Dharma Productions owns 2017 with the most entertaining films of the year

Mumbai: Karan Johar's Dharma Productions clearly had an amazing time this year with the films that delivered a fantastic combination of content and high entertainment value.

In an exclusive chat Deccan Chronicle, CEO, Dharma Prodcutions, Apoorva Mehta says, “2017 has been a remarkable year for Dharma Productions. We pushed the envelope and took creative risks which paid off. The content needs to work simultaneously with the star appeal. We need stories with an instant connect that audiences can emotionally invest in. Baahubali resoundingly proves that no matter what, 'Content is King'. The film is a classic example of every department working in tandem and getting it right."

The Dharma Productions films that made splash in the year 2017:

The Ghazi Attack

The Ghazi Attack created much interest and buzz when the promos of the film were released as this is the first submarine war film made in India. Sankalp Reddy, a first-time director, has based the film on the 1971 incident when the Pakistan submarine, PNS Ghazi, planned to attack Visakhapatnam, but was destroyed by the Indian warship INS Rajput. The incident was classified and no one knows what actually happened. It was more difficult to convey the events of a battle from inside a submarine and to get all the emotions right, but with a talented cast that includes Rana Daggubati, Kay Kay Menon, Atul Kulkarni, Om Puri and Satyadev, Sankalp managed to pull it off very well.  

The Ghazi Attack (Hindi) grossed ₹34.53 crore (US$5.4 million) overall, including ₹28 crore (US$4.4 million) in India and $975,000 overseas.

Badrinath Ki Dulhania

Director Shashank Khaitan brought yet another quirky film after his debut film, ‘Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania’, with Alia Bhatt and Varun Dhawan. The film had everything to engage the audience; from adequate dose of humour to relevant social message, and high degrees of emotions with good looking actors.

The film collected ₹190.25 crore in the first week of release becoming fourth highest Indian first week collecting film of 2017.

Ittefaq

Ittefaq was a mystery-thriller film, directed by Abhay Chopra. The film was inspired from the 1969 film by the same name, directed by Yash Chopra. It stars Sidharth Malhotra, Akshaye Khanna and Sonakshi Sinha in lead roles.

Despite the tough competition, Ittefaq managed to earn as much as 30.20 Crore against the budget of 24 Crore by fighting against Golmaal Again and Hollywood superhero flick Thor: Ragnarok.

Baahubali 2: The Conclusion

Baahubali: The Conclusion is set in fictional Mahishmathi resurrected through VFX by Rajamouli and his team. Baahubali series follows the story of the mighty kingdom's two princes - Amarendra Baahubali and his cousin Bhalladeva. The film stars Prabhas, Rana Daggubati, Anushka Shetty, Ramya Krishnan, Tamannaah Bhatia and Sathyaraj in lead roles. The Hindi version of the film was presented by Dharma Productions.

The film's Hindi version is the first in Bollywood to have crossed the Rs. 500-crore mark.

While concluding the chat, Apoorva stated, "The humongous popularity and success of Baahubali has proved that we are committed to making great, memorable and entertaining cinema, and are certainly open to the opportunities that regional cinema has to offer. Bollywood is our very own unique brand of cinema, a celebration, a culture that is unlike anywhere else in the world. One can say that the lines between niche and mainstream audiences are blurring, and this success instils the confidence to try out novel, offbeat content.”