
Saif Ali Khan has all the right reasons to rejoice. Post Cocktail, which had boasted of the biggest ever opening that a film of his had taken till then, he has now managed to enter the ’50 crore weekend club’. In the process, he has managed to surpass the opening of Cocktail in a huge way. Even as talks gather steam about Race 2 turning out to be his first ever film to enter the 100 crore club, Saif keeps his calm and maintains a wait and watch stance.
Last year when ‘Cocktail’ had taken the biggest opening (36 crores) ever of your career, I remember you saying that it was about time that it happened. Now with ‘Race 2’ going over the roof and creating a new record for a film of yours, it must be a feeling of exhilaration, isn’t it?
Well, this is what we should be doing. It is not a huge surprise either. Yes, there is a feeling of satisfaction and happiness but then this is what is expected out of a film like Race 2. With the entire collaboration coming into play with me and others as stars, Abbas-Mustan as the director duo and TIPS presenting it, anything less than this would have been disappointing. Right now, it is satisfying.
Clichéd as it may sound but it seems like your entry into the 100 crore club should be taken care of with ‘Race 2’. Is that something which is playing in your mind as well?
As I said, if we think about all the actors who are a part of this club, it is about time that it happened. Still, it is not as if we are looking at a 200 crore collection, which could actually have been a far bigger reason for celebration. Also, you have to look at it this way that when a film is good, something like Barfi! can stay on do 100 crores. Eventually a film has to be liked by the audience to do 100 crores and for that one of the core requirements is that it has to be liked in the second week as well.
Please carry on…
A film’s opening can take you to a certain point but then the overall merits come into play. 100 crores is not up to the star but to the audience. Yes, an opening weekend is up to the star and in that aspect we have done our job.
Well, you certainly have Saif, what with you and Deepika coming across as a much accepted ‘jodi’ all over again. I guess this pairing is pretty much for the keeps, isn’t it?
Let’s see, I hope so. Nothing should be taken for granted after all. Good scripts are always important. Even for Race 2 some out there may have been dismissing it for not so great script. But then there are heroic moments that need to be carried forward with the actors. The film is a different kind of genre; it is for fans, not critics.
Joginder Tuteja tweets @tutejajoginder