Aamir Khan has come to Bollywood's rescue once again this year, with Fanaa taking the box office by storm.
The actor who earlier gave us this year's biggest hit, Rang De Basanti, has proved that he is still the darling of the masses and film distributors. Within four days of its release, Fanaa has done business of reportedly around Rs 20 crore and is set to recover its costs on an investment of Rs 25 crore.
"There has been 95 per cent collection at the box office in the first weekend and it has fallen to 85 per cent on weekdays. The film is holding strong and is a hit," says Taran Adarsh, film trade analyst.
Despite the controversy surrounding the film -- what with Aamir's comments on the Narmada issue and the question of a hike in ticket prices -- people thronged to theatres on the first three days.
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It hasn't been a very good year so far, as not many films have been able to make it big. Among the major disappointments were the Amitabh Bachchan-starrer Family and Akshay Kumar and Katrina Kaif's Humko Deewana Kar Gaye. The few that made it to the hit list were Kalyug, Gangster, Malaamal Weekly and 36 China Town.
Fanaa received mixed reviews, with many critics panning it. Most felt the film would not appeal to masses as it was illogical, but that didn't deter audiences. Yash Raj films also had a great marketing strategy in place to make the film work. There was a casting coup with Kajol and Aamir, for one, paired opposite each other for the first time. Secondly, the film marks Kajol's comeback.
"If actors like Kajol and Aamir get together, it is bound to have a good effect on the film. Both have massive fan followings, which is why the film has become a hit," says Vinod Mirani, another analyst.
The film was released during the holiday season. Ticket prices at multiplexes were inflated. At some places, they were priced at Rs 175-200 instead of the usual Rs 150, but no one protested.
Another standard tactic from Yash Raj was to release a maximum number of prints. They flooded the market with 650 prints and, in some multiplexes, there were five shows a day over the weekend. The same tactic was used for Veer Zaara. So, most people who went to watch the film found that tickets were available.
The only setback was from Gujarat, where theatre owners boycotted the film. "We are suffering a loss of Rs one crore daily because the film is not released there," said Yash Chopra, producer of Fanaa. However, with such big earnings from the rest of India, there should be very little disappointment for Yash Raj films.
