This Friday sees the premiere of Karan Johar’s much awaited movie Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani, which centres on a contemporary couple named Rocky (Ranveer Singh) and Rani (Alia Bhatt). The movie’s team has been advertising it all throughout India and has also made its songs, trailer, and movie clips available. However, there is also that extremely uncommon time, particularly in the post-pandemic era, when the theatres are already packed with quality films. The excitement around Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer and Greta Gerwig’s Barbie is at its height. Trade analysts, though, are confident that the Hollywood movies won’t affect the Hindi movie.
Film trade analyst Taran Adarsh makes a suggestion, “We have been craving for a good Hindi film for a long time. In the past few weeks, I haven’t seen a big release that too with known stars. So, that vacuum will be filled by Rocky Aur Rani.”
Film exhibitor Akshaye Rathi affirms, “Barbie and Oppenheimer are doing phenomenally well, but they are predominantly urban phenomena. They are doing well in the top eight cities of India primarily. These top 8 cities have an abundant number of screens and shows, so they can carry as many shows as you want. When you go beyond these top eight cities, the tier 2 towns like Lucknow, Jaipur, Nagpur, and a whole lot of others, it is a Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani show all the way. They will have no issues around screens and shows.”
Key parts are played by Shabana Azmi, Dharmendra, and Jaya Bachchan in the film.
Rathi averred, “We have a certain kind of filmmakers that we bank on to deliver the big movies, and Karan Johar is undoubtedly one of them. He is a domestic filmmaker and a super successful one at that, so I have no doubt that the entire exhibition sector will carry this film on its shoulders and do what it takes to celebrate it and take it for a victory lap. In Karan Johar — the director, we trust.”
Girish Johar has estimated a double-digit opening for the film. “I would peg the film in the range of Rs 10 crore plus, which would amplify over the weekend.” Rathi opined that the film will work because it is “pure simple escapism” and “escapism is palatable to the widest spectrum of the social strata in India.”
Ranveer Singh places a higher priority on the film’s success than Karan does. After Gully Boy (2019), he was unable to follow it up with a hit, and his most recent three movies—83, Jayeshbhai Jordaar, and Cirkus—left his fans unimpressed. Even while Taran Adarsh feels that this Friday is “crucial” for Ranveer, he also believes that “One Friday changes everything.”
In reference to the choices made by Ranveer Singh, Adarsh said, “I was very critical about Ranveer Singh showing up every now and then during Cirkus. He even did that photoshoot (the nude photoshoot for a magazine that went viral) at the time when the producer was promoting Cirkus. It was not even highlighting the film, it was something he had done for a magazine.
“Overexposure of any kind, being seen here and there every second day, is not good. Stars are meant to be seen on the big screen. Roz roz toh biryani bhi achi nahi lagti. (Even biryani doesn’t taste great everyday).”
But he thinks Ranveer has also learned from his mistakes and improved. As a performer, Adarsh is confident in the actor’s ability. He continued, “Ranveer has delivered in the past, be it Gully Boy, Simmba or Sanjay Leela Bhansali films, he has delivered both in terms of performance and numbers. So, it’s a phase which comes in every actor’s life.”
Film exhibitor Akshaye Rathi mentioned, “It (tickets of Rocky Aur Rani) has been priced moderately, in a manner, where it is not prohibitive to the widest possible audience to come and watch the film. So, there are no inflated prices that you will see. The idea is to make it accessible financially.”
Defining the process used to determine a movie ticket’s cost, Rathi added, “Ticket prices are based purely on the law of demand and supply. If there is solid traction among the moviegoers for a film, the ticket process will be slightly higher, if that’s not the case, ticket prices should be lower. It is not about which film is coming before you or with you, what part of the year it is. Nothing. It’s always the law of demand and supply. You gauge the traction among moviegoers and basis that you price it in a manner where the maximum number of interested people would be able to watch it.”
