Sanjay Leela Bhansali's (Goliyon ki Raas Leela) Ram Leela has opened to mixed reviews from critics. The audience's verdict though, is yet to be seen. The Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh starrer which released in nearly 3,000 screens in India and close to 500 screens in 35 countries abroad is yet another adaption of the Bard's tragic romance Romeo and Juliet.
In the north, the movie may not have very bright prospects. According to Shaaminder Malik, independent exhibitor and trade analyst, "While the movie has the name of an established director like Bhansali, it does fall short on some counts. The most evident is the casting of Ranveer Singh as the male lead. Apart from that, the movie is tad too bold for family viewing, especially in the north and has too many songs. Deepika of course impresses as she has been doing this year." He reveals that in the north (Delhi, UP and parts of MP) the movie opened to 40 to 50 per cent occupancy, which is lower than expected for a Bhansali movie.
The movie has been mildly affected, say industry observers, by the hype and hoopla over Sachin Tendulkar's last test match. “Sachin's retirement is an event lot of Indian want to be a part of. While not all may go to the stadium to watch the match, many would prefer to watch it on television. This would impact the day time shows for sure, especially in the west,” says a distributor from the west India circuit. The film opened to 60 per cent occupancy across the country, which could have been more, experts say.
Distributed by Eros International in India and overseas, Ram Leela has been made at an estimated cost of Rs 40 crore. Experts expect it to make Rs 12 to 15 on its opening day and anywhere between Rs 25 to 28 crore in its opening weekend, depending on word of mouth publicity.
The other movie releasing this week is Kangana Ranaut starrer Rajjo. The film is about a nautch girl and a 21 year old boy who falls in love with her. The movie's budget is around R 10 to 12 crore. It has opened to generally negative reviews, mainly pointing out the lack of cohesion in the script.
Both the films have been mired in controversies that delayed the finalisation of screens till the last moment.
