By Hindustan Times
“Agent Vinod opened dull at many centres,” says trade analyst Komal Nahta. “Given the weak reports, it sort of feels headed for losses. The price was too high and the collections are low when put next. The collections over the weekend are approximately Rs 27.5 to Rs 28 crores.”
There are several the explanation why the film isn't doing well, says trade analyst Amod Mehra. “One, it’s not strong in single screen theatres,” he says. “The masses and small towns don't seem to be understanding the film in any respect. Whatever footfalls you notice are within the multiplexes. And two, there is not any growth in numbers from the hole day to the weekend. That indicates the primary weekend rush started but didn’t multiply. And Monday’s early morning collections are very bad, which indicates the film won't hold on.”
Though the Saif Ali Khan-Kareena Kapoor starrer has no competition next week since no major films are releasing on Friday, Mehra doesn’t believe Agent Vinod can sustain itself on the box office. “Even Players (2012) had a transparent field,” he says. “What happened? If the film isn't good, it's going to not sustain. For a movie made at a high budget, Agent Vinod has an especially bad count. It'll not be capable of hold on.”
Sanjay Ghai, who heads the film production, distribution and exhibition firm Mukta Arts Ltd (Delhi), says, “Delhi and UP have made Rs 6 crore. If this were a low budget film, this figure would has been good for them. But given the production cost of this film, the cash it’s making across India isn't good.”
For Saif, however, Agent Vinod has provided the most important opening weekend he has needed to date. Says Dinesh Vijayn of Illuminati Films, producers of Agent Vinod, “The film has got Saif the most important opening up to now. His last big opening was Love Aaj Kal (2009), which opened at Rs 27 crores.”
Vijayn has a rather different tackle the film’s numbers to this point. He says, “The film made Rs 9.8 crores at the first day, Rs 10.2 crores at the second day and Rs 10 crores at the third day day. Agent Vinod was made at a value of Rs 50 crores and we spent Rs 12 crores on promotions. So the full cost is Rs 62 crores. The music of the film was sold at Rs 9 crores and satellite rights for seven years for Rs 21 crores.”
A distributor who didn't need to be named blamed the film’s poor box office showing on instant reviews and reactions put out by the country’s social networkers. “A good film normally takes a 20 per cent higher opening on Saturday and Sunday,” he says, “But the bad word of mouth and poor storyline has worked against the film. We got some scary and nasty forwards concerning the film on our phones.”
Jokes on Twitter
Saif to go to homes of Agent Vinod victims and paint their walls so as to recover the money.
Saw Agent Vinod! Kya agent hai, haath chalaata hai, laath chalaata hai, bandook chalaata hai, gaadi chalata hai, helicopter bhi chalaata hai, lekin afsos yeh film nahi chala payega.
ACP Pradyuman from CID will have solved the Agent Vinod case in HALF-HOUR and at 1/1000th the budget.
