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Bollywood's 'Devdas' breaks Bombay box office records
by Jay Deshmukh
BOMBAY, July 15 (AFP) - "Devdas", Bollywood's most expensive film ever, swept the box office across India at the weekend to break all previous records, trade analysts told AFP Monday.
Produced at a cost of 500 million rupees (10.2 million dollars), "Devdas" -- a tragic love story starring superstar Shah Rukh Khan -- saw full house signs posted at all screenings in some 300 to 350 cinema halls around India, they said.
For Bombay alone -- Bollywood's headquarters and the industry yardstick -- the weekend collections from 19 cinema halls amounted to six million rupees (122,449 dollars).
The box office opening weekend record in Bombay was held by last year's multi-starred "Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham (Sometimes Joy, Sometimes Sorrow), which raked in 3.5 million rupees on the first weekend.
This was followed by mega hit "Gadar" (Uprising) and Oscar nominee "Lagaan" (Tax). No weekend box office takings are available for the latter two, but first-day receipts for "Gadar" amounted to 1.18 million rupees and for "Lagaan" 1.0 million rupees.
"Devdas has received a fabulous 100 percent opening response all over the country, breaking the previous box office records," Taran Adarsh, publisher of film magazine Trade Guide told AFP.
He said figures from centres outside Bombay were not immediately available.
"However, the feedback is that it is the same everywhere."
Media reports indicate that "Devdas" has also opened to full houses in the United Kingdon, scooping more than 60,000 pounds on the opening day alone.
Film analysts attributed the good showing to media hype and strong word of mouth endorsement.
The media interest began long before the movie's release, especially after its screening in the non-competitive segment at the recent Cannes festival.
"It's the craze that is driving the movie. Everyone wants to see it at least once," said Ardash.
"What is interesting is that the movie has generated such a response despite a story that is widely known and with around nine versions of Devdas already made in the past."
Whether it can sustain the interest would become clearer by the end of the week, he added.
"Devdas" is yet another remake of the 1950s classic story of three lovers, this time the emphasis being on lavish sets and sumptuous backdrops.
While Khan plays the role of the pining self-destructive lover, former Miss World Aishwarya Rai is in the lead female role, while popular Bollywood actress Madhuri Dixit enacts the key role of courtesan, giving the third angle to the
story.
Bouyed by the initial success of his production, producer Bharat Shah plans to bring out around 200 more prints for the local and overseas markets.
Shah is also optimistic that his 500 million rupees investment will break even -- possibly by the end of the second week.
"I will recover all my money from the second week if the movie gets a 100 percent response in the first week," Shah told AFP.
Shah was recently released on bail by a Bombay court after sitting in jail for more than a year following his arrest in January 2001 for alleged links to the mafia.
Exhibitors, meanwhile, are cashing in on the film's popularity and have increased prices by 50 to 75 percent.
Bollywood, meanwhile, is sitting fingers crossed hoping that "Devdas" brings in much needed oxygen for the industry.
Bombay's output-oriented film industry churns out low and middle-budget formulaic Hindi movies, is struggling to get out of the red after more than 150 flops in the last six months and only one hit.
Critics say, however, that it is still too early to declare "Devdas" an all-time hit.
"Let the first week go. The crucial test for Devdas begins from Friday when the second week opens," said Adarsh of Trade Guide.
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