Abid, Bollywood Trade News Network

Coming to the first major project of 2008, Ashutosh Gowariker's Hrithik-Aishwarya starrer, JODHAA AKBAR, the movie started on a fair to average note, but picked up significantly as the weekend progressed. The makers have declared a healthy weekend figure of 16-17 crores. Released at around 90 plus cinemas of Bombay by UTV Motion Pictures, the film had a fair start. Outside of Bombay, the film was weak in some smaller circuits of East India, average in C.P. Berar and C.I. and good in Nizam and Delhi NCR. Trade feels that the quite expensive film will have to show a good run for at least a couple of weeks, before it can think in terms of success. Opening in UK was good, with a gross of $717,085 and in US excellent, as the movie grossed $1,602,356 (4-day weekend). By and large, the overseas circuit has reported good collection.

Rohit Jugraj's SUPER STAR has turned out to be an expected setback for the makers. The opening week saw 53 lakhs from Bombay, 10 lakhs from Ahmedabad, 1.20 lakhs from Rajkot, 1 lakh from Nasik, 13 lakhs from Delhi city, 2.50 lakhs from Noida, 3 lakhs from Ghaziabad, 1.80 lakhs from Lucknow, 1.25 lakhs from Meerut, 1.70 lakhs from Gurgaon, 1 lakh from Faridabad, 3.15 lakhs from Nagpur, 1.75 lakhs from Indore, 1 lakh from Guwahati, 11 lakhs from Calcutta, 2.75 lakhs from Jaipur and 11.50 lakhs from Hyderabad. During the first week, SUPER STAR managed to collect a poor 2.40 crores from India. The film is a big flop.

SUPER STAR's release partner, Planman Motion Pictures' MITHYA, managed to surprise with its collection. The film had quite decent shares to show for its price. MITHYA collected 65 lakhs from Bombay, 8.50 lakhs from Ahmedabad, 60 lakhs from Delhi city, 11 lakhs from Noida, 7.60 lakhs from Ghaziabad, 3 lakhs from Lucknow, 12 lakhs from Gurgaon, 2.25 lakhs from Faridabad, 3.50 lakhs from Nagpur, 4 lakhs from Indore, 17.15 lakhs from Calcutta, 1 lakh from Jaipur and 7.75 lakhs from Hyderabad. Netting around 3.60 crores in its first week from India, MITHYA is likely to turn out to be another surprising success for the BHEJA FRY director, Rajat Kapoor, especially in view of its shoestring budget.

With barely 25 lakhs in its second week, Oracle Entertainment's RAMA RAMA KYA HAI DRAMAAA, featuring Rati Agnihotri, Anupam Kher, Neha Dhupia, Amrita Arora, Aashish Chaudhary and Rajpal Yadav crashed out and is a trade disaster. Just for records RAMA RAMA KYA HAI DRAMAAA has folded out, netting barely 2 crores from India.

Meanwhile after last week's crash, Rohit Shetty's SUNDAY fell further, collecting 35.50 lakhs from Bombay, 13.50 lakhs from Ahmedabad, 2 lakhs from Rajkot, 1.20 lakhs from Bhavnagar, 1.05 lakhs from Nasik, 19 lakhs from Delhi city, 4.10 lakhs from Noida, 6.30 lakhs from Ghaziabad, 6 lakhs from Lucknow, 1.70 lakhs from Meerut, 5 lakhs from Gurgaon, 2.20 lakhs from Faridabad, 3 lakhs from Nagpur, 1 lakh from Amravati, 2.10 lakhs from Indore, 8 lakhs from Jaipur and 4.75 lakhs from Hyderabad. Adding another 1.80 crores, SUNDAY has netted slightly in excess of 20 crores, in three weeks from India. The Ajay Devgan, Arshad Warsi, Irrfan Khan and Ayesha Takia starrer can at best be rated as a below average (Bombay) to failure from India. The only consolation is that SUNDAY has fared much better than Ajay Devgan's last release HALLA BOL in the UK, grossing a decent $387,898, especially in view of the cast and the makers.

Aamir Khan's directorial debut venture, TAARE ZAMEEN PAR, still manages to earn significantly for its makers, though on the lower side. Checking out the numbers, TAARE ZAMEEN PAR collected 25 lakhs from Bombay, 6.25 lakhs from Ahmedabad, 1.50 lakhs from Rajkot, 1 lakh from Nasik, 21.50 lakhs from Delhi city, 2.15 lakhs from Noida, 2.50 lakhs from Ghaziabad, 2.40 lakhs from Lucknow, 1 lakh each from Meerut and Faridabad, 2.35 lakhs from Gurgaon, 5.25 lakhs from Nagpur, 4 lakhs from Indore, 2.65 lakhs from Bhopal, 1 lakh from Aurangabad and 8.25 lakhs from Hyderabad. During its latest outing, TAARE ZAMEEN PAR, added another 1.60 crores and the eight week all-India total now stands at 58.60 crores. The Darsheel, Aamir and Tisca starrer is a blockbuster hit in India. TAARE ZAMEEN PAR has performed extremely well in the US, grossing $1,223,869, but has under-performed in the UK with a gross of $679,463. But given the overall collections in the overseas circuit,