~*Sushant's Bollywood Journey*~ #9 - Page 100

A year that has gone by, the 2012 stands as a testament to some of the biggest hits and blockbusters that the industry has been witness to in the past decade. With more than a dozen films crossing the 100 crore mark, and some openings touted as earth shattering, breaking away all previous records, cinema was revolutionized yet boxed into the new invented toy called the 100 crore club! From the Khans to the Roshans, the Devgns to the Kumars, people packed in huge numbers for most films. Such was a scenario back last year but the money drought seems to have overtaken the flurry of finances this year, with films doing miserably to averagely good at the box office, with some hits and just one super hit in the first three months of the 2013 releases.

The first quarter of the year coming to an end brought with itself some gloomy expressions on the faces of most producers, distributors and the entire casts as films could marginally round off well, the box office numbers not withstanding! With just one film racing it up to the coveted 100 crore brigade, the first quarter was just another dull show of films at the multiplexes and single screens.

With twenty one releases in the first three months, almost half of it drowned within the shackles of flops, buried deep for its lack of a convincing storyline and half baked performances. Expectations were sky rocketing since January saw the release of the hyped and publicized Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola which despite having some marvelous performances could not live up to the expectations. Films with unconventional themes might have worked wonders last year but this year, there was a completely different story. With largely off beat yet highly commercial films like David, Inkaar falling totally flat on the face and Special 26 just managing to maintain a steady income rate, 2013 has taken a spin around the orbit. Although Special 26, being an Akki film was anticipated to do a lot better than how it fared at the box office.

As always, there were too many films with the likes of Jayantabhai Ki Luv Story, 3G, Zila Ghaziabad, andRangrezz which tanked at the box office without a trace, much to everyone's expectations. The sole runner of the race would definitely be Race 2 which, in spite of mixed reviews and gibberish twists and turns managed to reach the 100 crore target, courtesy the hype and the excitement generated by its prequel's super successful run! And when there were major shocks, there were some brilliant surprises too. With small budget films like ABCD- Any Body Can Dance, Kai Po Che and the satirical Jolly LLB raking in a lot of moolah turned out to be the biggest money spinners of the first quarter. While ABCD was the only super hit film, Kai Po Che tugged at people's hurts with its beautiful treatment and turned out to be another hit feather in Abhishek Gattu Kapoor's hat! Jolly LLB, which was produced on a stringent budget with less famous but hugely able names managed to bring in the most jolts, scoring in with a dream run of 32 crores, a number that might look tiny yet is mammoth for the entire Jolly LLB team.

And the biggest showdown Award of the first half definitely goes to the (as you expected it!) Sajid KhanEntertainer, err Brain-buster No brainer Himmatwala, which failed to even match up to the hype enveloping the film. The dynamic first time duo of Sajid and Ajay were defin itely the pick of the season with crowd expected to shower in huge numbers, but this film could do nothing to back the loud mouthed Sajid's virtual oaths and promises. Audience likes variety, not a typical gibberish and nonsensical remake and that is what has been proved from how Himmatwala upseted its producers and distributors with no profits at all.

Bromance being the flavour of the season, Chashme Baddoor helped David Dhawan register his first hit after ages. Whilst the Fate of the recently released Nautanki Saala and the action stunner Commando: A One Man Army are being decided, we look forward to the next quarter with films like the hugely dynamic and innovative Ek Thi Daayan, Aurangzeb, Bombay Talkies, Shootout At Wadala, Ghanchakkar and other films up for release!! Hopefully, it wouldn't be much of a showdown anymore (consult Sajid Khan to know the real meaning!)