Alt Entertainment’s keenly awaited The Dirty Picture got a bumper opening at the Indian Box Office as it collected an unprecedented 32.7 crores (Friday – 9.54 crores, Saturday – 10.78 crores, Sunday – 12.38 crores) from all versions (Hindi, Tamil, Telugu). .
The number positions it in the Top 5 openings of 2011, way ahead of several hero-centric blockbusters made at a substantially higher cost.
This also makes The Dirty Picture among the top 10 industry openers of all time.
The Dirty Picture was put out on 1766 screens India-wide, the widest ever for a set-up of this kind, and also on 120 screens abroad. In the international markets, the film released day-and-date in the UAE, United Kingdom, North America, Mauritius, Malaysia, Singapore, Kenya, Tanzania, Indonesia, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and Hong Kong and had a fabulous net opening in these territories of approximately 3.5 crores.
According to trade analysts, the mass entertainer is expected to surpass the Rs. 75 crores mark worldwide in its lifetime, emerging as the first female-led film to net such incredible numbers. Income from the satellite, music, home video and other revenue streams is additional, and will add to the bottom-line.
The opening is the biggest for the cast, Vidya Balan, Emraan Hashmi, and Naseeruddin Shah, and for director Milan Luthria, whose Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai for Balaji was a huge hit.
Says Anil Thadani of AA Films (the domestic distributors), “I had a strong vibe about the film. Its first trailer created a major buzz. With Balaji, one can be assured of a product that is high on content and one that will be terrifically marketed.”
States Jawahar Sharma of Cingery Independent Film Services (the overseas distributors), “We are extremely proud of The Dirty Picture and our association with Balaji. The film has got tremendous appreciation internationally and registered very strong theatrical collections. We feel that a new benchmark has been set with this genre film.”
Remarks Swati Shetty, President – Balaji Motion Pictures, “The Dirty Picture released to packed houses across the country and has created history of sorts for the genre and set-up it represents. We see repeat viewings thanks to the terrific word of mouth. With a bank holiday on Tuesday and no major opposition in the immediate weeks, we are anticipating the film to continue its dream run.”
Adds Tanuj Garg, CEO – Balaji Motion Pictures, “Through pre-licensing of non-theatrical rights and the strong theatrical collections, we have already recovered our investment. The financial success of The Dirty Picture is reflective not only of our orientation towards high quality content but of our unparalleled marketing strength.”
Balaji Motion Pictures’ sister brand, Alt Entertainment, has firmly established its foothold with Shor In The City, Ragini MMS and The Dirty Picture. The company’s next release in Summer 2012 is the comic sequel, Kyaa Super Kool Hain Hum.
