Department ‘A Debacle’

Despite having no competition from any big budget Bollywood or Hollywood film this weekend, Ram Gopal Varma’s Department starring Amitabh Bachchan, Sanjay Dutt and Rana Duggubati failed to woo the audience.

Despite having no competition from any big budget Bollywood or Hollywood film this weekend, Ram Gopal Varma’s Department starring Amitabh Bachchan, Sanjay Dutt and Rana Duggubati failed to woo the audience. Trade analyst Komal Nahta says, “The film took an 18 to 20 per cent opening across the board in India.”

According to Komal, the weekend collection for Department was bad. He says, “The film collected a total of Rs 8.25 crore to Rs 8.50 crore approximately. The total investment on the film was roughly around Rs 27 crore.”

The trade analyst says the film opened poorly because its subject was repetitive. He says, “Police, underworld, political nexus, and such things have been done to death by filmmakers and also by Ram Gopal Varma himself. Why will people waste money to watch such films? If he keeps churning out such inane films, the audience will realise it’s not worth it.”

Vajir Singh, editor of the trade magazine Box Office India, says, “Department failed to generate interest from the first promo itself. The film had no meat so nobody bothered watching it.” When countered that the film had a big star cast, he says, “The poor opening is Ramu’s fault. He has lost his touch.”

Trade expert Taran Adarsh adds, “Department had a slow start on Friday, and it went downhill on Saturday and showed no major escalation on Sunday either. It was a debacle.”

Figure This

Not A Love Story (2011) - Rs 2.1 crore
Rakht Charitra 2 (2010) - Rs 1.25 crore
Rakhta Charitra (2010) - Rs 3.85 crore
Rann (2010) - Rs 4.45 crore

First weekend collections of Ram Gopal Varma’s last four films, courtesy Box Office India.