Two notable films release this Friday – Highway and Darr @ The Mall. Between the two, it is pretty much expected that Highway would see a better opening due to the name of Imtiaz Ali associated with it. Even though the cast (Randeep Hooda, Alia Bhatt) is unconventional, there has been good promotion which has ensured that the film is in the spotlight for months in succession. With Sajid Nadiadwala presenting it, the release is going to be reasonably widespread too.
The promos so far have given an impression of a niche outing which means from opening standpoint, it would boil down to good reviews and word of mouth, hopefully. Imtiaz’s Rockstar as well as Love Aaj Kal had taken a very good opening, courtesy their music that had become chartbuster much before the release. In that aspect, Highway has an offbeat score which means it may grow further post the film’s release.
Other release of the week, Darr @ The Mall, is a horror flick which has its own market, especially in the interiors and mass based areas. The makers of this Jimmy Sheirgill-Nushrat Bharucha starrer have promoted it optimally. Moreover, director Pawan Kripalani has a successful flick Ragini MMS to his name which means one can expect a quality product. If word of mouth is good, the film has chances to stay stable through its run.
Joginder Tuteja tweets @tutejajoginder