When Bollywood and cricket collide

Since it was founded in 2008, the IPL has usually wreaked havoc on Bollywood box office every year, but the trend seems to be slowly changing.

Amitabh Bachchan in Bhoothnath Returns. Courtesy T-Series
Powered by automated translation

Since 2008, April has heralded the beginning of the Indian Premier League (IPL) season and diehard fans of Bollywood and cricket are caught out between cinema and ­stadium.

While the IPL has allowed stars such as Shah Rukh Khan, Juhi Chawla, Preity Zinta and Shilpa Shetty to test their entrepreneurial skills by co-owning teams, it has also vexed film producers who, for the two-month-long IPL season, are in fierce competition for the attention of an audience that loves the game as much as the silver screen.

Films released during the 2008 tournament, the IPL’s debut year, lost considerable business. In 2009, producers adjusted their dates, because production houses and film stars don’t like taking chances.

It wasn’t until 2012 that the “curse” seemed to have lifted – Sajid Nadiadwala’s Housefull 2 hit the coveted “100 crore” (US$30 million, Dh110m) mark at the box office during what was the IPL’s fifth season. John Abraham’s Vicky Donor also made $11m.

Bollywood had decent luck last year, too: as the IPL played out, a bunch of films hit cinemas and did well: Aashiqui 2, Shootout at Wadala, Ek Thi Daayan, Nautanki Saala!, Chashme Baddoor and Go Goa Gone. Even alternative cinema had its day: Bombay Talkies collected $1.1m and Gippi made $750,000.

This year, however, the actor Aamir Khan decided to postpone releasing his film Peekay, now due out on December 19. And the filmmaker Anurag Basu will hold off Jagga Jasoos, starring Ranbir Kapoor, until after the IPL’s eighth season in April 2015.

April 2014 has been a month of big banners: Abhishek Varman’s 2 States and Nitesh Tiwari’s Bhoothnath Returns, both of which saw promotional events in Dubai, witnessed success at the box office. Bhoothnath Returns, which was out on April 10, has collected close to $10m, and collections slowed down only when 2 States, out a week later and playing to packed theatres, brought in $15m in its first week.

This month, the UAE has seen several A-list celebrities taking a break from their work schedules to enjoy cricket.

Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone, whose film Happy New Year is currently in production and due out this Diwali, were in Abu Dhabi to perform at the IPL’s opening gala dinner at Emirates Palace. Khan also attended the Kolkata Knight Riders’ opening game on April 16 in the capital, before flying back to Mumbai. The Kings XI Punjab team co-owner Preity Zinta was also here to support her team and has paused the filming schedule for her new film Bhaiyyaji Superhitt, forcing the film’s producers to wait for her next available dates.

Other Bollywood stars spotted in the Emirates include Kabir Bedi, seen at the stadium in Sharjah, while Neetu Singh (mother of current heartthrob Ranbir Kapoor) was spotted in Dubai’s Mirdif City Centre Mall – she told fans she was there for a family holiday that involved shopping and cricket, and that her son was also in town.

But the last word on the subject came from Amitabh Bachchan, who was in the Dubai a few weeks ago to promote his film Bhoothnath Returns. “Cricket and cinema both have their own audiences,” said the 71-year-old star. “Just like there will always be people who prefer one over the other, there will also be people who enjoy both equally. One does not necessarily have to negatively impact the other.”

artslife@thenational.ae