YAADEIN: GHAI'S BIGGEST FLOP, BOX OFFICE REPORT

Posted by Anand on August 06, 2001 at 15:55:07:

The following is from cyberbollywood:

Yaadein Could Be A HUGE Flop-8/01/01

Filmmaker Subhash Ghai, who has an enviable track record of 12 hits out of the 14 films he has directed, is evidently staring at a major flop with the latest "Yaadein."

Ghai's 15th film, which comes after 25 years in showbiz, is unlikely to give him a hat-trick of hits after his blockbuster "Taal" in 1999 and "Pardes" in 1997 even though it stars Bollywood's hottest stars Hrithik Roshan and Kareena Kapoor.

Indian film trade analysts say "Yaadein" could be Ghai's biggest flop ever. The master showman, as he is known in Bollywood, has won brickbats for "Yaadein" -- his "memories to cherish" -- with most critics dismissing it as a bad memory.

Trade analyst and Film Information editor Komal Nahata says: "It is a disaster, big time."

Ashish Saksena, programming in-charge of PVR cinemas in New Delhi, labeled the film as the biggest disappointment of its time.

The Rs.180 million "Yaadein" attempts to explore the bond of love between a father (Jackie Shroff) and his three teenage daughters, and the blossoming love between Hrithik and Kareena.

Released July 27, "Yaadein" enjoyed a predictable 100 percent opening, but box-office collections are already sliding and distributors are panicking.

Saksena says the biggest drawback is that Hrithik and Kareena were sidelined. "The audience wants to see more of Hrithik, whereas the film has him playing second fiddle," he said.

Ghai, however, feels the film is being pulled down needlessly. He points out both his previous hits -- "Taal" and "Pardes" -- were slow starters. This is Ghai's third film in the NRI (nonresident Indian) trilogy and is doing well abroad.

In Britain, the film was seventh in the "U.K. Top 10" in spite of stiff competition from films like "Jurassic Park III" and "Dr. Dolittle 2." In the U.S., it collected $646,880 in the opening weekend, a much better opening than "Taal," which had collected $575,000, Ghai's spokesman here said.

Ghai says the film was originally written with Jackie as the main protagonist, rather than Hrithik who was signed on before his debut film "Kaho Na...Pyaar Hai" transformed him into a superstar.

"I didn't want to change my script midway, just because he (Hrithik) became a phenomenon in the intervening period," Ghai says.

Ghai is reported to have recovered more than the cost of the film's production through lucrative sponsorship deals and music and overseas rights sales.

Another major flaw, analysts feel, is the film's length. Hindi films are long by international standards, but after the mega success of Aditya Chopra's "Mohabbatein," Aamir Khan's "Lagaan" and Zee Network's "Gadar - Ek Prem Katha," Bollywood filmmakers are increasingly churning out over three-hour-long sagas.

While the length worked in favor of "Gadar" and "Lagaan," which are still running to packed houses in their seventh week, films like "Aks" and now "Yaadein" seem unable to justify their additional reels.

According to reports, distributors and theater owners have begun chopping off portions of the three-hour-12-minute film to make it fit prime show timings.

For Hrithik, "Yaadein's" failure could be a major setback. After the stupendous response to "Kaho Na...," his subsequent films "Fiza" and "Mission Kashmir" have failed to do well. What Hrithik needs now is a project that showcases him.

His next is the much-awaited Karan Johar multi-starrer "Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Ghum," where he shares the stage with the likes of Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Kareena Kapoor and Kajol.

He would be seen in a lead role only towards the yearend or next year when "Aap Mujhe Achche Lagne Lage" releases.

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