Actress Bipasha Basu at a promotional for Players in Bangalore. (AFP)

Patna, Jan. 6: Players, the first big Bollywood action thriller of 2012 to hit the theatres today, drew mixed reaction from the audience.

Directed by Abbas-Mustan, the film offers a distinctive genre of thrill blended with a tinge of comedy. Abhishek Bachchan, Sonam Kapoor, Neil Nitin Mukesh, Bipasha Basu, Bobby Deol, Omi Vaidya and Sikander Kher play the lead roles.

Gyan, the assistant manager of Cinepolis, which is screening six shows, said: “The film is doing pretty good. The morning and matinee shows have more takers as compared to the night show. We have sold 820 seats for the six shows slotted for the day. Morning show tickets have been priced at Rs 130 while those for the evening are available at Rs 180. Bookings are open till Sunday. Let’s see what’s in store.”

Arpita, who came to catch the film with her friend at Cinepolis, said: “I knew that the film is inspired by Hollywood thriller The Italian Job in which thieves plan to steal gold bullion from a former associate who double-crossed them. Everything is similar but it has been made in the typical Abbas-Mustan style. So most of us were sure about the twists and turns that it would offer.”

Mona is the only other theatre in the capital screening Players in four shows. Sharad, the manager, said: “We have sold 300 tickets for the noon show, 400 tickets for the matinee show, making it almost a houseful. For the evening show, we sold 200 tickets for Rs 160 each. Online booking for Sunday shows is open.”

Subhash Kumar, a cine goer, said: “Sonam looks hot and sexy but it’s high time that she works on her acting skills. Bipasha, no doubt, is far better. It’s an average film and most of the scenes are predictable.”