ALIGARH VS TERE BIN LADEN DEAD OR ALIVE!
Tomorrow shall see the release of 2 small-budget but drastically different films. Both films are at a disadvantage but have some aspects that go in their favour. My analysis:
ALIGARH: It is directed by Hansal Mehta and is based on the true story of a homosexual person Dr Siras from the Aligarh Muslim University. Manoj Bajpayee plays the wronged professor while Rajkummar Rao is casted in a supporting role as a journalist. The film was the opening film at the 17th MAMI Mumbai Film Festival last year where it got a tremendous response. The trailer of the film is damn good and has got noticed. Sadly, the film had some cuss words which were crucial to the plot and these abuses have been chopped off at the Censor table. The question that needs to be asked is – what stopped Hansal and his team to approach the Censors 3-4 months in advance? The MAMI screening happened in October 2015. Which means the film was fully read then. If the makers had approached the Censors at that time, they would have got a chance to fight it out with the Censors and get a certificate sans any cuts.
The film obviously appeals to the niche audience. But it can still make money if the word of mouth is very positive.
TERE BIN LADEN DEAD OR ALIVE: This is the sequel to the 2010 surprise hit Tere Bin Laden. Ali Zafar is missing as the leading role…he just has a cameo. But Manish Paul is the lead and from the promos, he seems to have done a good job. Pradhuman Singh returns as Osama and loads of laughter. Also joining them is Sikandar Kher. He’s seen as an American officer – his look is seen to be believed – it is almost impossible to tell that it’s Pradhuman. The trailer is damn quirky. Such films are rarely made and that’s where the film has an advantage. But the buzz for the film is limited and this will affect the day 1 earnings. But if the response is good, the film can have a huge jump in collections from the second day.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE ALIGARH OR TERE BIN LADEN DEAD OR ALIVE AND WHY? DO LET ME KNOW!