ATHIDHI has been nagging the Telugu movie buffs since 3 Weeks. So, where does it stand now? Is it a BLOCKBUSTER or HIT or FLOP or DISASTER? What really happened to ATHIDHI that arrived and gave many of us an overbearing HEADACHE? Have the audiences took a decision? The answer is YES. The audiences have shown the door to this ATHIDHI. ATHIDHI is not a DISASTER like ARJUN or SAINIKUDU. ATHIDHI is just a FLOP. Then, why is it not a disaster and just remained a FLOP? The answer is the EVER CHARMING, COOL, SUBTLE AND YET POWERFUL, HANDSOME DUDE… also known as MAHESH BABU. His electrifying persona alone made ATHIDHI a SAFE venture for the PRODUCERS. But the DISTRIBUTORS and most of the EXHIBITORS couldn’t cash in on MAHESH BABUs AURA.
I know that many of you might question me about the FIRST WEEK RECORDS and also the subsequent records that are being OVER PUBLICIZED. I will ATTEMPT to answer at least some of your doubts…
JUST A FEW OF THE MEDIA COMMENTS
ONIONDOSA REVIEW:
PUBLIC TALK: Not bad,watchable for Mahesh babu.
INDUSTRY TALK: Divide talk vachindhi.Openings baguntayi..long run kashtam.
TELUGUCINEMA:
Mahesh Babu’s debonair looks, stylish presentation and superior technical values make up the lack of entertainment and other lacunea. Despite its own share of flaws, on the whole, it is an average movie.
ANDHRA CAFE:
All style, no substance.
NOW RUNNING:
Athidhi will fade away from people’s memories and the theaters soon. That’s what happens to movies devoid of healthy imagination and without a personal touch.
ANDHRA CAFE:
Happy Days beats Athidhi.
BHARATWAVES:
A lot of talk is currently on over the film Athidhi. While a majority of the critics have given an AVERAGE verdict, the makers claim that the film is very good. The divided talk and also lot of negative publicity over too much violence, the collections have dropped to an extent. Coming to the collections, the producer claims that the collection in the first two weeks have exceeded even Pokiri. The trade reports suggest that the film might have made around 12 crores but Ramesh Babu claims that the film has collected over 21 crore. The truth is somewhere in between.
UPDATE: 10/11/2007
GREATANDHRA:
*** Adding to this, the other big Ad is about the collections of ‘Athidhi’. It is claimed that in 3 weeks the film collected Rs 36 Cr. But there are only 50 percent collections in many centers. So how far the figure is convincing? That is different story. So, Mahesh Babu is being projected as the hero who has got the potentiality to collect the hugest in Tollywood.
*** Athidhi is losing its grip on box office and it is suffering in big way at B, C centers. The buyers are now in bewilderment as the audiences are not coming to theaters in B, C centers.
Now that you have got a taste of other media’s views… I must caution you that my views would be as always HARSH, BLUNT, HONEST(IN MY VIEW AT LEAST!). So FANS might get hurt. Please don’t read any of my comments if you feel that I am ANTI-MAHESH. But do read if you feel that I try to honestly express my opinions on movies and stars. I am really fed up of the WEBSITES and PRINT MEDIA that perform VIRTUAL PALABHISHEKAMS and PADASEVA.
BUT REMEMBER THAT ALL THESE FINDINGS MAY BE INACCURATE BUT THE TREND PROJECTION CAN’T BE WRONG.
Anyway, my arguments are:
UPDATE: 09/11/2007
I have seen a lot of cut-outs claiming an array of FAKE records of ATHIDHI. For once, ATHIDHI has beaten CHIRUTHA. I am not talking about collections guys/gals… They both are disasters for the Exhibitors. But ATHIDHI has beaten CHIRUTHA when it comes to the FAKE RECORDS. Otherwise, just consider my latest findings…
ATHIDHI is out of at least 75% of the theaters in C centers.
ATHIDHI is out of at least 65% of the theaters in B centers.
ATHIDHI is currently LIMPING in 10 theaters in HYDERABAD as opposed to 39 at the peak. So calculate how many theaters have dumped ATHIDHI. Yeah, a whopping 75%. So I think you get the picture of A centers.
The records all over the media claim of MULTIPLEX collections. Just consider the fact that ATHIDHI is not even limping and is completely handicapped with just ONE SHOW in PRASADZ before the end of its 3rd week. In stark contrast, HAPPY DAYS is beaming smiles all over PRASADZ with 5 SHOWS even after 5 weeks of release.
UPDATE: 05/11/2007
As far as the collections of ATHIDHI in USA are concerned… HOLD YOUR BREATH… Well, no need of that actually, because FLOP here is also a FLOP there. Yeah, it is true that 23,000 individuals have seen it in the first week in USA shelling out approximately $12 per ticket. But still, the DISTRIBUTORS and EXHIBITORS in USA for ATHIDHI have not recovered their investment and are worried that they won’t be able to do so even after its full run. They have invested Rs 1.65 + Rs. 0.17 Crores. But until now, they have only recovered Rs. 1.3 Crores. Moreover, it is now running with only a paltry number of shows. So, there are no hopes of recovering the investments literally.
*** This might be ridiculous to you all, but it is a valid doubt… ATHIDHI was supposed to release in 712 theaters according to the advertisements. But, in a communique to the press, UTV stated that the movie which was released in 500+ theaters is doing well all over. That leaves a gap of 200. So I surveyed many towns across Andhra Pradesh including Hyderabad. My findings point to a possible BLUFF. In fact, barring a few main theaters, UTV-Pyramid Saimira did not even get decent theaters in Hyderabad in the first place. Most of the theaters were second rung. And even the theater count in almost all of the cities was far less than SIVAJI (A Dubbing Movie). In Hyderabad, SIVAJI got released in 45+ theaters. Whereas, ATHIDHI just peaked at 39 when it released. And the theater count has come down heavily to just 13 4-SHOW theaters. And the movie is also exiting most of the theaters all over A.P. at a very fast pace. Believe it or not… Hyderabad’s fate is still better while other centers are reeling under heavy losses.
*** It is true that ATHIDHI averaged 80%+ for the first 4 days. That is HUGE which I already predicted. The reason for that high occupancy is obviously LONG WEEKEND of 4 HOLIDAYS and of course MAHESH BABU. But the figures released by the Athidhi team are not just RIDICULOUS, but they are LAUGHABLE. The Athidhi team are claiming the record of Rs.32,14,65,000/- in just 2 weeks. WHICH IS ENTIRELY FAKE. A section of media openly ridiculed the figures. I have done enough inquiries and surveys to confirm the trend of declining collections. I am once again repeating that I do not give accurate figures. I just project BALL-PARK figures based on various findings. My own findings are projecting around Rs. 18 CRORES. Which obviously leaves a gap of at least Rs. 14 CRORES. So, can they really be so stupid as to give such figures? YES, they can be. I think you all remember the claim for record of 400 YAMADONGA 50 DAYS centers. Of 400, 116 theaters were stated as OVERSEAS centers. Which is beyond ridiculous. The same might be happening with ATHIDHI too.
*** Then the occupancy rates would come in to the picture. For the GROSS and SHARE figures that they are claiming, ATHIDHI should be supposedly averaging 80%+ even in the third week. BUT, ATHIDHI is averaging around 50-55% in SUDARSHAN 35mm (MAIN THEATER) despite the reduction in ticket prices in just 3rd week. In ONGOLE, it is averaging 45-50% in 3rd week. In NELLORE it is slightly better at 55-60% in 3rd week. In Hyderabad, it is just 50%+ in 3rd week. ATHIDHI did fairly well by recovering part the costs in NIZAM. But the rest of the areas are not so lucky. Anyway, the list goes on… So after all these findings, all I can say is that it is an obvious FLOP. I think many of you might remember, earlier this year, DIL RAJU gave a number of press conferences claiming that “MUNNA, while creating area records… Collected This Here… MUNNA Collected That There…” But what was the end result? The same scene is repeating with ATHIDHI.
*** But the most unfortunate repercussion by the debacle of Athidhi is that Mahesh Babu has changed a lot. Generally SHY GUY, Mahesh Babu is known for his STRAIGHT-FORWARDNESS and HONESTY. He was also one of the few stars along with VENKATESH that didn’t encourage FAN clubs. But off-late he too seems to be entwined in the web of stardom. He attended PRESS CONFERENCES. He gave INTERVIEWS to almost all the TV channels. He claimed some BOGUS records. He is visiting theaters all over A.P. He is participating in various contests to lure the audiences. He appeared more for the public and fans in recent times than in his entire life. There was a time when he very often and very openly ridiculed the CUT-OUTS, PALABHISHEKAMS and FAN CLUBS. But life seems to have turned a full circle for Mahesh Babu. Now, he is very oddly claiming that THUMS-UP is providing him the opportunity to meet his FANS. I just have one question here… DOES HE NEED THUMS-UP TO MEET HIS FANS AND ADMIRERS? Not only Mahesh Babu, but also every crew member including MURALI SHARMA(VILLAIN), AMRITA RAO, SURENDER REDDY(DIRECTOR) and also KRISHNA himself are giving interviews relentlessly in a bid to promote Athidhi. Just how many INTERVIEWS have you seen for MURARI, OKKADU, ATHADU, POKIRI?
*** And there was one more serious problem with the publicity. Very obviously, Mahesh Babu is the biggest star of Tollywood when it comes to Box-Office as of today. So, does he need some FAKE publicity VIA some PHONY POLAND GIRLS? I would have believed the craze if it had turned in to some serious Box-Office money. But until then I would be skeptical.
*** Mahesh Babu has said in an interview that he read the script (or listened to narration) of Athidhi for just 10 minutes. I personally feel that instead of spending a whole year in shooting for a would-be FLOP, Mahesh Babu should have read the script for at least 1 more hour. If UTV is really happy as they claim to be with ATHIDHI, then instead of DUBBING it (there were some reports in the media), they would have considered to remake Athidhi in HINDI. Dubbing, if it happens, might just be to recover some costs. Just use your common sense guys… If after all these doubts and mis-haps, one thinks and claims a BLOCKBUSTER out of ATHIDHI… he/she is probably fooling themselves.
*** The Bottom-Line of my frustration is that Mahesh Babu is a Very Good Actor, The Most Handsome Star and Very Honestly Opinionated in the Past to deliver mediocre movies. We need quality movies from him and he is one of the most Qualitative Stars of Indian Cinema and not just Tollywood.
*** My humble request with any FAN (Not just Mahesh Babu’s) is… “PLZ persuade your favorite stars to deliver Quality Films which are also Successful and not necessarily Box-Office Records. Because no one remembers the Box-Office but are always Nostalgic when they look back and find some Master-Pieces of their favorite stars. Those Master-Pieces always make Tollywood proud. —KALCHA
ALSO READ
SURENDER REDDY AND HIS CALCULATOR
KALCHAs ATHIDHI BOX-OFFICE PREDICTION
KALCHAs ATHIDHI MOVIE REVIEW
ATHIDHI MUSIC SOLD FOR RS. 0.75 CRORES
AARTHI AGARWAL was one of the TOP actresses of Telugu Cinema up until recently. Succumbing to her personal problems, she lost her position as a leading actress and has been out of action for quite some time now. She is a GUJARATI girl who had been living in USA prior to her entry into the filmdom. The media has always been tormenting and often made a huge spectacle of her personal life. I personally feel, what ever happened in her personal life is and should be her PRIVATE ZONE. She will tell something to her fans if she is obligated to and if she wanted to. She should be given some breathing space so as to live her personal life.
