Phir Hera Pheri turns out to be hit sequel
Jun 16, 2006
Either you hate it or you love it, but you certainly cannot afford to ignore it. Phir Hera Pheri is just that. Though the critics and the so-called niche audience panned the film calling it "No Hera Pheri", the film took a nearly 100 per cent opening all over the country. With no competition around except for Priyadarshan's Chup Chup Ke, hard cash continued to flow in abundance. Perhaps this is the first sequel of its kind to have found success at the box office, Nigahen and The Return of Jewel Thief notwithstanding.
Says trade analyst Taran Adarsh, "Sequels are rare in India. So, if a dream merchant decides to make a sequel to an immensely popular comedy film, you fasten your seat belts and wait with bated breath for reels to unfold on-screen. But like the comedy films witnessed earlier like No Entry, Garam Masala and Malamaal Weekly, Phir Hera Pheri takes the clichd route in the sense one should not look for logic in the film. The audience should leave their thinking caps at home."
He adds, "The film also has its flip side. Post interval, the pace of the film slackens. Also, the romantic track of Akshay and Rimii looks forced. Barring that, the film has opened to a thunderous response and in view of the fact that there's no major opposition for the next two weeks, the film proves to be a money spinner for its distributors."
Trade analyst Vikas Mohan echoes Taran's statements saying, "The film has got excellent opening all over the country by virtue of being the sequel of a hit film. It will keep the investor more than happy with better business in the Mumbai territory and the South." Trade analyst S. Kumar Mohan observes that, "In this film, the climax has been kept incomplete, clearly indicating that the producer is all set to make a sequel to Phir Hera Pheri too."
Insiders have it that producer Firoz Nadiadwala is all set to make the third version titled International Hera Pheri. Standing against Phir Hera Pheri was Priyadarshan's Chup Chup Ke. Rumours say that Priyadarshan deliberately chose to release Chup Chup Ke on the same day as Phir Hera Pheri because he did not like a sequel being made to Hera Pheri which was entirely his brainchild. "But Chup Chup Ke has practically no story line. It is only the performances from the lead stars that make the proceedings tolerable," says S. Kumar Mohan.
Vikas Mohan says, "The film has not taken a good initial and will find it tough to sustain itself. With the way Priyan is churning out films, his work is not living up to the audience expectation." Taran, however, differs saying, "Chup Chup Ke is Priyan's finest effort. He scores brownie points because he successfully juxtaposes light moments with dramatic portions. Himesh Reshammiya's music is also pleasant and performances are up to the mark. The comedy in the first hour will bring the house down and the emotional quotient in the second hour is sure to pull the viewer's heart strings."
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