Is Bollywood’s King Khan a Threat to Tom Cruise?
When the producers of the latest Mission: Impossible sequel – “Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol” – announced they would release the movie in India a week earlier than in most other places, including the U.S. and the U.K., many couldn’t figure out why, since Hollywood blockbusters rarely make their way abroad earlier than in their home markets. The Tom Cruise starrer, one of the season’s most-anticipated films, is set for worldwide release on Dec. 21. But in India, and in a few other countries in Asia, it will hit theaters on Dec. 16. Some say producers are worried that if the movie is released in India any later than that, it will face tough competition from Shah Rukh Khan’s next big film, the action sequel “Don 2.” The movie, slated to hit the theaters on Dec. 23, is already generating buzz on the subcontinent.
The India distributors of the latest Mission: Impossible, Viacom 18, told India Real Time that the timing of the movie’s release has nothing to do with the upcoming Shah Rukh Khan film. Conrad Martin of Viacom 18 said anticipating the India release was “entirely an internal decision.” He declined to comment on whether he thought SRK could prove to be heavy competition for Mr. Cruise. He said Paramount Pictures, the producers of Mission: Impossible, plan to make a statement on the reasons for the early release of the movie later this month. But in India, some say Hollywood has no choice but to adapt. Speaking to India Real Time, Ritesh Sidhwani, the producer of Don 2, said that “all Hollywood films need to inevitably adjust their release if a big ticket Hindi movie is scheduled around the same time in India.” He didn’t respond to request for comment on whether he thought Mr. Khan would outshine Mr. Cruise with his next release. Although Tom Cruise is veritable Hollywood aristocracy, in India he is still no match for Bollywood’s King Khan. Just take a look at their box office history: The last time the two locked horns, in 2007, Mr. Khan’s “Om Shanti Om,” which caters mainly to an Indian market, raised $9 million more than Tom Cruise’s “Lion For Lambs,” which released in 45 countries.
Experts agreed that, in India, big ticket Hollywood releases seldom match even mediocre Bollywood films. “Though Hollywood blockbusters have huge scope overseas, they can seldom match up to homegrown films, which have a tremendous market across the country,” film critic Rajeev Masand told India Real Time. It comes as no surprise then that global production houses may be adapting their schedule to maximize their visibility in India. Mr. Masand also noted that they often dub and include subtitles in their movies to broaden their reach in the local market. Bollywood expert Anupama Chopra similarly noted that “narrow markets and language barriers make Hollywood films a niche product for India.” Though Ms. Chopra did not rule out that other factors could have attributed to Mission: Impossible’s early release in India, she said that “If these rumors are to be believed, I completely love that Shah Rukh Khan could scare away an international superstar like Tom Cruise.”
Somehow I can’t picture Tom doing this . . .
Love Mera
Tom Cruise is no threat to Shah Rukh Khan! For one thing, King Khan is multi-talented. I would love to see Tom Cruise try to sing, dance and act simultaneously in a movie as well as Khan. In my humble opinion, Tom Cruise is a very good actor and a great stuntsman but he is nonetheless overrated like most Hollywood actors. He is also very short and skinny in person like most Hollywood actors. Sometimes I wonder if it is a requirement for a man to be 5’nothing and less than 100 lbs in order to become an actor in Hollywood aka “the lollipop guild”. Is it just me or do other people find that odd? What the hell is attractive about a very short and bone thin man with a big head??? That is just one step away from being a dwarf, is it not? Hardly the image of health and virility and hopefully not indicative of his equipment! I now find Hollywood to be like vaudeville. Whatever happened to the Golden Age of Hollywood where a man was a man. Tall, dark athletic and handsome: Cary Grant, John Wayne, Gary Cooper, etc. And beautiful actresses Vivien Leigh, Elizabeth Taylor, Grace Kelly, etc. Most of the Hollywood actresses these days are plain knomes as well. I never knew they made such tiny little women. They are Steve Jobs’ version of the ifemale, one click away from disappearing.
As I’ve stated before, Bollywood reminds me of the Golden Age of Hollywood in many ways. The talent, the overall quality, the actors and actresses, and the fabulous costumes. Let’s face it, they have Aishwarya Rai and we have Jennifer Maniston. You figure it out!
If we compare the acting prowess of both these iconic film personalities, we would unequivocally agree that tom cruise may be a great Hollywood stunt man but he is no comparison for king khan. However, I enjoy watching movies of both these actors. bollywood clips