Department To Depend On Word Of Mouth

Department releases this weekend and though it seems like an interesting film, one feels that there are way too many controversies that have surrounded it. Now even though controversies in general only aid in the promotion of a film, the fact that this has stayed on to be the pitch right through the last couple of months gone by doesn’t sound too good. Moreover there was too much of emphasis on Nathalia Kaur and since the item song Dan Dan Cheeni didn’t quite turn out to be a Chikni Chameli or Sheila Ki Jawaani, the move didn’t quite work.

What goes in the favour of Department though are two major factors and they are Ram Gopal Varma and Sanjay Dutt. RGV is going back to his familiar territory with cops, gangsters and guns, something that has time and again worked for him as well as his audience. On the other hand Sanjay Dutt has found a renewed interest generated around him since the release of Agneepath. Ideally, these two factors should have been the driving force of the entire promotional campaign and that would have helped it take a much better start than what it may take now.

As of now, it would be a pleasant scenario for the film if it manages to take an opening in the range of 50%. That would be a fair result for the film which is basically aimed at the gentry instead of family audience. While single screens should take a better start than the multiplexes on the first day, weekend could sing a better tune provided word of mouth is good. What makes the stage set for Department is the fact that there is no other big film in the running in and around that while the week of 25 May doesn’t have a single notable release. This gives Department a chance to rake in moolah, provided the product is good.

Alongside Department, there is another film releasing – Mr. Bhatti On Chutti. It would be a miracle if the films manage to get more than two shows per multiplex and that too across the country. A delayed film, it doesn’t stand any chance whatsoever at the box office, more so as it is releasing without any promotion.