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Exactly three years after the release of Heroine (the film came on 21st September 2012), Madhur Bhandarkar is now bringing his Calendar Girls on the big screen. A moderately budgeted film which has 9 crore as Cost of Production with further 4.5 crore spent on P&A, Calendar Girls is releasing at around 1000-1100 screens, which is good for a film of this scale. Moreover, with an all new starcast of five girls, it is Brand Bhandarkar which is speaking the loudest.
Says prominent distributor and exhibitor Sanjay Ghai, the COO of Mukta Arts Ltd., “Calendar Girls is a much awaited film from Madhur Bhandarkar. Looking at the advance booking trend in multiplexes, the film will take a good opening at the Box Office. Moreover, the long weekend would also help the film gain good numbers since today is Eid, which would be an extra benefit.”
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Over the last 4-6 weeks, Madhur Bhandarkar and his team of five Calendar Girls – Akanksha Puri, Avani Modi, Kyra Dutt, Ruhi Singh and Satarupa Pyne – have traveled extensively to multiple cities across the country, while targeting college campuses. Since the film deals with the world of glamour, it is looking at striking a chord with youth in general.
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“That helps because once you know whom you are catering to, the job is half done,” says a prominent filmmaker, “Madhur knows where his audience lies. He isn’t trying to be someone that he isn’t or do something that he doesn’t know. A subject like this is up his alley and it would be quite wonderful if he goes ahead and brings his own characteristic style into play, while also bringing something new to the audience that has been hitherto unseen.”
With ‘pegs’ related to Vijay Mallya, IPL, match fixing, Pakistani models in India and small town girls trying to make it big in the modeling industry already in circulation, Bhandarkar is seemingly giving to the audience what is expected out of him.
“Well, expect the unexpected since there is lot more that would be seen on screen that you are currently perceiving Calendar Girls to be,” says Ashok Ahuja, Executive Distribution Head at Mangal Murti Films Pvt. Ltd., “The film has managed to create a buzz and it is entirely due to Madhur. He has gone ahead and personally promoted the film so well. We have managed to get good screens and show timings. Despite five newcomers in there, we are getting four, five or six shows at multiplexes. You know how the industry is. Films with newcomers don’t even take off and here we are seeing such good release.”
Made in just 40 days, the film has been an economical affair for all involved.
“We planned for 45-48 days but Madhur delivered the film in just 40 days, which is commendable,” says Ahuja, “I have personally distributed four films earlier with Madhur – Page 3, Corporate, Traffic Signal and Jail – and none of them lost money. He is lucky for us and I am sure the trend would continue with Calendar Girls.”
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