WILL DREAM GIRL 2 SUCCEED DESPITE THE GADAR 2 WAVE?
Dream Girl 2 is all set to release tomorrow and though there’s a lot of hype for it, the comic caper might get affected due to the blockbuster performance of Gadar 2 and OMG 2.
Dream Girl 2 is the sequel to the 2019 comedy Dream Girl. It collected Rs. 139.37 crores and is the highest grosser of Ayushmann Khurrana. The talented actor returns in the sequel and he’s joined by Ananya Panday, Paresh Rawal, Manjot Singh, Rajpal Yadav, Vijay Raaz, Abhishek Banerjee and Manoj Joshi. Raaj Shaandilyaa has directed and also written the film. His one-liners are too good and he’s a rare filmmaker today who can make 90s-style comedies, a genre which has a lot of takers.
Dream Girl 2 features Ayushmann Khurrana in drag. The promotion was unique as initially his face wasn’t shown in the promotional videos. A few days before release, the poster was unveiled featuring Ayushmann dressed as a woman. His look was amusing and it grabbed eyeballs. The trailer was also decent and the on-ground promotions have added to the buzz.
Dream Girl 2, however, faces challenges. Gadar 2 crossed the Rs. 400 crore mark yesterday and continues to find an audience. It is doing historic business in most of the single-screen cinemas in the Hindi-speaking markets. Dream Girl 2 has a chance to do well in single screens but it won’t get shows in these theatres. Hence, a section of the trade and industry fears that it might not perform to its full potential. On the other hand, many feel that since it has two weeks until Jawan, it’ll manage to score.
Dream Girl opened at Rs. 9.43 crores. Dream Girl 2 is also expected to open in the same range. The advance ticket sales are decent and it might have an opening of Rs. 10-11 crores. If reports are positive, it can grow well on Saturday and Sunday. There are also chances that some theatres can accommodate Dream Girl 2, if Gadar 2 drops. If the word of mouth is negative, Dream Girl 2 will face a tough time.
Besides Dream Girl 2, several films are up for release. Nushrratt Bharuccha-starrer Akelli, the Gujarati film 3 Ekka and the Marathi film Subhedar were scheduled to release on August 18 but were postponed by a week as they didn’t get screens due to the Gadar 2 wave. Akelli will sink without a trace. 3 Ekka, featuring 3 popular Gujarati actors, is expected to have a decent opening. Subhedar, on the other hand, is part of the fifth instalment of the franchise on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, directed by Digpal Lanjekar. The previous four films were hits and Subhedar is expected to follow suit. Its ticket sales have been huge and it is expected to open with a bang.
That’s not all. The Punjabi film Mastaney, too, has managed to have a huge advance booking. Lastly, there are three English films up for release – Gran Turismo, Retribution and Asteroid City. All three of them target a niche audience. Gran Turismo might score due to the racing and gaming elements. Asteroid City has an exciting ensemble but comes too late in India. Retribution stars Liam Neeson and seems like a commercial action entertainer. The awareness, however, is low and there’s too much competition.