Trade Talk: The pre-Diwali releases may suffer

This week looks a little less bleak at the box office than the recent weeks. It is terrorism versus gynaecology, as Ribhu Dasgupta’s Code Name: Tiranga competes with Anubhuti Kashyap’s Doctor G for audiences’ attention. Both are interesting if not spectacular films and at least one of them is sure to gain from word of mouth.

The problem this week is twofold: pre-Diwali, consumers would like to spend their money on shopping, and especially now after the pandemic when the buying capacity has considerably shrunk. Secondly, there is a looming reluctance to visit a theatre nearby even when the ticket rates are reduced.

Nonetheless, both the mainstream films are confident in their sales pitch: Ribhu Dasgupta has worked earlier with Amitabh Bachchan and Vidya Balan in Te3n and Yudh. Parineeti Chopra seems to be his muse after The Girl On The Train. Code Name: Tiranga could be called The Girl On The Train On A Mission.

Except for Alia Bhatt ( Gangubai Kathiawadi ) girl power has so far not worked at the box office this year for Taapsee (Shabaash Mithu) or Kangana (Dhaakad). Parineeti may well turn the tide for her gender. Sisterhood zindabad.

Speaking of Girl Power, Anurag Kashyap’s sister Anubhuti’s unabashed satire on anatomical taboos Doctor G could well be the surprise of the week. It has eleven days to consolidate its position at the box office before the big Diwali releases on October 25.

However, the one major hurdle that Doctor G and Ayushmann Khurrana may have to face at the box office is the ‘A’ censor certificate. This is Khurrana’s first certified ‘Adults Only’ film and his target audience may be pissed off.

Competition may creep up on the mainstream films this week from unexpected places, from Gujarat and Karnataka, to be precise. Pan Nalin’s Oscar entry Chhello Show has enough buzz surrounding it to be the dark horse at the box office this week. Of course, by merely being an Oscar entry the film doesn’t get the eyeballs. But the work is intricately sweet tender funny and sad. And that may do the trick for the director of Angry Indian Goddesses with this ode to the angry Indian juveniles of Gujarat.

The biggest threat to all the releases this week is the season’s Kannada blockbuster Kantara . Already a mammoth moneyspinner in its mother tongue, Kantara is all set to conquer the North Indian box office in its dubbed Hindi version. For all we know, the other films this week may end up licking their wounds while Kantara roars at the turnstiles.

Subhash K Jha is a Patna-based film critic who has been writing about Bollywood for long enough to know the industry inside out. He tweets at @SubhashK_Jha.

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