‘Gandhigiri’ seems to have worked well for the Sanjay Dutt – Vidya Balan – Arshad Warsi starrer Lage Raho Munnabhai in Kerala.
Though not as big a hit as Krrish , starring Hrithik Roshan , ‘Lage Raho Munnabhai’ has done better business than the star studded Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna , according to trade sources in Kochi.
A few cinema halls in bigger cities such as Kochi, Kozhikode and Thiruvananthapuram are the only ones to screen Bollywood films on a regular basis while smaller towns do not have many takers for Bollywood.
After ‘Krrish’, ‘Lage Raho Munnabhai’ has also broken this barrier and the movie is now being screened even in smaller centres such as Thrissur, Kottayam and Kothamangalam.
Even in places like Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram, most Bollywood films are taken off from the cinema halls after a week, with only a few lasting for two weeks. Yet, ‘Lage Raho Munnabhai’ has been on the screens for almost a month, running to near full houses on most days.
Sources say that while ‘Krrish’ did a business of nearly Rs 50 lakh in gross collections all over Kerala, ‘Lage Raho Munnabhai’ has touched almost Rs 30 lakh.
While this is not a patch on the ‘Onam hit’ ‘Kirtichakra’ in Malayalam, which could gross upto Rs 90 lakh in the first week alone, it is a big amount for a Bollywood film, sources add.
While comedies generally go down well with the audience in Kerala, which has a vibrant film industry of its own, ‘Lage Raho Munnabhai’ seems to have worked because it combined comedy with sensitivity.
The movie has especially appealed to the youngsters. The school and college students could be seen applauding enthusiastically whenever the tenets of ‘Gandhigiri’ worked – whether it be to reform a betel juice spewing neighbour or a corrupt official.
by: apunkachoice.com
