NEW DELHI: Hrithik Roshan’s Kites, one of the biggest releases of this summer, opened to mixed reviews on Friday but the movie’s huge buildup is expected to power it to nearly 90% occupancy levels during the crucial first weekend.
Kites, which also stars Mexican actress Barbara Mori as Hrithik’s love interest, managed to draw crowds on the first day. But it remains to be seen how the movie fares in the box office and recovers its Rs 60-crore costs because critics have panned the weak storyline, said a trade analyst on condition of anonymity.
Kites, directed by Anurag Basu, has been released across 2,500 screens worldwide. Filmkraft, a company owned by Hrithik’s father Rakesh Roshan, produced the movie. Anil Ambani’s ADAG offshoot Reliance Big Pictures acquired the global distribution rights of Kites for reportedly Rs 150 crore.
Hrithik’s fans have been eagerly awaiting Kites as the movie is his first big release in more than a year. The movie has long been publicising the ‘sizzling’ chemistry between the protagonists who play the roles of a mercenary couple.
But Kites has drawn flak for a floundering plot and predictable turns. Critics have blasted even the movie’s selling point, the romance between the lead pair.
The movie premiered late on Thursday with around 730 paid-preview shows across India while a shorter English edition will be released in the western markets on May 28. A Spanish version too is in the works.
For big-ticket flicks, producers and exhibitors organise paid-previews where tickets are sold at a premium a day before the release date. “We have had a record opening and have earned gross revenues of about Rs 2.9 crore from just the night shows on Thursday,” said Reliance Big Pictures CEO Sanjeev Lamba.
The movie’s fate in the next three days at least is safe thanks to the rush from movie buffs and bulk bookings by corporates for employees.
“Corporate bookings for Kites have been very good for the first weekend,” said Gautam Dutta, CEO of PVR Cinemedia , a division of multiplex company PVR Ltd.
The movie’s backers say Kites will not just be a draw in metros but is also due for big box-office receipts even in small towns. “Going by the advanced bookings, the movie is expected to garner high occupancies in both metros and smaller cities,” said Fun Cinemas CEO Vishal Kapur.
By Meenakshi Verma Ambwani,ET Bureau
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