SAIYAARA ALL SET FOR A SURPRISE OPENING

Saiyaara is all set to release tomorrow and its advance is nothing short of historic. It is a film starring two newcomers and is not a big-scale mass film. Hence, ideally, a film like this should not have opened beyond Rs. 4-5 crores. But Saiyaara has done the unthinkable. Looking at the advance booking, the film will open anywhere between Rs. 18 crores and Rs. 22 crores! Yes, you read it right!

Saiyaara stars newcomers Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda. It marks director Mohit Suri’s first collaboration with Yash Raj Films. The teaser got noticed, after which the songs became a rage. The trailer also got accepted big time. The promotional strategy also worked. YRF kept the newcomers hidden. They didn’t do interviews or attend any promotional events or city tours.

Yet, even the makers didn’t realize that their film had generated such a craze. There was also an offer, albeit for a limited time, where one could get 50% off when one buys two tickets of Saiyaara. This offer shouldn’t have been there, looking at the advance booking. Be it single screens or multiplexes, be it A centres or B and C centres, the response is smashing.

It is difficult to ascertain what is working so well for the film. But a few months ago, Sanam Teri Kasam became a rage on its re-release. It was also in the same zone, that is, it was a film about heartbreaks, chartbuster music and intense romance. Saiyaara falls in the same zone. This is a wake-up call that mass just doesn’t mean action and one should also focus on other massy genres.

Saiyaara’s first day will be outstanding and now it all depends on what the public response is. If the reports are positive, then it can amass even Rs. 150 crores or Rs. 200 crores. But if the word of mouth is not upto the mark, it’ll still be a profitable venture for the makers looking at the opening.

The other two Hindi films of the week are Tanvi The Great and Nikita Roy. The awareness and buzz are negligible and their opening will be in lakhs. As for Hollywood, Smurfs and I Know What You Did Last Summer belong to popular franchises. However, due to limited hype and the Saiyaara hurricane, even these films will get affected.