Saif Ali Khan gets in the safe zone

The Saif Ali Khan starrer Kaalakaandi has garnered less than Rs 2.5 crore in the first two days. And while it may not have done terrific business at the box office, it is the nawab’s safest ever film in recent times putting him back on the Bollywood map.

The filmmakers at the outset realised that if too much was spent on the making and release of the film, it would not justify the expenditure. “In today’s time, marketing is very important. For every rupee spent, be it on production or on marketing, we have to recover it at three times the base cost. Hence, everyone is getting wary of spending monies on promotion,” says a senior marketing head of a production house.

Directed by debutant Akshat Varma, who had written Delhi Belly earlier, Kaalakaandi was made on a budget of Rs 7 crore only and marketed at not more than a budget of Rs 4 crore.

And even before the film hit the screen, it had made its money. “Three rights of the film — namely the music, digital and satellite rights —have been sold for Rs 11 crore plus taxes.

That implies that the producers have already made their money. Now when it comes to box office and other rights, that will be a straight profit for everyone and no one will lose money on this film,” says a trade expert.

—Sanskriti Media