Thugs of Hindostan: Why audience will watch it despite negative reviews

Yash Raj Films released Thugs of Hindostan on Thursday, November 8, making the most of the festive season of Diwali. The film stars Aamir Khan, Amitabh Bachchan, Katrina Kaif and Fatima Sana Shaikh. The film, an adventure drama is expected to reach new records for Bollywood films, though the film has opened to strongly negative reviews. Here are the ten points why this movie has raised such a curiosity among the audience:

1. The mighty Amitabh Bachchan and the incredibly committed Aamir Khan together  for  the  first time. If we  add up their time in the industry together it comes more than a 100 years of acting. And never together before!!! Come again??

2. This is  Bollywood’s answer to The Pirates Of The Caribbean (‘Maldives Ke Samudri Daku’ ???). The get-up of both the superstars makes them look different from anything they’ve done so far, although Aamir’s British-stooge look seems a mongrelized fusion  of British aristocracy and a fashion vagabond. A sort Ranveer Singh on Oxford Street.

3. Aamir Khan and director Vijay Krishna Acharya have earlier worked together  in Dhoom 3. This is Aamir’s  third film with Acharya. He had  double role in Dhoom 3, you see. Apparently Aamir was not too keen on doing another film with the same director so soon after the first. But Acharya convinced him with the script. And of course the  two leading ladies.

4. Both Katrina Kaif and Fatima Sana Sheikh were selected by Aamir. The second, because of Dangal. The first, because he had enjoyed working with Katrina in Dhoom 3 and had promised to work in another film where she would have more to do. That promise, I hear, has barely been kept. Katrina pretty much has a breeze-in-breeze out part in Thugs.

5. The bizarre dance steps of Katrina’s item song Suraiyya would put Birju Maharaj and Saroj Khan into a state of collective depression. Whoever thought of the song and the  moves must be given an award for letting the imagination get the better of him/her. But Suraiyya is breaking the internet. So who am I to complain.

6. Another highlight is the climactic face-off between Mr Bachchan and Mr Khan where Mr B, defying all medical advice, has done all the stunts himself giving Aamir as good as he gets. One of the two superstars dies at the end. I am not telling which.

7. Yash Raj Films has a had a good year. Their small neat sincere  effort Sui Dhaga paid stitch.. I mean, rich dividends.Thugs Of Hindostan is  the  most expensive film Yash Raj has ever  produced (though I hear only Aamir Khan has been paid his market  price).

8. Yash Raj has booked  80-90% of  the  screens in all the leading multiplex chains  of  the  country. The theatres must keep playing Thugs Of Hindostan  from Thursday 8 November to Monday 12 November, no matter what the box office outcome.

9. Aamir’s role was first offered to Hrithik Roshan who wanted producer Adi Chopra to rework the script. Considering the box office performance of Hrithik’s last two films Mohenjo Daro and Kaabil  Chopra must be doing dances of ecstasy in relief for having convinced Aamir to come on board.

10. Will Thugs Of Hindostan at the end of this year break the records of Padmaavat which came at the beginning  of 2018? Unlikely, because at least a 100 crores of Padmaavat’s 350-crore  earnings came from the controversies. Jaisi ‘Karni’ waisi bharni.