Tag: Mahabharat

&pictures celebrates Children’s Day with Kiddies Express!

MUMBAI: On this Children’s Day, &pictures has plannedan exciting line-up of movies fora day-long‘Kiddies Express’special where parents can enjoy a day at home with their kids and watch the best of kids entertainment movies throughout the day. The movies showcased on Kiddies Express will be a perfect mix of education and entertainment, making this Children’s Day truly special for the lovely kids out there.

The festival kick-starts with the fabled film Arjun: The Warrior Prince, a tale on how Arjuna fought his inner self and became the legendary archer.Next in the line is the famous animated movie, Stuart Little3: Call of the wind, the cutest mouse ever who is loved by all kids! It will be followed by Mahabharata, an animated Indian mythological drama film, which is considered to be the greatest and the longest epic in world literature .The next in line is Magic Robot, a fun movie that will totally get the kids excited. Then there is Joker, a 2012 Hindi science fiction comedy that is based in 1947. It is the story of a village of Paglapur, when the maps of India and Pakistan were being drawn. The day ends with the most heart-touching movie of recent times, Taare Zameen Parstarring superstar Aamir Khan and adorable Darsheel Safari.This is the story of an eight year old boy who is thought to be lazy and a troublemaker, until the new art teacher has the patience and compassion to discover the real problem behind his struggles in school.

With a slew of exciting movies, &pictures promises to make this Children’s Day a memorable one for all kids. So make sure to tune in to this special treat on November 14 only on &pictures!

November 13, 2014
Will ‘Everest’ be able to climb the peak?

MUMBAI: It all began nearly two years ago, when the numero uno channel Star Plus started brainstorming to develop a content which can break the clutter and should help in taking television to the next level.

To do so, it joined hands with one of the finest filmmakers – Ashutosh Gowariker to produce a series set against an extraordinary background of the magnificent Mount Everest.

Produced under Ashutosh Gowariker Productions Private Limited (AGPPL) banner, the show – ‘Everest’ is in line with the GEC’s strategy of offering innovative and differentiated content. It has been conceptualised, shot and presented on a scale never seen before on TV.

The channel re-defined television when it brought a talk show that spoke about social issues in Satyamev Jayate (SMJ) in 2012, and 2013 saw its mythological series Mahabharat. According to Star Plus general manager Gaurav Banerjee, ‘Everest’ is the next step.

With the first episode telecast on 3 November, indiantelevision.com spoke to people from the industry to know their views on the concept of the show and whether it will re-define television the way shows like SMJ and Mahabharat did in their respective genres.

According to Havas Media managing director Mohit Joshi believes that Star has taken the right step by going youth with shows like Airlines and now Everest. For Joshi everyone wants to cater to the youth today and traditional housewives’ viewership is not going to be something on which it can sustain for coming years.

“With the new age viewers being the way they are, I think it is very important to engage with them in multiple test parts and that is what Star is doing through the show. Audiences today are looking for content, doesn’t matter if Star is delivering it or MTV. With mobile phones in their hands, it only takes a minute for them to switch between devices. So if you give them promising content to watch, you are the king.”

Agreeing with Joshi, Maxus managing partner north and east region Navin Khemka believes that right from the production quality to the look and the feel, the show seems extremely well done. He further goes on to say that as more and more such programmes launch, the ratings increase, acceptability increases and the channels will be left with no choice but to increase the production quality level and engagement level with the viewers.

Penned for about 110 episodes, almost 90 per cent of the shoot was canned before the telecast of the show in locations like Mount Everest, Jodhpur, NIM and Mumbai. It has also used a lot of heavy technical equipments like GoPro cameras, 4K technology and a lot more.

Joshi feels the concept is enterprising and coming from the AG portfolio with big names, it will be able to garner decent amount of visibility. However, he further reasons that overall the viewership has gone for a toss. “The overall fragmentation has led to a lot of drop as far as viewership is concerned which is why all the shows are not performing at the level they used to perform a couple of years ago,” he says.

He cites an example of SMJ and says that nowadays numbers are not important, but content and the traction from social media buzz plays a major role. “Like for SMJ, more than the numbers it was social media buzz that showed that the program was a hit.” Joshi feels the way SMJ is activating all the social media platforms on television, the channel has done for Everest as well. At present, on Facebook, SMJ has six million likes and Everest has more than 2,000 likes.

Khemka states that Star has always been a leader in terms of content they provide to the viewers. He presents the example of shows which airs on sister English GEC Star World such as Homeland which is at par with any Hollywood movie. “A similar transition will happen in India. And as more and more channels started investing in content which is of the standard of Everest and as viewers gradually start accepting it, channels will have no option but to change their programming content,” he narrates.

The series is presented by Fair and Lovely and co-powered by Godrej Ezee while Vinod Cookware has signed up as an associate sponsor. Joshi is confident that the channel should be able to get good mileage from the advertisers’ side too.

Talking about the ad-rate per 10-second slot, Madhok earlier revealed that the cost of the show is significantly more expensive than anything else on the channel. “As sponsors have demonstrated, this is top quality television produced by an iconic filmmaker so people are happy to be associated and pay the premium required,” he said.

November 8, 2014
DD appoints Tauquir Zaidi as ad sales head

MUMBAI: The public broadcaster has added another executive to strengthen its advertising and sales division. Tauquir Zaidi has been appointed as network sales head.

The move is in coherence with its aim to roll out its full fledged professional advertising and sales team. Zaidi will be based in New Delhi.

He said, “Most of us have grown watching DD and the programs are still fresh in our minds. Serials like Buniyad, Mahabharat, Humlog, Nukkad and so many others are still a cult of this industry. This is the only organisation that believes in ‘finite fiction’ without falling into the trap of TVTs. Today all GECs start a fiction without planning its end /climax. The length of the serial depends on the ratings it gets, which does no justice to the story. Call of the hour is to put an effective strategy and recruit right team to implement those strategies.”

He will be first developing a promotional strategy to identify core target markets and setting measurable goals to multiply revenue. According to him, the success of an organisation is to implement a well-thought marketing plan by providing feasible solutions to clients.

Zaidi has over 17 years of experience in the field of ad sales with companies such as Star India, NDTV and Times Television Network

September 23, 2014
“Non-fiction is expensive, hence need to strengthen fiction”: Siddharth Anand Kumar

MUMBAI: Vidya Balan’s famous line about entertainment sells, stay true to the television business as well.

With new channels launched and new genres explored every now and then, the production houses have a lot on their platter. One such production house, Colosceum, known for its non-fictional properties like Roadies, Splitsvilla recently got on board Siddharth Anand Kumar as scripted content head to strengthen its overall approach.

A graduate in filmmaking, he has worked as an assistant to Mira Nair during the making of Kamasutra (1995), as DOP and editor for Bobby Bedi during the production of the TV series Rajdhani (2000), and as the executive producer for Shekhar Kapur’s company Digital Talkies during which he oversaw the production of two feature films and the country’s first International Digital Film Festival (2001).

He has directed two films: Let’s Enjoy (2004), a film about a Delhi farmhouse party, and Semshook (2010), a coming of age story set in the Tibetan exile community. And his TV projects include Seven and Khotey Sikkey by Yash Raj Films on Sony and Mahabharat by Swastik Pictures on Star Plus.

“We have a partnership with Colosceum. And our aim is to bring in some really interesting new content into the Indian television which is currently happening and we want to be a part of it,” says Kumar while elaborating on his role. “In the industry there is a position of content director and director and I will be mixing both these roles. It is also something which the channels want and are eager to do because it is the director who makes the show. And sometimes we have creative director who doesn’t engage in day to day procedure of the show or while communicating with the broadcasters. We want to bridge that gap.”

He along with the Colosceum team is currently busy conceiving and pitching ideas to broadcasters, which will then be taken forward if the broadcaster shows interest.

The production house is known for its seasonal shows, but with this hire it wants to strengthen its fiction side as well. Kumar goes on to explain why. “Colosceum had non-fiction bend but if you look at the trend, all the big production houses whether they are Endemol or Fremantle, you will see a small shift little away from non-fiction because non-fiction costs a lot. And the numbers that you get are pretty much the same as a hit fiction property. So, everyone understands that the return of investment is higher on fiction. Producers who have had a very strong non-fiction background like Colosceum need to partner with strong fiction heads to tell the broadcasters ‘look we have the right team in place’.”

Furthermore, he believes channels are now moving towards fiction. Stating the example of how Bindass, which once used to air shows like Big Switch and Dadagiri, today has fiction shows. Similarly Channel V and MTV have now become youth general entertainment channels (GECs).

Moreover, even GECs which offered their viewers two to three non-fictional properties over weekend, now only have one such property.

“Take Colors for instance, apart from Jhalak Dikhla Ja it doesn’t air any other non-fictional property on the weekend. I won’t take Comedy Nights with Kapil to be one as it is scripted. The trend is indicating that every channel is putting their money into one non-fiction show because they are expensive and rest on fiction,” he says and adds, “Right now we are in the phase when there is a greater demand for fiction than non-fiction. At some time, the circle might change again. So, this is a good time to generate some quality fiction content and strengthen it so we are able to serve the broadcaster in both the genres.”

Kumar believes that as audiences mature, the content will change as well and hence, channels are moving towards younger content as well as dealing with social issues apart from the regular saas-bahu dramas. Another aspect which is also a main reason for this shift in content today is the demand from the advertisers. “The consumer categories which are very hot at the moment are smartphones, cars and e-commerce, and they need to talk to a younger-skewed audience not only in metros but also in tier I and II cities where there is high aspirational power. Youth has more spending power because as one grows older, the commitments/priorities change. So advertisers need to talk to them and hence broadcasters need to create content for this audience.”

One needs to just turn on the TV to see who is advertising so if it’s a Karbonn mobile it doesn’t want to advertise on Saath Nibana Saathiya but need a show like Airlines or Shastri Sisters.

In the coming years, he proposes that as more and more people start consuming content on digital, production houses might have to start making specific content for that medium and also learn how to monetise it well. As media proliferates there is going to be more fragmentation and niche programming.

Hence, Colosceum will focus on creating tailor-made shows for broadcasters based on what that broadcaster wants in its programming lineup. Currently, the team has a lot of ideas on the platter and will soon approach broadcasters with the innovative and interesting ideas.

In his 12 years career, Kumar says that even today “we don’t know what the audience wants.” There is still a lot of guess work even though there are various research agencies doing a lot of footwork. So when it comes to talking to the audience and seducing them with the work there is still a bit of hit and miss. “We usually have the tendency of coping what becomes a hit, but it won’t serve our purpose as we will start creating same content that will create fatigue amongst audiences.”

“We need to provide a varied content to audience which is also dynamic. So that we can learn what the audience wants,” he concludes.

September 13, 2014
Star Plus set to change Sunday viewing with ‘Airlines’

NEW DELHI: With an aim to strengthen its Sunday prime time band, Star Plus is treading a different path yet again. After making Sunday morning’s special for viewers by bringing home uncomfortable realities with Satyamev Jayate, the Hindi general entertainment channel is now looking at filling its prime time slots as well, but with differential programming.

Initially, when weekends meant only dominance of reality shows, the channel wanted to explore more in that space. And now after exploring various genres including saas-bahu syndrome and mythology with Mahabharat, it is ready to take to the skies with Airlines – Har Udaan Ek Toofan but with variations.

Come 24 August and every Sunday 9pm, viewers will witness a story of a woman who dares to join the airline industry as first officer initially and ultimately becoming a pilot. Produced by Miditech, the series is penned for 26 episodes as of now and could see an increase in the number of episodes depending on the response from the audience.

The channel has roped in Fortune cooking oil as the title sponsor, Havell’s as co-title sponsor and Ariel, the co-sponsor for the show. The associate sponsors are askmebazaar.com, Colgate Visible White, Maybelline, Parachute Advanced and Sofy Bodyfit.

According to Star Plus SVP – marketing Nikhil Madhok, the series with title sponsor in Fortune cooking oil for standard definition (SD) feed and Forest Essentials for the HD feed is already profitable as it has been pre-sold.

The programme marks the TV debut of Tulip Joshi who plays Ananya and VJ turned actor Yudishthir aka Yudi who will be seen essaying the role of Captain Akash. It has been penned by Advaita Kala, who also authored the movie Kahaani.

Kala said that the concept is based on her own experiences of the way the modern urban woman is changing. Through the story, she wanted to show how a woman who has already entered a male-dominated world copes with it.

Set in Delhi, the show features the journey of first officer Ananya Rawat who navigates through a world of gender discrimination and regressive attitudes embedded in the modern and glamorous aviation industry. In her quest to establish her identity, Ananya realises that there is more to this industry than just battling male attitudes as she comes across many hindrances that eventually make her a stronger person.

Madhok believes that after delivering hits like Satyamev Jayate and Mahabharat, the channel with the new programme will be breaking the saas-bahu mould, showcasing a clear shift from the normal programming aired on all channels. The focus for the channel was on the role of a female in a male-dominated profession.

The series is the first to have received permission to shoot inside the Indira Gandhi International Airport’s Terminal-3. From roping real pilots for tutoring actors to shooting at existing terminals, the makers and channel has put in their best to retain authenticity of the situations and incidents covered in the show. Since most of the sequences required the setting to be inside an aircraft, a special set modeled on Boeing 370 has been created.

Miditech has also collaborated with Pixion to help recreate the world in the skies with its unparalleled proficiency in computer graphics and visual effects.

But why make it into a once-a-week show? Answers Madhok, “It is because of the huge work involved in creating each episode.” According to industry sources, while a normal Hindi daily soap production cost ranges anywhere between 6-8 lakh per episode, a series like this could cost around three times more than what a daily does.

On the marketing front, the promos are already doing the rounds on 25 television channels. To attract the younger audiences, social media will be used in a big way to promote the property with integrations also with YouTube, Yahoo and MSN.

August 21, 2014
Star Plus, Zee TV & Life OK gain big

MUMBAI: The war for the ‘best among the rest’ continues even as the general entertainment channels (GECs) saw no change in the positions this week. In the week 25 of TAM TV ratings, while Star Plus, Zee TV and Life OK gained big, the other GECs saw a drop in the viewership.

Thus, Star Plus continues to be at the top with 660,737 GVTs, up from 625,842 GVTs. The channel’s mythological series Mahabharat witnessed a slight drop and stood at 6,368 TVTs, down from 6,472 TVTs. Its fiction offerings also noticed a drop in the viewership. Thus, its chart topper Diya Aur Baati Hum recorded 8,953 TVTs, down from 9,361 TVTs, Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai noted 6,087 TVTs, down from 6,185 TVTs. But that wasn’t the case with Saathiya Saath which saw a huge jump and scored 8,149 TVTs, up from 6,856 TVTs.

Second placed Zee registers 400,337 GVTs, up from 375,662 GVTs. Its historic property Jodha Akbar scored 7,664TVTs, down from 7,736TVTs. Kumkum Bhagya saw a rise in the ratings and registered 4,943 TVTs, up from 3,538 TVTs. Qubool Hai garnered 4,402 TVTs, up from 3,791 TVTs.

Despite a fall, Colors retained its number three position with 351,470 GVTs, down from 365,827 GVTs. Its first-of-its-kind property, Mission Sapne which allows celebrities from different walks of life to leverage their fame for the benefit of the common man, saw a drop in the ratings this week. It scored 1,668 TVTs, down from 2,836 TVTs. On the other hand, Comedy Nights with Kapil witnessed a jump in the viewership with 5,854 TVTs, up from 5,582 TVTs. Talking about the channel’s fiction offerings; Balika Vadhu saw a rise in the ratings and noted 4,473 TVTs, up from 3,938 TVTs.

Life OK at number four witnessed 332,990 GVTs, up from 319,452 GVTs. Gustakh Dil scored 1,829 TVTs, down from 2,019 TVTs, Tumhari Pakhi noted 2,348 TVTs, down from 2,515 TVTs. The channel’s non-fiction properties Shapath garnered 2,676 TVTs, up from 2,510 TVTs.

Sony Entertainment Television (SET) saw a fall in the ratings and garnered 297,528 GVTs, down from 300,118 GVTs. Maharan Veer Pratap recorded 3,148 TVTs, down from 3,341 TVTs. Entertainment Ke Liye Kuch Bhi Karega also witnessed a fall and registered 2,085 TVTs, down from 2,222 TVTs. CID stood at 3,341 TVTs, down from 3,411 TVTs.

Sab at number six garnered 279,412 GVTs, down from 286,993 GVTs. Its fiction offerings have worked well for the channel. Thus, the channel’s chart topper Tarak Mehta scored 7,034 TVTs, up from 6,159 TVTs and Chidiya Ghar registered 2,777 TVTs, up from 2,448 TVTs.

June 26, 2014
Star Plus to air Mahabharat in a film format – Draupadi – Ek Agnipariksha

MUMBAI: Given the immense popularity of the epic – Mahabharat, Star Plus is all set to showcase the great story once again on television. However this time as a film showcased through the lens of one of its greatest characters and perhaps the raison d’etre of Mahabharat – Draupadi. The Maha-movie ‘Draupadi – Ek Agnipariksha’ will narrate Draupadi’s journey of love, sacrifice and dishonour in a three hour film that will air on May 25th at 1.00 PM and 8.00 PM on Star Plus.

Mahabharat, the iconic tale has no dearth of powerful characters! Be it Krishna who acts as the advisor, the legendary warrior Arjun, the cunning Shakuni, the powerful Yudhisthir and many more. But in a story dominated by males is a strong character of Draupadi that symbolizes beauty and grit, she faces the severest humiliation and yet manages to maintain her dignity. Audiences have loved this facet of Draupadi and empathised with her situation thus making it an apt reason for the film to be presented from her perspective prior to the grand war of Kurukshetra.

Talking about the initiative, Nikhil Madhok, Senior Vice President, Marketing & Programming Strategy, Star Plus said, “Mahabharat has a massive fan-following across all age groups, especially the youth. Draupadi has emerged as one of the most loved and followed characters. Since the series is at the commencement of the great Kurukshetra war, we believed it would be a good refresher to take the viewers through Draupadi’s journey and how she was a catalyst for the war. We are positive that the audience will appreciate the film as much as they have enjoyed watching the show. ”

Launched in September last year, Mahabharat produced by Swastik Pictures has aired approximately 193 episodes. The show is consistently ranked among the top shows on Indian television and has garnered positive feedback from all quarters.

Watch the film this May 25th, Sunday at 1.00 PM & 8.00 PM only on Star Plus.

May 24, 2014
Zee Marathi to launch Jai Malhar

MUMBAI: If Hindi general entertainment channels (GECs) are treating audiences to a growing number of mythology-based shows, why should regional channels be far behind?

Following in the footsteps of Mahabharat, Mahadev and Maa Durga will be Zee Marathi’s Jai Malhar, a mythological show based on the reincarnation of Lord Shiva as Lord Khandoba aka Lord Malhar, Maharashtra’s most revered warrior god.

Produced by actor-filmmaker and head of Kothare Vision, Mahesh Kothare, the show has been mounted on a lavish scale and promises to be like none other before it. Slated to premiere on 18 May, Jai Malhar will replace Tu Tithe Mee at 7:00 pm. Only the first episode will be for one hour and will be beamed on a Sunday.

Zee Marathi business head Deepak Rajadhyaksha says, “Mythology has always appealed to Indian audiences but nobody in the Marathi industry has touched the subject owing to the extensive research and heavy investment involved in recreating it. Zee Marathi has made an ambitious attempt to transform the saga of Maharashtra’s Lord Khandoba into a gripping and thoughtful show with state-of-the-art visual effects and presentation. The original mythological narrative hasn’t been disturbed but what has been modified is the style of storytelling, making it riveting and in tune with contemporary screen techniques.”

Jai Malhar has Kartik Kende as executive director, Rupesh Tatkari as director of photography, Nilima Kothare and Neeta Khandke as costume designers, Santosh Ayachit as creative head and scriptwriter, Pankaj Padghan as music director and Chandrabhan and Abhijat in charge of graphics. The 60-strong team is largely constituted by young and promising talent.

For now, a deal for producing 312 episodes has been signed. With shooting having commenced on 31 March at Film City in Goregaon, the plan is to can seven to eight episodes by the end of this month, with 12-hour shooting schedules. For a show of such epic proportions, set designer Satish Panchal has re-created elements from Lord Khandoba’s palace, the fort of Jejuri, temples and ashrams to make it look as real as possible. Sources say nearly Rs 1.3 crore has been spent on the set itself. As for the central characters of Lord Khandoba and his two consorts, Mhalsa and Banai, were selected from more than 2,000 participants who auditioned in the cities of Mumbai, Nagpur, Aurangabad, Nashik and Kolhapur among others. The names of the protagonists have not yet been revealed. Two cameras are being used on the set for shooting in HD. In keeping with regulations, a medical officer is available on the set every day to oversee that the animals used for the shoot are treated ethically and not harmed in any way.

“Once we were firm on the idea, we approached Zee Marathi and they instantly said yes to it,” says Kothare. “The show will appeal to all. For youngsters it’s a tale of a lover; for the elderly, it’s the tale of a God; and for kids, it’s the tale of a superhero. No show has ever been made on this scale in the Marathi genre.”

Apparently, Kothare has been conceptualising the idea for the past three years and has been in talks with the channel for about a year and a half. Sources say that each episode could cost anywhere between Rs 3 lakh to Rs 5 lakh, pegging a year’s exercise at approximately Rs 10 crore to Rs 12 crore. Nearly Rs 50 lakh has gone into costumes alone including clothes, headgear and weapons.

A marketing campaign has already begun in TV and print. On-air promos have already begun while a full-page ad spread was already published in leading Marathi newspapers such as Maharashtra Times and Divya Bhaskar. The full-fledged campaign will break approximately 10 days before the launch of the show on 18 May. The creative agency for the show is FCB Ulka while media planning has been done by GroupM.

April 23, 2014
Star Plus sets new viewership record in week 6

MUMBAI: It’s the leader in the Hindi general entertainment space in India and has been so for most part since the beginning of last decade.

In week 6 of TAM TV ratings, Star Plus showed its might. The channel’s viewership during the week was the highest ever in the history of Indian television, helped by its bollywood awards show Star Guild Awards and its decision to extend all its weekday prime time fiction properties to Saturday.

Star Plus fetched 728,231 GVTs, up from 626,570 GVTs in the previous week. The channel’s Star Guild Awards show scored 8,063 TVTs.

Star Plus’ epic series Mahabharat too had its highest ever ratings since its launch and recorded 7,850 TVTs, up from 7,136 TVTs in the previous week.

Zee TV was in the second position in week 6 with 495,313 GVTs, up from 467,656 GVTs in the previous week. All the other Hindi GECs saw a drop in viewership ratings during the week.

Zee TV’s fiction property Aur Pyar Ho Haya saw a huge rise in ratings with 5,129 TVTs, up from 4,232 TVT a week earlier. The viewership ratings of its sitcom Bha se Bhade dropped to 1,492 TVTs from 1,645 a week earlier. The channel’s dance reality show – DID 4 – witnessed a rise on Saturday with 4,254 TVTs, up from 3,766 TVTs a week ago, but saw a drop on Sunday with 3,132 TVTs against 3,859 TVTs a week ago.

Viacom18’s Colors was in the third position with 424,431 GVTs, down from 446,579 GVTs a week earlier as both its highly-rated properties saw a huge drop in viewership. India’s Got Talent scored 5,876 TVTs in week 6, down from 7,403 TVTs, and Comedy Nights with Kapil’s viewership fell to 7,300 TVTs from 8,878 TVTs a week earlier.

Life OK scored 343,882 GVTs, down from 386,659 GVTs in the previous week. Sab was in the fifth position with 291,599 GVTs, down from 318,766 GVTs. Sony continued to be at the bottom of the chart and recorded 251,650 GVTs, down from 298,060 GVTs. Its dance reality show Boogie Woogie Kids Championship does not seem to attract much eyeballs and scored 1,721 TVTs, witnessing a fall from 2,758 TVTs. Sahara One fetched 35,896 GVTs, down from 39,172 GVTs.

In the movie genre, Zee Cinema had 185,836 GVTs in week 6, down from 198,751 GVTs; Star Gold 193,648 GVTs, down from 202,153 GVTs; Movies OK 134,400 GVTs, up from 130,648 GVTs; &pictures 83,202, down from 88,620 GVTs; Zee Anmol 79,408 GVTs, up from 65,415 GVTs and Max 206,080 GVTs, up from (192,801).

February 13, 2014
No big show at BO at yearend

MUMBAI: The week’s sole release, animation film Mahabharat, with many big stars lending voices to characters modelled on them, fails to attract the kids at whom it was primarily aimed.

Their trust belied by most big releases, the exhibitors finally got a happy ending to 2013 with Dhoom3. Especially single screens that were arm twisted into paying huge MGs, which not even mass appeal films could recoup, are happy with this one, the fastest money spinner in Hindi film history with no fudging of figures by either the stars concerned or the production house. This one is headed to becoming the real, rare 200+ crore film at the domestic box office before it ends its second weekend. The film, which just about crossed 100 crore, in its opening weekend, maintained a strong hold on the box office to take the count to 180 crore for its Hindi version alone while totting up 189 crore with Tamil and Telugu dubbed version.

The Dhoom3 mania seems to have washed out the other runners as their collections have dropped to symbolic. R…. Rajkumar has dropped down to 55 lakh in its third week taking its three week total to 59.05 crore.

Goliyon Ki Rasleela: Ram-Leela has collected 20 lakh in its sixth week taking its six week tally to 105.45 crore.

December 30, 2013