Deewaar crumbles at the BO!
Despite the presence of stars like Amitabh Bachchan, Sanjay Dutt and Akshaye Khanna, Milan Luthria's Deewaar - Let's Bring Our Heroes Home didn't exactly get to a flying start at the box office.
And Lakshya showed weak legs at the box office in spite of its great start.

Note: Films are ranked according to their release dates.








Deewaar

Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Sanjay Dutt, Akshaye Khanna, Kay Kay, Amrita Rao
Director: Milan Luthria
Amitabh Bachchan.

Logically challenged.

Number of weeks: New
BO Verdict: Flop
The review







Lakshya

Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Hrithik Roshan, Preity Zinta, Om Puri, Boman Irani, Sushant Singh, Sharad S Kapoor
Director: Farhan Akhtar
Terrific acting, great direction and stunning visuals.

The film moves at a slow pace.

Number of weeks: 1
BO Verdict: Average
The review







Raghu Romeo

Cast: Vijay Raaz, Sadiya Siddiqui, Saurabh Shukla, Maria Goretti
Director: Rajat Kapoor
Good performances, great humour, gritty and well-directed film.

Niche audience.

Number of weeks: 1
BO Verdict: Flop
The review







Dev

Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Om Puri, Kareena Kapoor, Fardeen Khan
Director: Govind Nihalani
Seasoned performances, good music and cinematography.

Too preachy.

Number of weeks: 2
BO Verdict: Flop
The review







Girlfriend

Cast: Ishaa Koppikar, Amrita Arora, Aashish Chowdhury
Director: Karan Razdan
Daring subject.

A flesh fest, not meant for family audiences.

Number of weeks: 2
BO Verdict: Flop
The review







Aan

Cast: Shatrughan Sinha, Akshay Kumar, Suniel Shetty, Paresh Rawal, Raveena Tandon, Lara Dutta, Preeti Jhangiani
Director: Madhur Bhandarkar
Exciting action sequences.

Too many subplots; poor editing.

Number of weeks: 3
BO Verdict: Average
The review







Hum Tum

Cast: Saif Ali Khan, Rani Mukerji, Jimmy Shergill, Rishi Kapoor, Kirron Kher, Rati Agnihotri
Director: Kunal Kohli
Impressive performances; catchy music.

Excessively mushy at times.

Number of weeks: 4
BO Verdict: Hit
The review







Police Force

Cast: Akshay Kumar, Raveena Tandon, Amrish Puri
Director: Dilip Shukla
Akshay Kumar!

An outdated storyline.

Number of weeks: 4
BO Verdict: Flop







Yuva

Cast: Ajay Devgan, Abhishek Bachchan, Vivek Oberoi, Rani Mukerji, Kareena Kapoor, Esha Deol, Om Puri, Anant Nag
Director: Mani Ratnam
Technically inspiring; Abhishek Bachchan's performance.

Confusing screenplay; unnecessary songs.

Number of weeks: 5
BO Verdict: Flop
The review








Uff Kya Jaadoo Mohabbat Hai..!

Cast: Sammir Dattani, Pooja Kanwal, Sachin Khedekar
Director: Manoj Bhatia
Melodious music.

A contrived love story.

Number of weeks: 5
BO Verdict: Flop




Design: Uday Kuckian



rediff!!

**BAD DAY for B BACHAN!! 3 consecutive flops, 4th on its way, KHGN!

INDUSTRY SHOCKED AT 'DEEWAAR' OPENING!

By Taran Adarsh, June 30th, 2004 - 0930 hrs IST


The film industry is still trying to come to terms with the fact that the Big B-Sanjay Dutt-Akshaye Khanna starrer DEEWAAR hasn't fared up to the expectations. The film was expected to fetch a grand opening, given the star presence in this film. But it didn't. Even the positive reviews and encouraging word of mouth didn't help.

What could be the reasons? Industry experts probe…

GAURANG DOSHI
[Producer, DEEWAAR]
“There are two factors that went against the film - an overdose of Mr. Bachchan's films, which, unfortunately, weren't well received. Resultantly, it affected the opening of DEEWAAR as well. The second factor is that the viewer had a pre-conceived notion that DEEWAAR was yet another film based on the Kargil war. Strangely, the viewer was also under the false impression that DEEWAAR reeked of jingoism and had Pak-bashing dialogues in abundance. That kept the audiences at bay.

“DEEWAAR is a macho, realistic film. It's not a soft film like HUM TUM or a non-stop entertainer like MASTI. I didn't want to project [in the promos] anything that the film didn't have. I didn't want to mislead the audience. DEEWAAR is an issue-based film and despite the fact that the film hasn't fared as expected, I stand by my promotion.

“DEEWAAR is faring well in Mumbai, is steady in Delhi and in parts of South, but I have to admit that it is not too happening in U.P., Punjab and C.I. [Madhya Pradesh]. But the word of mouth has been pretty strong and I hope the collections pick up in the coming days.”

ANIL SHARMA
[Producer-Director, AB TUMHARE HAWALE WATAN SATHIYO]
“It is wrong to blame any one actor or person for the success or failure of the film. In the earlier days, a majority of cinegoers used to make up their mind whether or not to watch a film by looking at its posters. In today's times, the promos are the deciding factors. If the promos are exciting, be rest assured of a terrific initial. If not, well… But there's no denying that the release of three films [starring Mr. Bachchan] in rapid succession did affect the opening of DEEWAAR. That does make a difference since the exclusivity goes away.

“I find it rather strange when a few opinion-makers state that Indo-Pak themes are an absolute no-no in today's times. In my opinion, any subject would work provided it's handled well, be it a love story or a murder mystery or a film that looks at the Indo-Pak relationship. There has to be a strong undercurrent of emotions, otherwise our audiences will give the film a skip. Take the case of GADAR. It clicked not because it delved into the Indo-Pak issue, but because of the strong emotional quotient it had to offer. Plus, the dialogues also worked in a big way. Both these factors [emotions, dialogues] were lacking in DEEWAAR.”

SHYAM SHROFF
[Prominent Mumbai & Delhi-U.P. Distributor, Multiplex Owner]
“The one factor that went against the film was that its 3-minute theatrical trailer was on for more than nine months in theatres. That kind of gave a stale look to the film. Besides, these silly taglines like LET'S BRING OUR HEROES HOME, MEN AT WORK etc. also go against the films.

“I don't think DEEWAAR is an anti-Pak film, though they [the makers] should have increased the role of the sympathetic character in the jail and also should have been more kind to the Pakistani characters in the film. The biggest problem, in my opinion, is that Pakistan in the film never looked like Pakistan. The people, the atmosphere, the language, the clothes, the locations were all terribly wrong. How can you pass on Mukesh Mills [in Mumbai] as Karachi port?

“I also don't subscribe to the theory that feel-good cinema is what the audiences prefer watching these days. Every movie has its strengths and weaknesses, but it ought to have that something to keep you glued to your seats for the next 150 minutes.”

DENIS SELARKA
[Prominent Mumbai Distributor - MAIN HOON NA, GARV, MUJHSE SHAADI KAROGI]
“An over-exposure of Amitabh Bachchan starrers and an overdose of Pak-based films could be two reasons why DEEWAAR didn't open to an expected response. Yet, I would say that its opening in Mumbai was fairly impressive. May be the percentage [of occupancy] wasn't that high, which is why people must've felt that the opening has been much below expectations.

“Frankly speaking, for how long can you expect the viewer to patronize films on one issue [Indo-Pak]? Yes, MAIN HOON NA also focused on this issue, but this issue was a small part of it. There were other entertainment-based factors as well. I also agree that the viewer today prefers to watch feel-good entertainers, not stark, realistic films.

“If a film doesn't fare as expected, the industry is quick to point out faults right from the hero's hairstyle to the last possible factor. But if the film works, we do a complete somersault - the same hairstyle becomes its USP. Let's face it, there's no formula for foolproof success.”


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OVERSEAS BOX-OFFICE

By Taran Adarsh, July 01st, 2004 - 0930 hrs IST


FALL OF THE TITANS!
DEEWAAR hasn't found appreciation in U.K. and U.S.A.

U.K. BOX-OFFICE
In U.K., this multi-starrer has collected £ 37,428 on 18 screens [approx. Rs. 31.36 lacs] in its opening weekend [June 25-27], with the per screen average working out to £ 2,079. Despite impressive names, the film has debuted at No. 14 position, which is not a positive development by any standard.


Meanwhile, the collections of LAKSHYA have dropped in U.K. In its second weekend, the film has collected £ 46,944 on 33 screens [approx. Rs. 39.33 lacs], with the per screen average working out to £ 1,423. The total for 10 days has been £ 212,212 [approx. Rs. 1.77 crores].


HUM TUM has also started sliding downwards, with the new releases making a dent in its business. Yet, it continues to be in the Top 20 list, occupying No. 17 position this weekend. The Saif-Rani love story has collected £ 23,183 on 25 screens [approx. Rs. 19.42 lacs] this weekend, with the average per print working out to £ 927. The total so far has been an impressive £ 564,317 [approx. Rs. 4.72 crores].


The Punjabi blockbuster ASA NU MAAN WATNA DA is steady [last weekend: No. 26, this weekend: No. 29], it has collected £ 3,073 on 5 screens [approx. Rs. 2.57 lacs], with the per screen average working out to £ 615. The total so far has been £ 160,995 [approx. Rs. 1.34 crores], which is highly impressive considering the heavy flow of Hindi films.


In U.K., the collections of DEV continue to fall. From No. 22 position last weekend, it has dropped to No. 41 position this weekend. The Big B-Om Puri starrer has collected £ 1,431 on 9 screens [approx. Rs. 11.98 lacs] in its weekend, with the per screen average being £ 159. Its total is now £ 80,668 [approx. Rs. 67.57 lacs].


After ruling the roost for a while now, MAIN HOON NA [last weekend: No. 32, this weekend: No. 56] is now on its way out. Farah Khan's directorial debut has collected £ 242 on 3 screens [approx. Rs. 20,259] in its ninth weekend, with the per screen average working out to £ 81. The total so far has been a fabulous £ 962,717 [approx. Rs. 8.05 crores].

U.S.A. BOX-OFFICE
In the U.S., DEEWAAR has debuted at No. 32 position, collecting $ 111,423 on 41 screens [approx. Rs. 51.22 lacs] in its opening weekend, with the per screen average working out to $ 2,717.


The collections of LAKSHYA have dropped in its second weekend; it has collected $ 139,000 on 57 screens [approx. Rs. 63.91 lacs] in its second weekend [June 25-27], with the per screen average being $ 2,439. The total for 10 days has been $ 606,000 [approx. Rs. 2.78 crores].


HUM TUM has collected $ 15,759 on 14 screens [approx. Rs. 7.24 lacs] in its fifth weekend, with the per screen average working out to $ 1,126. The total so far has been $ 770,392 [approx. Rs. 3.54 crores].

Deewaar´ dissapoints , ´Lakshya´ falters
By: Abid
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This Friday :-

This Friday has a long list of ´B´ and ´C´ grade movies lined up for release . Starting with another long in the making Akshay Kumar movie , ´Meri Biwi Ka Jawab Nahin´ with Sridevi , ´Shikaar- The Musical Thriller ´ and ´Thoda Tum Badlo Thoda Hum´ all over , ´Hyderabad Blues 2 ´ , ´Chale Chalo (documentary) ,´Uff Mirchi ´ , ´Dhanno Dhabewali´ and ´Kundan ´ in some circuit´s and the dubbed version of the Hollywood movie ´Van Helsing´ .

It will be interesting to see how many of the above mentioned films actually make it to the theatres and if they all do release ´Van Helsing´ may end up getting the best results followed by ´Hyderabad Blues 2´ (in class thetres at class centres) .

´Deewaar - Let´s Bring Our Heroes Home´ :-

Indian box-office can be most unpredictable as ´Deewaar - Let´s Bring Our Heroes Home´ was expected to open to an excellent response in the ´B´ and ´C´ centres and given the good advance booking at many multiplexes ( which came as a bonus) , an all India opening looked certain .

However , the opening in Bombay was fair , dull in East Punjab and parts of Delhi -U.P. , C.P. Berar and Bengal .

Verdict :-

On the whole the 30 crore ´Deewaar - Let´s Bring Our Heroes Home´ reportedly distributed for prices between 2 - 2.50 crore per territory , may bring losses to many of its distributors . But till the collections for the first week are out we reserve our final verdict .

´Lakshya´ :-

Backed by an excellent multiplex/cineplex advance bookings , which extended even to the single screens in the Metro´s , ´Lakshya´ had an excellent weekend at most places except part of North and Eastern India . The collections held on even on Monday at many places (mainly the ´A´ centres) , but from mid-week ´Lakshya´ started dropping and apart from Mumbai , the advance booking cracked even in Delhi multiplexes .

Still Lakshya´s first week collections are second only to ´Main Hoon Na ´ but trails it by about 1.5 crore´s .

First week collections :-

Bombay - 1,52,84,846 from 33 cinemas (11 on F.H.) 26 prints engaged in second week .

Thane district - 15,76,947 from 4 cinemas (11 on F.H.)

Ahmedabad - 37,10,008 from 7 cinemas (4 unrecd.)

Rajkot - 8,16,000

Jamnagar - 5,61,715 from 2 cinemas

Bhavnagar(28 shows) 7,34,391 from 2 screens

Solapur - 3,87,777 from 2 cinemas

Nasik - 3,95,322

Delhi - 1,46,24,777 from 17 cinemas

Noida (56 shows)- 20,28,321 from 2 screens

Kaushambi (42 shows) - 7,94,784 from 2 screens

Ghaziabad - 14,63,729 from 3 cinemas

Kanpur - 11,24,415 from 3 cinemas

Lucknow - 18,74,412 from 3 cinemas

Allahabad - 3,43,864

Aligarh - 5,10,462

Dehradun - 3,63,893

Moradabad - 1,60,000

Bareilly - 1,69,344

Gurgaon ( 112 shows ) - 22,93,492 from 5 screens

Nagpur - 8,72,375 from 4 cinemas

Jabalpur - 2,47,262

Raipur - 3,06,031

Channdrapur - 2,01,797

Yavatmal - 79,661

Indore - 8,62,086 ( 2 on F.H.)

Bhopal - 3,07,296 ( 1 unrecd.)

Ujjain - 1,62,000 from 2 cinemas

Jaipur - 4,89,196 (multiplexes unrecd.)

Bikaner - 2,65,401

Kota - 8,58,814

Calcutta - 59,01,495 from 16 cinemas

Hyderabad (gross) - 54,86,538 from 14 cinemas

Vijaywada (gross) - 2,73,642

Vishakhapatnam (gross) - 3,98,111

Madras - 18,70.001 from 3 cinemas

First week collections : 6,77,98,205 from 142 cinemas (reported)

First week total (calculated) All India : 11.80 cr - 12.05 cr

Verdict :-

The first week collections are very impressive , but the way that the movie has dropped , an all India success is not possible and ´Lakshya ´ can at best hope for an average status , with Bombay territory followed by Delhi - U.P. yielding the best outcome , but these along with East Punjab are with the makers and so they are the direct beneficiaries .

The worse outcome/loss is for Rajshri - Zee distribution alliance ( except for Nizam ) . The overseas performance is shockingly poor considering the past records of both Hrithik Roshan and director Farhan Akhtar


IInd week ´Dev´ and ´Girlfriend´ :-


´Dev´



IInd week collections :69,66,760 from 72 cinemas (reported)

Two weeks total (calculated) All India 6.40 cr - 6.50 cr

Verdict :-

´Dev´ that had a total distributor´s cost of 5 crore in India is an avergae , as we had predicted last week and once and if it crosses 7.50 crore it will become an above average or semi-hit . Once again the paying public has a mind of its own .

´Girlfriend´

IInd week collections :47,81,501 from 46 cinemas (reported)

Two week total (calculated)All India : 2.95 cr - 3.00 cr

Verdict :-

´Girlfriend´ distributed for prices ranging from 40 lacs - 50 lacs is a loser (except Bombay )and to get cost coverage , the makers have decided to launch the original VCD/DVD within the next 4-5 days .

´Aan- Men At Work ´ :-

The movie crashed in its second week just like ´Yuva´ and is a loser at most places .

IIIrd week collections 23,44,377 from 34 cinemas (reported)

Three weeks total (calculated) All India : 10.50 cr - 10.60 cr

Verdict :-

The movie is a loser all over (thanx to its heavy distribution price) except Mumbai territory where it is average and Delhi - UP , where it is a cost coverage .

´Hum Tum´ :-

The movie continues to get good collections even in its 4th week .

IV th week collections: 1,24,86,048 from 69 cinemas (reported)

Four weeks total (calculated) : All India 15.00 cr

Verdict :-

´Hum Tum´ has turned out to be a goldmine for the makers , who are also the distributors , the movie already a hit is on way to a superhit status . The movie has also done exceedingly well in the overseas .

´Yuva´ :-

The heavily priced movie has not shown any improvement in the third , fourth ot fifth week


5 weeks total (Calculated) : All India 12.20 cr - 12.25 cr

Verdict :-

A loser all over except for Bombay territory , where it is average .


´Main Hoon Na´

Movies may come and movies may go , but ´Main Hoon Na´ goes on . The steady collections can be gauged from the fact that from the 7th to the 8th week the drop was barely 25 percent .


8 weeks total (calculated) : All India 34.55 cr - 34.65 cr

Verdict : -

´Main Hoon Na´ is now on way to all India superhit status in about two weeks .