'Sanam Re' vs 'Fitoor': Will you watch a breezy rom-com or an intense love story this Valentine's day?

Intensely romantic interludes swathed in snow-capped splendour. That seems to be the order of the day this Friday when two Valentine releases hit the screen. Both Abhishek Kapoor’s Fitoor and Divya Khosla Kumar’s _Sanam R_e are love stories shot extensively in the snow. But there is a difference, a difference of approximately 25 crore rupees, which could prove a crucial equalizer at the box-office. [caption id=“attachment_2618196” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Stills from Sanam Re and Fitoor. Youtube screen grab.[/caption] A box-office analyst who wishes to remain anonymous says, “Fitoor has cost around 45 crores to make, which is an expensive product for a film that stars Aditya Roy Kapoor. Roy Kapoor has had no success since Aashiqui 2. His one release since then Daawat-e-Ishq was a huge flop. Onto the other actors in the film. Tabu is a great actress, but she is no box-office draw. Katrina Kaif is the only star-attraction in Fitoor. This film is crucial for her, as it is her first real attempt to consolidate her career after her personal setbacks.” Katrina Kaif was rumoured to be gravitating towards domesticity when her relationship with actor Ranbir Kapoor hit choppy weather. “Sanam Re would be much easier to succeed at the box-office. Its stars were paid a relatively small amount. The director Divya Khosla Kumar had a successful film Yaariyaan in 2014, so she knows how to connect with the youngsters," he adds. “Both Fitoor and Sanam Re are different genres and should find an audience. It’s the season of interesting films and the audience is ready to shell out money if the word of mouth is positive," says trade expert Taran Adarsh. “It is difficult to say which of the will perform better. I hope both do well. The genres are same….intense love stories. The directors of both have given hits in past. Sanam Re has an advantage in that its music has gained popularity. The aggression in promoting the film is visible. But one thing is clear that both the films would be visual delights. The picturesque locations are captured imaginatively in both,” adds Atul Mohan editor of the trade paper ‘Complete Cinema’. Anil Thadani, a leading distributor of Mumbai, feels both the films could do well, “Why can’t both films do well? They should. That would benefit everyone.”