* Ragini MMS - 2* REVIEW Thread - Page 6

Ragini MMS 2 had a good first weekend of around 23.25 crore nett. The film had to contend with the cricket matches over the three days which probably hit the film for around 10% business in the three days.

The film did very well at single screens but city multiplexes saw limited appreciation as they did not have a good trend over the weekend. A similar film Jism 2 released in 2012 grossed 21 crore nett over its first weekend including paid previews.

Ragini MMS 2: 3rd Highest Opening Weekend Grosser Of 2014

There were two predictions made in this column last week. Firstly, Ragini MMS 2 was all set to open bigger than Part One. Secondly, its opening was expected to be better than most of the recent mid-budget films released this year. Well, both predictions came true as the Sunny Leone starrer surpassed Ragini MMS by a major distance. Secondly, it opened much better than the likes ofHighway, Hasee Toh Phasee, Shaadi Ke Side Effects and of course Queen, each one of which actually had a bigger budget.

Still, it has to be acknowledged that collections were greater than what even the makers would have expected. With over 8 crore coming in on Friday, even remainder of the weekend was good, hence resulting in overall collections coming close to the 24 crore mark. Now these are fantastic numbers indeed, considering the fact that Sunny was the only star of the show and she herself doesn't come from mainstream cinema.

For Balaji, the film is well past the safety zone now and if the fall in collections during weekdays is as per industry standard of 50%, it would gain superhit status in one week flat. As for director Bhushan Patel, he now has a consecutive success under his belt after 1920-Evil Returns. The movie now stands as 2014s 3rd Highest Opening Weekend Grosser, after Jai Ho (58.50 crores) and Gunday (43 crores).

There was no such luck though for Gang of Ghosts which just couldn't take an opening. It was predicted that family audience would patronize the film but even for them Queen stayed on to be the first choice. With hardy any footfalls, the word of mouth couldn't set in either, as a result of which the film didn't have any remarkable numbers to show.

Aankhon Dekhi and Lakshmi got good reviews for themselves but no audience. This was pretty much on expected lines, though one does feel that at least Aankhon Dekhi would manage to find some audience for itself in the long run on home video

The genre 'Horrex' -- horror and sex -- is known to attract cinegoers by dozens. Now add Sunny Leone [one of the most discussed names within and outside the film fraternity], besides a winning soundtrack, and you're assured of a terrific start at the ticket window. RAGINI MMS-2 has achieved what most Hindi films don't -- serpentine queues at cineplexes, House Full boards outside theatres and a solid weekend total. This, despite cricket matches making a dent in its biz over the weekend.

I'd like to give credit to the above-mentioned factors of course, but I'd also like to underline the smart and clever marketing strategy adopted by Ekta Kapoor and her passionate team. All these factors combined together have made RAGINI MMS-2 a brand that would only strengthen in times to come.

Unfortunately, LAKSHMI and ANKHON DEKHI, which lack face-value but were riding on glowing reviews, got sidelined due to RAGINI MMS-2 and QUEEN wave. These two films have ample merits to grow at the ticket counters [the growth was minimal], but RAGINI MMS-2 and QUEEN relegated the new releases to the background.

GANG OF GHOSTS could not lure audiences in hordes either. The comedy had an unenthusiastic start and witnessed limited growth over the weekend. The film has a great premise [it's a remake of a much-loved and acclaimed Bengali film], but like I pointed out in the review, much is lost in translation. Also, the pre-release buzz was missing and since word of mouth plays an integral part in today's times, the rejection was imminent.