Prediction came true to the T when it came to two new releases - 'Yaariyan' and 'Dedh Ishqiya'. It was mentioned in this very column last week that the way 'Yaariyan' had generated enough heat in the month leading to the release, it won't be a surprise if it actually ends up doing well while giving good enough competition to 'Dedh Ishqiya'. Though it had sounded unbelievable to believe, the signs were all there and it was a matter of choice to pick them on the way.

Well, this is what happened as 'Yaariyan' led the show, and how, right from its opening show. Chartbuster music did the trick and the film only ended up showing good improvement as the opening day came to a close. The film got some of the poorest reviews ever for a mainstream commercial entertainer but that didn't deter youth as close to 18 crore came in the opening weekend. Now these are fantastic numbers indeed as this not just brings the film in a safe zone but also ensures good enough profits in the making. In the process, Divya Khosla Kumar has also made a successful debut as a director.

Meanwhile 'Dedh Ishqiya' had a disappointing first day even though critical acclaim was just the opposite. Just like Ishqiya, this Abhishek Chaubey film earned all the stars that it could. However, and as mentioned in this column last week, the film wasn't really looking at a phenomenal footfall on Day One. There were too many factors pulling it down and it was apparent that audience wasn't really queuing up to watch it on the very first day. Still, one did expect 40% off footfalls at least, which surprisingly didn't turn out to be the case at all.

Eventually the film did make some progress over the weekend and ended up being in the vicinity of the 12 crore mark. Now this is just on the same lines as what 'Ishqiya' had made four years back. With a start like this, the weekday collections become all the more important. That would go a long way in deciding if the film would eventually cross the 22 crore total of 'Ishqiya'.