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Half the year has gone by, and it’s time to take a quick look at the box office “Profit & Loss Statement” for the first half of the year! So far, Akshay Kumar and Hrithik Roshan have delivered the three blockbusters of the period, and our very own Vidya ‘Silk’ Balan has managed to retain her “Box Office Solo Queen” title, thanks to her ‘Kahaani’!
A look at the Pre-July Releases:
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Superstars Rule:
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Talking about the rulers, it is actually Akshay Kumar who leads the race. With 2 blockbusters of the year till date- Housefull 2 and Rowdy Rathore– the Kumar has changed his continued string of flops (read: Action Replayy, Tees Maar Khan, Patiala House and Thank You) into major box office earners. While Housefull 2 collected Rs. 114 crores in India alone, Prabhudeva’s masala flick Rowdy Rathore garnered a massive Rs. 130 crores in the domestic market, making Kumar the undisputed King of the box office of the 1st half of the year.
Not much behind in the race is Bollywood’s Greek God Hrithik Roshan with his mega-film Agneepath, co-starring Priyanka Chopra and Sanjay Dutt. The film kick-started Bollywood’s fate at the 2012 BO in an impressive way, earning Rs. 123 crore, and giving Hrithik a new high after a successful Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara in 2011.
None of the three ‘big’ Khans had any release, but our Chhote Nawab Saif Ali Khan did have his home production Agent Vinod, co-starring his soon-to-be wife Kareena Kapoor. The film was a major disappointment but ‘Pungi’ saved it from being a complete disaster.
Bhatt-favorite Emraan Hashmi has contributed in his own way to the semi-annual Profit & Loss Statement of 2012 through his films like Shanghai and Jannat 2.
But from among all the Kumars, Roshans and Khans, emerges a ‘Silk’ Balan who proved her mettle once again in Sujoy Ghosh’s Kahaani, which raked in Rs. 60 crores, carrying forward her hit streak of ‘The Dirty Picture’ that had earned Rs. 80 crores in 2011.
New Talents on the Rise:
The first half of the year witnessed new talents making their debut in the industry and bringing in some real good money. Ayushmann Khurrana turned out to be the surprise package, with his Vicky Donor receiving a thumbs-up from the audiences and critics alike. The film, made on a modest budget of Rs. 5 crores, earned Rs. 46 crores at the box office, adding to the numbers.
Similarly, Boney Kapoor’s son Arjun Kapoor made his debut with Ishaqzaade, which was also well-received at the BO. The film grossed more than Rs. 45 crores, and worked out due to the catchy music and the appreciable performances of the lead pair. Needless to say, Parineeti Chopra shone again in the film.
The Different Cinema and the True Performers:
When you have talented stars like Irrfan Khan and Manoj Bajpai in your film, chances are rare that the film won’t work or get noticed. Irrfan’s Paan Singh Tomar and Bajpai’s Gangs of Wasseypur re-affirmed that these actors are their best in off-beat and artistic cinema. The films contributed Rs. 15 and 25 crores respectively to the Profit & Loss Statement of the half year.
The Break-even Points:
The first half of 2012 saw a number of films which had fresh content to offer and turned out to be decent box-office earners. Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu, Tere Naal Love Ho Gaya and Ferrari Ki Sawaari had new and interesting stories to tell, and were among the ‘good’ films that we saw pre-July.
The Losses:
While some films struck right with the audiences, there were numerous others which failed to leave an impact. Players, Ek Deewana Tha, Jodi Breakers, Teri Meri Kahani, Department, Dangerous Ishq, Blood money, Hate Story, Bittoo Boss, and many others, featured big names but did nothing to make their fate ‘big’ at the BO.
Hollywood comes to Town:
To save you from the terrible impact of some of the worst yawnathons of 2012, a bunch of Hollywood films released in India and emerged as major earners. Mission Impossible 4, Men In Black 3 and The Amazing Spiderman confirmed that India is not just about Bollywood, but also about Hollywood lovers!
A Look at Part-II so far:
A soaring first half has sent expectation levels high from the second half of the year. Rohit Shetty hit the blockbuster jackpot with his Bol Bachchan, and Saif Ali Khan compensated for Agent Vinod by delivering Cocktail. The film grossed Rs. 80 crore till now, thanks to uber cool DPs (Deepika Padukone and Diana Penty, silly!) and the superb foot-tapping chartbusters.
Kya Super Kool Hain Hum and the much-awaited Jism 2 (starring Canadian adult-star Sunny Leone) have projected good numbers.
In the run-up to Eid this month will be the most-anticipated film of the year- Salman Khan’s Ek Tha Tiger. The YRF production will see Katrina Kaif opposite her ex-beau. The music is already topping charts and the film is expected to break all blockbuster records!
Not far behind is Akshay-Sonakshi starrer Joker, which seems to be one to look out for. Other films that have sent excitements levels soaring for the second half of the year are Anurag Basu’s Barfee, Madhur Bhandarkar’s Heroine, Ajay Devgn starrer Son of Sardar, Talaash and SRK-Katrina-YRF untitled film!
With so much on the platter, 2012 sure is going to be one helluva box office wonder! Sit back and watch the game!
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