A behind the scene photo of Saif Ali Khan from Phantom

Sony acquires rights for Saif Ali Khan’s ‘Phantom’

The parent company of Sony Entertainment Television Asia, Multi Screen Media has acquired the rights of more recent films to add to its library.

The broadcaster, known to air blockbusters like ‘PK’, ‘Piku’ and ‘Bahubali’, will soon premiere average box office earners like ‘Phantom’ starring Saif Ali Khan and Katrina Kaif, and ‘Katti Batti’ starring Imran Khan and Kangna Ranaut. The network has also acquired the rights of the superhit ‘ABCD 2’ starring Varun Dhawan and Shraddha Kapoor.

While telecast dates of the latter three films will be announced soon, ‘Bahubali’ will premiere on Sony MAX in October.

Is Negative Publicity Working in Saif Ali Khan’s Favor?

Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan have been a cynosure of controversy in Pakistan after the release of ‘Phantom’ but all these controversies might be working in his favor. The actor is trying his all best to pacify people across the border and clarify his position. ‘Phantom’ on the other hand, is also doing fairly well in India.

Director Kabir Khan, producer Sajid Nadiadwala, Saif Ali Khan and Katrina Kaif sure have a reason to celebrate. ‘Phantom’ has created a lot of buzz in India as well as abroad. After raking in about Rs 50 crore at the Indian box office, the film, as per a report in bollywoodlife.com, is garnering a lot of response in Pakistan as well. Apparently, the demand for the pirated copies of the film in Pakistan has soared because people are curious about the subject.

Producer Sajid Nadiadwala said, “Piracy is inherently bad for our business. But somewhere it is a compliment that people of Pakistan want to watch it and the fact that the demand has gone up after the movie’s performance in Indian market,” it was reported.

Saif too in a recent interview said that he loves Pakistani people and thinks that they are exactly like the people in India.

UTV wins with Saif Ali Khan-Katrina Kaif’s Phantom

Just when most of us in film trade believed that UTV’s unbelievable winning streak at the BO would finally come to an end with Phantom, one of India’s leading studios once again pulled a rabbit out of the hat and delivered a success, with a superb opening weekend last week and steady weekday numbers for the film. Sure, luck plays a hand in a business like the movie business, but what is now clear to most with us, is that this studio has through the years developed an uncanny creative ability to spot winners, and once it finds them, takes them further than anyone would have imagined possible.

Look at the facts yourself – UTV’s track record last year was PK, Kick, 2 States, Haider, Heropanti and Filmistaan, not to mention Guardians of the Galaxy and Captain America, each film very different from the others in genre, each with different creative collaborators with wildly varying creative sensibilities. But all these films had two things in common: (a) each one was successful and (b) they were all UTV productions and releases.
This year, Phantom seemed like the movie that would finally smudge this stellar track record. Saif Ali Khan has had a series of failures at the box office, and a movie like Baby, which released early this year on similar themes, had diluted the uniqueness of the premise of Phantom. But UTV, once again, was ready to prove everyone wrong. To start with, it made a call that would prove to be the wisest release date change of the year. It moved Phantom’s release from April to August. This ensured (a) that the positive rub-off from Kabir Khan’s Bajrangi Bhaijaan’s success would give Phantom more firepower and momentum (and let’s also not forget the successful run of producer Sajid Nadiadwala who’s been delivering hits one after another); (b) the audience would get a longer break from watching Saif on screen and would be more open to his next outing; and (c) there would be enough of a gap in audience memory between Baby and Phantom to ensure that comparisons were fewer. It proved to be a master stroke. The movie opened to an incredible weekend at the box office.

And the reason for all these above-mentioned successes: it’s been largely driven by the creative calls, strategic decisions and tactically sound calls taken by UTV.

Is the Phantom Ban in Pakistan ACTUALLY Helping the Film?

All that negative publicity was all in vain! After screaming from the rooftops about banning the Saif Ali Khan and Katrina Kaif starrer Phantom, the critics wrongly anticipated the publicity that this tactic would garner for the movie. Hence, director Kabir Khan, producer Sajid Nadiadwala, Saif Ali Khan and Katrina Kaif sure have a reason to celebrate. Phantom has created a lot of buzz in India as well as abroad. After raking in about Rs 50 crore at the Indian box office, the film, as per a report in bollywoodlife.com, is garnering a lot of response in Pakistan as well.

Apparently, the demand for the pirated copies of the film in Pakistan has soared because people there are curious about the subject.

An industry insider said to a tabloid, that there is an increasing demand for the film in Pakistan and “there is a lot of pressure to procure good quality print.” According to the source, there is a lot of curiosity with regard to the content and treatment given to the film.

Though the publicity has helped build up curiosity about the film across borders, the tactic doesn’t really help the makers of the film per se and has turned out to be a double-edged sword. Nadiadwala told the tabloid that piracy is bad for their business and therefore, they cannot cash in on Phantom’s popularity in Pakistan.

However, Nadiadwala also adds, “It is a compliment that people of Pakistan want to watch it and the fact that the demand has gone up after the movie’s performance in Indian market.”

Big demand of pirated copies of Saif Ali Khan – Katrina Kaif’s Phantom in Pakistan

Though the Pakistan censor board has banned the film Phantom, there seems to be a very big demand amongst the Pakistani audiences for the pirated version of the movie. The movie has bagged very good numbers at Indian box office too and it seems that in Pakistan also audiences are liking it.

“Following the success of the film in India there is a huge demand building for the film in Pakistan. The pirated copies are already out there but the demand has increased. There is a lot of pressure to procure good quality print,” says an industry source in Pakistan.

The source further adds, “there was a lot of curiosity over the movie being banned but there is also a genuine case of people wanting to see good content.

Once the film has become a box office success in India due to the good word of mouth publicity people in Pakistan too want to watch the movie”

“Piracy is inherently bad for our business. But somewhere it is a compliment that people of Pakistan want to watch it and the fact that the demand has gone up after the movie’s performance in Indian market.” Says Sajid Nadiadwala.

Saif Ali Khan- Katrina Kaif’s Phantom seems to be riding high on word-of-mouth buzz

Filmmaker Kabir Khan’s espionage drama Phantom, which is based on aftermath of 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, has collected Rs 33 crore in its opening weekend. The film starring Saif Ali Khan and Katrina Kaif has emerged as the biggest opener in this genre beating Akshay Kumar-starrer Baby, which was a bigger film. Phantom raked in a little over Rs 33 crore in its opening weekend itself.

So far, the film has reportedly raked in Rs 44.52 crore at the box office. The film is also gathering a positive word-of-mouth publicity, which is resulting in more footfalls in the theatres. Phantom, which has turned out to be a sleeper hit this year featuring Hafiz Saeed as the villain, had gathered immense buzz around the film and its release.

Trade pundits say that they are surprised at the numbers that the film has registered at the box-office. They feel Phantom offered good content, which secured the audience’ support. It has also strengthened the belief that good content always reigns supreme.