Neerja gets more screens, Aligarh flops

In its second week, Ram Madhvani’s Neerja has seen an escalation in ticket sales, of the kind rarely witnessed at the box-office. According to trade information, shows of the highly acclaimed but poorly received Aligarh and the political satire Tere Bin Laden: Dead Or Alive had to be cancelled due to poor attendance. Additional shows of Neerja were scheduled in place of the two. A rare happening at the boxoffice, says trade analyst Atul Mohan adding, “Not only Mumbai, but many other parts of the country have replaced the shows. Everybody wants to milk a healthy cow. Neerja is going steady with good footfalls.”

A delighted Sonam Kapoor says, “My director Ram Madhvani tells me he is happy. At the end of the day, a film actor needs approval from his director. As an actor I gave hundred per cent of myself to the role. I wish I could have done certain things better. But when I ask Ram he says there is nothing I could do better. For me that validation means a lot.”

Says the film’s co-producer Atul Kasbekar, “I am delighted that our film is getting a wider reach. I’m glad Neerja’s story will be remembered forever by India. It is difficult for a film to get both critical and box office success. We just wanted to make an honest film that we would be proud of. From a lot of public and social media posts, the words ‘honest, ‘conviction’, ‘real’, ‘heart wrenching’ seem to come up with amazing regularity. So I guess what we started out to do struck a chord.” Director Ram Madhvani exults, “We knew what we wanted to make but we never knew what we had made until the audience told us.”

Shabana Azmi, who plays Neerja’s mother adds, “The response to Neerja has been overwhelming — both critically and commercially. It has touched an emotional chord with audiences because it celebrates a value system that is noble and inspiring. I am highly gratified by its success.”