FEAR IS FUN: A crisis moment in 2012

Screens, 716. Prints, 676. Weekend pan-India collections, Rs 19.15 crore.

It doesn’t get much bigger than 2012, and it’s not a Bollywood blockbuster.

After releasing, somewhat appropriately, on Friday the 13th, the “biggest disaster movie ever made” has been smashing records at city multiplexes. “Yes, it’s the end of the world. But it should be a fun ride,” director Roland Emmerich has said.

And it sure is having a fun ride at the box office. The opening of the “biggest English release in India” is as big here as the Hollywood highs of Harry Potter and The Half Blood Prince and The Dark Knight.

The end-of-the-world film — trashed by critics for being “cheesy” and “contrived” and rubbished by experts for references to the Mayan prophecy of doom on December 21, 2012 — has found favour with audiences worldwide. Calcutta plexes have notched up first weekend collections between 90 and 95 per cent, better than what the Salman Khans have managed in recent weeks.

“I have been following the trailer for four months. It takes digital effects to an altogether different level. Given a chance, I would love to watch the film again,” said SRFTI student Abhishek Ghosh.

The Friday collections have even prompted INOX to increase the number of shows at its City Centre and Swabhumi plexes this week, a rarity for even Bollywood biggies. “From college-goers to the family crowd, everyone is trooping in to watch 2012,” said Virendra Marya, the regional director (east) of INOX.

No wonder the “massive first weekend footfalls” have “surpassed all expectations”. The INOX chain’s Burdwan property, playing a Hindi dubbed version, has also notched up a handful of house-full shows over the weekend, a first for a Hollywood film.

“2012 has been one of our biggest openers, just a shade less than our all-time biggest grosser Spiderman-3. The doomsday concept and global issues regarding the environment that concern all, coupled with state-of-the-art special effects, have worked,” said Kercy Daruwala, the managing director of Sony Pictures, producers of the Roland Emmerich film that grossed $225 million globally within the first three days of its release.

Fame Cinemas has recorded house-full shows for the disaster film at its South City and Hiland Park properties. “In terms of numbers, 2012 is one of our biggest Hollywood releases in recent times. The huge first weekend occupancies have raised the bar for forthcoming biggies like James Cameron’s Avatar,” said Shunali Shroff.

The magic touch of the man who has previously helmed disaster biggies like Independence Day, Godzilla and The Day After Tomorrow means that 2012 is even giving Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani and Tum Mile a tough fight. “Both Ajab and Tum Mile have their fair share of takers, but 2012 has been the surprise first choice for most cinegoers,” reveals a plex source.

Ask college student Tanmay Raut. “Our group of friends chose to go for 2012 on Saturday evening and we liked it so much that we plan to go back later in the week.”

That will put 2012 directly in the path of this Friday’s Bollywood release, Saif Ali Khan-Kareena Kapoor’s romantic thriller Kurbaan. with 100-plus plex shows in town.