It's June and Bollywood is euphoric. The first half of the year has witnessed bountiful of hits, even as the picture is set to get rosier with Rs.5 billion riding on upcoming releases.

It is a dream-run, kick-started by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra's "Rang De Basanti", that promises to only get better in months ahead. Actor-with-a-cause Aamir Khan has ruled the turnstiles with both his films, "Rang De Basanti" and "Fanaa", raking in over $20 million each.

A surprise hit was Priyadarshan's comedy "Malamaal Weekly", a small-budget film that made three times its production cost of Rs.60 million. More importantly, small and experimental films were appreciated.

"Malamaal Weekly" worked well though it had no conventional stars. Rajat Kapoor's wife-swapping tale, "Mixed Doubles", made on a tight budget of Rs.15 million, did better than expected, too.

Most encouragingly, Homi Adajania's dark comedy "Being Cyrus", with a budget of Rs.30 million had earned twice the amount in two weeks. Trade analyst Komal Nahta points out that Emraan Hashmi-starrers like "Gangster" and "Aksar", too, have done reasonable business.

Another hit, in select places, has been Milan Luthria's "Taxi No. 9211".

"It has done above-average business," says Trade Guide editor.

Compare these figures with last year and there's reason enough to cheer.

In 2005, around this time we had just two successes - "Page 3" and "Black". The rest of the films had flopped. This year has brought the industry out of that phase.

Beyond encouraging box-office returns, the last couple of years have seen at least a few truly original cinematic works, giving rise to the hope that the Mumbai studios-based Hindi film trade has begun spurning formulas.

Along with the sea change in the way business is conducted in Bollywood, non-genre cinema has taken roots in a big way in Mumbai. The average Bollywood filmmaker, who used to source inspiration from his collection of foreign DVDs, is getting overshadowed by those who pursue originality.

Last year's films like "Black", "Page 3", "Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi" and "Iqbal" followed by non-conforming entertainers like "Rang De Basanti" and "Being Cyrus" this year show the perceptible change.

It may be too early to say that offbeat cinema, especially made-in-India English films, is getting mainstreamed but at least it is getting the backing of some corporate giants and Bollywood biggies.

Following the upswing in urbane cinema and with audiences rejecting formula-ridden Bollywood masala flicks, even mainstream directors are packing in much more in a love story or an action flick.

The change can be seen everywhere. Films like "Bunty Aur Bubli" and this year's "Rang De Basanti" are ripe with earthy sensibilities that capture the essence of real India.

And filmmakers like Kunal Kohli, who made "Hum Tum", had to turn to inspiration to Kashmir for his love story between a blind girl and a terrorist in "Fanaa". Yash Chopra, grand old daddy of Bollywood, knew that he needed to rid vacuities that made "Hum Tum" tick for a mass entertainer.

Priyadarshan, who can get any number of stars to work for him, chose to go with character actors in "Malamaal Weekly" proving that you do not need a megastar to sell a film.

Hit father-son pair of Rakesh and Hrithik Roshan knew their only chance to be third time lucky was to conjure up something very, very different. Undoubtedly, Bollywood is better posed than it has ever been to push the envelope.

Movie mania is set to scale new heights by year end, with Rs.5 billion riding on Rakesh Roshan's "Krrish", Karan Johar's "Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna" (Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Abhishek Bachchan), J.P. Dutta's "Umraao Jaan" (Abhishek, Aishwarya Rai), Yash Chopra's "Dhoom 2" (Hrithik, Abhishek, Aishwarya) and Farhan Akhtar's "Don" (Shah Rukh, Priyanka Chopra, Kareena Kapoor).

The most expensive Indian film, however, will be Shankar's "Annyan". Made at a cost of a mind-boggling Rs.750 million, the film will feature the superstar southern India - Rajnikant.

Not that there have been no disappointments.

"36 China Town", "Shaadi Se Pehle", "Humko Deewana Kar Gaye", "Saawan - The Love Season", "Family" and "Fight Club" were among those that failed to live up to expectations.

Many flops were result of cannibalising of ideas from the West, much like this week's release "Alag" that is heavily inspired by Hollywood flick "Powder" by director Victor Salva. Though the film is unlike any Hindi film it is a typical example of filmmakers hoping to jump into the bandwagon of the multiplex cinema movement with half-baked products.

Super-hit "Fanaa" has brought audiences back to movie halls in spite of the blazing sun. Films released after the Yash Raj Films production are reaping rich dividends. Just released "Phir Hera Pheri" has got a resounding reception at the box office, though critics had panned it.

The first week collections of the Neeraj Vora-directed sequel to Priyadarshan's "Hera Pheri" were better than the star director's own "Chup Chup Ke" that released the same day.

Kunal Kohli's "Fanaa", still going great guns at the marquees, will now meet strong competition from Rakesh Roshan's "Krrish". The film, starring Hrithik with Priyanka Chopra, is slated for release Friday. The film reportedly cost Rs.500 million and is said to be most technically advanced film ever made in the country.

Hrithik in "Krrish" will be Bollywood's first indigenous Superman-style superhero. It is a sequel, a rarity in Bollywood, to the 2003 blockbuster "Koi... Mil Gaya" that was considered the first major science fiction film in Hindi.

Bollywood's A-list director Rakesh Roshan is hoping to be third time lucky in directing Hrithik after "Kaho Na Pyaar Hai" and "Koi... Mil Gaya".

To cover the cost and make profits, "Krrish" will have to maintain a good run at the box-office for two to three weeks after the release. If it manages to, then it will be an excellent start for the second half of 2006.