'102 Not Out' had its soul in right place: Sony Pictures India's Vivek Krishnani
NEW DELHI: "102 Not Out" is their latest venture and Sony Pictures Entertainment India's Managing Director Vivek Krishnani says backing the film was a no-brainer as it had "its soul in the right place".
SPE India started its expansion in the country with this year's hit, the Akshay Kumar-Radhika Apte starrer "Padman".
"102 Not Out" is their second outing and Krishnani feels the film directed by Umesh Shukla is just the right blend of commerce and entertainment.
"The film had its soul in the right place. It was a heartwarming story and a very entertaining one too. It spoke to us about the family values in India and yet was very global.So, it was not just a story for our country but for the people across the world," the SPE India MD told PTI in an interview.
The film, based on a Gujarati play of the same name penned by Saumya Joshi, reunites powerhouse performers Amitabh Bachchan and Rishi Kapoor after 27 years.
Krishnani says the audience fell in love with the father-son duo on-screen due to the strong nostalgic connect of the two actors.
Despite the "Avengers: Infinity War" continuing its dream run at the box office, a smaller film like "102 Not Out" was able to carve its niche both in terms of the numbers and critical praise.
Krishnani credits the depth of its plot and "word-of-mouth" that drove the people to the theatres.
"They are two different films and cater to different sensibilities. But '102 Not Out' is going stronger at the box office in its niche as it is a wonderful film. Well-made and fun to watch."
"And since the people who watched it in the first weekend liked it, they started this word-of-mouth campaign that has helped more people come to the cinema halls. Had it not been good, the masses would not have had promoted it."
Krishnani is clear about how he wants to expand bases in India and he feels there is no other option but to deliver "great content".
"As a studio, we have absolute clarity over how we want to expand base in India. We will always look for and back good content that is entertaining too. Our next stop is regional cinema, we are foraying into Malayalam films with co-producing South star Prithviraj Sukumaran's film. We're looking forward to it. And we'll keep on exploring stories for Hindi cinema," he says.
Krishnani asserts the importance of the viewer's time and money.
He says they never take the ticket-buyer for granted.
"We know how important the viewers are. That they come out and buy a ticket for our films and dedicate their time, it's a huge ask. We know we have to make ot worth their while and with every film we try that. We will keep trying."