As many as seven films release this weekend – Pyaar Ka Punchnama 2, Wedding Pullav, Chinar Daastaan-E-Ishq, Hogaya Dimaagh Ka Dahi, Bumper Draw, Operation Green Hunt and Jaatiwad. Amongst these, only Pyaar Ka Punchnama 2 and Wedding Pullav are the ones that are expected to make some noise at the Box Office. Let’s talk about them.
When released in 2011, Pyaar Ka Punchnama took a poor start at the Box Office but went on to gain from strength to strength, hence turning out to be a safe bet. The film has managed to gain a cult status over the years, hence resulting in excellent recall value. That would immensely help the sequel and it is pretty much expected that the lifetime total of the film (12 crore) would be crossed by the sequel in the first weekend itself. Yes, the absence of two key male leads (Divyendyu Sharma, Raayo Bakhirta) is indeed being missed but one hopes that the seven-minute monologue by Kartik Aryan more than makes up for it.
Wedding Pullav is the second prominent release of the week. The film is a launchpad of actors Anushka Ranjan and Diganth (a notable name down South) who are being directed by cinematographer turned filmmaker, Binod Pradhan. The film’s promotion has been decent and with Eros giving it a good release, it has a chance if the word of mouth turns out to be good. Though one can’t expect massive turnaround on the opening day, it could see enhanced footfalls if youth gives it a go-ahead this festive season.
As for the other releases of the week, they would be fortunate to see an all-India release. With such a massive count of films hitting the screens on a single Friday, it is nothing less than suicidal. Even a show or two in prominent multiplexes would come at a premium for these films.