Multiplex heroes: duds not bombs

<div class="section1"><div class="Normal"><script language="javascript">doweshowbellyad=0; </script><br /></div> <div align="center" style="position:relative; left: -2"><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" align="center" border="1" width="58.7%"> <colgroup> <col width="100.0%" /> </colgroup> <tr valign="top"> <td width="100.0%" colspan="1" rowspan="1" style="" valign:="" top="" background-color:="" f3f3f3=""> <div class="Normal"><img src="/photo/1061134.cms" alt="/photo/1061134.cms" border="0" /></div> </td> </tr> <tr valign="top"> <td width="100.0%" colspan="1" rowspan="1" style="" valign:="" top="" background-color:="" f3f3f3=""> <div class="Normal" style="" text-align:="" center=""><span style="" font-size:="" font-weight:="" bold="">John Abraham</span></div> </td> </tr> </table></div> <div class="Normal"><br />MUMBAI: Rebonded manes, baby oil on six-pack abs and a fanzine pout.Enter the new breed of multiplex heroes.<br /><br />They''re on magazine covers or on television channels discussing the price of lingerie. And they charge the moon. <br /><br />But here''s the moot question: Do they sell tickets at the box-office?<br /><br />Check out the statistics. John Abraham, the current season''s jelly jujube, reportedly rates himself in the realm of Rs 40 lakh to 50 lakh after the success of <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Dhoom</span>.<br /><br />But his other films like <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Saaya</span>, <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Aitbaar</span>, <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Madhoshi</span>, <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Elaan</span> and <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Karam</span> have bombed badly.<br /><br /></div> </div><div class="section2"><div class="Normal"><script language="javascript">doweshowbellyad=0; </script><br /></div> <div align="center" style="position:relative; left: -2"><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" align="center" border="1" width="53.0%"> <colgroup> <col width="100.0%" /> </colgroup> <tr valign="top"> <td width="100.0%" colspan="1" rowspan="1" style="" valign:="" top="" background-color:="" f3f3f3=""> <div class="Normal"><img src="/photo/1061136.cms" alt="/photo/1061136.cms" border="0" /></div> </td> </tr> <tr valign="top"> <td width="100.0%" colspan="1" rowspan="1" style="" valign:="" top="" background-color:="" f3f3f3=""> <div class="Normal" style="" text-align:="" center=""><span style="" font-size:="" font-weight:="" bold="">Zayed Khan</span></div> </td> </tr> </table></div> <div class="Normal"><br />At a time when almost 95 per cent of the films released in 2004-05 have bombed and film economics are going for a six, are the jacked-up prices of the new wannabes justified?<br /><br />Zayed Khan, after <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Main Hoon Naa</span>, is rumouredly asking for over Rs 40 lakh. His two recent films, <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Vaada</span> and <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Shabd</span>, have flopped back-to-back.<br /><br /></div> </div><div class="section3"><div class="Normal"><script language="javascript">doweshowbellyad=0; </script><br /></div> <div align="center" style="position:relative; left: -2"><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" align="center" border="1" width="51.3%"> <colgroup> <col width="100.0%" /> </colgroup> <tr valign="top"> <td width="100.0%" colspan="1" rowspan="1" style="" valign:="" top="" background-color:="" f3f3f3=""> <div class="Normal"><img src="/photo/1061141.cms" alt="/photo/1061141.cms" border="0" /></div> </td> </tr> <tr valign="top"> <td width="100.0%" colspan="1" rowspan="1" style="" valign:="" top="" background-color:="" f3f3f3=""> <div class="Normal" style="" text-align:="" center=""><span style="" font-size:="" font-weight:="" bold="">Arjun Rampal</span></div> </td> </tr> </table></div> <div class="Normal"><br />Many industry people believe these wannabes do not fetch enough box-office returns. "The prices are not commensurate with the box-office returns at all," says trade analyst Indu Mirani.<br /><br />Arjun Rampal, who is said to be quoting big bucks, has delivered turnips. The most promising kid on the block, Shahid Kapur, has one hit (<span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Ishq Vishq</span>), one dud (<span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Fida</span>) and the average <span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Yeh Dil Maange More</span>.<br /><br />"Good luck to them if they get the kind of price they demand. But the fact is that the films remain unsold in so many territories and no one''s coming to the theatres either," says Mirani<br /><br /></div> </div><div class="section4"><div class="Normal"><script language="javascript">doweshowbellyad=0; </script><br /></div> <div align="center" style="position:relative; left: -2"><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" align="center" border="1" width="67.1%"> <colgroup> <col width="100.0%" /> </colgroup> <tr valign="top"> <td width="100.0%" colspan="1" rowspan="1" style="" valign:="" top="" background-color:="" f3f3f3=""> <div class="Normal"><img src="/photo/1061146.cms" alt="/photo/1061146.cms" border="0" /></div> </td> </tr> <tr valign="top"> <td width="100.0%" colspan="1" rowspan="1" style="" valign:="" top="" background-color:="" f3f3f3=""> <div class="Normal" style="" text-align:="" center=""><span style="" font-size:="" font-weight:="" bold="">Vivek Oberoi</span></div> </td> </tr> </table></div> <div class="Normal"><br />While Abhishek Bachchan, post-<span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Dhoom,</span> and, Vivek Oberoi, who has been under siege lately, are reportedly asking for over Rs 50 lakh.<br /><br />Current blue-eyed boy Shahid, in defence of his breed, states, "Today, audience and sensibilities are divided. There haven''t been too many universal hits in the recent past. There is an audience which pays Rs 150 to watch a certain kind of film and an audience which pays Rs 20 for another kind."</div> </div>