Trade Buzz: Will Akshay Kumar’s latest action avatar work at the box office?

Directed by Anthony D’Souza, Boss stars Akshay Kumar, Mithun Chakraborty, Ronit Roy, Danny Danzongpa, Shiv Pandit and Aditi Rao Hydari. Anthony and Akshay came together in 2009 for Blue, but the film failed to impress audiences and critics alike. The duo is back together with Boss – but will the box office results be happier this time around? “Boss belongs to the ‘action comedy’ genre, which is completely down Akshay Kumar’s alley when it comes to delivering hits. To add to that, the music of the film has caught on and will only help it getting a good opening,” says exhibitor-distributor Akshaye Rathi.

Most filmmakers bank on public holidays to boost their film’s prospects at the ticket windows. Similarly, the makers of Boss – producer Ashwin Varde and director Anthony D’Souza – are pinning their hopes on the national holiday and hence releasing their film on Wednesday, October 16 (Bakri Id). However, as Rathi points out, “The only serious barrier in the film’s road to big success at the BO is the period of release, as the pre Diwali weeks are not considered to be ideal for films that involve high stakes. This because the disposable income of people is spent on the preparations for the festival and the average Indian cannot afford family outings or any other entertainment till the bonuses and salaries come in on Diwali.”

Releasing Boss on a public holiday may work in its favour, but as ace astro-numerologist Bhavikk Sangghvi says, the film is strictly for Akshay Kumar fans or lovers of hardcore masala entertainers. He predicts, “The release date of the film – October 16, 2013 is Number 5 (Mercury) which is Akshay’s ‘destiny’ number. And unlike the conventional Friday, the film is releasing on a Wednesday, which is also ruled by Number 5 and that means it is going to be an Akshay Kumar show all the way.”

Also, Ranbir Kapoor’s Besharam and Sharman Joshi-Soha Ali Khan starrer War Chhod Na Yaar haven’t created any waves at the box office. So with hardly any competition, Khiladi Kumar should manage to rule at the box office. What do you think, BollywoodLifers?