Who will win: Aamir or Akshay?
Trade pundits on the estimated openings of Taare Zameen Par and Welcome
A battle royale is on between Aamir Khan's Taare Zameen Par (TZP) and Akshay Kumar's Welcome. On the one hand, we have Akshay with his gang, comprising the cream of actors like Feroz Khan, Nana Patekar, Anil Kapoor, Paresh Rawal, Katrina Kaif and Mallika Sherawat and on the other, we have only Aamir Khan and his team of children.
Welcome is produced by a big producer, Firoz A Nadiadwala. He has produced some big movies like Hera Pheri, Phir Hera Pheri, Deewane Huye Paagal, Awara Paagal Deewana and Fool N Final. While Aamir's TZP is only his second home production, after his super-duper hit Lagaan.
On the direction front, you have Anees Bazmi whose last movie No Entry was the highest money-spinner in 2005. And then there's Aamir who makes his directorial debut with TZP. Let's see what our trade pundits have to say on the fate of both the films.
One of the trade guys, J Popat, is quite confident of Akshay Kumar's film. He says, "Welcome will make a historical start, mark my words. There are two reasons for this. After OSO and Saawariya, (Diwali releases) there were no big releases. People were hungry and waiting for a big movie and Welcome will satisfy their hunger."
He adds, "The second reason is the huge set-up, big banner, multi and unusual starcast and well-known director. Then you have the Christmas weekend holidays. In Diwali, we had only two or three days off but in Christmas it's seven to eight days. So, mark my words, Welcome will be the fastest money-spinner."
But the dispute between the distributors and multiplex owners could be a bone of contention, according to Popat. "Mind you, if the settlement between distributors and multiplexes owners regarding the percentage is not settled at the earliest, both films will bear a great loss."
On TZP, he was of the opinion, "There is no initial 'heat' amongst the audience and the exhibitors for TZP. Someone from the trade informed that Aamir makes his entry just before the interval. Also, music was always the plus point in Aamir's earlier films, but it is lacking in TZP."
Another film journalist and critic, Abhijit Mhamunkar, feels, "One should not jump to conclusions so early whether Welcome will crush Aamir's TZP. The talented actor has always had a loyal fan following which comprises the major multiplex going audience. They are definitely as much excited to see Aamir debut as a director with the added bonus of him starring in the film. So, if Welcome is expected to garner a bigger opening, TZP too will have its share of audience, which might patronise the film more in the longer run. If the reviews match up then expect a bigger turnout."
Abhijit further adds, "But there are some points that cannot be overlooked, like Akshay who has been the undisputed ruler of 2007. He will definitely benefit Welcome's running in the mass centres whereas TZP is more of a class film. It might take a beating there. Also, children may prefer to go for a Hanuman Returns that releases just a week later, than a serious themed TZP."
buzz18.com
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