Indian actor Vikrant Massey (of Criminal Justice/Mirzapur fame) and filmmaker Vidhu Vinod Chopra gave a fresh wave of hope to Indian box office as their Hindi film 12th Fail surprised trade experts at the ticket windows. The film has managed to collect close to $1.2 million in a span of four days at the ticket windows. Made on an estimated budget of $3 million, the film had a limited release in 600 screens across India.
It scored less than $150,000 in India on day one. With a wide critical appreciation, and a good word-of-mouth, several cinemas increased the number of shows for 12th Fail over the weekend. The film saw nearly 200 percent increase in India nett collections on Saturday making a weekend total of $980,000.
Massey essays the role of young Manoj – inspired by a real person – in the film. 12th Fail traces the story of a student and his journey of struggles cracking the exams despite the financial and all other restraints. The film is based on Anurag Pathak’s novel ‘12th Fail’. The novel is about the real life story of (Indian Police Services) IPS officer Manoj Kumar Sharma. Sharma hails from a village in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, and had a tough time prepaing for the exams, commonly known as ‘UPSC
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The rustic authenticity of the characters and the milleu are beautifully combined with the innocence in Chopra’s film. The combination offers the warmth of inter-personal, as well as private emotions. Even in the toughest moments of his life, Massey’s character does not display any negativity.
The charm of the movie lies in its authentic and warm portrayal, more than the magic of a rags-to-riches story. The film is the story of a student and his struggles, and the filmmaker has smoothly layered it with clear indications of the society through caste, class and region dynamics prevelant in India. With that brilliant writing, Massey already had a kickstart and he does the rest with such finesse that the character will be remembered as one of his most iconic ones.
On the other hand, Kangana Ranaut’s Tejas managed to earn $750,000 in four days of the release. After a disappointing opening collection of $200,000 in India, the film saw a constant dip at the ticket windows. On Monday, the film could only score a little less than $65,000 in India.
Written and directed by Sarvesh Mewara, Tejas is a fictional story that tells the tale of an Indian air force pilot and focusses on her bravery and heroism, more than anything else. Sometimes, the film appears to be the female version of a typical Bollywood commercial ‘masala film’, but it displays enough traits to stay above that tag. In its attempt to focus on the titular character, the film often forgets to navigate the surrounding environment and supporting characters, making it a weak narrative that fails to completely engage.
Nonetheless, Ranaut’s powerful acting is engrossing. Tejas also manages to put forth the messages of gender equality, and empowerment of women. The film has its own flaws, but its biggest achievement is that it beautifully entwins an important social message in a very commercial package.
Meanwhile, last week’s Tamil film Leo continued to attract audiences and managed a second weekend score of $31 million, according to the latest Comscore
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