Will Shootout At Wadala Cross The 100 Crore Mark?

Yes, whilst there is a lot of hoolaboo about this 100 crore club, films this year have interestingly and more surprisingly failed (except Race 2) to achieve the much desired target, with some big and heavyweight releases like Himmatwala suffering huge jolts from the audience at large. But Sanjay Gupta’s take on Hussain Zaidi’s book ‘Dongre to Dubai’ has grabbed in quite a lot eyeballs, thanks to the sexy maneuvers of the Badmaash Babli aka Piggy Chops and the no-dancing-only-titillating moves from Sunny Laila Leone. Not just that, the gripping story line and the alleged real life incident of the first ever police encounter back in 1982 where Manya Surve was gunned down serves as the perfect backdrop for this highly euphoric film.

Despite boastful of a hugely talented and eminent star cast, one still wonders if the otherwise pale John Abraham would live up to the expectations and shoulder the film successfully all alone. With his bag full of just two and half expressions, it would be amazing to see a different John delivering his career’s best performance, one that is sought after, going by what the makers have to say about the film. No wonder if John does another Dostana or a Race in Shootout, it would be an out and out disaster, performance wise. A supermodel who could hardly bring on the variety on the platter with little cocktail mixes of the characteristics of the roles that he portrays, playing Manya Surve would not just take the grueling fitness regime but also the proper acting workshops out of our B-town’s most eligible bachelor today.

Though the film is likely to be high on content, given that its adaptation of a successful novel and more because it is a prequel to the hugely successful Shootout At Lokhandwala, expectations are sky-rocketing! One should not forget that Shootout at Lokhandwala’s Maya bhai actually infused life back into the almost dying cells of Vivek Oberoi giving his career a new hiatus. But expecting the same form John would be difficult but not impossible. Plus with powerful performers like Anil Kapoor, Sonu Sood and Kangana Ranaut in tow, it should be easy breezy for the film to take the 100 crore loop. 200 crore, as suggested by Bollywood Czarina Ekta Kapoor would rather be impossible for sure. Neither will the film have the masala of a Dabangg or the wit of a 3 Idiots to make it to that club or even inch anyway closer to that boundary line. That’s a surety!

While the trailer, the producers and the ensemble cast makes one still feel that the film might trot into the 100 crore club, the ongoing IPL season can turn out to be the ultimate spoiler of sorts. Just like Himmatwala was hit by the big IPL storm, the May 1 release will coincide with the ongoing and hugely euphoric sixth edition of the Indian Premier League, which might well be the dampener in this dreamy expectation of Ms. Kapoor. Certainly a release relieved from the IPL boundaries would have served for a better Box Office income but it would be amazing to see SAW rake in the moolah despite the trending IPL and the stiff competition from the one-of-a-kind liaison of four directors in Bombay Talkies.

Nevertheless, we would still wish team SAW to sail through 100 crores easily but the race will have its own hurdles and obstacles and it is only upto Time, Luck and the Team’s Hard Work that can bring in the change.