The month of February has not been a great one for Bollywood. Except for Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu (EMAET), which has managed to collect just about Rs 35 crore, none of the other two rom-coms, Tera Naal Love Ho Gaya (TNLHG) or Jodi Breakers, has made any significant impact on the box office. I had mentioned in my earlier aricle that three movies of the same genre released in quick succession is not really a great strategy. If the movie that is released first does reasonably well then the other two movies without an established pair will suffer. This is what seems to have happened to both Tere Naal.. and Jodi Breakers. Neither of these films has been able to gain traction during the last two crucial weeks. Consequently, their box office numbers will certainly be discouraging.

Three movies scheduled for released on March 2 were being tracked by Foresight. None of these movies had a significant FTI so far. Paan Singh Tomar (3.9), Will You Marry Me? (0.4) and London Paris New York (0.7) are not expected to draw large audience to the theatres. Paan Singh Tomar is the story of a farmer who joins the Indian Army, and wins several accolades as a top athlete  and then becomes a dacoit. Although, a true story, a mix of fact and fiction, it has not evoked much interest among the audience. In a country where we show very little interest in either national heroes, like Gandhi or Tagore, or national heritage sites, I wonder whether Paan Singh will evoke any national pride or interest. However, some pockets of the country will receive the movie well.

The other two films, Will You Marry Me? and London Paris New York too do not have much to get the audience flocking at the box office. The theatrical trailer of Will You Marry Me?, has a very low PoP and also tracks very low. However, the PoP of London Paris New York is quite good and the movie should do better than what the Film Trac numbers show.

The movies that have significant FTI are Kahaani and Chaar Din Ki Chandni and are scheduled for release next Friday. The two movies belong to two different genres. Kahaani may be classified as a suspense but does not look like a thriller, and Chaar Din Ki Chandni is a comedy.

The PoP value of Kahaani is above average, and the trailer clearly indicates the story line. The audience can expect a slow movie that builds the suspense gradually leading to a gripping climax. I expect the movie to pick up another five six points on FTI by the time it is ready for release. The movie’s audience will be largely couples, both young and old. The film may not become a ‘dirty story’ but will make a significant impact among the multiplex audience.

Chaar Din Ki Chandni is the other movie that has an FTI score above 10.0. The theatrical trailer is a loose collage of comedy scenes. With Tusshar supported by Anupam Kher and Om Puri, the trailer promises to be a rib-tickler. It remains to be seen how well the slapstick is excuted.

Neither Kahaani nor Chaar Din Ki Chandni is expected to make a big splash at the box office. But looks like,  Kahaani will certainly make a good opening and has the legs to run for a few weeks in select multiplexes.