It might not have starred big, established names, but Karan Johar’s ‘Student Of The Year’ (SOTY) has received a great response, proving that the filmmaker rarely puts a foot wrong. The film, starring newcomers Alia Bhatt, Varun Dhawan and Sidharth Malhotra, has been declared a hit by the men doing the maths. Trade analyst Taran Adarsh says, “The collections have been excellent – R30 crore in its first weekend and R5 crore on Monday, which is fabulous. And with Dussehra today and Eid on Friday, the numbers are only going to rise.” Analyst Komal Nahta says, “SOTY is doing very well. It had a good start and has held on even on weekdays. The business will shoot up this weekend.” Film exhibitor-cum-distributor Akshaye Rathi agrees, adding that that after a long time, a fresh, youthful film has hit theatres. He says, “Considering the fact that SOTY released during Navratri and stars three debutants, its performance at the box office over the weekend has been spectacular. With all the praise and appreciation it’s got, the film should sustain well over the weekdays and even the second week, with families following the youngsters to cinema halls.” Karan, evidently ecstatic, comments, “The terrific response to SOTY and the newcomers is extremely heartening. It was an important film for the company and I’m very happy that we emerged victorious. Sidharth, Varun and Alia have passed with distinction! I’m very proud of them.”
