Business Talk With Taran Adarsh: The great fall of 'China'

By Taran Adarsh, Bollywood Hungama News Network

It could've been a hat-trick, but it isn't. RAB NE BANA DI JODI worked. So did GHAJINI. Had CHANDNI CHOWK TO CHINA not bit the dust, the industry would've continued its winning streak. We enjoyed the starters [RAB NE BANA DI JODI], we enjoyed the meal [GHAJINI], but the dessert [CHANDNI CHOWK TO CHINA] left a bitter taste.

By now, everyone knows that CHANDNI CHOWK TO CHINA has under-performed in its opening weekend, so let's not waste time crying over spilt milk. Let's highlight the repercussions a biggie like CHANDNI CHOWK TO CHINA has on the industry when it falls flat on its face.

As I pen my thoughts, I can't help but recall the various conversations I've had with several prominent distributors and exhibitors over CHANDNI CHOWK TO CHINA. Everyone's unanimous that Akshay Kumar is repeating himself. That he needs to reinvent himself. Enacting similar roles in film after film is only going to take him the Salman Khan and Govinda way. He needs to pull up his socks.

Is his popularity dwindling? Not really, but he needs to take stock of the situation and accept roles that defy the stereotype.

Perhaps, Nikhil Advani, the creator of CHANDNI CHOWK TO CHINA, may not have come to terms with the fact that CHANDNI CHOWK TO CHINA has nosedived. Most film-makers are in complete denial when their movie fails, at least in the initial days. They feel the world has an agenda against them, the world is out to pull them down. But the Daily Collection Reports [with the distributors] should serve as an eye-opener for all film-makers and also actors who shut their eyes to reality.

The kadwa sach is, CHANDNI CHOWK TO CHINA has failed and failed big time. Monday onwards, the business has crashed completely.

The failure of CHANDNI CHOWK TO CHINA should serve as an eye-opener for all producers who sign a star first and hunt for a story later. In this case, Nikhil Advani made a poster first, showed it to Akshay [who loved it apparently] and then wrote the script. Bizarre, isn't it?

The question is, will Warner Bros. lose money on CHANDNI CHOWK TO CHINA? Looking at its theatrical performance in India as also in the key international markets [U.S.A., U.K.], it's certain that CHANDNI CHOWK TO CHINA will make a hole in the pockets of its investors.

A terrible waste of a terrific opportunity!

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