Why Pacific Rim deserved success?

I am thoroughly disappointed with the failure of Pacific Rim.

Ramaiya Vastavaiya - A 30 crore gamble on a dated plot

Few readers might find me unreasonable discussing Ramaiya Vastavaiya since I haven't watched it (and no, I am not willing to sacrifice 2 and half hours of my life even if someone offers me a free PVR ticket. Temple Run is a far more engaging option if I have to waste my time). I remember how my jaw dropped (ok, I'm exaggerating a bit) upon seeing a guy sporting ridiculous hair and smiling like a buffoon romancing Shruti Hassan (Aww!) in the movie's trailer. I did wonder how on earth someone could commit a crime of pairing a svelte actress like Shruti opposite that guy. Of course, I didn't even make a feeble attempt at gaining some valuable information about this guy which would enlighten me. It was only when he and Prabhudeva appeared on few reality shows to promote the film (sans Shruti Hassan. See, how even the most basic element of the promotion of a film - glamour - is sacrificed at the altar of ... read on) that I came to know that he is a new entrant to that exclusive club which consists of distinguishing members like Harman Baweja and Jackie Bhagnani (Didn't recognize them by names? Don't worry, just give a close look to the privileged surnames and you will know). Anyway, this article is not about the 'poor guy' (of course, not in the literal sense). The thought of writing this piece occurred to me when I read few reviews of the film and came to know that the cost of film was close to, (gulp!), 30 crore.

Success of Medium Budgeted Films with Little Face Value in 2013 in Bollywood

Unlike Hollywood, Bollywood has always been a place where new faces have found it tough to enjoy success in their very initial outing unless they come from a family of film stars. Even after the advent of multiplexes and acceptance of content different from the conventional Bollywood films, very few movies led by newcomers, or in the terms of trade, lacking face value have done well in last few years. However, this year has been an exception. Most of the big budget star driven vehicles have given disappointing returns while medium budget films with newer faces have performed very well. Films like Kai Po Che, Aashiqui 2, Fukrey and Raanjhanaa  were never expected to put up big numbers. But the results have been completely different. The acceptance of these films by the audience is not only heartening but encouraging as well for the Hindi film industry.

Hollywood Box Office Update: Despicable Me 2 Great Opening, The Lone Ranger is a Failure

Despicable Me 2, the sequel to the 2010 surprise hit, had a great opening with its first five days yielding $142.1 million. The film was released on Wednesday to reap the benefits of fourth of July weekend and it grabbed the opportunity with both hands. The films has scored one of the best openings for an animation film and good word of mouth suggests that the film will play very well in the coming weeks.

Bollywood Box Office: Lootera Average Beginning, Policegiri is a Disaster

The first two Bollywood releases of the second half of the year haven't really set the box office on fire. Vikramaditya Motwane's Lootera starring Ranveer Singh and Sonakshi Sinha had a slow start in most of the screens across the country; though the film did pick up later on and earned close to 17 crore in its first weekend. The figures are not that great, but the film's healthy growth on Saturday and Sunday suggest good word of mouth. So, if the film manages to get good collections on weekdays, it has got a chance to score at the box office.

Hollywood Box Office Update: Monsters University Tops Again, The Heat is a Solid Success but White House Down Falters

This week's two new releases couldn't go past Monsters University as the Disney Pixar movie earned $45 million to retain its position. The animation hit has so far earned in excess of $170 million. Amongst the new releases, comedy The Heat had a super opening of around $39 million. This was easily the best opening ever for its stars Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy  The same can't be said for Channing Tatum as his movie White House Down had a disappointing opening of  just under $25 million. It was also one of the lowest debuts for  its director Roland Emmerich who has given huge hits in past like Independence Day and 2012. 

Bollywood Box Office Update: Ghanchakkar is a Disappointment, Ranjhanaa is a Success

This week's major release Ghanchakkar has fallen flat at the box office. There were a lot of hopes from this film considering track record of its lead actors Emraan Hashmi and Vidya Balan as well as director Rajkumar Gupta who had previously given offbeat hits like Aamir and No One Killed Jessica. But the hopes were dashed with slow opening and mixed reports. Ghanchakkar had an average weekend of just around 19 crore,and the collections had a huge fall on monday. The trending suggests that the film won't go a long distance.