Bollywood Bakwas

UTV Motion Pictures release 'Kismat Konnection', a Tips Production, opened to a worldwide gross box office of more than Rs. 27 crs in the opening 3 days. The film was released in more than 900 screens worldwide, including the US, UK, Australia, Pakistan and the Middle East amongst other countries.

The highest opening ever for a Shahid Kapoor film, 'Kismat Konnection' grossed Rs 20.76 crs with an average per print of Rs. 3.75 lacs in India. This is the second highest opening weekend for a film in 2008, the first being 'Race', which was produced & distributed by the same team of TIPS and UTV Motion Pictures, respectively.

In the Middle East the film did a total of USD 260,310 (Rs. 1.12 crs). Opening numbers in the Middle East are third highest for a Hindi film in 2008 after Race and Jodhaa Akbar, both of which were distributed by UTV Motion Pictures.

In the US the film collected USD 213,112 (Rs. 91.63 lacs) up to Saturday night. Australia saw a weekend collection of USD 42,952 (Rs. 18.46 lacs).

In Australia the film had the third highest screen average in 2008 behind The Dark Knight (Batman) and Mamma Mia. In UK the film had a cumulative weekend collection of USD 223,641 (Rs. 95.51 lacs).

In Pakistan the film had a bigger opening day than Race and Goal with USD 22,418 (Rs. 9.6 lacs) on Friday.

Siddharth Roy Kapur, CEO of UTV Motion Pictures said, "We are thrilled with the opening weekend collections of Kismat Konnection around the world. This demonstrates the value of backing strong content with aggressive marketing and distribution. This is the second consecutive blockbuster in our association with TIPS, with both movies that we have collaborated on - Race and Kismat Konnection - notching up the Top 2 opening weekends of the year so far!"

After scoring a hat-trick of hits with Jodhaa Akbar, Race and Aamir in the first half of 2008, this is the fourth consecutive blockbuster from the UTV Motion Pictures stable this year.

Directed by Aziz Mirza, 'Kismat Konnection' is a story about Raj Malhotra (Shahid Kapoor) who is still struggling to find that One Chance to showcase his mettle, the quirky oracle, Hasina Bano Jaan (Juhi Chawla) and Priya (Vidya Balan) who he discovers is his lucky charm. But Priya not only has had unpleasant encounters with Raj before she is also opposed to the very project that he desperately wants to work on... his ambitious dream project Raj pretends to help her with her cause while pushing his own agenda. But there are two problems. One, he falls in love with her and doesn't want to cheat her and Two; she discovers the truth about him before he can tell her.

Uncle Aamir is so much so pleased with JTJYN's stupendous success that he decided to appreciate his nephew Imran in a different style. Recently Mamu Aamir gifted his oh-so cute Bhanja (nephew) Imran Khan a white BMW. The BMW, which Aamir gifted Imran is amongst the latest models in the market costing close to Rs. 50 lakh.

Imran is extremely fond of cars and Aamir was well aware of this. Therefore Aamir thought that this would be the best way to congratulate Imran on his spanking new success with his debut film JAANE TU...YA JAANE NA. Imran, who wasn't expecting anything like a BMW, was ecstatic with Mamu's wonderful gesture

First weekend performance of latest release

There weren't any expectations whatsoever from MEHBOOBA. Since the film's subject (a love triangle), treatment and music is the kind that worked only a decade back and has precious little to offer for the urban centers which are loving their dose of JAANE TU YA JAANE NAA, this Sanjay Dutt, Ajay Devgan and Manisha Koirala film primarily saw a single screen release and that too mainly in the interiors of North India.

Well, the strategy seems to have paid as the audience out there hasn't really shown it's back to the film, hence resulting in a satisfying weekend. Made on a lavish scale, this Afzal Khan film does boast of Sanju baba as the prime attraction which has managed to attract audience to theaters. Though it is still too early to call the film as safe, a decent opening has won at least half the battle for those who have invested in the film.

Last week's movies

Amongst all the films which released this year and went on to be major successes (RACE, JANNAT, JODHAA AKBAR), JAANE TU YA JAANE NAA has done the best business if one looks at the number of prints that it arrived at and the crores it went on to earn. The film is now the first ever to have crossed the 20 crores milestone in spite of being releases at less than 400 prints - a record! The film has been fantastic all over with blockbuster collections from Mumbai (5 crores) followed by Delhi (2.3 crores).

Those who have invested in the film have hit gold and icing on the cake comes from the fact that the film is progressing quite well in it's second week as well. Superhit! While 50 crores is a given for this film with mainly newcomers, it would also make Abbas Tyrewala as the second filmmaker ever (after Sajid Khan - HEYY BABYY) to achieve this feat in his debut film. The difference here is that while HEYY BABYY starred Akshay Kumar in the lead, JTYJN has newcomers Imran Khan at the helm of affairs!

LOVE STORY 2050 has flopped and if the second week crashes badly (which very much appears to be the case), it may well qualify as a box office disaster. Released at double the print count of JTYJN and earning half of it in the first week (10.5 crores), the film has only gone down on an inversely proportionate manner! The film never saw a rise at all, let aside any fall in collections as days passed by, which has led to the debate opening up again - Should the film have waited for a week or two and see a solo release instead of clashing with JTYJN?

Of course the ifs and buts would continue to haunt Harry and Harman Baweja for years to come but the fact remains that if released solo (or without a major competition), LOVE STORY 2050 may have done at least a little better than what it has done now. The film has been a looser all over with Mumbai falling short of even 2 crores mark (~1.75 crores) and Delhi too failing to touch 1 crore (~90 lakhs). The flak which the film has got is unparalleled and LOVE STORY 2050 unfortunately finds itself in the league of TASHAN and RAM GOPAL VARMA KI AAG which were universally panned!

From the past

THODA PYAAR THODA MAGIC is now fourth flop in a row for Yash Raj Films after LAAGA CHUNARI MEIN DAAG, AAJA NACHLE and TASHAN. Whatever chance that the film had after decent word of mouth in the first week was killed completely due to JTYJN euphoria. Suddenly people were just not interested in giving the film a chance since all eyes were on Imran-Genelia love story. Saif-Rani were ignored and the youngsters lapped, hence resulting in a massive 70% fall in collections!

With barely 4.5 crores coming in for this Kunal Kohli directed film, this one is second straight flop in a row for Saif and Rani after TASHAN and LAAGA CHUNARI MEIN DAAG. While Saif still has a RACE behind him and some exciting projects ahead of him, the picture is quite bleak for Rani who is now far away from her 'Queen' throne with Katrina Kaif and Kareena Kapoor being the hot contenders now!

With a 90% fall in it's third week, DE TAALI is now sighting a DVD release. Ending it's run at 8.5 crores, the film has been quickly forgotten with everyone associated with this 2 years-in-the-making film moving on with newer projects. MERE BAAP PEHLE AAP is also ending it's 'theek-thaak' run by collecting 35 lakhs more in it's 4th week. Seeing a big fall week after week after a reasonably fine opening week, this Priyadarshan-Akshaye Khanna starrer has been a forgettable affair though for it's makers Shemaroo, it has got them a decent success at last. At 23 crores, the film is now set for a DVD release.

As predicted last week, SARKAR RAJ has seen another major fall over the week gone by with 80% dip in collections. With only 15 lakhs more coming in, the film now stands at 34 crores. However, in a week's time from now, it should be running at a few centers (~10) and celebrate 50 days for itself.

In the future

It is going to be a battle of realism v/s candy floss as Ram Gopal Varma and Shahid Kapoor take on each other in KISMAT KONNECTION and CONTRACT. The two films are in complete contrast of each other. While Ramu's CONTRACT promises to be a massy thriller because of it's underworld/terrorism connection, it's a different kind of 'connection' in KISMAT KONNECTION which is a fun-n-cool outing.

Ramu's film is seemingly third in the trilogy of his underworld films after SATYA and COMPANY. Since the film stars newcomers, an opening better than 30%-40% isn't really expected. It is a word of mouth film and unlike SARKAR RAJ which did it's best business in the first week, this one would have to largely depend upon content to make an impression and sustain itself at theaters for far more weeks.

On the other hand Shahid Kapoor would be looking at taking his lover boy image forward after big hits like VIVAH and JAB WE MET in the last couple of years. With Aziz Mirza at the helm of direction, one can certainly expect a sensitive outing in KISMAT KONNECTION with ample feel good moments, especially so with Shahid-Vidya pairing looking quite unique. The film promises to take a good opening and ensure Shahid yet another success.

Farhan Akhtar: "After much deliberation, my favourite film of 2007 will have to be Anurag Kashyap's 'Black Friday'. It is a great adaptation of the book. The theme is relevant and poignant. The screenplay is tight and taut with an amazing insight into the day of the Mumbai bomb blasts and what happened thereafter, and a powerful message. The performances were well-etched and the camerawork was absorbing."

Raj Kumar Santoshi: "I didn't see too many films in 2007. From the ones I saw I liked Imtiaz Ali's 'Jab We Met'. I liked the script and the performances of all the artistes and the direction. The treatment was fresh and the presentation was entertaining. I believe 'Chak De India' is also very good. I plan to see it soon."

Madhur Bhandarkar: "My favourite films of 2007 are 'Taare Zameen Par' and 'Chak De India'. I wept like a baby in Aamir's film. Both are very simple, sincere and moving films. The kind that I'd like to make."

Anurag Basu: "My favourite? I liked 'Taare Zameen Par', 'Chak De India', 'Jab We Met' and 'Guru' equally for different reasons. Please don't ask me to choose one."

Sriram Raghavan: "My favourite films of 2007 are 'Chak De India' and 'Taare Zameen Par'. Both are superb unconventional subjects with leading stars. We need more stars doing more such films for sure."

Vipul Shah: "Aamir Khan's 'Taare Zameen Par' is the best of 2007 without doubt, followed by Shimit Amin's 'Chak De India', Anurag Basu's 'Life In A Metro' and Anurag Kashyap's 'Black Friday'."

Satish Kaushik: "I liked 'Chak De India' for its directorial skills, on-the-dot energetic performance by Shah Rukh and the fresh talented cast and most important of all, the spirit of victory."

Bhavna Talwar: "My favourite film of 2007 was Navdeep Singh's 'Manorama 6 Feet Under'... Finally, film-noire from India! 'Chak De India' ...beautiful script and a fabulous take on the Islamic identity in India and not just a sports film. Imtiaz Ali's "Jab We Met" was honest, refreshing and straight from the heart."

Mira Nair: "My choice would be Julian Schnabel's 'Diving Bell & The Butterfly.' It was deeply original, visually stunning and a remarkable story on the triumph of the spirit. Among 'desi' flicks I'd go with 'Chak De India'. It was a ge fun and a great feel-good tale, brilliantly cast."

David Dhawan: " Taare Zameen Par' is undoubtedly the best film of 2007. The performances were great, emotions were superb; and the movie was backed by a powerful script. Aamir Khan is outstanding both as director and actor."

Rakeysh Mehra: "'Taare Zameen Par' is my favourite film of 2007 for endless reasons, mainly because of the director Aamir and his passion."

Prakash Jha: " 'Chak De India' would qualify as one of the year's best film for its theme and treatment. It had the quality to move and entertain."

Sujoy Ghosh: "Farah Khan's 'Om Shanti Om' was my favourite. It's just the kind of movie I'd want to make."

Imtiaz Ali: "Leaving aside my own 'Jab We Met', it'd have to be Anurag Basu's 'Metro'. Interesting characters."

Karan Johar: "Undoubtedly 'Chak De India' and 'Om Shanti Om'. 'Chak De' was entertaining and at the same time deep and moving with a serious subtext. As for OSO, it was Farah and fun all the way. Both the films showed Shah Rukh's star power."

Mahesh Bhatt: "Wrong number, dear. I don't watch movies. Why watch the reflection of life when you can lock eyes with life itself?"

Related posts:
Expert Reviews on Aaja Nachle
Madhuri Dixit Enjoys her Comeback...
Aaja Nachle is back in UP...lyrics deleted॥
Amrita Rao says i was like shit when i saw OSO...
Sonali kulkarni will be out of Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa tonight
Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal Box office collection first week
Halla Bol Leaves space for Welcome Release postponed

It was a year of successful comedies, inspirational sports films and path-breaking cinema that dealt with sensitive subjects.

As curtains go down on year 2007, it is time to look back and reflect. Has Bollywood moved on from where it was at the beginning of this year? Or is it still stuck in stereotypes? Have filmmakers in our industry begun to think out of the box? Or is the tried-and-tested formula still the best bet for success?

The answer is both yes and no. Here’s why.

Most of the comedy films that released this year managed to get bumps on the seats in theatres. And most of them offered nothing radical except box-office success. The year’s most successful comedies Partner and Heyy Babyy were no doubt funny, but the humour in them was presented in the same way we have seen umpteen times before – with greater emphasis on slapstick than wit. And the recently released Welcome falls into the same category. In other words, all three films resort to the tried-and-tested formula.

And then there were other flicks like Bhool Bhulaiyaa and Om Shanti Om that were not out-and-out comedies but had good doses of humour and turned out to be crowd-pullers at theatres.

Surprisingly, there were only two successful romantic films this year: Namastey London and Jab We Met , both of which did not pander to the obvious clichés of Bollywood love stories.

On the other hand, sports-based films brought a whiff of freshness into the industry bereft of interesting themes to make films on. Chak De India , starring Shah Rukh Khan as the Hockey coach of a ragtag team of girls, won people’s hearts and became the nation’s anthem. Production house UTV almost tried to replicate the success of the Yashraj film with their own Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal , but fell way short. However, both the films told inspiring stories about the rise of the underdogs.

Another inspiring film was seen at the very beginning of the year. Mani Ratnam took inspiration from the life of an industrialist and made Guru with Abhishek Bachchan playing a small-town boy who starts his own business and keeps expanding it with his unending quest for higher goals.

But the best film of the year came at the fag end of 2007. In the second last week of December, Aamir Khan stole everyone’s thunder with his extraordinary film Taare Zameen Par , a deeply touching story of a dyslexic kid’s pain, isolation, disillusionment and struggle. The film will undoubtedly be a tough contender for major award functions next year. Darsheel Safary , the child artist, is my pick for the Best Male Actor. Aamir Khan absolutely deserves the Best Director trophy. And I won’t be surprised if TZP is adjudged the Best Film.

TZP has brought a perfect end to the otherwise ordinary year for Bollywood. It is path-breaking cinema.

Related posts:
Welcome 2007 - Uncha Lamba Kad songs lyrics
Welcome 2007 - Hooth Rasileyy Tere Song lyrics
HANUMAN RETURNS Dont want to clash with Taare Zameen Par
Dino Morea Delayed shooting of Dus Kahaniyaan by 3 weeks
Trailer of Hanuman returns
Shahrukh and others at Om shanti Om Success Party
Hrithik's best Dance at filmfare

With a historic opening, not only has the Indian Films-Studio 18 mega release, WELCOME outstripped competition and emerged the final winner at the box-office, but the numbers in the overseas have also surpassed those of all erstwhile solo Akshay Kumar titles, creating a new record for the superstar!

In the UK, the preview and opening weekend gross was a smashing £370,000 (approx) from 40 locations.

In the UAE, just the 5-day business of WELCOME was nearly as much as the lifetime gross of Kumar's earlier hits. The business to date is AED 1.8 million from 29 locations.

In the US, the first two days grossed $100,000 only from the mainstream theatres (independents excluded) extremely impressive considering the biggest grosses will start from December 26. In almost every mainstream location, WELCOME out-grossed even the major Hollywood openers like Charlie Wilson's WAR, P.S. I LOVE YOU and WALK HARD: THE DEWEY COX STORY.

Remarks Akshay Kumar of breaking his record, "Three previous hits and now WELCOME creating records; 2007 has been a year of box-office fortune! I'm glad that I'm ending 2007 on a high (literally) with WELCOME, my highest overseas opener."

Related Posts:
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Taare Zameen Par listen to songs
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Dhan Dhana Dhan inspired by Real Story
Salman khan's new role in Saawariya
Saif Started drinking again
Taare Zameen par - Taare Zameen par title song lyrics

The ShahRukh Khan – Deepika Padukone starrer Om Shanti Om stayed in the UK top ten for two weeks, and collected a record 19 million dollars in its opening week.

At least five other Bollywood films made it to the UK top ten. This impressive feat was achieved despite screening minimum prints and negligible publicity.

According to industry sources, Akshay Kumar starrer Welcome has done well in the UAE.

"On 29 prints, the Indian Films-Studio18 Eid release is said to have opened to an unprecedented AED 450,000 (USD 1,22,482)," the sources said.

With Chak De India and ‘Om Shanti Om’, the King Khan has proved that he is firmly entrenched on his throne.

Related Posts:
King khan is riding high on success of Om shanti Om
Om Shanti Om's struck with new controversy
Shahrukh Khan apologies and made manoj kumar laugh..
Shahrukh and others at Om shanti Om Success Party
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Shahrukh khan blasted BCCI for commenting on his visit to ODI is to promote OSO
Indian Box office Results for Om shanti Om
Shahrukh khan apologizes to Manoj Kumar
Om Shanti Om made $18m at Box office
Shahrukh khan praises Deepika for her Performance in OSO
Comedy Scenes in Om Shanti Om - mind it,return of khiladi
Akshay Kumar's return as Khiladi
Pakistan Cricket Players doesnt like Om Shanti Om
Deepika Pudukone the next Superstar
Shahrukh khan movie's biggest ever opening
Interesting Facts on Om shanti Om
Om Shanti Om : Movie Review
Om Shanti Om premiere London 4 Videos

It's time for another exclusive & super rapid-fast report from yours truly of this week's films.
Keep reading for more on the major success of Jab We Met, and the 4 disappointments that came in a row known as Aaja Nachle, Dus Kahaniyaan, Khoya Khoya Chand, & Dhan Dhana Dhan...GOAL.
So, let's break it up:

Negatives -

1. Aaja Nachle has not held up as well as it could at all overseas & has started its second week in India on a dismal note.
2. Dus Kahaniyaan has opened very disappointingly worldwide.
3. Khoya Khoya Chand has gotten a terrible opening worldwide, especially the UK, which was just a complete & total nightmare. Keep reading for more on that specific disaster.
4. Dhan Dhana Dhan...GOAL cotinues to slip big overseas & has proven a let-down in India as well.

Positives -

1. Jab We Met's collections are still mind-blowing & its verdict has reached a new high.
2. Om Shanti Om is still sexayyy. =)

Weekly Top 5:

1. Aaja Nachle (+/-0)
2. Om Shanti Om (+/-0)
3. Jab We Met (+/-0)
4. Dus Kahaniyaan (NEW)
5. Khoya Khoya Chand (NEW)
------------------------------
Aaja Nachle:

Not just Madhuri fans, but everyone is sure to be disappointed by the fate of Aaja Nachle. The film has failed to leave a mark anywhere in the world, much to the dismay of the queen bee's followers. Madhuri Dixit was an eagerly awaited legend since the day Devdas released. After 5 years, she was the one who came back, & mesmerized & stunned the audience. Her comeback film Aaja Nachle, however, did not. After a dismal opening last week in India, the film managed to collect a very disappointing first week gross around 10 crore. With the second week beginning on a dull start as well, the final word on the film in India doesn't seem too difficult to guess. In the UK, the film shook up after a nice, satisfying opening. It fell 51% & made ?82,200. Managing to stay in the UK Top 10 for another weekend, this time at #10, the total so far is ?325,200. At this point, the film has the potential to still do a great ?435,000+. We'll see if it can reach that goal in coming weeks. In Australia, the film has underperfomed as well, but the results are better nonetheless. Staying in the Australia Top 20 for another weekend, this weekend at #20, the film fell a moderate 48% & made $28,800. The total so far is an average $107,100. In New Zealand, the film fell a tiny 23% to make $9,100 NZD. The total so far is a decent $27,000 NZD. In the USA, the film has taken a noticable drop after an already poor opening. It fell 56% this week & made $114,600. The total so far is a quite disappointing $425,500.

UK Verdict: Semi-Hit
USA Verdict: Below Average
Australia Verdict: Average
India Verdict: Flop

Aaja Nachle's Overseas Gross: 2.62 crore (UK) + 1.68 crore (USA) + 0.37 crore (Australia) = 4.67 crore

Jab We Met:

Now this is the biggest surprise success of the year! Who would have thought that a film from the only somewhat sucessful jodi of Kareena & Shahid would find so much success when it was delivered by a director whose first film flopped & was only on his 2nd film, was a romantic comedy written off as dull due to some promos, and released only two weeks before the enormous Diwali clash between Om Shanti Om & Saawariya, where it should have burned and ended. Even in its 6th week in India, Jab We Met's collections at this point are so impressive & absolutely rock-steady. In the UK, the total has reached a superb ?422,300.

UK Verdict: Hit
Australia Verdict: Below Average
India Verdict: CHANGED FROM *Hit* TO *Super Hit*

Khoya Khoya Chand:

We can't say this wasn't coming. Khoya Khoya Chand was expected to flop & it looks like the prediction came true. The film found itself with a poor occupancy on opening day of just 15% in India. With bad reviews from critics and few takers already, the film's fate gets all the more predictable. In the UK, the film is an absolute disaster! We knew it would be bad, but this is just so damn low. On simply 8 theaters, the film debuted on the UK charts at #38 & made a horrible, tiny, terrible, & miserable ?4,700. The screen average is an even worse, disgusting, shocking, horrific, & horrendous ?582. IN TERMS OF SCREEN AVERAGE, KHOYA KHOYA CHAND HAS GOTTEN THE LOWEST OPENING OF 2007! YES, LOWER THAN RGV'S AAG, NO SMOKING, HATTRICK, EVERYTHING!

UK Verdict: Disaster

Dus Kahaniyaan:

Well, that's an unpleasant surprise. Dus Kahaniyaan main's territory of commerical strength was supposed to be India more than anywhere else. But the area has proved to be a let-down big time for the film. Its occupancy there on opening day was a very disappointing & poor 25-30%. Reviews from critics are strictly average. The big theater count of 600 cinemas & decent price may help to some extent in the end. In the USA, the film has proven a huge let-down as well. On 55 theaters, the film debuted at #25 on the USA charts to make merely $176,700. The screen average is a poor $3,200. In the UK, the film debuted at #13 on the charts to made a very low ?39,600. On 24 theaters, the screen average is pathetic ?1,700.

UK Verdict: Flop
USA Verdict: Flop

Om Shanti Om:

In its 4th week in India, the film fell a hefty 56% & made another 4.75 crore. The total raked in so far is an earth-shattering, rediculous, & incredible 81.24 crore! In Australia, the total has risen to an unimaginable & grand $452,000. In the UK, the film continues to slide, but no biggie since most of the money-collecting job was done long ago. It fell 67% & made ?15,000. The total so far is a eye-boggling, mind-spinning, & absolutely brilliant ?1.29 million.

UK Verdict: Blockbuster
USA Verdict: All-Time Blockbuster
Australia Verdict: All-Time Blockbuster
India Verdict: Blockbuster

Om Shanti Om's Overseas Gross: 10.38 crore (UK) + 14.16 crore (USA) + 1.58 crore (Australia) = 26.12 crore

Dhan Dhana Dhan...GOAL:
Poor Johnny. After the huge worldwide commercial disaster No Smoking, he finds himself disappointing everyone yet again - for the 4th time this year. Goal fell about a quite large 60% in India in its 2nd week & the 2 week total is just 15 crore. In the UK, the film dipped a hefty 83% & made just ?2,800. The total so far is a very poor ?107,000.

USA Verdict: Flop
UK Verdict: Flop
Australia Verdict: Below Average
India Verdict: Below Average

Dhan Dhana Dhan...GOAL's Overseas Gross: 0.86 crore (UK) + 0.46 crore (USA) + 0.23 crore (Australia) = 1.55 crore

Gauri-The Unborn:

Here comes the shock of the century: Gauri has done poorly all over India.
India Verdict: Flop

Related Keywords:
Box Office
Aaja Nachle
Khoya Khoya Chand
Om Shanti Om
Gauri- the unborn
Goal
Jab We Met
Madhuri Dixit
John Abraham
Kareena Kapoor
Shahid Kapoor

It's time for another exclusive from yours truly. Here's the latest exclusive 'fresh out of the even' box-office information of one of the most awaited films of the year, with the most awaited comeback ever: AAJA NACHLE!
Did the film live up to box-office expectations?
What have audiences & critics thought of it?
What will happen as the days pass?
Keep reading to find out the answers to these questions & more.

Weekly Top 5:
1. Aaja Nachle (NEW)
2. Om Shanti Om (-1)
3. Jab We Met (+2)
4. Saawariya (-1)
5. Dhan Dhana Dhan...GOAL (-2)
--------------------------------
Aaja Nachle:

Madhuri Dixit it back & how in 2007! The actress has gotten the dream comeback film for her - film revolves around art, dancing, and theatre & is produced by the illustrious and huge banner Yash Raj Films. After 5 years, many truly were dying to see her. The single sight of her perfect hip shakes or perfect smile would make everyone melt. Truly a legend, Madhuri Dixit finally comes back to the silver screen and her fans have never been happier. However, all is not well. The film has gotten disappointing overall reviews from critics. Some loved it; some thought it was a huge, boring let-down. Most found it ordinary and weak, describing it as a one-time timepass watch worth only to see the queen be spectacular on screen again. However, the public has a different story. Its view of the film was nowhere near the dislike critics had for it. Audience feedback is much much better, which certainly is a sign of hope for the film. The feedback from those that matter most - the common people - is wonderful & very very great overall. Anyway, let's put this aside cause the overall feedback has been positive & strong from audience so far. Also, why is audience feedback so important for Aaja Nachle especially? Well, we don't want it to end up like Saawariya - great initial but enormous & ridiculous crash after the weekend of release cause of terrible reviews from critics & the public. To make matters worse, Aaja Nachle is in a much tougher situtation cause its opening is nowhere near Saawariya. Okay, enough comparing. What are the hardcore stats? The sad truth is that out of 5 films, Aaja Nachle has gotten the lowest opening of the year for a Yash Raj Films film in the USA & India, & the second-lowest in the UK (ahead of Chak De! India), Australia (just a tiny tick ahead of Laaga Chunari Mein Daag), & India (ahead of Laaga Chunari Mein Daag). Unfortunately, and extremely shockingly and disappointingly, Aaja Nachle opened in India to a poor occupancy on opening day of just 25-35%. Multiplexes of big cities were definitely better. Overall, the film needs to do well with the public over the week to stay alive, otherwise it has no chance. In the UK, the film made a great ?169,400. Debuting at #10 on the UK charts, the screen average on 42 theaters was a good ?4,000. It's not extraordinary, but still it's satisyfying enough & if the film can hold on, it just might become a hit there like the recent Jab We Met, which opened to similar intial UK numbers. In the USA, the film collected a very disappointing $257,700. On 66 theaters, the screen average is just a poor $3,900. The numbers are one of the lowest for a major film this year. 2007 truly was a terrible year for Yash Raj Films in the USA. None of their films opened to more than $460,000, while 2006 saw incredible, rediculously fantastic, & amazing openings for Fanaa ($875,000+) & Dhoom 2 ($1.3 million). Only Kabul Express was the failure, but the indescribable blockbusters Fanaa & Dhoom 2 more than made up for it. In Australia, the opening weekend collections are an average $53,500. On 11 theaters, the screen average is $4,900 & is the 3rd highest on the Australia Top 20 chart. In New Zealand, the film collected an okay $12,000 NZD (New Zealand Dollars) on 3 theaters for a screen average of $4,000 NZD. Let's keep our fingers crossed and hope that the great audience feedback so far is indicative of upcoming success & that Madhuri's star power draws more audiences over the days as the word-of-mouth of mouth to watch the queen be her amazing self again spreads.

Om Shanti Om:

In its third week in India, the film fell an acceptable 59% & made another great 10.50 crore. The total so far is an incredible, mind-blowing, & breath-taking 76.0 crore! In the UK, the film dipped a mighty 61% & made ?45,000. The total so far though is an earth-shattering & insane ?1.26 million! The film is India's 8th-highest grosser ever in the UK.

UK Verdict: Blockbuster
USA Verdict: All-Time Blockbuster
Australia Verdict: All-Time Blockbuster
India Verdict: Blockbuster

Saawariya:

The film continues to crash terribly all over India. In the UK, the film fell another atrocious & disgusting 90% to make a pathetic ?1,200. After just 4 weekends, the film is already out of the box-office race; just terrible! The total so far is just ?307,000.

UK Verdict: Below Average
USA Verdict: Average
Australia Verdict: Semi-Hit
India Verdict: Flop

Dhan Dhana Dhan...GOAL:
In its first week in India, the soccer flick made a satisfying 10.74 crore. It did well in multiplexes of big cities, but failed to leave a mark everywhere else. If it manages to stay alive for week 2, it may be able to recover its costs. In the UK, the film has totally collapsed, falling a huge 70% to make just ?17,000. The total so far is only ?98,900.
USA Verdict: Flop
UK Verdict: Flop
Australia Verdict: Below Average

Jab We Met:

In its 5th week in India, the film did amazing yet again! It fell a tiny 24% to make another fabulous 1.75 crore for a fantastic total so far of 26.94 crore. The film will definitely reach the 30 crore mark, and maybe more, at this rate. In the UK, the total of the film fell 68% & made ?2,500; that's even more than Saawarya's collections for this weekend & Jab We Met released 2 weeks before! The total so far has reached a brilliant ?420,300.

UK Verdict: Hit
Australia Verdict: CHANGED FROM *Average* TO *Below Average*
India Verdict: Hit

Gauri-The Unknown:

The film's opening in India was extremely poor for this destined-to-be disaster.
--------------------------------
Weekly Predictions:

Dus Kahaniyaan:

UK - ?75,000+
USA - $110,000+
India - 13 crore+

Khoya Khoya Chand:

UK - ?40,000+
USA - $60,000+
India - 8 crore+

Strangers:

India - 1 crore+

Don't expect any 3 of the films to do spectacular overseas. Anyway, DK will do just so-so overseas at best. No big star & only somewhat successful soundtrack are major problems. Also, just a tick stronger promotion to make the film seem as big as it was w. 10 directors and all was necessary. India should get a decent opening though. I feel like people there like the film a little more, so occupancy on opening day should be okay. KKC will have a very poor opening everywhere. It has no hype, strong promotion, or star power. The soundtrack was very adored by critics, but found no commercial success. Overall, let's just skip this & fast-forward to the awaited Dec. 21st with Welcome & Taare Zameen Par. =)

UTV has declared first Week Collection of GOAL to be around 10.74 Cr Net. Following are the details:

- 3 days Weekend collection was Rs. 7.29 Cr

- 4 days Weekdays collection was Rs. 3.45 Cr

- Major contribution came from Multiplexes which contributed for around 75 to 80% of total collections

- Metros and Mini Metros have performed well. Smaller centers and single screens have below average performance. Good single screens are above average.

- UTV's estimate for first week was around 11.50 to 12 cr. There is a slight shortfall in collections due in 2 territories UP and West Bengal. Because of bomb blasts, collections were affected in UP while in case of West Bengal, collections were affected due to Nandigram issue.

- Overall major contribution came from Mumbai circuit which is around 47%.

Following are the territory-wise collections:

Delhi - 1,79,14,974
UP - 46,73,259
Punjab - 89,59,093
Rajasthan - 36,77,871
Mumbai City and Suburbs - 2,49,80,844
Saurashtra - 17,27,543
Gujarat - 1,14,19,426
Maharashtra - 89,47,664
North Karnataka - 6,31,530
CP - 35,37,672
CI - 26,92,926
Mysore - 44,18,735
Tamilnadu - 21,70,034
Kerala - 7,81,623
Nizam - 59,27,122
West Bengal - 48,94,461

Total - 10,73,54,776

January:
Parzania
Salaam-E-Ishq
Risk
Anwar
Guru
Kudiyon Ka Hai Zamana

January 2007 - Winner: Guru

February:
Honeymoon Travels Pvt Ltd.
Eklavya - The Royal Guard
Undertrial
Black Friday
Traffic Signal

February 2007 - Winner: Honeymoon Travels Pvt Ltd.

March:
Say Salaam India
Khanna & Iyer
Delhii Heights
Namastey London
The Namesake
Just Married
Hattrick
Sarhad Paar
Red
Water
1971
Nehlle Pe Dehlla
Nishabd

March 2007 - Winner: Namastey London

April:
Ta Ra Rum Pum
Panga Naa Lo
Kya Love Story Hai
Big Brother
Life Mein Kabhie Kabhiee
Bheja Fry
Provoked
Shakalaka Boom Boom

April 2007 - Winner: Ta Ra Rum Pum

May:
Salim Langde Pe Mat Ro
Cheeni Kum
Shoot Out At Lokhandwala
C.I.D.
Raqeeb
Ek Chalis Ki Last Local
Humkadam
Good Boy Bad Boy
Life In A... Metro
Yatra

May 2007 - Winner: Cheeni Kum

June:
Awarapan
Apne
Aap Ka Surroor - The Moviee
Chain Kulii Ki Main Kulii
Jhoom Barabar Jhoom
Swami
Dharm
MP3 - Mera Pehla Pehla Pyaar
Red Swastik
The Train
Fool 'N' Final

June 2007 - Winner: Apne

July:
Partner
Naqaab
My Friend Ganesha

July 2007 - Winner: Partner

August:
Dhokha
Ram Gopal Varma Ki AAG
Victoria No. 203
Kaisay Kahein
Heyy Babyy
Buddha Mar Gaya
Marigold: An Adventure In India
Chak De! India
Kaafila
The Blue Umbrella
Cash
Gandhi-My Father

August 2007 - Winner: Chak De! India

September:
Dil Dosti Etc
Johnny Gaddaar
Manorama-Six Feet Under
Dhol
Aggar
Nanhe Jaisalmer
Dhamaal
Darling

September 2007 - Winner: Dhamaal

October:
No Smoking
Mumbai Salsa
Bal Ganesh
Jab We Met
Speed
Laaga Chunari Mein Daag
Bhool Bhulaiyaa
Go

October 2007 - Winner: Bhool Bhulaiyaa

So, the First weeks number are out

Om Shanti Om's First week's nett from 850+ cinema is 41 CRORE. Beating Sawaariya(20 crore) by a huge margin.

Om Shanti Om - Week 1

# Mumbai - 7,19,19,944 (Incl. Thane)
# Ahmedabad - 1,89,36,855
# Himmatnagar - 10,02,160
# Baroda - 13,06,850
# Bharuch - 10,02,770
# Jamnagar - 9,57,808
# Bhavnagar - 8,88,302
# Pune - 15,59,364
# Ahmedabad - 6,67,729
# Goa - 21,28,686
# Nasik - 12,56,241
# Delhi - 3,07,33,710
# Noida - 39,20,396
# Kaushambi - 10,73,130
# Gurgaon - 50,19,717
# Ghaziabad - 8,60,197
# Aligarh - 8,67,095
# Agra - 7,50,000
# Bareilly - 5,00,347 (record)
# Faizabad - 16,59,161
# Nagpur - 28,36,246
# Raipur - 19,79,263
# Bhilai - 5,72,105 (record)
# Chandrapur - 4,49,539 (record)
# Amravati - 5,70,511 (record)
# Yavatmal - 2,32,324 (record)
# Wardha - 3,32,736 (record)
# Durg - 2,30,825 (record)
# Akola - 4,34,814 (record)
# Indore - 20,64,363
# Ujjain - 3,25,600
# Sehore - 1,68,300
# Jaipur - 24,89,963
# Kota - 8,58,333
# Ajmer - 6,55,307
# Kolkatta - 65,27,378
# Guwahati - 3,11,488
# Darjeeling - 5,35,960
# Bangalore - 22,10,289
# Chennai - 5,03,775

USA's first week Total : 2.1 million !


Source: Indiafm.com , boxofficeindia.com and boxofficemojo.com
Just the numbers, waiting for Wonderful's BO report with his superlative adjectives.

SRK RULES !

It was another record for Om Shanti Om to break… and this time it broke it by a verbal mile!

Shah Rukh Khan’s comedy spoof made $5m dollors more than Saawariya internationally, and a staggering $8m more than the Tom Cruise political thriller Lions For Lambs.

1 Om Shanti Om $18,174,637
2 Saawariya $13,343,201
3 Lions for Lambs $10,339,561
4 Ratatouille $9,291,284
5 The Heartbreak Kid $8,727,080
6 Stardust $5,817,532
7 Resident Evil: Extinction
8 Si jie (Lust, Caution)
9 30 Days of Night $4,928,897
10 The Bourne Ultimatum $4,795,347

Shah Rukh Khan is all set to beat himself within 4 days. Confused? Well read on then…

The King of Bollywood sweeped past newcomer Ranbir Kapoor within hours on Friday, he then gave Hollywood Oscar winner Tom Cruise a run for his money on Saturday, and if things keep going like this… then this time tomorrow night (Monday) he will have beaten himself. Saawariya was floored first, then Cruise starrer Lions For Lambs faced stiff opposition, and now predictions are that the total UK collections of Chak De India will be surpassed within hours by the super duper success of Om Shanti Om.

Offical UK Box Office takings for the Yash Raj sports flick Chak De India closed in UK on £416,917 (US $867,265 - INR 34,094,355)earlier this year. Current estimates for Farah Khan directed Eros International release Om Shanti Om stand at $400,000. Which means that within hours Om will have crushed Kabir.

Om Shanti Om is also very close to be titled as the Top Bollywood Grosser in the UK for 2007. That title currently belongs to the Akshay Kumar starrer Namastey London. It’s total UK collections are £830,851 (US $1,728,616 - INR 67,956,216). Expectations are that Om Shanti Om will indeed become the UK Number ONE within two weeks
source : radiosargam

• Film - Jab We Met
• cast - Shahid Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor
• Producer -Dhillin Mehta
• Verdict - is fun-filled, unique and a sweet love story.
• Weekly Gross(Rs)- 6,21,80,087 (week 1)
  
• Total Gross(Rs)- 6,21,80,087

• Film - Bhool Bhuliyaa
• cast - Akshay Kumar, Vidya Balan, Amisha Patel,Shiny Ahuja
• Producer -Bhushan Kumar, Krishan Kumar
• Verdict - Fetches an excellent start all over. 'Hit'
• Weekly Gross(Rs)- 2,83,33,025 (week 3)
  
• Total Gross(Rs)- 9,46,46,829

• Film - No Smoking
• cast - John Abraham,Ayesha Takia,Paresh Rawal,Ranvir Shorey
• Producer -Kumar Mangat,Vishal Bharadwaj
• Verdict - The movie will smoke out of the box office soon. This one’s a killer for distributors.
• Weekly Gross(Rs)- 1,00,48,862 (week 1)
  
• Total Gross(Rs)- 1,00,48,862

• Film - Laaga Chunari Mein Daag
• cast - Jaya Bachchan, Rani Mukerji, Abhishek Bachchan, Konkona Sen Sharma, Kunal Kapoor, Anupam Kher and Hema Malini
• Producer - Aditya Chopra, Pradeep Sarkar
• Verdict - Got a boost on Saturday and Sunday due to Idd festivities. Is better at select multiplexes, but is below expectations otherwise. Appreciation is missing
• Weekly Gross(Rs)- 60,90,207 ( Week 3)
  
• Total Gross(Rs)- 9,46,46,829

• Film - Mumbai Salsa
• cast - Vir Das,Linda Arsenio,Manjari Phadnis,Dilip Thadeshwar
• Producer -Vikram Bhatt
• Verdict - Lack of face value is the biggest handicap of this otherwise good film.
• Weekly Gross(Rs)- 26,89,238 (week 1)
  
• Total Gross(Rs)- 26,89,238

The much talked about Shahid Kapoor - Kareena Kapoor starrer Jab We Met, which previewed in the UK on 25th October, has "smashed" the box-office on its opening weekend.

An Indian Films release distributed by Studio 18, Jab We Met grossed £11,488 on its advance previews night on Thursday, and £144,525 on its opening weekend, making its gross to date, £156,013 from 31 sites.

This is the biggest ever opening for a solo Shahid Kapoor-starrer, radically above that of his other erstwhile hits in the UK, Chup Chup Ke and 36 China Town.

Says Tanuj Garg, Head - UK & Europe, Studio 18, "It's been a while since we had a young well-made romantic comedy. The heartening opening of Jab We Met in the UK can be attributed to strong marketing and promotion aided by exuberant reviews and word-of-mouth."

source : indiaglitz

Bhool Bhulaiyaa, has already touched 40-crores in just two weeks and looks all set to cross Bhagam Bhag's total nett, by this weekend itself, and maybe get to 50-crores.

fourth consecutive success for the winning duo of director Priyadarshan and actor Akshay Kumar? Well, that is how it has turned out to be! Just to recollect, the team's success trend, which started with HERA PHERI (2000), continued through GARAM MASALA (2005) and BHAGAM BHAG (2006). And now we have BHOOL BHULAIYAA in 2007!
An interesting aspect of their hits is that each subsequent one surpasses the magnitude of success of their previous venture and by a big margin. GARAM MASALA beat the 8-crores collected by HERA PHERI and BHAGAM BHAG surpassed GARAM MASALA's 27-crores, to get to 42-crores.

Their latest collaboration, BHOOL BHULAIYAA, has already touched 40-crores in just two weeks and looks all set to cross BHAGAM BHAG's total nett, by this weekend itself, and maybe get to 50-crores.

With Reference to BWtorrents forumn these are the results of Best Performance in Lead role..although much of the films and actors not added..

Abhishek - Guru		18	34.62%
Emraan - Awarapan		8	15.38%
Vinay Pathak - Bheja Fry		5	9.62%
Akki - everything		15	28.85%
Saif - Ta Ra Rum Pum		2	3.85%
SRK - Chak De India		26	50.00%
Govinda (fat lard) - Partner		6	11.54%
Zayed "annoying" Khan - Cash		2	3.85%
Riteish Deshmukh - everything		5	9.62%
Akshaye Khanna - Gandhi		6	11.54%
Neil Mukesh - Johnny Gaddaar		6	11.54%
Salman Khan (this is a piss-take ok) - Partner		6	11.54%
?		2	3.85%