Could it be the Tamil Nadu connection in the titles?
While the first days' collections of Madras Cafe were a decent 5-crore plus, the collections showed a substantial rise on the second day and an even steeper rise in ticket sales on Day-3.
No mean achievement for a film that requires a certain amount of historical and intellectual grounding to be appreciated by the audience.
Enthuses trade analyst Taran Adarsh, `Madras Cafe is truly a super film that caters to the thinking viewer. Shoojit has handled the subject brilliantly. The word-of-mouth feedback is terrific. And I am sure the film will grow with each passing day. `
John Abraham and Shoojit Sircar who are now planning to collaborate for a social comedy titled Hamara Bajaj, intend to throw a celebratory bash for what they see as a triumph of intellect over purely elemental sensations.
Says John joyously, `So far the audiences were appreciative of John Abraham as a body. Now they've accepted the mind as well. That's a good feeling. I had full faith in the audience. I knew when they said they want something different they meant it. The encouraging response to Madras Cafe gives JA Entertainment reason to make meaningful films. `
John feels the critics played a large hand in getting the audiences interested. `The media has supported Madras Cafe in a big way. Everybody associated with and participating in the film seems to have his or her heart and mind in the right place. `
Adds Taran Adarsh appreciatively, `John is getting better with every film. First Shootout At Wadala, now Madras Cafe... Kudos to John for backing projects like Vickey Donor and now Madras Cafe. `
Ajit Adhare the COO of Viacom 18 Motion Pictures, co-producers of Madras Cafe, says, `The consistent success of our genre-defining content, the latest being Madras Cafe, shows that the Indian audience is clearly maturing and warming up to different narratives and treatments. `
The success of a plot-driven film like Madras Cafe automatically reduces the dependence on the star system. Says Ajit, `It is a welcome trend. It is helping to improve the economics of filmmaking. Good content is good business. And that is the best headline for a studio. `