Bajirao Mastani, which hit the screens on December 18 this year, has entered the Rs 50-crore club within just four days of its release. Despite stiff competition from Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol's Dilwale, the Deepika-Ranveer-Priyanka-starrer has passed the first Monday test, emerging a winner at the box office.
The story of Peshwa Bajirao I and his second wife Mastani, Bajirao Mastani has shown tremendous growth at the box office owing to word-of-mouth publicity and generally glowing reviews from critics.
The film opened to Rs 12.80 crore on Friday, had a business of Rs 15.52 crore on Saturday, and packed in a solid Sunday with Rs 18.45 crore at the domestic box office. On its first Monday, Bajirao Mastani earned Rs 10.25 crore in India.
http://xstore-forum.xsocial.eu/index.php?action=profile;area=summary;u=38979
Trade analyst Taran Adarsh tweeted the figures:
Bajirao Mastani and Dilwale both released on December 18 this year. While the Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol-starrer had a brilliant opening at the box office in India, Bajirao Mastani picked up after the first day. As of its first Monday, Bajirao Mastani has surpassed the collection of Dilwale.
The praise that his latest film, Bajirao Mastani has garnered, comes as a huge relief to this dream merchant of celluloid who admits he can’t think small. The epic scale and vision of Sanjay Leela Bhansali's latest film has stunned the industry, and he is a happy man as he chats with Firstpost.
Did you expect this kind of acclaim for Bajirao Mastani?
Bhansali: We knew some kind of magic was happening . As the shooting progressed I realized we were doing something that had the blessings of great filmmakers. So yes, we did know we were blessed. How blessed, we are discovering now as people are returning repeatedly to see the film. I am told audiences feel they’re seeing something so special after many years. I am honored.
The era of the plot, tone of the storytelling, texture of music are all alien to today’s audiences. Were you ever apprehensive about the box office outcome?
Bhansali: I’ve lived with the script for 12 long years. Over the years I read it over and over again and continued to be thrilled by it.Every time I read it I realized Bajirao Mastani must be made, it's so powerful a screenplay. I never considered what the budget would be, or that audiences may not connect with the classical flavor. There was no fear of failure when I made Bajirao Mastani. I am a fearless filmmaker.
But surely the box office matters when your budget is Rs 140 crores?
Bhansali: Audiences want to see something interesting. It doesn’t matter which genre or period it belongs to, it is the conviction with which a filmmaker puts across his vision which works. But yes, I did make Bajirao Mastani keeping today’s audiences in mind, the structuring, the lighting were all done for a contemporary audience. I was sure of what I was doing throughout, but yes, there was always a nervousness around me, people asking if today’s audience thinks this way.
What do you see as the central theme of Bajirao Mastani?
Bhansali: The love story between Bajirao and Mastani. Love is universal and we must love the one that we love without barriers of religion. Bajirao was a fierce warrior and he defended his land and people with single-minded devotion. But when it came to love he was supremely secular. Somewhere in my mind the colours saffron and green emerged from my plot and merged in my mind.
http://www.funtastic-party.de/partner/hebammenpraxis/board/index.php?page=User&userID=1273441
In Bajirao Mastani you have made explicit use of the colours green and saffron to denote the merger of the two communities. Was there no fear of offending fundamentalists?Bhansali: No no, none at all. I feel people believe in love, regardless of the colour of their religion. I feel we co-exist as a community even if there is separatist violence in places. The way audiences have responded to the Hindu-Muslim love story between Bajirao and Mastani proves I am right. It is a victory of secularism. Whatever our religious practice, love has no religion. On the contrary love is a religion of its own.
Was this merger of saffron and green what attracted you to this theme?
Bhansali: Most certainly. Bajirao was one of the most powerful statesmen of India. He believed in protecting and fighting for his land. He won 40 wars, but he lost in love. 350 years down the line I’ve paid a tribute to his love story.
The influence of K Asif’s Mughal-e-Azam is very strong on your film?
Bhansali: Oh, completely. My film is a tribute to Mughal-e-Azam. The kind of work Asif Saab did, his imagery and visuals, were very inspiring for me. I am deeply impressed by the works of Mehboob Khan, Raj Kapoor and V Shantaram. I’ve learnt filmmaking by watching these masters.
But the influence of K Asif is more direct on Bajirao Mastani, in your Aaina Mahal which is Asif’s Sheesh Mahal from Mughal-e-Azam?
Bhansali: Oh yes, and Deepika dancing to Mohe rang de lal is directly inspired by Madhubala’s Mohe panghat pe nandlal ched gayo re in Mughal-e-Azam. Deep inside me there was the fear, what if people compare me poorly? Luckily for me no one has said I’ve made a fool of myself. The story, music, visuals and scenes are all part of the Indian sensibility. Singing dancing celebrating, these are all part of our culture. They’ll never die from our cinema.
The story of Peshwa Bajirao I and his second wife Mastani, Bajirao Mastani has shown tremendous growth at the box office owing to word-of-mouth publicity and generally glowing reviews from critics.
The film opened to Rs 12.80 crore on Friday, had a business of Rs 15.52 crore on Saturday, and packed in a solid Sunday with Rs 18.45 crore at the domestic box office. On its first Monday, Bajirao Mastani earned Rs 10.25 crore in India.
http://xstore-forum.xsocial.eu/index.php?action=profile;area=summary;u=38979
Trade analyst Taran Adarsh tweeted the figures:
Bajirao Mastani and Dilwale both released on December 18 this year. While the Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol-starrer had a brilliant opening at the box office in India, Bajirao Mastani picked up after the first day. As of its first Monday, Bajirao Mastani has surpassed the collection of Dilwale.
The praise that his latest film, Bajirao Mastani has garnered, comes as a huge relief to this dream merchant of celluloid who admits he can’t think small. The epic scale and vision of Sanjay Leela Bhansali's latest film has stunned the industry, and he is a happy man as he chats with Firstpost.
Did you expect this kind of acclaim for Bajirao Mastani?
Bhansali: We knew some kind of magic was happening . As the shooting progressed I realized we were doing something that had the blessings of great filmmakers. So yes, we did know we were blessed. How blessed, we are discovering now as people are returning repeatedly to see the film. I am told audiences feel they’re seeing something so special after many years. I am honored.
The era of the plot, tone of the storytelling, texture of music are all alien to today’s audiences. Were you ever apprehensive about the box office outcome?
Bhansali: I’ve lived with the script for 12 long years. Over the years I read it over and over again and continued to be thrilled by it.Every time I read it I realized Bajirao Mastani must be made, it's so powerful a screenplay. I never considered what the budget would be, or that audiences may not connect with the classical flavor. There was no fear of failure when I made Bajirao Mastani. I am a fearless filmmaker.
But surely the box office matters when your budget is Rs 140 crores?
Bhansali: Audiences want to see something interesting. It doesn’t matter which genre or period it belongs to, it is the conviction with which a filmmaker puts across his vision which works. But yes, I did make Bajirao Mastani keeping today’s audiences in mind, the structuring, the lighting were all done for a contemporary audience. I was sure of what I was doing throughout, but yes, there was always a nervousness around me, people asking if today’s audience thinks this way.
What do you see as the central theme of Bajirao Mastani?
Bhansali: The love story between Bajirao and Mastani. Love is universal and we must love the one that we love without barriers of religion. Bajirao was a fierce warrior and he defended his land and people with single-minded devotion. But when it came to love he was supremely secular. Somewhere in my mind the colours saffron and green emerged from my plot and merged in my mind.
http://www.funtastic-party.de/partner/hebammenpraxis/board/index.php?page=User&userID=1273441
In Bajirao Mastani you have made explicit use of the colours green and saffron to denote the merger of the two communities. Was there no fear of offending fundamentalists?Bhansali: No no, none at all. I feel people believe in love, regardless of the colour of their religion. I feel we co-exist as a community even if there is separatist violence in places. The way audiences have responded to the Hindu-Muslim love story between Bajirao and Mastani proves I am right. It is a victory of secularism. Whatever our religious practice, love has no religion. On the contrary love is a religion of its own.
Was this merger of saffron and green what attracted you to this theme?
Bhansali: Most certainly. Bajirao was one of the most powerful statesmen of India. He believed in protecting and fighting for his land. He won 40 wars, but he lost in love. 350 years down the line I’ve paid a tribute to his love story.
The influence of K Asif’s Mughal-e-Azam is very strong on your film?
Bhansali: Oh, completely. My film is a tribute to Mughal-e-Azam. The kind of work Asif Saab did, his imagery and visuals, were very inspiring for me. I am deeply impressed by the works of Mehboob Khan, Raj Kapoor and V Shantaram. I’ve learnt filmmaking by watching these masters.
But the influence of K Asif is more direct on Bajirao Mastani, in your Aaina Mahal which is Asif’s Sheesh Mahal from Mughal-e-Azam?
Bhansali: Oh yes, and Deepika dancing to Mohe rang de lal is directly inspired by Madhubala’s Mohe panghat pe nandlal ched gayo re in Mughal-e-Azam. Deep inside me there was the fear, what if people compare me poorly? Luckily for me no one has said I’ve made a fool of myself. The story, music, visuals and scenes are all part of the Indian sensibility. Singing dancing celebrating, these are all part of our culture. They’ll never die from our cinema.
No comments:
Post a Comment