Box Office: Queen Outshines Gulaab Gang; Total Siyapaa Tanks

When Bollywood has a mission, you don’t expect it to break the traditional mould and deliver something spectacular. That’s why we were not feeling wildly enthusiastic when two women-centric movies hit the screen just a day before the much-coveted International Women’s Day. One is, of course, Gulaab Gang, the intensely hyped drama flick starring Madhuri Dixit Nene and Juhi Chawla as leads. It is Soumik Sen’s directorial debut and going by the storyline – a group of pink-clad women hell-bent on social reform and getting justice for women – loads of fire and spice were expected from this movie.

But that was not the case. To begin with, Sampat Pal Devi, the leader of the original Gulabi Gang, filed a case against the makers of Gulaab Gang and the Delhi High Court passed a stay order against the pan-India release of the movie. However, Delhi HC lifted the ban after another hearing and Gulaab Gang hit around 1,600 screens on March 7 as scheduled.

The pre-launch controversy has, however, taken its toll and in spite of the positive buzz, Gulaab Gang has bombed the domestic box office. It managed to nett around Rs 2.41 crore at home on the opening Friday, followed by Rs 2.97 crore nett on Saturday and another Rs 3.46 crore nett on Sunday, taking the total weekend collection to Rs 8.84 crore nett. Collections tanked again on the crucial Day 4 (Monday, March 10) and were pegged at a little over Rs 1 crore nett. It means the film is literally struggling to get past the Rs 10 crore nett mark in spite of a huge release.

Just like Gulaab Gang, Kangna Ranaut-starrer Queen started on a slow note on the opening day (Rs 1.75 crore nett at the domestic box office, which was lower than Gulaab Gang). But business picked up soon, thanks to excellent reviews and positive word of mouth. The coming-of-age comedy drama hit 800 screens, against Gulaab Gang’s 1,600, but collected around Rs 10 crore nett in the first weekend at home. Surprisingly, Day 4 collections were better than the opening Friday and stood at around Rs 2 crore nett, taking the total to Rs 12 crore nett in four days.

In contrast, Total Siyapaa, the third flick released on March 7, tanked at the domestic box office and only managed Rs 4.09 crore nett in the opening weekend. The rom-com, directed by Eeshwar Niwas and starring Ali Zafar and Yami Gautam (along with veterans Anupam Kher and Kirron Kher), has hit around 850 screens. But the lacklustre response at the box office is quite a dampener. The Monday numbers are not out yet but according to industry insiders, the movie has made a little over Rs 1 crore.

What makes or breaks these movies
Going by the box office response, Total Siyapaa is a washout and Gulaab Gang has failed to draw the audience while Queen is slowly building a solid base. Now let us take a close look at what has or hasn’t work for these Bollywood flicks.

Gulaab Gang – Old wine in new bottle: It’s not difficult to understand why Gulaab Gang has apparently failed. In spite of some good points, writer-director Soumik Sen has essentially portrayed the age-old Bollywood theme – the good versus the bad. Be it Rajjo the revolutionary (Madhuri Dixit) valiantly fighting against gender discrimination, violence, abuse and poverty, or the all-black politician Sumitra Devi (Juhi Chawla) controlling and manipulating every life – they do it all in the archetypal Bollywood style. So you get some high-sounding dialogues and stick-wielding action sans the inner growth of the protagonist.

Most of Madhuri’s socially committed actions are rituously punctuated by dance numbers as if we are in a kind of dream sequence. And the epic grandeur is essentially missing from this make-believe corrupt world, controlled by a failed system and ruled by larger-than-life women. Nothing is too oppressing or overwhelming in this supposedly sombre world; every issue can be dealt with, however trite the solution, and Women’s Lib has been made easy for the masses, without being given the required depth. The original Gulabi Gang founder has not been acknowledged anywhere in the movie as the makers claim that Gulaab Gang is a work of fiction. And that’s exactly what it is. This flick never rises to the classic height of real life but remains dwarfed in a scripted ambience.

Queen – A journey worth taking: Recently, Aamir Khan has taken to Twitter to praise the film, director-writer Vikas Bahl and lead actor Kangana. “What a film!!! Guys you have to watch QUEEN!!! Anyone who hasn’t seen it, please go now and see it. Such an important film for every girl, every woman to watch... and in fact every male to watch too! Thank you to Vikas Bahl and his team which made the film. And Kangana... you rock,” he tweeted.

Well, that speaks volumes about quality and the flick is worth every word of it. The plot seems pretty familiar, at least in the beginning. Rani (Kangana Ranaut) is a simple Punjabi girl hailing from Delhi and she gets turned down by the UK-returned fiancé Vijay (Rajkummar Rao) a couple of days before their wedding just because she is not his sort any more. But instead of breaking down, Rani goes on her honeymoon trip alone through Paris and Amsterdam – trying to cope, having fun and finally breaking free & living life on her own terms. Of course, you will find stereotypes and clichés here but Kangana sparkles in this coming-of-age movie – making friends and growing inwardly as the journey of discovery continues. A must-watch and we must say that the BO verdict has been quite right this time.

Total Siyapaa – Not totally doomed: We say that in spite of the poor box office response. Inspired by a Spanish film, Seres Queridos (Only Human), this rom-com features an Indo-Pak pair – Asha (Yami Gautam) and Aman (Ali Zafar) – and their many attempts to iron out the clashing cultures and countries. The backdrop of London looks both beautiful and homey, but the characters, at times, look lost and confused, as if trying to find their way back to the centre stage. Anupam and Kirron Kher (Aisha’s parents) do their best while Sara Khan, as Asha’s sister, proves to be tantalising, vivacious and gutsy. You get large dollops of humour as well even as the eccentric and whimsical characters try to make their mark. Overall, an average movie but offers some fun moments.

Images: Indiatimes