Box Office Analysis

First weekend performance of latest release

The week's releases were both diverse in terms of content, starcast, treatment, expectations and the final outcome. While 'The Killer' was a comedy-thriller revolving around two main characters [Irrfan Khan-Emraan Hashmi] with a popcorn treatment that aroused good expectations of a rollicking ride, 'Yun Hota To Kya Hota' was a slice-of-life drama that was a multistarrer [Paresh, Jimmy, Irrfan, Konkona, Ayesha and many more], boasted of some classy treatment and arrived with expectations of some unique outcome.

A common factor though was the fact that both had debutant directors at the helm - Raksha Mistry-Hasnain Hyderabadwaala and Naseeruddin Shah. What did the box office have to say for both the flicks? While 'Yun Hota To Kya Hota' opening to a poor response that was slightly surprising because just before the film's release, the PR machinery had tried to create some buzz around the film, 'The Killer' was better and opened to expected houses with around 50% occupancy over the weekend. Just like 'Golmaal', 'The Killer' can take heart from the fact that not even a single critic panned the film and admitted that it had all the elements of a decent time pass popcorn entertainer.

With just a sole release this Friday [Omkara], this low budgeted film could gain most over the next few days! As far as YHTKH is concerned, it seems highly unlikely that the film would be able to recover its cost in a major way!

Last week's movies

As expected, 'Golmaal' picked up as days progressed and then stabilized over the week at number of centers, with prime contributor being Mumbai [yet again] that generated around 2.75 crores. Fancy prices for which the film has been sold would mean that in Delhi 'Golmaal' would end as an average to above average earner only inspite of a 1.25 crore first week.

Ahmedabad turned out to be a big money spinner [traditionally a center where loud comedies always do a rocking business, most recent example being 'Pyaare Mohan'] with an 80 lakhs plus first week billing! Overall with a 13.5 crore first week, 'Golmaal' is not a bad preposition at all and should prove to be earner for everyone involved. Still, one strongly feels that the film deserved a much better fate!

From the past

'Corporate' took an 'industry-standard' 50% fall in the second week which meant that all-India collections stood at 2.5 crore hence making the film reach a 7.5 crore mark. Mumbai was impressive yet again with around 50 lakhs generation while Delhi, another city where multiplexes have been a regular contributor, the figure was a non-impressive 30 lakhs.

With overall buzz around the film dying down and audiences gearing up for 'Omkara' and 'Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna', the film would soon be relegated to very few prints over the next few weeks, hence making it an overall average runner. Still, it has succeeded with the audience for which it was designed, i.e. the multiplex going audience, and hence has reaffirmed Bhandarkar's hold over quality cinema.

'Krrish' continued to do an amazing business even in the fourth week and in the process swallowed the collections of many other flicks. It took only a 40% further fall which meant that there were still around 5.5 crores to be added to its overall collections of 51 crore plus. With just 4 week billing resulting in around 57 crores, the film is now all set to cross the 60 crore mark in two, if not one week itself. Whatever it does beyond 60 crore would just be a dream run for this Roshan film that has been on a record breaking spree ever since it released.

On the other hand 'Phir Hera Pheri' is now just a week away from 40 crore mark as it now stands at 39.75 crores after adding 0.75 crore last week. 'Chup Chup Ke' dragged on further to add around 10 lakhs, hence bringing the collections agonizingly close to 15 crore [it is just 10 lakhs away!]. Will it make it past 15 crore?

'Fanaa' has show good sustenance over the weeks and added a cool 60 lakhs even in its 8th week. Now the film stands around 52.5 crore but still 'Krrish' has overtaken it to be the biggest grosser of the year so far, and that too by a big margin. Inspite of being a superhit, ironically its celebration for being the biggest grosser of the year lasted only for one week before 'Krrish' sailed past it!

In the future

The song 'beedi' may seem to have been designed only for the interiors but be rest assured that it would enthrall the audience even in up market multiplexes. Yes, we are talking about 'Omkara'. With a tremendous pre-release hype and strong buzz the film comes along with, it is heartening to see such great expectations from a film whose director [Vishal Bhardwaj] is just 2 films old [Makdee, Maqbool] with neither of them being big money spinners!

The film seems like a comfortable success in the making and should embark on a 80% opening everywhere! A lesser known film called 'We R Friends' may also see the light of the day but it hardly stands the chance of a proper all-Indian release, let alone making any mark at the box office.