Ever the skeptics, we are beginning to think that movie-goers have rejected superstar Rajinikanth’s trashy new film Kuselan, at least in the U.S.
Why do we say that?
Because we’ve read reports that the promoters of Kuselan in the U.S. have drastically slashed the price of Kuselan movie tickets to $10 (We paid $16 on Friday) even BEFORE the first full week is completed.
Why would anyone want to do that? Don’t tell us that the milk of human kindness overfloweth in our fellow desis.
Jayavel Murugan, who is helping in the marketing of Kuselan in the Bay Area, blabbered to a film web site that Kuselan is “a wholesome family entertainer” and “we want to encourage repeat audience.”
Family entertainer? What nonsense.Â
Wonder what Murugan has been smoking lately. How can you justify Kuselan as a family entertainer when you have a skimpily clad Nayantara dancing in the rain even as young children ogle at her.
Repeat audience? Maybe, if you are a hardcore masochist.
Murugan also said:
Gas and food prices have gone up, at least economical movie tickets will be a relief! After all, watching movies are a favorite pastime of Indians! We, from our side, will do whatever we can to encourage people to see movies like Kuselan.
What baloney. When Kuselan tickets were sold for $16 on Friday (Aug 1), were gas and food prices in USA low. Of course, not.
Reports from India also suggest that Kuselan is not doing well.
Kuselan is a trashy movie that’s not worth watching even if it’s free.
Given what a trashy movie it is, if Kuselan turns into a disaster we won’t be surprised.
We are seeing very few Kuselan defenders.. proves that Rajini fans are saner than half-baked fans of half-naked Kamal.
‘Kuselan’ leads
– By Taran Adarsh, August 6, 2008 – 08:34 IST
Tamil film KUSELAN crossed the £ 1 lac mark in its opening weekend, overtaking all Hindi films running in U.K. this weekend. Commendable… The sole Hindi release, UGLI AUR PAGLI, is below expectations in U.K… Last week’s MISSION ISTAANBUL and MONEY HAI TOH HONEY HAI slide further.
U.K. BOX-OFFICE
Weekend: August 1 – 4, 2008. Note:- Monday figures are included.
* KUSELAN [Tamil film] has debuted at No. 13 position. In its opening weekend, the film has collected £ 1,06,394 [approx. Rs. 88.14 lacs] on 17 screens, with the per screen average working out to £ 6,258.
* UGLY AUR PAGLI has debuted at No. 20 position. In its opening weekend, the film has collected £ 20,057 [approx. Rs. 16.62 lacs] on 11 screens, with the per screen average working out to £ 1,823.
* KISMAT KONNECTION [last weekend: No. 13, this weekend: No. 21]: In its third weekend, the film has collected £ 15,101 on 15 screens, with the per screen average working out to £ 1,007. Total: £ 2,69,933 [approx. Rs. 2.24 crores].
* MISSION ISTAANBUL [last weekend: No. 17, this weekend: No. 29]: In its second weekend, the film has collected £ 9,746 on 11 screens, with the per screen average working out to £ 886. Total: £ 39,125 [approx. Rs. 32.41 lacs].
* MONEY HAI TOH HONEY HAI [last weekend: No. 15, this weekend: No. 34]: In its second weekend, the film has collected £ 7,305 on 11 screens, with the per screen average working out to £ 664. Total: £ 50,342 [approx. Rs. 41.70 lacs].
* JAANE TU… YA JAANE NA [last weekend: No. 30, this weekend: No. 67]: In its fifth weekend, the film has collected £ 949 on 3 screens, with the per screen average working out to £ 316. Total: £ 1,36,249 [approx. Rs. 1.13 crores].
* THODA PYAAR THODA MAGIC [last weekend: No. 53, this weekend: No. 76]: In its sixth weekend, the film has collected £ 717 on 1 screen. Total: £ 2,88,284 [approx. Rs. 2.39 crores].
THIS WEEKEND IN U.K.
[Based on screen averages]
RANK FILM AVERAGE
1 KUSELAN [Tamil film] £ 6,258
2 UGLY AUR PAGLI £ 1,823
3 KISMAT KONNECTION £ 1,007
4 MISSION ISTAANBUL £ 886
5 THODA PYAAR THODA MAGIC £ 717
6 MONEY HAI TOH HONEY HAI £ 664
7 JAANE TU… YA JAANE NA £ 316
U.S.A. BOX-OFFICE
Weekend: August 1 – 3, 2008.
* KISMAT KONNECTION [last weekend: No. 30, this weekend: No. 50]: In its third weekend, the film has collected $ 23,254 on 26 screens, with the per screen average working out to $ 894. Total: $ 4,79,759 [approx. Rs. 2.03 crores].
* JAANE TU… YA JAANE NA [last weekend: No. 53, this weekend: No. 61]: In its fifth weekend, the film has collected $ 11,251 on 10 screens, with the per screen average working out to $ 1,125. Total: $ 6,00,922 [approx. Rs. 2.54 crores].
SearchIndia.com Responds:
You cite above an article that Kuselan leads
But that’s only in the U.K.
Also, please keep in mind there were no strong Bollywood or Hollywood releases last week.
We find it hard to believe that the Kuselan folks would have slashed the ticket price even before the first full week is over if the movie were doing well.
Hi,
Ajay you are correct; kuselan is a box hit movie even in US. I dont know what this search india is expecting; it is all set to despise, deny the efforts of our tamil cinema stars, they just expect us to release like hollywood. They are as fool as anyone in this world, they dont judge movies with discretions, they are the stupids whose comment can only delight such stupids. They write like a fool, only fools agree what they
there is only one sun, one moon …finally ONE SUPER STAR RAJINIKANTH … He was … He is … He will
No stupids like search india blog can deny his fame and name…
SearchIndia.com Responds:
1. You write above: there is only one sun, one moon …finally ONE SUPER STAR RAJINIKANTH
It’s because of sycophantic clowns like you that clowns like Rajinikanth are considered actors.
2. You write: kuselan is a box hit movie even in US
Really? Then why are ticket prices for Kuselan being drastically reduced in the U.S. before the first week is over?
3. Pl see following links for Kuselan’s poor response in India.
http://www.ibnlive.com/news/rajini-magic-failing-kuselan-struggles-at-bo/70500-8.html
http://www.cinesouth.com/masala/hotnews/new/06082008-6.shtml
One more link which tell about the dismal performance of Kuselan:
http://www.rediff.com/movies/2008/aug/08sskuselan.htm
Distributors tell “we were misguided by rajni”
http://www.deccan.com/chennaichronicle/Chennai%20Chronicle/Chennai%20ChronicleDescription.asp#‘We%20were%20misguided%20by%20Rajini’
SearchIndia.com Responds:
Above link does not seem to be working here.
Kuselan is dead in India…
http://sify.com/movies/tamil/fullstory.php?id=14736612
Rajini has lost his values and just played a business role. He cheated the distributors saying that its a full fledged superstar movie and sold the garbage. Kuselan has brought great loss to the distributors and theater owners. He also played a cheap drama to the kannada people (asking apology for his brainless stunts over a water dispute) just because Kuselan to be sold there and allowed to be screened…
I had great respect for Rajini but time and again he is proving that he is just behind money… I hate myself for being a rajini fan so long..
SearchIndia.com Responds:
You write above: Rajini has lost his values and just played a business role. He cheated the distributors saying that its a full fledged superstar movie and sold the garbage.
Where does it say in the story from the link you provide above that Rajinikanth cheated distributors?
In any case, movies are sold by producers to distributors. Of course, the sale price depends on how bankable the star is.
From the story
(http://sify.com/movies/tamil/fullstory.php?id=14736612)
“Why did Rajinikanth after initially saying that he is there for only 25 percent of the film agree to keep a studious silence when the film was sold to PS as a full fledged superstar film like a Sivaji or Chandramukhi?”
Also the way he made a appology to the kannada people.. was so cheap and proved that he would give up his own stands ( and give up the respect and love of tamil people) just for money…
SearchIndia.com Responds:
Rajinikanth is hardly likely to be the first or last film star whose actions are swayed by money.
The fundamental problem with most of our Tamil movies is in the weak scripts.
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SearchIndia.com is ramping up coverage of the IT industry and the iPhone. The iPhone is launching in India on August 22 and the IT industry (particularly software) has had a good innings in India for the last 15 years.
gnadhiji you have proved that you are MOM.no one is defending kuselan because it is confirmed that it is a big flop.kamal fans are far better than rajni fans.rajni fans blindly follow rajni who is really greddy and who is not true to his fans and people of tamilnadu.kamal is true to his people and fans.not like rajni who attacks karnattaka at one instance and will apologize them if his movie has to release.
kamal fans defended dasavatharam because it is a huge
blockbuster.
Kuselan CBO info.
No. Weeks Completed: 1
No. Shows in Chennai over this weekend: 243
Average Theatre Occupancy over this weekend: 80 %
Collection over this weekend in Chennai: Rs. 56,39,859
Total collections in Chennai by end of the second weekend: Rs.2.19 Crore.
Just keepin track because behindwoods deletes data.
http://sify.com/movies/tamil/fullstory.php?id=14744786
http://sify.com/movies/tamil/fullstory.php?id=14744169&cid=2363
hi gandhiji MOM see above links dont argue further .kuselan is the biggest flop of the year. Do not talk like a fool and say kamal fans were half baked. Only rajni fans are mental like you. Das is a huge hit that is proved by me and many others and kuselan is a downright failure that is also proved by many.
loosae, mundamae, saniyanae, paithiyamae.. where did i argue?
Kuselan Chennai Box Office
No. Weeks Completed: 2
No. Shows in Chennai over this weekend: 198
Average Theatre Occupancy over this weekend: 65 %
Collection over this weekend in Chennai: Rs. 33,93,189
Total collections in Chennai by end of the third weekend: Rs. 3.08 Crore