The unexpectedly lukewarm response for Salman Khan’s latest Eid Release TUBELIGHT is an eye opener for many, shattering a few myths about carefully chosen festival weekends, hardcore fan following and the much talked about star enigma.
Besides, it once again raises an old debate that whether harsh, negative reviews coming a day (or days) before the release really affect the box office prospects of a movie influencing the audience choice?
No doubt, it’s the word-of-mouth post the first few shows on Friday that actually decides the fate of a project in reality. But one cannot deny the fact that in the present net-age, people do read the advance-online reviews before spending a big amount on their weekend movie outings and it does make some kind of impact influencing their final decision. Moreover, it’s not the published reviews by the critics, but the personal posts, tweets and whats-app messages shared by the viewers which actually influence the minds reaching the end-users.
The statement got evidently proved last weekend, when mostly negative opinions about TUBELIGHT started floating in social networks that surely affected the footfall despite a festival weekend. A small section of viewers did appreciate the project for its fresh content presently differently. But the majority remained unmoved by the film and didn’t approve the experimentation lacking the entertainment quotient.
The outcome yet again strongly points towards the unpredictability factor prominently there in the public response towards a specific project. But at the same time, it also brings forward a strange contradiction in such box-office results, puzzling the makers as well as ‘the stars’ always willing to satisfy their fans or dedicated viewers.
Taking TUBELIGHT as the latest example, at one end both the critics as well as the viewers keep complaining about ‘the stars’ not trying to do different films or roles breaking their set secured patterns. But on the other, they straight away discard a film in which they bravely try to do the same coming out of their individual comfort zones.
At one end we loudly start criticizing creators like Imtiaz Ali & Shah Rukh Khan repeatedly doing a film (JAB HARRY MET SEJAL) having a clichéd title and the same old story structure walking on a rotten path (post watching a few short trailers). But on the other, we strongly pull down a TUBELIGHT, sincerely trying to break the same monotonous routine making a conscious effort.
Concluding it on a positive note, yes Kabir-Salman’s latest offering does turn out to be a quite weak product in terms of its story progression, script and direction, unable to establish any strong connect with the viewers despite the emotional plot. Yet, the film scores much more than Salman Khan films like PREM RATAN DHAN PAYO, READY or BODYGUARD, if you take into consideration its mature content, sincere intent and display of courage in experimenting with something fresh taking the big risk.
Putting it differently, TUBELIGHT might not deserve to be a highly successful film due to its evident shortcomings, but it also doesn’t deserve to be rated much lower than films like READY or BODYGUARD just because of its unexpected box office performance or commercial failure.
Give it a thought.
Cheers!
(The article also got featured in UC-News mobile app in June 2017)
