Hindi
Sequels’ collections fall flat
MUMBAI: The week saw two releases, both sequels. Force 2, a sequel to Force (2011) with John Abraham, a narcotics department cop going on an international assignment, where it was almost as if the action director was in charge. Tum Bin 2, a sequel to Tum Bin (2001) which saw a fair success, thanks to its musical score, was more like a remake of the same film rather than a sequel, albeit with inferior music.
Both took the audience for granted and paid heavily.
*Indian films have followed a certain formula when one said the film has ‘something for everybody’ like romance, music, comedy and drama. Action was incidental. In a frenzy to copy fast paced Hollywood films, where much of the enhancement coming from special effects, as in little to do with on the sets filming and more to do with on the table filmmaking, the films emerge one dimensional. Force 2 is an extreme example. It sheds all that is formula and vends only action. Actions sans emotional backing falls flat and that is what seems to have happened to Force 2.
The film had an average opening of about Rs 5.5 crore with no appreciation as the film has nothing to appreciate, it ended its opening weekend with Rs 18.75 crore.
*Tum Bin 2, coming as it does after 15 years since its first version, palms off the same story it did earlier. Right, the generation has changed but so have tastes. Also, at 2 hours 21 minute of running time and new faces to carry it through, was asking for too much. While the earlier version had a music to relish, this one lacks in this department.
The film opened to very poor response as the first day figures at the box office being in lakhs, it failed to show much improvement over the weekend to end its first weekend with Rs 2.4 crore.
*Rock On 2, a sequel to Rock On (2008) was a muddled film idea. Forgetting to keep up with its title and pack some music to hum, it peddled a convoluted story with multiple threads failing to tie it together in the end. Meeting with poor opening and negative word of mouth, it ended its first week with a disastrous Rs 8.45 crore.
*Chaar Sahibzaade (3-D: Animation) rates in total loss category.
*Dongri Ka Raja spelt disaster with about Rs 30 lakh for its opening week.
*Ae Dil Hai Mushkil added about Rs 4.1 crore in its third week taking its three week total to Rs 100.7 crore.
*Shivaay has added Rs 2.6 crore in its third week to take its three week tally to Rs 84.1 crore.
Hindi
UFO Cine Media Network unveils ‘India’s biggest cinema moment ever’
Dhurandhar 2 and Toxic tipped to deliver rare pan-India scale for brands
MUMBAI: UFO Cine Media Network is pitching an upcoming dual-film release weekend as what it calls the largest advertising opportunity cinema has offered in India, banking on an estimated 100 million cumulative footfalls nationwide.
The initiative, branded “India’s Biggest Cinema Moment Ever”, is anchored around the simultaneous release of Dhurandhar 2 – The Revenge and Toxic, two high-profile action films expected to dominate screens across regions and languages. Trade projections, supported by cinema measurement tool Procat, suggest the combined lifetime theatrical run could deliver one of the widest audience concentrations seen in recent years.
Dhurandhar 2 – The Revenge, an India–Pakistan spy thriller, is set to release in five languages, broadening its appeal across northern and southern markets. The franchise has already built a sizable multilingual following through theatrical runs and streaming platforms. Toxic, fronted by pan-India star Yash, is expected to draw heavy footfalls across southern circuits and beyond, buoyed by the actor’s proven box-office pull.
UFO, which operates an in-cinema advertising network spanning more than 4,100 theatres, is positioning the release window as a rare moment of synchronised national attention. Its footprint covers multiplexes and single screens across over 1,500 towns and cities, allowing advertisers to deploy campaigns at scale during a single weekend.
Executives at the company argue that cinema’s value lies not just in reach but in attention. Unlike digital or television, audiences are captive, emotionally engaged and free from distraction, they say, translating into stronger recall and measurable returns for brands. With advertisers increasingly focused on performance-led media planning, UFO is framing the dual release as comparable in scale to India’s largest broadcast and sporting properties.
Industry observers note that as theatrical exhibition expands deeper into Tier 2 and Tier 3 markets, such tentpole weekends are becoming anchor moments for annual media strategies. If Dhurandhar 2 – The Revenge and Toxic deliver as expected, the weekend could set new benchmarks not only for box office numbers, but also for cinema’s evolving role as a high-attention advertising medium.
