First weekend performance of latest release

There was some optimism regarding the fate of 'Aap Ki Khatir' since it was a significant release of the week with 'Sandwich' not even in the reckoning. An average/above average response seemed to be on the cards but there was a surprise in store when the film opened to a below average response all over with not even slightest of buzz or word of mouth emerging after the crucial first weekend was through. The makers' strategy of promoting it as a Yashraj brand of feel good family cinema didn't really lure the audience much who seem to be taking a breather after the highly hyped 'Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna'. Inspite of starring reasonably reputed names like Akshaye, Priyanka, Amisha, Suneil and Dino coupled with some decent music by Reshammiya, audience shied away from watching the film in theatres. The reviews weren't killing but were nothing above average also! The film could make for a decent family viewing when it makes its satellite premier and arrives on DVDs but in theatres it seems to be destined for a short stint.

Other release of the week, 'Sandwich', came unsung and so low profile was its arrival that even the film's director Anees Bazmee was unaware about this years-in-the-making film's fortunes. None from the starcast [Govinda, Raveena, Mahima] had any role to play in the publicity of the film and eventually the film crashed on show one itself. It's a non-starter at whichever theatre it released.

Last week's movies

'Ahista Ahista' opened poorly and simply crashed as the week progressed. The film has met with a disastrous response with collections in the tune of just over a crore after the end of the first week. Released at just over 100 prints, the film had its best collections coming from Mumbai but even there it managed to net only around 25 lakhs. Delhi, the second most lucrative territory, was poor too with a contribution of only a million. The film has been rejected at theatres and should barely survive beyond 2-3 weeks. The second release of the week, 'Kathputli', may take the distinction of coming with possibly the minimum number of prints in its first week. With just 40 prints circulating across the country, the film made a miserable 4 lakhs which is absolutely shocking. The film would go down as one of the biggest disasters of the year.

From the past

Highest you reach, mightiest is the fall. This held true for 'Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna' which had only one way to go i.e. down after a record breaking first week. Now numbers may indicate that it is a fall but is that really the case? Let's look at it this way. If a film makes near to 40 crores in its first two weeks, would it be counted as a flop? By no imagination can one say that! KANK is going through the same phase when it has now made over 38 crore in two weeks but because it enjoyed a 28 crore first week and followed it up with a 10 crore + week, a 'fall' of 60% is looking as significant. Yes, all said and done the fall is a little below what one one had expected [a 50% fall is a healthy industry trend] but then how many films have actually made such kind of money in 2 weeks flat.

Unlike other super-duper hits this year, the film didn't create any records in the second week and had its biggest collections as 1.75 crore in Mumbai and 1.25 crore in Delhi. From business point of view the film is a 'hit' though fact cannot be denied that a fall like this indicates that KANK would be a lesser money spinner than what one had expected looking at the opening weekend. The film should eventually cross 45 crore but a 50 crore mark seems to be highly improbably now.

'Anthony Kaun Hai' would be off theatres soon to make way for the pair of Sanjay Dutt and Arshad Warsi to resurface with 'Lagey Raho Munnabhai' this Friday. The film has now touched 7.5 crore but doesn't seem to be reaching anywhere close to 8 crore before its run ends. A flop, since it was made at a moderate cost it won't make a big dent in the pockets of its investors. Ajay Devgan is having a decent time at the box office with two of his films continuing to do decent business at the box office though with a different overall status. High selling cost of 'Omkara' means that inspite of the fact that it added a crore to make the collections cross 21 crore after a 4 week run, it would still be labelled as a below average film. On the other hand 'Golmaal' with its 28 crore total is an above average [though it could have been a comfortable hit if only the selling price was low]. Bottom-line is that whatever the status indicates, audience have loved both the flicks and have watched them in big numbers!

In the future

'Lagey Raho Munnabhai' and 'Jaane Hoga Kya' are the two releases of the week and it doesn't take an Einstein to predict which of the two would take on a flying start. Munnabhai is a brand and the publicity has peaked at just the right time to make the film a preferred choice for the viewers. The film should embark on a very good start [80% plus] and bring home some neat moolah to give it a hit status on the basis of first week itself. With no major competition over coming weeks, it should enjoy a long run at the theatres.

In comparison 'Jaane Hoga Kya' seems to be another non-starter [after 'Shaadi Karke Phas Gaya', 'Darwaza Bandh Rakho', 'Ahista Ahista' and 'Sandwich']. Though the concept of the film [cloning] is interesting, there is just no excitement build-up for this Aftab-Bipasha-Preeti Jhanginai flick.  It would be surprising if this stuck-in-the-cans-for-years film stays beyond 2 weeks at the theatres.