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Two controversial films, Kamal Haasan’s ‘Vishwaroop’ and Deepa Mehta’s ‘Midnight's Children’, which hit theatres here on Friday, witnessed an average opening at the box office.
“Both films have been average till now. The opening has been somewhere between 25—30 per cent for the morning and afternoon shows. But it will grow with word of mouth in the evening and night shows as more people come in at that time,” Girish Wankhede, General Manager, Marketing and Public Relations of Cinemax, told PTI.
Ashish Saxena, CEO, Big Cinemas, said, “Both the films are doing fine. The opening would be 30—35 per cent at our 12 Big Cinemas in Mumbai. The opening is not that great because not many people are aware about the release. We are hopeful that both films will pick up by evening.”
Manoj Desai of Gaiety—Galaxy said, “Both films are doing good business. But they are not houseful films.”
According to trade analyst Komal Nahta, both the films have had a moderate opening in Mumbai. He said ‘Vishwaroop’ has had a better opening than ‘Midnight’s Children’
`Vishwaroop’ is the Hindi version of Haasan’s trilingual magnum opus and ‘Midnight Children’ is based on Salman Rushdie’s Booker prize winning novel of the same name.
Both the films have been embroiled in controversies for several reasons even before their release. While Haasan’s mega—budget production is facing a ban in his home state of Tamil Nadu, Rushdie’s visit to Kolkata to promote the film was cancelled at the last moment, with the author lashing out at the Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
Chavan assures security
Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan today said that adequate security arrangements have been made for Kamal Haasan’s controversial film ’Vishwaroopam’, which released here today.
“Necessary security will be provided,” Chavan told reporters.
He has held detailed discussions on the law and order situation with the police in this regard.
Vishwaroopam released in Gujarat
Kamal Haasan-directed ’Vishwaroopam’ was today released across multiplexes in the state amid tight security, with very few cinema goers opting for the film.
Multiplex Owners Association president Manu Patel told PTI that “Vishwaroopam was released across the state peacefully“.
“However, the response from viewers was bleak. Viewership was merely 10-15 per cent compared to other movies on the opening day,” he said, adding that multiplex owners are expecting the numbers to pick up in the coming days.
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