Sweet taste of success

Not many from the industry expected this modest experiment to capture the hearts of audiences all over the country! Weary as they are of the same old formula, hashed over and over again by producers unwilling to take risks, audiences are thronging to multiplexes to catch this little gem from production house Walkwater Media.

The film, starring Ali Zafar and Pradhuman Singh, is a comedy about an ambitious young news reporter from Pakistan who is desperate to migrate to the US in pursuit of the American dream. The film has grossed more than Rs 5 crore all over India in the first three days from 344 screens and the collections are estimated to double by the end of the week.

Encouraged by the strong response Boney Kapoor’s BSK Network & Entertainment, distributors of the film, are planning to widen the release by an additional 40-50 prints in the second week.

Internationally too, the film is enjoying a strong run. It has already grossed 150,000 USD from the UK, UAE and Australian territories. With a US release still in the pipeline, overseas distributors Cinergy Independent Film Services believe that the collections are sure to rise. Owing to censorship problems, the film is yet to release in Pakistan, which promises to be a lucrative market for a film like this. With Pakistan singer and actor Ali Zafar starring in the film, there a strong buzz about it in Pakistan.

Most critics have given the film a unanimous thumbs-up for its fresh plot and theme, and positive word of mouth is seeing the film sail through the competition. Noted critic Taran Adarsh summarises his review by saying, “On the whole, Tere Bin Laden is a fun-ride that makes you smile constantly and even laugh outrageously in those two hours. A thorough entertainer, this film has all it takes to not only make its viewers laugh in the aisles, but also its investors laugh all the way to the bank.”

The micro-blogging site Twitter has seen a flurry of comments on the film from several members of the film industry as well. Salman Khan championed the film after watching a preview days before the release and urged his followers to watch the film.

Karan Johar tweeted, “Just saw Tere Bin Laden, wonderfully satirical, some fall down funny moments and great ensemble performances.” Authors Chetan Bhagat and Shobhaa De also joined the Twitter bandwagon of championing the film.

Chetan Bhagat said, “Saw Tere Bin Laden. Very fun, simple and original. For me, the best Hindi film this year so far.” Perhaps the comment that best describes public sentiment about the film comes from Shobhaa De who writes, “Tere Bin Laden ROCKS!
You don’t need hype, stars, monstrous budgets or even luv to make a super hit. Just brains, originality and a brilliant idea (sic).”