The turnaround Main Vaapas Aaunga has seen at the box office has reaffirmed the audience and the industry’s faith in the power of word-of-mouth. The film’s director, Imtiaz Ali, has hailed the audience’s power in propping up the film and said that the industry needs to learn from them about how to make and market films.
Imtiaz Ali on Main Vaapas Aaunga’s box-office turnaround
Main Vaapas Aaunga, a romance drama set around Partition, earned just ₹5 crore net in its opening weekend, but increased it to ₹12 crore for the second weekend. The film saw a staggering 130% jump on its second Saturday. Many cinema chains across India were forced to add new shows due to audience demand. Talking about the film’s changed fortunes, Imtiaz told PTI, “I am overwhelmed by the response to Main Vaapas Aaunga. I find myself going to cinema theatres and just gazing at the faces of the audience and seeing the film through their eyes. I have been to six cities already and am planning to go to more.”
Imtiaz has been frequently visiting theatres in Delhi and Mumbai over the last week, interacting with the audience and taking feedback.
Talking about the audience’s role in helping films sustain at the box office, the filmmaker added, “Ultimately, Janata janardan hai (the audience is supreme). We always try to predict people, put them into categories and socio-economic classes, and we try to make strategies to predict how people are going to react to a brand or a film, but I think people largely understand cinema. We should actually learn from them how to make a film and how to market films.”
Main Vaapas Aaunga has been praised by critics, opening to impressive reviews, but hardly found takers in the theatres, earning just ₹1.15 crore net domestically on its opening day. But due to positive word-of-mouth, it had increaed it to ₹5.75 crore net by its 10th day. The film is doing well in its second week, having crossed ₹30 crore in just over 12 days.
Imtiaz Ali thanks the cine trade
Thanking the trade, Imtiaz called them ‘the first line of contact with the audience’. The filmmaker added, “In this journey, I have realised the amazing connection between audience and exhibitors, the theatre halls and the distributors, what we call trade and who we usually are scared off as filmmakers… It has been a divine connection for Main Vaapas Aaunga. The community of exhibitors, theatre owners and distributors and so many people from the trade have stepped and supported Main Vaapas Aaunga as though it is their film. The community of distributors and exhibitors has started shows at unlikely times at so many theatres because of the audience demand.”
About Main Vaapas Aaunga
Main Vaapas Aaunga is set in present day India and told through the ramblings of a 95-year-old man old man (Naseeruddin Shah). His grandson (Diljit Dosanjh) finally pieces together the puzzle to draw a picture of Partition, trauma and love that could never be. The drama also stars Vedang Raina and Sharvari. Main Vaapas Aaunga is produced by Birla Studios and Applause Entertainment in association with Window Seat Films.