EID MUBARAK and MERRY CHRISTMAS from CLOUD 9!!!

You know when a director is thinking about his film before the release he often goes through amazing highs and major lows. One sec we feel that the film is not going to connect with people, another we day dream that it will get into the blood stream of the audience like no film before. The response that I have got for my very first film is like a dream response. I couldn’t have imagined a better response and all my day dreams have come true. Gladly all my pinching is in vain and I am still awake.

I am so moved by the response I am unable to express myself properly. I feel at a loss for words.

Thank you.

I have gone through each and every post. And I’m going to go through it again. And 20 years later I will still go through these very pages and warmth will fill my heart. So well you all have expressed yourselves. And such generosity and support. I am touched. I feel blessed.

Some of you have expressed a fear of the opening not being good enough. Please relax. The opening is much higher that I expected. Let me quickly put your fears and anxieties to rest by sharing with you a text that I received today from the distribution team of PVR:
– Good evening Khan Saab, film is headed to be the BIGGEST GROSSERS of the year. –

Even in smaller centres where I would expect a film of this nature to open weak it has opened to double my expectations and the collections have been only rising with EACH show.

The only place where the opening is below expectations is the U.K. I have no explanations for that. However the audience response from there is equally strong as elsewhere so I expect to see the collections there rising very soon.

Now let me give you an idea of what the theatre response all over is. And mind you I am saying all this because I can see an anxiety in some of you as to how well the film is doing at the box office.

It is getting a standing ovation!!! Something that only happened if I remember correctly during LAGAAN!!! Everyone is loving it. Parents, children, youth, teenagers, grandparents, everyone. People from different ecomonic and social backgrounds, industry collegues, everyone. Taporis included. The best response one of my team got is from the gatekeeper from one of the theatres. He said – “I really need to see the film. What is there in it that everyone is loving it so much”. -

So just relax and enjoy the ride. Do not be disheartened by half baked and ill informed reports. The figures are infront of me, and I am in constant touch the distribution team and trade experts.

You know before the release I had two doubts. Will kids and teenagers like it? And will people want to see it more than once? For a film to become really huge and go into ‘super duper’ category these two points are of prime importance. I am happy and relieved to say that both these questions have been strongly answered in the affirmative. The youth are loving it, and repeat viewings began on day one itself! Like in my day dream people are wanting to see the film again and again.

Let me add that, unlike my distribution team, I am extremely conservative by nature and I would hesitate to say so early in the day that TZP will go on to become the BIGGEST GROSSERS of the year. That is a big claim indeed and I would wait for the end of the second/third week before I confirm that.

For now I just want to thank all of you for such a heart warming reaction. And keep it going it, it feels like I am breathing pure oxygen.

And now I want to get back to reading your posts for the nth time.

Darsheel in the meantime, who has been reading your posts with me, is smiling as big as the final painting. He sends you his love, a warm hug and a very toothy grin. I’m going to try and get him to post one blog.

Much love. xxx