act only to aid the narrative and pace of the film.

Delhi Belly is not without its faults. I have to mention that it is not your typical Hindi film. Some will either love this or hate this. The concept is not entirely original. It is not the first time that a Hindi film has been inspired by Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels.

There are also a few holes in the script that are glaringly obvious when seen as visual situations on the screen. The film is also part of a new trend that seems to be emerging with crossover cinema with the film being 80% in English and 20% in Hindi, and that 20% is Hindi swear words. This means that Delhi Belly is a film that is best suited to the urban classes, which rules out all of rural India when it comes to looking at recovery of the Rs30 Crores.

The second point is (and I say point not issue for a reason), that though Aamir and Imran have maintained that the content of the film is only for adults and not kids and there is no obvious skin show, there are a couple of scenes in the film that would make you a little uncomfortable if you were watching them with your parents right next to you.

All in all I would say that Delhi Belly is one of the most original comedies to come out of Bollywood this year and say it is one of this summers must watch films.

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While shooting in Jogeshwari, Shahid fell off a giant wheel and almost broke his hand. He was given medical aid, and sources have said that he did not fall from great height, so his hand injury was not very severe and he has been advised to rest by the doctor.

Incidentally, this is not the first time Shahid has injured himself while shooting for Mausam. Last year while in Scotland, Kapoor hurt his back, due to which the shooting schedule of the film was stopped for several days. However, Shahid’s injury won’t cause much problem regarding the completion of the film, as the film is almost ready to enter the post production stage save a few days of patchwork shooting.

The BollySpice team wishes Shahid a speedy recovery.

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Amrita: (Sings) “Mere sapno ka woh raja, mere dil ka woh rajkumar… main toh uski deewani banoogi…”

Rima: What are you so happily singing about?

Amrita: Ainvayi! Just thinking how wonderful it would be if, just like in the movies, a cute guy would waltz into my life and sweep me off my feet. *Sigh*

Rima: Are you for real? These movie-types don’t really exist in the real world, you do know that don’t you? That kind of perfection is not real!

Amrita: I beg to differ. How great would it be to be surprised with a perfect date like Kunal (John Abraham) plans for Neha (Priyanka Chopra) in Dostana? You cook together, you eat together and then he puts on your favourite film just for you. The icing on the cake of the date would come when he invites you to re-enact a romantic scene from the film. Divine eh?

There is also the setting in Mere Yaar Ki Shaadi, which sees the handsome Rohit (Jimmy Shergill) organise a romantic meal for his fiancée Sanjana (Tulip Joshi) amidst the greenery of a park complete with flowing white fabric to add the right wow-factor. As if this isn’t enough of a surprise, Rohit then goes on to sing the very amorous “Resham si hai yeh hawaaein sanam…” – Very idealistic, but I’m sure it’s a reality for a few ladies out there!

Rima: Ever heard the saying ‘too much of a good thing never lasts.’ If you want examples I can give examples of romance overkill too. Let’s start with Dil Chahta Hai. Remember Subodh? Pooja’s (Sonali Kulkarni) boyfriend who would bring home a heart shaped balloon every day? Please don’t tell me that you did not at some point want to burst that very balloon! And what about him remembering everything and I mean everything!

“On 12th March 2000 I first saw Pooja at this bus stop, on 15th March I spoke to her for the first time, on 18th March we went for a coffee at 19:00hrs”

Please get me a bucket! If not a bucket then at least a pin to pop the balloon!

Amrita: Love can make you do funny things and one of those things would be to become as desirable as possible for your love. This could mean changing yourself to impress the other person much like Rohan (Shahid Kapoor) and Veera (Rani Mukerjee) do for each other in Dil Bole Hadippa. Their first date consists of Rohan, a London-based non-resident Indian, getting in touch with his Indian roots to astound Veera who also turns up at the date leaving her traditional wear at home but instead, adorning a western outfit. How awesome would it be if my dream guy, upon seeing that I had changed myself for him said like Rohan does to Veera, “India is India ji and Veera is Veera… Dono special, dono sab se alag, dono one and only. Dono ko kisike liye badalne ki zaroorat nahin…”

Our very own Surinder (Shah Rukh Khan) of Rab Ne Bana Do Jodi is also a prime example of a man in love who goes to great lengths to change the way he is in order to win the heart of his love, Taani (Anushka Sharma). Whether it be changing his character to make his wife laugh and find a place in her heart or whether it be stay as himself and give her all of life’s little luxuries, this is one love story that truly touches the heart. With the simplicity of Suri’s character and the pureness of his feelings, it gives every girl the hope that love can bloom with the most unlikely person, albeit your husband of circumstances. *Sighhh*

Rima: *Sighhh* Yes, that is perfect – only it isn’t reality. Want a dose of reality – you don’t have to go far, I am sitting right here to provide it. Changing yourself to become desirable to your other half/potential other half has consequences. Everything does not always go to plan. Let’s look at a perfect example from Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna. The scene where reserved schoolteacher Maya (Rani Mukerjee) decides she wants to do something to spice up her marriage and does something that isn’t in her nature by dressing up as a dominatrix to surprise her husband Rishi (Abhishek Bachchan). And what happens? She embarrasses herself. Her ‘spectacular’ entry is right in the middle of a house party! Love isn’t about changing yourself or your partner. It is about accepting your partner and being accepted by your partner for who you are the way you are flaws and all. As said by Sameer (Jugal Hansraj) in Mohabbatein to his lady love Sanjana (Kim Sharma), (who incidentally also changed herself for the person she thought she loved only to be disrespected by being chucked into a pool), ‘Koi pyar kare, to tumse kare. Tum jaise ho, waise kare. Koi tumhe badal ke pyaar kare, to woh pyar nahin, woh sauda kare. Aur sahiba, pyar mein sauda nahin hota hai.’

Amrita: How about a guy who declares his love in a style unlike any other? One of the sweetest onscreen declarations of pyaar is in Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi when Raj (Shah Rukh Khan) proclaims his love for Taani (Anushka Sharma) by taking her to a high point overlooking the city and using his connections with “Punjab Power” to light up the words “I Love You”. Although a little too extravagant, I’m sure there are men out there who would declare their love in a way similar to this to win a girl’s heart!

There is also a preppy scene in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai when Rahul (Shah Rukh Khan), after climbing a ladder to get to Tina’s (Rani Mukerji) room, declares his love for her in the completion of his story, which started at the temple. He says that a man should only bow down to three women; their mother, Durga Maa and he then bows his head for Tina. Hai hai… if this isn’t perfect then what would you say it is?

Rima: Yeeeeeeaaaaaaah… perfect. There is another side to this declaration of love as well. The acceptance. And what happens if that acceptance doesn’t materialise and turns into rejection – a la I Hate Luv Storys with Jai’s (Imran Khan) declaration of love to Simran (Sonam Kapoor). There was a perfect setting there too. Simran’s favourite colour – red, is everywhere. There is food, music, flowers, a gentle breeze toying with yards of red fabric. There is also a big fat no. Perfect right?

And who says that all declarations are romantic? Shah Rukh Khan’s Rahul Mehra in Darr was not romantic though he made his declaration numerous times. Psychopathic, obsessive and scary are the words that come to mind. Who can forget his final declaration? Did it not chill you to the core?

Remember – there is a fine line between being romantic and being mentally unstable.

Amrita: Perhaps my prince charming is already part of my life and I don’t know it. Perhaps he’s been around for some time and I just haven’t noticed. This thought reminds me of Jab We Met where Geet (Kareena Kapoor) only has eyes for Anshuman (Tarun Arora). When she meets Aditya (Shahid Kapoor), she talks her way into his heart without him even noticing. It’s so romantic that only when their “episode” comes to an end does Adi realise how much he feels for Geet. He then brings her characteristics into his own personality. Now that, my dear, is a true love story. It’s as real as a love story can get!

Rima: A real love story huh? I agree that it isn’t necessary that you realise when you fall in love – but the whole adopting characteristics thing is a bit much. I mean can you imagine Kajol’s Simran adopting Shah Rukh Khan’s personality traits in Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge? It would change the whole film!

The only true love story I can think of in recent times is Jodhaa Akbar. A marriage that took place purely for the sake of convenience saw Jodhaa (played by Aishwariya Rai Bachchan), being reduced to a mere political pawn thus causing great resentment. In an environment that was steeped in prejudice Hrithik Roshan’s Akbar won Jodhaa over by staying true to himself, and I guess this was a cause of appreciation for Jodhaa. Yes, there were instances that caused misunderstanding but they were resolved by the reel jodi in their own sweet way like every real jodi. A story that grew into a love story like most real life stories – now that is what I call a love story…

Amrita: Rima, no matter what it is you say and how many opposing arguments you put across, I think I’m always going to be that girl who believes in the essence of Dil To Pagal Hai’s Maya. Yes, although she was a figment of Rahul’s (Shah Rukh Khan) imagination for his play, I believe her thoughts about love are what make the film one of my favourites. Maya believed that “Someone somewhere is made for you…” and that’s exactly my sentiment.

Rima: I agree that there is someone out there for everyone. I just believe that the film world presents love stories to the audience so that they can escape for a couple of hours. Everything is seen through rose tinted glasses and is perfect, and if it isn’t perfect initially everything somehow falls into place to become perfect. Life isn’t quite like that. There isn’t going to be a light breeze to catch hold of your dupatta and make it conveniently land on the head of your future partner.

A relationship takes time. It needs attention and love and care and has to be nurtured. No Hindi film shows that aspect and very few films show the reality of a relationship after the honeymoon period comes to an end. I can only think of a handful of films like Shah Rukh and Rani starrer Chalte Chalte where they show the misunderstandings post honeymoon, Rajpal Yadav and Rituparna Sen starrer Main Meri Patni Aur Woh also had an element of truth by highlighting the insecurities that a partner may feel.

Love in the reel world is perfect because it is scripted to be. Love in the real world though inspired by the film world at times is perfect because it isn’t scripted. It is just 100% true unadulterated emotion. And that my dear is where the perfection lies.

Amrita: *Sighhh* Well, I can’t disagree with any of that but a girl can dream can’t she?

Well, there we have it. Is Bollywood to blame for our searching for the perfect heroine or hero and then then non-acceptance of someone who doesn’t fit in with the romantic characters we all know and love? Or should we take every chocolate-boy hero or marriage-material heroine and put them under intense scrutiny? One will never know but some dreams will always dreams and even reality won’t be able to do them justice! One thing that is for sure is that no matter if you are a realist or a dreamer we all love to watch the pyaar, prem, ishq and mohabbat of Bollywood films!

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Two words that trigger a wealth of thoughts for Hindi cinema lovers. One of January’s most awaited releases, Kiran Rao’s directorial debut, an Aamir Khan production, Aamir’s first release post 3 Idiots. And above all, the plaudits it received at the Toronto Film Festival and London Film Week.

Attending a private screening organized by Spice PR on behalf of BollySpice, I have sat and agonized over writing this review for days. So where do I begin? Tagged Mumbai Diaries, the story is simple. Four individuals whose lives are somehow inextricably drawn together by chance.

I have to say from the onset, Dhobi Ghat is not your typical Bollywood Film, nor is its music your typical Bollywood chartbuster. If these are your expectations when you walk into the darkened theatre of your local cinema, save yourself the effort. You will hate it. There are no song and dance sequences. Neither Munni nor Sheila will be performing any latkha’s and jhatkha’s. There will be no sudden trips to Switzerland or Mauritius either. You are in Mumbai and that is where you will be staying. This is not necessarily a bad thing. I am just ensuring that you all understand the basic ideology behind the film.

Shot in multiple formats on very real locations throughout Mumbai, Dhobi Ghat pieces together fragments of these four very individual experiences and the manner in which they tie in with one another. This is sometimes done through the use of black and white stills, sometimes through a personal video letter and sometimes through the present day lives unfolding on screen. When brought together, it forms the four personal journeys that make up the story of Dhobi Ghat.

Taking a look at the stories, Rao shares two issues. One makes up the story of Arun; a reclusive painter who has spent time in many of Mumbai’s urban dwellings. Realizing the lease on his present accommodation is soon to expire, Arun looks to Old Mumbai for a possible new home. The reason behind this is simple. He hopes to escape the dreaded lease agreement that many Mumbaikar’s face. Arun’s search comes to an end with a flat in a multi occupancy block. It is in this flat that Arun finds company in the form of video letters left by the previous tenant Yasmin, a small town girl from Uttar Pradesh who moves to Mumbai to begin the next stage of her life as a married woman. Sharing her experiences visually with her brother Imran, it is Yasmin’s innocence that draws a fascinated Arun to her and her world.

The second story looks at the possibility of two people from two different social standings falling in love. The two individuals that form that basis of this story are Shai, an investment banker from New York on sabbatical in Mumbai to work on a photography project and Munna, a dhobi whose ambition in life is to become a Bollywood hero. Munna promises to show Shai the real Mumbai in exchange for a portfolio that will help him realise his dream. Unaware of the class system that is largely prevalent throughout India and the general treatment meted out to India’s domestic workers, Shai gives Munna the same level of respect she would give anyone else, and it is this treatment that Munna interperates as love.

Dhobi Ghat is in essence Kiran Rao’s attempt to tell these four stories as well as an attempt to capture Mumbai from several different perspectives. Though the issues are quite separate the stories entwine with each other at specific point quite cleverly. Kiran Rao manages to not only tell four personal accounts of life but also manages to tell the story of a city and she does this by capturing the cities very soul through sight and sound, thus revealing a Mumbai of many faces – some that are known and some that are unknown. Is her attempt successful? I would say so.

Moving on to the films four leads – beginning with Monica Dogra, the first of our debutants. Dogra as Shai is effective. In the relationship shown between Munna and Shai, Shai represents the life of luxury, the lifestyle that many of the cities inhabitants aspire to achieve, the exact opposite of Prateik ’s Munna. I can understand why she agreed to the role and her scenes with Prateik are a delight to watch, though she is somewhat overshadowed by Prateik. I am not sure about her scenes with Aamir – I feel there was some chemistry lacking there.

She shows promise of great things to come if she chooses to continue with acting – the rest waits to be seen.

Aamir Khan. I think it is fair to say that of late when one hears the name Aamir Khan one instantly associates the words box office hit with it and anything that it may be linked to. I can understand why Aamir Khan wanted to enact the role of Arun. Returning to the role of an artist Aamir Khan, enacts the reclusive painter beautifully. The subtleties and the occasional brute honesty are a far cry from Aamir’s Rancho in his last release 3I and that is what one has to take the time to appreciate. In the film you see Arun and not Aamir and I think that is the mark of a great actor. To become the character you want the world to see and Aamir manages to do that quite successfully.

Kiriti Malholtra’s Yasmin is seen far less on screen than Dogra yet she manages to steal the show between the two. Her performance as a sweet, na

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10. My Name is Khan

Starring – Shah Rukh Khan, Kajol
Director – Karan Johar
Producer – Hiroo Johar, Gauri Khan
Music – Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy
Release Date – 12 February 2010
Gross – Rs 72,74,00,000

Karan Johar’s 2010 offering was released in time for Valentines Day. And why not. It was after all a love story with a twist.

One of 2010’s most awaited films, MNIK saw the welcomed return of Kajol, Shah Rukh Khan and Karan Johar team return after nine years…yes it has been nine years since K3G was released.

Dubbed 2010 most expensive film, Johar’s MNIK generally received positive reviews. Guardian Reviewer Phelim O’Neill gave the film 3/5 saying ‘It’s a shame that much of the intended audience will not see this well-intentioned, slickly constructed and just plain likable film, for reasons that are very little to do with the film itself.’

My Name is Khan is the decade’s number 10.

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