MUNNABHAI comes at a price- Vinod Chopra

Sanjay Dutt just can't get enough of LAGE RAHO MUNNABHAI, the new chapter in Munnabhai's life. He has already seen the film more than 15 times and still is asking for more trials for his near and dear ones to watch. Besides Sanjay Dutt, the audiences are also keenly awaiting the release of this comic caper. But Vinod Chopra's LAGE RAHO MUNNABHAI may probably have to forego a multiplex release if exhibitors refuse to work out a settlement with Chopra on the terms of the film's release. Chopra is said to be demanding the same terms from muliplexes, which includes a larger cut in profit shares that was earlier offered to Yash Chopra for his FANAA. It may be recalled that there was a four-day deadlock between multiplex owners and Yash Raj Films, with Yash Raj demanding a heft share in the profit-sharing ratio of multiplexes. The issue was resolved then with three multiplexes bowing down to pressure and agreeing to release the film. However multiplex owners are in no mood to compromise the second time, though none of them came forward to comment on the issue.

Meanwhile single screen owners who opened the advance booking for the film described it as average. According to Ramesh Sippy, the advance booking was not extraordinary but Sippy added that it could not be considered as the likely parameter for the opening response to the film. "An average advance booking does not necessarily indicate that the film will open to a lukewarm response. Likewise a great advance booking is no criteria for a film's success. Look at KANK, which got a terrific advance but later slumped at the box-office," Sippy points out.

However the distributors of MUNNABHAI are all charged up about the film's release, after they saw it last week. Chopra is said to have specially organized a sleek preview of the film for select distributors and exhibitors last week. According to veteran Nizam distributor and exhibitors, Ravi Macchar, who was present among the select gathering of distributors, they entered the auditorium with the intention of watching MUNNABHAI-2 but were in for a pleasant surprise. "The distributors present unanimously felt that they had never seen a more entertaining film in recent times. Moreover, it is so perfectly written and directed that it is difficult to find flaws in it. In fact when we finished seeing the first half we kept our fingers crossed whether the second half would confirm to expectations but it turned out to be equally good. It is a nationalistic film with a purpose targeted at every segment of the audience," Macchar points out.

Source: Glamsham