Kai Po Che! - all reviews here(Taran Adarsh-page6) - Page 20

The naysayers, or the prophets of doom, have been proven wrong yet again. KAI PO CHE, starring three relative newcomers, has notched a remarkable total in its opening weekend. You may find this hard to believe, but the Fri-to-Sun figures of KAI PO CHE [Rs 18.10 cr] are better than KAHAANI [Rs 13.83 cr], PAAN SINGH TOMAR [Rs 4.25 cr] and VICKY DONOR [Rs 7.40 cr], which were in the same space [unconventional films, all]. Now that's a tall achievement, isn't it?

What's heartening is that UTV believed in the film and gave it a fantabulous release. Additionally, look at UTV's confidence in KAI PO CHE: The film had its global premiere at Berlinale nine days prior to its release [on Wednesday], the critics who matter watched the film exactly a week in advance [on Friday], while UTV hosted a gala premiere for the crme de la crme of the entertainment industry in Mumbai five days before it hit the screens in India [on Monday]. Besides, the KAI PO CHE team promoted the film extensively on all platforms [television, radio, internet, print] in India and also in the international markets... As a matter of fact, UTV ensured that the film was 'visible' and talked about prior to its release everywhere.

Even the release strategy adopted by UTV for KAI PO CHE was most appropriate, targeting plexes and premium single screens in India. In the international arena, most films starring newcomers rarely get a theatrical release in major markets such as U.K. and U.S.A. [JAANE TU' YA JAANE NA and STUDENT OF THE YEAR are exceptions, but those films had Aamir Khan and Karan Johar, respectively backing the projects -- names that enjoy tremendous following in Overseas], but KAI PO CHE was released like any biggie there. The conviction or gamble, whatever you call it, has paid off and how!

The audience mandate was evident on Friday itself, when the morning shows concluded. KAI PO CHE is a rare film that's riding on glowing reviews and positive audience mandate, hence the business was bound to witness ample growth over the weekend. The day-wise growth in business, even at single screens, is proof that the film has worked big time. The rock-steady business on weekdays clearly indicates that the film has long legs. I am supremely confident that KAI PO CHE will continue to radiate in Weekend 2 as well.

The success of KAI PO CHE will spur film-makers and Studios to endorse movies starring newcomers, with content doing the talking. The success of KAI PO CHE will persuade film-makers to think beyond the stereotype. The success of KAI PO CHE will help introduce fresh, deserving talent at a time when almost all top actors have turned producers and there's genuine scarcity of new talent in the industry.

Do I hear KAI PO CHE producers Ronnie Screwvala and Siddharth Roy Kapur, director Abhishek Kapoor, writers Pubali Chaudhuri, Supratik Sen, Abhishek Kapoor and Chetan Bhagat, associate producer Manish Hariprasad, actors Rajkumar Yadav, Amit Sadh, Sushant Singh Rajput and Amrita Puri, UTV's core team of Shikha Kapur [marketing], Gaurav Verma [India distribution], Lokesh Dhar and Amrita Pandey [Overseas distribution] and everyone associated with the film scream with elation, 'kaipo che'?

PS: The success of VICKY DONOR and now KAI PO CHE also shatters the age-old myth that television actors cannot make it big in movies [Ayushmann Khurrana, Sushant and Amit started their careers in television].

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The other release, ZILA GHAZIABAD, a multi-starrer, got eclipsed by the KAI PO CHE wave at plexes, although the film is maintaining quite well at single screens in the mass-dominated belt, especially in U.P