Box office is a difficult and quite a different kind of beast. And strangely, we have started hearing a lot about it in the last 2-3 years. Boasting numbers wasn’t the trend earlier. Now everyone is keen to flash their numbers – opening day, weekend, week, highest, highest per screen or any other category that you can think of. Full page ads with box office numbers in biggest fonts possible isn’t unusual. But what’s the trick? When so many new records are set with almost every big release, have we cracked the box office formula? Is it just Bhai-porn? What’s the big deal about the first promo? Do critics really matter when it comes to box office numbers?
And to find the answers to those queries, we met Shailesh Kapoor. We have been following him on twitter for quite sometime. In a country where everyone is an expert on cinema (and cricket), he talks what the research says. Not just random blabbering like those so called trade analysts. So click on the play button and do check it out. There is bit of echo in the sound. But hopefully you guys will manage. And there are some pointers below the audio clip if you want to skip to specific topic.
(And the voice that keeps on distracting the conversation belongs to Navjot Gulati)
00:50 – IIT. IIM. Bollywood
1:50 – Is there a method to the madness?
4:15 – Mere paas Naaz hai, Chandan hai, Gaiety hai, Galaxy hai. Tumhare paas kya hai?
5:50 – Ormax’s work – What/when/where/why research?
07:05 – concept testing / 09:50 – Title testing
10:50 – Short Term Shaadi VS Ek Main Aur Ek Tu
12:30 – Music testing – instant hit or can it grow?
14:40 – Promo testing.
15:47 – mera driver. tumhara cook. who else?
20:10 – Campaign = Cinematix = Opening weekend
23:03 – 19.5 cr for Ek Main Aur Ek Tu
23:40 – Tees Maar Khan
25:45 – There is nothing called “First promo/look” for the audience. Whatever they see first, that’s the one.
27:30 – Stars + Music + Genre = Weekend business. Bhai-porn.
28:20 – Weekend audience. Family = Out. College kids = In.
29:20 – Then WHY NO Y FILMS DELIVER BIG HITS?
30:20 – Faltu. And chaar baj gaye.
33:14 – Where do the small films fit in then?
35:30 – My conviction VS your research – living in denial?
39:25 – Too much importance to critics? If you have to, buy the friends, peer groups, social media guys. They are more credible now.
41:40 – Our Critics. Their Films.
47:53 – 3 Idiots. Not in Weekend Top 5. Not in Week Top 5. But still tops the Lifetime collection and by a HUGE margin. And it’s NOT a comedy.
50:50 – Get the “irregulars”! 60% of regular film goers still don’t know what Talaash is.
51:40 – Youtube views? BollywoodHungama views? Take it lightly, guys!
53:15 – What’s the meaning of Dabangg?
54:19 – AB : Hit on small screen, flop on big screen?
And as always, all kinds of feedback are more than welcome.
(To follow Ormax Media on twitter, click here)
F.i.g.h.t C.l.u.b 