Why 'Omkara' flopped at the Box Office

By Vickey Lalwani ©2006 Bollyvista.com






Omkara
Despite humongous publicity and raving reviews, Vishal Bharadwaj's 'Omkara' failed to pull the public into the theatres. The overall collections in India so far have recorded a dismal figure and there is little chance of it picking up, according to the trade experts and distributors whom we spoke with.

A trade analyst said, "Film critics' reviews do not matter in today's times. If critics' reviews really mattered, 'Fanaa', 'Krrish' and 'Phir Hera Pheri' should have been disasters and 'Omkara' should have been the biggest blockbuster ever."

He also says that he is indeed shocked that the film's huge star cast including Ajay Devgan could not provide the film even a decent opening. He feels that 'Omkara' is a case of what may be hot in the industry, may not be hot with the audience. "Two things went against 'Omkara'. One, it has too much usage of expletives, which is keeping the family audiences away. Two, it's a very dark film. People don't want to see such grim tales. They may have flocked to the theatres to see films like 'Masti' and 'Kya Kool Hain Hum', which were laden with double-meanings, but that's because those flicks entertained and not disturbed them."

Another thing, which has gone against the film, is the heavy pricing. The insipid response so far virtually eliminates the chance for the distributors to recover their money. The trade analyst agrees, "The film has been sold at an astronomical price."

Says a distributor, requesting anonymity, "The film was sold to the distributors at nearly 5 crores in almost every territory. This means that the stars did not give any concession to Kumar Mangat and Ajay Devgan. They all must have taken their full fee."

A noted film critic is surprised at the poor turnout and says that she really cannot pinpoint one reason why it has happened. "Maybe it's the rampant use of foul language. The promos looked quite boring and the dialect used is not easily understood by most people," she points out.

Producer Kumar Mangat defends the use of foul language. "Either we make a David Dhawan entertainer or a Neeraj Vora keep-your-brains-at-home film, but we chose to make real cinema." He then put up a brave front. "My film is doing pretty well in multiplexes. In Mumbai, Pune and Surat, the scene is good. Only in Andhra and Nizam, there is a bit of problem due to language problems. Plus, you should not forget that we have released many prints. Today, several theatres have sprung up, mostly multiplexes, which are running the film for seven to nine shows. How can all the shows be full? We are more than happy with the collections so far. Also, let me tell you that we knew that the expletives and the 'A' certificate would reduce the audiences."

A distributor, who did not wish to be named, shoots back at Mangat and Devgan, "In that case, why did you make us release so many prints then? We did not see your film and went by trust. If I had seen your film, I wouldn't have bought it. But you have been selfish. You made yourself safe at our cost. This is not done." Answer that, Devgan and Mangat!