BOX OFFICE

MUMBAI: Since the last few weeks, two producers – Ritesh Sidhwani of Don and Sajid Nadiadwala of Jaan-E-Mann – left no stones unturned to promote their respective movies.

What’s more, the hype created generated more curiosity amongst viewers, distributors, exhibitors, traders and media and so on. On the other hand, both were big budgeted movies. Jaan-E-Mann, directed by debutante Shirish Kunder, is budgeted around Rs 400 million (Rs 40 crores); while Don directed by Farhan Akhtar is also budgeted around the same.

Shah Rukh Khan, Akshay Kumar and Salman Khan are all out there to woo audiences.

Bombay film distributor Anil Thadani, who had released Shah Rukh Khan starrer Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge in 1995, has released Don after a hiatus of 11 years. In Bombay circuits, 150 prints were released.

Shree Ashtavinayak Cine Vision who had the Bombay circuit rights for Jaan-E-Mann, released it with 151 prints.

Expectations of fireworks at the box-office turned out to be a dampner. The opening days’ collections are nothing to talk home about. The festive season of Diwali and Eid may help to improve the collections a bit.

While Don managed to collect 65 – 85 per cent collection over the weekend, Jaan-E-Mann registered collections in the region of 46 – 50 per cent collection in Bombay and all over.

Jaan-E-Mann, a romantic comedy slips because of a weak script. Shirish Kunder has proved his efficiency as a director and his editing experience has come in handy. Both films have got mixed responses from patrons.

Another film that hit the theatres was the Amitabh Bachchan and Hema Malini’s Bhojpuri film Ganga. Produced by Big B’s make-up man Deepak Sawant, the film was released in 12 cinemas of Bombay and 25 prints in Delhi-U.P. Another Bhojpuri film Balma 420 also released in Bombay at six cinemas and other centers.

Mediocre films like Robbery and dubbed film Arjun – The Warrior also opened this week.

As expected, Friday the 13 proved unlucky for Kumar Sanu’s Utthaan. The film had the poorest collections. It ran for a week at four cinemas. It opened at Kanpur this week; Jaipur collected 10 per cent collection from one print (Rs 30,906) while the other one was on fixed hire. It ran for a week in Bikaner. Even Kolkata registered very poor collections.

Zindaggi Rocks is still not rocking in its second week. Bombay collected 24 per cent from 9 cinemas (Rs 227,000); Thane collected 26 per cent from four cinemas (Rs 48,000); Ahmedabad fetched Rs 700,000 from eight cinemas (29 per cent); Delhi collected Rs 422,000 (nine per cent); Kanpur collected Rs 26,000 from one cinema; Indore collected Rs 54,328 from four cinemas; Jaipur was on fixed hire; Kolkata Rs 231,700 from two cinemas (35 per cent) and Hyderabad collected Rs 61,293 in six days from one cinema (28 per cent).

Mere Dil Leke Dekho in its second week collected Rs 11,179 from two cinemas. Jackie Shroff starrer Bhoot Unkle ran for two weeks in Bombay with one print. It ran for a week in Indore and Ujjain.

Iqraar – By Chance ran for two weeks on one print in matinees; whereas Gafla entered its third week in Bombay.

Who Lamhe… in its third week collected Rs 1,301,000 from 21 cinemas (34 per cent). From Thane it collected Rs 255,849 from six cinemas (33 per cent); it ran for two weeks at Baroda. Delhi collected Rs 1,432,349 from 14 cinemas (36 per cent); Kanpur Rs 1.70 lakhs from three cinemas (42 per cent); Jaipur Rs 3.25 lakhs from four cinemas (49 per cent); Kolkata Rs 764,000 from six cinemas (38 per cent); Hyderabad Rs 47,005 from one cinema (29 per cent); Chennai Rs 106,604 from one cinema (30 per cent).

Khosla Ka Ghosla in its fourth week collected Rs 1,974,276 from 30 cinemas (30 per cent) in Bombay; Thane Rs 232,114 from four cinemas (35 per cent), Ahemdabad collected Rs 148,831 from three prints (21 per cent); Delhi collected Rs 20 lakhs from 14 cinemas (27 per cent); Kanpur Rs 86,775 from one print (28 per cent) and Hyderabad Rs 300,917 from four cinemas (52 per cent).

Dor entered its fifth week in Bombay at five cinemas. In its fourth week in Ahmedabad it collected Rs 150,000 from three cinemas (31 per cent); Delhi Rs 593,000 from 7 cinemas (28 per cent); Agra Rs 32,689 from one print (28 per cent); Hyderabad Rs 149,940 (6 days) from one print; Chennai Rs 29,079 from one cinema in 7 shows (38 per cent).

Pyaar Ke Side / Effects entered its sixth week in Bombay. In its fifth week in Delhi it collected Rs 13,96,037 from 17 cinemas, Indore Rs 48,184 from 4 cinemas. It ran for five combined weeks in Kolkata.

Lage Raho Munnabhai in its seventh week in Bombay (Tax Free) collected Rs 6,448,460 from 41 cinemas (52 per cent); Thane Rs 199,762 on 1 print (62 per cent). It entered its eighth week in Baroda in five cinemas. Delhi collected Rs 2,930,263 from 21 prints (45 per cent); Kanpur Rs 1.86 lakhs from 2 cinemas (56 per cent). It ran for seven weeks in Ratlam. Jaipur collected Rs 10 lakhs from 8 cinemas (44 per cent); Bikaner Rs 37,035 from one cinema (33 per cent) and Hyderabad Rs 837,500 (6 days) from 7 cinemas (45 per cent).

Kabhi Alvida Na Kehnaa in its tenth week in Bombay collected Rs 39,259 from two cinemas (21 shows).

Krrish in its seventeenth week collected Rs 120,701 from three cinemas in Bombay.

The 21st week collections of Fanaa in Bombay were undisclosed.