Laaga box-office mein daag!
| ah well, there's always another day, another film! Abhishek Bachchan and Rani Mukerji in Laaga Chunari Mein Daag |
Pradeep Sarkar's film has the lowest-ever opening for any Yash Raj project; beating even the miserable first week of Neal 'N' Nikki
Shaheen Parkar
shaheen@mid-day.com
Despite a festive (Eid) weekend and only one more film (Priyadarshan's Bhool Bhulaiyaa) vying for attention, Pradeep Sarkar's Laaga Chunari Mein Daag has hit rock bottom. It has the lowest opening ever for a Yash Raj project — a meagre 15 per cent. This is even lower than the other 2005 Yash Raj dud Arjun Sablok's Neal 'N' Nikki. Even the presence of stars like Rani Mukerji and Abhishek Bachchan in Laaga have failed to make any impact at the box-office.
Thanda promos
So what went wrong with Laaga? "Firstly, the promos were not at all exciting," points out trade analyst Taran Adarsh. "There was nothing that could tempt a viewer to go watch the film. Also, it depicted Rani as the poor li'l girl who has some big trouble on her hands. It appeared like a rona-dhona kind of film."
Adarsh also feels that during festive occasions people want to watch feel-good movies. "No one wanted to see a dukhiyari's film! So the bend of the audience was much more towards Bhool Bhulaiyaa."
He blames Laaga's debacle solely on the subject. "It is regressive to the core and the plot is totally outdated. Though on the weekend there were a few takers, since Monday there has been a sharp decline at the box-office."
Interestingly several people have felt that the plot of Laaga is what they see in small screen soaps — the trials and tribulations of women.
Telly fare
Says Adarsh, "I have heard that people are comparing Laaga Chunari Mein Daag to a Balaji soap. I guess no-one would want to spend money to watch want they are repeatedly bombarded with every night on the tube."
Adds trade analyst Amod Mehra, "The title of Laaga itself went against the film. It was not interesting enough for a multiplex audience. The promos saying "Hi, I'm Natasha" gave away the plot that it was about a prostitute. No one who wants to see a film on prostitution."
Age matters
Mehra states that nowadays the target audience is the 12 to 32 age group. "They don't want rona-dhona stuff. Entertainment matters and that is why a film like Bheja Fry did well. Laaga did not appeal to them nor did the music of the film." He adds that Laaga was pitted against Bhool Bhulaiyaa which had Akshay Kumar. "Abhishek had a small role in Laaga, so there was no star value."
Music a letdown
According to film analyst Vikas Mohan, "The music of Laaga was a big let down. Yash Raj films are known for their music. Bhool Bhulaiyaa had the popular track Hare Rama Hare Krishna, which attracted the people to the theatres. Moreover, Rani has not yet reached the level of a Sridevi or Madhuri Dixit who can carry a film on their own."
Mohan also feels that the film evoked a '60s feel and primarily catered to the women audience. "The promos made it out to be a typical social film. But the women did not have time to see it; they were either busy with Ramzan and Eid or with Navratri."
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