"Content driven & profitable" - the Mantra at Anushka & Karnesh Sharma's Clean Slate Films

First NH10, now Phillauri, the brother-sister duo deliver back-to-back profitable ventures with strong audience connect

MUMBAI; 31st March, 2017: Content has been the driving force for Anushka and Karnesh Sharma’s production house- Clean Slate Films, and the brother-sister duo has proved it yet again with the success of Phillauri. Committed to creating relevant, entertaining and clutter-breaking cinema across genres, they had earlier produced the thriller - NH10 in 2015 (directed by Navdeep Singh) which was not just a critically acclaimed film but also a very profitable one for all its stakeholders. 

And, the duo has repeated it once again with their recent fun, family entertainer- Phillauri that released last week. 

Opening to a 15.25 cr weekend (India biz), its Day 1 collections (4.02 cr) were higher than Kahaani [Rs. 3 crore] (Kolkata), Tanu Weds Manu [Rs. 3.2 crore] (Kanpur), NH10 [Rs. 3.35 crore] (Gurgaon) and Sarbjit [Rs. 3.69 crore] (Tarn Taran – Punjab), films which had a localized appeal and had an actress as the central protagonist.  

Set in Punjab, the family entertainer has been loved by the audience for its unique content, never seen before VFX and a beautiful storyline with Anushka playing a friendly ghost inadvertently caught in the madness of a crazy Punjabi wedding, and whose love story with Diljit unfolds as the film progresses with a climax that touches your heart. Post the release weekend, the strong word of mouth for the film; especially in the North markets ensured that its Monday collections were at 50% of the opening day and the weekday numbers remained stable. 

Talking about the response, Phillauri has been receiving, Karnesh said, “We are extremely happy with the response the film has been getting. At Clean Slate Films, we believe in making strong content driven films that resonate with the audience thru their unique storylines and execution. At the same time we run a tight ship with controlled budgetary outlays so as to ensure that the film delivers a good return on investment and is profitable to all its stakeholders."

The overall budget of Phillauri was just Rs 21 crore. The producers had already recovered 12 crores from the satellite and music rights before the release, leaving them with only 9 crores to recover. 

The overall Indian Box Office collection in the release week has been a nett total of 22.68 crores. 

Add to it the International business no. of 7.7 crores (just the opening weekend number), and there emerges a strong profitability story yet again for a Clean Slate Films' production venture.  

Snapshot: Phillauri - Budget Vs. Collections

· Total budget - 21 cr

· Recovery thru Satellite & music rights - 12 cr

India BO (nett):

· Friday, 24th Mar - 4.02cr

· Sat, 25th Mar - 5.20cr

· Sun, 26th Mar- 6.03 cr

· Mon, 27th Mar- 2.02cr

· Tues, 28th Mar-1.95cr

· Wed, 29th Mar- 1.81 cr

· Thu, 30th Mar- 1.65 cr

· TOTAL - 22.68 cr

International business: 

· Release weekend only - 7.7 cr

Delighted with the great response that she has been receiving not just for playing the role of the friendly ghost-Shashi, in the film, but also for its most unique, much talked about promotional campaign #ShashiWasThere, Anushka adds, "I'm very happy with the audience response to our film- Phillauri. It is delightful that families are loving the film and watching it together making it truly a - fun, family entertainer which was always our endeavour. I have loved being a part of this journey right from the script stage to its post-production and final release. Feel blessed that our efforts are resonating with the audience."

Watch this space for more exciting Clean Slate Films' projects coming your way!!