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Pukar gets little response

Arthur J Pais

Grossing $ 198,000 in three days, the much-hyped Pukar, which is also one of the most expensive films made recently, doesn't look like it will be a hit.

If the usual pattern of a 40 per cent drop in the next subsequent weeks applies, Pukar could end up with a lackluster $ 450,000. While many spectators liked the first half of the film, they complained the second half did not flow well.

Some complained that Madhuri Dixit got shortchanged in the film.

"Her character (in the film) is very intriguing," said a Sheetal Singh, a graduate student in New York. "But it has not been exploited well."

Some complained that Lata Mangeshkar, who lip-syncs her own song, was very camera-conscious.

"A beautiful song has been wasted," said a cab driver. "Were there no other artistes?"

Meanwhile, another much publicized film, Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani, which, like Pukar , is distributed by Eros Entertainment, is heading for a decent $ 700,000 gross, thanks to its $ 400,000-plus opening.

The audiences certainly have mixed feelings about the movie.

In its second week, it fell by about 55 per cent, taking in about $ 170,000 in three days and $ 190,000 through the week. It grossed about $ 610,000 in its first 10 days in America.

This week's Daily Variety did not have its box-office position listed in the 60 top-grossing films. The 60th movie, The Omega Code, grossed about $ 45,000. Which means Phir Bhi has suffered another big decline.

With $ 350,000 grossed in England, the first film produced by its stars, Shah Rukh Khan and Juhi Chawla, has grossed $ 1 million.

Unless Badal, or Kamal Hassan's Hey Ram turns into a big hit exhibitors and distributors feel that they will have to wait till March 24, when David Dhawan's Dulhan Hum Le Jayenge releases, for a upward box-office swing. Badal, starring Bobby Deol and Rani Mukherjee and directed by Raj Kanwar (Deewana and Judai), opens on February 11 and Hey Ram on February 18.

Dulhan Hum Le Jayenge, starring Karishma Kapoor and Salman Khan, could be just the film to give the box-office a powerful boost.

Dhawan's films have generally performed well in North America, with their box-office hovering between $ 300,000 and $ 400,000. But given the steady popularity of its star cast, the movie could be a hit.

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