MUMBAI: ‘Twas a year that saw films like Rang De Basanti, Omakara and Lage Raho Munnabhai. Not to forget Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna from the Karan Johar camp. Films like these kept the Indian film industry buoyant in 2006. The year gone by can safely be hailed as one of the biggest that Bollywood has ever seen. And why not? Budgets, profits and creativity soared and so did star prices.

Sample this Rakesh Roshan’s Krrish recently celebrated its silver jubilee run in Mumbai and other circuits. Budgeted around Rs 350 million (Rs 35 crores), the film has crossed more than three times its investment.

UTV’s Rang De Basanti, made on a budget of Rs 250 million (Rs 25 crores), grossed Rs 1.25 billion (Rs 125 crores) overall, Rs 750 million (Rs 75 crores) from the domestic market, Rs 350 million (Rs 35 crores) from overseas and Rs 150 million (Rs 15 crores) from ancillary rights. The film has been nominated as India’s official entry to the Oscars this year.

Karan Johar’s Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna (KANK), made at Rs 500 million (Rs 50 crores) garnered Rs 1.5 billion (Rs 150 crores) overall, and still counting; thus making it the production house’s highest grosser so far.

Yash Raj Films’ Fanaa, made on a budget of around Rs 220 million (Rs 22 crore) has collected more than Rs 1 billion (Rs 100 crores) overall (including Rs 320 million (Rs 32 crores) in the overseas). Its satellite rights have been sold to Sony, and will be aired on the channel on 24 December.

Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s Lage Raho Munnabhai has made Rs 250 million (Rs 25 crores) overseas, apart from earning the special honour of being the first-ever Hindi film to be screened in the United Nations auditorium. The film has also been entered as an independent entry to the Oscars.

The recently released Dhoom:2 from the Yash Raj Films’ stable, has just entered its third week and is said to have taken the best opening in 2006. The film is expected to cross Rs 900 million (Rs 90 crores) (net) or more by the year-end.

B R Films’ Baabul, which is doing lukewarm business in India, has reaped £290,000 for the first weekend in the UK. Baabul’s has been the fourth highest opening in the UK in 2006 and the film is currently on the eighth position in the UK box-office collections.

Khosla Ka Ghosla, a co-production by UTV, made on a budget of Rs 30 million (Rs 3 crores), made Rs 60 – 70 million (Rs 6 – 7 crores) (net), and its satellite rights are now with Sahara.

Kumar Mangat’s Omkara made on a budget of Rs 200 million (Rs 20 crores), too has done very well. Even a relatively small film like Gangster, made with Rs 60 million (Rs 6 crores), has garnered Rs 210 million (Rs 21 crores) overall, and sold its satellite rights for Rs 30 million (Rs 3 crores).

Malamaal Weekly, Corporate and Dor made at Rs 8, Rs 6, and Rs 5 crores (Rs 80, 60 and 50 million) respectively have all been money earners with Malamaal Weekly making Rs 250 million (Rs 25 crores) overall.

Farhan Akhtar’s Don has crossed Rs 175 million (Rs 17.5 crores) in collections overseas, slated to become one of the top 3 Hindi film grosser of all time, overseas.

The other money earners so far include: Phir Hera Pheri, Taxi No. 9211, Being Cyrus, Tom Dick & Harry, Chup Chup Ke, Golmaal-Fun Unlimited, Vivah, Apna Sapna Money Money, Pyaar Ke Side Effects and Jaan-E-Mann.

INDUSTRY SPEAK

So has this indeed been a milestone year for the film industry? We decided to ask the industry itself.

Producer-director Rakesh Roshan agrees, “Yes, I think the year 2006 has been extremely good for the film industry; it has outdone 2005. This year could be called the most successful year for the industry in the last ten years or so. Most of the films have done very well at the box office, and the overall collections have created a new dimension.”

Krrish’s satellite rights were also been recently been sold to Star for an unprecedented Rs 15 crores, an amount enough to finance two small-budget films! With Dhoom: 2 taking a spectacular opening, is there a chance it’ll outdo Krrish?

Says Roshan, “Whether Krrish manages more collections or Dhoom: 2, the difference will only be ten percent here and there, not more. It’ll be neck and neck. As far as Krrish’s satellite rights are concerned, yes, this has probably been the highest amount paid for the satellite rights of a film, but then it all depends on what the film deserves.”

Fanaa’s director Kunal Kohli is content with the creative leap the industry has taken, “2006 has been a very beneficial year for the film industry, but more than financial profits, we should look at the fact that we have profited when it comes to subjects. The audience is willing to accept all kinds of subjects today. I think that’s the biggest profit we’ve had this year. Financial profits are always temporary. But in this way, the industry benefits in a much bigger way.”

Mahesh Ramnathan, CEO — Percept Picture Company (PPC) is lukewarm, “I am not sure if it’s been that remarkable a year. We have made growth more people have come to the cinemas this year. But the real index would be when out of 250 films you can say that 100 have succeeded. Earlier 25 films used to run; now it’s perhaps 50. I’d say we’ve made an instrumental improvement, not a substantial one. That will happen only when people look at scripts before approaching stars, not the other way around.”

Producer of Omkara Kumar Mangat, whose No Smoking is all set to release in May 2007, is happy with the year gone by, “2006 saw good films releasing, and most of them have done well. I am also very hopeful of 2007, which I hope will be bigger and better.”

Producer-Director Mahesh Bhatt, despite the successful Gangster is not as ecstatic,

“The industry has grown bigger but emptier. There have been big-budget films, supported by the arm of marketing, but poor in emotional and intellectual content. 2006 has been successful, but I cannot dance on the streets and celebrate the claims that Indian cinema has become a force to reckon with. Yes, films like Rang De Basanti, Gangster and Dor have done well, but they were rich in emotional content. Indian cinema is fooling itself by patting itself on its back and flaunting figures that are engineered, exaggerated and manipulated. Also, we are confusing big budgets with genius. 2006 has made me realize that there is an urgent need for the Indian filmmaker to reconnect with his creative roots. Unless we do that, the bubble is going to burst.”

Producer Mukesh Bhatt follows on the same trail, “2006 has overall been a good year with lots of hits. But there have been many films that have done well due to marketing gimmicks. But for how long can you fool the audience? One big budget film, with a huge star cast, ran for only two weeks, and crashed after that!”

Pallab Bhattacharya, CEO Pritish Nandy Communications, attributes the success of `06 to a myriad factors, “Yes, 2006 has been a landmark year for Indian movies. We have had more hits than usual and the market has opened up with more multiplexes and bigger releases, more overseas revenue, more people going to the theatres, improved DVD sales, the introduction of DTH and CAS, and more corporatization of the business. Bigger budget productions have been announced. Niche films are finding a growing market. And production houses have finally recognised the importance of scaling up.”

Siddharth Roy Kapur, Senior Vice President – Marketing & Communications, UTV, feels that 2006 has set the tone for the industry’s future, “I believe 2006 has been a landmark year at the box office for Hindi cinema. There have been a series of tremendously unique and entertaining movies and the film industry has reached a new level in creativity and innovation in marketing and distribution. The future definitely looks bright.”

Distributor, producer and trade analyst Dilip Bhanvani says that in the times of ‘hit out or get out’, 2006 has seen more ‘hit outs’, “I think 2006 has been the most profitable year for the industry in the last seven years. The year saw good films do good business. Even the theatre owners, especially multiplex owners are happy. I think Dhoom: 2 will be the highest grosser, followed by Krrish and then Lage Raho Munnabhai. Krrish’s net collections would have crossed minimum Rs 75 crores, after all deductions. Dhoom: 2, whose budget I think must’ve been more than Rs 40 crores, should go up to earning net 90 crores or more, by the end of the year. Dhoom: 2’s initial was much more than Krrish, so it has that advantage. Yash Raj is the highest profit making production house of the year. Baabul is not doing that well, but the producer has already made a huge profit before the release. The business is big, it’s just that you have to give the right film to the people.”

PRODUCTION HOUSES ON A GROWTH PATH

A look at most of the production houses reveals that most are on the path to growth; with some ambitious enough to announce triple the amount of films they produced this year.

Yash Raj has done stupendously well with Fanaa, Dhoom: 2 and now Kabul Express, set to release. In fact, a substantial percentage of this year’s profits have been attributed to this single production house. Of course, Yash Raj has been doing well since ‘04, the original Dhoom year, after which in ‘05, where they released Neal `n Nikki, Salaam Namaste and Bunty Aur Babli.

Rakesh Roshan’s Filmkraft is still celebrating the success of Krrish, the sequel to Koi Mil Gaya, which released three years after the original. Dharma Productions is celebrating the collections of Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna, which at Rs 150 crores and still counting, is the production house’s highest grosser so far.

Pritish Nandy Communications produced four films — Ankahee, Pyar Ke Side Effects, Bow Barracks Forever and Just Married. Of these films, all made under a budget of Rs ten crores, Ankahee, Pyar Ke Side Effects released in `06, with PKSE being declared a hit. Barely five years into the industry, PNC now has plans to release 10-12 films next year.

All of UTV’s films, released this year have done well — Rang De Basanti, Khosla Ka Ghosla and Chup Chup Ke. UTV has now announced 12 films that will release in 2007. They have also announced a slate of co-productions with leading Hollywood Studios totaling $37 million said to be the largest such commitment by any South Asian media major. These include FOX Searchlight for the movie I think I love My Wife starring Chris Rock, with actor/producer Will Smith and his production company Overbrook Entertainment, Sony Pictures Entertainment.

Adlabs Films has signed a multi-million dollar co-production film financing deal with Ashok Amritraj’s Hyde Park Entertainment Group, thus foraying into Hollywood.

Sony Pictures Releasing of India has inked its first Bollywood co-production deal with Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s next venture Saawariya, which is slated for a Diwali 2007 release.

Sahara One too signed a co-production agreement with Mel Gibson for a 20 per cent share of Tree of Life, a $50 million production slated for a 2008 release.

BR Films that is celebrating the successful opening Baabul in the overseas market, will be producing Pappu Paas Ho Gaya and Bhootnath in 2007, and has announced the mega-ambitious six-hour film Mahabharata.

Vidhu Vinod Chopra, whose Lage Raho Munnabhai is set to become one of the top grosser of the year, has the ambitious Eklavya releasing in `07.

STARS TRULY SHINE

Frowned upon for eating up most of the budget of a film, the already-plum actors’ salaries got fatter this year. Apart from that, most will end the year with a satisfied smile, as they’ve given not just one, but multiple hits.

Hrithik Roshan has had Dhoom: 2 and Krrish, the top two grossers of the year. Plus, he’s said to have been snapped up by Adlabs for a 35-crore three-film deal. Shah Rukh Khan has had two hits in Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna and Don. Aamir Khan has had the super duper Rang De Basanti, India’s official entry to the Oscars and the successful Fanaa. Ajay Devgan saw dual success in Golmaal and Omkara.

Ash made a splash after four long years with Dhoom: 2, while Preity Zinta had two successes in KANK and Jaan-E-Mann. Rani Mukherjee carried forward her success in 2005 with KANK. Priyanka Chopra had Don and Krrish, while Kareena Kapoor had Omkara and Don. Bipasha Basu had three successes this year with Omkara, Dhoom: 2 and Corporate.

Akshay Kumar who had the successful Phir Hera Pheri and Jaan-E-Mann, with Bhagam Bhag to release this month, too has signed a 21-crore deal with Adlabs. John Abraham had Taxi No 9211, and is rumoured to have been approached by Adlabs for a multi-crore deal, while Salman Khan, who had Jaan-E-Mann, is said to have been approached for a three-film deal by Warner Bros. Sanjay Dutt, despite going through a rough phase personally, had Lage Rago Munnabhai. Saif Ali Khan is sure to pick up awards for his performance in Omkara. Abhishek Bachchan had Dhoom: 2 and KANK, with Guru coming up.

Coincidence or are the stars really shining on our Bollywood stars? No one can tell, except that we can keep our fingers crossed, and hope that this successful spell pours over to the next year.