Love Story 2050
Release date: 04.07.08
What: Debutant Harman Baweja travels to the Mumbai of year 2050 to meet his love reborn. Flying cars, robots as servants, gigs in space — Love Story 2050 was all style, no substance.
Why: Harman’s dancing skills and Priyanka Chopra’s red tresses failed to impress. Bollywood’s first attempt at sci-fi was a non-starter at the box office, slammed by critics and cinegoers alike.
Verdict: FLOP
Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na
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Release date: 04.07.08
What: A refreshing take on love, life, friendship and relationships, Jaane Tu...Ya Jaane Na was the story of two best friends discovering their love for each other.
Why: A believable story line backed by powerhouse performances from debutant Imran Khan and Genelia D’Souza, plus a perfect support cast. AR Rahman’s music — led by Kabhi kabhi Aditi and Pappu can’t dance — made Jaane Tu...a must watch.
Verdict: SUPERHIT
Mehbooba
Release date: 11.07.2008
What: The billionth Bollywood remake of Sleeping With The Enemy had Sanjay Dutt and Ajay Devgan fighting it out over Manisha Koirala.
Why: Eight years in the making meant continuity glitches galore — Dutt’s fluctuating hairline and Manisha’s fluctuating waistline included. A couple of cancelled shows later, Mehbooba was yanked off screens.
Verdict: FLOP
Kismat Konnection
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Release date: 18.07.2008
What: Vidya Balan played lucky charm to down-on-luck Shahid Kapur. Predictable fare from the Aziz Mirza camp.
Why: A foot-tapping music score from Pritam was the high point of this average rom com. Even the Shahid-Vidya link-up couldn’t brighten Kismat Konnection’s dull kismet at the box office.
Verdict: AVERAGE
Contract
Release date: 18.07.08
What: A disgruntled ex-armyman decides to pose as a contract killer to weed out terrorists.
Why: An incoherent script and the absence of stars kept the audience away. A pale shadow of Satya and Company, Contract marked one more flop for Ram Gopal Varma.
Verdict: FLOP
Money Hai Toh Honey Hai
Release date: 25.07.2008
What: Govinda in a leopard-print sarong. Manoj Bajpai in a red suit. Hanssika Motwani in a golden gown. The rest of Money Hai Toh Honey Hai was even more bizarre.
Why: A crass comedy from start to finish, it forced the audience to reach out for a Saridon. ‘Cool dude’ Govinda screaming out ‘Yo man!’ was the ultimate put-off.
Verdict: FLOP
Mission Istaanbul
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Release date: 25.07.08
What: Director Apoorva Lakhia’s latest explored the alleged nexus between terrorism and the media. Zayed Khan, Viveik Oberoi and newcomer Nikitin Dheer ensured that Mission Istaanbul was an all-brawn, no-brain affair.
Why: Exotic Turkish locales, high-octane stunts, stylish characters — Mission Istaanbul had everything. Save for a logical script.
Verdict: FLOP
Ugly Aur Pagli
Release date: 01.08.2008
What: The Bollywoodisation of Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew had Mallika Sherawat play Pagli to Ranvir Shorey’s Ugly.
Why: The promos were fun. The film wasn’t half as entertaining. Unlike the Mallika-Rahul Bose chemistry, the Mallika-Ranvir pairing turned out to be thanda.
Verdict: average
Singh Is Kinng
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Release date: 08.08.2008
What: Village bumpkin Akshay ‘Lucky Singh’ Kumar travels to Australia where circumstances compel him to don the mantle of an underworld Kinng. With hilarious results.
Why: Eminently likeable performances from Akshay and a motley crew of actors, some genuine comic moments and Pritam’s foot-tapping numbers scored over the inane bits and spelt box- office bonanza for this Anees Bazmee film.
Verdict: HIT
Bachna Ae Haseeno
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Release date: 15.08.2008
What: Casanova Ranbir Kapoor flits from the innocent Minissha to the small-towner Bipasha before meeting his match in the sultry Deepika.
Why: A fun script, solid performances and great music from Vishal-Shekhar ensured bumper business for Bachna Ae Haseeno. The film was all nostalgia with Ranbir and Sumeet Kumar recreating the Rishi Kapoor-Kishore Kumar magic.
Verdict: HIT
God Tussi Great Ho
Release date: 15.08.2008
What: A young man blames God for all his problems till the day he is given a chance to be God. And then his problems start.
Why: A blatant copy of the Jim Carrey laugh riot Bruce Almighty, this Salman Khan-Amitabh Bachchan starrer wasn’t a patch on the original. Salman’s floral shirts and the garishly coloured sets made the audience reach out for their glares.
Verdict: FLOP
Phoonk
Release date: 22.08.2008
What: Black magic wrecks havoc on the lives of a young girl and her family in this Ram Gopal Varma horror tale.
Why: Looking to end the string of box-office flops, RGV announced a reward of Rs 5 lakh for those who could watch Phoonk alone in an empty theatre. The film failed to spook, but did attract curious crowds to cinemas.
Verdict: AVERAGE
Maan Gaye Mughall-e-Azam
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Release date: 22.08.2008
What: Months after the 1993 Bombay blasts, a theatre group gets all set to stage Mughal-e-Azam. It’s all madness and mayhem thereon.
Why: Director Sanjay Chhel got big names like Kay Kay Menon, Paresh Rawal, Rahul Bose and Mallika Sherawat, but forgot about the script. The audience wasn’t amused.
Verdict: Flop
Mumbai Meri Jaan
Release date: 22.08.2008
What: Tracing the trials and tribulations of the victims of the 7/11 local train blasts, Mumbai Meri Jaan highlighted the average man’s helplessness in the face of terror.
Why: Simple and shocking, director Nishikant Kamath’s poignant tale of life in the aftermath of tragedy was marked by power-packed performances. Sadly, that wasn’t enough to lure the audience.
Verdict: average
CKkompany
Release date: 29.08.08
What: A trio of losers metamorphoses into a gang of ‘goons’ called CKkompany. We couldn’t figure out the rest of the film.
Why: Too many saas-bahu references (CKkompany was produced by Ekta Kapoor) and zero comic moments resulted in a poor box-office show for this Tusshar Kapoor-Anupam Kher-Paresh Rawal starrer.
Verdict: FLOP
Rock On!!
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Release date: 29.08.08
What: Four friends reunite after 10 long years to pursue a common passion — music.
Why: A rocking music score and knockout performances ensured a bumper crop at the box-office for this Abhishek Kapoor film. Director turned actor Farhan Akhtar and super-sexyArjun Rampal had the girls swooning. Pure Magik.
Verdict: SUPERHIT
Chamku
Release date: 29.08.08
What: A Naxalite becomes part of a covert government programme to combat terrorism and corruption till a day dawns when he comes face to face with his past.
Why: A script with too many loose ends and lacklustre acts from Bobby Deol and Priyanka Chopra resulted in Chamku not getting past a week in most cinemas.
Verdict: FLOP
Mukhbiir
Release date: 29.08.08
What: An espionage thriller modelled on The Departed, Mukhbiir had small-time actor Sammir Dattani at the centre of things.
Why: A non-starter at the box office, despite the unique money-back offer for the first 5,000 who didn’t like the film. Mukhbiir didn’t last even a week.
Verdict: FLOP
Hijack
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Release date: 05.09.2008
What: A gang of terrorists hijack a plane, holding hundreds hostage until one man singlehandledly grounds their plans.
Why: A strange mix of Die Hard 2 and the Kandahar hijacking, this Shiney Ahuja starrer fell short on many counts. The audience wisely decided to stay away.
Verdict: FLOP
A Wednesday
Release date: 05.09.2008
What: One man keeps an entire police force on tenterhooks with a bomb scare.
Why: A gripping script and superlative performances from Anupam Kher and Naseeruddin Shah were the highlights of A Wednesday. Critical acclaim, yes; box-office gains, no.
Verdict: FLOP
Tahaan
Release date: 05.09.2008
What: A young boy in riot-stricken Kashmir is willing to go the extra mile in order to get his prized pet donkey back.
Why: A tale of lost innocence against the backdrop of terrorism, Tahaan was a beautiful piece of storytelling. Director Santosh Sivan’s camera brilliantly captured the snow-capped peaks and sylvan locales of Kashmir. Sadly, another good film that could not get people to watch it.
Verdict: FLOP
Ru-Ba-Ru
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Release date: 12.09.08
What: A tale of romance, passion, longing. And death.
Why: A copy of the Jennifer Love Hewitt starrer If Only, Ru-Ba-Ru failed to capitalise on an interesting premise. The audience gave a thumbs down despite Shahana Goswami (she was superb).
Verdict: FLOP
1920
Release date: 12.09.08
What: A young couple in pre-independence India go to live in a secluded castle. And things start to go horribly wrong.
Why: A desi take on The Exorcist, 1920 boasted of some genuinely spine-chilling moments. A ridiculous back story and a hackneyed ending spoilt the picnic for director Vikram Bhatt.
Verdict: average
Saas Bahu Aur Sensex
Release date: 19.09.08
What: A saas-bahu soap-loving kitty party group discover the joys of making money at the stock market.
Why: Director Shona Urvashi made a royal mess of a promising theme. Half-hearted performances and too many subplots sounded the death knell for Saas Bahu Aur Sensex.
Verdict: FLOP
Hulla
Release date: 19.09.08
What: A man loses sleep over the watchman’s shrill whistle till the day he decides to take matters into his own hands.
Why: Zero publicity and lack of big names resulted in a poor show. The film wasn’t great shakes either.
Verdict: FLOP
Welcome to Sajjanpur
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Release date: 19.09.08
What: An endearing tale of a quaint village in North India and the diverse people who inhabit it.
Why: Marked by the Shyam Benegal style of simple storytelling and some briiliant performances, Welcome to Sajjanpur did find takers.
Verdict: average
And...
Home Alone rip-off Hari Puttar — A Comedy of Terrors released last Friday. The kid caper opened to poor reviews and an average response at the box-office. It remains to be seen whether Zain Khan is able to recreate the magic that catapulted Hollywood child actor Macaulay Culkin to instant stardom.
FAST FORWARD TO fourth quarter
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DRONA | KIDNAP Why: Red-hot Imran Khan plays mind games with the still-hot Sanjay Dutt. Minissha Lamba in a bikini and Mit jaaye make Kidnap a must watch. |
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| FASHION Why: Madhur Bhandarkar’s Priyanka Chopra-Kangana Ranaut starrer takes a peek at the behind-the-scenes happenings of the fashion world. | KARZZZZ Why: Om shanti om may have become Hari om, but will a capless Himesh surprise us with another hit after Aap Kaa Surroor? |
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| DOSTANA Why: Shot in Miami, this Karan Johar candyfloss has John Abraham and Abhishek Bachchan opposite each other, with Priyanka Chopra as the woman in the middle! | GHAJINI Why: Aamir Khan has Jiah Khan and Asin for company in this Memento remake. The most anticipated film of the quarter. |
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RAB NE BANA DI JODI | |
