By: Amit kumaR Agarwal
Two weeks back during a press-show at Delite Cinema in New Delhi, people asked me, my calendar of films in cinemas for July, August. Saiyaara and War 2 - I didn't even took fraction of a second to answer.
While everyone expected me to include War 2, they were like why Saiyaara. A trade-pundit even predicted that the film will take a 2crore to 2.5crore opening on July 18.
Cut to July 17, the same pundit called, "Amit ji film soongh lete ho kya", he was like the film is taking an opening of 20crores to 25crores - 10 times more of what he had predicted two weeks back.
Trade-pundits are all agog about what worked for Saiyaara - with almost no promotions; many films' have good music, intimacy onscreen is no big thing today, the storyline seems routine - so what worked for Saiyaara?
Saiyaara once again reiterates what William Goldman famously said about movie-business, "no one knows anything".
Frankly, Saiyaara has gone on the trajectory of director's earlier, Aashiqui 2; only that the trajectory is almost vertical and much stronger. Whether the film will do 200 crores or more, only time will tell - but it is going to be the biggest hit starring an all new cast - there are no two ways about it!
The storyline seems to be pretty routine though, the hero rubbing the relative of the heroine the wrong way. The heroine 'making' the hero 'fall in love' and then breaking his heart. The narrative is all about how he wins the heroine back. Does he succeed or not?