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Experiments are great if they usher in something new and meaningful. When the <keyword id="303" type="POSITION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Director">director</keyword> is <keyword id="189787" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Devika-Bhagat">Devika Bhagat</keyword> and one of the lead characters is <keyword id="34091" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Abhay-Deol">Abhay Deol</keyword> (hailing from the legendary <keyword id="9281" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Dharmendra">Dharmendra</keyword> clan), one hopes to see a plot as intriguing as <keyword id="30024" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="80" keywordseo="manorama-six-feet-under">Manorama Six Feet Under</keyword> where Devika was the story &amp; <keyword id="236139" type="POSITION" weightage="80" keywordseo="screenplay-writer">screenplay writer</keyword> and Abhay was the lead character. So we have expected the actor-director combo to set the screen on fire this time, with a new format of storytelling. Deol has co-produced the rom-com and his real-life girlfriend <keyword id="76307" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Preeti-Desai">Preeti Desai</keyword> has also teamed up with him, but all to no avail. Thanks to an inane plot, the flick has literally crashed at the <keyword id="25892" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="box-office">box office</keyword>. 
 The numbers are quite dismal after Day 4 (February 3) and the flick has grossed a paltry Rs 4.6 crore as per industry estimates. According to <keyword id="255727" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Box-Office-India">Box Office India</keyword>, “<keyword id="1526690" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="One-By-Two">One By Two</keyword> fared poorly at the box office as it collected a little over Rs 1.50 crore nett over the weekend. The collections were around Rs 50 lakh nett on Friday and Saturday each while there was a little jump on Sunday to Rs 55 lakh nett (approx). The film is a disaster all over as some circuits hardly had any contribution.” 
 
The movie has been released on January 31 and has hit about 500 screens across India. But unless it witnesses some miraculous jump in collections, this one may not be able to recover the costs. 
 
Now, let’s have a look at the story itself and what it brings to the audience. One by Two revolves around the <keyword id="2045033" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Parallel-lives">parallel lives</keyword> of two people – <keyword id="49316" type="POSITION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Software-engineer">software engineer</keyword> Amit Sharma (Abhay) and <keyword id="2045034" type="POSITION" weightage="100" keywordseo="aspiring-dancer">aspiring dancer</keyword> Samara Patel (Preeti), born out of wedlock but trying to connect to her rich father. Both Amit and Samara have struggled to cope with their personal hard luck stories and a lot of coincidences bring them together, but not until the last scene. That may hit you hard, especially if you are waiting to watch some bubbly romance, while the surprising twists and turns are not enough to see the movie through. 
 At best, you get to see stereotypes – a jobless Amit dumped by his girlfriend; his loving mom (<keyword id="15316" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Rati-Agnihotri">Rati Agnihotri</keyword>) anxious to see her son settled and Samara’s alcoholic mom (<keyword id="12972" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Lillete-Dubey">Lillete Dubey</keyword>) helped by her daughter. There’s an extremely weak subplot – that of Amit hacking into a dance reality show to wreck the producer who is now dating his ex – which finally connects the central characters. 
 Serious movie-goers might have expected some Luis Buñuel-type <keyword id="2045045" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Neo-reality">neo-reality</keyword> in a plot where <keyword id="2045053" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Disjointed-storylines">disjointed storylines</keyword> suddenly converge. But the movie doesn’t step beyond the ground reality; nor does the urban sparkle contribute to the freshness of theme or originality of characters. The gags look tired after a time; the plot fails to impress in spite of endless possibilities and the lead duo can’t display the kind of acting prowess that would have broken the traditional mould and taken the flick to a new height of <keyword id="2045050" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Urban-isolation">urban isolation</keyword> and <keyword id="2045051" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Chance-connections">chance connections</keyword>. 
 
Image: Indiatimes

One By Two: Fragmented
Storytelling Fails To Impress, Flops At Box Office

31 'Grey's Anatomy' couples ranked by their chemistry

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Warning: There are minor spoilers ahead for "<keyword id="12073116" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="eternals" source="Orion">Eternals</keyword>."</li><li><keyword id="11899344" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="marvel" source="Orion">Marvel</keyword>'s latest project suffers from too many superheroes who are never fully fleshed out.</li></ul>One of Marvel's most ambitious movies in years is also one of its weakest since "Thor: The Dark World." "<a href="http://insider.com/category/eternals">Eternals</a>" boasts A-listers from Angelina Jolie and Salma Hayek to Kumail Nanjiani and the film offers some of Marvel's most shocking moments. Unfortunately, much of the talent is underutilized in this stacked cast.Directed by Academy Award winner Chloé Zhao ("Nomadland"), the film stumbles for the first hour as several plotlines in the <keyword id="11897475" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="movie" source="Orion">movie</keyword> compete to be the main star. From the start, we're introduced to 10 super-powered beings, a group called Eternals, who were sent to Earth 7,000 years ago to defeat a monstrous group known as Deviants and help mankind thrive. Each Eternal is bestowed with a unique set of gifts, including flight, laser beams, brute strength, super speed, and the power to heal, among others.<div type="image" title="From left: Kumail Nanjiani, Lauren Ridloff, Don Lee, Angelina Jolie, Richard Madden, Salma Hayek, Gemma Chan, Lia McHugh, Brian Tyree Henry, and Barry Keoghan in &quot;Eternals.&quot;" height="1608" width="3840" msid="87242687" hostid="261"></div>From the large opening fight sequence, it looks like the Eternals would have been handy in a lot of the previous MCU battles. Conveniently, the group was told not to interfere with any human dilemmas - like taking on Thanos - unless instructed to do so by a mysterious force that's better left explained in theaters.After 5,000 years together, the Eternals fracture into smaller groups to try and find their own separate paths on Earth. In the present, the gang must get back together to prevent the destruction of the planet while also fighting off those mysterious Deviants. Much of the film is spent painstakingly gathering the Eternals to stop an event called the Emergence, while also dealing with the Deviants who may or may not have anything to do with Earth's end of days.Simultaneously, some of the Eternals are navigating relationship drama. There's a love triangle between Gemma Chan, Richard Madden, and Kit Harington's characters (because why not?) while a different member of the group sometimes wants to murder them all (but not on purpose).Yeah. There's a lot going on here.<div type="image" title="Kit Harington and Gemma Chan in Eternals" height="1716" width="4096" msid="87242689" hostid="261"></div>Though the second half of the film is better with great action sequences and beautifully constructed moments that feel out of "2001: A Space Odyssey" or the end of 1968's "Planet of the Apes," it doesn't make up for an oddly structured part one that feels like it was pieced together, taken apart, and then Frakensteined all over again.<h2>The story suffers from a bloated cast and too many locations</h2><div type="image" title="Brian Tyree Henry leading the group as Phastos in &quot;Eternals.&quot;" height="1190" width="2880" msid="87242690" hostid="261"></div>There's no nice way to say this: The first half of the movie is a mess.It's stuffed with too many characters, locations, and back-and-forth moments between past and present. After multiple time hops, I simply stopped counting. Even by the film's end when you think you're finished with the location jumping, it does it at least twice more. It's overwhelming.In the comics, there are dozens of Eternals. While the 10 in the movie are a solid representation, the film deviates so much from the comics that it doesn't matter which members were chosen. The movie would have been better served by having three or so fewer main characters to let the storylines breathe.Audiences expecting to see Jolie as a gorgeous warrior may be disappointed to learn her character struggles with a memory issue and is essentially babysat by another Eternal, Don Lee's Gilgamesh, sidelining both characters for the majority of the film.<div type="image" title="Angelina Jolie as Thena in &quot;Eternals.&quot;" height="1194" width="2876" msid="87242691" hostid="261"></div> <div type="image" title="Don Lee as Gilgamesh in &quot;Eternals.&quot;" height="1188" width="1584" msid="87242692" hostid="261"></div>Imagine benching Jolie and Lee, the latter a huge South Korean star (watch him in "Train to Busan"). When they're finally allowed to show off their fighting skills, those are some of the film's best sequences.Meanwhile, Hayek's Ajak is the maternal leader of the group with her healing powers, but she's not given much to do. Once you see her character's arc, it's not difficult to understand why the actress told Elle she "<a href="https://www.insider.com/eternals-salma-hayek-chloe-zhao-fought-over-script-2021-10">got into a serious fight</a>" with the film's director over the script.<div type="image" title="Salma Hayek as Ajak in Marvel's &quot;Eternals.&quot;" height="1242" width="2880" msid="87242693" hostid="261"></div>Touted as Marvel's first deaf superhero, Lauren Ridloff ("The Walking Dead") is underutilized and feels like a mere check of the diversity box. It's a shame because a moment late in the film showing her character's super speed drew cheers from the premiere crowd. By the film's end, we know little of her background and motivations.She and Barry Keoghan's Druig also share a sweet fondness for one another, something the film only scratches the surface of.<div type="image" title="Makkari and Druig in Eternals" height="1716" width="4096" msid="87242694" hostid="261"></div>Perhaps none of this should be a surprise once you know Ridloff told The Hollywood Reporter that the cast "<a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/lauren-ridloff-eternals-marvel-deaf-superhero-1235025797/">had a hard time... agreeing on what exactly the story was going to end up being.</a>" It sounds like there may have been too many cooks in the kitchen offering ideas for what Marvel's "Eternals" should look like. It shows.Even the Deviants get the short end of the stick. Explained far too quickly, they appear as little more than typical CGI Marvel monsters. But, if you've read the comics, you know that's not the case - they're likened to tortured souls who weren't created as beautifully as the Eternals. We start to see that hinted at with one particular Deviant, Kros, but the film never takes the initiative to deep dive into an exploration of his species. <div type="image" title="A Deviant in Eternals" height="1716" width="4096" msid="87242695" hostid="261"></div>At one point, it seems the film may touch upon a history between Kros and one of the Eternals, but the moment quickly passes. It's yet another missed opportunity.<h2>Kumail Nianjiani is a scene-stealer and the film's saving grace</h2><div type="image" title="Kumail Nanjiani, Gemma Chan, and Lia McHugh standing in the woods in &quot;Eternals.&quot;" height="2663" width="4000" msid="87242696" hostid="261"></div>Chan, Madden, and Lia McHugh are all standouts. Madden is, essentially, Marvel's Superman who can fly and shoot beams out of his eyes. He's nearly indestructible. Chan's Sersi, who has a soft spot for humans, and McHugh's Sprite, a thousand-year-old Eternal trapped in a 12-year-old's body, are the film's heart.Harington is delightfully funny, too, as Sersi's human boyfriend, Dane Whitman. He previously showed off his comedic chops in HBO's "7 Days in Hell." He's not in the film much, but the actor told Insider we can hopefully expect to see more of him in the future.But it's Kumail Nianjiani who steals every scene in the movie and gets the film's best quip as Kingo. "Eternals" didn't come alive until Nianjiani re-entered the movie in a Bollywood dance sequence, which the actor spent months learning. Get this man his own Disney+ spin-off.<h2>'Eternals' takes a huge Marvel critique to heart: It has real stakes</h2><div type="image" title="Ikaris in Eternals, played by Richard Madden" height="1716" width="4096" msid="87242753" hostid="261"></div>A <a href="https://bloody-disgusting.com/editorials/3327423/problem-stakes-marvel-cinematic-universe/">complaint</a> <a href="https://www.flickeringmyth.com/2016/06/why-are-the-stakes-in-marvel-movies-so-low/">critics</a> <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2021/7/9/22569137/black-widow-marvel-endgame-space-magic-loki-wandavision">often</a> have reviewing any Marvel movie is that the stakes never feel high. Real harm rarely comes to the main characters because they need to be back for a sequel. One of the most impressive things "Eternals" does is let you know that it's a more mature movie right from the start. It's not afraid to get violent. "Eternals" is as close to Disney's version of "<a href="https://www.insider.com/james-gunn-the-suicide-squad-review-2021-7">The Suicide Squad</a>" as we may ever get.There are some truly shocking moments in the film and at least one twist you likely won't guess. One of those shocking moments comes very early on in the movie and may disappoint some fans. <h2>There's one moment in 'Eternals' parents will want to know about before taking kids</h2><div type="image" title="Richard Madden and Gemma Chan in Eternals" height="2254" width="4019" msid="87242754" hostid="261"></div>Parents of young children should be aware there's a sex scene in the movie. Though it's a close-up shot of two characters, there's obvious thrusting.For a Marvel movie, it seemed unnecessary since the audience is told the two characters have been together for thousands of years. We didn't need them to prove it with a 10-second lovemaking scene. <h2>'Eternals' gets right Marvel's first true openly LGBTQIA+ family on screen</h2>When Phastos (Brian Tyree Henry) finally rejoins the Eternals, we meet not just him, but his husband and son who were previously revealed <a href="https://www.them.us/story/marvel-eternals-trailer-queer-family-phastos">in marketing</a>. They're Marvel's first openly gay family and their inclusion is presented without feeling shoe-horned in the way it has <a href="https://www.insider.com/star-wars-gay-moment-not-enough-for-lgbtq-representation">in previous Disney films</a>. <div type="image" title="Phastos' family in Eternals" height="1184" width="2592" msid="87242755" hostid="261"></div>Phastos' relationship is not shown in the background of a scene or during a fleeting moment. It's front and center and natural. It shouldn't have taken 25 Marvel movies to see an openly gay character in the MCU. (No, that <a href="https://www.insider.com/avengers-endgame-first-openly-gay-character-joe-russo-scene-2019-4">moment in "Avengers: Endgame" was not great representation</a>.) During the film's premiere, Marvel Studios' president, Kevin Feige, told Variety that "Eternals" is "<a href="https://twitter.com/Variety/status/1450280787446681602?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1450280787446681602%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.out.com%2Ffilm%2F2021%2F10%2F21%2Fkevin-feige-says-eternals-just-start-gay-heroes-mcu-mcu">just the start</a>" of representation on screen.<h2>The two end-credits scenes are some of the film's best parts</h2><div type="image" title="Gemma Chan in Eternals" height="1716" width="4096" msid="87242756" hostid="261"></div>To its credit, the film's final 30 or so minutes - once the Eternals are finally gathered together, fighting for a cause - are excellent. There are big reveals as puzzle pieces set up in the first half come together. The film may have benefitted from making some of these reveals known earlier. But the loudest cheers, by far, during the world premiere were due to the first end-credit scene, which you may or may not have had ruined for you on social media in the past week. (Be careful out there.) Both end-credits scenes are two of Marvel's best, and each has huge ramifications for the future of the MCU. But you shouldn't have to sit through a so-so movie to see them.In "Eternals," it seems like Marvel wanted another "Guardians of the Galaxy." The 2014 surprise hit was an adaptation of an obscure comic book that grossed <a href="https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl3177416193/">$772 million worldwide</a>. Marvel likely figured they could do the same with "Eternals," an equally obscure comic the company revitalized.But in this case, lightning didn't strike twice. The difference with "Guardians" is you fall in love with each fully fleshed-out character. By introducing too many characters all at once, "Eternals" became disjointed and hard to follow, even if you were well-versed in the comics.Ultimately, "Eternals" tried to do too much - it wanted to be a romance and an end-of-world spectacle while introducing 10 new diverse heroes, multiple villains, and another potential antihero. Sadly, there were too many cooks in the kitchen. Produced by Feige and Nate Moore, "Eternals" will be in theaters on November 5.<h2>Grade: C</h2>

'Eternals' is Marvel's weakest film in years, but at least it finally gets LGBTQ+ representation right

When <keyword id="707762" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Thalaivar">Thalaivar</keyword> takes the centre stage, big bucks are bound to roll in. The <keyword id="25892" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="box-office">box office</keyword> drought is finally over as silver screen sensation <keyword id="14509" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Rajinikanth">Rajinikanth</keyword>’s latest outing <keyword id="1849408" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Kochadaiiyaan">Kochadaiiyaan</keyword> has turned out to be a smash hit, crossing the Rs 50 crore mark in just five days, according to industry estimates. The movie grossed Rs 42 crore worldwide in the first three days, according to a release by <keyword id="128026" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Eros-International">Eros International</keyword>. Domestic collections amounted to Rs 30 crore in the opening weekend while the rest came from overseas business. This could be equivalent to Rs 32.3 crore nett worldwide, as per trade estimates. “Kochadaiiyaan opening weekend – Worldwide: Rs 42 cr gross. All 6 languages. 2D and 3D. SUPERB,” film critic and trade analyst Taran Adarsh tweeted. 
 However, first Monday collections dipped considerably to Rs 5 crore in the <keyword id="1761158" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="indian-circuit">Indian circuit</keyword> while the movie managed to earn Rs 4.5 crore at home on the first Tuesday. Although overseas numbers for these two days are not available yet, industry insiders put gross worldwide collections at Rs 50 crore-plus just after five days. “Kochadaiiyaan… has fared exceptionally well in <keyword id="8695" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Malaysia">Malaysia</keyword> in particular. Is good in the <keyword id="6355055" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="USA">USA</keyword>, the UK &amp; <keyword id="6355478" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Australia">Australia</keyword>,” Adarsh tweeted about weekday business. With earnings from <keyword id="6358065" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Satellite">satellite</keyword> rights in multiple languages, audio and music rights, brand tie-ups and other income, the film is well on its way to cross Rs 100 in revenues. 
 This period drama-cum-futuristic fantasy was off to a stupendous start on Friday (May 23), hitting 3,000-plus theatres worldwide. Eros International released the film in 2D and 3D, in 6 languages, and directly undertook the distribution in <keyword id="20154" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="tamil-nadu">Tamil Nadu</keyword>. The flick saw nearly 95% occupancy in Tamil Nadu where Rajinikanth has a huge fan following. In contrast, the Telugu version saw a lacklustre beginning at home, grossing only Rs 5 crore in the first 3 days. Business slumped in the <keyword id="2266509" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Northern-belt">Northern belt</keyword> as well and the Rajini-starrer significantly lagged behind with Rs 4 crore gross during the first three days. The budget of this movie is Rs 125 crore across all languages. 
 In case you are not aware of its many merits, let us quickly run you through some landmarks. Directed by <keyword id="1800934" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Soundarya-R-Ashwin">Soundarya R. Ashwin</keyword> (Rajini’s daughter) and written by K.S. Ravikumar, Kochadaiiyaan is India’s first 3D film to use <keyword id="2266515" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Photorealistic-motion-capturing">photorealistic motion capturing</keyword> techniques – a technology that makes animation as lifelike as possible (you had a good dose of it in James Cameron’s <keyword id="44111" type="CITY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Avatar">Avatar</keyword>). The film has Rajinikanth in triple roles – Kochadaiiyaan, Rana and Sena. <keyword id="598" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Deepika-Padukone">Deepika Padukone</keyword>, <keyword id="297" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Jackie-Shroff">Jackie Shroff</keyword>, <keyword id="1029184" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="nassar">Nassar</keyword> and <keyword id="24628" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Shobana">Shobana</keyword> did pretty well in other key roles in the film. The music has been composed by <keyword id="11851" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="AR-Rahman">AR Rahman</keyword> and cinematography has been handled by Padmesh. 
 
For the thinking audience, however, the storyline has nothing new. It features the same old conflict between the good and the evil but also comes with some surprising twists and moral dilemmas. Yet, at the end, it tires more than illuminates, failing to take you past the visual dazzle. As film critic Shubhra Gupta so rightly notes, “Even Rajini, the one and the only, can’t pick up a film and run with it, if it has the oldest, creakiest plots cobbled together from many books. But the best tech specs in the world can’t rescue a sinking story… After a point, it all becomes too much sound and fury and not much else. One Rajini flipping cigarettes is much more fun than two Rajinis flinging swords in never never land.” 
 
 
 Produced by <keyword id="27326" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Sajid-Nadiadwala">Sajid Nadiadwala</keyword> and directed by <keyword id="616900" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Sabbir-Khan">Sabbir Khan</keyword>, <keyword id="1184791" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Heropanti">Heropanti</keyword> (a remake of the 1983 movie Hero) is the other release of the week and has performed better than Kochadaiiyaan in the northern circuits. The action-romance flick has seen an influx of debut actors (a total of 21) including <keyword id="133664" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Tiger-Shroff">Tiger Shroff</keyword> (Jackie’s son) and <keyword id="210696" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Kriti-Sanon">Kriti Sanon</keyword> in the lead roles 
 
“Heropanti passes the crucial ‘Monday test.’ Fri 6.63 cr, Sat 6.42 cr, Sun 8.28 cr, Mon 4.26 cr. Total: Rs 25.59 cr nett. India biz,” tweeted Adarsh while trade figure puts the domestic collections at Rs 24.96 crore. <keyword id="1996079" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Overseas-collections">Overseas collections</keyword> stood at Rs 2.13 crore gross after Day 4. The masala entertainer was released in 2,100 screens across India and its debut day earning is the fifth highest opening day collection for movies released in 2014, behind <keyword id="6593120" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Jai-Ho">Jai Ho</keyword>, <keyword id="72970" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="2-States">2 States</keyword>, <keyword id="6427325" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Gunday">Gunday</keyword> and <keyword id="1020628" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Ragini-MMS-2">Ragini MMS 2</keyword>. Earnings on Monday fell less than 40% than what it was on Friday and the strong growth continued even on Day 5 (Tuesday, May 27) when it collected around Rs 4 crore at home. 
 
This one is a medium-budget movie and cost around Rs 26 crore including promotion. So we can safely assume that it is set to be a hit without much fuss. But all these good numbers do not essentially spell quality. 
 While Kriti Sanon (<keyword id="7876" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Dimpy">Dimpy</keyword>) looks quite striking in a below-par storyline featuring love-and-marriage adventures and misadventures in Jattland, Tiger Shroff (<keyword id="230102" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Bablu">Bablu</keyword>) looks quite inane unless he is in the thick of the action, doing some awesome stunts and beating up the goons. Noted film critic Anupama Chopra has given the movie 2 out of 5 stars saying, “Heropanti is comically bad and the disjointed narrative brims with low-IQ, high-testosterone men brandishing weapons. The women are puppets who either simper or scream.” 
 
Quite depressing, if you ask us, but there’s one silver lining. Both movies are raking in the moolah after a long time and that’s what matters in the business of cinema. 
 
Images: Indiatimes

Box Office: Kochadaiiyaan Thrives On Rajini Power; Heropanti Soaring High

It never rains but it pours – so the saying goes. And the adage came true on Friday the 13th as it saw a couple of <keyword id="406" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="100" keywordseo="Movies">movies</keyword> opening and the release of a third one (<keyword id="1167288" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Lucky-Kabootar">Lucky Kabootar</keyword>) getting postponed due to technical reasons. However, none of the two movies has managed to make the cut at the <keyword id="25892" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="box-office">box office</keyword> after Day 4. 
 
Let’s begin with the most touted of the lot – <keyword id="35955" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="100" keywordseo="jackpot">Jackpot</keyword>. As the name suggests, the story is all about a <keyword id="1978994" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Casino-boat">casino boat</keyword> (in Goa) and crazy <keyword id="4736333" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="con-artists">con artists</keyword> rushing to pinch the <keyword id="1978996" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Jackpot-money">jackpot money</keyword>, interspersed with comedy one-liners, a good dose of skin show and an extremely predictable plot. Starring <keyword id="836886" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Sunny-Leone">Sunny Leone</keyword>, <keyword id="6475049" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Sachiin-Joshi">Sachiin Joshi</keyword> and the veteran <keyword id="6354338" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Naseeruddin-Shah">Naseeruddin Shah</keyword> (the Boss), the <keyword id="1978999" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Comedy-thriller">comedy thriller</keyword> has a total <keyword id="1960834" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="BO-collection">BO collection</keyword> of around Rs 6.4 crore till December 16, and the numbers do not augur well for <keyword id="303" type="POSITION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Director">director</keyword> <keyword id="66915" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Kaizad-Gustad">Kaizad Gustad</keyword>. It’s his fourth film, the earlier ones being <keyword id="276427" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="80" keywordseo="Bombay-Boys">Bombay Boys</keyword>, <keyword id="6366414" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="Boom">Boom</keyword> and <keyword id="1286097" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="Bombil-and-Beatrice">Bombil and Beatrice</keyword>. 
 Critics, too, have flayed the flick unmercifully, mainly due to the absence of wit, thrill and suspense. Subhash K. Jha of SKJ <keyword id="143" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Bollywood">Bollywood</keyword> News has given it no stars and says, “Jackpot is <keyword id="1978997" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Noire-film">noire film</keyword> with twists in the tale.” Reagan Gavin Rasquinha of Times of India has given it 2 stars out of 5 while Shubhra Gupta of Indian Express has decided on a 1/2 star only. Avad M of Bollywood3 has rated the film 1.5/5 and stated that Naseeruddin Shah is the only saving grace of this movie as he is brilliant as the <keyword id="1979011" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="notorious-business-man">notorious business man</keyword>. 
 The music is praiseworthy, though, but the whole exercise puts a big question mark on the theme and the lead actors. Why do <keyword id="1979000" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Bollywood-thrillers">Bollywood thrillers</keyword> have to be inane, completely lacking that <keyword id="23116" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="100" keywordseo="fear-factor">fear factor</keyword> which chills your bones without being explicit? As for Sunny, she has graduated fast from an <keyword id="1978990" type="POSITION" weightage="100" keywordseo="adult-film-actor">adult film actor</keyword> to a <keyword id="25842" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Bollywood-heroine">Bollywood heroine</keyword>, but has a long way to go if she really wants to impress cine lovers. <keyword id="287171" type="POSITION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Entrepreneur-turned-actor">Entrepreneur-turned-actor</keyword> Sachiin has, however, a better exposure here. His earlier two outings – Aazaan and Mumbai Mirror – were big flops. Aazaan, a 2011 action <keyword id="1979002" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Spy-flick">spy flick</keyword> starring Sachiin and South African <keyword id="6355606" type="POSITION" weightage="80" keywordseo="model">model</keyword> <keyword id="167432" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Candice-Boucher">Candice Boucher</keyword>, had a <keyword id="182563" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="BO">BO</keyword> collection of Rs 4.2 crore, against a budget of Rs 37 crore. Mumbai Mirror, a <keyword id="1979001" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Crime-thriller">crime thriller</keyword> released in January this year, was again a disaster at the box office. 
 
<keyword id="1888631" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="What-The-Fish">What the Fish</keyword> in troubled waters We thought this one might have an interesting storyline evolving around <keyword id="2665" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Dimple-Kapadia">Dimple Kapadia</keyword>. Ageing, divorced and suspicious, <keyword id="212966" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Sudha-Mishra">Sudha Mishra</keyword> (Dimple) is too much in love with her <keyword id="761101" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="goldfish">goldfish</keyword> and <keyword id="1979005" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Money-plant">money plant</keyword>. And she turns out to be the grumpy old Delhi ‘mausi ji’ you meet almost every day. But when Sudha goes to visit her son for a month and her house is left in the care of her niece and her fiancé, they soon find others to do the chores and those others find some more people and the whole thing goes on… 
 All this is funny at first, as you may guess, but reeking of confusion and extremely haphazard at a later stage as more and more characters flit in and out of the house, all with some personal agendas. There’s no sparkling wit here or the softening grace of humour that makes classic comedy. So it’s no wonder that the BO numbers are really down – just Rs 2.9 crore after Day 4. This is the second flick by director <keyword id="193437" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Gurmeet-Singh">Gurmeet Singh</keyword> after his debut film <keyword id="1872956" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Warning-3D">Warning 3D</keyword>, an underwater movie shot in <keyword id="79116" type="COUNTRY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Fiji">Fiji</keyword>. 
 
What The Fish has opened to some mixed reviews all over. Neha Gupta of Bollywood3 says that this is a novel concept and also lauds Dimple as absolutely brilliant. There are sight gags and a free-flowing style that leaves enough room for irreverent jokes. But the movie still lacks a strong binding thread and spirited performance that could have buoyed up this kind of disjointed comedy sequences. You fail to appreciate the many characters and the entire movie feels too episodic, instead of being a cohesive whole. 
 
Image: Indiatimes.com

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