WILL HAQ, JATADHARA MANAGE TO FIND BOX OFFICE SUCCESS?

November is here and there will be an exciting release every Friday. The film to watch out for tomorrow, November 7, is Haq. It stars Yami Gautam and Emraan Hashmi and is inspired by the Shah Bano case, a landmark ruling.

The trailer is intriguing and it looks like a quality product. The casting has also caught interest. Often, such films can come under the ‘propaganda’ category but this one doesn’t seem to be in that zone. That would give it a wider appeal.

However, due to the subject and treatment, it is clear that Haq is not a mass film. It should open around Rs. 2-3 crores. A good jump on Saturday is essential. Ideally, it should cross the Rs. 10 crore mark on the weekends. Then, it can stand a chance on weekdays and hopefully, in the second week as well.

The other release of the week is Jatadhara, starring Sonakshi Sinha in an evil role like never before. It is a Telugu film, dubbed in Hindi and also stars Sudheer Babu, Divya Khossla, Shilpa Shirodkar and others. The film’s promos and songs have failed to entice the audience. Hence, the advance booking in both the original Telugu and dubbed Hindi versions has been poor. As a result, the film will find it tough at the box office, unless the word of mouth is extraordinary.

Lastly, the Hollywood film, Predator: Badlands, will get a wide release in multiple formats. The film looks like a visual spectacle and a fun entertainer. However, the buzz in India is limited and it remains to be seen if it manages to find a sizable audience.