What’s your view?

Jasmine Singh

Now, apart from the astrologers (every Punjabi film and actor has a personal pandit), filmmakers are viewing the social media as an indicator of how a film would fare, after its release. The rising views of a trailer on YouTube now show how popular the film would be. What happens to a film, only time will tell, but for the time being dil ko behlaane ko khyal acha hai Galib!

Hit machine

Out of the other Punjabi film trailers, upcoming releases—Bambukat, 25 Kille and Main Teri Tu Mera are scoring in the Youtube hit race. While, Binnu Dhillon and Ammy Virk-starrer Bambukat releasing July 27 has already got 12.9 lakh views, the number of views for Main Teri Tu Mera starting Roshan Prince and Mankirat Aulakh and releasing this August, is 13.7 lakh. The third one, 25 Kille, which brings back actors Gugu Gill and Yograj Singh together after almost 16 years, has touched 6.4 lakh views and it is trending on Youtube as well.

Do numbers actually reveal a film’s future much before its release? Kaaraj Gill, Amiek Gill and Binnu Dhillon, from team Bambukat, would like to see it another way. “We don’t think the numbers of views on YouTube predict the fate of the film, but yes, they definitely tell us about how many people like the film through its trailer,” echo the three. “In fact, if the trailer of a film is a hit, then at least 85 per cent the film is secure.”

Roshan Prince, who has nurtured his film Main Teri Tu Mera from the scratch, is actually relieved to see the rising views to his film’s trailer, “This means people like the trailer, which means they will like the film as well.”

This precisely is the reason why Punjabi filmmakers are getting special trailers made for YouTube. This medium is no longer looked as a ‘for fun sake’ medium; movie makers do take the numbers pretty seriously!

The makers of 25 Kille, starring RanjhaVikram Singh, Sonia Mann, Yograj Singh and Gugu Gill, is touted to be trending on YouTube. Director Simranjit Hundal shares his stand, “I don’t derive satisfaction out of hits unless someone comments on the trailer or follows up with a call.” At the same time, Simranjit also sees the ‘trending’ beneficial for the film. “If a trailer like 25 Kille is trending, then those who don’t know about the film will like to check on why it is trending, this of course helps the film.”

Numbers do lie

In the past, Punjabi films Angrej, Sardaarji, Jatt James Bond, Ardaas and Love Punjab collected hits in millions within 2-3 days of the trailer launch on Youtube. At the same time, films like the recently-released Needhi Singh despite garnering 17.5 lakh views couldn’t stand out at the box office at all. Film distributor Aadesh Sharma puts forth a balanced view on this number game. “Firstly, it is not at all possible to predict the success of a film through YouTube views or whether a movie is trending or not. Not all the Youtube audience come to theatres, and two, views just show that a particular number of people have seen the trailer, in no way it says they have liked it or not.”