First weekend performance of latest release

3 medium budget flicks released last Friday - 'Anthony Kaun Hai', 'Darwaza Bandh Rakho' and 'Shaadi Karke Phas Gaya'. Each of the three came with big names [Sanjay Dutt, Ram Gopal Verma, Salman Khan] but at the box office the response was pretty varied. 'Shaadi Karke Phas Gaya' can be singled out for being the most disappointing, both in terms of the content as well as the box office response.

In comparison 'Anthony Kaun Hai' took a decent start at certain places [and not so good at others]. While the reviews have been more or less positive all over with the film being hailed for being truly 'different' than just being a plain claim, the deterrent has been patchy screenplay at places that breaks the narrative. Nevertheless the film has held up well at certain multiplexes and its low cost may take it past the recovery path. Arshad Warsi is the best part of this film as after 'Sehar' this is the second film where he has tried [and succeeded well] to break the shackles of being a 'funny man'. Sanjay Dutt is likeable in his total 15-20 minutes of screen presence [though spread across the film]!

'Darwaza Bandh Rakho' is another dud from the house of Ram Gopal Verma proving once again that promos of majority of his films are better than the actual product [Mr. Ya Miss and Darna Zaroori Hai being some of the recent examples to state]. The film does manage to evoke laughter at places but the end result doesn't really amuse as a whole. The film hasn't really opened too well and its prospects do not seem bright either with big competition coming next week.

Last week's movies

First week's collections of 'Omkara' should silent all those who had proclaimed the film to be a flop after the first weekend itself. Makers of the film have all the valid reasons to say that the film's box office outcome is being sabotaged since a near 13 crore opening is by no means a bad start at all. The film may not have seen a full house occupancy due to huge numbers of prints floating in the market but that doesn't suggest that people have shied away from the film as a whole. In fact 'Golmaal' took exactly a similar start at the box office and has now become a comfortable above-average to hit! 'Omkara' saw good crowds in money spinner cities like Mumbai [2.5 crore] and Delhi [1.5 crore] which is by no standards a poor start. Even in other B and C centers, the collections have been average if not disastrous.

'Omkara' should comfortably sail through to cross the 20 crore mark while the final total may be somewhere around 23-24 crore hence making it a safe preposition overall. Second week is the most crucial for the film's outcome because once KANK arrives, it would most likely be curtains for majority of other films in the running.

Small time flick 'We r Friends' wasn't well received even by the 'friends' of the cast and crew as it saw a miniscule release and got home a mere 2 lakhs! Disaster!

From the past

After four successes [Murder, Zeher, Kalyug, Gangster] and 1 failure [Nazar] in last 2 years, law of averages caught up with Vishesh Films with 'The Killer' facing one of the biggest crashes this year with as much as a 85% fall in its second week! Unbelievable, especially for a film that opened to good reviews and was liked by those who saw. Call it an average publicity, audience waiting to watch the next BIG film or sheer destiny, but this well made popcorn entertainer was not received with open arms by the Bhatt followers this time around. The film added just above 50 lakhs to bring the total of 'The Killer' to 4.5 crores. With not much addition in the sight, the film won't be able to cross even 5 crores. Bhatt's may not loose money due to the prior reputation with the distributors but same cannot be said about the distributors. At maximum, the film would be a recovery in some territories.

It was hardly surprising to see 'Yun Hota To Kya Hota' not making any mark in the second week after a disastrous opening. The film now stands at 1 crore and is already standing close to the exit doors. A disheartening box office outcome for a film that had a person of the caliber of Naseeruddin Shah driving the show!

'Golmaal' continues to stay afloat in a decent way [especially after being written after the first weekend] and adds on another 4 crore in the third week. The film has barely fallen in Mumbai with as much as 1.5 crore coming in the third week [second week read 1.75 crore!]. Overall too its 4 crore collections were around 1 crore more than the sum total of all the other flicks [Krrish, The Killer, Corporate, YHTKH, Fanaa, Phir Hera Pheri, Chup Chup Ke and We R Friends, barring Omkara] running across the nation! A near 25 crore 3 week total clearly indicates which film has been loved most by the audience in last 4-5 weeks!

While the publicity of his next, 'Traffic Signal', has begun, Madhur Bhandarkar's 'Corporate' is facing the RED signal. The film is on the verge of completing its box office run after 4 weeks in the theaters and it should be 2-3 weeks more before it makes a complete exit. Though earlier it seemed that the film would end between 9.25-9.5 crore, looking at the addition of around 40 lakhs in the 4th week with overall total being close to 8.75 crore, 9.25 crore is the maximum that the film may eventually fetch. Still, overall an average runner for Bhandarkar that has consolidated his reputation as a filmmaker with a difference!

'Krrish' has surpassed the dream milestone of 60 crore with its collections reading on the upwards of 61 crore! How much more? This is what one asks for this super-movie that has achieved this target in 6 weeks flat. With a nominal fall of around 40% in the 6th week, the film still has a potential to make a make a couple of crores more before taking a bow. Now one waits to see the hysteria all over again once the film's original DVDs and VCDs arrive.

If not for 'Phir Hera Pheri', 'Fanaa' may perhaps have been the first film to break the 60 crore barrier! Both the films continue to hang on inspite of number of other films arriving and making an impact. 'Fanaa' has now reached 53 crore after 10 weeks while 'Phir Hera Pheri' too has added a couple of million more to its overall 40 crore total so far. Superhits!

In the future

Will it meet the standards set by biggies like 'Rang De Basanti', 'Fanaa', 'Krrish' and 'Phir Hera Pheri' this year? Will it go past the record first week of 'Krrish'? Going by the phenomenal advance bookings [thanks to the block bookings for corporate houses, colleges, kitty parties and neighborhood get-togethers that began as much as 2-3 weeks in advance], there are good indications that it will. With 15-18-20 shows at numerous multiplexes and a near 6 day weekend to boost [11th - Sat, 12th - Sun, 13th - Mon (Many people are on off day due to long weekend), 15th - Tue (Independence Day), 16th - Wed (Janmashtami)], it should be celebration time already for everyone involved with the film. No wonder that other release of the week, 'Kathputli', has now backed out and would be releasing a week later!