Box Office

A COSTLY GAMBLE
The Ramzan season, traditionally considered inauspicious for new releases, has begun, and the industry expects it to affect box-office collections. Not that prior to this, the films were doing particularly well. The audience has rejected almost every film released since July. And the trade accuses the producers of not being unduly bothered about the plight of the distributors, who have acquired films in the fond hope of making a profit on their investment. The real losers are the exhibitors who bank mainly on star cast films. But they don’t seem to have learnt their lessons either. There are a hundred odd completed films, but they refuse to back them, because these have none of the big stars in them. Even the distributors seem to prefer the star ventures, even though they have lost heavily on the gamble. Yet, it’s amazing how the trade still prefers to gamble big.

THAKSHAK:
The film appears to have fallen between two stools, and has appealed to neither the class audience nor the masses, notwithstanding the presence of Ajay Devgan and Tabu in the cast. The collections of the first week came to a meagre 56 per cent in Mumbai, hardly enough to cover the costs of print and publicity.

SAUTELA:
As expected, the Mithun starrer has failed to catch the viewer’s fancy. This film is no exception to the glut of Mithun movies that have hit the screen in recent months, only to come a cropper. Its collections in Mumbai, came to a paltry 31 per cent, which means it is in deficit.

KHOOBSURAT:
The film has remained steady in the second week with collections of 86 per cent, almost the same as last week. But hold it, this is only in Mumbai, Maharashtra and Gujarat. Elsewhere, the film has had a below-par run.

DILLAGI:
The film has been a total washout. In its third week, it has registered 46 per cent collections in Mumbai. Elsewhere, too, it has had an ordinary third week.

HUM SAATH SAATH HAIN:
One expected this film at least to hold its own on a long run, considering it’s a Rajshri movie. But it has taken a nosedive in collections, registering a mere 46 per cent in Mumbai in its fifth week.

BHOPAL EXPRESS:
The opening was not what it ought to have been. Since only two prints of the film have been released, it has its saving grace. The film is meant for the discerning audience, and a better performance at the box-office was hardly expected.

This Week:
This Friday, there will be four new releases, including the Akshaye Khanna-starrer, Dahak, and the Mithun Chakraborty movie, Tabahi. The other releases are Behke Kadam and Vishwa Sainik (dubbed).

MSM Desai