Reason why 'Shanghai' didn't work

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Vedika211

@Vedika211

Inactive

Posted: 13 years ago

#21

I don't know much about box office and so on. So is this article wrong?

http://www.bollywoodlife.com/news-gossip/box-office-report-shanghai-scores-a-goal-at-the-box-office/

Box office report: 'Shanghai' declared a hit!

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Abhay Deol, Abhay Deol in Shanghai, Box OffICE Collection Shanghai, box office report Shanghai, Dibakar Banerjee, Dibakar Banerjee's Shanghai, Emraan Hashmi, Kalki Koechlin, Prosenjit in Shanghai, Rowdy Rathore, Rowdy Rathore box office collection, Shanghai, Shanghai Box Office collections, Shanghai box office report, Shanghai Emrtaan Hashmi

Box office report: 'Shanghai' scores a goal at the box office

comments 2

Dibakar Banerjee's Shanghai had recovered its cost even before the theatrical release through the satellite and music rights. With a decent collection of Rs 13 crore in the first four days the Emraan Hashmi and Abhay Deol starrer can be called a hit now

Shanghai opened to critical acclaim and mixed response at the box office. Those with the taste for good cinema thronged the theatres to watch this realistic take on India's state of affairs on the political and social front. Shanghai starring Abhay Deol, Emraan hasmi, Kalki Koechlin and Bengali superstar Prosenjit was made on a budget of Rs 19 crore. Director Dibakar Banerjee had said that he had to recover only Rs 4.75 crore from theatrical release to make Shanghai a profitable venture. The film had already bagged a whopping Rs 16 crore from the music and satellite right. And now after netting more than 13 crore at the box office Shanghai has become a success.

Distributed by PVR Pictures, Shanghai was released with 1,200 prints across India. After witnessing a slow start on the first day, it picked up on Saturday and Sunday. Trade analysts are expecting better response for the film in the week ahead. Trade pundits also maintain that due to the film's serious nature Shanghai can get even better response from the multiplex audience in the days to come.

Meanwhile, Akshay Kumar's masala entertainer Rowdy Rathore continues to rule the BO. The Prabhu Deva production has crossed the enviable Rs 100 crore mark. Akki's rustic, rowdy and larger-than-life avatar has undoubtedly worked for the film. And going by the numbers it is clear that Akshay's film has no threat from Banerjee's Shanghai.

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Nuktaacheen

@Nuktaacheen

Dazzler

Posted: 13 years ago

#22

so it is declared a hit then...?

i think that happened with Chak De as well... it was declared a flop and then the collections picked up with the WOM...

with movies like these, it's important to think about the budget as well...

Originally posted by: --PiaSenGupta--
As someone said intelligent movies hardly works in India.About content i liked the movie .It was not boring for my taste.
Entertainment is subjective ,I find the movie entertaining ..But in bollywood entertaining movies are thought to be the OTT and trash kinds so ..no Shanghai is not OTT or trash It is a well made political thriller ..Watch it before criticizing it

well, entertaining does not has to be OTT or trash (even that is subjective)... for example, bheja fry, stanley ka dabba, a wednesday i found entertaining but they had a good pace... you're right though... it is subjective... i actually liked Rann as well, LOL... i know people criticized it because it came out of rgv's camp... i have yet to watch it... i like a good thriller...

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112642

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Posted: 13 years ago

#23

I don't like comparisons - but frankly, kahani worked to some extent due to TDP hype and vidya's sudden thrust into spotlight. Sadly, this movie had none of that.

Plus, with ROwdy's BO success it's obvious that, at this point, indIa and BW movie goers aren't in the mood for a Shanghai. I suppose it would have done better, had it released a couple of weeks later, after the rowdy rathore, hungover faded

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Vedika211

@Vedika211

Inactive

Posted: 13 years ago

#24

Originally posted by: blue-ice
What is this movie about? is it about the Chinese mafia or something??

No, it is not about the Chinese mafia.
There is a slum area called Bharatnagar, which the government and corporate companies want to demolish and rebuild as an industrial complex. Their slogan is that they will make that area like Shanghai, so the film is called Shanghai.

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Nuktaacheen

@Nuktaacheen

Dazzler

Posted: 13 years ago

#25

Originally posted by: tiya229
I don't like comparisons - but frankly, kahani worked to some extent due to TDP hype and vidya's sudden thrust into spotlight. Sadly, this movie had none of that.

Plus, with ROwdy's BO success it's obvious that, at this point, indIa and BW movie goers aren't in the mood for a Shanghai. I suppose it would have done better, had it released a couple of weeks later, after the rowdy rathore, hungover faded

don't quite agree with that... how many times have the directors/producers tried to repeat successful jodis, etc. and gotten a flop... aamir khan/juhi chawla's signing spree comes to mind after QSQT... Hrithik/ameesha's pair proved to be a dud after kaho naa pyar hai...

it was a good movie, so it worked... plain and simple... hype can only get you so far... if the movie was not good, it wouldn't have worked...

agree with your last point though... which just goes to show, that at the end of the day, even the niche audience go for entertainment apparently, given the choice (of course, this is just my perception going by the collections)...

Edited by Nuktaacheen - 13 years ago

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112642

Suspended

Posted: 13 years ago

#26

Originally posted by: Nuktaacheen

don't quite agree with that... how many times have the directors/producers tried to repeat successful jodis, etc. and gotten a flop... aamir khan/juhi chawla's signing spree comes to mind after QSQT... Hrithik/ameesha's pair proved to be a dud after kaho naa pyar hai...
it was a good movie, so it worked... plain and simple... hype can only get you so far... if the movie was not good, it wouldn't have worked...
agree with your last point though... which just goes to show, that at the end of the day, even the niche audience go for entertainment apparently, given the choice (of course, this is just my perception going by the collections)...

I suppose you do make a fair point ,

What I meant was, there was vidya and her suddenly elevated stardom, that was a selling point. No doubt, it was a damn good movie. So is shanghai, but it doesn't have a selling point, despite a good script and a successful starcast.

Nothing, to make viewers pick shanghai over RR...

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453365

Suspended

Posted: 13 years ago

#27

I think the biggest reason for the film not living up to expectations is:

Its too SMART. First, the film gets right into it. Nothing is dumbed down. You have to have a working knowledge of Politics, coalitions, Indian bureaucracy, NGO'S and so on. The movie is based on the relationship between these organisations and it helps to know a little bit about them.

Lots of irony is used. There's a scene in the film where there's a serious discussion going on about a murder case and a kid chasing his ball barges in. You can take it any way you want but its a shot at the judicial procedings in small town india. The next scene Abhay is shown slipping on a wet floor.Even the climax the same driver that bumped off the NGO speaker is shown bringing down the first house. You can't expect the aam junta to really follow stuff like that. Most people want entertainment, not have to think about stuff. Kahani had a good script but was pretty simple compared to Shanghai

Secondly, Shanghai doesn't have a happy ending which Kahani did. It shows you the true India and then in the end says. This is how it is and there's nothing you can do about it. Nothing is going to change. So live with it. Don't bother changing anything. This is true and a masterstroke but nobody wants to see it.

Shanghai suffers because its too intelligent and too real.

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blue-ice.

@blue-ice.

Achiever

+ 4

Posted: 13 years ago

#28

Originally posted by: dkdc

No, it is not about the Chinese mafia.
There is a slum area called Bharatnagar, which the government and corporate companies want to demolish and rebuild as an industrial complex. Their slogan is that they will make that area like Shanghai, so the film is called Shanghai.

Thanks for the info.😛

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Vedika211

@Vedika211

Inactive

Posted: 13 years ago

#29

Originally posted by: blue-ice
Thanks for the info.😛

You're welcome.
I really loved the title of the movie. It suggests India's aspirations - to be like China, to be shiny, and glitzy, with impressive looking offices - and what it removes - an area of poverty called Bharatnagar - to get there.

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453365

Suspended

Posted: 13 years ago

#30

Originally posted by: dkdc

No, it is not about the Chinese mafia.
There is a slum area called Bharatnagar, which the government and corporate companies want to demolish and rebuild as an industrial complex. Their slogan is that they will make that area like Shanghai, so the film is called Shanghai.

That is the meaning most people are going for and its apt. But since Dibakar is all about "irony" Shanghai also has another meaning. Its literal meaning is "kidnapped" or " induced to do something by means of fraud"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shanghaiing

Both meanings work for the film and thats the reason it was chosen.

Interesting fact, the producers wanted the title " Bharat Mata ki Jai", which would have worked better for the film at the Box office. Shanghai confused a lot of people even though there's not a better title for the film having the double meaning that it does.