Abid, Bollywood Trade News Network

The coming Friday is a unique one in the sense that Ashutosh Gowariker's Priyanka Chopra and Harman Baweja starrer, WHAT'S YOUR RAASHEE?, is the only major release. Some sources also mention the small project, FAST FORWARD. It is obvious that the well made and intelligently promoted WHAT'S YOUR RAASHEE? will find some patronage (though selective), especially amongst the multiplex audience of Gujarat and Maharashtra. Unfortunately that may not be enough to take the film to success.

Last week's two major releases, DIL BOLE HADIPPA and WANTED, went the way we had predicted. Though initially it appeared that the Rani-Shahid starrer, DIL BOLE HADIPPA, would give a good fight to the Salman-Ayesha venture, WANTED, the battle became one sided from Sunday and quite pronounced in favour of the Boney Kapoor film from Monday.

Released at 70 cinemas of Delhi-U.P. (by Yash Raj P.P. Associates), and at 96 cinemas of Bombay city and suburbs (thru Yash Raj Film Distributors), DIL BOLE HADIPPA had an average start in Bombay, but elsewhere was fair at some multiplexes (Delhi-NCR and East Punjab) but very ordinary otherwise. The initial in single screens was quite dull everywhere. The opening was not boosted much even by the Eid holidays. Fortunately, given its total release cost of Rs. 22-23 crore, DIL BOLE HADIPPA will be a safe bet for its makers, who are also its worldwide distributors. Even in the Overseas, DIL BOLE HADIPPA had a very ordinary first weekend (18-20 September), for a Yash Raj project, grossing and#163; 138,189 in the UK, while the US collections have not been disclosed.

On the other hand, the Prabhu Deva directed WANTED released at 85 cinemas of Dehi-U.P. (by Wave Movies/Ginni Arts) and at 108 cinemas of Bombay city and suburbs (thru Raksha Entertainment Pvt. Ltd.), saw a good start in Bombay, and the opening was superb in single-screen cinemas and 'B' and 'C' class centres but average in many multiplexes and big cities. The movie saw a good pick up from Sunday and the collections improved dramatically from Eid (Monday). But given the high budget of 34-35 crore, and the prices that some of the distributors and sub-distributors have paid, WANTED has to show some good performance, even during its second week(end). In the Overseas, WANTED has been rejected in the UK with a poor gross of and#163;69,399 and grossed an ordinary $217,432 from US, both for the first weekend (18-20 September).

Moving on to VAADA RAHA... I PROMISE, the reasonably well made but poorly promoted movie, featuring Bobby Deol and Kangana Ranaut, had poor collections to show. The film collected 5.55 lakhs (collections from 17 cinemas unreceived) from Bombay, 8.15 lakhs from Ahmedabad, 1.30 lakhs from Rajkot, 12 lakhs from Delhi city, 1.15 lakhs from Kanpur, 1.10 lakhs from Aligarh and 2.50 lakhs from Hyderabad. In its opening week, VAADA RAHA... I PROMISE has netted a poor 75 lakhs from India and is a trade disaster.

The acclaimed BAABARR got a few good reviews but poor numbers, collecting 18 lakhs from Bombay, 10.50 lakhs from Ahmedabad, 2.15 lakhs from Rajkot, 13 lakhs from Delhi city, 1.30 lakhs from Noida, 1.05 lakhs from Ghaziabad, 2.75 lakhs from Kanpur, 1.75 lakhs from Gorakhpur, 2.35 lakhs from Gurgaon, 1.15 lakhs from Faridabad, 1.50 lakhs each from Calcutta and Nagpur, 2 lakhs from Indore, 1.10 lakhs from Jaipur and 2.50 lakhs from Hyderabad. During its first week, BAABARR has netted a so-so 1.25 crores from India, but despite its low cost it has flopped.

The two remaining releases of the same week, RUSLAAN and AAMRAS, had negligible collections to show and are unmitigated disasters.

The Shreyas Talpade starrer, AAGEY SE RIGHT, which showed some promise in the Bombay circuit, crashed out of contention. The film collected 8 lakhs from Bombay, 3 lakhs each from Ahmedabad and Delhi city, 1.35 lakhs from Noida, 1.25 lakhs from Ghaziabad and 1 lakh from Gurgaon. With a below par 50 lakhs, AAGEY SE RIGHT has ended its Indian run with an ordinary 3.25 crores in two weeks and has failed at the ticket window.

Deepak Tijori's FOX crashed further collecting 1.50 lakhs each from Bombay and Ahmedabad, 2 lakhs from Delhi city, 1 lakh from Noida, 1.35 lakhs from Agra and 1.25 lakhs from Gorakhpur. The Sunny Deol, Arjun Rampal, Sagarika Ghatge and Udita Goswami starrer adds another 30 lakhs and has netted around 2.80 crores in two weeks and is a huge flop.

Moving on to the Vishal Bhardwaj directed Shahid, Priyanka and Amole starrer, KAMINEY, the film manages to get some more decent numbers, collecting 27 lakhs from Bombay, 2.50 lakhs from Ahmedabad, 1.60 lakhs from Pune, 12 lakhs from Delhi city, 3.05 lakhs from Noida, 1.25 lakhs from Ghaziabad, 1 lakh from Kanpur, 3 lakhs from Gurgaon, 1.50 lakhs from Nagpur and 6 lakhs from Hyderabad. With another crore, KAMINEY has netted around 44 crores in five weeks from India. The film is almost a semi-hit, that has grossed an ordinary and#163;270,874 from UK, till the sixth weekend (18-20 September), but has ended its US run (10th September), grossing a good $1,291,827.

Our last entry of this week is LIFE PARTNER that continues its steady run. The film's collections are now overtaking those of KAMINEY and that is a great achievement indeed. The film collected 25 lakhs from Bombay, 6.15 lakhs from Ahmedabad, 5 lakhs from Baroda, 1.75 lakhs from Rajkot, 3 lakhs from Pune, 1.20 lakhs from Nasik, 19 lakhs from Delhi city, 3.50 lakhs from Noida, 3.25 lakhs from Ghaziabad, 2 lakhs from Kanpur, 1.20 lakhs each from Agra and Meerut, 4 lakhs from Gurgaon, 1.50 lakhs from Faridabad, 2 lakhs from Nagpur, 3 lakhs from Indore, 1.30 lakhs from Bhopal, 1 lakh from Jaipur, 1.15 lakhs from Jodhpur and 2.50 lakhs from Hyderabad. With another 1.25 crores, LIFE PARTNER has netted a decent 22 crores in five weeks from India. The film is an average plus fare, which has also grossed a decent and#163;278,810 till the sixth weekend (18-20 September) from the UK and ended its run in the US (27th August) with a poor gross of $110,240.