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Tag: Toilet Ek Prem Katha

  • Akshay Kumar extends sanitation drive by associating with Swachh Bharat Mission

    Akshay Kumar extends sanitation drive by associating with Swachh Bharat Mission

    MUMBAI: Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar has joined hands with Indian government’s cleanliness initiative Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen) and launched a new campaign.

    The campaign was launched at a Collectors Convention for Toilet Technology organised in Delhi and focuses on promoting the twin pit toilet technology in rural India, and also features actor Bhumi Pednekar along with Kumar.

    In his welcome address, Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation secretary Parameswaran Iyer spoke about the contribution made by Kumar to the Swachh Bharat Mission. He said that right from his movie, Toilet Ek Prem Katha, which was seen and appreciated by rural and urban people across the country, to his participation in the twin pit toilet advertisement campaign for the Swachh Bharat Mission, Kumar has been a strong supporter of the sanitation movement underway in the country.

    Kumar interacted with Swachh Bharat Mission officials, district collectors, communication experts and members from the media on the occasion. During his interaction, he spoke about the need for influencers of society to talk freely about toilets, and empty toilet pits around the country to destigmatise cleaning of one’s own toilet by members of the family itself.

    The district collectors and field officials, during the interaction, spoke about the power of women in leading the sanitation mission in rural areas, and the role played by the movie, in leading this behaviour change. It was also announced by the ministry of drinking water and sanitation on this occasion that the producers of Toilet Ek Prem Katha have given rights to all state and district teams of the Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen) to screen the movie in villages on a non-commercial basis.

    The twin pit toilet technology was invented in India and is the most well-suited toilet technology for rural India, and is recommended by Government of India and the World Health Organisation. It is scientifically proven that a pit in a standard twin-pit toilet model fills up in roughly five years for a 6-membered family.

    The states are continuously encouraged by the Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen) to include awareness generation about the above facts as part of their grassroots information, education and communication (IEC) efforts.

    The advertisement campaign launched is an effort, supported by the World Bank, towards encouraging this technology using mass media.

    The advertisement will be translated in several regional languages including Hindi on television channels.

  • Inox reports increase in revenue, profits for second quarter

    Inox reports increase in revenue, profits for second quarter

    BENGALURU: Indian cinema chain Inox Leisure Limited (Inox) has reported improved revenue and net profit after tax (PAT) for the quarter ended 30 September 2017 (Q2-18, current quarter) as compared to the corresponding quarter of the previous year (Q2-17, year ago quarter). Inox revenue from operations for Q2-18 increased 4.7 percent to Rs 3,112.6 million from Rs 2,973.8 million for Q2-17 (y-o-y). Profit after tax for the current period increased more than sevenfold (7.49 times) y-o-y to Rs 116.8 millon from Rs 15.6 million.

    Total income increased 4.9 percent y-o-y in Q2-18 to Rs 3,141.5 million from Rs 2,995.1 million. Operating profit (EBIDTA) for the current quarter increased 63.4 percent y-o-y to Rs 444.2 million from Rs 271.9 million.

    Inox says in its investor presentation that net box office collection (NBOC) increased in the current quarter to Rs 1,856 million from Rs 1,794 million. Advertisement revenue increased to Rs 321 million from Rs 23.8 million. Other operating revenues increased to Rs 264 million from Rs 240 million. Net food and beverages (F&B) revenue in the current quarter reduced to Rs 671 million from Rs 702 million in Q2-17.

    Though overall footfalls in Q2-18 increased to 12.75 million from 12.7 million in Q2-17, occupancy declined by 1 percent to 25 percent in Q2-18 from 26 percent in Q2-17. Overall average ticket price increased to Rs 186 in the current quarter from Rs 183 in the corresponding year ago quarter.

    The company says that the top five grossing movies in Q2-18 were Toilet-Ek Prem Katha (1.244 million footfalls, Gross Box Office Collection or GBOC of Rs 247.5 million; Spiderman Homecoming (0.623 million footfalls, GBOC Rs 131.1 million; Jab Harry Met Sejal (0.539 million footfall, GBOC Rs 119.6 million); Jagga Jasoos (0.605 million footfalls, GBOC Rs 113.9 million) and Mubarakan (0.561 million footfalls, GBOC Rs 103.3 million).

    Let us look at the other numbers reported by the company

    Total expenditure declined 13.1 percent y-o-y to Rs 2,963.1 million in Q2-18 from Rs 2,968 million. Exhibition costs increased 2.1 percent y-o-y in the current quarter to Rs 884.6 million from Rs 866.3 million. F&B costs declined 8.5 percent y-o-y to Rs 167.6 million y-o-y from Rs 183.1 million. Employee benefits expense increased 6.8 percent y-o-y to Rs 233 million from Rs 218.1 million. Finance costs in the current quarter increased 25.3 percent y-o-y to Rs 73.2 million from Rs 58.4 million. Other expenses reduced 3.6 percent y-o-y to Rs 1,383.2 million in Q2-18 from Rs 1,434.4 million.

  • Film entertainment overcame many hurdles, not this time

    Film entertainment overcame many hurdles, not this time

    From the beginning of the Ganesh festival till Diwali, is generally considered a dull period. Even if one discounts the belief that the Shraddha period of 15 days post-Ganesh festival is considered inauspicious for releasing a new film as well as taking up any new venture and so, movie going is the last priority.

    Film entertainment has overcome many hurdles like the introduction of television in India, telecast of films and film based programmes, colour television, video player, CD and DVD, the cricket cups and the IPL. However, it has not been able to overcome this slot of poor run for films.

    Why this misadventure then of not waiting out a couple of weeks for an opportune period for release? Especially, in the case of Poster Boys, which happens to be the debut film for actor turned director, Shreyas Talpade. Also, in consideration was the fact that the film’s performance could have meant a breather for the brothers, Sunny and Bobby Deol, whose careers are in limbo for some time now.

    *Poster Boys, a comedy with rural background, has a kind of old-fashioned touch to it. A remake of the Marathi film, Poshter Boyz, it had gone well with the Marathi audience. But, the cast in the theme limited the film’s business prospects to mainly Hindi belt, leaving out Maharshtra and most of South.

    The film managed poor opening response with the first day figures remaining low at Rs 17 million with Saturday showing only a marginal increase. On Sunday, the film was at its best yet, not good enough at about Rs 30 million as the film managed to collect barely Rs 71 million for its opening weekend.

    *Daddy, a film about the local Mumbai don, Arun Gawli, had some curiosity value mainly because of Arjun Rampal essaying the role of the gangster.

    While, it has been proved that films on dons don’t work be they from Mumbai, UP or Bihar, the film’s drawback was that even in Mumbai, Gawli’s reign was limited to a pocket of Mumbai, this kind of dons existed in just about every area in Mumbai and they were called Dada. If anything that made Gawli come to limelight, it was his enmity with the bigger dons.

    An earlier film on Gwali, Dagdi Chwal, was made in Marathi language and had been dubbed in Hindi. While the original Marathi version did well, the dubbed version failed. Daddy has got the opening that was expected, poor, and just about managed to cross Rs 10 million figure on its day one with a negligible increase on Saturday and Sunday, which did not add up to much. The film closed its opening weekend with Rs 41 million.

    *Badshaho added about 50 per cent of its weekend collection over the next four days taking its first week total to Rs 54.4 million. The film has shown a downward trend during its second weekend.

    *Shubh Mangal Saavdhan maintained steady after its opening weekend, albeit, on the lower figures. The film collected Rs 223 million for its first week.

    *A Gentleman dropped badly in its second week by collecting 73 lakh to take its two week tally to Rs 162.5 million.

    *Bareilly Ki Barfi has added Rs 31 million in its third week to take its three week total to Rs 319 million.

    *Toilet Ek Prem Katha continued to draw footfalls. It added Rs 17 million in its fourth week taking its four week total to Rs 1.284 billion.

  • Akshay Kumar’s versatility saves holiday week from dullness

    Akshay Kumar’s versatility saves holiday week from dullness

    The flow of new films seems to have tapered down. In the weeks when new films are not meant to be released like during IPL or exams etc, a bunch of small, inconsequential films swarm the cinemas. Even if one or two of them had a merit, they stood no chance because of high admission rates, odd show timings that they were meted out, and the lack of face value of such films.

    Now, when the playtime is open and available, the exhibitors were able to get one Bareilly Ki Barfi besides the other release, Partition: 1947 (Hindi-Dubbed), which failed to get the footfalls and faced a no audience, no show situation.

    The starving cinema halls had some relief with Akshay Kumar’s Toilet: Ek Prem Katha with an extended Independence Day weekend coinciding. The film raced to the Rs 900 million-figure during these holidays. The film has to meet the target of Rs 1.25 billion and, looking at the weak opposition in the new release, Bareilly Ki Barfi, the Akshay-starrer should sail safe eventually.

    *Bareilly Ki Barfi had some renowned names riding with it. The film boasts of Nitesh Tiwari who wrote and directed the recent blockbuster Dangal, as the writer while Ashwini Iyer Tiwary, who made Nil Battey Sannata, as the director. Both the writer and the director failed to live up to their earlier glory as Bareilly Ki Barfi has none of that spontaneity or laughter expected of their work.

    The film opened with a low Ra 20 million. The Saturday improvement was fair but still on the lower side while Sunday was much better with double the Friday figures. The film ended its opening weekend with a total of Rs 108 million.

    *The other major release, UK-based Gurinder Chadha’s Partition: 1947 (Hindi-Dubbed), an attempt to tell the behind-the-scenes story of the Partition, had little relevance for today’s Indian viewers. A futile attempt, it finds no takers as the film fared poorly at the box office.

    *Toilet Ek Prem Katha thrived on the holiday week. The week had a holiday on Monday in many parts being Janmashtami, a national holiday on Tuesday being the Independence Day and the Parsi New Year holiday on Thursday in Maharashtra and Gujarat.

    The film had opened with fairly decent collections and picked up steam on Saturday and Sunday with the holidays adding handsomely to take the collections on the verge of Rs one billion, the mark it will easily cross during its second weekend. 

    With an opening weekend of Rs 511 million, the film added another Rs 415 million to take its first week tally to Rs 936 crore million.

    *Jab Harry Met Sejal added Rs 41.5 million in its second week to take its two-week total to Rs 616.5 million.

    *Mubarakan is struggling to sustain, despite being a fairly entertaining film, and keeps holding out hope in its subsequent weeks which will help cut down its losses. The film collected a decent Rs 54 million taking its four week total to Rs 553 million.

  • Toilet — Ek Prem Katha may spring a surprise

    MUMBAI: Unlikely as it may seem, Akshay Kumar’s Toilet Ek Prem Katha may be on its way to spring a surprise at the box office. In fact, the process started from day two after its release as the film’s collections took huge jump on Saturday followed by another leap on Sunday.

    The film, which is meant to be a love story about an overage small town UP native, Akshay Kumar, mildly uncouth but street smart, and, Bhumi Pednekar, an educated younger girl up to date with the trends, takes a turn to propagate the need for personal toilets for every home.

    The film promotes the prime minister Narendra Modi’s campaign against open defecating. The last 50 minutes of the film are meant to educate and inform the people, mainly of the hinterland, about privacy for women when it comes to call of nature.

    That the film has gradually found favour with the multiplex audience can be attributed to the popularity of Akshay Kumar. He has been sincere and worked hard to promote the purpose of the film.

    *Most recent films, including big star films like Tubelight and Jab Harry Met Sejal, have met with poor response with below par opening day collection. Toilet Ek Prem Katha did quite well on that count collecting over almost Rs 120 million on day one despite its theme.

    The film enjoyed the advantage of a longer weekend but, while most films fail to rise on the Saturday following its opening day, Toilet Ek Prem Katha, took a massive leap with the collection jumping to Rs 170 million. The figures on Sunday were even better as the film collected over Rs 210 million to end its opening weekend with an impressive Rs 511 million. Things can get only better with a couple of more public holidays to follow during the week.

    The film needs to reach its target of approx Rs 1.25 billion.

    *Jab Harry Met Sejal faces rejection from day one. Having collected 53.7 crore in its first week, it slides badly as its week two takes off. The film’s shows had to be cancelled for lack of audience at many screens. The film manages to add Rs 38 million in its second week to take its two week total to Rs 575 million.

    *Mubarakan collected Rs 464 million over its first two weeks has collected about Rs 35 million in its third week to take its three week tally to Rs 499 million.

  • Toilet: Ek Prem Katha … Part fun, part sermon

    With little choice of genres left for films after themes like family social, horror and mythology were taken away by TV channels, filmmakers have to find variations in what they are left with: romance, action and comedy.

    Toilet Ek Prem Katha is a small town love story, and a love story needs a villain in some form. Unless the coming together of two lovers is met with some hindrances causing anxiety among the viewers, it remains incomplete. In this film, the villain that becomes the cause of separation between two lovers is a tradition that stops the villagers from creating the facility of toilets within the house.

    The character of Akshay Kumar is a small town lad who is well past his marriageable age due to the superstitions of his father played by Sudhir Pandey, a pandit, who is convinced that the character of Akshay’s marriage will fail since he has a negative influence of planet Mars on his horoscope and that his wife will have to have two thumbs in her palm if the marriage has to work. Pandey gets rid of half the ill effects of horoscope by getting Akshay married to a buffalo cow. Now all that remains to be made sure for Akshay to enjoy a blissful married life is to find a girl with two thumbs!

    But, fate ordains otherwise. While travelling on a railway shuttle, Akshay comes across Bhumi Pedenkar and both get into an argument over toilet manners. There is little in common between the two as Akshay’s character is a 12th-standard pass while Bhumi is a university topper. Her small family of four keeps pace with times while Akshay’s father, who dominates his life, lives in past. Akshay is 37 while Bhumi is a student.

    However, all these do not deter Akshay from falling in love with Bhumi. He starts chasing her till, like it happens in such love stories; Bhumi too is attracted to Akshay. The families agree to the match. While Bhumi’s family has no reservations, to deceive Pandey, Akshay gets an artificial extra thumb fitted on Bhumi’s hand.

    It is all lovey dovey for Akshay and Bhumi. But at the first dawn post-marriage a bunch of women come to call Bhumi to join them. Called Lota Gang, the women are on their way to far off fields for their daily ablutions.Having been brought up in a house with all the comforts, Bhumi cannot cope with this situation. She demands that a toilet be built within the house.

    While Akshay is trying to convince Pandey, he and Bhumi find ways to make things comfortable for her. Akshay comes up with what is called Jugaad, an ad hoc arrangement, each day so Bhumi need not go to fields. One of them is to take her to the local railway station where a particular train stops for seven minutes during which she is supposed to finish her business. Once, Akshay even steals a portable toilet. And, finally he builds one in his house only for it to be broken down by Pandey and other village folk.

    The film now shifts to the campaign run by the present government which aims to build toilet facility for every individual or community. However, the climax is the same as many such films about crusades the corruption in government departments, the involvement of the media and so on. What is different but inspired from real life incidents is the married woman leaving her husband and home because it does it not have a toilet.

    Having taken up the issue of toilets and the lack of it, the film takes too long to touch the crusade against a certain class’s mindset that prevent them from installing this basic facility in the house. Towards the end, especially in the last 50 minutes or so, it becomes preachy. The proceedings should have been crisper.

    The direction is fair. While the first half offers some entertainment, the later part has only little of it. The film has one song that works for it in Gori tu latth maar…. as it has visual appeal. Production values are average.

    The film scores on casting. Akshay Kumar is good as a confident small town lad. Bhumi Pednekar is convincing. Divyendu Sharma, Anupam Kher, Sudhir Pandey and Rajesh Sharma support well.

    Toilet Ek Prem Katha has average merit but is expected to enjoy a huge weekend from Saturday till Tuesday, and again a restricted holiday to follow for the Parsi New Year on 17th. This should help the film reach its target.

    Producers: Aruna Bhatia, Shital Bhatia, Prernaa Arora, Arjun N. Kapoor, Hitesh Thakkar.

    Director: Shree Narayan Singh.

    Cast: Akshay Kumar, Bhumi Pednekar, . Divyendu Sharma, Anupam  Kher, Sudhir Pandey and Rajesh Sharma.