Youth power continues to rule the box office this week. While Timepass has done a business of Rs 20 crore in two weeks, last Friday's release Yaariyan, directed by debutante Divya Khosla Kumar, collected Rs 19 crore at the box office. Abhishek Chaubey's Madhuri Dixit-starrer garnered collections north of Rs 10 crore in the first weekend.
Atul Mohan, trade analyst, emphasises the contrast between the two Bollywood films. `One targetted the youth while the other was seeking mature audiences. Yaariyan had a great weekend with youngsters thronging cinema halls thanks to its successful music. The satellite rights have also fetched handsome revenue for the makers.
The film is plus for all parties associated. Dedh Ishqiya, on the other hand, had a slow start but the figures improved as the week progressed. The sequel is expected to do well in multiplexes.`
Timepass has brought the attention back to theatre-going audiences whose age ranges between 17 and 25. Its subject, like Yaariyan, revolves around the youth. This supply-demand aspect is best reflected in the numbers both the films have posted. Exhibitor Rajesh Thadani adds, `Yaariyan opened better at the box office than Dedh Ishqiya, and the main reasons are its good music and the film's frenetic promotion. Dedh Ishqiya is slowly picking up now.`
Interestingly, trade pundits feel that Timepass has certainly affected the business of the two Hindi films that released last Friday. Nitin Keni, producer of the Marathi film, sums up, `The film is about aspiration and broken hearts, and such films work with the audiences.`
