Notes And Crosses

MONTH OF WATERSHED
It seems as if June has brought good luck to the film industry. Venus’s Josh has the makings of a hit. Not merely have the first week’s collections been 100 per cent, the second week’s have hovered therebouts, as well. Shah Rukh Khan must be heaving a huge sigh of relief, for his career’s been in partial eclipse following the dismal performance of home production, Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani. Tips Films’ Kya Kehna has also become a hit, considering the excellent collections all over India. Joru Ka Ghulam has taken a good initial, too. June was a good month for the movie trade last year, too. It may be recalled that films like Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam and Haseena Maan Jayegi were hits last year.

Santosh Singh Jain, an authority on trade matters, feels the good days have returned for moviedom. “The morale in the trade is on the mend, with Josh and Kya Kehna doing good business. With Joru Ka Ghulam also taking a good initial everywhere, and promising biggies like JP Dutta’s Refugee and Guddu Dhanoa’s Bichhoo awaiting release, June could well be a watershed month for us,” says Jain.

SEASON OF DISCONTENT
WHILE Santosh Singh Jain may be rubbing his hands in glee over the couple of recent hits, for NN Sippy, it’s been a season of discontent. He no longer has plans to either produce or distribute a film. Well, for a while, at least. “What kind of film do you think I ought to make? First of all, I do not have a good story. Secondly all the established directors and stars are busy with their own films and they wouldn’t have time for me,” he shrugs.

The problem with signing newcomers would be a dearth of takers. And the established directors are all realising they could make more money by launching movies of their own, he adds.
Why not concentrate on distribution, then, we ask. “Even there the prices of films are so high that most films don’t recover investments for distributors. Buying non-starcast or medium budget films would be meaningless because the exhibitors are not interested in them. Film business has become unpredictable, even for those who take calculated risks. So I’d rather lie low as a distributor, too,” says Sippy.

KEEPING FINGERS CROSSED
WITH JP Dutta’s Refugee collecting excellent advance reports, Abhishekh Bachchan has reasons to feel elated. He is another potential superstar on the horizon, after Hrithik Roshan. Abhishek’s career count down has already begun. And considering the line-up of his forthcoming films, it appears his career has been well-planned. Following the release of Refugee on June 30, Vashu Bhagnani’s Tera Jadoo Chal Gaya is expected to be released in August and Raj Kanwar’s Dhai Akshar Prem Ka, in which he co-stars Aishwarya Rai, in September. So within the next one month or two, we should be able to tell just where he’s headed.

MSM Desai