It's been seven days since Shah Rukh Khan's film '<keyword id="12756474" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="pathaan" source="Orion">Pathaan</keyword>' released and it seems it is in no mood to slow down at the box office as the action entertainer has raked in Rs 634 crores gross worldwide in just one week since its release on January 25. 'Pathaan', on its seventh day, registered Rs. 23 crores net in <keyword id="3658" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="india" source="Orion">India</keyword> (Hindi - Rs 22 crores, All Dubbed versions - Rs 1 crore), taking the India gross to Rs. 28 crores. The overseas gross on day 7 is at Rs. 15 crore. In 7 days, 'Pathaan' has recorded $29.27 million (Rs. 238.5 crores) in the overseas territories alone, while <keyword id="16322568" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="nett-collection" source="Orion">nett collection</keyword> in India stands at Rs. 330.25 (Hindi - Rs. 318.50 crores, dubbed - Rs. 11.75 crores). 'Pathaan' is part of Aditya Chopra's spy universe and has Deepika Padukone and <keyword id="6354967" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="john-abraham" source="Orion">John Abraham</keyword> in it. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/budget/news/budget-2023-24-key-points-fiscal-deficit-capital-expenditure-privatisation-borrowing-and-nominal-gdp/articleshow/97511933.cms">Budget for world's fastest growing economy: Key numbers to be watched</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/mukesh-ambani-overtakes-gautam-adani-as-the-richest-indian/articleshow/97519749.cms">Mukesh Ambani overtakes Gautam Adani as the richest Indian on the Forbes Real-Time Billionaires List</a>

Pathaan's gross box office collections at ₹634 crore in 7 days

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/28176893.cms" /> Just a few hours from now and a brand new 2014 will be upon us with cheering, partying and celebrations taking place all over the world. But how was the <keyword id="17892" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="bollywood-party">Bollywood party</keyword> in the year 2013? How did the <keyword id="1996024" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Dream-merchants">dream merchants</keyword> fare, what about <keyword id="1996031" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Box-office-performance">box office performance</keyword> and most importantly, what was on the platter for the audience? <keyword id="143" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Bollywood">Bollywood</keyword> will never be the same again post 2013 – a year that has given the mainstream <keyword id="1996034" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Indian-movie-industry">Indian movie industry</keyword> many reasons to rejoice. 
 
For one, Bollywood has gone big in every sense of the term. Unlike last year when small-budget films managed to make big bucks, 2013 was the year of the biggies and crores of rupees were spent on production and marketing. Movies like <keyword id="24705" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="100" keywordseo="Dhoom-3">Dhoom 3</keyword>, <keyword id="500441" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="100" keywordseo="Krrish-3">Krrish 3</keyword> and <keyword id="227940" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Chennai-Express">Chennai Express</keyword> top this trend but others are catching up fast. After all, the savvy audience of today wants big-time <keyword id="4578" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="entertainment">entertainment</keyword> that spells perfection and novelty – be it great <keyword id="5210" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Star-cast">star cast</keyword>, exotic <keyword id="6542811" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="locations">locations</keyword> or stunning <keyword id="648530" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="100" keywordseo="Special-effects">special effects</keyword>. But all these require big money – a prerequisite for <keyword id="1996041" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Box-office-success">box office success</keyword>. Big-budget movies have not disappointed either and at least nine blockbusters have raced to the coveted <keyword id="925977" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Rs-100-crore-club">Rs 100 crore club</keyword> in CY2013. 
 Also, in a bid to grab a bigger chunk of the <keyword id="182563" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="BO">BO</keyword> pie, Bollywood has pushed global distribution and aggressively targeted as many screens as possible, both in India and abroad. For instance, Dhoom 3 has reportedly grabbed the biggest number of screens this time – around 4,500 in India and 750 screens overseas. The previous record was held by Chennai Express (3,700 screens at home and 700 screens abroad). 
 Bollywood has also witnessed a spate of diverse themes – from <keyword id="6355304" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="action">action</keyword> thrillers like Dhoom 3 and <keyword id="115922" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="100" keywordseo="Race-2">Race 2</keyword> to <keyword id="1996044" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Superhero-movies">superhero movies</keyword> like Krrish 3, from romance-dramas like Chennai Express, <keyword id="1886157" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Ram-Leela">Ram-leela</keyword> and <keyword id="791377" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Yeh-Jawaani-Hai-Deewani">Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani</keyword> to <keyword id="145976" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="adult-comedy">adult comedy</keyword> <keyword id="6621270" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Grand-Masti">Grand Masti</keyword> and the impressive <keyword id="394815" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="biopic">biopic</keyword> <keyword id="127336" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="100" keywordseo="Bhaag-Milkha-Bhaag">Bhaag Milkha Bhaag</keyword>. Almost every theme found its niche audience and managed to do big business, which indicate we are maturing as movie-goers. Here’s a quick look at this year’s <keyword id="671120" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="bollywood-blockbusters">Bollywood blockbusters</keyword>, their financials and a brief recap of the movies. 
 
Images: Wikipedia, Indiatimes

9 Bollywood Blockbusters
That Entered Rs 100 Crore Club In 2013

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/38475880.cms" /> After a dull week and indifferent performances, <keyword id="143" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Bollywood">Bollywood</keyword> is rocking once again as <keyword id="193380" type="POSITION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Debutant-director">debutant director</keyword> <keyword id="1801086" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Shashank-Khaitan">Shashank Khaitan</keyword>’s <keyword id="1800884" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Humpty-Sharma-Ki-Dulhania">Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania</keyword> (<keyword id="2253052" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="HSKD">HSKD</keyword>) is grossing big moolah at home and abroad. But that’s not really surprising as the <keyword id="1636016" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="rom-com">rom-com</keyword> released on July 11 has all the right masala punched in, including the star cast. Yes, you have <keyword id="6354526" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Alia-Bhatt">Alia Bhatt</keyword> and <keyword id="383666" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Varun-Dhawan">Varun Dhawan</keyword> back here and the chemistry you saw in <keyword id="549195" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="80" keywordseo="Student-of-the-Year">Student of the Year</keyword> is still sizzling. Riding on hits like 2 States, Highway and Student of the Year, Alia’s Midas touch makes this feisty flick quite adorable while the storyline, a new millennium version of <keyword id="88064" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="100" keywordseo="Dilwale-Dulhania-Le-Jayenge">Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge</keyword>, is another sure shot way to win hearts. So here’s another hit as HSKD, produced by <keyword id="3778" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Karan-Johar">Karan Johar</keyword>, netted Rs 33.74 crore at the <keyword id="827271" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Domestic-Box-Office">domestic box office</keyword> in the first three days (trade figure stands at Rs 33.41 crore) and grossed around Rs 5.55 crore overseas in the first weekend. 
 
“HSKD surpasses ALL expectations and has a FANTABULOUS Sunday: Fri 9.02 cr, Sat 11.25 cr, Sun 13.46 cr. Total: Rs 33.74 cr nett. India biz,” tweeted film critic and trade analyst Taran Adarsh. 
 Monday and Tuesday collections were pegged at Rs 5.60 crore and Rs 5 crore, respectively, as per industry estimates, taking the five-day total at home to around Rs 44 crore. Released in about 2,200 screens, the movie had a comparatively low budget of Rs 29 crore (including cost of production and P&amp;A) and collections at the domestic <keyword id="25892" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="box-office">box office</keyword> are way ahead of the amount. Going by the current trend, HSKD is bound to hit the <keyword id="2368887" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Rs-50-crore-mark">Rs 50 crore mark</keyword> in this week, but whether it can enter the coveted Rs <keyword id="6567206" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="100-crore-club">100 crore club</keyword> is yet to be seen. 
 
<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/38475971.cms" /> 
 
But ask us the secret behind Humpty Sharma’s resounding success and we will falter after a couple of points. Yes, there is Alia Bhatt, aka <keyword id="2256596" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Kavya-Pratap-Singh">Kavya Pratap Singh</keyword>, playing the spirited Ambala lass and getting her way in everything – be it buying an exuberantly priced <keyword id="170" type="POSITION" weightage="40" keywordseo="Designer">designer</keyword> lehenga for her upcoming shaadi with too-good-to-be-true NRI bridegroom <keyword id="26339" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Angad-Bedi">Angad Bedi</keyword> (<keyword id="31020" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Siddharth-Shukla">Siddharth Shukla</keyword>) or falling in love with the chance acquaintance Rakesh or Humpty (Varun Dhawan), a Delhi lad ready to go all out to claim his sweet<keyword id="24479" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="heart">heart</keyword>. While Alia charms all and looks like a modern-day Simran, Varun seems to be lacking Raj’s confidence and charisma. Still, pitted against the picture perfect Angad, Humpty’s vulnerability easily touches our heart. 
 However, there the pluses end. Rehashing an insanely popular <keyword id="2148473" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Bollywood-classic">Bollywood classic</keyword> is no easy task but a total lack of logic, shallow emotions, a ‘sudden’ change of heart and a make-believe climax can hardly support a great love story, even if it’s a millennial love story. It has its moments of warmth and sweetness, but the freshness wanes too soon and <keyword id="303" type="POSITION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Director">director</keyword> Shashank Khaitan leaves the story to meander through painful predictabilities. However, Bollywood buffs are still big-hearted enough to love a love story and that is one of the key reasons why Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania is rocking the box office. 
 
Images: Indiatimes

Box Office: Alia-Varun’s Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania Nears Rs 50 Crore
Mark; Will It Be A Superhit?

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/34077450.cms" /> <keyword id="143" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Bollywood">Bollywood</keyword> has finally come up with a fun-filled, breezy rom-com that features the Gen Y with a genuine frankness and without the traditional trappings of a boy-meets-girl story. But this time, the man is from the North, the woman is from the South and the cultural clashes, strongly upheld by the two pairs of in-laws, nearly ruin the relationship. Inspired by <keyword id="6390428" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Chetan-Bhagat">Chetan Bhagat</keyword>’s best-selling novel, <keyword id="694041" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="2-States-The-Story-of-My-Marriage">2 States: The Story of My Marriage</keyword>, the Arjun Kapoor-Alia Bhatt-starrer <keyword id="72970" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="2-States">2 States</keyword> sparkles on-screen (at least during the first half) and has made a big bang at the <keyword id="827271" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Domestic-Box-Office">domestic box office</keyword>, collecting around Rs 38 crore nett over its debut weekend. The first Monday (Day 4, April 21) did not disappoint either and earnings stood at around Rs 6 crore, as per Koimoi. Total <keyword id="1996079" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Overseas-collections">overseas collections</keyword> during the first weekend amounted to an estimated Rs 13.66 crore. 
 
“2 States has a FANTABULOUS weekend. Friday Rs 12.42 crore, Saturday 12.13 crore, Sunday 13.51 crore. Total: Rs 38.06 crore nett. SUPER HIT,” tweeted trade analyst Taran Adarsh. According to <keyword id="255727" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Box-Office-India">Box Office India</keyword>, the film has emerged as the biggest hit of 2014 and has the potential to be the first Super Hit film of the year, depending on how well it can sustain over the next 10 days or so. 
 
Other two releases of the week include <keyword id="1135108" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Dekh-Tamasha-Dekh">Dekh Tamasha Dekh</keyword>, a brutally honest and vitriolic political <keyword id="1462374" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Satire">satire</keyword> directed by theatre icon Feroz Abbas Khan (of Tumhari Amrita fame), and <keyword id="1167288" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Lucky-Kabootar">Lucky Kabootar</keyword>, a <keyword id="24069" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="romantic-comedy">romantic comedy</keyword> starring <keyword id="1364986" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Eijaaz-Khan">Eijaaz Khan</keyword> and <keyword id="3212" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Kulraj-Randhawa">Kulraj Randhawa</keyword>. The latter, directed by <keyword id="1660883" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Shammi-Chhabra">Shammi Chhabra</keyword>, has been released after too many delays and depicts how <keyword id="6369280" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Lucky">Lucky</keyword> (Eijaaz) ends up marrying the Plain Jane <keyword id="1734" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Laxmi">Laxmi</keyword> (Kulraj), instead of the glam babe <keyword id="190428" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Kammo">Kammo</keyword> (<keyword id="33221" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Shraddha-Das">Shraddha Das</keyword>). But for both the movies, the collections are hardly notable, thanks to very little promotion and near-zero hype. While Lucky Kabootar collected a little over Rs 1 crore in the first two days (Sunday and Monday numbers are still <keyword id="6357415" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="60" keywordseo="missing">missing</keyword>), Dekh Tamasha Dekh garnered around Rs 4.7 crore during the same time span. But we will take a closer look at these two after decoding the tremendous <keyword id="25892" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="box-office">box office</keyword> success of 2 States. 
 
<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/34077499.cms" /> 
 With the <keyword id="6364416" type="COMPANY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Good-Friday">Good Friday</keyword> fervour adding to its charm, <keyword id="2208706" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Abhishek-Varman-directed">Abhishek Varman-directed</keyword> 2 States saw 50-60% occupancy at multiplexes on the first day and also did well in the mass belt. Till date, the best performers are Mumbai and Mysore, with Mumbai amassing over Rs 13 crore nett and Mysore collecting around Rs 3 crore nett. The movie’s opening is the second biggest ever for a non-star-cast film after <keyword id="6621270" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Grand-Masti">Grand Masti</keyword> (2013). <keyword id="127336" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="100" keywordseo="Bhaag-Milkha-Bhaag">Bhaag Milkha Bhaag</keyword> (2013), <keyword id="549195" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="100" keywordseo="Student-of-the-Year">Student Of The Year</keyword> (2012) and <keyword id="1710502" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Shuddh-Desi-Romance">Shuddh Desi Romance</keyword> (2013) are the next in order after 2 States. 2 States is also one of the highest grossers of 2014 and has already surpassed the lifetime collections of some noted <keyword id="569603" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Bollywood-flicks">Bollywood flicks</keyword> including <keyword id="1520199" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Hasee-Toh-Phasee">Hasee Toh Phasee</keyword>, <keyword id="853887" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Shaadi-Ke-Side-Effects">Shaadi Ke Side Effects</keyword>, <keyword id="6354768" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Highway">Highway</keyword> and <keyword id="1434830" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Yaariyan">Yaariyan</keyword>. That is definitely good news for producers <keyword id="27326" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Sajid-Nadiadwala">Sajid Nadiadwala</keyword> and <keyword id="3778" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Karan-Johar">Karan Johar</keyword>. 
 Going by its <keyword id="1996031" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Box-office-performance">box office performance</keyword>, 2 States seems to have done a commendable job, with <keyword id="6354526" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Alia-Bhatt">Alia Bhatt</keyword> (<keyword id="2204646" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Ananya-Swaminathan">Ananya Swaminathan</keyword>) and <keyword id="114453" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Arjun-Kapoor">Arjun Kapoor</keyword> (<keyword id="2204645" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Krish-Malhotra">Krish Malhotra</keyword>) showing a rare on-screen chemistry that rocks and sizzles. The young people meet at the <keyword id="6429635" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="IIM-Ahmedabad">IIM-Ahmedabad</keyword> campus and fall in love, but it is, by no means, a campus romance as harsh social realities await them outside. And the movie, too, stumbles at that point as we are led to <keyword id="122267" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="orthodox">orthodox</keyword> households (Krish is a <keyword id="5105" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Punjabi">Punjabi</keyword> lad and Ananya is a <keyword id="6356629" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="tamil">Tamil</keyword> lass from Chennai as all of you must know by now), instead of modern abodes housing millennial open culture, and two pairs of stereotype Bollywood parents. The rest of the struggles and tribulations faced by the young lovers follow the beaten path until the final-and-inevitable reconciliation that makes everyone happy. 
 
Interestingly, Bhagat’s work has managed to ward off the cliché that lies inherent in cultural clashes and generation gaps. However, the movie has an overdose of everything although it manages to retain some kind of charm that will keep you hooked. As Saibal Chatterjee of NDTV so rightly pointed out, “2 States is a <keyword id="2208734" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Cross-culture-love-story">cross-culture love story</keyword> that strives to be sweet, funny and emotionally wrenching all at once. It is occasionally funny and sweet in parts all right, but the <keyword id="1204454" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="family-drama">family drama</keyword> at the film’s core has a severely stultified feel… It sets out to be a slice-of-life drama about a real couple grappling with the politics of <keyword id="2208729" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Inter-community-marriage">inter-community marriage</keyword>, but it fails to generate enough energy and warmth to draw the audience into a tight clinch.” 
 
In stark contrast to 2 States, Dekh Tamasha Dekh (starring <keyword id="317266" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Vinay-Jain">Vinay Jain</keyword>, <keyword id="2218" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Satish-Kaushik">Satish Kaushik</keyword> and <keyword id="1559" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="tanvi-azmi">Tanvi Azmi</keyword>) is based on a true story and ruthlessly reveals a nation’s <keyword id="2208740" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Political-hypocrisy">political hypocrisy</keyword> and <keyword id="877158" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Communal-Disharmony">communal disharmony</keyword> with the help of its twin tools – satire and <keyword id="424300" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Irony">irony</keyword>. Too many human elements are woven here in a complex tapestry, but the very core of <keyword id="6355987" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="violence">violence</keyword>, <keyword id="6388475" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="tragedy">tragedy</keyword> and hopelessness would hit us hard and keep us wondering about the multi-layered reality we are compelled to confront every day. Although not a typical art house film, this movie is meant for a niche audience and offers a <keyword id="2208742" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Gripping-tale">gripping tale</keyword> of the <keyword id="911828" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="dark-forces">dark forces</keyword> that we are not likely to forget in a hurry. 
 
Images: Indiatimes

Box Office: 2 States Raking
In Big Bucks; Dekh Tamasha Dekh Offers A Gripping Tale

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/37123563.cms" /> <keyword id="143" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Bollywood">Bollywood</keyword> has produced plenty of crass slapstick comedies over the years, but <keyword id="1718975" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Humshakals">Humshakals</keyword> seems to beat them all. There’s no method in this madness as <keyword id="136180" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="director-Sajid-Khan">director Sajid Khan</keyword> attempted to create a <keyword id="2368861" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Multi-starrer-entertainer">multi-starrer entertainer</keyword> <keyword id="6485088" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="wit">wit</keyword>hout sparkling wit, intelligence and a tight <keyword id="6371619" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="plot">plot</keyword> that would have produced some rollicking fun and an intriguing escapade. But Humshakals never rose above <keyword id="2368891" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Tiresome-gags">tiresome gags</keyword> and <keyword id="2368890" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Banal-humour">banal humour</keyword> in spite of some <keyword id="2368892" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Good-acting">good acting</keyword>. Still, here’s the surprise of surprise, the movie has hit <keyword id="18712" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="80" keywordseo="Gold">gold</keyword> at the <keyword id="827271" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Domestic-Box-Office">domestic box office</keyword>, raking in Rs 40.13 crore nett in the first three days (trade figure Rs 34.91 crore). It is the 4th biggest opening weekend this year after <keyword id="6593120" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Jai-Ho">Jai Ho</keyword> (Rs 60.68 crore), <keyword id="6427325" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Gunday">Gunday</keyword> (Rs 43.93 crore) and Holiday (Rs 41.32 crore). 
 
“Humshakals Fri 12.50 cr, Sat 12.59 cr, Sun 15.04 cr. Total: Rs 40.13 cr nett India biz,” tweeted Bollywood trade analyst and film critic, Taran Adarsh. Overseas total is approximately $2.02 million or Rs 12.16 crore from 40 countries, according to Adarsh. However, Monday collections at home saw a sheer drop of more than 60%, reaching a little over Rs 5 crore as per industry estimates. Total <keyword id="1996076" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Domestic-collections">domestic collections</keyword> after Day IV stood at Rs 45.23 crore nett, which means the movie is all set to hit the <keyword id="2368887" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Rs-50-crore-mark">Rs 50 crore mark</keyword> at home by Day V. Although it is a <keyword id="87291" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="big-budget-movie">big budget movie</keyword> and cost a whopping Rs 75 crore including P&amp;A, <keyword id="106474" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Fox-Star-Studios">Fox Star Studios</keyword> and <keyword id="22777" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Vashu-Bhagnani">Vashu Bhagnani</keyword>’s Humshakals has acted smart and already bagged Rs 45 crore by selling its satellite and music rights. 
 
Humshakals hit nearly 3,000 screens and it is the third <keyword id="2368881" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Widest-release">widest release</keyword> of 2014, behind Jai Ho and Holiday. Going by the <keyword id="2368884" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Opening-day-performance">opening day performance</keyword>, it ranks third this year – Rs 12.50 crore nett on Friday (June 20). Salman Khan-starrer Jai Ho tops the list with Rs 17.50 crore while Ranveer Singh-Arjun Kapoor-Priyanka Chopra-starrer Gunday amassed Rs 15.50 crore on <keyword id="2368879" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Debut-day">debut day</keyword>. 
 
 <img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/37123618.cms" /> 
 Coming back to the critical part of the movie, we were literally at a loss to track the <keyword id="1097560" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="storyline">storyline</keyword>. Here are three male stars – <keyword id="333" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Saif-Ali-Khan">Saif Ali Khan</keyword> (<keyword id="2368848" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Ashok-Singhania">Ashok Singhania</keyword>, the tycoon), his best friend <keyword id="1420" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Riteish-Deshmukh">Riteish Deshmukh</keyword> (<keyword id="6358442" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Kumar">Kumar</keyword>) and <keyword id="17416" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Ram-Kapoor">Ram Kapoor</keyword> (Ashok’s <keyword id="529153" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="80" keywordseo="Wicked">wicked</keyword> <keyword id="2368847" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Mamaji-Kunwar-Amarnath-Singh">Mamaji Kunwar Amarnath Singh</keyword> who is after his wealth) – but to complicate matters, you will find them all in triple roles. Also, true to Bollywood ishtyle, Ram Kapoor manages to pack off Ashok and Kumar to a <keyword id="495099" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="mental-asylum">mental asylum</keyword> where their <keyword id="2368862" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Doppelgangers">doppelgangers</keyword> are being treated. 
 What follows is pure mayhem, especially when a third set of Ashok and Kumar (this time created with the help of plastic surgery) comes on board to dupe the real duo. The baddie (Ram Kapoor) also gets his fair share of lookalikes and all three <keyword id="2368864" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Male-leads">male leads</keyword> caper around as females in various outfits and hair-dos. The climax at the <keyword id="118569" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="House-of-Commons">House of Commons</keyword> was as muddled and wobbly as the <keyword id="2368854" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Multi-layered-plot">multi-layered plot</keyword> and fails to tickle us. Sajid also got hold of three dazzling female leads – <keyword id="654350" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Tamannaah-Bhatia">Tamannaah Bhatia</keyword> (<keyword id="2425" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Shanaya">Shanaya</keyword> who is Ashok’s lady love), <keyword id="8112" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Bipasha-Basu">Bipasha Basu</keyword> (<keyword id="792912" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="mishti">Mishti</keyword>, Kumar’s love interest) and <keyword id="7427" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Esha-Gupta">Esha Gupta</keyword> (Dr <keyword id="1385858" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Shivani-Gupta">Shivani Gupta</keyword> who was taking care of Ashok and Kumar in the asylum) – but they had little to do in this movie. 
 Going by its <keyword id="25892" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="box-office">box office</keyword> performance, the audience must have given a thumbs-up to Humshakals. But even a commercially successful movie may have a great many pitfalls. As film critic Saibal Chatterjee so aptly says, “Humshakals is an execrable comedy of horrors that plumbs the depths of stupidity and crassness... Sorry, Mr Khan, no matter how much money your film ends up with at the box office, the joke is entirely on you!” 
 
Images: Indiatimes

Box Office: Humshakals Strikes Gold But There’s No Method In This
Madness

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/35710506.cms" /> When <keyword id="707762" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Thalaivar">Thalaivar</keyword> takes the centre stage, big bucks are bound to roll in. The <keyword id="25892" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="box-office">box office</keyword> drought is finally over as silver screen sensation <keyword id="14509" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Rajinikanth">Rajinikanth</keyword>’s latest outing <keyword id="1849408" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Kochadaiiyaan">Kochadaiiyaan</keyword> has turned out to be a smash hit, crossing the Rs 50 crore mark in just five days, according to industry estimates. The movie grossed Rs 42 crore worldwide in the first three days, according to a release by <keyword id="128026" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Eros-International">Eros International</keyword>. Domestic collections amounted to Rs 30 crore in the opening weekend while the rest came from overseas business. This could be equivalent to Rs 32.3 crore nett worldwide, as per trade estimates. “Kochadaiiyaan opening weekend – Worldwide: Rs 42 cr gross. All 6 languages. 2D and 3D. SUPERB,” film critic and trade analyst Taran Adarsh tweeted. 
 However, first Monday collections dipped considerably to Rs 5 crore in the <keyword id="1761158" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="indian-circuit">Indian circuit</keyword> while the movie managed to earn Rs 4.5 crore at home on the first Tuesday. Although overseas numbers for these two days are not available yet, industry insiders put gross worldwide collections at Rs 50 crore-plus just after five days. “Kochadaiiyaan… has fared exceptionally well in <keyword id="8695" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Malaysia">Malaysia</keyword> in particular. Is good in the <keyword id="6355055" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="USA">USA</keyword>, the UK &amp; <keyword id="6355478" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Australia">Australia</keyword>,” Adarsh tweeted about weekday business. With earnings from <keyword id="6358065" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Satellite">satellite</keyword> rights in multiple languages, audio and music rights, brand tie-ups and other income, the film is well on its way to cross Rs 100 in revenues. 
 This period drama-cum-futuristic fantasy was off to a stupendous start on Friday (May 23), hitting 3,000-plus theatres worldwide. Eros International released the film in 2D and 3D, in 6 languages, and directly undertook the distribution in <keyword id="20154" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="tamil-nadu">Tamil Nadu</keyword>. The flick saw nearly 95% occupancy in Tamil Nadu where Rajinikanth has a huge fan following. In contrast, the Telugu version saw a lacklustre beginning at home, grossing only Rs 5 crore in the first 3 days. Business slumped in the <keyword id="2266509" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Northern-belt">Northern belt</keyword> as well and the Rajini-starrer significantly lagged behind with Rs 4 crore gross during the first three days. The budget of this movie is Rs 125 crore across all languages. 
 In case you are not aware of its many merits, let us quickly run you through some landmarks. Directed by <keyword id="1800934" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Soundarya-R-Ashwin">Soundarya R. Ashwin</keyword> (Rajini’s daughter) and written by K.S. Ravikumar, Kochadaiiyaan is India’s first 3D film to use <keyword id="2266515" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Photorealistic-motion-capturing">photorealistic motion capturing</keyword> techniques – a technology that makes animation as lifelike as possible (you had a good dose of it in James Cameron’s <keyword id="44111" type="CITY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Avatar">Avatar</keyword>). The film has Rajinikanth in triple roles – Kochadaiiyaan, Rana and Sena. <keyword id="598" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Deepika-Padukone">Deepika Padukone</keyword>, <keyword id="297" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Jackie-Shroff">Jackie Shroff</keyword>, <keyword id="1029184" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="nassar">Nassar</keyword> and <keyword id="24628" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Shobana">Shobana</keyword> did pretty well in other key roles in the film. The music has been composed by <keyword id="11851" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="AR-Rahman">AR Rahman</keyword> and cinematography has been handled by Padmesh. 
 
For the thinking audience, however, the storyline has nothing new. It features the same old conflict between the good and the evil but also comes with some surprising twists and moral dilemmas. Yet, at the end, it tires more than illuminates, failing to take you past the visual dazzle. As film critic Shubhra Gupta so rightly notes, “Even Rajini, the one and the only, can’t pick up a film and run with it, if it has the oldest, creakiest plots cobbled together from many books. But the best tech specs in the world can’t rescue a sinking story… After a point, it all becomes too much sound and fury and not much else. One Rajini flipping cigarettes is much more fun than two Rajinis flinging swords in never never land.” 
 
<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/35710564.cms" /> 
 Produced by <keyword id="27326" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Sajid-Nadiadwala">Sajid Nadiadwala</keyword> and directed by <keyword id="616900" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Sabbir-Khan">Sabbir Khan</keyword>, <keyword id="1184791" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Heropanti">Heropanti</keyword> (a remake of the 1983 movie Hero) is the other release of the week and has performed better than Kochadaiiyaan in the northern circuits. The action-romance flick has seen an influx of debut actors (a total of 21) including <keyword id="133664" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Tiger-Shroff">Tiger Shroff</keyword> (Jackie’s son) and <keyword id="210696" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Kriti-Sanon">Kriti Sanon</keyword> in the lead roles 
 
“Heropanti passes the crucial ‘Monday test.’ Fri 6.63 cr, Sat 6.42 cr, Sun 8.28 cr, Mon 4.26 cr. Total: Rs 25.59 cr nett. India biz,” tweeted Adarsh while trade figure puts the domestic collections at Rs 24.96 crore. <keyword id="1996079" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Overseas-collections">Overseas collections</keyword> stood at Rs 2.13 crore gross after Day 4. The masala entertainer was released in 2,100 screens across India and its debut day earning is the fifth highest opening day collection for movies released in 2014, behind <keyword id="6593120" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Jai-Ho">Jai Ho</keyword>, <keyword id="72970" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="2-States">2 States</keyword>, <keyword id="6427325" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Gunday">Gunday</keyword> and <keyword id="1020628" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Ragini-MMS-2">Ragini MMS 2</keyword>. Earnings on Monday fell less than 40% than what it was on Friday and the strong growth continued even on Day 5 (Tuesday, May 27) when it collected around Rs 4 crore at home. 
 
This one is a medium-budget movie and cost around Rs 26 crore including promotion. So we can safely assume that it is set to be a hit without much fuss. But all these good numbers do not essentially spell quality. 
 While Kriti Sanon (<keyword id="7876" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Dimpy">Dimpy</keyword>) looks quite striking in a below-par storyline featuring love-and-marriage adventures and misadventures in Jattland, Tiger Shroff (<keyword id="230102" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Bablu">Bablu</keyword>) looks quite inane unless he is in the thick of the action, doing some awesome stunts and beating up the goons. Noted film critic Anupama Chopra has given the movie 2 out of 5 stars saying, “Heropanti is comically bad and the disjointed narrative brims with low-IQ, high-testosterone men brandishing weapons. The women are puppets who either simper or scream.” 
 
Quite depressing, if you ask us, but there’s one silver lining. Both movies are raking in the moolah after a long time and that’s what matters in the business of cinema. 
 
Images: Indiatimes

Box Office: Kochadaiiyaan Thrives On Rajini Power; Heropanti Soaring High

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/27853827.cms" style="" /> It was released, it was watched and it delivered some frenzied results. That is good enough for many, especially those who judge a film’s merit by <keyword id="1839596" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="box-office-collections">box office collections</keyword>. Not that we have got anything against <keyword id="1987992" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Big-moolah">big moolah</keyword> – the kind of money this <keyword id="1987996" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Third-instalment">third instalment</keyword> of the Dhoom series has earned till Day 4, both in India and abroad. 
 Directed by Vijay Krishna Acharya and produced by <keyword id="6385240" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Aditya-Chopra">Aditya Chopra</keyword>, the high voltage <keyword id="6355304" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="action">action</keyword> thriller (starring <keyword id="6355923" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Aamir-Khan">Aamir Khan</keyword>, <keyword id="499" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="abhishek-bachchan">Abhishek Bachchan</keyword>, <keyword id="6354850" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Katrina-Kaif">Katrina Kaif</keyword> and <keyword id="36115" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="uday-chopra">Uday Chopra</keyword>) has sailed into the <keyword id="925977" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Rs-100-crore-club">Rs 100 crore club</keyword> just after the opening weekend and grossed around Rs 107 crore at home, according to industry estimates. That’s definitely better than Hrithik Roshan-Priyanka Chopra starrer <keyword id="500441" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="100" keywordseo="Krrish-3">Krrish 3</keyword>, which could enter the coveted club after 4 days. Total collections during the first weekend stood at Rs 170 crore-plus, with nearly Rs 63 crore from <keyword id="116674" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="overseas-markets">overseas markets</keyword>. And that’s a record for any <keyword id="679" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="bollywood-movie">Bollywood movie</keyword>. Now it is only a matter of time before it surpasses the lifetime grossing of Krrish 3 (Rs 270 crore) or <keyword id="227940" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Chennai-Express">Chennai Express</keyword> (Rs 409 crore). 
 
<keyword id="24705" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="100" keywordseo="Dhoom-3">Dhoom 3</keyword> has also raced past the <keyword id="1988004" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Opening-day-record">opening day record</keyword> of Chennai Express, a <keyword id="1988005" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Shah-Rukh-Khan-Deepika-Padukone-starrer">Shah Rukh Khan-Deepika Padukone starrer</keyword> that bagged around Rs 33.12 crore on the first day. In contrast, Aamir’s flick has collected a little more than Rs 36 crore. Its performance is equally impressive after Day 4 (December 23, 2013) and the movie has grossed an estimated total of Rs 127 crore in the <keyword id="6382118" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Domestic-Market">domestic market</keyword>. 
 In <keyword id="6378080" type="COUNTRY" weightage="80" keywordseo="North-America">North America</keyword>, too, Dhoom 3 has debuted to a record-breaking opening weekend, collecting Rs 21.26 crore nett ($3.4 million) across 236 theatres – the biggest opening of all time for a <keyword id="143" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Bollywood">Bollywood</keyword> movie. In contrast, Chennai Express collected Rs 14.82 crore ($2.4 million) from 196 screens in America and <keyword id="6356687" type="COUNTRY" weightage="100" keywordseo="canada">Canada</keyword> in its opening weekend. So Dhoom 3 has beaten its both records in <keyword id="1988011" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Screen-count">screen count</keyword> and collection. 
 
It has an impressive performance in other overseas markets as well. The movie has collected Rs 9.18 crore nett (£906,875) from 97 screens (fewer number of screens than Chennai Express) in the UK and Rs 3.85 crore nett (A$695,782) from 30 screens in <keyword id="6355478" type="COUNTRY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Australia">Australia</keyword> in the first weekend. While Dhoom 3 has collected Rs 1.11 crore nett (NZ$ 217,923) from 19 screens in <keyword id="22501" type="COUNTRY" weightage="80" keywordseo="New-Zealand">New Zealand</keyword> and Rs 3.9 crore nett in <keyword id="3001" type="COUNTRY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Pakistan">Pakistan</keyword> the first weekend, Chennai Express gathered Rs 60.05 lakh (NZ$1,23,478) from 10 screens in NZ and Rs 1.84 crore in Pakistan for that span. 
 
There is yet another record associated with Dhoom 3. It has reportedly grabbed the <keyword id="1988018" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Biggest-number-of-screens">biggest number of screens</keyword> this time – around 4,500 in India and 750 screens overseas. The previous record was held by Chennai Express (3,700 screens at home and 700 screens abroad). 
 If all these numbers have numbed you a bit, let’s look at the storyline for a change. One can easily see it’s loaded with populist fare – <keyword id="24462" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="bikes">bikes</keyword>, <keyword id="28817" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="babes">babes</keyword> (who can forget Katrina’s high-flying <keyword id="729495" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Acrobatics">acrobatics</keyword> and tantalising <keyword id="16156" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="dances">dances</keyword>), exotic <keyword id="6542811" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="locations">locations</keyword>, great action and fascinating <keyword id="2902" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Stunts">stunts</keyword>. To top it all, there’s the muscle-flexing Aamir playing <keyword id="1841797" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Sahir">Sahir</keyword> the baddie and looting <keyword id="6354604" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Chicago">Chicago</keyword> banks without leaving any clue except a smiling clown face and a Hindi message (with help from Katrina or <keyword id="260889" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Aaliya">Aaliya</keyword>, of course) while no-nonsense cop ACP Jai Dixit (Abhishek) and his bumbling sidekick <keyword id="208896" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Ali-Akbar">Ali Akbar</keyword> (Uday Chopra) are back in action to <keyword id="1988025" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Catch-a-thief">catch a thief</keyword>. 
 We are also impressed by the superb <keyword id="42054" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Cinematography">cinematography</keyword> and great technical specs, but in spite of the <keyword id="3909943" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="star-power">star power</keyword> and the <keyword id="1988030" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Sleek-treatment">sleek treatment</keyword>, this movie is painfully <keyword id="794224" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="predictable">predictable</keyword> and incredibly <keyword id="1311050" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="unimaginative">unimaginative</keyword>. One actually misses the subtle fun and the intriguing crime-tracking mechanisms of <keyword id="3894" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="100" keywordseo="Dhoom-2">Dhoom 2</keyword> here but then, this is the age-old Bollywood wine of betrayal-revenge-retribution, served in a <keyword id="99968" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="new-avatar">new avatar</keyword>. As Aparna Mudi of Zee News says – Dhoom 3 manages to deliver a typically <keyword id="1988026" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Bollywood-revenge-saga">Bollywood revenge saga</keyword> in a modern way. 
 
Sarita A Tanwar of Daily News and Analysis gives it 4 stars and says, “Welcome to the world of jaw-dropping action and stunts never seen before on Hindi screen. Dhoom 3 redefines the word ‘<keyword id="4578" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="entertainment">entertainment</keyword>’ in the grandest way possible.” 
 
That is true, in a way, but the flick has drawn flak for its many shortcomings. Rajeev Masand of CNN-IBN has given the film 2.5 out of 5 stars and stated, “Dhoom 3 is let down by a <keyword id="1988035" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Convenient-script">convenient script</keyword> and its inability to deliver solid entertainment.” However, it’s Raja Sen of Rediff.com who drives the point home. He has given it 1.5 out of 5 stars and written, “Dhoom 3 is a children’s film made for children who’ve never seen a film.” And we cannot agree more. You will find loads of fascinating things in Dhoom 3, but just one thing is lacking – good cinema. 
 
With input from Agencies. 
Image: Indiatimes

Dhoom 3 Breaks All Bollywood Movie Records,
Gives You Some Dumb Entertainment

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/29870232.cms" /> 
March is still far away but the mercury is already rising with the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbzgyYEGOkA">official trailer</a> of <keyword id="1020628" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Ragini-MMS-2">Ragini MMS 2</keyword> doing the rounds on the Internet and even on adult sites. This upcoming horror-thriller (to be released on March 21), the sequel to the 2011 <keyword id="30679" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="horror-flick">horror flick</keyword> <keyword id="500381" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Ragini-MMS">Ragini MMS</keyword>, has <keyword id="836886" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Sunny-Leone">Sunny Leone</keyword> in the lead and that, of course, is making all the difference. Directed by <keyword id="820957" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Bhushan-Patel">Bhushan Patel</keyword> and co-produced by <keyword id="6354597" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Ekta-Kapoor">Ekta Kapoor</keyword> and <keyword id="154993" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Shobha-Kapoor">Shobha Kapoor</keyword>, this movie begins from where the earlier one left off. In the first flick, a couple goes to a secluded place to spend a fun weekend and the boy intends to make an MMS of the whole thing. But due to ghostly interventions, he gets killed and the girl manages to escape, but she is now a nervous wreck. 
 
Ragini MMS 2 kicks off from here but we still don’t know much about the storyline at this stage. As per some reports, a movie-maker has now decided to make a film based on the earlier incident and casts a <keyword id="23" type="POSITION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Bollywood-actress">Bollywood actress</keyword> (Sunny Leone) to play the lead role. But when the shooting starts in the haunted house, all hell breaks lose. 
 
The theatrical trailer of Ragini MMS 2 has hit the Internet on Monday (February 3) and last we checked, it was trending on Google with 20,000-plus searches. But we are not too impressed by the promo where Sunny Leone, the Indo-Canadian adult film star-turned-Bollywood <keyword id="6355604" type="POSITION" weightage="100" keywordseo="actress">actress</keyword>, struts around in the skimpiest of outfits and the background looks suitably eerie. The other attraction of the sex-horror flick is <keyword id="2045553" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Chaar-Bottle-Vodka">Chaar Bottle Vodka</keyword>, the new song from Ragini MMS 2 that features <keyword id="1089543" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Yo-Yo-Honey-Singh">Yo Yo Honey Singh</keyword> and Sunny Leone. But sadly, the song is not there in the promo. 
 
<keyword id="6593120" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Jai-Ho">Jai Ho</keyword> makes the cut 
Now that we have our fill of thrill, here is another piece of exciting news. Salman Khan-starrer <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Jai-Ho-Salman-FightsThrough-Clichs-Fails-To-Create-A-Dhoom/articleshow/29505187.cms">Jai Ho</a> (earlier called Mental), which was released on January 24, has finally entered the <keyword id="925977" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Rs-100-crore-club">Rs 100 crore club</keyword>, collecting Rs 102.58 crore nett at home after 10 days. That’s a crawl, to say the least, compared to Aamir’s action-thriller <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Dhoom-3-Breaks-All-Bollywood-Movie-RecordsGives-You-Some-Dumb-Entertainment/articleshow/27853596.cms">Dhoom 3</a> that amassed Rs 170 crore-plus just after the first weekend, with nearly Rs 63 crore coming from the overseas markets. 
 
“#JaiHo actuals Week 1 – 88.78 cr, Wknd 2 – 13.80 cr. Grand total: 102.58 cr nett. India biz only. Figures confirmed by Eros,” tweeted trade analyst Taran Adarsh. 
 Globally, however, the flick has done well, especially in the UAE-GCC region, Pakistan and USA-Canada. Bollywoodhungama estimated the first weekend overseas gross at $3.55 million while <keyword id="255727" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Box-Office-India">Box Office India</keyword> estimated it at $3.45 million. Interestingly, Jai Ho is the fourth biggest overseas opener for a <keyword id="6354583" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Salman-Khan">Salman Khan</keyword> starrer-film. 
 
Image: Indiatimes

Sunny Leone Sizzles
In Ragini MMS 2; Jai Ho Finally Enters 100 Crore Club

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/27180773.cms" style="" /> Here is one <keyword id="143" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Bollywood">Bollywood</keyword> <keyword id="6363750" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="flick">flick</keyword> that has drawn flak from critics and still managed to make waves at the <keyword id="25892" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="box-office">box office</keyword>. <keyword id="1969491" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Shahid-Kapoor-Sonakshi-Sinha-starrer">Shahid Kapoor-Sonakshi Sinha starrer</keyword> <keyword id="1918749" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="R-Rajkumar">R… Rajkumar</keyword> is an action-packed masala <keyword id="6356021" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="movie">movie</keyword> with numerous <keyword id="1322471" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="dance-numbers">dance numbers</keyword> (well, that’s the least you can expect from <keyword id="303" type="POSITION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Director">director</keyword> <keyword id="21117" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Prabhu-Deva">Prabhu Deva</keyword>) and a spicy mix of <keyword id="6360094" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Fights">fights</keyword>, <keyword id="20721" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="romance">romance</keyword>, <keyword id="6359193" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Comedy">comedy</keyword>, <keyword id="391442" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="social-issues">social issues</keyword> and political conflicts. If that sounds a bit confusing, here’s the other side of the coin. In spite of the predictable and unsavoury mix of many elements, the movie has raked in some big money after an average-to-good opening on December 6. Day I collections stood at around Rs 9.5 crore, the <keyword id="1969490" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Biggest-opening-for-Shahid">biggest opening for Shahid</keyword> till date (Mausam comes second with Rs 7 crore nett on the opening day). R… Rajkumar has grossed around Rs 37.2 crore after the 4th day, keeping the audience happy and the cash register ringing. 
 
But there are loads of side issues to consider in this case. Surprisingly, much of the business came from the single screens while multiplexes saw a lukewarm response during the first weekend. However, R… Rajkumar has certainly romped past <keyword id="333" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Saif-Ali-Khan">Saif Ali Khan</keyword>’s <keyword id="1952408" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Gangster-flick">gangster flick</keyword> Bullett Raja that grossed only Rs 25 crore at the end of Day IV. After the 11th day (it opened on November 29), the <keyword id="1960832" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Saif-Sonakshi-starrer">Saif-Sonakshi starrer</keyword> is still languishing with a total collection of Rs 46.60 crore. 
 
Going by the numbers, Shahid’s all-new Dabaang-like <keyword id="44111" type="CITY" weightage="40" keywordseo="Avatar">avatar</keyword> (a far cry from the sophisticated <keyword id="111697" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="BADMAASH-COMPANY">Badmaash Company</keyword>) has managed to capture the audience after a series of flop shows. But critics have torn it apart and not without reasons, either. The movie veers between mindless violence and inane comedy while watering down some things as serious as corruption and custodial rape. 
 <keyword id="122490" type="POSITION" weightage="60" keywordseo="film-critic">Film critic</keyword> and analyst Taran Adarsh has tweeted: #RRajkumar movie review: Doesn’t work. It is Prabhu Dheva’s weakest Hindi film to date! Taran, however, acknowledges its box office success, saying: #RRajkumar sails safe! 
 
Film critic Anupama Chopra writes, “R…Rajkumar is ostensibly Prabhu Dheva’s first non-remake Hindi film but you’ve seen it all before… That’s not enough to take you through <keyword id="818790" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="40" keywordseo="the-rest">the rest</keyword> of this bludgeoning movie. I’m going with one and half stars.” 
 
Others, too, are quite caustic about Shahid’s flick. According to Tushar Joshi of DNA, “Watch it if you are in the mood for a loud no-brainer that relies on formulaic over the top entertainment.” Shubhra Gupta (Indian Express) wrote, “It is nothing but blank putrid noise. R… for Rubbish.” Subhash K. Jha of SKJBollywoodnews comments, “R… Rajkumar is Prabhudheva’s rumbustious raga of the Rowdy.” 
 
But all said and done, the latest flick has helped Shahid come out of a three-movie span of either flops or middling performers. His earlier release this year was Phata Poster Nikhla Hero, an action comedy directed by Rajkumar Santoshi. The movie earned around Rs 37.1 crore in India in a span of two weeks and was declared a flop. <keyword id="894544" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="80" keywordseo="Teri-Meri-Kahaani">Teri Meri Kahaani</keyword> (2012) and Mausam (2011) suffered similar fate even after good starts and critical acclaim. Mausam, a romantic comedy, collected Rs 44 crore nett in its first week and ended its lifetime collections with Rs 69 crore nett. <keyword id="1101066" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="40" keywordseo="teri-meri">Teri Meri</keyword>, a rom-com directed by <keyword id="6530774" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="kunal-kohli">Kunal Kohli</keyword>, finished with average overseas business of around $2.3 million. At home, the movie collected around Rs 23 crore. 
 
Does it mean only age-old formula movies can churn out money as far as the Indian audience is concerned? Not really, but the reception of R…Rajkumar seems a bit paradoxical. However, the coming weeks are sure to reveal more about the trend, and we will wait and watch. 
 
Image: Indiatimes

Critics Are Sceptical But ‘R… Rajkumar’ Rakes In Big Money

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/35391764.cms" /> Now that the <keyword id="6355187" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Lok-Sabha">Lok Sabha</keyword> polls are over, <keyword id="4578" type="COMPANY" weightage="80" keywordseo="entertainment">entertainment</keyword> may once again bag the limelight and <keyword id="143" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Bollywood">Bollywood</keyword> has already churned out a couple of interesting thriller-gangster movies last week. But most of them were eclipsed by the hot Hollywood release, <keyword id="154785" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Godzilla">Godzilla</keyword>. 
 
While Godzilla collected Rs 18 crore nett in <keyword id="3658" type="COUNTRY" weightage="100" keywordseo="India">India</keyword> in just three days and another Rs 5 crore on the first Monday as per industry estimates, all five Bollywood movies released last Friday (May 16) had a slow start at the <keyword id="827271" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Domestic-Box-Office">domestic box office</keyword> and understandably so. For one, the election euphoria is still running high but most importantly, three of the new releases – <keyword id="2218164" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="The-Xpos">The Xposé</keyword>, <keyword id="2248203" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="D-Gangs-of-Mumbai">D Gangs of Mumbai</keyword> and <keyword id="2248206" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="M3-Midsummer-Midnight-Mumbai">M3: Midsummer Midnight Mumbai</keyword> – come with an overdose of vintage masala. Other two of the lot are <keyword id="2248207" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Children-of-War-Nine-Months-to-Freedom">Children of War: Nine Months to Freedom</keyword>, set against the backdrop of <keyword id="73936" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Bangladesh-liberation-war">Bangladesh Liberation War</keyword> of 1971, and an animation film for the kids, <keyword id="2248208" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Mighty-Raju-Rio-Calling">Mighty Raju – Rio Calling</keyword>, directed by <keyword id="1093861" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Rajiv-Chilaka">Rajiv Chilaka</keyword> (of Chhota Bheem fame) and <keyword id="2248210" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Anirban-Majumdar">Anirban Majumdar</keyword>. 
 
We were particularly intrigued by The Xposé, a <keyword id="2144245" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Musical-thriller">musical thriller</keyword> directed by <keyword id="304212" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Ananth-Narayan-Mahadevan">Ananth Narayan Mahadevan</keyword> and starring <keyword id="8539" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Himesh-Reshammiya">Himesh Reshammiya</keyword> and <keyword id="1089543" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Yo-Yo-Honey-Singh">Yo Yo Honey Singh</keyword>, along with debutantes <keyword id="90343" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Sonali-Raut">Sonali Raut</keyword> and <keyword id="1273210" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Zoya-Afroz">Zoya Afroz</keyword> (<keyword id="2993" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="Miss-India">Miss India</keyword> 2013 second runner-up). This one takes a pseudo-realistic peek at the glitzy <keyword id="2248216" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Bollywood-of-the-1960s">Bollywood of the 1960s</keyword> – the dazzling era of Hindi movies, glamorous stars and their not-so-well-kept dirty secrets. The fast-paced period drama revolves around the ugly fights between two rival actresses, the shocking murder of one and the subsequent probe carried out by the <keyword id="2248197" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="ex-cop-turned-actor">ex-cop-turned-actor</keyword> Reshammiya (<keyword id="6354422" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Ravi-Kumar">Ravi Kumar</keyword>). Star <keyword id="271" type="POSITION" weightage="80" keywordseo="actor">actor</keyword> <keyword id="16207" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Irrfan-Khan">Irrfan Khan</keyword> also makes a special appearance to assist Himesh Reshammiya in his probe. 
 Although the movie hit about 1,000-plus screens worldwide, business had been slow and debut day collections at the domestic <keyword id="25892" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="box-office">box office</keyword> amounted to Rs 2.97 crore nett, as per industry estimates. But the masala entertainer witnessed a decent traction during the first weekend and picked up around Rs 10.97 crore after the first three days. “The Xpose Fri 2.97 cr, Sat 3.43 cr, Sun 4.57 cr. Total: Rs 10.97 cr nett. India biz,” trade analyst Taran Adarsh tweeted. 
 
Although trade figure puts it to Rs 8.22 crore nett over the first three days, Xposé is a middle-budget movie, costing around Rs 15 crore (production and promotion combined), and according to a statement by producers, they claim to have recovered close to Rs 12.5 crore from the sale of satellite, music, home and overseas video, and other rights, and are profitable post the weekend. This means most of the revenues earned from the theatrical releases will be add to the film’s profit. Collections on the crucial Monday did not disappoint either and stood at around Rs 3.5 crore, as per industry estimates. 
 
Xposé may do even better at the box office, thanks to the thrill factor, although there are too many things happening at the same time and the coherence gets lost, especially in the second half. “It’s a fascinating subject. Right from verbal duels between rivals, to hiring black marketeers to sabotage others’ films, everything has been depicted,” <keyword id="303" type="POSITION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Director">director</keyword> <keyword id="68758" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="ananth-mahadevan">Ananth Mahadevan</keyword> told the Times of India (he himself plays a director in the movie). “The audience will have fun guessing which stars have inspired the sequences.” 
 
D Gangs of Mumbai: Uncomfortable truths Directed by <keyword id="826189" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Wilfred-Lobo">Wilfred Lobo</keyword> and <keyword id="2248198" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Rajiv-Ranjan-Das">Rajiv Ranjan Das</keyword>, D Gangs of Mumbai is a low-budget crime-thriller that tells the story of two gangsters, <keyword id="169913" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="AVI">Avi</keyword> (<keyword id="3799" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Sanjay-Kapoor">Sanjay Kapoor</keyword>) and <keyword id="33379" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Shiva">Shiva</keyword> (<keyword id="131513" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Aarya-Babbar">Aarya Babbar</keyword>), the chance they get to restart life and the final mess they have to face in order to survive. In other words, D Gangs reminds you of The Great Gatsby, but the box office reception has been extremely poor – around Rs 65 lakh on the opening day and a little over Rs 2 crore after the first three day. And fourth day collection dipped further to a paltry Rs 40 lakh. 
 
<keyword id="914784" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="M3">M3</keyword>: Whodunit with a twist <keyword id="16657" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="sara-khan">Sara Khan</keyword> and Paras Chhabra-starrer M3: Midsummer Midnight Mumbai is a romantic thriller directed by <keyword id="1182415" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Braj-Bhushan">Braj Bhushan</keyword>. But in spite of funny cops, paranormal touch, ‘hot’ love scenes and unpredictable twists and turns, this flick didn’t sizzle at the domestic box office and managed a paltry Rs 70 lakh on the opening day. Total collections after the first three days amounted to Rs 2.25 crore, again putting a big question mark as to the fate of the movie. First Monday collections were no better and amounted to just Rs 56 lakh. 
 
<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/35391850.cms" /> 
 
<keyword id="2225168" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Children-of-War">Children of War</keyword>: Grim reality 
Mrityunjay Devvrat-directed Children of War was released in India and <keyword id="6354759" type="COUNTRY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Bangladesh">Bangladesh</keyword>, but here it had a problematic start as the censor board asked him to change the film’s original title – <keyword id="1967278" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="The-Bastard-Child">The Bastard Child</keyword> (the original title has been retained outside India). Starring <keyword id="14623" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Raima-Sen">Raima Sen</keyword>, <keyword id="6825" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Indraneil-Sengupta">Indraneil Sengupta</keyword>, <keyword id="41577" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Victor-Banerjee">Victor Banerjee</keyword>, <keyword id="10655" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Pawan-Malhotra">Pawan Malhotra</keyword> and the late <keyword id="78733" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Farooq-Sheikh">Farooq Sheikh</keyword>, this one is a gory tale of the Bangladesh (former East <keyword id="3001" type="COUNTRY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Pakistan">Pakistan</keyword>) Genocide and the country’s <keyword id="140599" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="war-of-independence">War of Independence</keyword> against Pakistan. The brutality of war and the gruesome reality of the <keyword id="2248225" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Rape-camps">rape camps</keyword> will leave one stunned, but what is <keyword id="6357415" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="80" keywordseo="missing">missing</keyword> is the bigger scenario. Official numbers are yet to turn up, but going by insider information, Children of War has been a <keyword id="2076872" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Box-office-bomb">box office bomb</keyword>. 
 In spite of the never-ending box office drought, we are now looking forward to superstar <keyword id="14509" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Rajinikanth">Rajinikanth</keyword>’s <keyword id="1849408" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Kochadaiiyaan">Kochadaiiyaan</keyword> and debutant <keyword id="133664" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Tiger-Shroff">Tiger Shroff</keyword>’s <keyword id="1184791" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Heropanti">Heropanti</keyword>, to be released on May 23. Both are blockbuster material – exactly the kind Bollywood now badly needs. 
 
Images: Indiatimes

Box Office: Godzilla
Overwhelms All But Xposé Off To A Decent Start

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/37631979.cms" /> 
After the blockbuster beginning of <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Box-Office-Humshakals-Strikes-Gold-But-Theres-No-Method-In-ThisMadness/articleshow/37123366.cms">Humshakals</a>, <keyword id="143" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Bollywood">Bollywood</keyword> has witnessed yet another runaway success in the <keyword id="1250908" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="romantic-thriller">romantic thriller</keyword> <keyword id="2177024" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Ek-Villain">Ek Villain</keyword>, directed by <keyword id="23758" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="mohit-suri">Mohit Suri</keyword> (of Murder 2 and Aashiqui 2 fame) and starring <keyword id="1420" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Riteish-Deshmukh">Riteish Deshmukh</keyword>, <keyword id="1320874" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Sidharth-Malhotra">Sidharth Malhotra</keyword> and <keyword id="89958" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Shraddha-Kapoor">Shraddha Kapoor</keyword>. And this time, we have an interesting plot, some brilliant acting and an overflowing <keyword id="25892" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="box-office">box office</keyword> – all in perfect sync. Released on June 27 in more than 2,500 screens in India, the flick has netted Rs 50.70 crore at home in the first three days (Friday Rs 16.72 crore, Saturday Rs 16.54 crore and Sunday Rs 17.44 crore; however, trade figure stood at Rs 49.28 crore) – the second highest weekend collection in 2014, behind Salman Khan-starrer <keyword id="6593120" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Jai-Ho">Jai Ho</keyword>. 
 Compared to debut day, earnings dropped 55% on the first Monday but the medium-budget (it cost around Rs 40 crore) movie managed to nett Rs 8.10 crore at home. Tuesday collections also dipped (Rs 6.80 crore) but the movie amassed a total of Rs 65.60 crore from <keyword id="54324" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="india-business">India business</keyword> after Day 5, crossing <keyword id="1718975" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="Humshakals">Humshakals</keyword>’ earnings (Rs 61.05 crore). Ek Villain has now become the fifth <keyword id="2385280" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="highest-grosser">highest grosser</keyword> of 2014, surpassing the lifetime collections of <keyword id="6377522" type="POSITION" weightage="80" keywordseo="queen">Queen</keyword> (Rs 61 crore), Main Tera Hero (Rs 55 crore), Heropanti (Rs 53.40 crore) and Ragini MMS 2 (Rs 47 crore). Going by the trend, it may soon enter Rs <keyword id="6567206" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="100-crore-club">100 crore club</keyword>. The movie was produced by <keyword id="6354597" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Ekta-Kapoor">Ekta Kapoor</keyword> and <keyword id="154993" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Shobha-Kapoor">Shobha Kapoor</keyword> under Balaji Motion Pictures and ALT Entertainment. 
 
“Ek Villain passes ‘Monday test’ with flying colours. Weekend 50.70 cr, Mon 8.10 cr. Total: Rs 58.8 cr nett. India biz. MONSTROUS HIT,” tweeted trade analyst and film critic Taran Adarsh. “Overseas weekend total is approx $2.2 million [Rs 13.24 crore]. EXCELLENT,” he added. 
 
<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/37632061.cms" /> 
 
Although some movie buffs may notice a marked resemblance between Ek Villain and the Korean movie <keyword id="2258746" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="I-Saw-The-Devil">I Saw the Devil</keyword>, director Suri had earlier told the media that it was not so. “That’s just one dialogue that I have taken from the <keyword id="700143" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Korean-film">Korean film</keyword>’s promo, just like I have taken another dialogue from the film <keyword id="796794" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Jack-Reacher">Jack Reacher</keyword>,” Suri had told a daily. 
 Coming back to the movie itself, we must say that the ‘chill and thrill’ factor could have been more intense, especially when you have a <keyword id="1261139" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="psychopathic-killer">psychopathic killer</keyword> running loose, while the romantic part of the plot (gangster falling for the good girl) has been done to death by now and meanders a lot. In Ek Villain, all the key characters seem helplessly trapped in their own prisons and cannot get away. <keyword id="6410325" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="guru">Guru</keyword> (Sidharth Malhotra), a former hitman, only undergoes a temporary change when <keyword id="2396273" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Aisha-Verma">Aisha Verma</keyword> (Shraddha Kapoor) walks into his life. But he goes back to his original vengeful self when Aisha dies, not of terminal illness but murdered by a serial killer. However, it is Riteish Deshmukh (<keyword id="2396274" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Rakesh-Mahadkar">Rakesh Mahadkar</keyword>) who walks away with the honours. He is the perfect psychopath – an oppressed individual, a henpecked husband, a desperate lover and a ruthless killer all rolled in one. 
 Overall, the concoction of drama and <keyword id="1278055" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="melodrama">melodrama</keyword>, romance and terror has diluted the plot. But one still gets to see some fine performance and the flick is certainly a lot different from the routine Bollywood themes. And the best part of it all? Ek Villain has won hearts and set the cash register ringing. 
 
Images: Indiatimes

Box
Office: Ek Villain A Runaway Success, May Soon Enter Rs 100 Crore Club

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/29505302.cms" /> We came prepared to write loads about this year’s first big release and went home disappointed. Here is the remake of the original <keyword id="6368619" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="Telugu-Movie">Telugu movie</keyword> <keyword id="60930" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Stalin">Stalin</keyword> (that one starred <keyword id="6359557" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Chiranjeevi">Chiranjeevi</keyword> and was directed by AR Murugadoss). But when <keyword id="143" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Bollywood">Bollywood</keyword> decides to remake a regional flick, it usually provides all the bells and whistles, passion and <keyword id="6355304" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="action">action</keyword>, which the audience is bound to lap up. Is Salman Khan-starrer <keyword id="6593120" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Jai-Ho">Jai Ho</keyword> (earlier called Mental) woefully lacking in those departments? 
 But before we get to the critical part of it, let us have a look at the <keyword id="25892" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="box-office">box office</keyword> figures. The numbers are good and the <keyword id="1952421" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Action-drama">action drama</keyword> seems to be well on its way to enter the coveted <keyword id="6567206" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="100-crore-club">100 crore club</keyword>. According to industry estimates, the flick has grossed a little more than Rs 70 crore in the domestic market after Day 4 (January 27) and the overseas reception has been decent as well – around Rs 22.4 crore in the <keyword id="382940" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="opening-weekend">opening weekend</keyword>. But it has failed to create the kind of dhoom <keyword id="6355923" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Aamir-Khan">Aamir Khan</keyword>’s <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Dhoom-3-Breaks-All-Bollywood-Movie-RecordsGives-You-Some-Dumb-Entertainment/articleshow/27853596.cms">action thriller</a> created last year, both at home and abroad. The <keyword id="1839596" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="box-office-collections">box office collections</keyword> of <keyword id="24705" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="80" keywordseo="Dhoom-3">Dhoom 3</keyword> stood at Rs 170 crore-plus just after the <keyword id="2034863" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="First-weekend">first weekend</keyword>, with nearly Rs 63 crore coming from the overseas markets. 
 
Made on a budget of around Rs 75 crore, Jai Ho hit about 4,500 screens in India, but flunked on the very first day. It collected Rs 17 crore nett in India on Friday (January 24), according to an official statement. However, business picked up during the <keyword id="2034866" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="R-Day-weekend">R-Day weekend</keyword> and the movie saw 80-100% occupancy at single screens in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and central India. The domestic and overseas theatrical rights of Jai Ho have been reportedly sold for $18 million. 
 
Now let us come back to the basics. Although not a financial flop, what has plagued the movie in the first place? It doesn’t lack the usual masala, of course. True to the <keyword id="2034869" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="R-Day-sentiments">R-Day sentiments</keyword>, here is the <keyword id="1429841" type="POSITION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Ex-Army-officer">ex-army officer</keyword> Jai Agnihotri (Salman), who has been chucked out because he was too intense and took too many risks. Back in civil life, he doesn’t change much and beats up the baddies with as much vigour. <keyword id="33178" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Danny-Denzongpa">Danny Denzongpa</keyword> (home minister <keyword id="2034843" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Dashrat-Singh">Dashrat Singh</keyword>) and his daughter <keyword id="6508015" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Sana-Khan">Sana Khan</keyword> are the root of all evil, but with Sallu Bhai around (what if he is nearing 50), no one can escape a heavy dose of action, whether you like it or no. <keyword id="2034846" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Debutante-Daisy-Shah">Debutante Daisy Shah</keyword> (Rinky) tries to add a bit of romance to the mix, but fails to look hot in spite of her see-through sarees. The rest of the cast could be easily forgotten except for <keyword id="6358125" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Tabu">Tabu</keyword> (Geeta) who plays Sallu’s elder sister but has no script to deliver her role. 
 And the same goes for the entire movie. <keyword id="303" type="POSITION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Director">Director</keyword> <keyword id="28494" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Sohail-Khan">Sohail Khan</keyword>, Salman’s brother, tried to stash in all the ‘hit’ elements without realising that they should be well integrated with an impressive storyline. Every single character stays painfully one-dimensional and we do miss Salman’s timely humour or the impish traits that made him adorable in many of the earlier hits like <keyword id="29781" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="100" keywordseo="wanted">Wanted</keyword>, <keyword id="94964" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="100" keywordseo="Dabangg">Dabangg</keyword>, <keyword id="518707" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="100" keywordseo="Dabangg-2">Dabangg 2</keyword> and <keyword id="638019" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Ek-Tha-Tiger">Ek Tha Tiger</keyword>. 
 The bottom line: Too much of anything is bad – be it cliché plots, action &amp; gore or the final shirt-ripping, even though you are getting a close view of Bollywood’s fittest star. Unless his character evolves suitably in the future, he may not make the cut in his <keyword id="2034878" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Action-avatar">action avatar</keyword> alone. 
 
Image: Indiatimes

Jai Ho! Salman Fights
Through Clichés, Fails To Create A Dhoom

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/28518318.cms" style="" /> <keyword id="143" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Bollywood">Bollywood</keyword> can’t create a Dhoom every time – even when it is a ‘3D’ version of a timeless epic like Sholay. As for <keyword id="20399" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Arshad-Warsi">Arshad Warsi</keyword> and Soha Ali Khan-starrer <keyword id="2005226" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Comedy-flick">comedy flick</keyword> Mr Joe B Carvalho, the <keyword id="25892" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="box-office">box office</keyword> response has been nothing less than disastrous – just Rs 2.25 crore nett at home after the first weekend, according to <keyword id="2005227" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Industry-estimates">industry estimates</keyword>. Its collections went further down to Rs 30-35 lakh on Day 4 (Monday, January 6). 
 
In contrast, Sholay 3D has done much better and scooped up about Rs 5.6 crore in India after the 4th day. The new version has cost about Rs 22 crore, including <keyword id="61642" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Restoration">restoration</keyword> and conversion expenses, and hit 1,000 screens. Till date, the occupancy was 60-70% and <keyword id="617883" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Sholay-3D">Sholay 3D</keyword> is expected to keep up the tempo in the next few weeks. Not bad for a movie that is 38-year-old and can only rekindle nostalgia. 
 
But it’s a different story when you watch Carvalho. Directed by <keyword id="1943459" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Samir-Tewari">Samir Tewari</keyword>, the flick also stars <keyword id="212233" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Jaaved-Jaffrey">Jaaved Jaffrey</keyword> and <keyword id="2005219" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Vijay-Raaj">Vijay Raaj</keyword>, and has reportedly opened in 1,100 screens across the country. Moreover, it has all the regular dose of masala – Arshad plays a <keyword id="25276" type="POSITION" weightage="100" keywordseo="detective">detective</keyword> for the first time in a <keyword id="680" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="hindi-movie">Hindi movie</keyword> (a small-time <keyword id="1229562" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="private-eye">private eye</keyword> from <keyword id="6354321" type="CITY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Bengaluru">Bengaluru</keyword>); <keyword id="6375366" type="POSITION" weightage="80" keywordseo="police-officer">police officer</keyword> <keyword id="2005218" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Shantipriya-Phadnis">Shantipriya Phadnis</keyword> (Soha) appears in her first-ever <keyword id="2005239" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Bikini-shot">bikini shot</keyword> and does some cabaret; and Jaaved or ‘<keyword id="84355" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Carlos">Carlos</keyword>’ enacts a number of quirky characters whenever he comes on screen. But in spite of their best efforts (at least Arshad has been pretty smooth throughout), the plot lacks thrill; the gags are stale and <keyword id="6359193" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Comedy">comedy</keyword> has taken flight – leaving behind some skeletal, cartoonish shells. 
 Interestingly, this is Tewari’s <keyword id="41623" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Directorial-debut">directorial debut</keyword> and one really wonders if he is in the industry to stay. As for Arshad, one only hopes this lacklustre flick won’t affect his upcoming movie <keyword id="696067" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Dedh-Ishqiya">Dedh Ishqiya</keyword>, releasing on January 10. 
 But before we conclude, here’s a piece of BO news that will cheer up all. <keyword id="6355923" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Aamir-Khan">Aamir Khan</keyword>’s <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/9-Bollywood-BlockbustersThat-Entered-Rs-100-Crore-Club-In-2013/articleshow/28176524.cms">Dhoom 3</a> has vroomed past all limits and grossed Rs 501.35 crore ($83.56 million) worldwide (India &amp; overseas business) since its release on December 20 last year. Producers Yash Raj Films (YRF) has also issued a statement confirming the news. 
 
“Dhoom 3 continues to create history at both the Indian and overseas box office. It is now officially the first Indian film to cross Rs 500 crore worldwide,” the statement said. Now that the box office landmark has been set, will it be the new Bollywood reality for the rest of the year? Maybe the release of Dedh Ishqiya can help us get over a dismal beginning. 
 
Image: Indiatimes

Bollywood Off To Low-key Start: Sholay 3D
Gets The Better Of Mr Joe B. Carvalho

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/39227456.cms" /> 
Get Your <keyword id="6362088" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="100" keywordseo="kick">Kick</keyword> This Eid, yells the movie poster and sure enough, it has never been this good for a <keyword id="143" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Bollywood">Bollywood</keyword> release in 2014. <keyword id="1470620" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="superstar-Salman-Khan">Superstar Salman Khan</keyword> is back with Kick, his second venture of the current year, and the action-drama raced past his earlier outing <keyword id="6593120" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Jai-Ho">Jai Ho</keyword> (opening weekend collection Rs 58.50 crore at home). Released on July 25, the Salman Khan-Jacqueline Fernandez-starrer netted a mammoth Rs 83.83 crore at the <keyword id="827271" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Domestic-Box-Office">domestic box office</keyword> in the first three days (trade figure stood at Rs 82.01 crore) and is expected to hit the Rs 100 crore mark on Day 5 (July 29) at home. 
 
“Kick has a SPECTACULAR weekend. Fri 26.50 cr, Sat 27.15 cr, Sun 30.18 cr. Total: Rs 83.83 cr nett. India biz. REMARKABLE,” tweeted film critic and analyst Taran Adarsh. This is the highest opening day collection in 2014, but Kick failed to beat the debut day records of <keyword id="6355923" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Aamir-Khan">Aamir Khan</keyword>’s <keyword id="24705" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="60" keywordseo="Dhoom-3">Dhoom 3</keyword> (Rs 36 crore), <keyword id="4546" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Shah-Rukh">Shah Rukh</keyword>’s Chennai Express (Rs 33.10 crore) and Salman’s own <keyword id="638019" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="Ek-Tha-Tiger">Ek Tha Tiger</keyword> (Rs 32.92 crore). Neither could it beat Dhoom 3’s record of entering the Rs 100 crore club in just three days. Interestingly, Salman’s Ek Tha Tiger entered the 100 crore club in the first weekend. 
 Although first Monday collections saw a huge 50% drop in earnings (compared to Sunday) at the domestic <keyword id="25892" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="box-office">box office</keyword>, the movie collected around Rs 13.5 crore as per industry estimates, taking Kick’s four-day total to Rs 97.3 crore (approx.). The flick has also done some good business overseas and grossed around Rs 22 crore at the end of Day 4. “Kick is excellent in USA-Canada and has performed well elsewhere. The business will get a further boost once the Eid festivities begin,” said Adarsh in another tweet. 
 
With Kick hitting the 100 crore mark globally, Salman now has seven <keyword id="2448807" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="100-crore-grossers">100 crore grossers</keyword> to his credit. The earlier six include Ek Tha Tiger, <keyword id="35445" type="POSITION" weightage="80" keywordseo="bodyguard">Bodyguard</keyword>, <keyword id="94964" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="80" keywordseo="Dabangg">Dabangg</keyword> and Dabangg2, <keyword id="18142" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="80" keywordseo="Ready">Ready</keyword> and Jai Ho. As for the opening weekend, Kick is the fourth highest grosser of all time – after Dhoom 3 (Rs 107 crore), Chennai Express (100.35 crore) and Ek Tha Tiger (Rs 116.05 crore). Although <keyword id="95158" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="80" keywordseo="RA-One">Ra.One</keyword> (Rs 91.10 crore) and Bodyguard (Rs 86.10 crore) had earned more than Kick, both movies had a 5-day weekend. 
 
 <img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/39227597.cms" /> 
 
Kick is the <keyword id="41623" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Directorial-debut">directorial debut</keyword> of <keyword id="27326" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Sajid-Nadiadwala">Sajid Nadiadwala</keyword>, known for producing big hits like Housefull, Heropanti, 2 States and Highway. This movie, too, has been produced by Nadiadwala and is marketed and distributed by <keyword id="61407" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="UTV-motion-pictures">UTV Motion Pictures</keyword>, a part of the <keyword id="473638" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Disney-Company">Disney Company</keyword> in India. Kick hit more than 5,000 screens in India and 42 other countries, and had a whopping budget of Rs 125 crore. For the uninitiated, this one is a remake of the 2009 Telugu action comedy Kick, directed by <keyword id="163370" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Surender-Reddy">Surender Reddy</keyword>. <keyword id="6390428" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Chetan-Bhagat">Chetan Bhagat</keyword> has co-written <keyword id="819709" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="40" keywordseo="the-script">the script</keyword> for the Hindi version. 
 
Coming back to the movie itself, it is a typical masala entertainer where everything else departs and ‘<keyword id="2448805" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Salmania">Salmania</keyword>’ takes over. Here’s a <keyword id="18564" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="blockbuster">blockbuster</keyword> screening the superb exploits and high voltage action of a Robin Hood-like <keyword id="7436" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="superhero">superhero</keyword> who is forever seeking adrenaline rush. Devil, aka Devil Lal Singh (<keyword id="6354583" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Salman-Khan">Salman Khan</keyword>), is initially drawn to Shaina (<keyword id="6354417" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Jacqueline-Fernandez">Jacqueline Fernandez</keyword>), a <keyword id="33876" type="POSITION" weightage="60" keywordseo="psychiatrist">psychiatrist</keyword> living in <keyword id="47414" type="COUNTRY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Poland">Poland</keyword>, as she manages to give him enough kick on the love front. The chemistry between the two is quite enjoyable while you have a <keyword id="1476042" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="super-cop">super cop</keyword> in <keyword id="45913" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Himanshu">Himanshu</keyword> (<keyword id="16675" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Randeep-Hooda">Randeep Hooda</keyword>), trying to decode some challenging robberies masterminded by Devil (reminds you of Dhoom 3?), and a creepy villain in <keyword id="2448803" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Shiv-Gazra">Shiv Gazra</keyword> (<keyword id="6359106" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Nawazuddin-Siddiqui">Nawazuddin Siddiqui</keyword>). The rest is usual Bollywood histrionics – right from accident to memory loss to melodrama and finally, a predictable climax without an ounce of surprise. But you would better forget the logic and the coherence part. The best thing that happened to this movie is Salman Khan (and the supporting cast) who sizzled all the way with devilish humour, sleek action and smooth romance. 
 
Images: Indiatimes

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