Earlier this year, The Kashmir Files managed to collect more in week 2 than in week 1. This is a rare phenomenon and usually once every few years. Hence, the trade was shocked when Karthikeya 2which hit theaters just five months later The Kashmir Files, also saw a similar trend. Moreover, both films are co-produced by Abhishek Agarwal! No wonder he is called the lucky charm in trade and industry circles.
EXCLUSIVE: ‘Lucky Charm’ producer Abhishek Agarwal talks about his SLEEPER SUCCESSES, The Kashmir Files and Karthikeya 2; says, “I believe in being the underdog. We do not agree with the idea of putting our film on 5000 screens”
When asked to comment on this tag during an exclusive Bollywood Hungama interaction, Abhishek Agarwal laughed and said, “I just believe in being the underdog. We don’t agree with the idea of putting our film on 5000 screens. In the past, Rajshri also gave limited release to his films and then increased the prints with the rising demand and the spread of good word of mouth. We are following in their footsteps.”
Karthikeya 2‘s Hindi version was released in only 50 shows on day 1. The next day it played in almost 150 shows and the number increased every day. interesting, Karthikeya 2 was released on a Saturday, August 13, which is why it didn’t have a traditional Friday release.
Abhishek Agarwal explains: “Our film was originally made in Telugu. We were sure we had no competition. Ours is a small movie and we didn’t want a collision. We weren’t in favor of fighting over screens with the other film, which was released on Day 1. We were willing to compromise and so we decided to arrive on a Saturday when the situation was much more favorable and getting screen space was easier.”
The strategy worked and how. The film, which opened for just Rs. 7 lakhs, has now crossed the Rs. 25 crores mark. What also went in favor of Karthikeya 2 was that from Aamir Khan? Laal Singh Chaddha and Akshay Kumar’s Raksha Bandhan, which was released on August 11, had dropped by the time the Nikhil Siddhartha starrer arrived in theaters. However, Abhishek made it clear: “Those were star-studded movies, while ours was not. So we were not in competition with them. I support movies with strong content. Even my upcoming movies like The Delhi Files, Tiger Nageswara Rao, etc. are all content based movies.”
Karthikeya 2 celebrates our history and mythology and usually such socially relevant films are given tax-exempt status. Unfortunately, the Chandoo Mondeti directory is still not tax exempt by any state. Bring up this topic and Abhishek Agarwal said, “I cannot comment on this. Monkey log likhiye. Janta ko yeh sawaal puchna chahiye. fir government coee tax free karna padega!”
Abhishek Agarwal spoke to this writer after he just returned from a trip to Gujarat. The film was shot in the state, including Dwarka. Very rarely have there been shootings in the holy city. Abhishek revealed: “Yes, the film was mostly shot in Dwarka, and also in Kutch. We had spoken with the Prime Minister of Gujarat, Bhupendrabhai Patel, and the Minister of Home Affairs Harsh ji (Harsh Sanghavi), and they had full support We wanted to thank them and that’s why we visited them. We showed them the film in Ahmedabad and they liked it.”
Karthikeya 2 ended with the promise of Karthikeya 3. For the next part, the makers hinted that the story would take place on foreign shores. When asked if the script for the sequel is ready, Abhishek Agarwal replied: “No. We just have an idea in mind. It will take time. The way the audience has poured love has also increased our responsibility. So we need to be even more careful now and come up with a very compelling script.”
Karthikeya 2, meanwhile, is all set to have the widest number of screens in week 4, as it is the highest-performing movie right now. Abhishek Agarwal said, “We do about Rs. 80 lakhs – 1 crore business per day. Even on the third Monday it has held up well which is huge as we don’t have a star cast. The audience has proven that if they appeal to your film, they flock to see it.”
Abhishek Agarwal is now gearing up for the release of Tiger Nageswara Rao, starring Ravi Teja. He stated: “It will be released in 2023. It will be dubbed in Hindi and would have a wide release. Hi underdog walloon release Hi Hi. Usse thoda hum bahar aayenge (laughs)! On a serious note, it has both commercial elements and a strong message. It’s mounted on a massive scale and has a lot of VFX. It’s my dream project. I hope I can deliver to the public again.”
The conversation can’t be over without asking about the long-awaited The Delhi Filesthe next part from writer-director Vivek Agnihotri na The Kashmir Files. However, Abhishek said: ‘It is too early to talk. For many it is one of the most anticipated films and that makes our job more difficult because we have to live up to the expectations.”
He signed off by saying, “In addition, we are also working on four more films in Telugu. The investigation continues. It would be something to watch out for.”
More pages: Karthikeya 2 Box Office Collection
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