Opening of 'Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey', despite controlled expectations, was shocking by all means. Really, one would have expected at least 40% occupancy on the first day (something that was highlighted in this column last week). After all Ashutosh Gowariker is one of the few directors who are hailed for the classy look, feel and content in their films. Still, what happened in reality was truly shocking as the opening hovered in 20% range, quite low by all means. Resultantly, the opening weekend saw just over 3 crores being collected at the box office, which is indeed an extremely low number.

A film like 'Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey' does come with the potential of seeing an escalation in popularity but trouble here is lack of time for that. First and foremost it is not a solo release and though 'Rakht Charitra 2' and 'Phas Gaya Re Obama' haven't fetched great numbers either (more about that later), there is a definite split in collections. Secondly, and most importantly, there are two crowd friendly films in the pipeline next (No Problem, Band Baaja Baaraat) which not just threaten to take away multiplex screens by a big margin but also demand audience attention.

As for 'Rakht Charitra 2', the opening was poor yet again with collections in similar range i.e. 20%. There were a couple of issues with the release. First and foremost, many were not even aware if this was Part 2 which was released or was it the case of Part 1 being in news all over again. Secondly, as mentioned in this column last week, the only audience that remained this time around comprised of those who had seen the first part and liked it. No wonder, the film is doing bumper business in Telugu and Tamil, the prime markets for which the film was made.

'Phas Gaye Re Obama' was the surprise package of the week and saw best reviews coming its way. In fact not a single review thrashed it and just like it happens with most of the small budget films where little surprises are lapped up with full fervour, 'Phas Gaye Re Obama' too cherished all the compliments coming it's way.

The box office didn't reflect similar sentiment though with the opening being on the same lines as the other two films i.e. around 20%. However, unlike 'Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Se' and 'Phas Gaye Re Obama' where massive amount was spent on production, this Rajat Kapoor and Neha Dhupia starrer has been made in shoe string budget. This means that if the film manages to holds on for a couple of weeks, it could end up doing decent theatrical business to reach the safety mark at the least.

The film did see a good word of mouth but that is restricted only to select theaters in urban centres, which anyways is it's core market. Add to that other non-theatrical rights (mainly satellite since music is practically non-existent) and 'Phas Gaye Re Obama' may just about manage to break even.