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New Delhi: Hrithik Roshan and JR NTR starrer, War 2, opened at the box office amid massive buzz, earning Rs 52 crore on its first day and Rs 57 crore on its second day. By the end of first week, the film minted Rs 200 in India. However, the YRF-produced film’s collection nosedived from its third day of release.
The film collected Rs 33 crore on its third day, and Rs 31 crore on its fourth day, followed by sharp dip by collection only Rs 8 crore on its Day 5. The film plummeted by nearly 75 per cent, earning only Rs 5 to 6 crore, which also triggered mass cancellations of shows across multiplexes due to low footfall. But, why did the film, made on a staggering budget, tanked at the box office despite a stellar cast? Producer and film business expert Girish Johar shared his opinion in an exclusive conversation with TV9 English.
Trade expert Girish Johar feels that the storyline of the movie couldn’t strike a chord with audiences and it offered nothing new at a time when viewers have access to diverse global content.
Opining over Ayan Mukerji’s directorial, War 2 debacle, Girish Johar told us, “War 2 could not work primarily because I think the storyline and the film could not entice the audiences. People were thinking that it's not connecting with them. They couldn't get the thrills attached to a thriller and they probably felt that nothing new is being offered to them.”
He further added, “So, a film of this scale, when you cannot connect with the audiences, I think the disconnect starts coming from there itself. I believe that the storyline and direction faltered big time in the film. The storyline was nothing new because when you are targeting mass audiences, by and large, they are also watching content at global levels, in the sense that, because everyone is watching OTTs and Hollywood films, they are already accustomed to world-class content and the storyline had nothing new to offer.”
“So, probably there was a disappointment by them. Even the music was not there this time around. To get a film running in Tier 2, Tier 3 kind of cities, you need to have at least one or two good songs which can attract a larger base of audiences. But, they were missing in War 2. So, I believe, by and large, the content misfired,” he shared.
When Girish Johar was asked about the technicalities of the film, he shared, “Again, VFX and action scenes were nothing new. VFX were a little substandard because, again, the audiences are watching the world content (2:59) and they are seeing superlative content worth budget Rs 3,000 crores, Rs 4,000 crores of Avengers and everything.”
Giving example of blockbuster hit movie, Mahavatar Narsimha, he shared that though animation is “world-class” but it strongly resonated with the audiences.
War 2 released in theatres on August 14, which was a working day globally. But was it a mistake? Girish Johar opined over the same and told us, “It was a pure working day. Had they released on August 15, they would have clocked much higher numbers and took the holiday advantage.”
“The moment the film opened on August 14 and with the reviews and audiences' feedback coming next, it dented the upswing on August 15th. So, I believe that decision also dented the prospects of a longer good box office run.”
